Famous People Born In 1770

German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music even two centuries after his death. Born into a musical family, he was initially tutored by his father. He found success early as a pianist and went on to become an admired composer despite suffering from hearing-impairment.

English poet William Wordsworth, along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, released Lyrical Ballads in 1798, which set the tone for the Romantic Age of English Literature. Wordsworth was known for his poems I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, The Prelude, and The Solitary Reaper. He also served as the Poet Laureate.

Frontiersman William Clark is remembered for his iconic expedition to the Pacific Northwest along with Meriwether Lewis, in what is known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He had also been a US Army soldier and the governor of Missouri Territory. He named his first-born after Lewis.

German lyric poet and dramatist Friedrich Hölderlin was a significant figure of German Romanticism. Initially pushed to join a Christian ministry by his mother, he later ditched the idea and was inspired by Greek mythology. He later suffered from schizophrenia and spent 36 years in a tower, later named the Hölderlinturm.

Manuel Belgrano was an Argentine lawyer, politician, economist, journalist, and military leader. Widely regarded as one of the most important Libertadores of Argentina, Belgrano played a prominent role in the Argentine Wars of Independence and is credited with creating the Flag of Argentina. Manuel Belgrano is regarded as one of the greatest heroes in the history of Argentina.

Alexandre Pétion was a Haitian political leader best remembered for his service as the first President of Haiti from 9 March 1807 until his death on 29 March 1818. Today, Alexandre Pétion is revered as one of the founding fathers of Haiti.

David Thompson was a British-Canadian explorer, fur trader, and surveyor. He was known to some native peoples as Koo-Koo-Sint or "the Stargazer". He traveled over 90,000 kilometers (56,000 mi) across North America over the course of his career and established a successful fur trade. He was married to a Metis woman and had numerous children. 

Theodoros Kolokotronis was a Greek general and the greatest leader of the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottoman Empire. He is credited with defeating Mahmud Dramali Pasha's Ottoman army at the Battle of Dervenakia, which is widely regarded as Kolokotronis' greatest success. Today, Theodoros Kolokotronis is ranked among the most important figures in the Greek War of Independence.

Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish sculptor and medallist. He was internationally famous and spent most of his life in Italy. He received his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Art and initially worked with his father, a woodcarver. He went on to become a famous sculptor and worked in a heroic neo-classicist style. He received many awards. 

Benjamin Wright was an American civil engineer best remembered for his work as a chief engineer. He is credited with overseeing the design and construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Erie Canal. In 1969, Benjamin Wright was declared the Father of American Civil Engineering by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Best known for exploring the geology of the Tertiary Period, Alexandre Brongniart initially taught natural history and then became a professor of mineralogy. He also worked for the development of porcelain enameling in France. His other works include a classification of reptiles and the introduction of geologic dating.

The son of Frederick William II, Prussian king Frederick William III mostly kept himself aloof from important decisions. He also hampered Prussia’s image by maintaining neutrality in the Wars of the Second and Third Coalitions. He mostly remained under the shadow of his wife, Queen Louise.

John M. Mason was an American theologian and preacher who served as the Provost of Columbia College in the 1810s. In the early-1820s, he also served as the president of Dickinson College. An excellent orator, John M. Mason served as a pastor for 17 years.

Paul Storr was an English goldsmith and silversmith. He worked predominantly in the Neoclassical style in vogue in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One of the most prominent silversmiths of his era, he created several magnificent sculptural pieces for royalty. He collaborated with John Mortimer to found their joint venture, Storr and Mortimer, in 1822. 

Initially a shepherd, Karl Schulmeister later became a businessman and a smuggler. He eventually became a spy, working for Napoleon I. He had also served as the commissioner of police for Vienna. He spent his final days in poverty, working as a tobacconist after the end of Napoleon’s reign.