Some of the greatest of your nation?

[Savage]

Some of the greatest individuals of your nations history?


Some of the greatest Norwegians as I at present consider. Some are pro, other not. Some not even born in Norway.

Rulers and warlords;
Harald Hairfair, Olav Haraldsson, Thore Hund, Harald Hardrule, Sigurd Jorsalfar, Sverre Sigurdson, Vidkun Quisling

Artists;
Snorri Sturlasson, Henrik Ibsen, Knut Hamsun, Edvard Munch, Harald Sohlberg, Edvard Grieg

Explorers and scientists;
Niels Henrik Abel, Sam Eyde, Fritjof Nansen, Eirik Raude, Helge Ingstad


To be continued...

[Ederico]

For now, as I'm time-constrained, I'll just mention Enrico Mizzi whom was termed "caveliere senza macchia e senza paura" (Knight without blight and fear). He was the leader of the Partito Democratico Nazionalista and the Partito Nazionalista, but rather than being a mere party leader, he was the leader of the ideal of Maltese nationalism.

After him, no one as great politically.

I'll provide more information on him and other figures in due time.

P.S. Enrico Mizzi is the man in my avatar.

[Faísca]

I don't have much time now, but I'll edit this post later.

For now:
Rulers and warlords:
Viriato, D. Afonso Henriques, D. Dinis, D. João I, D. Manuel I, D. Sebastião, D. Nuno Álvares Pereira

Artists:
D. Dinis as well, Garcia de Resende, Luís de Camões, Antero de Quental, Eça de Queiroz, Fernando Pessoa, Bocage, Almeida Garrett, they are just too many...

Explorers and scientists:
Also too many, so i'll just mention three for now. Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral and Fernão de Magalhães.

[Youenn]

Rulers and warlords :

Nominoë (Nevenoë), Erispoë, Alain Barbe-Torte, Jeanne of Flanders, Anna of Brittany, Pontcallec, Cadoudal, etc.

Artists :

Théodore Hersart de la Villemarqué, Jules Vernes, Chateaubriand, Anjela Duval, Xavier de Langlais, Polig Monjarret, etc.

Explorers and scientists :

Jacques Cartier, Kerguelen, Yves Joseph de Kerguelen de Trémarec, Jean Loup Chrétien, etc.

[Slavni]

Rulers and warlords;
Car (Tzar) Dusan Silni,Car Lazar,Milos Obilic,Marko Kraljevic,Djordje Petrovic-Karadjordje,Radovan Karadzic,Ratko Mladic...
Artists;
Karl Malden (Mladen Sekulovic),Rade Serbedzija ,...
Explorers and scientists;
Nikola Tesla,Milutin Milankovic,Mihajlo Pupin,...

[Theobald]

I had missed this thread...

Rulers & warlords : Napoleon I, Louis XIV, Joan of Arc, Charles de Gaulle, Louis XV, Napoleon III, Richelieu, Philip II Augustus, Henry IV, Louis IX (Saint Louis), Louis XI, Francis I, Hughes Capet and the other "40 Kings who made France", Georges Clémenceau, Raymond Poincaré, ...

- Military leaders (only) : de Lattre de Tassigny, Juin, Leclerc, Koenig (World War II); Ferdinand Foch, Joffre, Philippe Pétain (World War I); Bazaine (Second Empire); Marshal Ney, Marshal Davout, Kléber, Marshal Kellermann, Saint-Cyr, Jourdan, Murat, André Massena, Moreau, Desaix (Napoleonic and Revolutionary Wars); Lafayette, Latouche Tréville (American independence); Turenne, the Great Condé, Vauban, Marshal Luxembourg, Maurice of Saxe (Louis XIV wars), Gaston de Foix (Italian wars), ...

Debatable : Vercingetorix, Charlemagne, Clovis, Charles Martel, William the Conqueror, ...

Artists :

- Writers : Victor Hugo, Balzac, Antoine de Saint Exupéry, François Rabelais, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Robert Brasillach, Jules Verne (half French half Breton), Voltaire, Montesquieu, Albert Camus, Flaubert, La Bruyère, Musset, Malraux, Maupassant, Gérard de Nerval, Pascal, Proust, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, George Sand, Jean-Paul Sartre, Stendhal, Emile Zola, Anatole France, Jean Cocteau ... And many, many others I forgot.

- Painters : Edouard Manet, Renoir, Claude Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Eugène Delacroix, Henri Matisse, Gustave Courbet, David, Benjamin-Constant, Louis Breton, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Jean Fouquet, Fernand Léger ... And again, many others I forgot.

- Musicians : Ravel, Debussy, Bizet, Berlioz, Offenbach, Lully, Charpentier, Rameau ...

- Sculptors : Auguste Rodin, Auguste Bartholdi

- Architects : Vauban, Le Corbusier, Louis le Vau, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Soufflot, François Mansart, Jules Mansart, Pierre de Montereau, Raymond du Temple, ...

Scientists : Louis Pasteur, René Descartes, Ambroise Paré, Pierre & Marie Curie, Georges Cuvier, Antoine Lavoisier, Jean le Rond d'Alembert, Pierre-Simon Laplace, Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac, Louis Couffignal, Henri Poincaré, Henri Becquerel, Marcelin Berthelot, Louis de Broglie, Joseph le Bel ...

Explorers : Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain (Canada); René Robert de la Salle, Louis Jollier, Jacques Marquette (Mississipi river); Jean-François La Pérouse (Australia)

To be continued, of course...

[Ricardo Reis]

Actors/actresses


Ancient period

• Metrobius
• Thespis

Adventurers

• Constantine Phaulkon (1648–1688), first counsellor of King Narai of Siam

Athletes


Ancient period

• Astylos of Croton
• Chionis of Sparta
• Cynisca
• Dioxippus pankration
• Hydna swimmer and diver
• Kleitomachos pankration
• Leonidas of Rhodes ancient runner and Olympic winner
• Milo of Croton pankration
• Troilus of Elis

Clerics


Medieval period

• Michael Cerularius (c. 1000–1059), Patriarch of Constantinople
• John Chrysostom (347–407), Christian bishop and orator
• Photios (820–891), Patriarch of Constantinople and writer
• Pope Evaristus (c. 98–105), fourth Pope
• Pope Stephen I (254–257)
• Pope Agatho (678–681)
• Pope John VI (701–705)
• Pope John VII (705–709)
• Pope Alexander V (1409–1410), Catholic Pope/Antipope

Entrepreneurs

John Latsis (1910–2003), shipping magnate
Aristotle Onassis (1906–1975), shipping magnate



Explorers


Ancient period

• Colaeus
• Herodotus of Halicarnassus (484?–420? BCE)
• Nearchus (360?–312 BCE)
• Pytheas (c. 325 BCE)
• Scylax
• Xenophon (435?–355? BCE)

Medieval period

• Cosmas Indicopleustes

Modern period

• Juan de Fuca aka Apostolos Valerianos, born Ioannis (John) Phocas

Filmmakers

• Theo Angelopoulos
• Elia Kazan
• Michael Cacoyannis
• Kostas Gavras

Military and political leaders


Ancient period

• Alcibiades (450–404 BCE), Athenian general and statesman
• Alexander the Great, Macedonian king and conqueror
• Antiochus III, Seleucid Monarch
• Aristides (530–468 BCE), Athenian statesman
• Cimon, Athenian leader and statesman
• Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator , Queen of Egypt, from the Hellenistic Ptolemaic Dynasty
• Demosthenes (384–322 BCE), politician and orator
• Dionysius I, ruler of the Syracusan empire
• Epaminondas, Theban general and statesman
• Eucratides, ruler of the Bactrian Greeks
• Leonidas, Spartan king
• Lycurgus, semi-legendary Spartan lawgiver
• Lysander, Spartan general and hero during the Peloponnesian War
• Memnon of Rhodes, Greek mercenary general in Persian army under Darius III
• Miltiades, Athenian statesman and general
• Nearchus, Alexander's naval commander
• Peisistratus, Athenian tyrant
• Pericles (495–429 BCE), Athenian leader and statesman
• Philip II of Macedon, Macedonian king and father of Alexander the Great
• Polycrates, Rhodian ruler
• Ptolemy I, Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, founded a dynasty in Egypt
• Pyrrhus of Epirus, invaded Italy, became known for victories of dubious value (Pyrrhic)
• Seleucus I, Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, founded dynasty in Persia
• Solon, Athenian lawmaker and archon
• Themistocles, Athenian statesman and admiral
• Xenophon, mercenary general, led and accounted march from Persia

Medieval period

• Alexius I Comnenus (1048–1118), Byzantine Emperor
• Basil II (963-1025), Emperor, known as the 'Bulgar-slayer'
• Constantine Lascaris, promoters of the revival of Greek learning in the Italian peninsula
• Constantine VII, Byzantine Emperor and scholar, 'born in the (Imperial) purple' (Porphyrogenitus)
• Constantine XI (1405–1453), last Byzantine Emperor
• Gemistus Pletho, one of the chief pioneers of the revival of learning in Western Europe.
• Helena , Christian mother of Constantine I
• Irene, Byzantine Empress, instrumental in the restoration of icons, later sanctified
• John I Tzimisces, (969-76), Byzantine Emperor, soldier
• Johannes Bessarion, Bishop and Cardinal
• Manuel Chrysoloras, one of the pioneers in introducing Greek literature to western Europe.
• Manuel I Comnenus (1143-80),Byzantine Emperor, was responsible for a distinct revival of Byzantine fortunes until his defeat at Myriokephalon
• Michael VIII Palaeologus (1159-1182)- Byzantine (before 1261 Nicene) Emperor, recaptured Constantinople from the Franks.
• Marcus Musurus, professor of Greek language at the University of Padua.
• Nicephorus II Phocas (963-9),Byzantine Emperor and general
• Romanus IV (1068-71), lost the fateful battle of Manzikert
• Saint Cyril (827–869), Byzantine monk, developed the Glagolitic alphabet
• Theodora, wife of Justinian I, actress, courtesan, Empress.

Ottoman Empire period

• Atik Sinan, architect for Mehmed II and Mustafa III
• Barbarossa (1473–1518), famous privateer, older brother of Khair ad Din; (Greek mother)
• İbrahim Ethem Pasha, Greek-born Grand Vizier
• Khair ad Din (1475–1546), Greek-born Ottoman Turkish Admiral, also known as Barbarossa; (Greek mother)
• Pargalı İbrahim Pasha, Suleyman the Magnificent's first appointed Grand Vizier, who left an important landmark on his reign.
• Zaganos Pasha, prominent military commanders of Mehmet II
• Mimar Sinan, architect for Suleyman the Magnificent

Modern period


Greece

• Ioannis Capodistria (1776–1831), first President of the free and unified Greek state, last President of the first Greek republic
• Constantine Kanaris (1793 or 1795–1877), freedom fighter, politician, and later Prime Minister
• Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770–1843), Greek general in the Greek War of Independence against the rule of the Ottoman Empire
• Pavlos Kountouriotis (1855–1935), admiral, war hero and later President of Greece
• Pavlos Melas (1870–1904), hero of Greek Struggle for Macedonia
• Ioannis Metaxas (1871–1941), dictator of Greece before and during the first part of its participation in World War II
• Eleftherios Venizelos (1864–1936), Prime Minister
• Iannis Pharmakis (d. 1821), revolutionary fighter.

Musicians


Ancient period

• Alypius composer
• Terpander poet and kitharode

Modern

Maria Callas, soprano
Melina Mercouri, actress, singer and politician

Painters

Ancient period

• Apelles
• Aetion (4th century BCE)
• Berlin Painter
• Euphronius
• Exekias
• Parrhasius
• Pig Painter
• Polygnotus
• Zeuxis

Renaissance

• El Greco (1541–1614), born Domenicos Theotokopoulos

Modern period

Yannis Tsarouchis 20th century)


Philosophers


Ancient period

• Anaximander, (c.610–c.546 BCE)
• Anaximenes of Miletus
• Aristotle (384–322 BCE)
• Athenagoras of Athens, (c. 133–190), early Christian apologist
• Democritus (b. 460 BCE)
• Diogenes of Sinope (412-323 BCE)
• Empedocles (490–430 BCE)
• Epictetus, (55–c.135)
• Epicurus, (341–270 BCE)
• Epimenides
• Gregory of Nazianzus
• Gregory of Nyssa
• Heraclitus
• Hypatia of Alexandria (d. 415)
• Irenaeus
• Celsus
• Leucippus
• Parmenides
• Plato (c.427–c.347 BCE)
• Plethon,(c.1355–1452)
• Plotinus
• Protagoras
• Pythagoras (582–496 BCE)
• Socrates (470–399 BCE)
• Thales of Miletus (c.624–547 BCE)
• Theophrastus
• Xenophanes
• Zeno of Citium (333–264 BCE)
• Zeno of Elea (c.495–c.430 BC)

Medieval period

• Leo VI the Wise
• Michael Psellos

Modern period

• Adamantios Korais
• Anthimos Gazis
• Nikos Kazantzakis
• Cornelius Castoriadis

Scientists


Ancient period

• Archimedes
• Aristarchus of Samos
• Aristotle
• Ctesibius
• Eratosthenes
• Euclid
• Galen
• Heron of Alexandria
• Hipparchus
• Hippocrates
• Pytheas
• Strabo
• Theopompus

Mediaeval period

• Anthemius of Tralles, was involved in the construction of the Haghia Sophia
• Isidore of Miletus , 6th century polymath, principally in charge of design and construction of the Haghia Sophia
• Leon the Mathematician , 9th cent. geometer, subject of a bidding war between the Emperor and Caliph al-Mamun

Modern Period

• Georgios Papanikolaou (Doctor, Pap smear inventor)
• Ioannis Argyris (Mathematician, Finite Element Method)
• Dimitrios Nanopoulos (Astrophysist, Cosmic Waves researcher)

Sculptors


Ancient period

• Agesandros, Athanadoros and Polidoros,composed the Laocoon group
• Agasias
• Callicrates, relief artist, worked on the Parthenon under the direction of Pheidias
• Lysippus
• Myron
• Plato (sculptor)
• Polyclitus
• Polyeuctes
• Pheidias
• Praxiteles
• Scopas

Writers


Ancient period

• Aeschylus
• Alcaeus
• Alcman
• Anacreon
• Apollodorus
• Apollonius Rhodius
• Aristophanes
• Callimachus
• Cassius Dio
• Euripides
• Eusebius of Caesarea
• Hecataeus
• Hesiod
• Homer
• Longus
• Lucan
• Menander
• Pausanias
• Pindar
• Polycarp
• Sappho
• Sophocles
• Theocritus

Mediaeval period

• Anna Comnena
• Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus
• Isaac of Nineveh
• John of Damascus
• Michael Psellos
• Procopius
• Zozimus

Modern period

• Andreas Kalvos
• Athanasios Christopoulos
• Andreas Embirikos
• Nikos Engonopoulos
• Rigas Feraios
• Nikos Kavvadias
• Kostis Palamas
• Nikos Gatsos
• Maria Polydouri
• Angelos Sikelianos
• Dionysios Solomos
• Constantine P. Cavafy
• Kiki Dimoula
• Odysseus Elytis
• M. Karagatsis
• Kostas Karyotakis
• Nikos Kazantzakis
• [Myrivilis]
• Alexandros Papadiamantis
• Ioannis Psycharis
• Yannis Ritsos
• Giorgos Seferis

Archaeologists

• Manolis Andronikos (1919 - 1992), archaeologist, discovered the Macedonian tombs in Vergina

[M.R.]

Rulers and warlords

Duke Wallucus (7th century)



First known ruler of Carantania.

King Samo (7th century)



Leader of Central Slavic (Slovenic) union in 7th century.

Prince Kocelj (9th century)



Ruler of Slovenian Pannonia principality.

Arnulf of Carinthia (850 - 899)





Arnulf of Carantania

Henry I (919 - 955)





One of the dukes of Great Carantania, known for his victories against Hungarians in the east

Henrik II. of Gorica (1304-1323)





During his reign, Slovenian counts of Gorica reached their golden era.

Herman II of Celje (1385 - 1434)





Hermann II of Celje - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Counts of Celje - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andreas Auersperg (16th century)



Leader of Slovenian army at the battle of Sisek against Turks.

Rudolf Maister (1874 - 1934)





First Slovenian general, fought against Austrians in the north of Slovenia, liberated Maribor, northern Styria and part of Carinthia, also helped to free Prekmurje from Hungarians.

Rudolf Maister - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Artists

Primož Trubar (1508 - 1586)





Slovenian protestant writter. Wrote first Slovenian book.

Jacobus Gallus Carniolus (1550 - 1591)



Slovenian composer.
Jacobus Gallus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

France Prešeren (1800 - 1849)





Greatest Slovenian poet that ever lived.

France Prešeren - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anton Martin Slomšek (1800 - 1862)



Bishop, author, poet and national regenerator.
Anton Martin Slomšek - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ivan Grohar (1867 - 1911)





Slovenian Impressionist painter.
Ivan Grohar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jože Plečnik (1872 - 1957)





Our greatest architect.

Jože PleÄ?nik - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ivan Cankar (1876 - 1918)



Slovenian author, poet, storyteller, dramatist and essayist.
Ivan Cankar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Srečko Kosovel (1904 - 1926)



Slovenian poet and patriot.

Explorers and scientists

Herman of Carinthia (12th century)



First known Slovenian scientist. He was probably a monk and travelled all over Europe and also in Asia, he had a lot of knowledge about maths and astronomy. He translated several books about astronomy from Arabian language to Latin and also helped to translate Qur'an into Latin. Herman published some of his own writings too, most known is De Essentis.

Žiga Herberstein (1486 - 1566)



Diplomat, writer, historian and member of the Holy Roman Empire Imperial Council.
Sigismund von Herberstein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Janez Vajkard Valvasor (1641 - 1693)



Carniolian nobleman, scholar, and polymath, member of the Royal Society.
Janez Vajkard Valvasor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jurij Vega (1754 - 1802)



Slovenian mathematician, physicist and artillery officer.
Jurij Vega - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jernej Kopitar (1780 - 1844)

Famous Slovenian linguist.
Jernej Kopitar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peter Kozler (1824 - 1879)



Slovenian lawyer, geographer, cartographer, nationalist and manufacturer.
Peter Kozler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Janez Puh (1862 - 1914)





Slovenian inventor, mechanic who went on to become a very significant vehicle producer in Europe.
Johann Puch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Friderik Pregl (1869 - 1930)



First Slovenian who won a nobel prize in Chemistry.
Fritz Pregl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Herman Potočnik (1892 - 1929)



Rocket engineer and pioneer of cosmonautics (astronautics).
Herman PotoÄ?nik - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joseph Sutter (1921 - ?)



Slovenian American who designed Boeing 747.
Joe Sutter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Cirrus]

Originally Posted by Panonski

Jože Plečnik (1872 - 1957)

Hô Chi Min (1890 - 1969)


Separated at birth ?

[Holden Caulfield]

I'd be here all day. Far too many.

[Sergius]

You mean you can't think of a single great Englishman?
edit: Okay, nice editting.