Czech-American economist and one of the executive directors of the International Monetary Fund. Art collector and patron of the arts.
Czech Catholic priest, theologian, expert in Biblical studies, explorer, ethnographer and writer, the most important European orientalist and Arabist of his time.
Czechoslovak and later also American tennis player, one of the best female tennis players of all times, a long-time world tennis champion and record holder in the number of tournaments won in singles and doubles.
Czech football player, former captain of the national team, holder of the 2003 Golden Ball and current vice-president of Juventus Turin. He won silver with the national team at the 1996 European Football Championship in England and bronze at the 2004 European Football Championship in Portugal.
Czech director, screenwriter, documentarist, actor, film producer, film score composer, pedagogue. One of the most prominent and most provocative artist of the Czechoslovak New Wave.
Czech tennis player, winner of 1998 Wimbledon, medal winner at the Olympic Game in tennis singles and doubles.
Czech soprano singer and film actress, a long-time member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Czech film actor from the 1930s and 1940s, who played roles of lovers, and Czech-German chemist who worked with NASA on the development of the space shuttle.
2 December 1948, Prague
Legend of Czechoslovak football, president of the club Bohemians Prague 1905. Thanks to his famous penalty kick the Czechoslovak national team won the European Championship in 1976.
Antonín Panenka is one of the legends of Czechoslovak football. He played for Bohemians Prague 1905 for twenty years, then at the top of his career played for the Austrian club Rapid Vienna, with which he became a double league champion. He also used his football skills for the benefit of the national team. Thanks to his famous penalty kick at the championship finals, the Czechoslovak national team won the European Championship in 1976.
Antonín Panenka loved football even as young boy. His father was a great sports fan and took him to Slavia Prague, where he was rejected, as later in Dukla, due to his inadequate height. However, when they came to the recruitment of (today’s) Bohemians Prague 1905 and the eleven-year-old Antonín showed his skills, he was immediately accepted.
Panenka played his first league match at the age of twenty. In the seasons between 1967 and 1981, he played for his club as a midfielder a total of 230 matches, in which he scored 76 goals. In 1986 he was offered to play for Rapid in Vienna, in which he played for five years, with 127 matches and 67 goals. Antonín Panenka considers this period as the best part of his sports career. With the Viennese club, he played European tournaments regularly, which helped make him famous abroad. During his time in Rapid, Panenka won two league titles.
Because of his talent and football skills, Panenka joined the national team, making his debut in 1973 in the qualifiers for the World Cup in Scotland. With the national team, he became European champion in 1976, after a decisive penalty shot against West Germany. His penalty kick got the nickname “Panenka kick” (in Czechoslovakia it was called vršovický dloubák) and many football players have since tried to imitate it. Panenka and the national team also won a bronze medal at the European Championship in 1980. The last tournament he played as a member of the Czechoslovak team was the 1982 World Cup in Spain. During the nine years he played for the national team, Panenka played 59 matches and scored 17 goals.
Since the end of his active football career, Antonín Panenka has stayed in the world of football as the president of Bohemians Prague 1905. In 2014 he also ran for the Senate of the Czech Republic.
Panenka received a number of awards for his sports achievements, including the Medal of Merit, First Class in 2008 and Václav Jíra Award, awarded by the Football Association of the Czech Republic to people that have significantly contributed to the development of Czech football.
Distinguished Czech director and screenwriter, famous abroad as well. One of the most acknowledged figures of the New Wave of Czechoslovak film.
The second Czechoslovak cosmonaut. However, he did not have an opportunity to fly into space. He actively popularised cosmonautics.
Post-war Czechoslovak communist official and politician, a reform communist during the Prague Spring. He sought political asylum in Italy with his wife in 1969. As a member of the Italian Socialist Party, he was a member of the European Parliament on two occasions.
A prominent figure of Czech media, public and literary scene of the first half of the 20th century. Essayist and journalist, editor-in-chief of the influential weekly Přítomnost. He held liberal leftist views and was close to President T. G. Masaryk’s political views.
A leading Czech architect who mostly works in Asia. She lives in New Caledonia and designs primarily high-rise buildings.
Successful Czech plastic surgeon living in the USA. He was the first in the world to perform a full-face transplant.
The first Czech world-famous supermodel, regarded as modelling face of the 1980s. She is known for her campaigns for the cosmetics brand Estée Lauder and Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues.
World famous Czech dancer and choreographer who made a career in Les Ballets russes. He was the artistic director of ballet in the National Theatre in Brno and in the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Internationally renowned Czech physician, physiologist, anatomist, biologist, poet, philosopher, translator and national revivalist.
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