Historical figures · Puzzle #36 · Wednesday, November 4

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

Big family: 1 pt per child
Long life: 1 pt per 5 years lived past 40
Far from home: 1 pt per doubling over 4 miles from birthplace
Most looked-up: 1 pt per 400,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
Namesake: 1 pt per 20 things named after them
Ancient history: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years since birth
Known worldwide: 1 pt per 25 Wikipedia languages
Decorated: 1 pt per 2 awards and honors

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

Hippocrates
Father of medicine, of the doctors' oath
Photo: Paulus Pontius / After Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain
Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Hokusai
Made the woodblock print The Great Wave
Photo: missing name, CC0
Hokusai lived to 88, so their best fit on this board was Long life, worth 9.6. Their weakest was Far from home, worth 0.0, since Hokusai died 1 miles from where they were born.
Big family
had 2 children (2.0) Source: Wikidata Q5586
Long life
lived to 88 (9.6) Source: Wikidata Q5586
Far from home
died 1 miles from where they were born (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q5586
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 370,492 times in 2025 (0.9) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Namesake
has 3 things named after them on Wikidata (0.2) Source: Wikidata Q5586
Ancient history
was born 266 years ago (7.1) Source: Wikidata Q5586
Known worldwide
Wikipedia has an article on them in 177 languages (7.1) Source: Wikidata Q5586
Decorated
received 0 awards and honors (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q5586
Emmeline Pankhurst
Leader of the suffragettes
Photo: Adam Cuerden, Public domain
Emmeline Pankhurst had 8 children, so their best fit on this board was Big family, worth 8.0. Their weakest was Namesake, worth 0.2, since Emmeline Pankhurst has 3 things named after them on Wikidata.
Big family
had 8 children (8.0) Source: Wikidata Q211519
Long life
lived to 69 (5.8) Source: Wikidata Q211519
Far from home
died 159 miles from where they were born (5.3) Source: Wikidata Q211519
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 287,810 times in 2025 (0.7) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Namesake
has 3 things named after them on Wikidata (0.2) Source: Wikidata Q211519
Ancient history
was born 168 years ago (6.4) Source: Wikidata Q211519
Known worldwide
Wikipedia has an article on them in 82 languages (3.3) Source: Wikidata Q211519
Decorated
received 1 awards and honors (0.5) Source: Wikidata Q211519
Yuri Gagarin
First human in space
Photo: В. Жихаренко / ТАСС Обработка: Roman Kubanskiy, CC BY 4.0
Yuri Gagarin has 216 things named after them on Wikidata, so their best fit on this board was Namesake, worth 10.0. Their weakest was Long life, worth 0.0, since Yuri Gagarin lived to 34.
Big family
had 2 children (2.0) Source: Wikidata Q7327
Long life
lived to 34 (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q7327
Far from home
died 157 miles from where they were born (5.3) Source: Wikidata Q7327
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 864,928 times in 2025 (2.2) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Namesake
has 216 things named after them on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q7327
Ancient history
was born 92 years ago (5.5) Source: Wikidata Q7327
Known worldwide
Wikipedia has an article on them in 205 languages (8.2) Source: Wikidata Q7327
Decorated
received 29 awards and honors (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q7327
Alfred Hitchcock
The Master of Suspense, director of Psycho
Photo: Ante Brkan, Public domain
Alfred Hitchcock died 5,447 miles from where they were born, so their best fit on this board was Far from home, worth 10.0. Their weakest was Namesake, worth 0.2, since Alfred Hitchcock has 4 things named after them on Wikidata.
Big family
had 1 children (1.0) Source: Wikidata Q7374
Long life
lived to 80 (8.0) Source: Wikidata Q7374
Far from home
died 5,447 miles from where they were born (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q7374
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 2.8 million times in 2025 (7.0) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Namesake
has 4 things named after them on Wikidata (0.2) Source: Wikidata Q7374
Ancient history
was born 127 years ago (6.0) Source: Wikidata Q7374
Known worldwide
Wikipedia has an article on them in 188 languages (7.5) Source: Wikidata Q7374
Decorated
received 12 awards and honors (6.0) Source: Wikidata Q7374
Robin Williams
Comedian and star of Mrs. Doubtfire
Photo: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0
Robin Williams's best fit on this board was Most looked-up, worth 10.0: their Wikipedia article was read 4.87 million times in 2025. Their weakest was Namesake, worth 0.1, since Robin Williams has 1 things named after them on Wikidata.
Big family
had 3 children (3.0) Source: Wikidata Q83338
Long life
lived to 63 (4.6) Source: Wikidata Q83338
Far from home
died 1,854 miles from where they were born (8.9) Source: Wikidata Q83338
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 4.87 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Namesake
has 1 things named after them on Wikidata (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q83338
Ancient history
was born 75 years ago (5.2) Source: Wikidata Q83338
Known worldwide
Wikipedia has an article on them in 161 languages (6.4) Source: Wikidata Q83338
Decorated
received 16 awards and honors (8.0) Source: Wikidata Q83338
Mark Twain
Author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
Photo: A.F. Bradley, New York, Public domain
Mark Twain's best fit on this board was Known worldwide, worth 10.0: Wikipedia has an article on them in 252 languages. Their weakest was Namesake, worth 1.0, since Mark Twain has 20 things named after them on Wikidata.
Big family
had 3 children (3.0) Source: Wikidata Q7245
Long life
lived to 74 (6.8) Source: Wikidata Q7245
Far from home
died 974 miles from where they were born (7.9) Source: Wikidata Q7245
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 1.67 million times in 2025 (4.2) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Namesake
has 20 things named after them on Wikidata (1.0) Source: Wikidata Q7245
Ancient history
was born 191 years ago (6.6) Source: Wikidata Q7245
Known worldwide
Wikipedia has an article on them in 252 languages (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q7245
Decorated
received 3 awards and honors (1.5) Source: Wikidata Q7245
Carl Sagan
Astronomer and host of Cosmos
Photo: NASA/JPL, Public domain
Carl Sagan received 20 awards and honors, so their best fit on this board was Decorated, worth 10.0. Their weakest was Namesake, worth 0.7, since Carl Sagan has 14 things named after them on Wikidata.
Big family
had 5 children (5.0) Source: Wikidata Q410
Long life
lived to 62 (4.4) Source: Wikidata Q410
Far from home
died 2,406 miles from where they were born (9.2) Source: Wikidata Q410
Most looked-up
their Wikipedia article was read 1.1 million times in 2025 (2.8) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Namesake
has 14 things named after them on Wikidata (0.7) Source: Wikidata Q410
Ancient history
was born 92 years ago (5.5) Source: Wikidata Q410
Known worldwide
Wikipedia has an article on them in 143 languages (5.7) Source: Wikidata Q410
Decorated
received 20 awards and honors (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q410