Discover the notable alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge. The list includes people like Edward VII, Isaac Newton, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Jawaharlal Nehru & Rajiv Gandhi. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as scientists, intellectuals & academics, leaders, writers and miscellaneous etc.
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1
Isaac Newton(One of the Most Influential Scientists of All Time)
Birthdate: January 4, 1643
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lincolnshire, England
Died: March 31, 1727
One of the most influential and popular scientists of all time, Sir Isaac Newton played a prominent role in our understanding of natural phenomena. He formulated the law of universal gravitation and laws of motion. He also developed the Newtonian telescope among other devices. Apart from science, Newton was also intrigued by religion, occult, and alchemy.
2
Francis Bacon(Philosopher, Statesman and Lord High Chancellor of England)
Birthdate: January 22, 1561
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: The Strand, London, England
Died: April 9, 1626
Francis Bacon was a Renaissance philosopher and author who was known as the Father of Empiricism, because of his belief in the scientific method and theory that scientific knowledge can only be created through inductive reasoning and experience. He was later knighted and served as the first Queen's counsel.
Birthdate: May 18, 1872
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Trellech, Monmouthshire, Wales
Died: February 2, 1970
Bertrand Russell was a British polymath and Nobel laureate. His work, which is spread across various fields, has had a considerable influence on philosophy, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, mathematics, linguistics, and logic. Russell is also credited with leading the revolt against idealism in Britain and is regarded as one of the founders of analytic philosophy.
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Lord Byron(One of the Greatest English Poets of the 19th Century and a Leading Figure of the Romantic Movement)
Birthdate: January 22, 1788
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: April 19, 1824
Widely considered one of the greatest British poets of all time, Lord Byron remains influential as his works are widely read even today. He was also one of the most important personalities of the Romantic Movement. He is also known for his role in the Greek War of Independence, for which the Greeks consider him a national hero.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: December 26, 1791
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London, England
Died: October 18, 1871
Charles Babbage, or the “father of the computer,” invented the prototype of the world’s first mechanical calculator, the Difference Engine. With the help of mathematician Ada Lovelace, he also created the Analytical Engine, the first general-purpose computer and a precursor of the modern computer, with its looping and sequential mechanism.
Birthdate: December 22, 1887
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Erode
Died: April 26, 1920
A self-taught genius Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan is known for his contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory and continued fractions. Born into a humble family, the celebrated mathematician struggled with poverty but still managed to publish first of his papers in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society. Later, his collaboration with English mathematician G. H. Hardy proved very productive.
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A. A. Milne(Best Known for His Books About the Teddy Bear ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ and Children's Poetry)
Birthdate: January 18, 1882
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London, England
Died: January 31, 1956
A. A. Milne was an English author best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. He joined the British Army as a young man and served in both World War I and World War II. In his career as a writer, he wrote several novels, non-fiction pieces, articles, poems, screenplays, and children’s stories.
8
Alfred Lord Tennyson(19th Century English Poet Who was the Poet Laureate During Much of Queen Victoria's Reign)
Birthdate: August 6, 1809
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Somersby, Lincolnshire, England
Died: October 6, 1892
Alfred, Lord Tennyson was a British poet. One of the most famous British poets of all time, Tennyson served as the Poet Laureate during Queen Victoria's reign. His poetry, which is renowned for its powerful visual imagery, served as an important influence on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of English poets and painters.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: April 26, 1889
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: April 29, 1951
Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is remembered for his works related to logic, the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of mathematics, and the philosophy of language. He taught at the University of Cambridge for many years. He published only one book during his lifetime. Most of his manuscripts were collected later and published posthumously.
10
J. J. Thomson(British Physicist Who is Credited With the Discovery of the Electron)
Birthdate: December 18, 1856
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Died: August 30, 1940
J. J. Thomson was a British physicist credited with the discovery of the electron, the first subatomic particle to be discovered. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906 for his work on the conduction of electricity in gases. In 1884, he was appointed Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge.
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G. H. Hardy(English Mathematician Known for His Contributions in Number Theory and Mathematical Analysis)
Birthdate: February 7, 1877
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cranleigh, England
Died: December 1, 1947
English mathematician G. H. Hardy is best recognised for his work and achievements in number theory and mathematical analysis, and also as mentor of distinguished Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. He is noted for his essay on mathematics titled A Mathematician's Apology. He also made his mark in biology formulating a basic principle of population genetics called Hardy–Weinberg principle.
Birthdate: August 20, 1944
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Died: May 21, 1991
Rajiv Gandhi was the sixth and the youngest Prime Minister of India. He played a major role in suhering the computer era in India. During the initial phase of his term, he was very popular but later on his regime was marred by corruption scandals and he lost the next election. He was assassinated by Tamil militants, while he was the leader of the opposition.
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David Stirling(Officer)
Birthdate: November 15, 1915
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lecropt, Perthshire, Scotland
Died: November 4, 1990
Scottish-born British Army officer David Stirling was known for his exploits in World War II, during which he formed and led the British Special Air Service (SAS). Following the war, he focused on combating racism in colonial Africa and even formed a foundation for animal conservation. He was knighted for his achievements.
14
George VI(King of the United Kingdom (1936-52))
Birthdate: December 14, 1895
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sandringham, Norfolk, England
Died: February 6, 1952
The last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth, King George VI was the King of the United Kingdom for fifteen years. He served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force before reluctantly inheriting the throne and becoming a symbol of courage during WWII. His determination also helped him in his struggle with stammering.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: October 12, 1872
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Down Ampney, England
Died: August 26, 1958
Birthdate: January 6, 1982
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Eddie Redmayne is a British actor who has prestigious awards, such as the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Tony Award under his belt. Over the years, Redmayne has made important contributions to the field of entertainment for which he was appointed OBE in the 2015 Birthday Honours.
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Jared Diamond(American Historian, Geographer, Author, and Ornithologist)
Birthdate: September 10, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Jared Diamond is an American historian, geographer, author, and ornithologist. He is best known for his books, The Third Chimpanzee, Collapse, Upheaval, and The World Until Yesterday. His 1997 book Guns, Germs, and Steel earned him the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. In 1999, he was awarded the National Medal of Science. Jared Diamond is currently working as a professor at UCLA.
Birthdate: August 3, 1867
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bewdley
Died: December 14, 1947
Stanley Baldwin was a British Conservative statesman. He served as prime minister of the United Kingdom on three occasions during the interwar period. Baldwin's second government, which was formed by him after winning the 1924 general election, saw tenures of office by important personalities like Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain, and Sir Austen Chamberlain.
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Amartya Sen(Indian Philosopher, Economist and Winner of 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences)
Birthdate: November 3, 1933
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India
Indian economist Amartya Sen was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory. Sen is known for his development of more sophisticated measures of poverty, and also for his work on the causes and prevention of famines. He is considered an important contemporary liberal thinker for his views about the nature and primacy of liberty.
Birthdate: February 10, 1952
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Singapore
Lee Hsien Loong is a politician who has been serving as the current prime minister of Singapore since 2004. He has also been serving as the People's Action Party's secretary-general since 2004. Lee is credited with supervising Singapore's economic recovery after the 2008 financial crisis. A former army general, Lee served in the Singapore Armed Forces from 1971 to 1984.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: June 15, 1968
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Epsom
Mel Giedroyc is an English TV presenter, actress, and comedian. She is known for co-hosting series like Light Lunch and Mel & Sue. Also known for her humanitarian efforts, Giedroyc contributed to Gareth Malone's All Star Choir, in 2014, in an attempt to raise funds for BBC's charity Children in Need. In 2017, she went on to co-present Children in Need.
22
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar(Astrophysicist Known for his 'Theoritical Studies of the Physical processes of importance to the Structure and Evolution of the Stars')
Birthdate: October 19, 1910
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lahore, Pakistan
Died: August 21, 1995
Remembered for his varied contribution to astrophysics, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar is perhaps best known for his work on the evolution of massive stars. Today known as Chandrasekhar limit, it contributed to final understanding of supernovas, neutron stars, and black holes. A prolific writer, he also did significant work on energy transfer by radiation in stellar atmospheres and convection on solar surface.
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Stephen Frears(Actor, Film director, Film producer)
Birthdate: June 20, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Leicester
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
Birthdate: February 15, 1861
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ramsgate, Kent, England
Died: December 30, 1947
Alfred North Whitehead was a British mathematician and philosopher, best known for his collaboration with his student Bertrand Russell on Principal of Mathematics, a three-volume work on the foundations of mathematics. Also known for his pioneering works on process philosophy and metaphysics, he is credited with developing a comprehensive metaphysical system that differs from most Western philosophies.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: December 28, 1882
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kendal
Died: November 22, 1944
Arthur Eddington was an English physicist, astronomer, and mathematician. He wrote numerous articles that explained Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity to the English-speaking world. He began his career in academics and eventually shifted to astronomy, becoming the chief assistant to the Astronomer Royal at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. He was a recipient of the Henry Draper Medal.
26
Muhammad Iqbal(One of the Most Important Figures in Urdu and Persian Literature)
Birthdate: November 9, 1877
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sialkot, Pakistan
Died: April 21, 1938
Muhammad Iqbal was a Scholar, poet, and politician. Born in British India (present-day Pakistan), Iqbal's poetry in Persian and Urdu languages is regarded as one of the greatest of the modern era. Also an influential politician, Muhammad Iqbal's vision of an independent Muslim state helped inspire the creation of Pakistan where he is recognized as the national poet.
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Edward VII(King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, Emperor of India (1901 - 1910))
Birthdate: November 9, 1841
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
Died: May 6, 1910
Edward VII, the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death, is said to have played a role in the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War. His main interests lay in the fields of foreign affairs and naval and military matters.
Birthdate: February 16, 1822
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Birmingham
Died: January 17, 1911
Nineteenth-century polymath Francis Galton revolutionized science with his pathbreaking research on human intelligence and psychometrics. His books dealt with diverse topics such as correlational calculus, fingerprint analysis, and meteorology, and he also explored Africa. He left Cambridge without an honors degree, and yet ended up being knighted for his achievements.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 10, 1565
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: England
Died: February 25, 1601
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was an English nobleman. Considered a favorite of Elizabeth I, Robert Devereux did the unthinkable when he led an abortive coup d'état in 1601 against the government of Elizabeth I. He was subsequently executed for treason. Over the years, Robert Devereux has been portrayed in many stage plays, TV series, and films.
30
Pip Torrens(Best Known for His Role as ‘Tommy Lascelles’ in the TV Series ‘The Crown’)
Birthdate: June 2, 1960
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bromley, Kent, England
English actor Pip Torrens is best known for his role in the Netflix drama The Crown. He studied acting at Drama Studio London and began appearing in low-budget movies and TV shows. Within a few years, he established himself as a talented character actor and started getting lead roles in major TV shows.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: March 31, 1621
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Winestead, England
Died: August 16, 1678
32
Michael Atiyah(British-Lebanese Mathematician Who was the Co-Founder of 'Topological K-Theory')
Birthdate: April 22, 1929
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: January 11, 2019
Recipient of Fields Medal and Abel Prize, British-Lebanese mathematician Michael Atiyah emerged as a leading figure in the UK mathematics during the latter half of the 20th century. He specialised in geometry and made remarkable contributions in the fields of geometry, theoretical physics, topology and global analysis, and is best known for proving the Atiyah–Singer index theorem with Isadore Singer.
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Stephen Barlow(English Conductor, Who was Artistic Director of the 'Buxton Festival' from 2012 to 2018)
Birthdate: June 30, 1954
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: England
Birthdate: August 9, 1631
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Aldwincle, Northamptonshire, England
Died: May 12, 1700
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John Edensor Littlewood(Mathematician, University teacher)
Birthdate: June 9, 1885
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rochester
Died: September 6, 1977
36
Lawrence Lessig(Jurist, Activist, Lawyer, Non-fiction writer, Computer scientist, Politician, Professor)
Birthdate: June 3, 1961
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rapid City
Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig established Creative Commons, a non-profit geared at reducing copyright restrictions, thus helping artists and creative professional share their works legally. A Democrat, he also co-founded Rootstrikers, aimed at combating corruption in Congress. He is also a TED speaker and has penned books such as Lesterland.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 18, 1811
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Died: December 24, 1863
38
Peter Shaffer(Playwright)
Birthdate: May 15, 1926
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Died: June 6, 2016
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Enoch Powell(Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom)
Birthdate: June 16, 1912
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Birmingham
Died: February 8, 1998
Enoch Powell was a British politician, linguist, classical scholar, philologist, and poet. Also a soldier, Powell served in World War II, reaching the rank of brigadier. His political career is remembered for his iconic and infamous Rivers of Blood speech, which was interpreted as a demonstration of racism. The speech became the subject of a play titled What Shadows.
40
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich(British Former First Lord of the Admiralty)
Birthdate: November 13, 1718
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: England
Died: April 30, 1792
At age 10, John Montagu succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, as the earl of Sandwich. The Eton- and Cambridge-educated statesman had held several important positions, such as the First Lord of the Admiralty. While gambling, he would often have bread and meat, leading to the delicacy being named “sandwich.”
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 26, 1894
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Columbia, Missouri, United States
Died: March 18, 1964
42
Chris Weitz(Director)
Birthdate: November 30, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
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George Paget Thomson(British Physicist Who Won the Nobel Prize in Physics for Discovering the Wave Properties of the Electron)
Birthdate: May 3, 1892
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
Died: September 10, 1975
George Paget Thomson was a British physicist best remembered for his discovery of the wave properties of the electron by electron diffraction. The son of physicist and Nobel laureate J. J. Thomson, he himself went on to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1937. He spent several years of his career at Imperial College London.
44
George Herbert(Poet recognized as one of the foremost British devotional lyricists)
Birthdate: April 3, 1593
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Montgomery, Wales
Died: March 1, 1633
George Herbert was an orator, poet, and priest of the Church of England. Although he is regarded as one of the most important British devotional lyricists, Herbert's poetry is often associated with the works of popular metaphysical poets. He was also a collector of proverbs and his collection was published in 1640.
Recommended Lists:45
Evelyn Robert de Rothschild(Banker, Polo player)
Birthdate: August 29, 1931
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthdate: November 12, 1842
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Langford Grove, Maldon, Essex, England
Died: June 30, 1919
Although John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, received the Nobel Prize for his discovery and isolation of the inert gas argon, his contributions to Physics is not limited to that. Known to make extensive contributions to theoretical and practical physics, especially in the fields of acoustics and optics, his works are now considered to mark the beginning of modern acoustics.
Recommended Lists:47
Aleister Crowley(British Occultist, Ceremonial Magician and Founder of the Religion 'Thelema')
Birthdate: October 12, 1875
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
Died: December 1, 1947
Aleister Crowley was an occultist, writer, and ceremonial magician. He is credited with founding a religion called Thelema and promised his followers with guiding them into the Aeon of Horus, a time of self-realization. More than seven decades after his death, Crowley remains influential among those who revere counterculture and Western esotericism and is considered a prophet in Thelema.
48
Guy Burgess(Spy, Journalist)
Birthdate: April 16, 1911
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Devon
Died: August 30, 1963
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: June 26, 1866
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Hampshire, England
Died: April 5, 1923
Birthdate: July 2, 1862
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Wigton, England, United Kingdom
Died: March 12, 1942
William Henry Bragg was an English physicist, chemist, and mathematician. He is best known for sharing the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics with his son Lawrence Bragg for their work in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays. William Henry Bragg had an illustrious academic career and was elected president of the Royal Society in 1935.
Recommended Lists:Founded by Henry VIII in 1546, Trinity College, Cambridge enthralls its students as well as pupils from the whole of the United Kingdom. The breathtaking campus is not just scenic but is renowned for the quality education it provides. Students receiving education here turn out to be famous personalities, and excel in different genres. Currently the home of 600 undergraduates, 300 graduates, and over 180 Fellows, Trinity College, Cambridge aspire students with its alumni, who have achieved heights in their career. Isaac Newton, an English mathematician, astronomer, and physicist studied in this college. Ernest Rutherford, known as the father of nuclear physics and a recipient of the Nobel Prize for “investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances” joined Trinity as a research student at the Cavendish Laboratory under J.J. Thomson. Srinivasa Ramanujan, the other prominent alumnus from the Trinity College, Cambridge is popularly known for his theorems and contributions towards mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. Some other distinguished personalities who received their education from the Trinity College, Cambridge include poet Lord Byron, philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Soviet spies Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, and Anthony Blunt. Besides, Trinity is the only college to achieve 32 Nobel Prizes, 5 Fields Medals in mathematics, and 1 Abel Prize. To find out the other famous alumni from the Trinity College Cambridge, keep reading.
