| So many famous people today are descended from | | | | business. |
| the country of Greece. Below are some well known | | | | Maria Callas - An American born Greek operatic |
| names from the past, together with a few modern | | | | soprano. One of the greatest and most versatile |
| day surprises... | | | | operatic singers in recent history with a voice that is |
| Socrates - The Father of Western Philosophy. | | | | difficult to place in the modern vocal classification. She |
| Socrates taught that the unexamined life is not worth | | | | sang an incredible variety of roles and gave some of |
| living and although he did not have his own definition of | | | | the most emotive and visually dramatic performances. |
| truth he believed in questioning what others believed as | | | | Yanni - Born Yannis Chryssomallis in Kalamata in the |
| truth, which became known as the Socratic method, | | | | Peloponesse, he moved to America when he was 18 |
| which involves solving a problem by breaking it down | | | | years old. Yanni is a self taught pianist, keyboarder and |
| into a series of questions the answer to which will | | | | composer with perfect pitch. Although producing and |
| gradually distill the answer being sought and help you | | | | selling hugely successful albums from the mid 80's his |
| achieve genuine self knowledge. | | | | breakthrough commercial success came with the |
| Plato - A classical Greek philosopher who is known | | | | release of his album and video "Yanni live at the |
| today as one of the greatest philosophers of all time. | | | | Acropolis", filmed in September 1993 and played |
| Plato was a student of Socrates and practically | | | | repeatedly by the American station PBS. Also known |
| everything we know about Socrates came from the | | | | for his long term affair with actress Linda Evans. |
| writings of Plato as Socrates himself kept no written | | | | Nana Mouskouri - Born as Ioanna Mouskouri on the |
| records during his life. Plato was a mathematician, | | | | Greek island of Crete, Nana speaks five languages, |
| writer of philosophical dialogues and the founder of the | | | | but sings her songs in more than 15 different languages |
| Academy in Athens (the first university). Plato believed | | | | earning her a place as one of the top ten best selling |
| that men and women had the same intellectual | | | | female recording artists ever. Nana Mouskouri has one |
| powers, and was one of the first to teach that | | | | vocal cord that is thicker than the other and this |
| women should receive the same education as men. | | | | unusual condition accounts for her unique voice. Nana |
| Hippocrates - An ancient Greek physician, who is | | | | has steadfastly pursued many types of music and |
| today referred to as the 'Father of Medicine' in | | | | sold over 300 million albums worldwide. |
| recognition of his lasting contributions to the medical | | | | Demis Rousos - Born Artemios Ventouris Roussos in |
| field and as the founder of the Hippocratic School of | | | | Egypt to ethnic Greek parents his parents returned to |
| Medicine on the island of Kos. He is credited with | | | | their homeland of Greece after the Suez Crisis. After |
| greatly advancing the systematic study of clinical | | | | spending five years as lead singer of the group "We |
| medicine and prescribing practices for physicians | | | | Five" and achieving great popularity especially in |
| through the Hippocratic Oath and other works. He was | | | | Europe, Demis embarked on a solo career that saw |
| the first to separate the discipline of medicine from | | | | him touring the globe and releasing many worldwide |
| religion, believing that disease was not a punishment | | | | hits in a career that has spanned more then 40 years. |
| inflicted by the Gods but rather the product of | | | | And some more familiar ones... |
| environmental factors, diet and living conditions. | | | | Jennifer Aniston - Best know for her role as Rachel |
| Aristotle Onassis - The most famous Greek shipping | | | | Green in the hit American Comedy 'Friends'. |
| magnate of the 20th Century and the founder of | | | | Nia Vardalos - Actor, writer and producer of the hit |
| Olympic Airways, the Greek national carrier. Originally | | | | movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. |
| born in Smyrna he fled after the invasion of Turkish | | | | Telly Savalas - Best known for his role as Lt Theo |
| forces and headed to Greece as a refugee. From | | | | Kojak in the hit TV series. |
| there he headed to Argentina where he revived the | | | | Pete Sampras - Former world No 1 tennis player. |
| family tobacco business which after difficult beginnings | | | | Olympia Dukakis - Star of both stage and screen and |
| began to flourish and made him his first million. He | | | | winner of the Academy Award for best supporting |
| purchased his first ships in the 1930's and later that | | | | actress for her performance in Moonstruck. |
| decade became the first Greek to enter tanker | | | | |