From Albert Einstein to Nelson Mandela and Rihanna, celebrities give addresses star power: an A to Z of famous street names
A who’s who of roads around the world named after astronauts, authors, pop stars, politicians and more
Naming streets after famous people can be a municipal minefield. It’s a wonderful way of celebrating achievements and contributions to society, but one can only wonder if Messrs Lennon and McCartney were aware that Liverpool’s Penny Lane, the title of the Beatles’ 1967 hit, was named for the slave trader James Penny. And after Jimmy Savile was accused of sexually abusing hundreds of children, British local authorities hurriedly set about removing memorial plaques and changing street names that referred to the late DJ and television personality.
Roads commemorating colonial-era figures are also vulnerable to changes in attitudes while in many countries the lack of street names memorialising women is finally being, well, addressed. Here then, is a list of names, streets and places honouring the great and the good (at least until the next scandal breaks).
A The first man on the moon has a road named after him in Las Vegas. It’s easy enough to find Neil Armstrong Street – it’s just off Astronaut Avenue and Edwin Aldrin Drive.
B The Amsterdam neighbourhood of Apollobuurt – named for Apollo the Greek god, not the United States’ space-flight programme – is home to Beethovenstraat, which isn’t far from Mozartkade (Mozart Quay). Nearby is the Hilton Hotel in which John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged a “bed-in for peace” in 1969.
C Frédéric Chopin’s attitude to Jews is documented as having ranged from “casually dismissive” to “overwhelming hatred”. Whatever the truth, the Polish composer has a street named after him in Jerusalem.
D Filipino Hidilyn Diaz was rewarded for her weightlifting silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics by having an Angeles City street named in her honour.