Famous People Born In 1850

Discover the most famous people born in 1850. The list includes people like Robert Louis Stevenson, Guy de Maupassant, Kate Chopin, Samuel Gompers, Ella Wheeler Wilcox and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include poets, novelists, journalists and political leaders born in 1850. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Germany and many more countries.
Vote for Your Favourite Person

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Robert Louis Stevenson
(Author of Famous Novels: 'Treasure Island' and 'Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde')
Robert Louis Stevenson
21
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 13th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: December 3, 1894

Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish travel writer, poet, and novelist. A popular writer in his lifetime, Stevenson went about traveling widely and writing prolifically even as he suffered from bronchial trouble; his will power and love for writing won the hearts of many other writers. In 2018, he was ranked as the world's 26th-most-translated author.

 2 
Guy de Maupassant
(French Short Story Writer and Naturalist )
Guy de Maupassant
28
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 5th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tourville-sur-Arques, France
Died: July 6, 1893

Guy de Maupassant was a French author who wrote 300 short stories during his illustrious career. Widely regarded as the father of the modern short story, Maupassant's stories are characterized by economy of style and depicted human lives in pessimistic terms,

Marcelo H. del Pilar
9
Birthdate: 30th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bulakan, Bulacan, Captaincy General of the Philippines
Died: July 4, 1896

Marcelo H. del Pilar was a Filipino lawyer, writer, freemason, and journalist. Along with Graciano López Jaena and José Rizal, Del Pilar became known in Spain as the leaders of the Reform Movement. He is considered the Father of Philippine Journalism for his 66 editorials and 150 essays. He is also regarded as the Father of Philippine Masonry.

Recommended Lists:
 4 
Kate Chopin
(Author)
Kate Chopin
4
Birthdate: 8th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: St. Louis
Died: August 22, 1904
Recommended Lists:
 5 
Henry Cabot Lodge
(United States Senator from Massachusetts (1893-1924))
Henry Cabot Lodge
4
Birthdate: 12th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Beverly, Massachusetts, United States
Died: November 9, 1924
 6 
Samuel Gompers
(Labor leader, Cigar Maker)
Samuel Gompers
4
Birthdate: 27th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: December 13, 1924
Recommended Lists:
 7 
Mihai Eminescu
(The National Poet of Romania and a Major Figure of Romanticism)
Mihai Eminescu
6
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 15th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Botoșani, Romania
Died: June 15, 1889

Considered the national poet of Romania, Mihai Eminescu was a major figure of Romanticism in Romanian literature. Starting as an editor for the paper Timpul, he later penned iconic poems such as Luceafărul, or The Evening Star, and stories such as Sărmanul Dionis and Cezara. He, unfortunately, died in a mental asylum.

 8 
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
(Poet and Mystic Rosicrucian)
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
5
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 5th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Janesville, Wisconsin, United States
Died: October 30, 1919
Recommended Lists:
 9 
Hermann Ebbinghaus
(Psychologist, Educationist, University teacher)
Hermann Ebbinghaus
2
Listed In: Psychologists
Birthdate: 24th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Barmen
Died: February 26, 1909

Especially remembered for his pioneering work on rote learning and memory, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus became interested in the subject after reading Gustav Fechner's Elements of Psychophysics.  Eventually, he developed the experimental methods for measuring memory, using 2,300 three-letter nonsense syllables that he devised. Later, he also discovered the forgetting curve and the spacing effect and described the learning curve.

 10 
Eugen Goldstein
(Physicist)
Eugen Goldstein
0
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 5th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Gliwice, Poland
Died: December 25, 1930
Recommended Lists:
 11 
Edward Smith
(Captain of the RMS Titanic)
Edward Smith
3
Birthdate: 27th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hanley, Staffordshire, England
Died: April 15, 1912

Edward Smith was a British naval officer best remembered as the captain of the RMS Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage. Smith, who went down with the ship, is often praised for his fortitude and stoicism in the face of adversity. Prior to his last journey, Edward Smith served as the commanding officer of many White Star Line vessels. 

 12 
Karl Ferdinand Braun
(German Electrical Engineer Who Made Significant Contribution to the Development of Radio and Television Technology)
Karl Ferdinand Braun
0
Birthdate: 6th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Fulda, Germany
Died: April 20, 1918

Karl Ferdinand Braun was a German electrical engineer, inventor, and physicist. He made significant contributions to the development of radio and TV technology. In 1909, he jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physics with Guglielmo Marconi for their contribution to the development of wireless telegraphy. His work led to the later development of radar, smart antennas, and MIMO. 

Recommended Lists:
 13 
Pat Garrett
(Lawman)
Pat Garrett
5
Birthdate: 5th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chambers County, Alabama, United States
Died: February 29, 1908
 14 
Orison Swett Marden
(Inspirational Author)
Orison Swett Marden
2
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: New England
Died: 1924 AD
Recommended Lists:
 15 
Lawrence Hargrave
(Inventor & Explorer)
Lawrence Hargrave
2
Listed In: Explorers
Birthdate: 29th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Greenwich
Died: July 14, 1915
Australian aeronautical engineer Lawrence Hargrave is best remembered for inventing the box kite, or the cellular kite. He went on several expeditions at sea before devoting himself to aeronautics. His initial monoplane models were built after detailed research on the flight of insects and birds.
 16 
Daniel Chester French
(Sculptor)
Daniel Chester French
1
Listed In: Sculptors
Birthdate: 20th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Exeter
Died: October 7, 1931

Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor best remembered for designing the iconic monumental statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. He is also credited with designing the Pulitzer Prize gold medal along with H. Augustus Lukeman in 1917. Daniel Chester French also founded or co-founded many organizations like the National Sculpture Society (NSS) and the American Academy in Rome.

Recommended Lists:
 17 
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia
(Navy officer)
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia
1
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 14th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russian
Died: November 14, 1908
 18 
Luigi Cadorna
(Italian Military General Known for His Failure during World War I)
Luigi Cadorna
0
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 4th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Verbania, Italy
Died: December 21, 1928

Italian military general Luigi Cadorna served as the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army during World War I, though he is remembered for his inefficiency and bad decisions. He was later moved to the Allied military council at Versailles, and in spite of his failure, was eventually named a Field Marshal.

Recommended Lists:
 19 
William Morris Davis
(American Geographer, Geologist. Meteorologist, and Geomorphologist)
William Morris Davis
3
Birthdate: 12th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 5, 1934

William Morris Davis was an American geologist, geographer, meteorologist, and geomorphologist. Often referred to as the father of American geography, Davis is credited with founding the Association of American Geographers. He is also remembered for his association with the Geological Society of America, where he served as the president. In 1919, he was awarded the Royal Geographical Society's Gold Medal.

 20 
Lafcadio Hearn
(Irish Writer, Translator, and Teacher Who Introduced the Culture and Literature of Japan to the West)
Lafcadio Hearn
1
Listed In: Educators
Birthdate: 27th June
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lefkada, Greece
Died: September 26, 1904

Lafcadio Hearn was a writer best remembered for writing about Japanese culture. His writings about Japan threw light on the previously unknown but fascinating culture of Japan. It also helped the Western world understand Japanese culture. Many of his stories have been adapted into films and theatrical productions.

Recommended Lists:
 21 
Charles Richet
(Physiologist)
Charles Richet
3
Listed In: Physiologists
Birthdate: 25th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 4, 1935

Charles Richet was a French physiologist remembered for his pioneering work in immunology. He is acclaimed for his work on anaphylaxis, which earned him the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1913. He was also interested in the study of the paranormal. A proponent of eugenics, Richet was in charge of the French Eugenics Society for six years.

 22 
Antenor Firmin
(Anthropologist)
Antenor Firmin
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 18th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cap-Haitien, Haiti
Died: September 19, 1911
Recommended Lists:
 23 
Ivan Vazov
(Bulgarian Novelist, Poet and Playwright Best Known for His Novel 'Under the Yoke')
Ivan Vazov
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 9th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sopot, Bulgaria
Died: September 22, 1921

Ivan Vazov was a Bulgarian novelist, poet, and playwright. Considered the patriarch of Bulgarian literature, Vazov is best remembered for his 1888 novel Under the Yoke, which has been translated into more than 30 languages. Ivan Vazov is credited with writing the first Bulgarian fantasy poem and the first Bulgarian science fiction story.

 24 
Enrico Cecchetti
(Ballet Dancer)
Enrico Cecchetti
3
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: 21st June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: November 13, 1928
Recommended Lists:
 25 
Oliver Heaviside
(Mathematician, Physicist, Engineer, Telegraphy)
Oliver Heaviside
1
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: 18th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Camden Town
Died: February 3, 1925

Oliver Heaviside was an English mathematician and physicist. He invented a new technique for solving differential equations and independently developed vector calculus. He is also credited with rewriting Maxwell's equations in the form commonly used today. He formulated the telegrapher’s equations and invented the Heaviside step function as well. In 1922, he received the Faraday Medal.

 26 
Alphonse Pénaud
(French Designer Known for Creating the First Successful Flying Model, Known as the 'Planophore')
Alphonse Pénaud
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 31st May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: October 22, 1880
Alphonse Pénaud, the 19th-century French pioneer of aviation design and engineering, was the originator of the use of twisted rubber to power model aircraft. He created a model airplane called the Planophore which had the first aerodynamically stable flying model in 1871. Pénaud died by suicide amid public ridicule of his ideas and failure to find financial support for research.
Recommended Lists:
 27 
Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia
(Politician)
Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia
2
Birthdate: 14th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: February 26, 1918
 28 
Veronica Micle
(Poet)
Veronica Micle
1
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 22nd April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Năsăud, Romania
Died: August 3, 1889
Recommended Lists:
 29 
Champ Clark
(Politician)
Champ Clark
0
Birthdate: 7th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, United States
Died: March 2, 1921
 30 
César Ritz
(Swiss Hotelier and Founder of the Hôtel Ritz)
César Ritz
2
Listed In: Hoteliers
Birthdate: 23rd February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Niederwald
Died: October 26, 1918
 31 
Thomas Neill Cream
(Physician)
Thomas Neill Cream
3
Birthdate: 27th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Glasgow
Died: November 15, 1892

Thomas Neill Cream, or the Lambeth Poisoner, was a Scottish-Canadian doctor who offered illegal abortions to sex workers in Chicago. He was later executing for poisoning scores of women and blackmailing others for their murders. It is believed he had claimed to be Jack the Ripper just before his execution.

 32 
Annie Smith Peck
(mountaineer, university teacher)
Annie Smith Peck
0
Listed In: Mountaineers
Birthdate: 19th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Providence
Died: July 18, 1935
 33 
Seth Low
(Educator)
Seth Low
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 18th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: September 17, 1916
 34 
John Milne
(British Geologist and Mining Engineer Who Developed the Modern Seismograph)
John Milne
1
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: 30th December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Died: July 31, 1913

John Milne was a British mining engineer and geologist. He is credited with co-founding the Seismological Society of Japan which raised money for the invention of seismographs. John Milne and his team went on to invent the horizontal pendulum seismograph which allowed him to detect various kinds of earthquake waves.

 35 
Frances Xavier Cabrini
(Italian-American Catholic Religious Sister and Founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
Frances Xavier Cabrini
1
Listed In: Saints
Birthdate: 15th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy
Died: December 22, 1917

Frances Xavier Cabrini was an Italian-American nun who founded a Catholic religious institute called the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The institute played a major role in supporting Italian immigrants to the US. In 1946, Frances Xavier Cabrini became the first American citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

 36 
Georg Elias Müller
(German Experimental Psychologist Who Is Credited with the Theory of Retroactive Interference)
Georg Elias Müller
0
Listed In: Psychologists
Birthdate: 20th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Grimma, Germany
Died: December 23, 1934

German psychologist Georg Elias Müller was born into a family of theologians and had initially been interested in mysticism, philosophy, and history. However, he eventually drifted apart to study psychology. A pioneer in the research on sensations, learning, and memory, he also laid down the concept of retroactive interference.

 37 
Sami Frashëri
(Writer)
Sami Frashëri
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 1st June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Frashër, Albania
Died: June 18, 1904
 38 
Almeida Junior
1
Birthdate: 8th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Itu, São Paulo, Brazil
Died: November 13, 1899

Almeida Junior was a Brazilian designer and artist best remembered for introducing the Realistic tradition of Jean-François Millet and Gustave Courbet to Brazil. Regarded as an important and influential artist in Brazil, Almeida Junior was honored with the Gold Medal by the Imperial Academy in 1898. His birthday is celebrated as the Day of Fine Artists in Brazil.

 39 
Herbert Baxter Adams
(Historian)
Herbert Baxter Adams
1
Birthdate: 16th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Shutesbury, Massachusetts, United States
Died: July 30, 1901
 40 
Daniel Carter Beard
(American Illustrator, Author, and Social Reformer Who was a Pioneer of the Youth Scouting Movement)
Daniel Carter Beard
1
Birthdate: 21st June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: June 11, 1941

Daniel Carter Beard was an American author, illustrator, social reformer, and Georgist. He is credited with founding the Sons of Daniel Boone, which he later integrated with the Boy Scouts of America. He also served as the editor of Boys' Life magazine and helped his sister assemble the Camp Fire Girls.

 41 
Eugene Field
(Writer)
Eugene Field
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 2nd September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: November 4, 1895
 42 
Gustav Meyer
(Linguist, Educator)
Gustav Meyer
0
Birthdate: 25th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Strzelce Opolskie, Poland
Died: August 28, 1900
 43 
Marie Fox
(Published a book about Holland House and its art collection which sold well despite criticism from Abraham Hayward.)
Marie Fox
0
Birthdate: 21st December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 26, 1878
 44 
William H. Welch
(Physician)
William H. Welch
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 8th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Norfolk Historic District, Connecticut, United States
Died: April 30, 1934
 45 
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
(The Only British Prince to Serve as the Governor General Of Canada)
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1st May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Buckingham Palace, England
Died: January 16, 1942

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was the third son of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. He was the only British prince to serve as the Governor General of Canada. Prince Arthur is also remembered for performing various royal duties in the United Kingdom and India.

 46 
Sidney Gilchrist Thomas
(Inventor)
Sidney Gilchrist Thomas
0
Listed In: Inventors
Birthdate: 16th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England
Died: February 1, 1885
 47 
Pavel Axelrod
(Russian Marxist Revolutionary and One of the Founders of the 'Russian Social Democratic Party')
Pavel Axelrod
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 25th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Pochep, Russia
Died: April 16, 1928

Marxist revolutionary leader Pavel Axelrod was closely associated with the Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party and the Mensheviks. He was married to the daughter of satirist Isaac Kaminer. He went against the Bolshevik Revolution during World War I. He was exiled to Berlin in his final years and died there eventually.

 48 
Salome Urena
(Poet)
Salome Urena
0
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 21st October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Died: March 6, 1898
 49 
Victoria Benedictsson
(Swedish Author Known for Her Natural and Unpretentious Stories of Swedish Folk Life)
Victoria Benedictsson
0
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: 6th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Trelleborg Municipality, Sweden
Died: July 21, 1888
Victoria Benedictsson was a Swedish author best remembered as one of the greatest exponents of Swedish realism. Today, she is widely regarded as an early feminist as many of her novels discussed women's rights and the inequality of marriage. Victoria Benedictsson committed suicide at the age of 38.
 50 
Siri von Essen
(Former Actress who appeared in a number of plays that the Swedish dramatist and writer August Strindberg wrote specifically for her)
Siri von Essen
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 17th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Porvoo, Finland
Died: April 22, 1912