Origins & Early Life

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (Greek: Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου, pronounced [eˈvaɲɟelos oðiˈseas papaθanaˈsi.u]; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), mainly known professionally as Vangelis ( vang-GHEL-iss; Greek: Βαγγέλης, pronounced [vaɲˈɟelis]; also credited as Vangelis Papathanassiou), was a Greek composer, arranger, performer and record producer. He released material of wide musical genres such as electronic music, progressive rock, ambient, and classical orchestral music. He is primarily known for his film scores, composing the Academy Award-winning score to Chariots of Fire (1981), as well as composing the scores of (among many) Blade Runner (1982), Missing (1982), Antarctica (1983), The Bounty (1984), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), and Alexander (2004), and the 1980 PBS documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan. Born in Agria and raised in Athens, Vangelis began his career in the 1960s as a member of the rock bands the Forminx and Aphrodite's Child; the latter's album 666 (1972) is recognised as a progressive-psychedelic rock classic.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Vangelis settled in Paris and gained initial recognition for his scores to the Frédéric Rossif animal documentaries L...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alvy Ray Smith — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering computer scientist and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
• Antonio Inoki — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Japanese wrestler, martial artist, and political figure.
• Arthur Ashe — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering American tennis star, celebrated for his skill and activism.
• Aaron Carter — Contemporary (Died in 2022) (2022): American singer and rapper known for teen pop stardom and enduring musical career.
• Angela Lansbury — Contemporary (Died in 2022) (2022): Iconic British-American actress and singer with an 80-year career.
• Ben Roy Mottelson — Contemporary (Died in 2022) (2022): Pioneering nuclear physicist known for work on non-spherical atomic nuclei geometry.
• Agnès Varda — Shared historical date (03-29 · Died) (2019): Pioneering French filmmaker, artist, and documentarian celebrated for her unique vision.
• Alexei Abrikosov (physicist) — Shared historical date (03-29 · Died) (2017): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for low-temperature condensed matter physics.
• Alan Kay — Shared historical date (05-17 · Born) (1940): Pioneer of GUI, Object-Oriented Programming, and modern computing paradigms.
• Alfonso XIII — Shared historical date (05-17 · Born) (1886): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• 1943 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1943
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• 2022 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2022
• May 17 (05-17) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 17