The Most Famous
EXPLORERS from Romania
Top 4
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Romanian Explorers of all time. This list of famous Romanian Explorers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Julius Popper (1857 - 1893)
With an HPI of 61.01, Julius Popper is the most famous Romanian Explorer. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages on wikipedia.
Julius Popper (December 15, 1857 – June 5, 1893), known in Spanish as Julio Popper (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxuljo poˈpeɾ]), was a Romanian-born Argentine colonial engineer and explorer of Jewish ancestry. He was known as a modern "conquistador" of Tierra del Fuego in southern South America, and was both a controversial and influential figure. Popper was one of the main perpetrators of the genocide against the native Selkʼnam people in the islands, and the circumstances surrounding his own death remain a mystery.
2. Nikolai Spathari (1636 - 1708)
With an HPI of 59.33, Nikolai Spathari is the 2nd most famous Romanian Explorer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Nikolai Spathari (Russian: Николай Гаврилович Спафарий, romanized: Nikolai Gavrilovich Spathari; 1636–1708), also known as Nicolae Milescu and Nicolae Milescu Spătaru (Romanian pronunciation: [nikoˈla.e miˈlesku spəˈtaru], first name also Neculai, signing in Latin as Nicolaus Spadarius Moldavo-Laco, Russian: Николае Гаврилович Милеску, romanized: Nikolaye Gavrilovich Milesku), or Spătarul Milescu-Cârnu (trans.: "Chancellor Milescu the Snub-nosed"), was a Moldavian-born writer, diplomat and traveler, who lived and worked in the Tsardom of Russia. He spoke nine languages: Romanian, Russian, Latin, both Attic and Modern Greek, French, German, Turkish and Swedish. One of his grandsons was the Spătar (Chancellor) Yuri Stefanovich, who came to Russia in 1711 with Dimitrie Cantemir.
3. Florence Baker (1841 - 1916)
With an HPI of 58.17, Florence Baker is the 3rd most famous Romanian Explorer. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Florence, Lady Baker, or Florence Barbara Marie Finnian: or Florica Maria Sas; or Maria Freiin von Sas; or Barbara Maria Szász (Hungarian: Sass Flóra) (6 August 1841 – 11 March 1916) was a Transylvanian-born ethnic Hungarian British explorer. Born in Transylvania (then part of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown), she became an orphan when her parents and brother were murdered by the Romanian marauders led by Ioan Axente Sever. She fled with the remnants of the Hungarian army to the Ottoman Empire, settling in Vidin. There, she was sold as a slave in 1859. Years later, Samuel Baker encountered her during a visit to the Vidin white slave auction. Florence, a white slave girl destined for the Ottoman Pasha of Vidin, caught Baker’s eye. Although outbid by the Pasha, Baker bribed her guards, and the two escaped together. Florence became Baker’s companion and later his wife. They reportedly married, likely in Bucharest, before holding a formal family wedding in England in 1865. Together, they explored Africa in search of the source of the Nile and discovered Lake Albert. Florence later joined Baker in his efforts to combat the slave trade in Africa. The couple eventually retired to Devon, where they lived until their deaths.
4. Sámuel Teleki (1845 - 1916)
With an HPI of 55.15, Sámuel Teleki is the 4th most famous Romanian Explorer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Count Sámuel Teleki de Szék (1 November 1845 – 10 March 1916) was a Hungarian explorer who led the first expedition to Northern Kenya. He was the first European to see Lake Turkana.
People
Pantheon has 4 people classified as Romanian explorers born between 1636 and 1857. Of these 4, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased Romanian explorers include Julius Popper, Nikolai Spathari, and Florence Baker. As of April 2024, 4 new Romanian explorers have been added to Pantheon including Julius Popper, Nikolai Spathari, and Florence Baker.
Deceased Romanian Explorers
Go to all Rankings
Julius Popper
1857 - 1893
HPI: 61.01
Nikolai Spathari
1636 - 1708
HPI: 59.33
Florence Baker
1841 - 1916
HPI: 58.17
Sámuel Teleki
1845 - 1916
HPI: 55.15
Newly Added Romanian Explorers (2024)
Go to all RankingsJulius Popper
1857 - 1893
HPI: 61.01
Nikolai Spathari
1636 - 1708
HPI: 59.33
Florence Baker
1841 - 1916
HPI: 58.17
Sámuel Teleki
1845 - 1916
HPI: 55.15
Overlapping Lives
Which Explorers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Explorers since 1700.
