Can you guess who are the five most famous Hungarians?

As they say, Hungarians are everywhere in the world. It’s not entirely a joke: there really are a huge number of Hungarians who were or are known worldwide, and many others have Hungarian ancestors. In this article, you can see five of the most famous Hungarians.

Ernő Rubik

Ernő Rubik. Source: Wikipedia. Photographer: Gyöngyi Rózsavölgyi.

Ernő Rubik is a Hungarian sculptor, architect, designer, interior designer, toy designer, inventor and university professor. His name is known almost all over the world for the game he created.

The Rubik’s Cube is one of the most widely known inventions in the world. Its inventor originally called it the “Magic Cube” and described it as a spatial logic game. The first World Puzzle Championship was held in 1982, and the cube has remained popular all over the world ever since.

Read also: Did you know that Europe’s bravest woman was Hungarian?

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini in 1899. Source: Wikipedia.

Harry Houdini, born Erik Weisz, is a Hungarian-born American illusionist and magician. He was one of the greatest escape artists of all time and one of the greatest performers of the modern era.

According to George Bernard Shaw, the most remembered names in the world are Jesus, Sherlock Holmes and Houdini. He only lived here until he was four: his career began in America. Despite his Hungarian origins, he considered himself an American.

Béla Lugosi

Béla Lugosi in 1912. Source: Wikipedia.

Lugosi became world-famous and a star of classic horror films for his portrayal of Count Dracula, the vampire. It is a tribute to his art that he is one of the Hungarians who have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His original name was Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó, and his stage name refers to the town of Lugos in Romania, where the later actor was born. In 1931, he was asked to play the lead role in Dracula, which made him a world star. His strong accent became his trademark.

Béla Bartók

Béla Bartók. Source: OSZK

Hungarian composer, pianist, folk music researcher, great collector of Central European folk music, teacher at the Academy of Music, and one of the most important composers of the 20th century. At the age of 9-10 he was already composing his own music for piano.

He toured villages with Zoltán Kodály for years with a phonograph, and his collections even inspired the revival of modern Chinese pop music through Wang Lee-hom. Disillusioned by developments in world history, he fled to America to escape National Socialism and the Arrow Cross.

Read also: 7 surprising things you did not know about Hungary

Ferenc Puskás

Ferenc Puskás in 1971. Source: Wikipedia.

Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian footballer, Olympic gold medallist and World Cup silver medallist, coach of several club teams and national teams, awarded the title of Sportsman of the Nation. He was born in Budapest and built a career in Hungary.

He is considered by FIFA as one of the best footballers of all time. After the 1956 revolution, he settled in Spain and became a footballer for Real Madrid. He has worked as a football coach on all continents during his career. He is the best known figure in the Hungarian Golden Team.