Historical Figures

आङरिता शेर्पा

First person to summit Mount Everest ten times without supplemental oxygen; nicknamed the "Snow Leopard"

आङ थर्के

Pioneering Sherpa mountaineer and sirdar who introduced Tenzing Norgay to mountaineering

आङ चेरिङ

Sherpa mountaineer on the 1924 British Mount Everest expedition and a survivor of the 1934 Nanga Parbat disaster

अरनिको

Nepalese architect and artist at Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty court; built the White Stupa in Beijing and helped originate the pagoda style

विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला

First democratically elected Prime Minister of Nepal (1959–60); founding leader of the Nepali Congress and central figure in Nepal's struggle for democracy

बाबु छिरी शेर्पा

Set the record for the fastest Everest ascent and for spending 21 hours on the summit without oxygen

बाबुराम भट्टराई

35th Prime Minister of Nepal (2011–13); Maoist ideologue turned democratic-socialist politician

बालकृष्ण सम

Playwright honoured as Natya Siromani and often called the "Shakespeare of Nepal"; one of the trinity of modern Nepali literature

भाजुरत्न कंसकार

Trader and philanthropist who laid the foundations of the Jyoti Group; important figure in the revival of Theravada Buddhism in Nepal

भानुभक्त आचार्य

Widely regarded as the first great poet of the Nepali language, honoured with the title Aadikabi for his translation of the Ramayana

भीमनिधि तिवारी

Prolific post-1950s Nepali poet, novelist, and playwright who wrote over 38 works advocating social reform

भीम शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा

Rana-era Prime Minister of Nepal from 1929 to 1932

भिमदत्त पन्त

Farmer-rights martyr who led a salt protest against landlord elites in far-western Nepal; a city is named after him

भीमसेन थापा

First and longest-serving Mukhtiyar (Prime Minister) of Nepal, ruling for 31 years

भृकुटी

7th-century Nepali princess credited with helping bring Buddhism to Tibet as the first queen of Songtsen Gampo

भूपतीन्द्र मल्ल

The most widely known king of Bhaktapur, remembered for building the Nyatapola Temple during a golden age of art and architecture

भूपी शेरचन

One of the most beloved and widely read modern Nepali poets, known as "Sarbahara Kavi"

वीर शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा

Rana-era Prime Minister who established Durbar High School and Bir Hospital, and modernised Kathmandu's infrastructure

वीरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव

King of Nepal who accepted constitutional monarchy after the 1990 pro-democracy movement; killed in the 2001 royal massacre

चन्द्रमानसिंह मास्के

Leading figure in the development of contemporary art in Nepal, one of the first two officially recognised art teachers in the country

चन्द्र शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा

Rana-era Prime Minister who abolished slavery in Nepal and secured British recognition of Nepal's independence

चित्तधर हृदय

Nepal Bhasa poet honoured as Kabi Kesari, who wrote the epic Sugata Saurabha in prison

दशरथ चन्द

One of the four martyrs of the Nepalese revolution against Rana rule

धर्मभक्त माथेमा

One of the four martyrs of the Nepalese revolution against Rana rule

धर्मरत्न यमी

Nepal Bhasa writer and anti-Rana activist who changed his surname from Tuladhar to Yami in prison to identify as Newa; father of Hisila Yami

गणेशमान सिंह

Leader of the 1990 Nepalese revolution that restored multi-party democracy; widely called the "Father of Democracy"

गंगा बहादुर थापा

Nepal's first-ever Olympic athlete, competing in the marathon at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics

गङ्गालाल श्रेष्ठ

One of the four martyrs of the Nepalese revolution against Rana rule

गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइराला

Four-time Prime Minister of Nepal; led the 1990 People's Movement restoring democracy and signed the 2006 peace accord ending the Maoist insurgency

गिरीशबल्लभ जोशी

Considered the first Nepali novelist, author of Bir Charitra

गीर्वाणयुद्ध विक्रम शाह देव

King of Nepal during the Anglo-Nepalese War, whose reign ended with the Sugauli Treaty that defined the country's present-day borders

गुरुप्रसाद मैनाली

Considered one of the best short story writers in Nepali literature, best known for the anthology Naso

ज्ञानेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव

Last King of Nepal, whose 2005 seizure of direct power triggered the 2006 pro-democracy movement that ended the monarchy

जगतलाल मास्टर

Educator who ran a home school in defiance of Rana-era restrictions, teaching students who became notable writers and freedom fighters

जगतसुन्दर मल्ल

Honoured as one of the Four Pillars of Nepal Bhasa; opened a school defying Rana-era bans on modern education

जयस्थिति मल्ल

Medieval king credited with unifying the Kathmandu Valley and codifying its caste and legal system

जुद्ध शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा

Rana-era Prime Minister who rebuilt the Dharahara tower after the 1934 earthquake

जङ्गबहादुर राणा

Founder of the Rana dynasty, which held hereditary power as Prime Ministers of Nepal for over a century

कान्छा शेर्पा

Last surviving member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition, which achieved the first ascent of Everest

करुणारत्न तुलाधर

Pioneer of Nepalese public transport who co-founded Nepal Transport Service, the country's first public bus service

कृष्णलाल अधिकारी

Nepal's first "literary martyr," imprisoned and killed for publishing a book on maize cultivation deemed treasonous by the Rana regime

कृष्णप्रसाद भट्टराई

Twice Prime Minister of Nepal, led the 1990 interim government that restored multi-party democracy

कुलरत्न तुलाधर

Nepal's first Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, oversaw construction of the Tribhuvan Highway, Nepal's first highway

लखन थापा मगर

Nepal's first recognised martyr, executed for organising political movement against Rana rule decades before the four martyrs

लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा

National poet of Nepal, best known for the narrative poem Muna Madan

लेखनाथ पौड्याल

Regarded as the founding father of modern Nepali poetry, honoured with the title Kavi Shiromani

लुपौरत्न तुलाधर

Co-founder of Nepal Transport Service, operator of the country's first regular public bus service

माधवप्रसाद घिमिरे

Poet honoured with the title Rashtrakavi (National Poet), the second person to hold the title after Laxmi Prasad Devkota

महेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव

King of Nepal who dissolved parliament in 1960 and established the party-less Panchayat system

मेलावा देवी

The first female singer from Nepal to be professionally recorded

मोतीराम भट्ट

Considered the first biographer and literary critic of Nepali literature; established Bhanubhakta Acharya as the language's first poet

नारायण गोपाल गुरुवाचार्य

Singer and composer regarded as one of Nepal's most significant cultural icons

न्हुछेरत्न तुलाधर

Democracy activist martyred during the freedom struggle against Rana rule in 1950

पद्म शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा

Rana-era Prime Minister who drafted Nepal's first constitution in 1948 and pursued liberal social reforms

पद्मसुन्दर मल्ल

Nepal's first electrical engineer and the first Nepali to visit the United States

पारिजात

Novelist and poet, first woman to win the Madan Puraskar, for her novel Shirishko Phool

पासाङ ल्हामु शेर्पा

First Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest

प्रताप मल्ल

One of the most celebrated kings of Kathmandu, a poet-king who expanded Hanuman Dhoka palace and secured a monopoly on trade with Tibet

प्रेमबहादुर कंसाकार

Fighter for democracy and Nepal Bhasa linguistic rights; founded Asa Archives, the only public archive in Nepal

पृथ्वी वीर विक्रम शाह देव

King of Nepal during whose reign the country's first automobiles and modern sanitation systems were introduced

पृथ्वीनारायण शाह

Founding monarch of the unified Kingdom of Nepal

पुष्पकमल दाहाल

Former Maoist rebel commander who led Nepal's decade-long civil war before becoming Prime Minister of Nepal three times (2008–09, 2016–17, 2022–24)

पुष्पलाल श्रेष्ठ

Founder and general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal, the first Nepali communist party

राजकुमारी पाण्डे

Among Nepal's earliest female Olympians, competing in the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics

राजमानसिंह चित्रकार

First Nepali artist to apply Western lighting and perspective, pioneering three-dimensional effects in Nepali painting

राजेन्द्र विक्रम शाह देव

King of Nepal whose reign saw the rise of Jung Bahadur Rana and his own forced abdication in 1847

रण बहादुर शाह

King of Nepal whose reign saw territorial expansion into Garhwal and Kumaon, and who later created the office of Mukhtiyar that Bhimsen Thapa would hold

सेतुराम श्रेष्ठ

First Nepali artist to record a song on gramophone disc, in 1908

शङ्कर लामिछाने

Considered one of Nepal's foremost essayists, known for his Madan Puraskar-winning collection Abstract Chintan Pyaj

शुक्रराज शास्त्री

Intellectual and fighter for democracy honoured as one of the four martyrs of the Nepalese revolution

सिद्धिनरसिंह मल्ल

King of Patan who built the Krishna Mandir, a rare all-stone temple, transforming Patan into a centre of religious art and architecture

सिद्धिचरण श्रेष्ठ

Revolutionary poet imprisoned for 18 years by the Rana regime for writings that inspired freedom fighters

सुबर्ण शम्शेर राणा

Nepali Congress leader and Finance Minister who helped shape Nepal's economic policy and constitution after the fall of Rana rule

सुरेन्द्र विक्रम शाह देव

King of Nepal during the height of Rana family rule, reduced to a figurehead under Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana

First person, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary, confirmed to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on 29 May 1953

त्रिभुवन वीर विक्रम शाह

King of Nepal who ended over a century of Rana family rule in the 1951 revolution

तुल बहादुर पुन

Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry during World War II

यज्ञबहादुर थापा

Nepali Congress captain who led an armed revolution against the government in 1974, recognised as a martyr in 2016

योगनरेन्द्र मल्ल

King of Patan remembered for the gilded cobra-crowned statue of himself at Patan Durbar Square, a beloved local legend