Of

The “Secret Society” of Hungarians

Personal Note.: You will notice that a huge chunk of famous Hungarians are of Jewish descent as well. While most of Europe may have harbored antisemitic tendencies for hundreds of years, the Hungarian inclusiveness could not be more well demonstrated than with the below list. Which is why it was such a colossal slap in the face, and unforgivable betrayal, what we were willing to do to mitigate Trianon 1 territory losses. (Frankly, after that, we deserved Trianon 2. Though the first one was an ungrateful cultural genocide against the Hungarians by Entente diplomats: European countries devoured the Hungarian land and common folks, US extracted the brains and talent pool, while USSR set up a bloody buffer zone with our corpses . I hope I summed up well how I feel.)

“Remember that you are Hungarian, that the blood of Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan courses through your veins, that you belong to a proud nation, a nation of warriors and lovers, of passion and violence, intrigue, and imagination. …… Remember that you are a Gabor and that, as a Gabor, you are born to survive.” (Quote by Jolie/ Janka Gabor to her daughter, ZsaZsa) https://kidadl.com/articles/zsa-zsa-gabor-quotes-for-budding-beauty-queens

PERFORMING ARTS and VISUAL ARTS

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini, the renowned escape artist, was actually born Erik Weisz in Budapest, but named himself after the famous French conjurer Robert Houdin.
Music

Ferenc Liszt

Ferenc Liszt, composer and pianist, and established a musical academy in Budapest.- Hungarian born

Béla Bartók

Béla Bartók, composer, traditional folk music conservation pioneer. Hungarian born

Zoltán Kodály

Zoltán Kodály, composer, folk songs preservationist. Inventor of a unique and radical way of teaching music. (the Relative Solfege method – see movie reference "Close Encounters of the third kind") Hungarian

Erdelyi Tamas

Erdelyi Tamas ( aka Tommy Ramone), drummer of cultic punk rock band “The Ramones’- Hungarian born

Michael “Flea” Balzary

Michael “Flea” Balzary, founding member and bassist of Red Hot Chilli Peppers- Hungarian parent

Paul Simon

Paul Simon, Musician / guitarist- Hungarian parents

Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette – Canadian singer- Hungarian mother

Mark Knopfler and David Knofler

Mark Knopfler and David Knofler from Dire Straits Hungarian father

Zoli Téglás

Zoli Téglás from Pennywise and Ignite: Hungarian parents

Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons from KISS Hungarian parents

Kesha

Kesha, singer - Hungarian mother

Mariska Veres

Mariska Veres, Shocking Blue singer (original “Venus” song), - Hungarian Father
Film, etc.

There are 5 major movie studios in Hollywood, two of which were founded by a Hungarian.

William Fox

William Fox/ Fried Vilmos: founded 20th Century Fox- Hungarian born

Adolph Zukor

Adolph Zukor: film mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures - Hungarian born

István Szabó

István Szabó: director (well known for: Being Julia) - Hungarian

Vilmos Zsigmond

Vilmos Zsigmond: Oscar Winning Cinematographer (known for: Close Encounters of the Third Kind.) Hungarian born

Lajos Koltai

Lajos Koltai: film director and cinematographer. Mephisto, -Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1981.- Hungarian

Joe Eszterhas

Joe Eszterhas: writer, (well known for: Basic Instinct, Flashdance and Showgirls) Hungarian born

Andy Vajna

Andy Vajna: producer (well known for: Rambo, Die Hard with a Vengeance Terminator) Hungarian born

Korda Sándor /Sir Alexander Korda

Korda Sándor /Sir Alexander Korda: director- (known for That Hamilton Woman)- Hungarian born

Zoltán Korda

Zoltán Korda: director Hungarian born

George Cukor

George Cukor, Academy Award w. director (My Fair Lady; The Philadelphia Story) Hungarian parents

Michael Curtiz

Michael Curtiz/. Kertész Mihály, Oscar Winning Director of Casablanca)- Hungarian born

Paul Newman

Paul Newman (Aquarius): actor, 8 times Oscar nomination (1 win)- Hungarian mother

Tony Curtis

Tony Curtis / Bernard Schwartz: actor (well known for: Some like it Hot; Spartacus)- Hungarian parents

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld: comedian- Hungarian father

Bela Lugosi

Bela Lugosi: actor (well known for “Dracula”). Hungarian born

Zsa Zsa Gabor

Hungarian Aquarius girls with a temper
Zsa Zsa Gabor: Miss Hungary, actress, married nine times, first husband, Conrad Hilton. Hungarian born

Eva Gabor

Hungarian Aquarius girls with a temper
Eva Gabor: cabaret singer, actress (well known for: Green Acres series) Hungarian born

Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody, Oscar-winning actor- Hungarian mother

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore: actress- Hungarian mother

Rachel Weisz

Rachel Weisz, actress - Hungarian father.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis, actress - Hungarian father

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn - actress- Hungarian mother

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson- actress- 25% Hungarian

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning actor- 25% Hungarian

Louis C. K.

Louis C. K., comedian- 25% Hungarian

Imre Kertész

Imre Kertész author of novel Fateless – was a Nobel Prize winner in 2002. Hungarian
MODELS

Barbara Palvin

Enikő Mihalik

Zsófia Srej

Vanessa Axente

Réka Ebergényi

Applied / Industrial Arts

Marcel Lajos Breuer

Marcel Lajos Breuer- Bauhaus furniture designer- Hungarian born

Robert Capa

Robert Capa 20th century combat photographer (D-Day Photos !!), Hungarian born

Andre de Dienes

Andre de Dienes- Marilyn Monroe photographer. Hungarian born

Mermelstein Márton / Martin Munkácsi

Mermelstein Márton / Martin Munkácsi - Harper's Bazaar photographer, Hungarian born

László Weisz /Moholy-Nagy László

László Weisz / Moholy-Nagy László. director of the New Bauhaus - American School of Design- Hungarian born
Painters

Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer – painter – Hungarian Father

Mihály Munkácsy

Mihály Munkácsy: painter- Hungarian

Victor Vasarely

Victor Vasarely -painter, grandfather of the “op-art” movement -Hungarian Born

Tivadar Kosztka Csontváry

Tivadar Kosztka Csontváry -painter- Hungarian
SCIENCE / INVENTORS

When Nobel Laureate, Enrico Fermi, Italian nuclear physicist, was asked if he believed in extraterrestrials, he replied – „They are already here…they are called Hungarians!” (Fermi’s “Martians”.)

Szent-Györgyi Albert

Szent-Györgyi Albert Hungarian born was the first to discover vitamin C, after extracting it from paprika (Hungarian pepper) (which is higher concentration in paprika than citrus fruits!).

Bíró László József

Bíró László József -Hungarian born -invented the ballpoint pen the most popular tool for everyday writing.

Rubik Ernő

Rubik Ernő - Hungarian born -was the one who came up with the world's best-known toy puzzle– the Magic Cube/ Rubik’s cube.

Galamb József

Galamb József - Hungarian born -designed the world's first affordable car, the Ford Model T.

Irinyi János

Irinyi János - Hungarian born -was the mastermind behind safety matches.

Gabor Denes /Dennis

Gabor Denes /Dennis - Hungarian born -is most notable for inventing holography for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971.

“The MARTIANS” (all Hungarian born):

Teller Ede (Edward)

Teller Ede (Edward) Father of Hydrogen Bomb-helped to develop the atomic bomb in the 1930s.

Marx György

Marx György - Particle physics- Lepton numbers

Szilárd Leó

Szilárd Leó - Nuclear chain reaction, nuclear fission reactor (after war switched to biology where he made great contributions as well, including human cell cloning)

Neumann Janos

Neumann Janos /John von Neumann - quantum mechanics. Expert in: Math, Economics (game theory), physics (quantum mechanics), computer science. {”wow” list of accomplishments!)

Kármán Tódor

Kármán Tódor -Theodore von Kármán – Aerospace engineer, physicist, mathematician

Erdős Pal/ Paul

Halmos Pal/ Paul

Neumann Janos /John von Neumann - quantum mechanics. Expert in: Math, Economics (game theory), physics (quantum mechanics), computer science. {”wow” list of accomplishments!)

Kemény Janos/ John G.

Kemény Janos/ John G., Hungarian born -is best known for co-developing the BASIC programming language in 1964.

Pólya Gyorgy/ George

Wigner Eugene

Business/ politics/sports

Mary of Teck

Mary of Teck – Queen of England till 1936- Hungarian grandmother

Joseph Pulitzer

Joseph Pulitzer, Newspaper publisher, whose name is most famous for the Pulitzer prizes; Hungarian born.

George Soros

George Soros business magnate, philanthropist and political activist; Hungarian born.

Simonyi Károly /Charles Simonyi

Simonyi Károly /Charles Simonyi Is a former director of Microsoft's application software group, inventor of Microsoft programs Word and Excel. Hungarian-born.

Andrew Grove/ Kertesz Imre

Andrew Grove/ Kertesz Imre is a pioneer in the semiconductor industry and founder and former CEO of Intel. Hungarian-born.

George Pataki

George Pataki, Governor of New York from 1995 to 2006, Hungarian father.

Nicholas Sarkozy

Nicholas Sarkozy Former French President, Hungarian father.

Káldor Miklós/ Nicholas Kaldor

Káldor Miklós - Hungarian born Theoretical Economist (UK) The Kaldor–Hicks criterion (applied in game theory's non-zero sum games, including welfare economics, and managerial economics. it provides the foundation for cost–benefit analysis.)

Tibor Scitovsky

Tibor Scitovsky- Hungarian born Economist (USA)- critic of Kaldor–Hicks criterion.
Fashion

Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein – Designer- Hungarian parents

Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder -cosmetics powerhouse, Hungarian parents
Bauhaus

Breuer Marcell

Breuer Marcell – Hungarian born, Bauhaus professor, architect and furniture designer.

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy - Hungarian born, Bauhaus professor

Gyorgy Kepes

Gyorgy Kepes – Hungarian Born, New Bauhaus (Chicago) professor (Photographer)
Photography

Sylvia Plachy

Sylvia Plachy – Hungarian born, Photographer, Mother of Actor Adrien Brody

Robert Capa

Robert Capa ( Endre Ernő Friedmann) Hungarian born, most known for: D-day photographs

André de Dienes

André de Dienes. Andor György Ikafalvi-Dienes – Hungarian Born, most known for: Marilyn Monroe (from her early years on)
Sport

OLIMPIC MEDAL COUNT: Hungary rules! https://www.topendsports.com/events/summer/medal-tally/all-time-comparison-pop.htm
If it does not blow you away I do not know what will! (I am not athletic so always in an awe over others’ achievements in sports)
https://dailynewshungary.com/world-famous-hungarians-celebrities-hungarian-origins/

Monica Seles

Monica Seles Former world number 1 tennis player, played for Yugo ( TRIANON territory reassignment) and the United States)– Over the border Hungarian

Zsolt Baumgartner

Zsolt Baumgartner, was Hungary's first F1 driver. Formula 1 driver for Jordan and Minardi.- Hungarian born

Ferenc Puskás

Ferenc Puskás is considered one of the best footballers of all time. – Hungarian born

Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár - the greatest female chess player who ever lived. (achieved grandmaster status at the age of 15)
Polgar sisters: (Zsuzsa, Zsofi, Judit) https://productiveclub.com/polgar-sisters-story/) Hungarian

Aladar Gerevich

Aladar Gerevich , “the greatest Olympic swordsman ever”, was 7-time gold Olympic medalist fencer. (@ 6 different Olympics)- Hungarian