Famous People Born In Uppsala

Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish filmmaker and screenwriter. Widely regarded as one of the most influential and accomplished filmmakers of all time, Ingmar Bergman continues to serve as an inspiration for filmmakers like Woody Allen. His work has also influenced other prominent directors like Martin Scorsese, Thomas Vinterberg, and Richard Ayoade.

Born Shahrzad Fooladi, to Iranian parents in Sweden, Snoh Aalegra had started writing songs by age 9 and signed with Sony at age 13. She changed her name after moving to the US and soared to fame with her chartbusting tracks such as I Want You Around and Find Someone Like You.

A Swedish physician, academic, and public speaker, Hans Rosling was the co-founder of Gapminder Foundation, that is known for the development the Trendalyzer software system. He gave several talks/lectures, presented television documentaries like Don’t Panic: The Truth about Population and also co-authored a bestselling book titled Factfulness. Additionally, he was a professor of international health at Karolinska Institute too.

Malena Ernman is a Swedish opera singer who represented her country at the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Moscow, Russia. Apart from operas and operettas, she also performs jazz, cabaret, and chansons. Also an environmental activist, Malena Ernman was adjudged Environmental Hero of the Year by an organization called WWF-Sweden in 2017.

Hans Blix is a Swedish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1978 to 1979. An advocate of world peace, Blix served as the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1981 to 1997. In 2007, Hans Blix was honored with the Sydney Peace Prize. In 2014, he received the Fulbright Prize.

Swedish singer-songwriter Veronica Maggio began her career with a pop band before going solo. She released her debut single in March 2006 and her debut album in September 2016, which peaking at number 14 at the Swedish chart. Since then, she has been making regular releases, peaking at number one position with her subsequent albums, winning multiple awards for her music.

Torsten Wiesel is a Swedish neurophysiologist whose work on ocular dominance columns along with David Hubel earned them the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Torsten Wiesel is also a human rights advocate whose work with non-governmental organizations earned him the David Rall Medal. He is also a founding member of a nonprofit establishment called the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization.

Amanda Lind is a Swedish politician who served as the Minister for Democracy as well as the Minister for Culture from 2019 to 2021 in the cabinet of Stefan Löfven. Recognized and known for her distinctive hairstyle, Lind has been an important member of the Swedish Green Party since 1999.

In April 2015, Swedish politician Ebba-Elisabeth Busch succeeded Göran Hägglund as the leader of the Christian Democrats party in Sweden. The alumnus of the Uppsala University has represented the Västra Götaland County East in the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) since 2018 and is also a member of Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs and The War Delegation.

Alva Myrdal was a Swedish politician, diplomat, and sociologist. She played a major role during the disarmament movement in Sweden, for which she was honored with the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 1982. She also chaired the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute after playing a key role in its creation. Throughout her career, Myrdal was honored with many prestigious awards.

Swedish pharmacologist Arvid Carlsson’s research work establishing dopamine as a significant neurotransmitter in the brain resulted in the development of drugs for Parkinson’s disease. In the year 2000, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work. During his career, he was also awarded the Wolf Prize in Medicine, the Japan Prize and Italy's Feltrinelli Prize.

Andreas Lundstedt is a Swedish singer who achieved immense popularity as a founding member of a nu-disco group called Alcazar, which became one of the most successful Swedish music groups of all time; between 2001 and 2004, the band sold more than 12 million records worldwide. Andreas Lundstedt has also competed in Melodifestivalen on nine occasions.

Swedish military commander Carl Gustaf Wrangel is best known for his exploits during the Thirty Years’ War. When Swedish king Charles XI was a minor, Wrangel served the Regency Council. As the governor-general of Swedish Pomerania, he gained a lot of fortune, which he spent on books and palaces.

Jesper Nyholm is a Swedish-born Filipino football player who plays as a defender for the Philippines national team and Muangthong United, which competes in the Thai League 1. Over the years, Jesper Nyholm has also played for clubs like Dalkurd, AIK, and Djurgårdens.

3-time Olympic silver medalist Swedish handball player Staffan Olsson is also a 2-time World Champion and a 4-time European Champion. He had begun his professional career at age 10. He later took to coaching and now serves as the head coach of the Netherlands national men’s handball team.

Olof Celsius was a Swedish philologist, botanist, runologist, and clergyman. He also served as a professor at the famous Uppsala University. Olof Celsius is credited with mentoring future scientist and botanist, Carl Linnaeus. In 1739, Celsius was inducted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.   

Lars Johan Hierta was a Swedish businessman, politician, social critic, and newspaper publisher. Best known for founding the popular Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet in 1830, Hierta is sometimes referred to as the father of the free press. Lars Johan Hierta is also remembered as an agitator for social and political reform during the 19th century.