Celebrity OriginsLists of interesting trivia and fun facts about where famous people were born, how they grew up, and what their lives were like when they were young.
Celebrities born in countries that have since dissolved or had their names changed
They say you can never go home again. That's especially true if your home no longer exists. This is a list of famous people born in countries that don't exist anymore, loosely ranked by fame and popularity. Through the years, several countries have ceased to exist. They either merge with surrounding countries, divide into smaller countries or change their name to represent their modern values. Some countries cease to exist after long drawn out wars, while others peacefully merge for the betterment of the people.
Who is the most famous person born in a country that doesn't exist anymore? Mila Kunis tops our list. The “Black Swan” beauty was born in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1983. The USSR divided into the different countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldovia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan in 1991. Other famous people born in the USSR include Milla Jovovich and Olga Kurylenko.
Several famous people lost their birth countries when East and West Germany unified to form Germany in 1990. Bruce Willis was born in West Germany in 1955. The “Die Hard” star's father was serving the American military in Germany at the time of his birth. The family moved back to New Jersey when Willis was two years old.
Do you think it would be weird to be born in a country that doesn't exist anymore? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
The Olympic figure skater and model was born in Staaken in the German Democratic Republic in 1965. East Germany was dissolved and reunited with "West Germany" in 1990.
Child actor Jonathan Ke Quan was born in South Vietnam in 1971. South Vietnam existed from 1954 to 1976 when they merged with the northern portion of Vietnam. The unified country is now known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Former Olympic swimmer and wife of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, the Princess was born in 1978 as Charlene Wittstock in Bulawayo, Rhodesia. The country has been called Zimbabwe since 1980.
