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Paul Newman
Doc Hudson,
Cars' "Classy Chassis," was voiced by Paul Newman who also starred in "Cool Hand Luke"
and "The Color of Money" and markets
a line of "Newman's Own Foods" with the proceeds going to charity is a
Slovak.
In fact, because he is probably one of the country's most famous
descendants, a cinema in the eastern Slovak town of Michalovce will bear
his name. Newman's mother was born in the neighboring town of Ptieie,
and later moved to Ohio. |
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 Julius Fučík
If you've ever been to the circus you know the work of this
grand-looking man from Prague, Czechoslovakia. No, he is not a
lion-tamer or hotdog vendor. He was a composer and he wrote the very
famous circus theme called "the Entrance of the Gladiators (Vjezd
gladiátorů)." Fučík was also called "the Bohemian Sousa."
Click here to listen to part of his
famous "Entrance of the Gladiators." |
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 John D. Hertz
If you have heard of Hertz Rent A Car you can thank this famous Slovak.
If you have not heard of that company, maybe you have seen a taxi cab?
Hertz founded the "Yellow Cab Company" in Chicago in 1915!
He was born, Sandor Herz in the village of
Sklabiňa,
Slovakia and emigrated at a young age
to the United States. |
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| Janosik: The Slovak
Robin Hood (http://www.iarelative.com/history/janosik.htm) |
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 Andy
Warhol
The famous "pop" artist was born in
1928 in Pittsburgh as the son of Slovak immigrants. His original
name was Andrew Warhola. His parents were from a small village in
Slovakia called Mikova, which is near the small town of Medzilaborce. |
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 Chief Justice John Roberts
The current Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court, John Roberts, is of Czech descent. His
great-grandparents on his mother's side are from Czechoslovakia. |
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 Jesse Ventura
Born as James George Janos, this former
professional wrestler, actor, and Minnesota Governor has Slovak
ancestry.
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 Peter
Lorre
This actor of the classic films Casablanca and The Maltese
Falcon was born Ladislav (László) Löwenstein in
Ružomberok, Slovakia. |
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 Martina
Navrátilová
The tennis great was born Martina Šubertová in Prague.
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 Ray
Kroc
If you've ever enjoyed a Big Mac or Happy Meal, you can thank Ray Kroc,
the founder of McDonald's. Kroc was a first generation American of Czech
ancestry. |
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 John
Kerry
You have probably heard of Senator John Kerry who seems as "American as
Apple Pie." But like many Americans (and Apple Pies!) he is made of many
"ingredients." Kerry's paternal grandfather, Fritz Kohn, was born in the
town of Horní Benešov, in the area of the Czech Republic known as
Moravia. |
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 Stan
Mikita
Legendary Chicago Blackhawks hockey great Stan Mikita was born in
Sokolce, in the Nitra region, in 1940. He was inducted into the Hockey
Hall of Fame in 1983, and into the Slovak Hall of Fame in 2004. Mikita
still speaks Slovak. Fantastický. |
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Leslie
Buck
Tom
Mix