List of Famous people born in Slovakia, First Czechoslovak Republic

John Zápolya, or John Szapolyai, was King of Hungary from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary. He was Voivode of Transylvania before his coronation, from 1510 to 1526.

Barbara Zápolya (1495–1515) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the first wife of King Sigismund I the Old. Marriage to Barbara represented an alliance between Sigismund and the House of Zápolya against the Habsburgs in succession disputes over the throne to the Kingdom of Hungary. The alliance was short-lived as the renewed Muscovite–Lithuanian War forced Sigismund to look for Habsburg allies. The marriage was loving, but short. Barbara was the mother of Hedwig, Electress of Bradenburg, but died soon after the birth of her second daughter Anna.

Paulína Fialková is a Slovak biathlete. She competed at the Biathlon World Championships 2012 and 2013, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and 2018 Winter Olympics. At the 2018 Winter Olympics she finished at the fifth place in the 15 km individual event.

Nikolaus VI Graf Pálffy von Erdőd was a Hungarian nobleman, Imperial Field marshal and Palatine of Hungary.

Erzsébet Házy was a Hungarian operatic soprano. She fascinated the critics and audience not only with her voice but also with perfect acting and her beauty. She was particularly admired for her portrayal of the title heroine in Giacomo Puccini’s Manon Lescaut.

Johanna Maria Louise Loisinger was an Austrian actress, pianist and operatic soprano singer. She was born in Preßburg, Austria, the daughter of John Loisinger and Maria Meier.

Emeric Thököly de Késmárk was a Hungarian nobleman, leader of anti-Habsburg uprisings like his father, Count István Thököly, before him. Emeric was prince of Upper Hungary, an Ottoman vassal state, from 1682 to 1685, and briefly Prince of Transylvania during the year 1690. Having formed an alliance with the Turks, Thököly assisted the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and led the Turkish cavalry at the battle of Zenta. Refusing to surrender to Habsburg Emperor Leopold I, Thököly lost his principality of Upper Hungary and finally retired to Galata, near Istanbul, with large estates granted him by Sultan Mustafa II.

Gustáv Husák was a Slovak communist politician, who served as the long-time First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1969 to 1987 and the president of Czechoslovakia from 1975 to 1989. His rule is known as the period of the "Normalization" after the Prague Spring.