Historical figures · Puzzle #32 · Saturday, October 31
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
- Decorated: 1 pt per 2 awards and honors
- Much studied: 1 pt per 8 works about them
- Known worldwide: 1 pt per 25 Wikipedia languages
- Big family: 1 pt per child
- Long life: 1 pt per 5 years lived past 40
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 400,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
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
Qin Shi Huang
First emperor of China, guarded by a clay army
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain On this board Qin Shi Huang scored best in Ancient history (10.0): Qin Shi Huang was born 2,285 years ago. Decorated was their weakest fit (0.0): Qin Shi Huang received 0 awards and honors.
- Ancient history
- was born 2,285 years ago (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q7192
- Far from home
- died 48 miles from where they were born (3.6) Source: Wikidata Q7192
- Decorated
- received 0 awards and honors (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q7192
- Much studied
- is the subject of 4 books, papers and films on Wikidata (0.5) Source: Wikidata Q7192
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on them in 196 languages (7.8) Source: Wikidata Q7192
- Big family
- had 6 children (6.0) Source: Wikidata Q7192
- Long life
- lived to 49 (1.8) Source: Wikidata Q7192
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 1.08 million times in 2025 (2.7) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Kobe Bryant
Basketball star known as the Black Mamba
Photo: Kobe_Bryant_8.jpg: *Kobe_Bryant_7144.jpg: Sgt. Joseph A. Lee derivative work: JoeJohnson2 (talk) derivative work: JoeJohnson2 (talk), Public domain Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
J. R. R. Tolkien
Author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Photo: Unknown photo studio commissioned by Tolkien's students 1925/6 (private communication from Catherine McIlwaine, Tolkien Archivist, Bodleian Library), Public domain Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Architect of Fallingwater and the Guggenheim
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain On this board Frank Lloyd Wright scored best in Long life (10.0): Frank Lloyd Wright lived to 91. Decorated was their weakest fit (1.0): Frank Lloyd Wright received 2 awards and honors.
- Ancient history
- was born 159 years ago (6.3) Source: Wikidata Q5604
- Far from home
- died 1,353 miles from where they were born (8.4) Source: Wikidata Q5604
- Decorated
- received 2 awards and honors (1.0) Source: Wikidata Q5604
- Much studied
- is the subject of 10 books, papers and films on Wikidata (1.3) Source: Wikidata Q5604
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on them in 179 languages (7.2) Source: Wikidata Q5604
- Big family
- had 4 children (4.0) Source: Wikidata Q5604
- Long life
- lived to 91 (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q5604
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 1.03 million times in 2025 (2.6) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Charlie Chaplin
Silent-film star of the Tramp
Photo: Strauss-Peyton Studio, Public domain On this board Charlie Chaplin scored best in Known worldwide (10.0): Wikipedia has an article on them in 262 languages. Much studied was their weakest fit (2.1): Charlie Chaplin is the subject of 17 books, papers and films on Wikidata.
- Ancient history
- was born 137 years ago (6.1) Source: Wikidata Q882
- Far from home
- died 468 miles from where they were born (6.9) Source: Wikidata Q882
- Decorated
- received 15 awards and honors (7.5) Source: Wikidata Q882
- Much studied
- is the subject of 17 books, papers and films on Wikidata (2.1) Source: Wikidata Q882
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on them in 262 languages (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q882
- Big family
- had 11 children (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q882
- Long life
- lived to 88 (9.6) Source: Wikidata Q882
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 2.8 million times in 2025 (7.0) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Sigmund Freud
Founder of psychoanalysis
Photo: Max Halberstadt, Public domain Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Confucius
Teacher of the Analects
Photo: Anonymous Chinese painter of the Western Han period, Public domain Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Margaret Thatcher
The "Iron Lady" prime minister
Photo: Rob Bogaerts, CC0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
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