Historical figures · Puzzle #27 · Monday, October 26

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

Decorated: 1 pt per 2 awards and honors
Long life: 1 pt per 5 years lived past 40
Born in Asia: 10 pts if born in Asia
Much studied: 1 pt per 8 works about them
Namesake: 1 pt per 20 things named after them
Most looked-up: 1 pt per 400,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
Ancient history: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years since birth
Portrait sitter: 1 pt per 8 works that depict them

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

Toni Morrison
Novelist of Beloved
Photo: John Mathew Smith (celebrity-photos.com), CC BY-SA 2.0
On this board Toni Morrison scored best in Decorated (10.0): Toni Morrison received 32 awards and honors. Born in Asia was their weakest fit (0.0): Toni Morrison wasn't born in Asia.
Decorated
received 32 awards and honors (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q72334
Long life
lived to 88 (9.6) Source: Wikidata Q72334
Born in Asia
wasn't born in Asia (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q72334
Much studied
is the subject of 2 books, papers and films on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q72334
Namesake
has 6 things named after them on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q72334
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 685,055 times in 2025 (1.7) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Ancient history
was born 95 years ago (5.6) Source: Wikidata Q72334
Portrait sitter
appears in 2 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q72334
Tenzing Norgay
Climbed Everest first with Edmund Hillary
Photo: original : OeiJamling Tenzing Norgay, CC BY-SA 3.0
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Rembrandt
Painter of The Night Watch and self-portraits
Photo: Rembrandt, Public domain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Socrates
Philosopher who asked questions and drank hemlock
Photo: Copy of Lysippos (?), Public domain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Napoleon
General who crowned himself emperor
Photo: Jacques-Louis David, Public domain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Whitney Houston
Voice of I Will Always Love You
Photo: PH2 Mark Kettenhofen, Public domain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
John Harvey Kellogg
Doctor who helped invent corn flakes
Photo: Bain News Service, Public domain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Victor Hugo
Novelist of Les Misérables
Photo: Étienne Carjat, Public domain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.