Famous Left-Handed People

Left-handers have made their mark in every field, proving that handedness is no obstacle to creativity, intellect, or athletic prowess. From the arts to sciences, politics to sports, these trailblazers have consistently defied expectations. While some displayed ambidextrous talents and others left complicated legacies, their remarkable contributions remind us that greatness transcends which hand you favor.

Let’s take a look at some notable left-handers who have shaped history in remarkable ways.

Scientists and Inventors

• Isaac Newton – Mathematician, physicist
• Marie Curie – Physicist, chemist
• Pierre Curie – Physicist, chemist
• Irène Joliot-Curie – Chemist, physicist
  
• Charles Darwin – Naturalist
• James Dewey Watson – Molecular biologist, geneticist
• Alan Turing – Mathematician
• Stephen Wolfram – Computer scientist, physicist
• Neil Armstrong – Astronaut, engineer
• Buzz Aldrin – Astronaut, engineer
• Albert Einstein (ambidextrous, but largely left-handed) – Physicist
• Nicola Tesla (ambidextrous, but largely left-handed) – Inventor, engineer
• Benjamin Franklin (ambidextrous, but largely left-handed) – Scientist, inventor, and diplomat

Philosophers

• Aristotle – Philosopher
• Jean-Paul Sartre – Philosopher, playwright
• Michel Serres (ambidextrous, but largely left-handed) – Philosopher

Writers

• James Baldwin – Novelist, playwright
• Helen Keller – Author, political activist
• Lewis Carroll – Author of Alice in Wonderland
• H.G. Wells – Author of The War of the Worlds
• Mark Twain – Author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Franz Kafka – Author of The Metamorphosis
• Helen Hooven Santmyer – Author of "...And Ladies of the Club"

Artists

• Pablo Picasso – Painter, sculptor
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec – Painter
• Paul Klee – Painter, draftsman
• Diego Velázquez – Painter
• Michelangelo Buonarroti (ambidextrous, but largely left-handed) – Sculptor, painter
• Leonardo da Vinci (ambidextrous) – Painter, scientist, inventor

Musicians and Composers

• Jimi Hendrix – Guitarist, singer
• Paul McCartney – Musician, The Beatles
• Ringo Starr – Musician, The Beatles
• Kurt Cobain – Musician, Nirvana
• Phil Collins – Musician, Genesis
• Noel Gallagher – Guitarist, Oasis
• David Bowie – Musician, songwriter
• Bob Dylan – Musician, songwriter
• Lady Gaga – Singer, songwriter
• Justin Bieber – Singer, songwriter
• Eminem – Rapper, songwriter
• Cardi B – Rapper
• Ludwig van Beethoven (ambidextrous) – Composer
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (ambidextrous) – Composer

Filmmakers

• Charlie Chaplin – City Lights, Modern Times
• James Cameron – Avatar, Titanic
• Spike Lee – Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X
• Tim Burton – Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice
• Peter Jackson – Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit
• David Lynch – Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet
• Terry Gilliam – Brazil, 12 Monkeys
• Lynne Ramsay – We Need to Talk About Kevin, You Were Never Really Here
• George Lucas – Star Wars Series, American Graffiti
• Chris Columbus – Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Michael Bay – Armageddon, Transformers

Actors

• Angelina Jolie – Tomb Raider, Maleficent
• Keanu Reeves – The Matrix, John Wick
• Tom Cruise – Top Gun, Mission: Impossible Series
• Julia Roberts – Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich
• Hugh Jackman – Logan, Les Misérables
• Scarlett Johansson – Lost in Translation, Black Widow
• Morgan Freeman – The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en
• Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook
• Robert De Niro – Taxi Driver, Raging Bull
• Bruce Willis – Die Hard, The Sixth Sense
• Judy Garland – The Wizard of Oz, A Star is Born

Athletes

• Wayne Gretzky – Hockey player
• Sidney Crosby – Hockey player
• Lionel Messi – Soccer player
• Babe Ruth – Baseball player
• Rafael Nadal – Tennis player
• Martina Navratilova – Tennis player
• Monica Seles – Tennis player
• John McEnroe – Tennis player
• LeBron James – Basketball player
• Bill Russell – Basketball player
• Oscar de la Hoya – Boxer
• Phil Mickelson – Golfer

Politicians and Leaders

• Barack Obama – Former U.S. President
• George H. W. Bush – Former U.S. President
• Bill Clinton – Former U.S. President
• Ronald Reagan – Former U.S. President
• Gerald Ford – Former U.S. President
• Harry S. Truman – Former U.S. President
• James A. Garfield – Former U.S. President
• Winston Churchill – Former British Prime Minister
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg – U.S. Supreme Court Justice
• Napoleon Bonaparte – French military leader and emperor
• Julius Caesar – Roman general and statesman

Entrepreneurs and Innovators

• Bill Gates – Co-founder of Microsoft
• Paul Allen – Co-founder of Microsoft
• Mark Zuckerberg – Founder of Facebook
• Henry Ford – Founder of Ford Motor Company
• Ruth Handler – Co-founder of Mattel and creator of the Barbie doll
• David Rockefeller – Banker and former chairman of Chase Manhattan Corporation
• Ted Turner – Founder of CNN (Cable News Network) and TBS (Turner Broadcasting System)
• Oprah Winfrey – Entrepreneur, television personality
• Gordon Ramsey – Entrepreneur, chef
• Steve Jobs (ambidextrous, but largely left-handed) – Co-founder of Apple