Famous People Born In Budapest

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 1 
John von Neumann
(Great Mathematician Who Was Equally at Home in Pure and Applied Mathematics)
John von Neumann
18
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 28, 1903
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: February 8, 1957
Hungarian-American scientist John von Neumann contributed to the development of game theory and the concept of self-replication. His work covered vast areas including math, economics, physics, and computer science. His research on nuclear physics led him to be part of the advisory committee of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
 2 
Barbara Palvin
(Fashion Model)
Barbara Palvin
20
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: October 8, 1993
Sun Sign: Libra
Hungarian model Barbara Palvin gained fame after appearing in the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was later named a Victoria's Secret Angel. She has modeled for top-notch brands such as Prada and Chanel. She was also seen as Greek mythological figure Antimache in the 2014 film Hercules.
 3 
Ferenc Puskás
(One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time)
Ferenc Puskás
21
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 1, 1927
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: November 17, 2006
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 4 
Ignaz Semmelweis
(Physician)
Ignaz Semmelweis
9
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: July 1, 1818
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: August 13, 1865

Almost 2 decades before germ theory was laid down, Ignaz Semmelweis became the first physician to suggest that hand-washing could prevent the spread of puerperal fever and related deaths. Ironically, after being ridiculed for his theory, he died in a mental asylum, due to an infection from a wound.

 5 
Tommy Ramone
(Best Known as the Drummer for the Influential Punk Rock Band the ‘Ramones’)
Tommy Ramone
6
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: January 29, 1949
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: July 11, 2014

Tommy Ramone was a Hungarian-American record producer, musician, and songwriter. For four years, he served as the drummer for the punk rock band the Ramones. The band was often cited as the first true punk rock group and was highly influential. Even though he left the group in the late 1970s, he maintained good relations with his former bandmates. 

 6 
Robert Capa
(Photographer, Photojournalist)
Robert Capa
8
Listed In: Photographers
Birthdate: October 22, 1913
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: May 25, 1954

Robert Capa was a Hungarian-American photojournalist and war photographer. Regarded as the greatest adventure and combat photographer of all time, Robert Capa is best remembered for covering five major wars, namely Second Sino-Japanese War, Spanish Civil War, World War II, First Indochina War, and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In 1947, he was honored with the prestigious Medal of Freedom.

 7 
Georg Solti
(Hungarian-British Orchestral and Operatic Conductor Who has appeared With Opera Companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London)
Georg Solti
4
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 21, 1912
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: September 5, 1997

Georg Solti was an operatic and orchestral conductor. He is best remembered for his association with opera companies in London, Frankfurt, and Munich. He also worked with the popular Chicago Symphony Orchestra where he served as a music director for a long time. Solti became the subject of a 1987 biographical TV documentary titled This Is Your Life.

 8 
Judit Polgár
(One of the Strongest Female Chess Players of All Time)
Judit Polgár
5
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 23, 1976
Sun Sign: Leo
 9 
Zsa Zsa Gabor
(Actress & Socialite)
Zsa Zsa Gabor
24
Birthdate: February 6, 1917
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: December 18, 2016
Zsa Zsa Gabor was a stage actor and also became Miss Hungary before she moved to the U.S. Fans loved her in Moulin Rouge and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3. She was known for her flamboyant lifestyle and her nine marriages, including one to hotelier Conrad Hilton. 
 10 
Harry Houdini
(Illusionist and Stunt Performer Known for His Sensational Escape Acts)
Harry Houdini
34
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 24, 1874
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: October 31, 1926

Legendary magician Harry Houdini initially worked as a trapeze artist named “Ehrich, the Prince of the Air” and was later known for his iconic stunt of escaping from handcuffs, at times even under water and while buried alive. He died after a blow to the gut damaged his appendix.

 11 
Michael Curtiz
(Film Director)
Michael Curtiz
5
Birthdate: December 24, 1886
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: April 10, 1962
 12 
Eva Gabor
(American Actress, Businesswoman, Singer and Socialite)
Eva Gabor
11
Birthdate: February 11, 1919
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: July 4, 1995

Apart from being the sister of renowned actor Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eva Gabor was a talented actor in her own right. Known as Lisa Douglas from the sitcom Green Acres and its sequel, she was also famous for her voice roles in Disney movies. She later launched a fashion collection, too.

 13 
Mickey Hargitay
(Hungarian-American Actor and the 1955 Mr. Universe)
Mickey Hargitay
8
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 6, 1926
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: September 14, 2006
Former Mr.Universe, Mickey Hargitay made his way into showbiz with Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Husband of actress Jayne Mansfield, he was also a proficient football player. He earned the Joe Weider Lifetime Achievement Award; he was the first one to recieve that honor. During World War II, he was an underground fighter.
 14 
Susan Polgar
(Hungarian-American Chess Grandmaster)
Susan Polgar
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 19, 1969
Sun Sign: Aries
 15 
Magda Gabor
(Hungarian-American Actress and Socialite)
Magda Gabor
10
Birthdate: June 11, 1915
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: June 6, 1997

The elder sister of Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor, Magda Gabor was an actor who had appeared in the film Modern Girls and on a few TV shows. She was rumored to be the mistress of the Portuguese ambassador to Hungary and had later married 6 times.

 16 
Erno Rubik
(Inventor)
Erno Rubik
9
Birthdate: July 13, 1944
Sun Sign: Cancer

A professor of design and architecture, Erno Rubik is the man behind the Rubik’s Cube. The Hungarian inventor himself took a month to solve his Rubik’s Cube puzzle, before marketing it worldwide as a popular game. He later also invented Rubik’s Magic and now promotes problem solving and mathematics. 

 17 
Edward Teller
(physicist)
Edward Teller
9
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: January 15, 1908
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: September 9, 2003

Edward Teller was one of the famous "Martians,” or eminent Hungarian scientists who had migrated to the U.S. A prominent chemical engineer and nuclear physicist, he was part of the team that created the world’s first atomic bomb and also designed the first hydrogen bomb, or thermonuclear bomb.

 18 
Peter Munk
(Engineer)
Peter Munk
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: November 8, 1927
Sun Sign: Scorpio

Peter Munk was a Hungarian-Canadian investor, businessman, and philanthropist. He is credited with founding numerous high-profile business ventures, such as Clairtone Sound Corporation Limited, Barrick Gold Corporation, and TrizecHahn Corporation. He also helped found the Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation which has given away over $300 million to various non-profit organizations that aim at improving the lives of Canadians.

 19 
Attila Csihar
(Vocalist)
Attila Csihar
4
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: March 29, 1971
Sun Sign: Aries

Starting his music career with the Hungarian metal band Tormentor, Attila Csihar also worked with the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem after the suicide of its lead vocalist. Not known to many, the black metal vocalist is an electrical engineer and has also taught math and physics before venturing into music.

 20 
Andre Kertesz
(Photographer)
Andre Kertesz
0
Listed In: Photographers
Birthdate: July 2, 1894
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: September 28, 1985

Andre Kertesz was a photographer known for his immense contribution to photo essay and photographic composition. Although his style and camera angles, which were considered unorthodox at the time, stopped him from achieving international acclaim during his lifetime, Kertesz is now regarded as one of the most influential figures in the field of photojournalism.

 21 
George de Hevesy
(Hungarian Radiochemist Known for His Key Role in the Development of 'Radioactive Tracers')
George de Hevesy
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 1, 1885
Sun Sign: Leo
Died: July 5, 1966

Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian-Swedish chemist George de Hevesy is best remembered for his research on isotopic tracer techniques to study animal metabolism. He is also credited with co-discovering the element hafnium with physicist Dirk Coster. He fled the Nazi regime and moved first to Denmark and then to Sweden.

 22 
Dennis Gabor
(Father of Holography)
Dennis Gabor
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 5, 1900
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: February 8, 1979

Dennis Gabor was a Hungarian-British physicist and electrical engineer best remembered for inventing holography. His invention earned him the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. Gabor won several awards during his lifetime. After his demise, many awards are given in his honor. The Dennis Gabor Award and Gabor Medal are some of the awards that are named after him.

 23 
Jolie Gabor
(Jeweler and Socialite & Mother of Actresses 'Magda', 'Zsa Zsa' and 'Eva Gabor')
Jolie Gabor
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 30, 1896
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: April 1, 1997

Jolie Gabor, also known as Mama Jolie, was a renowned socialite and the mother of the actor sisters Zsa Zsa, Magda, and Eva Gabor. Born into a family of famous Hungarian jewelers, she herself owned multiple jewelry shops in Hungary and later established her business in the US.

 24 
Leó Szilárd
(Physicist)
Leó Szilárd
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: February 11, 1898
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: May 30, 1964

Physicist Leó Szilárd, one of the "Martians," or eminent scientists who had migrated from Hungary to the U.S., was the first to initiate a controlled nuclear chain reaction and was closely associated with the Manhattan Project, meant to develop the atomic bomb. He later advocated for responsible use of nuclear powers.

 25 
Károly Takács
(Olympic Shooter)
Károly Takács
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 21, 1910
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: January 5, 1976
 26 
László Bíró
(Inventor)
László Bíró
2
Birthdate: September 29, 1899
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: October 24, 1985

Starting his career as a journalist, László Bíró also tried his hand at Surrealist painting in his early days. Trying to come up with a writing device that would use a fast-drying ink type, he invented the ballpoint pen. Invited by the Argentine government, he set up his pen manufacturing company there.

 27 
Eugene Wigner
(Physicist & Mathematician)
Eugene Wigner
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: November 17, 1902
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: January 1, 1995

One of the “Martians,” or eminent Hungarian scientists who had migrated to the U.S., Eugene Wigner won a Nobel Prize for his work on nuclear physics and the law of conservation of parity in particular. He taught at Princeton and Wisconsin and was also associated with the Manhattan Project.

 28 
Mária Telkes
(Biophysicist)
Mária Telkes
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 12, 1900
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: December 2, 1995
 29 
Catherine Schell
(Actress)
Catherine Schell
1
Birthdate: July 17, 1944
Sun Sign: Cancer
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 30 
Ahna Capri
(Actress)
Ahna Capri
0
Birthdate: July 6, 1944
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: August 19, 2010

Starting as a child actor, Ahna Capri later soared to fame with her role of Tania in the movie Enter the Dragon. Her other notable roles were in films such as Piranha and Payday and in series such as Dan August. She died in a fatal car crash.

 31 
Charles Simonyi
(Astronaut, Computer scientist, Engineer, Scientist, Programmer)
Charles Simonyi
0
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: September 10, 1948
Sun Sign: Virgo

A Stanford PhD, Charles Simonyi initially worked on one of the world’s first computers for Xerox. He is best known for developing Microsoft Office. Though he launched his own firm, Intentional Software, he later sold it to Microsoft. Part of the Forbes Billionaires 2021 list, he also donates extensively to educational charitable causes.

 32 
Laszlo Cseh
(Hungarian Retired Swimmer)
Laszlo Cseh
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 3, 1985
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 33 
Michu Meszaros
(Hungarian Actor, Circus Performer and Stuntman)
Michu Meszaros
1
Birthdate: October 1, 1939
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: June 12, 2016

Known for his 2’9” frame, Mihaly “Michu” Meszaros initially gained fame in the Hungarian National Circus and later as part of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He is best remembered for his portrayal of an alien, wearing a full-body costume, in the NBC series ALF.

 34 
Amrita Shergil
(Greatest avant-garde women artists of the early 20th century)
Amrita Shergil
3
Birthdate: January 30, 1913
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: December 5, 1941

Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter best remembered as a pioneer of modern Indian art. Widely regarded as one of the early-20th century's greatest avant-garde women artists, Sher-Gil's work has influenced several Indian artists like Arpita Singh and Sayed Haider Raza. Her life and career inspired the 1969 documentary film Amrita Sher-Gil which was directed by Bhagwan Das Garga.

 35 
Gabor Maté
(Physician, Writer)
Gabor Maté
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 6, 1944
Sun Sign: Capricorn
 36 
Andras Schiff
(Pianist)
Andras Schiff
4
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: December 21, 1953
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Born to Holocaust survivors, Hungarian-born pianist Andras Schiff began learning the piano at age 5. He is now best known for his interpretations of legends such as of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. His numerous awards include a Grammy. He was also knighted for his achievements.

 37 
S. Z. Sakall
(Hungarian-American Actor)
S. Z. Sakall
2
Birthdate: February 2, 1883
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: February 12, 1955

Renowned character actor S. Z. Sakall lost all of his 3 sisters in Nazi concentration camps. A talented stage actor in both Austria and Germany, he later gained international fame with his roles in movies such as Casablanca and Ball of Fire. He earned the nickname Cuddles for his affable appearance.

 38 
Sylvia Plachy
(Hungarian-American Photographer Best Known for Weekly Pictures in 'The Village Voice')
Sylvia Plachy
0
Listed In: Photographers
Birthdate: May 24, 1943
Sun Sign: Gemini

Born in Hungary, Sylvia Plachy fled to the US with her family after the Hungarian Revolution. Now a renowned photographer, she is mainly known for her stint with the US newsweekly The Village Voice. A Guggenheim fellow and a Lucie Award winner, she is also the mother of Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody.

 39 
Miklós Rózsa
(Composer)
Miklós Rózsa
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: April 18, 1907
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: July 27, 1995

Born in Hungary, Miklós Rózsa was a music prodigy and learned to play the violin at age 5. After studying music in Germany, he pursued his music career in France, the UK, and the US. He is remembered for his Academy Award-winning scores in movies such as Ben-Hur and Spellbound.

 40 
Paul Lukas
(Hungarian Actor Best Known for His Performance in the Film 'Watch on the Rhine')
Paul Lukas
1
Birthdate: May 26, 1894
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: August 15, 1971

While actor Paul Lukas initially ruled the Hungarian stage and worked in several productions of Austrian filmmaker and theater director Max Reinhardt, he later moved to the US. He is best remembered for his Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Kurt Muller in the film Watch on the Rhine.

 41 
György Lukács
(Hungarian Marxist Philosopher, Literary Historian and One of the Founders of Western Marxism)
György Lukács
3
Birthdate: April 13, 1885
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: June 4, 1971

One of the pioneers of Western Marxism, Hungarian philosopher and literary critic György Lukács also taught at the University of Budapest and later became a major pillar of the Hungarian uprising. His best-known written works include Soul and Form and The Historical Novel, apart from his books on Goethe, Lenin, and Marx.

 42 
Imi Lichtenfeld
(Martial artist)
Imi Lichtenfeld
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 26, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: January 9, 1998
 43 
Thomas Szasz
(Psychiatrist)
Thomas Szasz
1
Birthdate: April 15, 1920
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: September 8, 2012

Hungarian-American psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, who spent most of life teaching at the State University of New York Health Science Center, was known for his controversial claim that mental illnesses aren’t illnesses at all. Part of the anti-psychiatry movement, he penned books such as The Myth of Mental Illness.

 44 
Hannah Szenes
(Writer, Poet)
Hannah Szenes
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 17, 1921
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: November 7, 1944

Hungarian Jewish poet and SOE member Hannah Szenes went down in history for voluntarily parachuting into occupied Europe during World War II to assist the Allied forces and the armed resistance against the Nazis. Captured at the Hungarian border, she was eventually tortured and executed by a firing squad.

 45 
Jázmin Dammak
(Model)
Jázmin Dammak
0
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: June 27, 1984
Sun Sign: Cancer

Named Miss Universe Hungary 2008, Jázmin Dammak was born to a Hungarian mother and a Tunisian father. The gorgeous model later stepped into acting and stunned audiences with her role of Vampire princess Sonja in the 2003 movie Underworld. She has also been part of the series A Konyhafönök VIP.

 46 
Krisztina Egerszegi
(Hungarian Former Swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Krisztina Egerszegi
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 16, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 47 
Michael Polanyi
(British Polymath Who Made Important Theoretical Contributions to Physical Chemistry, Economics, and Philosophy)
Michael Polanyi
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 11, 1891
Sun Sign: Pisces
Died: February 22, 1976

Hungarian-British polymath Michael Polanyi contributed to a wide range of subjects, such as chemistry, philosophy, and economics, and also had a medical diploma. He is best remembered for his research on the adsorption of gases but moved away from chemistry after fleeing to England ro escape the Nazi regime.

 48 
Albert Szent-Györgyi
(Physiologist)
Albert Szent-Györgyi
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 16, 1893
Sun Sign: Virgo
Died: October 22, 1986

Born in Budapest, Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Albert Szent-Györgyi shot himself in the arm while serving in World War II, so that he could be sent back home, and then studied medicine. While he is remembered for first isolating vitamin C, unknown to many, he was also a skilled pianist.

 49 
Gyorgy Cziffra
(Pianist)
Gyorgy Cziffra
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 5, 1921
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: January 15, 1994

Hungarian-French virtuoso pianist Gyorgy Cziffra was born into a poor family of gypsy musicians and lost his father and sister to starvation. His piano skills got him a job at a circuses and nightclubs. He eventually trained at the Franz Liszt Academy. Following his son’s death in a fire, he stopped performing.

 50 
George Soros
(American Billionare Businessman, Investor and Founder of 'Soros Fund Management')
George Soros
52
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: August 12, 1930
Sun Sign: Leo
A Hungarian-American financier, philanthropist, activist and author, George Soros is the founder of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Foundations. Amongst the country’s most successful investors, he made a huge profit during the 1992 Black Wednesday crisis and became famous as the man who broke the Bank of England.