List of Famous people born in Ethiopia
Carla Maria Puccini
Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi Asres was an Ethiopian politician who was President of Ethiopia and consecutively served as 2nd Prime Minister of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. He was considered the founder of the ethnofederalism of modern Ethiopia, which is still controversial democratic system due to concerning ethnic conflict and human rights abuses.
Dinaw Mengestu
Dinaw Mengestu is an Ethiopian-American novelist and writer. In addition to three novels, he has written for Rolling Stone on the war in Darfur, and for Jane Magazine on the conflict in northern Uganda. His writing has also appeared in Harper's, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other publications. He is the Program Director of Written Arts at Bard College. In 2007 the National Book Foundation named him a "5 under 35" honoree. Since his first book was published in 2007, he has received numerous literary awards, and was selected as a MacArthur Fellow in 2012.
Sileshi Sihine
Sileshi Sihine is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.
Meseret Defar
Meseret Defar Tola is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes chiefly in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres events. She has won medals at top-tier international competitions including Olympic and World Championship gold medals over 5000 metres. She broke the world record in the event in 2006, broke it again in 2007 and held it until 2008, when fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba beat her time.
Tiki Gelana
Erba Tiki Gelana is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. Her personal best of 2:18:58 had been the Ethiopian national record for the event from 2012 to 2017. She won the 2011 Amsterdam Marathon and the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. She won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics with a time of 2:23:07, a new Olympic record.
Jean-Luc Chambard
Mulatu Teshome
Mulatu Teshome Wirtu is an Ethiopian politician who was President of Ethiopia from 7 October 2013 to 25 October 2018.
Saladin Said
Salah El Din Ahmed Said, also known as Salhadin Said or Saladin Said, is an Ethiopian footballer who plays for Ethiopian club Saint George FC and the Ethiopian national team. His energy, skill, and goal scoring ability in critical games have made him one of the indispensable players in eastern Africa. Salhadin finished as the top scorer in the 2017 CAF Champions League.