https://www.thefamouspeople.com/hungary.

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Hungary not only has a fixation for moustaches and vodka, but also for great minds and
unsurpassable talents. One of the best eastern European cities, Hungary has been home to
some of world's mind-boggling magicians (Harry Houdini), jaw-droppingly beautiful move
actors (Zsa Zsa Gabor), enticing pianists (Franz Liszt), authors (Noemi Ban), entrepreneurs
(George Soros), chess players (Susan Polgar) and lot many other rich and famous people. Not
just that, Hungary has also produced a wad of Noble prizewinners that has fetched the country
an enviable standing in the world. It is because of these heavily talented and exceptionally
resourceful men and women that Hungary owns a coveted spot among its peer countries. Let
us delve deep into the rich and inspiring lives of some of Hungary's greatest people in the
timeline, trivia, and interesting facts included in the biographies below. Rest assured each
biography would make for a worthy read.

This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and
search trends on the internet.
http://www.famoushungarians.com/

Did you know... the developers of the atomic bomb and nuclear engineering; the
holograph; the moon and mars rovers; the Model T Ford; Microsoft Office; the fathers of the
seat belt and passive safety; binary code, BASIC and computer programming; supersonic
flight and the U.S. aerospace industry; the California wine industry; the U.S. light cavalry;
matches; color television; full-length motion pictures; jet propulsion, the carburetor and the
automatic gearbox; the Zeppelin; and the founder of Intel Corporation are all Hungarian-
Americans? And what about Joseph Pulitzer, of "Pulitzer Prize" fame? There's much more to
his story. And can you believe there was a Hungarian Emperor of Madagascar? Finally,
would you believe Hungary ranks 8th in the world in Olympic Medals!

This list is far from inclusive, but exemplifies, along with the other sections, the Hungarian
genius! Many of these will surprise you. They sure surprised me. The number of these
incredible people is astounding given the size of the Hungarian population in the entire world
is around 20 million. I have received submissions from all over the world (see "Special
Thanks").

https://www.balazsart.com/gallery

Balazs Szabo, is a world-renowned artist and "1956 refugee #M14543." In the

aftermath of the bloody Hungarian Revolution, the Szabo family was under
Hungarian AVO house arrest. On November 20, they fled toward the Austrian
border. The turmoil of WWII and the Hungarian Revolution and their impacts on
him and his family influenced Balazs, the younger son of one of Hungary's most
celebrated young classical actors Sandor Szabo, greatly. Balázs and his family
fled the country separately during the 1956 Revolution and were reunited in
America. He has written a historical memoir about his dramatic escape from Hungary "A
Knock In the Night."
http://www.americanhungarianfederation.org/featured.htm
Don Adams - Record setting, Triple Emmy Award and Clio Award Winning Actor, Director,
Screenwriter of Get Smart Fame!
Florian Albert - Soccer Great - World Cup scoring title and European Soccer Player of the Year: the
"Gold Ball" of 1967
Franz (Gabriel) Alexander - Physician and Psychoanalyst: Psychoanalytic Pioneer - Father of
Psychosomatic Medicine
Count Ede Laszlo Almasy - Explorer, Double Agent! Immortalized in "The English Patient"
Geza Anda - Acclaimed Pianist: The "Troubador of the Piano"
Anonymous - Inventor of the Carriage or "Coach"
Lt. Colonel Albert Anzelm - Civil War Hero: General Fremont's Chief-of-Staff
General Alexander Asboth - US Chief-of-Staff, US Minister to Argentina
Oscar Asboth - Engineer - Student of Theodore Kármán and Helicopter Pioneer
Bob Babbitt - Legendary, Two-time Grammy-award winning Electric Bass Player earning 25 Gold
and Platinum records playing on over 200 top 40 hits. An "Icon of the Groove" helping to "define the
era of the 1960's." Part of the Funk Brothers: "the Greatest Hit Machine in Modern Music."
Donat Banki - Co-Invented the Carburetor
 Robert Barany - Nobel Prize 1914 - "For his work on the physiology and pathology of the vestibular
apparatus"
Bela Barenyi - Engineer, Auto Safety Pioneer - Father of the Volkswagen Beetle, Passive Safety,
Occupant Safety Cell, Collapsible Steering System, the "Crumple Zone," Crash Tests, AND the Seat
Belt! A prolific inventor with over 2500 patents.
Victor Barna - Legendary Table Tennis Champion - "The Greatest Table Tennis Player that ever
Lived"
Madeleine Forro Barnothy - Astrophysicist, Pioneer in the study of Cosmic Radiation, Bio-
Magnetism and Magnetic Therapy, first Woman to earn a doctorate in physics in Hungary!
Drew Barrymore - Actress, Model, Producer, Philanthropist, "America's Sweetheart"
Bela Bartok - Composer, ethnomusicologist
Zoltan Bay - Physicist: First to use radar to take measurements of the moon
Antal Bejczy - Engineer - Developed Mars Rover "Sojourner," and Pathfinder's Remote Control
System
George von Bekesy - Nobel Prize 1961 - "For his discoveries concerning the physical mechanisms
of stimulation within the cochlea."
Laszlo "Laci" Bellak - Table Tennis Legend - Seven-time World Champion, Hall of Famer
Laszlo Benedek - Producer/Director/Writer of "The Wild One" fame
Pal Benko - Legendary Chess Champion Grand Master - only man to beat Bobby Fisher in ' 62 and
US Chess Hall of Famer
Les Besser - Engineer: “Father of microwave computer-aided design” Microwave Engineering
Cicciolina (Ilona Staller) - Actress, Politician - Queen of Euro Porn through the 80's and 90's -
Member of Parliament! Co-founder of Italy's Green Party
Count Moric Benyovszky - Emperor of Madagascar!
Count Laszlo Bercsenyi - Huszár, Founder of the modern French Cavalry! Marshal of France
Gabor Bernath - Inventor, Computer Prodigy: at 15 Invented the commercially viable 3d Scanner,
"ScanGuru," and won the 50th Intel ISEF
Peter Besenyei - World Champion Aerobat
Jozsef Laszlo Biro - Inventor - Developed the ballpoint pen in 1938 AND the automatic gearbox for
automobiles.
Otto Blathy - One in the "Great Triad"of Electrical Engineers at Ganz: Father of the electric
transformer, the tension regulator, the watt meter, the alternating current motor, the turbogenerator
and high efficiency turbogenerator.
Hugo Bockh - Geologist who discovered Iran's oil fields
Ladislau (Laszlo) Boloni - Soccer Player and Rumanian National Team Head Coach
Farkas Bolyai - Mathematician
Janos Bolyai - Mathematician - Discovered non-Euclidian hyperbolic geometry
Julius Boros - Golf Legend
Adrien Brody - Actor - Oscar Nominated for "The Pianist"
 Imre Brody - Physicist: Father of the Krypton Electric Bulb
J. Edward Bromberg, AKA Joe Bromberg - Actor on the Big Screen and Broadway, McCarthy
Black-listee
Joe Bugner - (WBF) World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Australian Heavyweight Champion -
Fought Muhammad Ali for the world title twice!
Robert Capa - Acclaimed Photojournalist: "One of the greatest photojournalists of the 20th century"
and "The Greatest War Photographer in the World"
Louis CK - Emmy Award-winning comedian and writer, television and film producer and director
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Renowned Psychologist - Father of "Flow Theory," former Chair of
University of Chicago's Department of Psychology, and Bestselling Author
Marton Csokas - Acclaimed Actor - "The Kiwi who Infiltrated Hollywood"
Sandor Korosi Csoma - (Alexander Csoma de Koros) Explorer and Scholar "Father of Tibetan
Studies and Buddhist Culture" Walked from Hungary to Tibet and presented the world with the first
Tibetan dictionary and grammar and became a Buddhist Saint!
Janos Csonka - Co-Invented the carburetor
Larry Csonka - Miami Dolphins' Perfect Season Super Bowl Runningback, Super Bowl VIII MVP
and Hall of Famer.
Tivadar Csontvary (Kosztka) - Famed Painter: Picasso once chided Chagall that he could not
produce a painting half as good as one of Csontvary's!
Gabor Csupo - Leader of the new generation of animation. 5 EMMYS and 2 CABLE ACE Awards
- produced Rugrats and the Simpsons
Charles Csuri - "Father of Digital Art!"
George Cukor - Double Oscar-Winning Director
Jamie Lee Curtis - Actress...Best Legs in Hollywood?
Tony Curtis - Oscar-Nominated Actor, Artist, and Hollywood Legend!
Michael Curtiz - Oscar Winning Director of "Casablanca"
Huba Wass de Czege - Brigadier General, US Army Founding Director of the US Army’s School of
Advanced Military Studies and Architect of AirLand Battle Doctrine
Georges Cziffra - World-renowned, Legendary Concert Pianist: The "virtuoso showman at the
keyboard!"
Joseph Dallos - Physician - The First Modern, Molded Contact Lenses!
Frank Darabont - Director/Writer - Two Oscar Nominations for The Green Mile, "One of the best
writer/directors of his generation"
Nicholas Deak - Banker, Finanacier. Received the surrender of the Japanese in Burma in WWII.
Founder of Deak-Perera, the nation's "oldest and largest foreign exchange and precious metals
investment firm
Robert Deak - Banker, Financier and Father of the Secured Credit Card
Mihaly Denes - Mechanical Engineer - Father of Sound Film and Television Broadcasting:
Produced the first television program in history!
 Miksa Deri - One in the "Great Triad"of Electrical Engineers at Ganz: Developed A/C electric
generator
Dr. Hans von Dohnanyi - WWII hero of German resistance! Plotted Hitler's Assasination. Yad
Vashem "Righteous Among Gentiles"
Kristof (Christoph) von Dohnanyi - Conductor (Cleveland) of the "Country's Greatest Orchestra"
Erno (Ernst) von Dohnanyi - Pianist, composer, conductor, and pedagogue
Antal Dorati - Acclaimed Conductor and Composer
Istvan Dorogi - Chemical Engineer / Inventor: Father of Mass Produced Inflatable Toys, Forms and
Figures!
Lawrence Dorr - Pulitzer Prize Nominated Author / Professor - The "Christian Hemingway"
Albrecht Durer - Reniassance Master - perhaps the Greatest "German" artist of the Renaissance era.
Also the most important of the Renaissance Mathematicians - Father of Descriptive Geometry
Krisztina Egerszegi - 5-time Olympic Gold Medalist: "Greatest Backstroke Swimmer of All Time,"
youngest Olympic Champion of all time, and only woman to win five gold medals in individual
swimming events!
St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Giver of Charity, Patroness of Hospitals
Baron Lorand Eotvos - Mathematician: Developed one of the first steps towards relativity theory.
Inventions made it possible to explore for natural resources like oil, coal, and different ores
Zsolt Erdei - WBO light heavyweight champion, former World Amateur Champion
Arthur Erdelyi - Mathematician - His works are cited as "the most widely cited mathematical works
of all time and a basic reference source for generations of applied mathematicians and physicists
throughout the world."
Paul Erdos - Legendary Mathematician: Revered by colleagues and considered to be the "most
brilliant mind in his field," he collaborated with so many mathematicians that the phenomenon of the
"Erdos Number" evolved
Joe (Joszef) Eszterhas - Prolific Screenwriter (Basic Instinct, Sliver, Flashdance) "Highest-paid
writer in Hollywood"
Jeno Fejes - Engineer, Inventor - first in the world who submitted patents for manufacturing
automobile parts by cold-forming, pressing, torch- or spot-welding.
Gyula Fenyi - Physicist: First to prove that the frequency of solar protuberances varies according to
the number of sun spots
Philip Figyelmessy - US Inspector General during Civil War
Charles Fleischmann - Founder of the famous Standard Brands Yeast Company of Fleischmann's
Yeast fame
Eugene Fodor - Founder of "Fodor's Travel Guides"
Albert Fono - Mechanical Engineer - Received the first patent on airplane jet propulsion and
enabled aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound. Also developed Aerial Torpedoes, Jet Artillery,
Air Compressors
William Fox - Producer and Hollywood Mogul - Founder of Fox Studios!
 Milton Friedman - Nobel Prize 1976 - "for his achievements in the fields of consumption analysis,
monetary history and theory and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy" - the
best known living economist
The Gabor Sisters - Glamorous Actresses with a Hungarian Temper!
Dennis Gabor - Nobel Prize 1971 - "for his investigation and development of holography"
Daniel Carlton Gajdusek - Nobel Prize 1976 - For discovering "new mechanisms for the origin and
dissemination of infectious diseases."
Joseph Galamb - Ford Chief Engineer: Designed the Model T and Model A Ford, the Fordson
Tractor, invented the Ignition Plug and the Planetary Gearbox, and prepared the production of Liberty
aircraft engines
Eva Gardos - Acclaimed Screenwriter, Director, and Editor
Charles Gati - Political Scientist, Author, Foreign Policy Advisor, Professor
Mitzi Gaynor - Legendary Actress / Singer / Dancer: Star of "South Pacific"
Uri Geller - Psychic/Entertainer
Peter Gergely - Architect and Structural Engineer: Founder of the National Center for Earthquake
Engineering
Peter & Charlie Gogolak - All-Pro Football Players - Longest Field Goal and all-time leading scorer
in New York Giants history!
Karl Goldmark - Composer
Peter Carl Goldmark - Engineer, CBS Chief Scientist - Invented the Color Television, 33 1/3 LP
Record, and the Electronic Video Recorder! National Medal of Science
Peter Goldmark, Jr. - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the International Herald Tribune
Pal Greguss - Chemical Engineer and Physicist: invented the Pál-Optic used in NASA's Deep
Space Program
Andy Grove - Former President/CEO, and Chairman of Intel. Time's Man of the Year for 1998!
That's the second Hungarian to be awarded this honor!
Lou "The Toe" Groza - NFL Football Player: Record-setting Tackle and Placekicker for the
Cleveland Browns - 9 Pro-Bowls, Hall of Famer
Alfred Haar - Mathematician: Introduced a measure on groups, now called the Haar measure, used
by von Neumann, and other notables
Count András Hadik - Legendary Hussar - Cavalry Hero, General: executed the most famous hussar
action in history
Eugene Hainer - US Congressman, 1893, 1895, from Lincoln, Nebraska
George "Papa Bear" Halas - Legendary Hall of Fame Football Coach: Father of the NFL
Robert Halmi, Sr. - Producer, "Tele-Visionary," Chairman of Hallmark Entertainment, the most
prolific producer in TV history: multiple Emmy Award winner and 1999 Peabody Award winner
Col. Agoston Haraszthy - "Father of California Wine Culture!" - Ronald Reagan
Mariska Hargitay - Actress (Law and Order. ER, Leaving Las Vegas)
Mickey (Miklos) Hargitay - Mr. Universe!
 John Harsanyi - Nobel Prize 1994 - "For his pioneering analysis of equilibrium in the theory of non-
cooperative games." Shared prize with A Beautful Mind's John Nash
Stefan Hatos - Television producer of "Let's Make a Deal" fame
Goldie Hawn - Very Cute Actress and Academy Award Nominee for Private Benjamin. Tentative
honoree
Robert Hegyes - Actor, Director - immortalized as "Juan Epstein" on Welcome Back Kotter!
Miksa Herz - Architect - known in Egypt as Pasha Herz
Theodor Herzl - Founder of the Zionist Movement
George de Hevesy - Nobel Prize 1943 - "For his pioneering work with isotopes as tracers." Winner
of Atom for Peace Award 1959
Martina Hingis - Tennis Superstar! At 17, she became the youngest #1 ranked player ever and is the
youngest to ever win and defend a Grand Slam Title.
Dezo (Dezso) Hoffmann / Hofmann / Hoffman - Acclaimed Photographer - the Beatles'
photographer! "One of the Greatest Photographers in Entertainment"
Csaba Horvath - Renowned Professor of Chemical Engineering at Yale. Father of high-pressure
liquid chromatography (HPLC)
Joseph Rudolph "Bronco" Horvath - All-Star Hockey Player
Les Horvath - Football Player - Ohio State's First Heisman Trophy Winner
Harry Houdini - The "Greatest Magician on Earth," Actor, Pioneer Pilot
Alan Mackenzie Howard - Actor
Leslie Howard - Actor - 'Gone With the Wind"
Tim Howard - England's Premier League Goalkeeper of the Year for 2004 - first American to win
the coveted AF Cup title with Champion Manchester United. US National Team keeper.
Al Hrabosky - "The Mad Hungarian" Great relief pitcher
Jeno Hubay - Violin Virtuoso, Romantic Composer - The "Prince of the Violin" and Founder of the
legendary modern Hungarian Violin School
Janos Hunyadi - Military leader and statesman. First to stop the Ottoman Turks!
Emeric (Imre) Ienei - Soccer Player and Rumanian National Team Head Coach
Janos Irinyi - Chemist - Invented safety matches!
Ernest Istook - US Congressman, Republican from Oklahoma, Chairman of the Appropriations
Subcommittee, Co-Chair of the Hungarian Caucus in the US House of Representatives
General Robert Ivany (Iványi) - West Point Graduate; West Point (Army) Football Coach;
Commanding General, Military District of Washington; Commandant of the War College; and
President of the University of St. Thomas
Geza Jako - Physician, scientist, educator. Father of soft tissue microsurgery, laser surgery,
minimally invasive surgery. White House Advisor for Cancer to Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr.
Pioneer of human cochlear stimulation for deafness.
Anyos Jedlik - Priest, Engineer, Physicist, Inventor - Father of the Dynamo
 Stephen (Steven, Istvan) Kaali - Medical Pioneer, Inventor - Patented Bio Electrical Blood
Cleansing Device for AIDS and other blood diseases
Janos Kabay - First to isolate morphine directly from the plant
Frida Kahlo - Acclaimed Artist and Mexican Icon: One of the most influential artists of the middle
twentieth century
Rudolf Emil Kalman - Developed the Kálmán Filter which is the " greatest discovery in statistics in
our century." Kalman filtering is also the method used in GPS (Global Positioning Systems) for
navigation
Kalman Kando - Inventor, Engineer - Discovered triple phase high tension current for electric
locomotion and industrial applications. Father of Modern Electric Trains!
Moricz Kohn Kaposi - Physician and Dermatologist: Discovered Kaposi's Sarcoma
Theodore von Karman - Aeronautical Engineer & Mathematician. The Father of the Supersonic
Flight and a founder of the aeronautical and astronautical sciences. Designed the first rocket to reach
interstellar space!
Bela and Marta (Martha) Karoly - U.S. Gymnastics Coaches to Nadia and Mary Lou
Sgt. Leopold Karpeles - Civil War Hero - Congressional Medal of Honor Winner
John Kemeny - Mathematician, President of Dartmouth: "Father of Microcomputing," developed
BASIC computer language
Farkas Kempelen de Pazmand - Inventor - First Speaking Machine - first experimental phonetician
Gyorgy Kepes - Painter, designer, author and educator who founded and directed the Center for
Advanced Visual Studies at MIT
Andre Kertesz - Acclaimed photographer
Imre Kertesz - Nobel Prize 2002 - "For writing that upholds the tragic experience of the individual
against the barbaric arbitrariness of history"
Kincsem - "The greatest racehorse of all time"
Karch Kiraly - 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Professional Volleyball Player: "The King" and
Player of the Century
Christina Kiss - Renowned Pianist: one of the foremost Liszt interpreters of our time
Max Kiss - Pharmacist and Inventor of Ex-Lax!
Calvin Klein - American Fashion King!
Brigadier General Frederick Knefler - Civil War Hero: "Hungarian Patriot and American General" -
highest rank attained in the Union army by a member of the Jewish faith.
Mark and David Knopfler - Legendary, Grammy Award-winning Rock Musicians of Dire Straits:
"The Sultans of Rock" and "the finest British band of all time."
Sgt. Matej Kocak - WWI Hero - DOUBLE Congressional Medal of Honor Winner
Sandor Kocsis - Soccer Legend: The "The Man With The Golden Head"
Zoltan Kocsis - Piano Virtuoso and Composer
Zoltan Kodaly - Composer, educator, ethnomusicologist, linguist, author and philosopher
Arthur Koestler - Author/Playwright
 Lajos Koltai, HSC - Cinematographer - Oscar Nomination
Sir Alexander Korda - Legendary, Oscar Nominated Producer / Director: A "Hollywood Renegade"
& Founding Member of The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. Founder and guiding
force behind the British film industry and "Savior of the British film industry."
Michael Korda - Best-Selling Author and Superstar Publisher and over 40 years as Editor-In-Chief
of Simon & Schuster
Vincent Korda -Oscar Winning Film Art Director
Zoltan Korda - Acclaimed Director
Janos Kornai - Economist, Harvard Professor: Developed the "economics of shortage" theory
Bernie Kosar - Superbowl winning Quarterback. Played for the Browns, Cowboys and the
Dolphins!
Mihaly Kotai - Boxer - WBF Super Welterweight Champion and world-title contender - "The Ace
of Tokai"
Ernie Kovacs - Actor, Broadcast Pioneer, and Legendary Comedian and T.V. Personality Three
Emmy Awardsin the 1956-57 TV season.
Laszlo Kovacs ASC - Legendary Cinematographer
Col. Michael de Kovats - US Military Hero!- Founding Father of the US Cavalry!
Brigadier General Eugene A. Kozlay - Civil War Hero: Organized the 54th New York Infantry
Regiment
Hon. Tom Lantos - 11-term U.S. Congressman from California
Erno Laszlo - Dermatologist and Cosmetics Tycoon: Father of Modern Skincare Products
Estee Lauder - Cosmetic Queen! Founder of the current world cosmetics leader!
Leonard A. Lauder - White House Advisor and Chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.
Ronald S. Lauder - US Ambassador to Vienna, Deputy Secretary of Defense for European and
NATO Policy, philanthropist and businessman.
Benjamin Lax - Electrical Engineer / Physicist: Founder and Director of Francis Bitter National
Magnetic Laboratories (MIT); Professor of Physics, Emeritus (MIT); Semiconductor and magneto-
optics pioneer; Radar Pioneer: developed the radar height and range finder and discovered radar
meteorology.
Peter Lax - Renowned and Prolific Applied Mathematician and "one of the greatest figures in pure
and applied mathematics of our times."
Franz Lehar - Foremost composer of 20th century operettas
Fulop von Lenard - Nobel Prize 1905 - "For his studies in x-rays and the cathode ray tube"
Menyhert Lengyel - Oscar Nominated Writer, Producer, and Broadway and Film Director
Gyorgy Ligeti - Composer and 20th Century Musical Pioneer: One of the world’s best known living
composers - featured on 2001: A Space Odyssey
Franz Liszt - Classical Composer, "Greatest Pianist of All Time"
Lajos Loczy - First to make geological survey of the Trans-Himalaya mountain chain
 Stefan Lorant - Photographer / Editor / Filmmaker / Pioneering Journalist - Widely regarded as the
first major editor of modern photojournalism and "the Godfather of Photojournalism"
Peter Lorre - Actor - Chaplin called him "the greatest actor alive"
Laszlo Lovasz - Renowned Yale University Senior Faculty Mathematician, Microsoft Senior
Researcher, Computer Scientist: 1999 Wolf Prize Winner
Bela Lugosi - Actor - The Original Dracula!
John Lukacs - Eminent Historian: Pulitzer Prize Nominated, Ingersoll Prize Winner - "one of
America’s most respected historians - Yale"
J. Anthony Lukas - Acclaimed Author and Journalist . "One of America's most brilliant writers" and
Winner of TWO Pulitzer Prizes!
Paul Lukas - Actor, Academy Award Winner for "Watch on the Rhine," in 1943
Janos Luppis - Naval Captain and Engineer: Co-Inventor of the Torpedo
Dezso Magyar - Chair, American Film Institute Conservatory, Master Filmmaker-in-Residence
The Magyar Tribes - Innovators: Invented The Stirrup and wooden-framed saddle; Leather
Processing; the famous reflex bow; Beef Jerky; Mint Methods
Eva Marton - Heavenly Soprano
Kati Marton - Acclaimed journalist & best-selling author
Ilona Massey - Actress
Maria Mednyanszky - Legendary Table Tennis Champion - First official female World Champion
Joe Medwick - Baseball Superstar: World-Series Slugger, Hall of Famer, "The Muscular Magyar"
Zoltan Mesko - Super Bowl 46 (XXLVI) Punter for the New England Patriots, University of
Michigan All-American
Col. Geza Mihaloczy - Civil War Hero: Organized the famed "Lincoln Riflemen"
Jozsef Mihalyi - Engineer / Inventor: Co-Developed Automatic Camera, Chief Designer at Kodak
Ferenc Molnar - Playwright: part of the "Hungarian Invasion" of New York Theatre
S/Sgt Frankie "Zoly" Molnar - Vietnam War Hero - Congressional Medal of Honor Winner
Miklos Molnar - Soccer Star: Danish "Golden Boot," Kansas City Wizards, International - His
nickname is "Danish Dynamite" for his explosive scoring ability
Alanis Morrisette - Multi-Platinum-selling Singer, Songwriter - 7 Grammy Awards! One of the
VH1: 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll
Peter Munk - Industrial Tycoon - One of the Richest Men in Canada: Founder of Barrick Gold and
the multi-billion dollar Canadian construction and development firm TrizecHahn
Charles Nagy - World Series Pitcher (Cleveland Indians), 3-time All Star, & Olympics Gold Medal
Winner!
Laszlo Moholy - Nagy, Avant-Garde Painter, designer, and experimental photographer: A Founder
of Constructivism, Professor and Director at the Bauhaus School of Design, Chicago, and Founder and
head of the Chicago Institute of Design
Joe Namath (Németh) Sports Hero, Super Bowl Quarterback and MVP (New York Jets), and Hall
of Famer
 John von Neumann - Legendary Mathematician, Physicist, Logician, and Computing Pioneer: Co-
developed the Atomic Bomb. Father of Binary Code and the Stored Program Computer, Father of
Game Theory. Key in development of U.S. ballistic missile program
Paul Newman - Oscar Winning Actor - Eight Oscar Nominations!
George Olah - Nobel Prize 1994 - "For his contribution to carbocation chemistry: the study of
hydrocarbons, the ingredients of oil and natural gas, and his discovery of new ways to use them"
Edward James Olmos - Oscar and Tony Nominated and Emmy Award Winning Actor, Producer,
Director, and Activist. The "Olivier of the Latino World" and People's 2000 Sexiest Man Alive
Eugene Ormandy - Renowned Conductor (Philadelphia)
Tom Orosz - NFL Football Player - Superbowl Punter for the Miami Dolphins #3
Egon Orowan (Orován) - Applied Physicist
George Pal - Cartoonist/Animator of "War of the Worlds" - Winner of SIX Oscars, and pioneer of
stop-action animation!
Ziggy Pallfy - Hockey Phenom - Top Scorer for the NY Islanders and LA Kings - sixth in the NHL
in scoring!
Laszlo Papp - Legendary Boxer: Only man in history to win 3 consecutive Olympic Gold Medals
Joseph Pasternak - Prolific Film Producer/Director: Multiple Oscar Nominations. Rescued
Universal Studios
Beatrix Aruna Pasztor - Costume Designer: designed costumes for 20 major feature films
George Pataki - Governor, New York
Ferenc Pavlics - Engineer: Developed NASA's Moon Rover and Directed Development of the Mars
Rover
Eszter Pecsi - Structural Engineer - designer of the first reinforced-concrete skyscraper! First
woman to receive a degree in engineering in Hungary (1920)
Jozsef Petzval - Inventor: A Founder of Photography: His Work allowed for construction of modern
cameras and made practical portrait-photography possible. Invented Photographic Objective Lens,
Darkroom, Opera Glass, and perfected the telescope
Sandor (Alexander) Pfitzner - Engineer: Designed the first American Monoplane for Curtiss
Sylvia Plachy - Acclaimed Photographer, Mother of Actor Adrien Brody
John Polanyi - Nobel Prize 1986 - "For contributions to the development of a new field of research
in chemistry - reaction dynamics." Founder of Reaction Dynamics
Zsuzsa (Susan), Judit (Judith), and Zsofia (Sofia) Polgar - Chess Grand Masters and Olympic Gold
Medalists! - Judith has been called the Greatest Female Player of all Time!
George Polya - Mathematician: "The Great Teacher"
Colonel George Pomutz - Civil War Hero: Appointed US Consul General to St. Petersburg, Russia.
Geza Pozsar - U.S. Gymnastics National Team Coach and Choreographer
Janos Prohaska - Actor/Stuntman
Freddie Prinze, Jr. - Actor and Heart-Throb! "Young Hollywood's Leading Man"
Freddie Prinze Sr. - Actor, Comedian
 Joseph Pulitzer - Publishing Tycoon: Responsible for building of the Statue of Liberty
Ferenc Puskas - Soccer Legend: The "Greatest Soccer Player in History!"
Tivadar Puskas - Inventor, Thomas Edison's Colleague - Devised the idea of using telephone
exchanges between subscribers, invented the switchboard and built Europe's first telephone exchange.
Coined the term "Hello"
S/Sgt. Laszlo Rabel - US Military Hero! Congressional Medal of Honor
Elemer Ragalyi - Acclaimed, Emmy Award Winning Cinematographer
Jessica Rakoczy - Boxer - IBA Lightweight World Champion! The "Ragin'" Rakoczy. Number 1
ranked overall!
Tommy Ramone - Drummer and Producer of the Legendary, Pioneering Punk Rockers, The
Ramones!
Deszo Ranki - Renowned Concert Pianist - with Kocsis, the "Golden Boys of the Magyar
Keyboard"
Fritz Reiner - Legendary Conductor: A "Foremost Conductor of his Time" and "Genius Orchestra
Builder"
Imre Reiner - Painter, Sculptor, Illustrator, and Renowned Type Designer of "Reiner Script" fame!
Maria Judith Reményi - Miss USA 1966
Alfred Renyi - Mathematician. Discovered "one of the strongest methods of analytical number
theory"
Frigyes Riesz - Mathematician. Riesz was a founder of functional analysis and his work has many
important applications in physics
Odon Riszdorfer - Engineer / Inventor: Co-Developed Automatic Camera and Automatic Shutter for
Movie Cameras. Father of the hand held, battery operated light meter.
Donald Lawrence Ritter - US Congressman, Republican from Pennsylvania
Ferenc Rofusz - Animator: Oscar in 1981 for his animated film, "The Fly" (A Légy) - the first
Hungarian Oscar for a cartoon.
Anna M. Rosenberg - Under-Secretary of Defense in Truman Cabinet. Medal of Freedom in 1945
and Medal of Merit in 1947
George Rosencrantz - Chemist, Businessman, Founder of Syntex, the number seventeen world-
ranked drug firm, the developer of Aleve
Miklos Rozsa - Triple Oscar Winning Film Music Composer
Erno Rubik - Mathematician, Inventor of Rubik's Cube!
Leopold Ruzicka - Nobel Prize 1939 - "For his work on polymethylenes & higher terpenes"
S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall - Famed Character Actor, from Casablanca fame
Anna Sandor - Emmy Award-Winning screenwriter
Nicolas Sarkozy - French Minister of the Interior, Internal Security and Local Freedoms. Elected as
French Prime Minister!
Andrew Sarlos - Hungarian-born Canadian investor and financial guru, author, and great
philanthropist
 Sylvia Sass - Another Heavenly Soprano, "the New Callas"
Bela Schick - Pediatric Doctor / Researcher: Pioneer in immunology - Devised the "Schick test" for
determining susceptibility to diphtheria.
Andras Schiff - Acclaimed Classical Pianist
Claude-Michel Schonberg - Acclaimed Grammy and Tony Award-winning Writer, Composer, and
Producer of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon
Friedrich Schorr - Renowned "mahogany-colored" Bass- Baritone
Gerard Schurmann - World-renowned Double Oscar Winning Composer: Orchestrated Lawrence of
Arabia and Exodus
David Schwartz - Inventor - Father of the Dirigible Air Ship or Zeppelin
Thomas A. Sebeok (Sebők) - Father of Modern Semiotics (the study of signs and non-verbal
communication)
Janos Andras Segner - Father of the Water Turbine: First scientist to use reactive force and made
substantial contributions to the theory of Dynamics
Jerry Seinfeld - Actor / Comedian: American Icon! The most successful and influential comedian of
his generation!
Paul Selenyi - Physicist and Father of Electrostatics / Photoconductivity Pioneer - first to record
images with an electrostatic marking process: the foundation of Xerography!
Monica Seles - Tennis Superstar - She has won 9 Grand Slam singles titles and bronze in Sydney
2000!
Hans Selye - Physician, Endocrinologist, Researcher - Founder of the concept of Stress: The
"Einstein of Medicine!"
Ignac Semmelweis - Physician, "The Mothers' Savior"
Kate Seredy - Author and illustrator of children's books
Don Shula - Legendary Hall of Fame Football Coach (the 17-0 Miami Dolphins!) Winningest
Coach in NFL History
Gene Simmons - Legendary Tongue and Rock-n-Roller of KISS!
Paul Simon - Musician, Singer, Songwriter - American Legend of Simon & Garfunkel" fame! 12
Grammys and Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famer
Charles Simonyi - Computer Scientist and Chief Architect, Microsoft Corporation: Father of
WYSIWYG and Hungarian Notation
Denis Sinor - Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Indiana University Department of Central Eurasian
Studies, Uralic and Altaic Studies
Anna Sipos - Table Tennis Legend - first female player to use the "pen holder grip"
Sir Georg Solti -Acclaimed Conductor: Record number of Grammys
Mihaly Somogyi - Chemist: Produced first Child Insulin Treatment in US - Developed the
"Somogyi test" for the diagnosis of diabetes
George Soros - "The world's greatest money manager" and Great Progressive Philanthropist.
Brent Spiner - Actor and Trekkies' favorite android, Lieutenant Commander Data!
 Major-General Julius H. Stahel (Számwald) - US Military Hero! Congressional Medal of Honor
Ilona Staller (Cicciolina) - Actress, Politician - Queen of Euro Porn through the 80's and 90's -
Member of Parliament! Co-founder of Italy's Green Party
Sir Aurel Stein - "The most prodigious combination of scholar, explorer, archaeologist and
geographer of his generation" - The "Sven Hedin of England" - pioneered the use of aerial
photography in archaeology.
George Stigler - Nobel Prize 1982 - "For his seminal studies of industrial structures, functioning of
markets and causes and effects of public regulation"
Elvis Stojko - "King of the Ice" - 3-time World Champion, 7-time Canadian National Champion,
and 2-time Olympic Silver Medalist!
Miklos Szabados - Table Tennis Legend - second only to Barna
Ekaterina (Katalin) Szabo - Champion Gymnast: Four Olympic Gold Medals and One Silver in Los
Angeles
Gabor Szabo - JJazz Great: One of the "most original and outstanding improvisational guitarists of
the 20th century"
Istvan Szabo - Director, Writer, Producer - Academy Award in 1981
Professor Szalay - Father of British Weightlifting
Chef Louis Szathmary - Legendary Chef and founder of Chicago's "The Bakery" - father of the
"Stouffer's frozen dinner"
Victor Szebehely - Aerospace Engineer: Pioneer of Orbital Mechanics and key figure in the Apollo
Space Program: "His work got us to the moon"
Gabor Szego - Mathematician: Head of University of Stanford Mathematics
Pierre Szekely - Renowned Sculptor and Architect - the "Incessant Adventurer"
George Szell - Conductor
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi von Nagyrapolt - Nobel Prize 1937 - "For his discoveries in connection with
the biological combustion process with special reference to vitamin C & the catalysis of fumaric acid."
First to isolate Vitamin C
Leo Szilard - Physicist: Co-developed the Atomic Bomb. Physicist - Co-developed the Atomic
Bomb: Conceived the nuclear chain reaction and campaigned for nuclear disarmament, though the first
to consider the application of the atom to making bombs. Achieved first sustained nuclear fission
reaction with Enrico Fermi. Identified the unit or "bit" of information
Kornel Szilvay - Officer in the Hungarian Fire Brigade: Father of the Dry Fire Extinguisher!
Henrietta Szold - Founder of Hadassah
Pvt. William L. S. Tabor - Civil War Hero - Congressional Medal of Honor Winner
Jeffrey Tambor - Actor
Count Samuel Teleki - Explorer! Led the famous East-Africa Expedition
Maria Telkes - Chemist, Engineer: Pioneer of Solar Energy: "Mother of the Solar Home," "The
"Sun Queen," and "world's most famous woman inventor in solar energy."
Edward (Ede) Teller - Physicist: Co-developed the Atomic Bomb. Discovered BET equation. Father
of the the H-Bomb
 Joe Theismann - Legendary Two-time Superbowl Quarterback for the Washington Redksins
Lou Thesz - Legend of Professional Wrestling, "Wrestling's True Icon"
Kalman Tihanyi - Physicist: Father of the Picture Tube and Television Pioneer (NOT Zworykin) -
Invented the Picture Tube (Iconoscope), Infrared-sensitive (night vision) television, and Flat TV Tube
Steve Tichy - Huge proponent of all things Hungarian, and world-renowned helpdesk technican
from Boston, MA! Now he IS famous indeed (at least for a while!)
Ivan Tors - Producer/Director, Underwater Film Pioneer
Andre de Toth - Director - Oscar Nomination, "The Gunfighter"
Paul Turan - Mathematician: Erdos's closest friend and collaborator and Great Hungarian number
theorist
Steven Ferencz Udvar-Hazy - Business Tycoon, Aircraft Leasing Pioneer, and GREAT
Philanthropist - Father of the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center
Colonel George Utassy - US Civil War Hero: Organized the famed Garibaldi Guard
Albert Vadas (Wadas) - Spanish American War Hero - Congressional Medal of Honor Winner
Janos Vas - Hockey Player - Dallas Stars
Major Gyula Vari - Hungarian Air Force, Acclaimed Fighter Pilot - First pilot to win consecutive
titles at Fairford's Royal International Air Tattoo
Andrew Vajna - Producer, Hollywood Legend: President of Cinergi Productions, co-Founder of
Carolco Pictures
Robert Varkonyi - Poker World Series Champion of 2002! First Ever to Win 2 Million!
Viktor Vasarely - Famed painter known for his geometrical forms, he is the father of Op-Art
Bishop Faustus Verancsics - Invented the air turbine
Peter Vermes - Soccer Star: Kansas City Wizards, US National Team (captain), International
Adrienne Vittadini - Renowned Fashion Designer and Businesswoman
Andre Watts - Acclaimed Classical Pianist - one of the "Great Pianists of the 20th Century"
Johnny Weissmuller (sports, film) - The one and only Tarzan and FIVE-time Gold Olympic
swimming legend! "The greatest swimmer of all time"
Rachel Weisz - Actress and Model (The Mummy, Enemy at the Gates, Stealing Beauty, Sunshine,
Beautiful Creatures)
Jules White - Four-time Oscar-Nominated Producer / Director of "The Three Stooges" and More!
Elie Wiesel - Nobel Prize 1986 - "For his dedication to peace, atonement, and human dignity"
Eugene Wigner - Nobel Prize 1963 - "for his contributions to the theory of the atomic nucleus and
the elementary particles, particularly through the discovery and application of fundamental symmetry
principles" Co-developed the atomic bomb, developed first breeder reactor, and is known as the
Founder of Nuclear Engineering
Debra Winger - Actress - 2 Oscar Nominations!
Major Charles Zagonyi - "The Union Forever!" Led the famous Civil War "Zágonyi Death Ride"
 Karoly Zipernowsky - A/C Electronics Pioneer! One in the "Great Triad"of Electrical Engineers at
Ganz: Founder of heavy-current electrical engineering
Vilmos Zsigmond (ASC) - Legendary Cinematographer - Oscar Winner and Multiple Oscar
Nominations!
Richard Zsigmondy - Nobel Prize 1925 - "For his work on methods in the study of colloid
chemistry"
Adolph Zukor - "Mr. Motion Pictures" and Oscar Winner