Famous People Born In 1859

Discover the most famous people born in 1859. The list includes people like Billy the Kid, John Dewey, Pierre Curie, Henri Bergson, Svante Arrhenius and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include novelists, poets, inventors and political leaders born in 1859. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Germany and many more countries.
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 1 
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(British Writer Who Created the Character of Sherlock Holmes)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
33
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 22nd May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Scotland
Died: July 7, 1930
Physician-turned-author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is remembered for creating the iconic character Sherlock Holmes. He wrote four novels and 56 short stories on Holmes’s detective adventures and also created the characters Professor Challenger and Brigadier Gerard. A sports lover, he had dabbled in cricket, football, and bodybuilding, too.
 2 
Wilhelm II
(German Emperor and King of Prussia (1888 - 1918))
Wilhelm II
32
Listed In: Emperors & Kings
Birthdate: 27th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: June 4, 1941

Wilhelm II reigned as the King of Prussia and German emperor from 1888 to 1918. He is credited with promoting scientific innovation and building a blue-water navy, which strengthened Germany’s position as a great power. However, he was also responsible for getting his country involved in World War I, which eventually brought an end to the Hohenzollern dynasty’s rule.

 3 
Pierre Curie
(Nobel Laureate in Physics)
Pierre Curie
40
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 15th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: April 19, 1906

A pioneer in crystallography, radioactivity, piezoelectricity, and magnetism, Pierre Curie was a French physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Henri Becquerel and Marie Curie. Despite being an atheist, Pierre Curie was fascinated by spiritualism as he believed that spiritual questions deal with physics. 

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 4 
John Dewey
(Philosopher)
John Dewey
19
Birthdate: 20th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Burlington, Vermont, United States
Died: June 1, 1952

A staunch advocate of progressive education and liberalism, the American philosopher and psychologist was the founder of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. John Dewey’s famous writings included The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology and Human Nature and Conduct. According to him, passion for knowledge and intellectual curiosity were central to a teacher. He called himself a democratic socialist.

 5 
Georges Seurat
(French Post-Impressionist Artist Who Devised the Painting Techniques Known as 'Chromoluminarism' and 'Pointillism')
Georges Seurat
6
Birthdate: 2nd December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: March 29, 1891

A significant figure of the Post-Impressionist era, Georges Seurat depicted structured art, far removed from the free-flowing Impressionist art. Best known for techniques such as pointillism, he created masterpieces such as Bathers at Asnières. He died before his last exhibition ended, and eerily displayed an unfinished painting, Cirque.

 6 
Jerome K. Jerome
16
Birthdate: 2nd May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Caldmore, United Kingdom
Died: June 14, 1927
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 7 
Fusajiro Yamauchi
(Japanese Entrepreneur Best Remembered as the Founder of 'Nintendo')
Fusajiro Yamauchi
0
Birthdate: 22nd November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kyoto
Died: January 1, 1940

Fusajiro Yamauchi was a Japanese entrepreneur best remembered for founding Nintendo. He also served as the first president of the company. Yamauchi started the company as a hanafuda card-making unit. Nintendo Koppai cards were the only exception in a time when the Japanese government had banned other playing cards due to their association with gambling.  

 8 
Henri Bergson
(French Philosopher and Winner of the 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Henri Bergson
2
Listed In: Philosophers
Birthdate: 18th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 4, 1941

French philosopher, Henri Bergson, is remembered for his contribution to the tradition of continental philosophy. His works were considered extremely influential,  especially during the first half of the 20th century. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1927) and  Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur (1930). He was a simple man who led a humble life despite his great achievements.

 9 
A. E. Housman
2
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 26th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Fockbury, England
Died: April 30, 1936
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 10 
Svante Arrhenius
(Scientist)
Svante Arrhenius
3
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 19th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vik
Died: October 2, 1927

Svante Arrhenius was a Swedish scientist who became the first Swedish person to win a Nobel Prize when he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1903. Although he was originally a physicist, Arrhenius is widely accepted as a chemist and is best remembered for co-founding physical chemistry. Stockholm University houses the Arrhenius Labs, which is named in his honor.

 11 
Venustiano Carranza
(44th President of Mexico)
Venustiano Carranza
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 29th December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cuatrociénegas Municipality, Mexico
Died: May 21, 1920

Venustiano Carranza was one of the most important leaders of the Mexican Revolution, which transformed the Mexican government and culture. A powerful and influential person, Carranza served as the head of state for two years before serving as the 44th president of Mexico from 1916 to 1920.

 12 
L. L. Zamenhof
(Linguist, Ophthalmologist, Inventor, Poet, Translator, Esperantist, Physician, Writer, Bible translator)
L. L. Zamenhof
2
Listed In: Linguists
Birthdate: 15th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Białystok
Died: April 14, 1917

L. L. Zamenhof was an ophthalmologist best remembered for creating the most widely spoken international auxiliary language, Esperanto. He came up with the constructed language after being consumed by the idea of a warless world. L. L. Zamenhof received several honors for creating Esperanto, including the Légion d'honneur. He also received 12 nominations for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

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 13 
Thibaw Min
(King)
Thibaw Min
2
Listed In: Emperors & Kings
Birthdate: 1st January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mandalay, Myanmar
Died: December 19, 1916
 14 
Knut Hamsun
(One of the Most Influential Norwegian Writers & Winner of the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature.)
Knut Hamsun
6
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 4th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lom Municipality, Norway
Died: February 19, 1952

Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, a leading figure of neo-romanticism, is best remembered for his novel Hunger, which narrated the tale of a starving writer. With little education, he had started his career as a shoemaker’s apprentice. He supported the Nazi occupation of Norway and was later imprisoned.

 15 
Carrie Chapman Catt
(American Women's Suffrage Leader Who Successfully Campaigned for Passing of the ‘Nineteenth Amendment’)
Carrie Chapman Catt
2
Birthdate: 9th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ripon
Died: March 9, 1947

American women's suffrage-leader Carrie Chapman Catt  served as president of National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), and founded the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (later International Alliance of Women) and League of Women Voters. She is best-known for leading the NAWSA, organising the Winning Plan and playing a pivotal role in passing of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

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 16 
Katharine Lee Bates
(poet, writer, university teacher, songwriter)
Katharine Lee Bates
0
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 12th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Falmouth
Died: September 28, 1929
 17 
Jean Jaurès
(French Socialist Leader )
Jean Jaurès
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 3rd September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Castres, France
Died: July 31, 1914
 18 
Charles Comiskey
(American Major League Baseball Player and Founding Owner of the 'Chicago White Sox')
Charles Comiskey
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: 15th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: October 26, 1931

An American League co-founder Charles Comiskey, better known by his nickname Commy, was one of the early members of the St. Louis Brown Stockings. Though part of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Chicago White Sox owner was dragged into a controversy when his team was involved in the Black Sox Scandal.

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 19 
Florence Kelley
(American Social and Political Reformer and the Pioneer of the Term 'Wage Abolitionism')
Florence Kelley
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 12th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 17, 1932

Florence Kelley was an American political and social reformer who pioneered the term wage abolitionism. Kelley's work for the minimum wage, children's rights, and eight-hour workdays are widely acclaimed today. After serving as the National Consumers League’s first general secretary, Florence Kelley helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.    

 20 
Edmund Husserl
(German Philosopher, Mathematician and Founder of Phenomenology)
Edmund Husserl
6
Birthdate: 8th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Prostějov, Czechia
Died: April 27, 1938

Edmund Husserl was a German philosopher of Moravian origin. He established the school of phenomenology. He studied mathematics, physics, and astronomy at the University of Leipzig and worked as an assistant to mathematician Karl Weierstrass. He later became a professor of philosophy and taught for several years. He is considered a major figure in 20th-century philosophy.  

 21 
Alexander Stepanovich Popov
(Russian Physicist Who Was One of the First Persons to Invent a Radio Receiving Device)
Alexander Stepanovich Popov
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 16th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Krasnoturinsk, Russia
Died: January 13, 1906

Alexander Stepanovich Popov was a Russian physicist best remembered for his pioneering work in transmitting radio signals. One of the first inventors to come up with a radio receiving device, Popov's work was contemporaneous with the groundbreaking work of Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi. Popov's life and career inspired the 1949 biographical film Alexander Popov which was directed by Herbert Rappaport.

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 22 
Dorabji Tata
(Key figure in the history and development of the Tata Group)
Dorabji Tata
2
Birthdate: 27th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Died: June 3, 1932
 23 
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
(Royal Navy officer)
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
3
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 5th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Southampton, England
Died: November 20, 1935
 24 
Samuel Insull
(Business Magnate)
Samuel Insull
1
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 11th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: July 16, 1938
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 25 
Supayalat
(Queen)
Supayalat
4
Birthdate: 13th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mandalay, Myanmar
Died: November 24, 1925
 26 
Henry Gauthier-Villars
(Writer)
Henry Gauthier-Villars
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 8th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Villiers-sur-Orge, France
Died: January 12, 1931
 27 
Sholem Aleichem
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 2nd March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pereiaslav, Ukraine
Died: May 13, 1916
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 28 
Pavel Milyukov
(Russian Liberal Politician and Former Member of the Russian State Duma (1906 - 1917))
Pavel Milyukov
0
Birthdate: 27th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: March 31, 1943

Russian liberal politician and historian Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov co-founded the Constitutional Democratic Party in the Russian Empire and led the party in the Russian State Duma from 1906 to 1917. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Russian Provisional Government for a brief period and later as Member of the Russian Constituent Assembly until it was dissolved.  .

 29 
Pierre Janet
(Psychologist)
Pierre Janet
0
Birthdate: 30th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: February 24, 1947
 30 
Théophile Steinlen
(French Art Nouveau Painter and Printmaker)
Théophile Steinlen
0
Birthdate: 10th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lausanne, Switzerland
Died: December 13, 1923

French-Swiss artist Théophile Steinlen is best remembered for his Art Nouveau paintings. He was also known for his signature, and mostly symbolic, use of cats in most of his works. He got acquainted with several artists at the Le Chat Noir club, leading to commissions for artwork.

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 31 
Henry Ossawa Tanner
(American Artist and the First Painter to Gain International Acclaim)
Henry Ossawa Tanner
3
Listed In: Realist Painters
Birthdate: 21st June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: May 25, 1937

Henry Ossawa Tanner was an American artist best remembered as the first African-American painter to achieve international fame. Widely regarded as the best African American painter of all time, Henry's work was influential during his lifetime. The works of other painters like William Edouard Scott and Norman Rockwell were influenced by Henry Ossawa Tanner's technique.

 32 
Anna Ancher
(One of Denmark's Greatest Visual Artists)
Anna Ancher
0
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 18th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Skagen, Denmark
Died: April 15, 1935

Anna Ancher was a Danish artist whose paintings depicted the everyday lives of fishermen, children, and women. Widely regarded as one of the greatest visual artists of Denmark, Anna Ancher was honored with several awards, such as the Ingenio et Arti medal and Tagea Brandt Rejselegat. She was also depicted on the DKK1000 banknote.

 33 
Cass Gilbert
(American Architect Who Designed the Woolworth Building and the United States Supreme Court Building)
Cass Gilbert
1
Birthdate: 24th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Zanesville, Ohio, United States
Died: May 17, 1934
Prominent American architect, Cass Gilbert was an early proponent of skyscrapers and designed public buildings in the Beaux-Arts style. Some of his works include the United States Supreme Court building, the Woolworth Building, and the Saint Louis Art Museum and Public Library. He also planned the campuses of the Universities of Texas (Austin) and Minnesota (Minneapolis).
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 34 
Childe Hassam
(Painter)
Childe Hassam
0
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 17th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dorchester
Died: August 27, 1935
 35 
Prince Oscar Bernadotte
(Prince)
Prince Oscar Bernadotte
0
Birthdate: 15th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: October 4, 1953
 36 
Saad Zaghloul
(Prime Minister)
Saad Zaghloul
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 1st July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, Egypt
Died: August 23, 1927

Egyptian statesman Saad Zaghloul, who once led the Wafd Party and the 1918-19 nationalist movement, had also served as the prime minister of Egypt for less than a year. Initially an advocate, he had also worked as a journalist. He had headed the Egyptian ministries of justice and education, too.

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 37 
James Kenneth Stephen
(Poet)
James Kenneth Stephen
1
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 25th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London, England
Died: February 3, 1892
 38 
Cecil Sharp
(Musician)
Cecil Sharp
0
Birthdate: 22nd November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: June 23, 1924
 39 
Hans Zatzka
(Painter)
Hans Zatzka
0
Birthdate: 8th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: December 17, 1945

Austrian academic and fantasy-painter Hans Zatzka is noted for his paintings of fairies, women, and fantastical scenes, besides his religious paintings and altar pieces that are dedicated to different churches in Austria. He often signed his works using different pseudonyms like Joseph Bernard so as to avoid penalties of breaking contracts which restricted the number of works he could sell.

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 40 
Havelock Ellis
(Physician)
Havelock Ellis
1
Birthdate: 2nd February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Croydon
Died: July 8, 1939

Havelock Ellis co-wrote the first English textbook on homosexuality. Initially a teacher in Australia, he later moved to London to study medicine. His seven-part Studies in the Psychology of Sex is a first-of-its-kind study on human sexuality. He also believed in eugenics and the importance of smell in sexual behavior.

 41 
Maurice-Georges Paléologue
(French diplomat and writer)
Maurice-Georges Paléologue
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 13th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: November 21, 1944

Maurice-Georges Paléologue was a French diplomat and historian. He was also an essayist of great caliber. He played a pivotal role in the French entry into the First World War. At that time, he was the French ambassador to Russia and was in support of the Russian mobilization against Germany. He was also a published author of novels and essays. 

 42 
Luis Muñoz Rivera
(Poet)
Luis Muñoz Rivera
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 17th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Barranquitas, Puerto Rico
Died: November 15, 1916
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 43 
Frank Johnson Goodnow
(Educator)
Frank Johnson Goodnow
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 18th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: November 15, 1939
 44 
Christian von Ehrenfels
(Philosopher)
Christian von Ehrenfels
0
Listed In: Philosophers
Birthdate: 20th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: September 8, 1932

One of the pioneers of Gestalt psychology, Austrian philosopher Christian von Ehrenfels also made a significant contribution to the value theory. Apart from his pathbreaking work System of Value Theory, he had also penned plays and pamphlets. He also believed Asians were a threat to the European race.

 45 
Aurel Stodola
(Engineer)
Aurel Stodola
0
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: 10th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Liptovský Mikuláš
Died: December 25, 1942
 46 
Ellen Gates Starr
(American Social Reformer and Activist)
Ellen Gates Starr
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 19th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Laona Township, Illinois, United States
Died: February 10, 1940

Ellen Gates Starr is best remembered for co-establishing the Hull House social settlement in Chicago along with activist Jane Addams. Initially an art student, she later dedicated her life for the betterment of immigrant factory workers and reformation for child labor laws. She later retired to a Roman Catholic convent.

 47 
William Churchill
(Ethnologist)
William Churchill
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 5th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: June 8, 1920
 48 
Peder Mørk Mønsted
(Painter)
Peder Mørk Mønsted
0
Listed In: Realist Painters
Birthdate: 10th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Grenaa, Denmark
Died: June 21, 1941

Peder Mørk Mønsted was a Danish realist painter best remembered for his portrayal of landscapes in a realistic style. Some of his favorite motifs were forests, still water, and snowy winter landscapes. A habitual traveler, Peder Mørk Mønsted presented his paintings at several international exhibitions. Today, many of his works are being treasured by private collectors around the world.

 49 
Émile Meyerson
(French Epistemologist, Chemist, and Philosopher of Science)
Émile Meyerson
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 12th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lublin, Poland
Died: December 2, 1933

Born in Poland, science philosopher Émile Meyerson studied at the University of Heidelberg and later settled in Paris. Initially a news editor, he later penned various significant scientific articles, such as On Explanation in the Sciences. He also wrote extensively on quantum theory and relativity theory.

 50 
Verner von Heidenstam
(Swedish Poet and Novelist Who Received the 1916 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Verner von Heidenstam
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 6th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Olshammar
Died: May 20, 1940

Verner von Heidenstam was a Swedish novelist and poet. He is best remembered for winning the 1916 Nobel Prize in Literature. Verner von Heidenstam is considered an important poet and some of his works continue to be cherished in Sweden.