People by Country #5

Guess the countries that these notable people are/were from.
Guess the modern day country, even if it didn't exist when the person was alive
Answer must correspond to highlighted box
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: April 28, 2017
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First submittedOctober 30, 2014
Times taken35,182
Average score62.5%
Rating4.33
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Person
Country
Hillary Clinton
United States
Louis XIV
France
Salvador Dalí
Spain
Nicolaus Copernicus
Poland
Jean-Claude Van
Damme
Belgium
Vincent Van Gogh
Netherlands
Lily Allen
United Kingdom
Alexander the Great
Greece
Lula da Silva
Brazil
Rihanna
Barbados
Shaka Zulu
South Africa
Pope Francis
Argentina
William Shatner
Canada
Joseph Stalin
Georgia
François Duvalier
Haiti
Moctezuma
Mexico
Angela Merkel
Germany
Miranda Kerr
Australia
Ferdinand Magellan
Portugal
Jawaharlal Nehru
India
Ingrid Bergman
Sweden
Ang Lee
Taiwan
Sophia Loren
Italy
Niki Lauda
Austria
+3
Level 77
Jan 24, 2015
Shouldn't Macedonia also be accepted for Alexander the Great?
+15
Level 85
Jan 29, 2015
Alexander the Great was born in Pella, which is in modern-day Greece.
+10
Level 76
Feb 10, 2015
Besides,the ancient kingdom of Macedonia was Greek, so it is both geographically and historically accurate to say that he was Greek.
+3
Level 25
May 14, 2015
"•Guess the modern day country, even if it didn't exist when the person was alive"
+3
Level 75
Jun 5, 2018
Macedonia is a modern-day country, but Alexander was born in the Greek kingdom of Macedon which made him a Macedonian even though he was born in a city that is located in modern-day Greece. QM is tricksy, yes he is.
+1
Level 82
May 13, 2015
If you count the kingdom and not the city where he was born as the place where he was from... then Macedonia probably should be included. The country of Macedonia lies entirely within the boundaries of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia, even if Pella is now within the borders of Greece, and if pointing this out annoys Greeks.

On the other hand if you're just going by the exact spot the person was born, then yes, that is in the modern-day country of Greece.

+11
Level 46
May 13, 2015
That's where you are wrong, most of the area of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia lies in modern day Greece.
+13
Level 78
May 13, 2015
That's nonsense. It would be akin to accepting Italian for Cleopatra because when she was born Egypt was part of the Roman empire.
+4
Level 76
May 14, 2015
As long as Macedonian Slavs claim they have nothing to do with Greece or its ancient culture, their country has nothing more to do with ancient Macedonia than Afghanistan or any other country ancient Macedonians conquered. So even if you don't go by strictly geographical terms, which is what the test asks for, Macedonia would still be a wrong answer.
+1
Level 82
May 14, 2015
Three strawmen in a row. Is there some sort of prize for that?
+6
Level 76
May 14, 2015
I'm sorry if I misunderstood your argument. But I still can't see why Macedonia should be included in any case. The area of modern-day FYROM was mostly not a part of ancient Macedonia except as a dependent territory, which means it's on a par with any other place conquered by the Macedonians. None of the major cities were located there, Alexander the Great didn't live there, he wasn't born there, the aspect of historical continuation you weren't referring to anyway. That's not where he was from in any conceivable way.
+1
Level 82
May 15, 2015
Depends on what map you look at. There are a few out there floating around that show ancient Macedonia as not including any or barely any of the territory of the modern-day nation state of Macedonia. Most of those maps I found on websites with a Greek nationalist flavor and I don't trust them. Other maps show ancient Macedonia's territory extending over much or all of Macedonia.

The only point that I was making is the point that I (thought I) stated clearly above, Alexander was born into an ancient kingdom that geographically incorporated both Macedonia and Greece (at least parts of). Different maps with different political agendas probably tell different stories about exactly how much territory of either was an integral part of the kingdom.

Not in dispute is that Pella, the city where he was born, is currently within the borders of Greece. So, as stated, if you're only worried about the exact spot, then the answer is Greece.

+4
Level 76
May 15, 2015
What you're probably referring to is Macedonia as a region today. This is a 19th century definition. The English and even the Slavic Macedonian Wikipedia articles on the kingdom of Macedonia have maps that show what it was like in ancient times. I guess these are not biased in favour of Greeks :)
+1
Level 82
Jun 5, 2018
No, I'm not referring to the region of Macedonia. I am referring, alternately, to the modern-day nation state of the Republic of Macedonia, and the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia.

Alexander was born in the city of Pella, which was within the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. At the time of his birth, the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia's territorial extent included land that would later become parts of the modern day nation states Greece and Macedonia.

The city of Pella is wholly within the current political boundaries of the modern day nation state of Greece. My understanding of the instructions makes Greece the most clear answer. But I can see how the instructions could be interpreted a different way.

If that still doesn't get my point across I'm sorry. I don't know how to be more clear.

+1
Level 44
Jun 5, 2018
#Controversy
+1
Level 82
Jun 6, 2018
Nothing I said is controversial.
+7
Level 78
Jun 6, 2018
It's still an absurdity claiming that "Macedonia" should be accepted as the modern day country of Alexander's birth. Romania also bears its name because it was part of the ancient Roman empire, and it was for many more centuries than Macedonia was part of the Macedonian kingdom. With the Romanians, the continuation of the legacy is clearer (they at least speak a Romance language). So... should we accept Romanian for Julius Caesar now?
+1
Level 82
Jun 7, 2018
I'm sorry that you were having difficulty understanding what I said, roca.
+8
Level 78
Jun 8, 2018
Meanwhile, I'm convinced you understand perfectly what I said. You are just too stubborn and/or proud to admit you were wrong.

We all know the the current nation Macedonia lies within the borders of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. But allowing Macedonia as an answer not only is factually wrong (it's not the current day nation where Alexander was born), but opens a road to many more dumb answers in this very same test: when Dalí was born the was part of Spain, when Van Gogh was born Indonesia was part of the Netherlands, when Sophia Loren was born Libya was part of Italy,...

So when you say "If you count the kingdom and not the city where he was born as the place where he was from... then Macedonia probably should be included" (your exact words), I reply that this would be "nonsense" and "an absurdity".

+1
Level 52
Jun 10, 2018
You dumbos! Alexander the Great is half Mongolia, 1 quarter Bolivian, and half beluga whale....
+2
Level 72
Jun 11, 2018
I love how Kalbahamut picks up fights that are 3 years old right where he/she (guy or gal, Kal?) left them, as if no time has passed. :)
+2
Level 76
Jul 3, 2018
Kalbahamut, I had perfectly understood what you were saying, I just pointed out that any maps you were looking at showing FYROM within the boundaries of Macedonia, either showed it as a dependent territory of the ancient Greek kingdom (with the conquest actually occuring later than Alexander's birth), or were using a 19th century geographical definition of Macedonia. Or were simply wrong. In short, everything else aside, Alexander was born in a kingdom that was practically entirely within modern-day Greece. I hope that's clear.
+1
Level 82
Jun 8, 2021
Right because you, Greek guy with a huge chip on your shoulder and obvious agenda, you're more of an expert cartographer and historian that actual cartographers and historians with no such agenda. That makes sense.
+3
Level 76
May 4, 2023
I already directed you to the map from the actual Slavomacedonian Wikipedia (totally biased in favour of Greeks, right?), so how about you provide a specific link/reference to any of those real cartographers or historians you're talking about? Because right now it looks like you've got a chip on your shoulder for being proven wrong.
+1
Level 82
Nov 9, 2023
Kal geting ratio'd because he is objectively incorrect, shown that he was wrong multiple times, and steadfastly refuses to back down from his incorrect assertion. I wonder how it feels to be such a prideful slave to your own errors, even years and years later.
+1
Level 52
Apr 13, 2015
These are very nice quizes. Thanks! I would like to see some more. I've seen all of my neighbor countries but not my homeland yet!
+1
Level 53
May 13, 2015
It's "Lula da Silva", with an "a". From "Luís Inácio Lula da Silva".
+1
Level ∞
May 13, 2015
Fixed
+3
Level 90
Jan 23, 2018
Call me an ignorant yank but who is Lily Allen? Yes I read her Wikipedia article and by her name you can guess the answer easily but I have never even caught wind of that name. Everyone else I can tell you a sentence or two about.
+1
Level 71
Jan 23, 2018
You are doing better than I am, I've never heard of Lily Allen, Ang Lee, Rihanna, or Lula Da Silva (who I thought vaguely may have been a dancer with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope).
+6
Level 58
Jun 5, 2018
I don't know where you've been if you've never heard of Rihanna. She's a pop singer, I guess she must just be popular here in the states but I figured she's big enough to be popular globally.
+1
Level 75
Jun 5, 2018
I've never heard of Lily or Lula, but Ang Lee is a brilliant movie director with three Oscars for Best Director. Some of his best-known films are Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and one of my all-time favorites, Sense & Sensibility (from the Emma Thompson screenplay,) Not bad for a young man who twice failed his college entrance exams.
+1
Level 48
Oct 11, 2018
i only guessed da silva because of the "da" a Portuguese version of "de"
+1
Level 73
Jul 20, 2021
I'm from the UK so it's probably a bit biased, but Lily Allen is a household name here and has been for about 15 years maybe. She is very marmite, she is either loved or hated - I personally think she's fantastic!
+1
Level 58
Jun 5, 2018
Shouldn't Soviet Union also be accepted? Georgia was part of it when Stalin was born.
+1
Level 54
Jun 5, 2018
It says modern day country so I guess they won't accept the USSR...
+7
Level 74
Jun 5, 2018
Are you saying that Stalin was born in USSR?
+1
Level 16
Jun 5, 2018
Yup
+5
Level 66
Jun 6, 2018
no, he wasn't. He was born 1878, USSR was established 1917
+8
Level 86
Jun 5, 2018
"Georgia was part of it[Soviet Union] when Stalin was born."

"Stalin was born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili in the Georgian town of Gori on 18 December [O.S. 6 December] 1878." -Wikipedia

Hmm . . . doesn't seem to quite add up . . .

+1
Level 58
Jun 6, 2018
Yeah but how is it possible to be born in a country that didn't exist at that time. I should read the quizzes better. But still, if you're born in a place/country it can't be changed whether it is transformed or not.
+1
Level 16
Jun 5, 2018
From where i know, Alexander was born in Babylonia or Greece.

Best Of Luck for the other quizzes everyone!

+1
Level 76
Jun 13, 2018
He died in Babylon, no one ever said he was born there. He was a greek from Macedon.
+2
Level 16
Jun 5, 2018
I like Geography and History
+2
Level 82
Jun 5, 2018
Easy up until the last one. Never heard of this person.
+1
Level 66
Jun 5, 2018
Not an F1 fan then Kal?
+1
Level 82
Jun 5, 2018
Can't say that I am.
+1
Level 59
Jan 11, 2021
"Take a trained monkey, place him into the cockpit and he is able to drive the car." oh if that still rang true today...
+1
Level 82
Jun 8, 2021
Since leaving this comment I saw the movie Rush... so now I know the name.
+2
Level 86
Jun 5, 2018
Each column had exactly one person I had never heard of. They were a musician (don't feel too bad), a race car driver (don't feel too bad), and a president (whoops).
+1
Level 76
Jun 5, 2018
Niki Lauda! Thanks QM!
+1
Level 75
Jun 5, 2018
Had to think about Duvalier, since France had already been answered. Then I remembered my generation knew him as Papa Doc and it made sense that he had a French name.
+1
Level 21
Jan 14, 2022
all these people but not a single king or queen from Ancient Egypt?
+1
Level 67
Feb 26, 2022
“the” netherlands was not accepted for van gogh