The most famous person from North East has been revealed, according to a new interactive map, but the result may come as a surprise!
Mapbox researcher and geographer Topi Tjukanov developed the insightful map which reveals the birthplaces of the most 'notable people' around the world.
The data is based on a study published in June this year from researchers from the University of Paris.
A person's significance was calculated based on information scraped from Wikipedia and Wikidata.
Did you know Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar and Barack Obama in Honolulu? Who is the most famous person from your home town?
— Topi Tjukanov (@tjukanov) July 28, 2022
I made a map of the most notable people around the world. Built with @Mapbox.
Check it out here: https://t.co/NR0J7nqTn1
🧵 pic.twitter.com/GoI4VnGzvd
The data accounts for a series of factors including the number of Wikipedia entries, their average length, the average number of views from 2015-18 as well as the total number of external links.
"The data contains a rank value and a notability "sum value" these are used to determine which names are shown and how big they are," Mr Tjukanov explained to users on Twitter.
You can explore the map and view the noteworthy people from hometowns all over the world in four different categories:
- Culture
- Discovery & Science
- Leadership
- Sports & Games
Who is the most famous celebrity in the North East?
Starting in County Durham, Sir Anthony Eden is said to be the most famous person.
Eden served as Prime Minster from 1955 to 1957 and served as Foreign Secretary too.
Also from the nearby area is Actor and writer Rowan Atkinson who is best know for his role as Mr Bean and John English.
The actor grew up in Consett and studied at Newcastle University, now the actor has claimed worldwide fame for his work.
Moving towards Newcastle, musician and former frontman of the Police, Sting has roots in Newcastle.
The singer originally from Wallsend, Sting was educated at St Cuthbert's Grammar School where he found his love for music.
Also from the area is presenter and journalist Steph McGovern from South Shields.
The host of Steph's Packed Lunch, the journalist started as an engineer before finding her passion for journalism.
See if you recognise any notable names by heading to the map now.
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