· Vasco da Gama (1460–1524) — First European to reach India by sea

· Bartolomeu Dias (1450–1500) — First European to round the Cape of Good Hope

· Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467–1520) — Led the expedition that reached Brazil

· Luís de Camões (1524–1580) — Portugal's national poet and author of Os Lusíadas

· Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935) — One of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century

· José Saramago (1922–2010) — Nobel Prize-winning novelist

· António Egas Moniz (1874–1955) — Nobel Prize winner in Medicine

· Pedro Nunes (1502–1578) — Pioneer in navigation science and mathematics

· Amália Rodrigues (1920–1999) — The "Queen of Fado" who introduced Portuguese music to the world

· Mário Soares (1924–2017) — Key figure in Portugal's democratic transition

· Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (born 1948) — President of Portugal since 2016