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Retired Dutch footballer Wesley Sneijder was known as one of the best midfielders of his time. Starting his senior career with Ajax, he later had successful stints with Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Galatasaray. He was also part of the Dutch squad that became the 2010 FIFA World Cup runner-up.
Best known for her title role in the Emmanuelle series of soft-core erotica, Dutch actor Sylvia Kristel ran away from her strict Calvinist home in Utrecht to Amsterdam, where she took up odd jobs. She began modeling at 17 and won a couple of beauty pageants, before stepping into films full-time.
Retired Moroccan-Dutch footballer Ibrahim Afellay played as an attacking midfielder/winger. Starting his senior career with PSV Eindhoven, he later had successful stints with Barcelona and Olympiacos. He was also part of the Dutch squad that became the runner-up at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Stefania Liberakakis is a Greek-Dutch singer, YouTuber, and voice actress. She is best known for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 where she represented Greece with the song Last Dance; Stefania finished tenth in the contest. Stefania Liberakakis has also voiced important characters in the Dutch version of films like Dolittle and Wonder Park.
One of the pioneering figures of the Dutch art movement De Stijl, or The Style, Theo van Doesburg stressed on the importance of simplified and geometric visual arts. The son of a photographer, he grew up to create scores of abstract paintings and designed aesthetic room décor and furniture, too.
Rosalie van Breemen is a Dutch former journalist, supermodel, and TV presenter. She is best known for appearing in popular TV shows, such as Holland's Next Topmodel. Her professional life was largely overshadowed by her personal counterpart, which includes her relationship with French actor Alain Delon. She is the mother of popular French-Dutch actress Anouchka Delon.
Louis Andriessen was a Dutch composer best remembered for his innovation. Often counted among the developers of the Hague School, Andriessen played an influential role in the Dutch music scene of the 1970s and 1980s. He is also credited with founding an ensemble for contemporary music called Orkest De Volharding, which achieved immense popularity in the Netherlands.
Maan de Steenwinkel is a Dutch actress and singer. De Steenwinkel achieved popularity in 2015 when she won the sixth season of the famous reality TV competition, The Voice of Holland. Many of her songs like Blijven Slapen and Hij Is Van Mij have peaked at number one position on the Dutch Top 40.
Rita Verdonk is a Dutch businesswoman and former politician. She is credited with founding a political party called Trots op Nederland and served as its leader from 2007 to 2011. She also held the office of the Minister of Justice and Security from 2003 to 2006. After retiring from active politics, Verdonk has been focusing on public and private sector.
Herman van Veen is a Dutch actor, stage performer, musician, singer-songwriter, voice actor, and author. He is credited with creating a one-man theatre show titled Alfred J. Kwak, which was later adapted into an animated comedy-drama TV series. Apart from creating the show's story, Herman van Veen also composed most of the show's music.
Born to Dutch singer and presenter Antje Monteiro, Romy Monteiro was drawn to music since her early days. She gained attention after appearing in season 5 of The Voice of Holland and was later cast as Rachel Marron in the musical The Bodyguard. She has also presented many music competitions.
Isabelle de Charrière was born to a Dutch noble family but later married her brother’s Swiss teacher and settled in Switzerland. A fine novelist, known for works such as Trois Femmes and Caliste; ou, lettres écrites de Lausanne, she critiqued social conventions and aristocratic privilege.
Sixteenth-century pope Adrian VI remains the only Dutch to have been a pope and was the last non-Italian pope till John Paul II’s election after over 400 years. He wished to reform the Church but wasn’t able to do much, as he was strongly opposed by many, including Italian cardinals.
Hendrik C. van de Hulst was a Dutch mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with developing the anomalous diffraction theory. A respected astronomer, Hendrik played an important role in several international space research projects. Over the course of his career, he was honored with many prestigious awards like the Henry Draper Medal, Bruce Medal, Rumford Medal, and Eddington Medal.
