Historical figures · Puzzle #24 · Friday, October 23

Historical figures: the board

Eight items, eight categories, one place each. Here is the board with every figure and where it comes from, and the best way to place them. Play today's Historical figures.

The categories

• Ancient history: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years since birth
• Far from home: 1 pt per doubling over 4 miles from birthplace
• Known worldwide: 1 pt per 25 Wikipedia languages
• Much studied: 1 pt per 8 works about them
• Decorated: 1 pt per 2 awards and honors
• Portrait sitter: 1 pt per 8 works that depict them
• Big family: 1 pt per child
• Long life: 1 pt per 5 years lived past 40

The best board

The best board is hidden while some of these items are still in play: they're on a board again within 14 days.

The lineup, figure by figure

1. Dante Alighieri

   Poet of the Divine Comedy's Inferno

   

   Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

2. Alexander Fleming

   Discovered penicillin in a moldy dish

   

   Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

3. Vasco da Gama

   First to sail from Europe to India

   

   Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

4. Enzo Ferrari

   Founder of the prancing-horse carmaker

   

   Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

5. Charles Dickens

   Novelist of Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol

   

   Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

6. Isabella I of Castile

   Queen who funded Columbus's voyage

   

   Isabella I of Castile was born 575 years ago, so their best fit on this board was Ancient history, worth 8.2. Their weakest was Decorated, worth 0.5, since Isabella I of Castile received 1 awards and honors.

   Ancient history

   was born 575 years ago (8.2) Source: Wikidata Q45859

   Far from home

   died 16 miles from where they were born (2.0) Source: Wikidata Q45859

   Known worldwide

   Wikipedia has an article on them in 104 languages (4.2) Source: Wikidata Q45859

   Much studied

   is the subject of 10 books, papers and films on Wikidata (1.3) Source: Wikidata Q45859

   Decorated

   received 1 awards and honors (0.5) Source: Wikidata Q45859

   Portrait sitter

   appears in 24 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (3.0) Source: Wikidata Q45859

   Big family

   had 5 children (5.0) Source: Wikidata Q45859

   Long life

   lived to 53 (2.6) Source: Wikidata Q45859

7. Albert Einstein

   Physicist behind E = mc² and relativity

   

   Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

8. Henry VIII

   King who married six times

   

   Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

All of puzzle #24 · The archive