Famous People Born In 1812

Discover the most famous people born in 1812. The list includes people like Charles Dickens, Robert Browning, Henry Wilson, Alexander Herzen, Kirkpatrick Macmillan and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include poets, philosophers, political leaders and novelists born in 1812. This list includes people from Germany, England, United States & Russia and many more countries.
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 1 
Charles Dickens
(The Greatest Novelist of the Victorian Era)
Charles Dickens
32
Listed In: Novelists
Birthdate: 7th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Landport, Hampshire, England
Died: June 9, 1870

Widely considered the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens was an English writer famous for creating world-renowned fictional characters. Regarded by critics and scholars as a literary genius, most of his short stories and novels are read around the world even today. His distinctive style of writing is referred to as Dickensian.

 2 
Robert Browning
(Poet & Playwright)
Robert Browning
9
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 7th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Camberwell
Died: December 12, 1889

Robert Browning was an English playwright and poet best remembered for his dramatic monologues. His monologues are widely studied around the world as most teachers consider them ideal examples of the monologue form. One of the most important Victorian poets, Browning has inspired several poets and playwrights. 

 3 
Kirkpatrick Macmillan
(Inventor of Pedal Bicycle)
Kirkpatrick Macmillan
7
Birthdate: 2nd September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Keir, Dumfries and Galloway
Died: January 23, 1878

Kirkpatrick Macmillan was a 19th-century Scottish blacksmith generally credited with inventing the pedal-driven bicycle. He allegedly completed constructing a pedal-driven bicycle of wood in 1839. The bicycle included iron-rimmed wooden wheels and a steerable wheel. However, there is no concrete evidence to prove that he was indeed the inventor of the first pedal-driven bicycle.  

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 4 
James Andrew Broun Ramsay, marquess and 10th earl of Dalhousie
(Governor-general of India)
James Andrew Broun Ramsay, marquess and 10th earl of Dalhousie
2
Birthdate: 22nd April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dalhousie Castle, Scotland
Died: December 19, 1860
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 5 
Edward Lear
(English Artist, Illustrator, Musician and Poet)
Edward Lear
1
Birthdate: 12th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Holloway, Middlesex, England
Died: January 29, 1888

Renowned for his absurdism and wit, Edward Lear was a British poet who popularized literary nonsense. A talented painter, too, he had worked for the London Zoo, illustrating birds, and had later released illustrated travel books. A pioneer of the modern limerick, he penned the iconic poem The Owl and the Pussycat.

 6 
Henry Wilson
(18th Vice President of the U.S.A)
Henry Wilson
2
Birthdate: 16th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Farmington
Died: November 22, 1875
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 7 
Martin Delany
(Journalist)
Martin Delany
2
Birthdate: 6th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Charles Town, Virginia, United States
Died: January 24, 1885
 8 
Alexander Herzen
(Russian Writer and Thinker Known as the ‘Father of Russian Socialism’)
Alexander Herzen
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 6th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: January 21, 1870

Alexander Herzen was a Russian thinker and writer. Regarded as the father of Russian socialism, Herzen played an influential role in the political set up of the 19th and 20th century. He also influenced personalities like Isaiah Berlin, who regarded Herzen as his hero. Herzen's book My Past and Thoughts is considered one of the best autobiographies in Russian literature.

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 9 
Natalia Pushkina
(Former Poet who was wife of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin)
Natalia Pushkina
0
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 8th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tambov Oblast, Russia
Died: November 26, 1863
 10 
Théodore Rousseau
(Painter)
Théodore Rousseau
1
Listed In: Realist Painters
Birthdate: 15th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 22, 1867
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 11 
Samuel Smiles
(British Author and Government Reformer)
Samuel Smiles
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 23rd December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland
Died: April 16, 1904

Though a qualified doctor, Samuel Smiles later never practiced and switched to journalism instead, working for Leeds Times. His best-known work remains Self-Help, a motivational self-improvement guide for the youth, which denounced materialism and advocated thrift. His other significant work was the 5-volume Lives of the Engineers.

 12 
Johann Gottfried Galle
(Astronomer, University teacher)
Johann Gottfried Galle
1
Listed In: Astronomers
Birthdate: 9th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Radis
Died: July 10, 1910

Johann Gottfried Galle was a German astronomer who worked at the Berlin Observatory. On 23 September 1846, he became the first person to view and recognize the planet Neptune. The discovery of Neptune is considered one of the most significant moments of 19th-century science and is widely regarded as a validation of celestial mechanics.

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 13 
Ivan Goncharov
(Novelist)
Ivan Goncharov
0
Birthdate: 18th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ulyanovsk, Russia
Died: September 1, 1891

Russian novelist and travel writer Ivan Goncharov is best remembered for his novel Oblomov. Born into an affluent merchant family, he later had a 30-year stint as an official, working for the ministries of finance and censorship. In his memoir, An Uncommon Story, he accused many authors of plagiarizing his works.

 14 
Moses Hess
(Philosopher)
Moses Hess
1
Listed In: Philosophers
Birthdate: 21st June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany
Died: April 6, 1875
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 15 
Charles John Canning, Earl Canning
(Statesman)
Charles John Canning, Earl Canning
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 14th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: June 17, 1862
 16 
William Tappan Thompson
(Writer)
William Tappan Thompson
0
Listed In: Editors
Birthdate: 31st August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ravenna, Ohio, United States
Died: March 24, 1882
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 17 
Charles Lewis Tiffany
(Trader)
Charles Lewis Tiffany
2
Birthdate: 15th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Connecticut, United States
Died: February 18, 1902
 18 
Mirza Fatali Akhundov
(Writer and Philisopher)
Mirza Fatali Akhundov
0
Birthdate: 12th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Shaki, Azerbaijan
Died: March 9, 1878

Iranian Azerbaijani author and philosopher Mirza Fatali Akhundov was the first literary critic and realist writer from his country. He developed the Azerbaijani alphabets and script. The 19th-century author is also remembered as the pioneer of atheism and nationalism in his country. He also criticized Islam and other religions.

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 19 
Augustus Pugin
(English Architect and Designer Known for His Pioneering Role in the Gothic Revival Style of Architecture)
Augustus Pugin
2
Listed In: Designers
Birthdate: 1st March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Keppel Street, Bloomsbury, London, England
Died: September 14, 1852

Augustus Pugin was an English designer, architect, artist, and critic. He is best remembered for his contribution to the Gothic Revival style of architecture. He is credited with designing the interior of the popular Palace of Westminster in London as well as the palace's iconic clock tower. Augustus Pugin also designed the Alton Castle in Staffordshire.

 20 
Kaspar Hauser
(German Youth Who Claimed to Have Grown Up in the Total Isolation of a Darkened Cell)
Kaspar Hauser
2
Birthdate: 30th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: December 17, 1833
First found on the streets of Nuremberg at 16, Kaspar Hauser didn’t known how to walk properly or communicate, having been raised in an isolated cell. Rumors stated he was probably linked to the royalty of Baden. Though Friedrich Daumer taught him many subjects later, Hauser was eventually murdered.
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 21 
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
(Polish Writer Best Known for His Epic Series on the History of Poland)
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
1
Listed In: Novelists
Birthdate: 28th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Died: March 19, 1887

One of the greatest writers of the Romantic period in Poland, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski is best remembered for his historical novel An Ancient Tale. Accused of conspiring against the Russian government and imprisoned, he devoted his life to writing after his release. He was later imprisoned by Germany, too, for spying.

 22 
Hendrik Conscience
(Novelist Best Known for His Romantic Nationalist Novel, 'The Lion of Flanders (1838)')
Hendrik Conscience
0
Listed In: Novelists
Birthdate: 3rd December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Antwerp, Belgium
Died: September 10, 1883

Belgian romantic novelist Hendrik Conscience was one of the pioneers of the Flemish novel. Best remembered for his historical fiction The Lion of Flanders, he had also penned tales on urban and rural life. He had also been a local politician, a museum curator, and a district commissioner.

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 23 
Zuo Zongtang
Zuo Zongtang
1
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 10th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Xiangyin County
Died: September 5, 1885
 24 
Ilija Garašanin
(The Prime Minister of Serbia (1852-1853, 1861-1867))
Ilija Garašanin
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 28th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Garasi, Serbia
Died: June 22, 1874

Serbian statesman and 2-time prime minister of Serbia, Ilija Garašanin initially served as a colonel and commander of the army. The son of Serbian revolutionary Milutin Savić, he supported Prince Miloš Obrenović in his early days but later helped Prince Alexander Karadjordjević come to power.

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 25 
George Grey
(11th Premier of New Zealand (1877 - 1879) )
George Grey
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 14th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Died: September 19, 1898

George Grey was a British explorer, soldier, writer, and colonial administrator. He served as the 11th Premier of New Zealand from 1877 to 1879. He also served as the Governor of New Zealand from 1845 to 1854 and again from 1861 to 1868. George Grey's life and career inspired a miniseries titled The Governor.

 26 
Louise of Orléans
(Queen consort of the Belgians)
Louise of Orléans
1
Birthdate: 3rd April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Palermo
Died: October 11, 1850
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 27 
Henry Mayhew
(British Journalist, Playwright and One of the Co-founders of the Satirical Magazine 'Punch')
Henry Mayhew
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 25th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: July 25, 1887

A co-founder of the iconic British satirical magazine Punch, Henry Mayhew ran away from home to work for the East India Company on a ship to Calcutta. He then worked as a trainee lawyer, before finding his footing in freelance journalism. He remains best-known for his 4-volume London Labour and the London Poor.

 28 
Friedrich von Flotow
(German Composer)
Friedrich von Flotow
0
Listed In: Composers
Birthdate: 27th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Mecklenburg, Germany
Died: January 24, 1883
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 29 
Edouard Séguin
(Physician)
Edouard Séguin
0
Listed In: Psychiatrists
Birthdate: 20th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Clamecy, France
Died: October 28, 1880
 30 
Maria Cristina of Savoy
(Consort)
Maria Cristina of Savoy
0
Birthdate: 14th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cagliari, Italy
Died: January 21, 1836

The youngest daughter of Victor Emmanuel I, the king of Sardinia, Maria Cristina of Savoy was the first wife of Ferdinand II, the king of the Two Sicilies. She died at age 23, shortly after giving birth to future king Francis II. She was later declared beatified by the Roman Catholic church.

 31 
Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell
(Military personnel)
Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 29th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Goldegg, Austria
Died: July 14, 1895
 32 
Alfred Krupp
(Industrialist)
Alfred Krupp
1
Listed In: Steel
Birthdate: 26th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Essen, Germany
Died: July 14, 1887
 33 
Johanne Luise Heiberg
(Actress)
Johanne Luise Heiberg
0
Birthdate: 22nd November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: December 21, 1890
 34 
Madame Restell
(Abortionist)
Madame Restell
1
Listed In: Business Women
Birthdate: 6th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: England
Died: April 1, 1878
 35 
Charley Parkhurst
(Stagecoach driver)
Charley Parkhurst
1
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: Sharon, Vermont, United States
Died: December 18, 1879
 36 
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
(Norwegian Writer and Scholar)
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
1
Listed In: Educators
Birthdate: 15th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Oslo, Norway
Died: January 5, 1885

Legendary Norwegian folklore writer Peter Christen Asbjørnsen is best remembered for his collaboration with Jorgen Engebretsen Moe. Initially a zoologist, he went on several expeditions but later deviated to theology and eventually to mythology and folk tales. Asbjørnsen and Moe re-told many old Norse tales, such as The Three Billy-Goats Gruff.

 37 
Agoston Haraszthy
(Viticulturist)
Agoston Haraszthy
0
Listed In: Noblemen
Birthdate: 30th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Pest, Budapest, Hungary
Died: July 6, 1869
 38 
Zygmunt Krasiński
(Poet)
Zygmunt Krasiński
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 19th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: February 23, 1859
 39 
Buenaventura Báez
(Politician)
Buenaventura Báez
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 14th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Rincón, Puerto Rico
Died: March 14, 1884
 40 
Robert Fortune
(Botanist)
Robert Fortune
1
Listed In: Botanists
Birthdate: 16th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berwickshire, Scotland
Died: April 13, 1880

Scottish botanist and traveler Robert Fortune was involved in a lot of exploratory projects, which took him to China and Taiwan. He is credited with the development of the tea business in India, as part of the East India Company’s campaign. He also brought in many trees, shrubs, and flowers to Europe.

 41 
Eduard van der Nüll
(Former architect, who was one of the great masters in the historicist style of Vienna's Ringstrasse)
Eduard van der Nüll
0
Birthdate: 9th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: April 4, 1868
 42 
Alexander Hamilton Stephens
(Governor of Georgia (1882-83))
Alexander Hamilton Stephens
4
Birthdate: 11th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Crawfordville, Georgia, United States
Died: March 4, 1883
 43 
Louis Leroy
(Painter)
Louis Leroy
0
Birthdate: 1st January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 1, 1885
 44 
Empress Xiaojingcheng
(Empress)
Empress Xiaojingcheng
0
Birthdate: 19th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tongliao, China
Died: August 21, 1855

Known as the concubine of Mianning, the Daoguang Emperor, Empress Xiaojingcheng was honored as an empress posthumously. Though it is assumed she was Mongol by origin, her original name doesn’t find any mention in any Chinese text. She became an Empress dowager of the Qing dynasty during the Xianfeng Emperor’s reign.

 45 
John Sandfield Macdonald
(Attorney)
John Sandfield Macdonald
0
Listed In: Lawyers
Birthdate: 12th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada
Died: June 1, 1872
 46 
Robert Richard Torrens
(Writer)
Robert Richard Torrens
0
Birthdate: 31st May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cork, Ireland
Died: August 31, 1884
 47 
Richard March Hoe
(Inventor)
Richard March Hoe
0
Listed In: Inventors
Birthdate: 12th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: June 7, 1886
 48 
William George Ward
(Theologian)
William George Ward
0
Birthdate: 21st March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England
Died: July 6, 1882
 49 
Roundell Palmer, 1st earl of Selborne
(British jurist)
Roundell Palmer, 1st earl of Selborne
1
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: 27th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mixbury, England
Died: May 4, 1895
 50 
Joseph, Baron Günzburg
(Financier)
Joseph, Baron Günzburg
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: Vitsyebsk, Belarus
Died: January 12, 1878