Prophets & Religious Figures
Founders, prophets, and voices of the world's faiths.
records written
Contemporary era
Hibatullah Akhundzada
b. October 19, 1967
Supreme Leader of Afghanistan since 2021
Contemporary era
Mohammad Hasan Akhund
b. 1945
Prime Minister of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Contemporary era
Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat
b. March 19, 1977
Spanish bishop and co-prince of Andorra
Contemporary era
Mojtaba Khamenei
b. September 8, 1969
3rd Supreme Dictator of Iran since 2026
Contemporary era
Lazarus Chakwera
b. April 5, 1955
Malawi religious figure and politician
Contemporary era
Joan Enric Vives Sicília
b. July 24, 1949
Spanish bishop
Modern era
Joan Martí i Alanis
November 29, 1928 – October 11, 2009
Catholic archbishop (1928-2009)
Modern era
Ramon Malla Call
September 4, 1922 – April 18, 2014
Catholic bishop (1922-2014)
Modern era
Ramon Iglesias i Navarri
January 28, 1889 – March 31, 1972
Spanish of Urgell (1889-1972)
Modern era
Ricard Fornesa i Puigdemasa
1883 – 1943
Politician
Contemporary era
Ebrahim Raisi
December 14, 1960 – May 19, 2024
President of Iran from 2021 to 2024
Contemporary era
Hassan Rouhani
b. November 12, 1948
President of Iran from 2013 to 2021
Ancient era
Jesus of Nazareth
7 BCE – April 7, 1930 CE
Central figure of Christianity, revered by billions across two millennia
Medieval era
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
c. 570 CE – 8 June 632 CE
Final Prophet of Islam whose message united Arabia and today guides two billion people
Ancient era
Gautama Buddha
563 BCE – 483 BCE
Founder of Buddhism whose teachings on suffering and liberation endure worldwide
Ancient era
Moses
1393 BCE – 1273 BCE
Prophet and lawgiver of the Abrahamic faiths who led the Exodus
Ancient era
Paul the Apostle
5 CE – 66 CE
Early Christian apostle and missionary (c. AD 5 – c. 64/65)
Ancient era
Peter the Apostle
1 BCE – 65 CE
Apostle of Jesus Christ
Ancient era
Zoroaster
628 BCE – 551 BCE
Founder of Zoroastrianism
Medieval era
Guru Nanak
April 15, 1469 – September 22, 1539
First Sikh Guru and founder of Sikhism
Ancient era
Augustine of Hippo
November 13, 354 CE – August 28, 430 CE
Christian theologian, philosopher, and saint (354–430)
Medieval era
Thomas Aquinas
January 25, 1225 – March 7, 1274
Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church (1225–1274)
Medieval era
Francis of Assisi
June 24, 1182 – October 3, 1226
Italian Catholic saint, friar, deacon and preacher and founder of the Franciscan Order (1181/2–1226)
Early Modern era
Teresa of Avila
March 28, 1515 – October 15, 1582
Roman Catholic saint (1515-1582)
Early Modern era
Martin Luther
November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546
Reformer whose 95 Theses split Western Christianity
Early Modern era
John Calvin
July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564
French Protestant reformer (1509–1564)
Medieval era
Ignatius of Loyola
October 23, 1491 – July 31, 1556
Spanish Catholic priest and theologian (1491–1556)
Modern era
Joseph Smith
December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844
American religious leader and founder of the Latter Day Saint movement (1805–1844)
Modern era
Bahaullah
November 12, 1817 – May 29, 1892
Founder of the Bahá'í Faith (1817–1892)
Modern era
Swami Vivekananda
January 12, 1863 – July 4, 1902
Indian Hindu monk and philosopher (1863–1902)
Contemporary era
Mother Teresa
August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997
Missionary of Calcutta, Nobel laureate of mercy
Modern era
Pope John Paul II
May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005
Pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, author
Modern era
Pope Francis
December 17, 1936 – April 21, 2025
266th pope of the Catholic Church from 2013 to 2025 (1936–2025)
Modern era
Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso)
b. July 6, 1935
14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibetans
Modern era
Desmond Tutu
October 7, 1931 – December 26, 2021
South African churchman, politician, archbishop, Nobel Prize winner (1931–2021)
Modern era
Billy Graham
November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018
American Baptist evangelist (1918–2018)
Modern era
Thich Nhat Hanh
October 11, 1926 – January 22, 2022
Vietnamese Buddhist monk and activist (1926–2022)
Ancient era
Gaius Marius
157 BCE – 86 BCE
Roman general, statesman and military reformer (157-86 BC)
Ancient era
Ashoka
304 BCE – 232 BCE
Mauryan emperor who renounced conquest and spread Buddhist values
Medieval era
Joan of Arc
1412 – May 30, 1431
Peasant girl who led French armies and became a saint and national symbol
Early Modern era
Miguel Hidalgo
May 8, 1753 – July 30, 1811
Catholic priest, leader of the Mexican War of Independence
Contemporary era
Martin Luther King Jr.
January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968
Baptist minister who led the American civil rights movement
Early Modern era
Johannes Kepler
December 27, 1571 – November 15, 1630
German mathematician and astronomer (1571–1630)
Modern era
Georges Lemaitre
July 17, 1894 – June 20, 1966
Belgian astrophysicist and Catholic priest (1894–1966)
Early Modern era
Blaise Pascal
June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and Christian philosopher (1623-1662)
Early Modern era
Joseph Priestley
March 13, 1733 – February 6, 1804
English chemist, theologian, educator, and political theorist (1733–1804)
Ancient era
Sophocles
496 BCE – 406 BCE
Ancient Greek playwright
Ancient era
Plutarch
c. 40 CE – c. 120 CE
Greek philosopher and historian (c. AD 46 – after AD 119)
Medieval era
Maimonides
March 30, 1138 – December 13, 1204
Medieval Jewish philosopher from Spain (1135–1204)
Medieval era
Thomas More
February 7, 1478 – July 6, 1535
English statesman, lawyer and philosopher (1478–1535)
Medieval era
Erasmus
October 28, 1466 – July 12, 1536
Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and theologian (1466-1536)
Modern era
Soren Kierkegaard
May 5, 1813 – November 11, 1855
Danish theologian, philosopher, poet and social critic (1813–1855)
Early Modern era
William Blake
November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827
English poet and artist (1757–1827)
Early Modern era
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
October 21, 1772 – July 25, 1834
English poet, literary critic and philosopher (1772–1834)
Early Modern era
Antonio Vivaldi
March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741
Italian composer and violinist (1678–1741)
Modern era
Little Richard
December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020
American musician (1932–2020)
Modern era
Ruth Pfau
September 9, 1929 – August 10, 2017
German-Pakistani physician and Catholic nun (1929–2017)
Medieval era
Ali Hujwiri
1009 – September 25, 1072
Sufi mystic
Medieval era
Moinuddin Chishti
February 1, 1143 – March 15, 1236
Persian Sufi Chishtiyya order mystic (1143–1236)
Medieval era
Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari
February 21, 1196 – March 16, 1291
13th century South Asian Sufi saint