Famous People Born In 1784

Angelica Hamilton was the daughter of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of America. She is said to have suffered a mental breakdown in 1801 when her brother Philip was killed in a duel. It is said that she could never recover from the shock and the incident was the main reason for her lifelong mental health issues.

Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha reigned as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld from 9 December 1806 to 12 November 1826. He oversaw the construction of many projects, including a court theatre, in Coburg. Ernest is also remembered for the educational, constitutional, and economic development of his territories.

Known for poems such as Abou Ben Adhem, 19th-century English poet, critic, and essayist Leigh Hunt had founded the newspaper The Examiner, with his brother. Apart from critiquing the politics, theater, and art of his time, he also criticized Prince Regent George, an act that put him behind bars briefly.

William Buckland was an English theologian, palaeontologist, and geologist. He is best remembered for his service as the Dean of Westminster. He is credited with writing the first full account of a dinosaur fossil, which he named Megalosaurus. William Buckland pioneered the usage of fossilized faeces to reconstruct ecosystems. Buckland was the recipient of the prestigious Copley Medal.

Friedrich Bessel was a German mathematician, astronomer, geodesist, and physicist. He was the first astronomer to use the method of parallax in order to determine the distance of a star from the sun. Bessel was a much-respected figure during his time. He was honored with the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Ferdinand VII of Spain reigned as the king of Spain during the 19th century. Widely regarded as despotic and incompetent, Ferdinand is often criticized by historians and scholars for having failed to disallow the disintegration of the Spanish territories in the Americas. Thus, he is often blamed for the termination of the Spanish rule in the Americas.

François Rude was a French sculptor best remembered for sculpting the Departure of the Volunteers on the Arc de Triomphe, which is counted among the most prominent monuments in Paris. His work often expressed the transition from neo-classicism to romanticism. François Rude is also credited with mentoring Charles-Auguste Lebourg and Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, who became prominent sculptors in their own right.

Allan Cunningham was a Scottish author and poet best remembered for his immense contribution to the London Magazine during its salad days in the 1820s. A prolific songwriter, Cunningham also contributed to Eugenius Roche's Literary Recreations. In addition to his poems and songs, Allan Cunningham also wrote novels and biographies of popular figures like Sir Joshua Reynolds and William Blake.

François-Joseph Fétis was a Belgian composer, musicologist, and teacher. He is also counted among the 19th century's most influential music critics. Apart from musicology, Fétis had a profound influence on music theory as well. As a writer, François-Joseph Fétis is also known for his massive compilation of biographical data which remains a prominent source of information today.

Spanish military general Rafael del Riego led the Liberal Triennium in Spain. His early military career was spent fighting the French invading forces during the Peninsular War. His revolt against Ferdinand VII was against the king’s treatment of the army and his American campaign and restored the constitution for 3 years.

Ferdinand Ries was a German composer best remembered for his association with Ludwig van Beethoven. He studied under Beethoven before going on to become his secretary. Ries is credited with helping Beethoven with the premieres of the latter's Fifth and Sixth Symphonies which were used in the Beethoven concert of 22 December 1808. 

First generation English emigrant Robert Hoe began his career with co-founding a printer’s equipment manufacturing unit called Smith, Hoe and Company, changing its name to R. Hoe & Company when upon the death of his partners he became its sole proprietor. A skilled technician, he improved upon existing printing press designs, successfully flooding the US market with his own products.  

Christopher Hansteen was a Norwegian astronomer, physicist, and geophysicist. He is best remembered for his research on terrestrial magnetism and his mapping of the geomagnetic field. Christopher Hansteen also served as the director of the Norwegian Mapping Authority from 1817 to 1872.

The son of an Irish MP, Sir Richard Griffith, 1st Baronet initially served the Irish Artillery but later devoted himself to mining and geology. Known as the father of Irish geology, he was the first to create a geological map of Ireland and also wrote a land valuation survey of the country.

Anders Danielsson was a Swedish politician and farmer. Best remembered for his strong will, Danielsson played an important role in almost all Riksdag meetings from early 1800s until his demise in 1839. Anders Danielsson also served as a representative of 27 districts.