(CNN) -- What do Copernicus and a Britney Spears look-a-like have in common? Despite centuries separating the two, both have inspired greatness in Poland.

Maxim named Joanna Crupa, a Polish/American model and actress, 61st in its 2006 Hot 100 list.

Here we look at some of Poland's most famous nationals -- from years gone by to the present day. Many have influenced a world far beyond their country's boundary.

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

Copernicus was a mathematician, astronomer, physician, classical scholar, translator, Catholic cleric, jurist, governor, military leader, diplomat and economist. He is primarily known, however, for his theory that earth is not the center of the universe.

His book, "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), is often regarded as the starting point of modern astronomy and the defining moment that began the Scientific Revolution.

Copernicus was born in 1473 in Thorn. Thorn was a city in Prussia, an autonomous region in the old Kingdom of Poland.

Frederick Chopin (Fryderyk Chopin) (1810-1849)

Born in the village of Zelazowa Wola in Warsaw, to a Polish mother and French father, he was regarded early on as a child-prodigy piano virtuoso. He is generally considered to be Poland's greatest composer, and ranks as one of music's greatest tone poets.

Always in fragile health, he died in Paris in 1849 from chronic pulmonary tuberculosis. He was only 39.

Mari-Sklodowska (Marie Curie) (1867-1934)

Marie Curie, a Polish physicist and chemist, is arguably the most famous female scientist. She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity, the only person honored with Nobel Prizes in two different sciences, and the first female professor at the University of Paris. Her French husband Pierre Curie and both her daughter IrÃ¨ne Joliot-Curie and son-in-law Frederic Joliot-Curie were awarded a Nobel prizes.

Marie Curie was born in Warsaw. In 1891 she moved to Paris to further her studies and work on scientific projects. She found the theory of radioactivity and also found two new elements, radium and polonium (the latter being named after her native Poland.)

Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) (1920-2005)

Karol JÃ³zef Wojtyla was born on 18 May, 1920 in the Polish town of Wadowice.

At only 58 years of age, he was the youngest pope elected since Pope Pius IX in 1846. He reigned as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005.

His reign of over 26 years was the second-longest after Pius IX's 32-year reign. He has been the only Polish pope, and was the first non-Italian pope since the Dutch Adrian VI in the 1520s.

The pope traveled extensively, visiting over 100 countries, more than any other pope and was fluent in numerous languages: Polish, Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin.

He was the victim of several assassination attempts, but later said he forgave the perpetrators. He was chosen twice as person of the year by Time magazine.

Andrzej Wajda (1926 - )

Wajda, born in Suwalki, Poland is an award-winning Polish film Director.

He received an honorary Oscar in 2000.

After the fall of communism in 1989, he was elected as a government senator while he continued his role as artistic director of Warsaw's Teatr Powszechny.

His films often raise social awareness and have dealt with a number of subjects including war, communism and murder (based on the murder of his own father by the Soviets in 1940).

Wajda married four times. He has one daughter and is currently married to actress Krystyna Zachwatowicz.

Roman Raymond Polanski (1933 - )

Polanski is an Academy Award-winning and four-time nominated Polish film director, writer, actor and producer. After beginning his career in Poland, Polanski became a celebrated filmmaker and director of such
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over 100 over 26 over 100 Polish over 26 years 61st in its 2006 Hot 100 list. Polish, Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin. over 26 years
question: How many countries did John Paul II visit?, answer: over 100 | question: Number of years that Pop John Paul 2 reigned?, answer: over 26 | question: How many countries did Pope John Paul II visit?, answer: over 100 | question: What ethnicity were all of these people?, answer: Polish | question: How long was Pope John Paul II's reign?, answer: over 26 years | question: What award did Crupa win?, answer: 61st in its 2006 Hot 100 list. | question: How many languages did Pope John Paul ll speak?, answer: Polish, Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin. | question: How long did Pope John Paul II reign?, answer: over 26 years