Famous People Born In 1840

Discover the most famous people born in 1840. The list includes people like Claude Monet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Thomas Hardy, Emile Zola, Auguste Rodin and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include artists, psychiatrists, political scientists and historians born in 1840. This list includes people from United States, France, United Kingdom & Germany and many more countries.
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 1 
Claude Monet
(French Painter and Founder of 'Impressionism')
Claude Monet
34
Birthdate: 14th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 5, 1926

Claude Monet was a French painter. The founder of French Impressionist painting, Monet's painting Impression, soleil levant gave rise to the term Impressionism. Often dubbed the driving force behind Impressionism, Monet mastered the art of painting the same scene several times so as to capture the changing of the light. Since his death, his paintings have sold for record prices.

 2 
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(Russian Romantic Composer Best Known for His Ballet Compositions ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘The Nutcracker’)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
20
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 7th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Votkinsk, Russia
Died: November 6, 1893

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the first Russian composer to place Russian music on the international stage. Often described as a musician who transcended the stereotypes of classical Russian music, Tchaikovsky is credited with making the Western world take note of Russian music. Although he was criticized by the critics, his popularity among the public never faded.

 3 
Thomas Hardy
(Novelist & Poet)
Thomas Hardy
7
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 2nd June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Stinsford, Dorset, England
Died: January 11, 1928
Victorian novelist and poet Thomas Hardy exhibited strong influences of Romanticism in his works. He wrote classic novels such as Far from the Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Casterbridge, and Tess of the d'Urbervilles. He mostly showed his characters struggling against social conditions and ending up in tragic situations.
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 4 
Emile Zola
(French Novelist & Playwright Known for His Works 'Les Rougon-Macquart' and 'Thérèse Raquin')
Emile Zola
6
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 2nd April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: September 29, 1902

Emile Zola was a French novelist, journalist, and playwright. He played a key role in the development of theatrical naturalism and was a well-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism. He was also a political journalist and was influential in the political liberalization of France. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twice.

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 5 
Victoria, Princess Royal
(German Empress and Queen of Prussia (1888))
Victoria, Princess Royal
8
Birthdate: 21st November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
Died: August 5, 1901

Victoria, Princess Royal was the Queen of Prussia and German Empress from 9 March 1888 to 15 June 1888. Victoria, Princess Royal had an opportunity to influence the German Empire's policy, but the death of her husband German Emperor Frederick III, just 99 days after his accession, ruined her opportunity. Victoria has been portrayed in several movies and TV series.

 6 
Auguste Rodin
(French Sculptor Best Regarded as the Founder of 'Modern Sculpture')
Auguste Rodin
3
Listed In: Sculptors
Birthdate: 13th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: November 17, 1917
Initially aspiring to be a monk, Auguste Rodin found his true calling when he visited Italy and was awestruck by Michelangelo’s creations. His iconic sculptures such as The Thinker and The Age of Bronze are astoundingly life-like. He breathed magic into nudes and ballerinas made of stone and bronze.
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 7 
Chief Joseph
(Nez Perce leader)
Chief Joseph
7
Listed In: Revolutionaries
Birthdate: 3rd March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Wallowa River
Died: September 21, 1904

Chief Joseph, a leader of the Nez Percé tribe of Native Americans, had initially agreed to the U.S. demand of them moving into a reservation in Idaho. However, fearing retaliation after his men killed a few whites, he attempted an escape to Canada, leading his people through an arduous trek.

 8 
Alphonse Daudet
(French Novelist Known for His Books ‘Le Petit Chose’ and ‘Fromont jeune et Risler aîné’)
Alphonse Daudet
39
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 13th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nîmes, France
Died: December 17, 1897

Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist whose books are still widely read in France. He often collaborated with his wife Julia Daudet, a famous writer, poet, and journalist. Today, several schools and colleges in France are named in his honor.

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 9 
Yaa Asantewaa
(Queens Mother)
Yaa Asantewaa
15
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: Besease
Died: October 17, 1920

The Queen Mother of the Ashanti Empire, or modern-day Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa is remembered for leading her country against the British in the War of the Golden Stool. The war began when a British representative sat on the Golden Stool, considered a sacred emblem of the Ashanti people.

 10 
Carlota of Mexico
(Empress Consort of Mexico (1864 - 1867))
Carlota of Mexico
4
Birthdate: 7th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Castle of Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Died: January 19, 1927

Carlota of Mexico served as the Empress consort of Mexico from 10 April 1864 to 15 May 1867. Her husband Maximilian I of Mexico died at the age of 34 and their relationship has inspired many movies, plays, TV series, and novels.

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 11 
Thomas Nast
(Cartoonist)
Thomas Nast
5
Listed In: Cartoonists
Birthdate: 27th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Landau
Died: December 7, 1902

Political caricaturist and cartoonist Thomas Nast was born in Germany and moved to the U.S. at age 6. He began his career as a draftsman at the Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and then worked for Harper’s Weekly and the New York Illustrated News. His creations include the Republican Party elephant.

 12 
John Boyd Dunlop
(Inventor, Entrepreneur)
John Boyd Dunlop
0
Listed In: Inventors
Birthdate: 5th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dreghorn
Died: October 23, 1921
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 13 
Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
(Politician, Banker)
Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
0
Listed In: Bankers
Birthdate: 8th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London
Died: March 31, 1915
 14 
Helena Modjeska
(Actress)
Helena Modjeska
1
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 12th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Free City of Cracow
Died: April 8, 1909
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 15 
Alfred Thayer Mahan
(Naval Officer)
Alfred Thayer Mahan
1
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 27th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: West Point, New York, United States
Died: December 1, 1914
 16 
Carl Menger
(Economist, University teacher)
Carl Menger
1
Listed In: Economists
Birthdate: 23rd February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nowy Sącz
Died: February 26, 1921

Carl Menger made significant contributions to the marginal utility theory and the subjective theory of value. Born to a lawyer father, he too studied law and also worked as a journalist for a while. He later taught at the University of Vienna and also established the Austrian School of economics.

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 17 
Richard von Krafft-Ebing
(German Psychiatrist)
Richard von Krafft-Ebing
1
Listed In: Psychiatrists
Birthdate: 14th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
Died: December 22, 1902

Known for his ground-breaking research on sexual psychopathology, German psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing worked on varied subjects such as sexual aberration and hypnosis. His Psychopathia Sexualis was one of the first written works that discussed LGBT sex and also spoke about taboo topics such as sadism, necrophilia, and masochism.

 18 
Edward Drinker Cope
(American Zoologist and Paleontologist)
Edward Drinker Cope
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 28th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: April 12, 1897
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 19 
Namık Kemal
(Turkish Author, Poet, and Social Reformer)
Namık Kemal
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 21st December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tekirdağ, Turkey
Died: December 2, 1888

Turkish author, poet, political essayist, and social reformer Namık Kemal motivated the Young Turk and Turkish nationalist movements. He not only westernized Turkish literature but also contributed to Romanticism. One of his best-known works was the play Vatan Yahut Silistre. He also promoted the ideas of vatan, or fatherland, and hürriyet, or freedom.

 20 
August Bebel
(Former Politician best remembered as one of the founders of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany (SDAP) in 1869)
August Bebel
0
Birthdate: 22nd February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Deutz, Cologne, Germany
Died: August 13, 1913
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 21 
Charles Booth
(British Philanthropist and Social Reformer Known for His Innovative Philanthropic Studies on Working-Class Life in London)
Charles Booth
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 30th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Died: November 23, 1916

Charles Booth was not just a shipowner but also a prominent social reformer, best known for his 17-volume Life and Labour of the People in London, which threw a light on the social conditions of the poor in London. He also developed statistical methods to ascertain the social issues of the working class.

 22 
Ernst Abbe
(German Physicist, Optical Scientist and Entrepreneur)
Ernst Abbe
1
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 23rd January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Eisenach, Germany
Died: January 14, 1905
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 23 
American Horse
(Tribal chief)
American Horse
0
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: Black Hills, United States
Died: December 16, 1908
 24 
Sophia Jex-Blake
(English Physician, Feminist and the First Practising Female Doctor in Scotland)
Sophia Jex-Blake
0
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: 21st January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hastings, Sussex, England
Died: January 7, 1912

Sophia Louisa Jex-Blake was an English teacher, physician, and feminist. A pioneer of medical education for women, Jex-Blake was the first woman to practise medicine in Scotland. She was also involved in the establishment of two medical schools for women in Edinburgh and London at a time when no medical schools were training women.

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 25 
Father Damien
(Belgian Priest Known for His Missionary Work Among the Hawaiian Lepers)
Father Damien
2
Listed In: Priests
Birthdate: 3rd January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tremelo, Belgium
Died: April 15, 1889

Father Damien was a Roman Catholic priest best remembered for his ministry, which he led for people with leprosy. He is credited with building schools and hospitals to benefit those in need. After caring for those in the leper colony for 11 years, Damien contracted leprosy and succumbed to the disease. He is referred to as a martyr of charity.   

 26 
Gall
(Leader)
Gall
3
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: South Dakota, United States
Died: December 5, 1894
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 27 
Kuroda Kiyotaka
(Former Prime Minister of Japan)
Kuroda Kiyotaka
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 9th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Shinyashikicho, Kagoshima, Japan
Died: August 23, 1900

Kuroda Kiyotaka, also known as Kuroda Ryōsuke, played a significant role in the Meiji Restoration. Apart from being president of the Privy Council, he had been the prime minister of Japan, too. He introduced Western agricultural methods in Hokkaido but reigned in the wake of controversies related to unequal treaties.

 28 
Edward Whymper
(Mountaineer)
Edward Whymper
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 27th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
Died: September 16, 1911
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 29 
Murad V
(Sultan)
Murad V
0
Listed In: Emperors & Kings
Birthdate: 21st September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Beşiktaş, Istanbul
Died: August 29, 1904
 30 
Akaki Tsereteli
(Poet)
Akaki Tsereteli
0
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 9th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Skhvitori, Imereti
Died: January 26, 1915
 31 
John Stainer
(Composer)
John Stainer
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 6th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, Englanda
Died: March 31, 1901
 32 
John Addington Symonds
(Poet)
John Addington Symonds
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 5th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bristol, England
Died: April 19, 1893
 33 
Sisowath of Cambodia
(King of Cambodia (1904 - 1907))
Sisowath of Cambodia
0
Listed In: Emperors & Kings
Birthdate: 7th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia
Died: August 9, 1927

Cambodian king Sisowath is remembered as a titular head of the French colonial administration in Cambodia. He even went to France in 1906, to visit the Colonial Exhibition. He is said to have had 20 wives and 29 children, including Sisowath Monivong, who succeeded him.

 34 
Lozen
(Warrior)
Lozen
0
Listed In: Soldiers
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: United States
Died: June 17, 1889
 35 
Shishaku Shibusawa Eiichi
(Japanese Industrialist Who Spearheaded the Introduction of Western Capitalism to Japan)
Shishaku Shibusawa Eiichi
0
Birthdate: 16th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Musashi, Japan
Died: November 11, 1931

Industrialist Shishaku Shibusawa Eiichi is remembered as one of the pioneers of capitalism in Japan. Born into a peasant family, he grew up to become a government official and brought about major reforms in the Meiji period. He founded the First National Bank and also invested in industries such as paper and mining.

 36 
Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
(Poet)
Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 17th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Petworth, England
Died: September 10, 1922
 37 
Kate Chase
(Socialite)
Kate Chase
0
Listed In: Socialites
Birthdate: 13th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: July 31, 1899
 38 
Mary Jane Patterson
(Educator)
Mary Jane Patterson
0
Listed In: Educators
Birthdate: 12th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Died: September 24, 1894
 39 
William T. Sampson
(Navy Admiral)
William T. Sampson
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 9th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Palmyra, New York, United States
Died: May 6, 1902
 40 
Oswald Durand
(Haiti's National Poet Who Was Also a Journalist and a Politician)
Oswald Durand
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 17th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Haiti
Died: April 22, 1906

Known as Haiti’s Shakespeare, Oswald Durand was an iconic Haitian literary figure who is also considered Haiti’s national poet. Mostly a romantic poet, he had been a journalist and politician, too. He was also made the president of the Chamber of Deputies. Choucoune remains one of his best-known works.

 41 
Hans Makart
(Painter)
Hans Makart
0
Birthdate: 28th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Salzburg, Austria
Died: October 3, 1884

Austrian painter Hans Makart is best known for his colorful historical paintings. He also founded the Makartstil or Makart style of decorating public spaces. He designed furniture and clothes, too. His lack of factual accuracy and his reliance on female nudity were both despised by academics.

 42 
Emin Pasha
(Physician)
Emin Pasha
0
Birthdate: 28th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Opole, Poland
Died: October 23, 1892

Eduard Schnitzer, or Emin Pasha, was born into a German Jewish family in modern-day Poland. A qualified physician, he moved to Constantinople after being disqualified in Germany. He not only served the Ottoman rulers but also surveyed and explored Africa extensively. He was eventually killed by Arab slave raiders.

 43 
William, Prince of Orange
(Prince)
William, Prince of Orange
3
Birthdate: 4th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Netherlands
Died: June 11, 1879
 44 
Edward Henry Palmer
(Explorer)
Edward Henry Palmer
0
Listed In: Explorers
Birthdate: 7th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cambridge, England
Died: August 10, 1882
 45 
Francis Amasa Walker
(Economist)
Francis Amasa Walker
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 2nd July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: January 5, 1897
 46 
Osman Digna
(Sudanese Military Commander)
Osman Digna
0
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: Sawākin, Sudan
Died: 1926 AD
Osman Digna was a Sudanese military commander who served under Muhammad Ahmad during the Mahdist War. One of Ahmad's best commanders, Digna played a key role in several battles, including the Battle of Tamai and the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat. Osman Digna was respected for his skills at the battlefield by many British statesmen including Winston Churchill. 
 47 
Hermann Götz
(Composer)
Hermann Götz
0
Listed In: Composers
Birthdate: 7th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Königsberg, Russia
Died: December 3, 1876
 48 
Alexander Kovalevsky
(Russian Embryologist Known for His Research on Gastrulation)
Alexander Kovalevsky
0
Listed In: Biologists
Birthdate: 19th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vārkava Parish, Latvia
Died: November 22, 1901

Russian embryologist Alexander Kovalevsky is remembered for his pioneering research on gastrulation. His expeditions took him to faraway lands around the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. He also taught at the University of St. Petersburg and founded the domains of comparative embryology and experimental histology.

 49 
Timothy H. O'Sullivan
(Photographer)
Timothy H. O'Sullivan
0
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: January 14, 1882
 50 
Marie Bracquemond
(Former Impressionist painter)
Marie Bracquemond
0
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 1st December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brest, Finistère, France
Died: January 17, 1916