# The most famous people from the least-noticed countries **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2023, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986 "2023-06-23T09:58:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/41 "2023-06-23T19:23:01Z")
But I don’t think I would put Czechoslovakia into a “least-noticed country” category, especially given its role in the lead-up to WWII and “peace in our time” by Prime Minister Chamberlain. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/42 "2023-06-23T19:25:28Z")
Heck, I also wouldn’t put the aforementioned Bangladesh and Philippines in that category, with 170 and 113 million inhabitants, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/43 "2023-06-23T19:26:16Z")
Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/44 "2023-06-23T19:50:43Z")
Quite a few baseball players from the former Netherlands Antillies I will put forward [Andruw Jones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andruw_Jones) of Curacao Or how about [Mark Cavendish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cavendish) from the Isle of Man possibly the greatest sprint cyclist of all time (equal most Tour de France stage wins with Eddie Merckx and likely to break the record this year) Less famous is[Dylan Walker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Walker) who plays rugby in the NRL but as the Pitcairn Islands has a population of under 50 it gets very little notice My final nomination is [Itte Detennamo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itte_Detenamo) an olypic weightlifter from Nauru ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/45 "2023-06-23T20:21:46Z")
Henry Cavill is from the Bailiwick of Jersey in the Channel Islands. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/46 "2023-06-23T20:34:32Z")
FINLAND Jouka Ahola – Strongman and actor Martti Ahtisaari – Former President, diplomat, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jean Auel – Writer (_Clan of the Cave Bear_) Renny Harlin – Film director Aki and Mika Kaurismäki – Film directors Paavo Nurmi (the “Flying Finn”) – Long distance runner (9 Gold Medals) Eero Saarinen – Architect/designer, e.g., St. Louis Gateway Arch; the tulip chair (seen on _ST: TOS_) Esa-Pekka Salonen - Conductor Jean Sibelius – Composer Linus Torvalds – Linux developer Honorable mention: Maila Nurmi (Finnish-American, not related to Paavo) – Vampira, first TV horror movie host Also, a number of hockey players, skiers, race car drivers and heavy metal musicians whose names are probably familiar to those who follow those activities. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/47 "2023-06-23T20:44:45Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I suppose by the “generational” standard, Martina wouldn’t be too super well known today. I might be showing MY generational bias. But she also might be known to the most living people today? While we’re at it, there was also Ivan Lendl, around the same time, but I suspect Martina is more well remembered. Madeleine Albright. I’d probably go with Kafka overall. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/48 "2023-06-23T20:53:29Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > > > Martina Navratilova is probably the most world-famous Czech (born in then-Czechoslovakia). > > What about Franz Kafka, Jan Hus Vaclav Havel and Antonin Dvorak? (and a few more) Or, staying with tennis, Ivan Lendl? Although Martina’s probably better-known today than Hana Mandlíková. Not sure how obscure Jamaica is, especially for Americans, but Usain Bolt is one of those rare track athletes well-known even by non-running fans. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/49 "2023-06-23T21:08:09Z")
Arnold Schwarzenegger is from Austria. (I can only think of one other famous Austrian, but we don’t like to talk about that…) ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/50 "2023-06-23T21:10:07Z")
What’s wrong with Mozart? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/51 "2023-06-23T21:13:28Z")
Franz Josef I, Marie Antoinette, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Maria, Admiral von Trapp, Hans Kelsen … ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/52 "2023-06-23T21:15:05Z")
I said _I_ could only think of one other famous Austrian. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/53 "2023-06-23T21:43:20Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > I never heard of Snuka, but I know who Vijay Singh is. And i had know idea who Vijay Singh is to you mentioned him. With fans the answer probably will vary according to which sports they do and don’t follow. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/54 "2023-06-23T21:45:26Z")
The first person from Romania that comes to mind to me is **ZAMFIR** – "The Master of the Pan Flute ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/55 "2023-06-23T21:57:09Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > The first person from Romania that comes to mind to me is **ZAMFIR** – "The Master of the Pan Flute There’s Vlad the Impaler. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/56 "2023-06-23T21:59:41Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Not sure how obscure Jamaica is, especially for Americans, but Usain Bolt is one of those rare track athletes well-known even by non-running fans. Usain Bolt is a big name, but I still think that Bob Marley is the most famous Jamaican. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/57 "2023-06-23T22:04:12Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > I said _I_ could only think of one other famous Austrian FWIW, I was riffing on your “Well, there was that _one_ guy…” joke. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/58 "2023-06-23T22:25:27Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > And i had know idea who Vijay Singh is to you mentioned him. He played James Bond’s Indian sidekick in _Octopussy_. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/59 "2023-06-23T22:38:03Z")
Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) has to be the only celebrity in the world from Monaco who is not a member of their royal family. It’s become a running joke among fans that he is constantly referred to as “the Monegasque” by race commentators - which is not some nickname, but the actual ethnonym for natives of Monaco - one that is so seldom ever used by anyone for anyone that Lerclerc is seemingly the only person on earth to whom it’s ever applied. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986/60 "2023-06-23T22:46:13Z")
I think a couple of UN Secretaries-General qualify. U Thant from Myanmar (then Burma) and Kofi Annan from Ghana. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-people-from-the-least-noticed-countries/985986.md?page=4)