List of Lebanese people

This is a list of prominent Lebanese people

Lebanese politicians

See also: Politics of Lebanon

• Michel Aoun - former Prime Minister, leader of FPM
• Musa al-Sadr - prominent Shi'ite religious leader
• Camille Chamoun - President (1952-8), founder of National Liberal Party
  • Dany Chamoun - leader of National Liberal Party, son of Camille Chamoun
  • Dory Chamoun - former leader of National Liberal Party.
• Fouad Chehab - President (1958-64), general
• Emile Edde - President (1936-41,1943), founder of the Lebanese National Bloc
  • Raymond Eddé - Statesman, son of Emile Eddé, former leader of the Lebanese National Bloc
    • Carlos Eddé - Nephew of Raymond Eddé, leader of the Lebanese National Bloc.
• Suleiman Frangieh - President (1970-6)
  • Tony Frangieh - Son of President Suleiman Frangieh.
    • Suleiman Frangieh, Jr. - Son of Tony Frangieh, leader of Marada Brigade
• Samir Geagea - leader of the Lebanese Forces.
  • Sitrida Geagea - Lebanese Member of Parliament and wife of Samir Geagea
• Pierre Gemayel - founder of Kataeb Party
  • Bachir Gemayel - former President-Elect, founder of Lebanese Forces, son of Pierre Gemayel.
    • Solange Gemayel - Lebanese Deputy and widow of Bashir Gemayel.
  • Amine Gemayel - President (1982-8), son of Pierre Gemayel.
    • Joyce Gemayel - Wife of Amine Gemayel and mother of the former Minister Pierre Gemayel
  • Pierre Amine Gemayel - legislator, son of Amine Gemayel.
• Saad Haddad - founder of the South Lebanon Army.
• Rafik Hariri - Former Prime Minister.
  • Saad Hariri - Legislator (2005-), son of Rafik Hariri.
• Charles Helou - President (1964-70)
• Elie Hobeika - militia commander, politician.
• Selim al-Hoss - Former Prime Minister
• Elias Hrawi - President (1989-1998)
• Hussein el-Husseini - Parliament Speaker (1984-1992) ended Lebanese Civil War
• Kamal Jumblatt - founder of Progressive Socialist Party.
  • Walid Jumblatt - leader of Progressive Socialist Party, son of Kamal Jumblatt.
• Omar Karami - Former Prime Minister - Brother of Rashid Karami.
• Rashid Karami - Former Prime Minister
• Hassan Khaled - Former Grand Mufti of Lebanon's Sunni Muslim community.
• Bechara El Khoury - President (1943-52)
• Antoine Lahad - Former Commander of the South Lebanon Army
• Emile Lahoud - President (1998-)
• René Moawad - President (1989)
  • Nayla Moawad - Female Legislator (1991-), widow of René Moawad
• Michel Murr - Former Minister of the Interior.
  • Elias Murr - Former Deputy Prime Minister and current Defense Minister
• Saeb Salam - Former Prime Minister
• Étienne Saqr - founder of Guardians of the Cedars
• Elias Sarkis - President (1976-82)
• Mir Majid Arsalan - Legendary Druze Leader
• Nabih Berri - Parliament Speaker
• Antun Saadeh - Late Leader of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
• Fouad Seniora - Current Prime Minister of Lebanon

Politicians of Lebanese Descent

• Spencer Abraham - U.S Senator from Michigan (1995-2001), US Secretary of Energy (2001-2005)
• Anthony Alexander Alam - political leader, member of the Australian Labor Party
• Ralph Nader - political leader of the American Green Party
• John Baldacci - U.S. Representative from Maine (1995-2003), Governor of Maine (2003- )
• Marie Bashir - Governor of New South Wales, Australia (2001-)
• Steve Bracks - Premier of Victoria, Australia (1999-)
• Abdalá Bucaram - President of Ecuador (1996-1997)
• Assid Corban - former Mayor of Henderson Borough and of Waitakere City, New Zealand.
• Najeeb Halaby, U.S. government official and father of Jordan's Queen Noor
• Darrell Issa, U.S. Representative from California
• Bob Katter - right-wing Australian politician
• Assad Kotaite - ICAO Council President (1976-)
• Ray LaHood - U.S. Representative from Illinois (1995- ), grandson of Lebanese immigrants
• George J. Mitchell - Former U.S. Senator from Maine (1980-1995) & peace activist (Lebanese mother)
• Jamil Mahuad - President of Ecuador (1998-2000)
• Paulo Maluf - mayor & governor of São Paulo
• Maria Mourani - Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament Canada.
• Jeanine Pirro - District Attorney, Westchester County, New York(1993-), Candidate for New York state Attorney General.
• Edward Seaga - Prime Minister of Jamaica (1980-1989)
• Donna Shalala - US Secretary of Health (1993-2001)
• John E. Sununu- U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (2003- )
• John H. Sununu - White House Chief of Staff (1989-1991)
• Julio César Turbay Ayala - President of Colombia (1978-1982)

Activists

• Bahia Hariri - politician & UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
• Giorgio-Guy Tarraf - (1988 - ) UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace.
• Candy Lightner - founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
• Charles Malik - (1906 - 1987) - diplomat, philosopher, co-drafter of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Ralph Nader - consumer rights activist & US presidential candidate.
• Joseph Raya - archbishop and civil rights activist.
• James Zogby - founder of Arab-American Institute, brother of John Zogby, son of Lebanese immigrants.

Military

• Michel Sulaiman - General of the military of Lebanon
• Hisham Jaber - Former Commander of Beirut
• John Abizaid - US general, CENTCOM Commander
• James Jabara - US fighter pilot, world's first jet-vs-jet ace and 2nd-highest ace of the Korean War
• George Joulwan - US general, SACEUR

Cultural figures

Film, Theatre, Television, and Radio Personalities

• Michael Nader - American actor of Lebanese descent.
• Pierre Chammassian - Legendary Lebanese/Armenian Comedian of "Le Théatre de Dix-Heures"
• Lili Estefan, Cuban American television hostess, (niece of Emilio Estefan; Lebanese ancestry)
• Omar Sharif (Born Michel Chalhoob) - Famous actor
• Jamie Farr actor of M*A*S*H fame
• Salma Hayek, Mexican actress (Lebanese father and Mexican mother)
• Keanu Reeves, Lebanese-born (English, Irish, Chinese, Hawaiian and Portuguese background)
• Diane Rehm - host and executive producer of "The Diane Rehm Show"
• Fouad Said - cinematographer (Inventor of the Cinemobile)
• James Stacy - actor (Laramie)
• Khrystyne Haje, actress
• Arsinée Khanjian, actress (Lebanese-born, Armenian ethnicity)
• Tom Shadyac, director
• Nadia Behette, Miss New York 2003 (Lebanese mother, Syrian father)[1]
• Mahmoud Baghdadi, fought Muhammed Ali and got crippled.
• Gaston Chikhani, actor and comedian, co-founder of Le Théatre de Dix-Heures" Kaslik, Jounieh
• Jean-Pierre Chikhani, actor and comedian "Le Théatre de Dix-Heures" Beirut, founder of the first out-door advertising in Lebanon
• Michel Chikhani, actor and comedian Le Théatre de dix-heures" Beirut
• Tony Shalhoub, television and film actor; presently stars in "Monk"
• Danny Thomas, nightclub comedian and television actor
• Casey Kasem, television personality of Druze Lebanese Descent
• Mario Kassar, Movie producer
• Catalina Prince, Model "Ford Supermodel of Lebanon 1996"
• Tanios Bou-Nader Khneisser Legendary figure from Dhour El Shuwayr - The father of the Sword and Shield Folkloric Dance "Saif w' Ters"

Lebanese Musicians

• Waleed Hourani, composer, pianis
• Nawal Al Zoghbi, singer
• Meen, an alternative lebanese band founded by Fouad and Toni Yammine.
• Marcel Khalife, singer, orchestral composer, oud player
• Haifa Wehbe, pop singer with legendary beauty and showmanship
• Nancy Ajram, famous pop singer
• Bassima, famous pop singer
• Al Bowlly, singer (Lebanese mother)
• Elissa, pop singer
• Fairouz, born Nouhad Haddad, iconic singer
• Sabah, born Janet Feghali from Wadi Al Shahrour, legendary singer and actress
• Bassem Feghali, related to Sabaah, a legendery talent and comedian that pioneered female impersonation in Lebanon
• Nabil Hawa Electronic Musician, Born in Lebanon.
• Massari, Lebanese R&B singer
• Zaki Nassef, musician and singer
• Rahbani brothers, (Assi and Mansour)
• Assi Rahbani, legendary composer (Fairouz's husband)
• Myriam Fares, Arab singer
• Mansour Rahbani, legendary composer (Assi's brother)
• Elias Rahbani, legendary composer (Mansour's youngest brother) [2]
• Ziad Rahbani, legendary composer (Assi's and Fairouz's son)
• Wadih Safi, musician and singer
• Setrak Setrakian composer and pianist (Armenian ethnicity)
• Younes, Eclectic soundtracks composer, winner RFI world music
• Wael Kfoury Legendary modern Singer with memorable songs
• Marwan Khoury Singer & composer
• Ramy Ayach Singer
• Joseph Attieh Singer
• Pascale Machaalani Famous Singer
• Rayan Singer
• Serj Tankian, System of a Down vocalist, political activist (Lebanese-born, Armenian ethnicity)
• John Dolmayan, System of a Down drummer (Lebanese-born, Armenian ethnicity)

Musicians of Lebanese Descent

• Paul Anka - Singer, songwriter, actor.
• Shakira, Colombian pop singer, born Shakira Mebarak Chedid (Lebanese father from Zahle, Colombian mother of Catalan descent)
• Soraya, American-Colombian-Lebanese singer/songwriter (Lebanese mother)
• Tiffany, American pop singer, first teen singer to have her first two singles both hit number one (Lebanese/Syrian father, Irish/Cherokee mother)
• Gabriel Yared, composer
• Matthieu Chedid, Lebanese-French rock/blues songwriter and singer
• Frank Zappa
• Herbert Khaury (Tiny Tim), singer, ukulele player (Lebanese father)
• K-Maro, French singer (Lebanese-born)
• Emilio Estefan, Cuban musician/producer (Lebanese parents)
• Sammy Hagar, former lead vocalist for the rock band Van Halen
• Dick Dale, surf guitarist (Lebanese father, Polish mother)
• Nawal Zoughbi, pop singer
• Joe Fuad Najar - JFN Rapper and Producer
• Nicolas (musician)
• eliott sakr Rapper
• Amanda Abizaid Lebanese-American singer / songwriter

Athletes

• Rony Seikaly, Lebanese American, Former NBA basketball player
• Bill George - NFL Hall of Famer
• Doug Flutie - NFL player
• Samir Bannout - Mr Olympia 1983
• George Farah - 19th Mr Olympia 2002
• Brian Habib - former NFL player
• Fuad Reveiz - former NFL player
• Jeff George - former NFL player
• Abe Gibran - former NFL player and coach
• Rich Kotite - former NFL coach
• Joe Lahoud - former MLB player
• John Jaha - former MLB player
• Jim Baxis - former MLB player
• Fred Maalouf - former NFL player
• Hazem El Masri - NRL player
• Steve Kerr - former NBA Star (Lebanese-born)
• Zuhair Mansour - Weightlifting's Grandmaster of the World (1990)
• Bobby Rahal - Winner of the Indianapolis 500
• Victor Taweel - former lightweight boxing champion
• Pete Sarron - former featherweight boxing champion
• Maloof Brothers - Owners of the Sacramento Kings (NBA)
• George Maloof - former owner of the Houston Rockets (NBA)
• Joe Robbie - former owner of the Miami Dolphins (NFL)
• Kerbawy family - former owners of the Detroit Lions (NFL)
• Fred Saigh - former owner of the St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
• Frank Skaff - former manager of the Detroit Tigers (MLB)
• Victor Taweel - former lightweight boxing champion
• Pete Sarron - former featherweight boxing champion
• Eddie Elias - Founder of the Bowling Association of America
• Elias Ghanem - Head of the Las Vegas Boxing Association
• Elie Yahchouchi- former head basketball committe of the Sagesse club(3 times Asian Champion)

Writers & Journalists

• Ahmad Reda - linguist, wrote Matn al-lugha dictionary
• Muhammad Jaber, writer and historian
• Edward Atiyah, writer
• Gibran Khalil Gibran - poet and writer, "The Prophet"
• Salim El Lawzi - Founder of Al Hawadeth Magazine - assassinated
• Said Akl - writer, poet, philosopher
• Rabih Alameddine - painter, novelist
• William Peter Blatty - writer, "The Exorcist"
• Andree Chedid - poet
• Neal Conan - radio journalist (lebanese-born)
• Elias Khoury - novelist
• Philip Khuri Hitti
• Samir Kassir - Journalist of An-Nahar newspaper and writer. assassinated.
• Amin Maalouf - writer, Prix Goncourt (1993)
• Ann-Marie MacDonald - writer (Lebanese mother)
• David Malouf - famous Australian homosexual author (Lebanese father, English-Sephardic Jewish mother of Portuguese descent)
• Gebran Tueni - Former editor and publisher of An-Nahar newspaper - Legislator, assassinated.
• Ghassan Tueni - father of Gebran Tueni and editor in chief of An-Nahar newspaper, legislator
• May Chidiac - A pillar in Lebanese Journalism - She was nearly killed by an assassination attempt.
• Nadia Tueni - poet
• George Zahar - publisher & editor (Lebanese father)
• Issa Makhlouf - poet
• Mikhael Neame - writer
• Maroun Abboud - writer
• Nidal Achkar - poetess
• Tarek Hijazi - Managing Editor of The Middle East's first and best selling western entertainment magazine - Teen World Magazine -
• Nassim Taleb- writer
• Nami Jafet (Ni’mah Shadid Yafith), 1860-1923 - After whom the Jafet Library in AUB was named, and whose life size statue decorates the Sahat in Dhour El Shuwayr [[3]]

Artists

• Reem Acra - fashion designer
• Annabel Daou - painter
• Sam Maloof - woodworker
• Joseph Matar - Artist painter and poet
• Zuhair Mrad - fashion designer
• Elie Saab - fashion designer
• Tarek Yamout - nail and yarn art
• Paul Zgheib - Photographer
• Bill Schiffbauer -Designer (Lebanese Mother, German/Irish Father)
• Clemence Massaad Musa - Journalist and author

Practical figures

Scientists

• Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah - electrical engineer
• Michael Atiyah - mathematician, Fields Medal (1966), Abel Prize (2004) (Lebanese father)
• Abdulrahim N. Chafi- Dr. Chafi is a Chemist and Civil/Environmental engineer. President of Dar Science and Engineering.
• Elias J. Corey - chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1990)
• Charles Elachi - director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
• Peter Medawar - immunologist, Nobel Prize in Medicine (1960) (Lebanese father)
• Alain Chikhani - renowned plastic surgeon (Johns Hopkins Hospital, USA)
• Dr. Michael DeBakey (from the Lebanese Dabaghi), American pioneering Cardiovascular Surgeon of Lebanese descent who pioneered the artificial heart.

Entrepreneurs

• Robert Abboud - ex-chairman of First Chicago, brother of Joseph Abboud
• Assid Corban - winemaker, founder of Corbans
• Carlos Ghosn - CEO of Nissan and Renault
• Joseph Maroun Haggar - founder of Haggar Clothing Company
• Sam Hammam - owner of Cardiff City F.C.
• Nicolas Hayek - the 'father of Swatch'
• Carlos Slim Helu - Latin America's richest man and 3rd richest in the world
• Mario Kassar - co-founder of Carolco Pictures (Lebanese father, Italian mother)
• Jacques Nasser - ex-CEO of Ford Motors
• Paul Orfalea - founder of Kinko's
• Edmond Safra - founder of Republic Bank of New York and Banco Safra in Brazil (Jewish Lebanese)
• Elie Samaha - chairman/CEO of Franchise Pictures
• Oussama Ziade - founder of Ptech
• Al-Waleed bin Talal - Lebanese mother, Grandson of Prime Minister Riad El Solh
• Johnny R.Saade - Lebanese businessman, founder of CMA-CGM, 3rd container shipping company in the world.
• Khalil Ghattas- Lebanese business man, Founder of GAT oil

Other

• Christa McAuliffe - American high school teacher and astronaut on the Challenger Disaster
• John Zogby, American political pollster, brother of James Zogby, son of Lebanese immigrants
• Richard Hibey, American attorney in Washington, DC, brother of Jim Hibey, son of Anthony "Ezhiyah" Hibey
• Patrick Joseph "PJ" Hasham, a fictional character in the long running Australian drama series Blue Heelers was of Lebanese descent.

See also

• List of assasinated Lebanese figures