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Some Famous Belgians

Noel Godin
Known as "L'Entarteur", this self-styled pie-throwing anarchist targets the self-important and pretentious. His most celebrated scalp is that of Bill Gates, who was robbed of his dignity at an EU conference in Brussels in 1998. Check out his activities by clicking here.

Eddy Merckx
Five times winner of the Tour de France between 1969 and 1974. Nicknamed 'The Cannibal' because of his predatory tactics. His son Axel is also a pro-cyclist.

Adolphe Sax
Dinant-born inventor of the saxophone.

Jean-Marc Bosman
Footballer whose attempted move from FC Liège to Dunkirk was blocked by his club, leading him to instigate a restriction-of-trade lawsuit which resulted in huge ramifications for the transfer market. Players brought to a club while out-of-contract are now said to have been 'picked up on a Bosman'.

René Magritte
Surrealist painter (1898-1967) whose most famous work includes Ceci N'est Pas Une Pipe.

Jacques Brel
Influential composer/cabaret singer (1929-1979) whose songs dealing with ordinary life have been brought to a new audience by artists such as David Bowie & Marc Almond.

Georges Simenon
Creator of Inspector Maigret and accomplished sexual boaster.

Plastique Bertrand
Punkster whose only British hit was Ca Plane Pour Moi in 1978. This luckless gent's lot has been to be frequently cited as evidence that French pop music is rubbish.

Hergé
Creator of Tintin cartoon.

Thierry Boutsen
Formula One driver who won three Grands Prix including a notoriously defensive drive in Hungary in 1990 when he held off Ayrton Senna for the entire race.

Christina the Astonishing
Mystical saint born in 1150 near Liège. Subject of a song by Nick Cave (on Henry's Dream. Read about her bizarre life here. Not strictly speaking a Belgian having lived before 1830, but interesting and odd enough to be included anyway.

Audrey Hepburn
The Hollywood star (1929-1993), who won an Oscar for Roman Holiday, was born in Brussels.

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Action film star, 'the Muscles from Brussels'.

James Ensor
Ostend painter (d.1949) of The Entry of Christ into Brussels, and other works involving skeletons, masks and general grotesquery.

Jacky Ickx
Formula One and sports car driver, winner of eight Grands Prix and runner-up in the Drivers' Championship in 1970.

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