40 Interesting Facts About Hungary

Last updated on January 12th, 2022

31. Hungary’s Franz Liszt was considered to be the greatest pianist of all time. He was also a well-known and influential composer, piano teacher and conductor. Hungary renamed their Budapest International Airport in his honor for the anniversary of his 200th birthday, in 2011. It is the most important center for domestic and international flights.

32. Hungarians are reputed to be the only people who can enter a revolving door behind you and emerge ahead.

33. Hungarians are very fond of red pepper powder.

34. The next time you are in the country with a bunch of friends and drink beer outdoors, do not clink those beer glasses. Hungarians vowed not to clink glasses after their generals were executed by Austrians, who later celebrated by drinking beers and clinking their mugs.

35. Johnny Weissmuller, who is known for playing Tarzan in the films of 1930s and 1940s, was born in Hungary.

36. The world-famous escape artist Harry Houdini was also born in Budapest, Hungary.

37. Albert Szent-Györgyi, the discoverer of Vitamin-C, was also born in Hungary.

38. Béla Lugosi, the original Dracula, was also a Hungarian.

39. The Hungarian swimmer László Cseh was one of the three swimmers who were awarded the most medals in a single Olympics swimming race. The other two swimmers were Michael Phelps (USA) and Chad le Clos (South Africa). All three swimmers took 51.14 seconds to swim the Men’s 100 m butterfly, at the 2016 Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 12 August 2016. This was the first ever three-way tie in an Olympic swimming event.

40. Hungarians are brainy people. They have invented some of the most popular and useful things ever. The helicopter, the ballpoint pen, and the Rubik’s cube are all Hungarian inventions.

Hungary – country at a glance