Famous People Born In 1874

Discover the most famous people born in 1874. The list includes people like Lucy Maud Montgomery, Winston Churchill, Harry Houdini, Herbert Hoover, Robert Frost and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include poets, novelists, political leaders and composers born in 1874. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & France and many more countries.
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 1 
Winston Churchill
(Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940 - 1945, 1951 - 1955))
Winston Churchill
131
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 30th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Blenheim Palace, England, United Kingdom
Died: January 24, 1965

The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdoms, Winston Churchill, is known for successfully leading his country during the Second World War against the Nazi Germany. An officer in the British army, he also served as a war correspondent before venturing into politics. One of the most influential peoples in British history, Churchill was also an accomplished painter.

 2 
Harry Houdini
(Illusionist and Stunt Performer Known for His Sensational Escape Acts)
Harry Houdini
34
Listed In: Magicians
Birthdate: 24th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: October 31, 1926

Legendary magician Harry Houdini initially worked as a trapeze artist named “Ehrich, the Prince of the Air” and was later known for his iconic stunt of escaping from handcuffs, at times even under water and while buried alive. He died after a blow to the gut damaged his appendix.

 3 
Robert Frost
(American Poet Who was Known for His Realistic Depictions of Rural Life)
Robert Frost
47
Listed In: Poets
Birthdate: 26th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: January 29, 1963

Robert Frost was an American poet. An influential poet, Frost was honored with four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry, the only poet to receive four such awards. One of America's public literary figures, Robert Frost received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960. His works influenced other poets like Robert Francis, James Wright, Edward Thomas, Richard Wilbur, and Seamus Heaney.

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 4 
Herbert Hoover
(31st President of the United States (1929 – 1933))
Herbert Hoover
44
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 10th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: West Branch, Iowa, United States
Died: October 20, 1964

The 31st president of the United States, Herbert Hoover, was sworn into the office in 1929, the year the Great Depression struck the American economy. Earlier, Hoover was a successful mining engineer and had earned a reputation of a humanitarian who fed numerous Europeans during and after WWI. His policies during the depression, though, could not provide relief to people.

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 5 
Sir Ernest Shackleton
(Anglo-Irish Antarctic Explorer)
Sir Ernest Shackleton
14
Listed In: Explorers
Birthdate: 15th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kilkea, Ireland
Died: January 5, 1922

Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is remembered for leading three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. An expert in navigation, he had also been a part of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery expedition. He was knighted by King Edward VII for his achievements.

 6 
Guglielmo Marconi
(Inventor of 'Radio' and Winner of 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Guglielmo Marconi
11
Birthdate: 25th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bologna, Italy
Died: July 20, 1937

Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian electrical engineer and inventor best remembered for his work on long-distance radio transmission. Marconi, who is credited with inventing the radio, was honored with the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in the field of wireless telegraphy. Also a businessman, Marconi founded the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company in 1897. 

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Lucy Maud Montgomery
10
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 30th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New London, Canada
Died: April 24, 1942
Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery is best remembered for her iconic novel Anne of Green Gables and its sequels. She had also authored countless short stories, poems, and essays. Most of her novels are set in her native Prince Edward Island. She was honored with the OBE.
 8 
Howard Carter
(Archaeologist)
Howard Carter
18
Listed In: Archaeologists
Birthdate: 9th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kensington, London, England
Died: March 2, 1939
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 9 
Arnold Schoenberg
(One of the Most Influential Composers of the 20th Century)
Arnold Schoenberg
8
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 13th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria
Died: July 13, 1951
Austrian-born composer Arnold Schoenberg was part of the German Expressionist Movement and led the Second Viennese School. Being Jewish, he was banned by the Nazis and later became an American citizen. Known for his twelve-tone technique, he coined the term developing variation and formed motifs without a centralized melodic idea.
 10 
Gertrude Stein
(American Novelist, Poet and Playwright)
Gertrude Stein
21
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 3rd February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: July 27, 1946

Gertrude Stein was an American playwright, novelist, poet, and art collector. She is remembered for publishing works about lesbian sexuality, which was considered a taboo at that time. Over the years, Gertrude Stein has been the subject of several works of art. In the 2011 movie Midnight in Paris, Stein was portrayed by Kathy Bates.

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 11 
Gilbert K. Chesterton
(One of the Greatest Writers of the 20th Century Best Known as the 'Prince of Paradox')
Gilbert K. Chesterton
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 29th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kensington, London, United Kingdom
Died: June 14, 1936

Gilbert K. Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, and art critic. A prolific writer, he composed around 80 books, hundreds of poems, around 200 short stories, and 4,000 essays. Often referred to as the "prince of paradox", he had as many detractors as he had admirers. He is considered a successor to Victorian authors like Matthew Arnold and John Ruskin.

 12 
John D. Rockefeller Jr.
(American Financier, Philanthropist and the Only Son of 'Standard Oil' Co-Founder John D. Rockefeller)
John D. Rockefeller Jr.
19
Listed In: Philanthropists
Birthdate: 29th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Died: May 11, 1960

Financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. Was the only son of Standard Oil co-founder, John D. Rockefeller. An alumnus of Brown University, he was very principled and careful with money from an early age. He joined his father’s business and went on to become one of the largest real estate holders in Manhattan.

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 13 
Honus Wagner
(Baseballer)
Honus Wagner
7
Listed In: Baseball Players
Birthdate: 24th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chartiers, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: December 6, 1955
 14 
Gustav Holst
(Was an English Composer)
Gustav Holst
5
Listed In: Composers
Birthdate: 21st September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Died: May 25, 1934
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 15 
Henry Travers
(Best Known for His Role as ‘Clarence Odbody’ in the Film ‘It's a Wonderful Life’)
Henry Travers
1
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 5th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Prudhoe, Northumberland, England
Died: October 18, 1965
Travers John Heagerty, better known as Henry Travers, is best remembered as Clarence Odbody from It's a Wonderful Life. He had started his career as a stage actor and appeared frequently on Broadway. He won an Academy Award for Mrs. Miniver and was known for playing friendly old men.
 16 
Charles Ives
(Composer)
Charles Ives
2
Listed In: Composers
Birthdate: 20th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Danbury, Connecticut, United States
Died: May 19, 1954
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 17 
Edward Thorndike
(Psychologist)
Edward Thorndike
2
Birthdate: 31st August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Williamsburg, Massachusetts, United States
Died: August 9, 1949
 18 
Robert W. Service
(Poet & Writer)
Robert W. Service
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 16th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Preston, Lancashire, England
Died: September 11, 1958

Robert W. Service was a British-Canadian poet and writer. Popularly called "the Bard of the Yukon," he wrote some of the most commercially successful poetry of his era. A bank clerk by profession, he often wrote while traveling for work. Besides poetry, he also wrote fiction and non-fiction. He was often compared to English writer and novelist Rudyard Kipling. 

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 19 
William Maugham
(Novelist & Playwright)
William Maugham
8
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 25th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 15, 1965
 20 
Nicholas Roerich
(Russian Painter, Archaeologist and Philosopher)
Nicholas Roerich
0
Birthdate: 9th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: December 13, 1947

Russian painter, writer, philosopher, theosophist and archaeologist, Nicholas Roerich, counted among the greatest Russian painters, is noted for initiating the modern movement for the defense of cultural objects. One of the greatest feats that he achieved during his lifetime was the Roerich Pact that was signed into law by the US and most nations of the Pan-American Union.

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 21 
António Egas Moniz
(Neurologist)
António Egas Moniz
0
Listed In: Neurologists
Birthdate: 29th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Avanca, Estarreja, Portugal
Died: December 13, 1955
 22 
Lou Henry Hoover
(First Lady of the United States 1929 – 1933)
Lou Henry Hoover
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 29th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Waterloo, Iowa, United States
Died: January 7, 1944
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 23 
Carl Bosch
(Chemist & Engineer)
Carl Bosch
1
Listed In: Chemists
Birthdate: 27th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
Died: April 26, 1940

Carl Bosch was a German engineer and chemist. He is credited with founding IG Farben, which went on to become one of the largest chemical companies in the world. He is also credited with developing the Haber–Bosch process, which is used even today for the production of ammonia. Carl Bosch was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1931.

 24 
Reginald Johnston
(Commissioner of Weihaiwei (1927–1930) ,Former diplomat who served as the tutor and advisor to Puyi, the last Emperor of China)
Reginald Johnston
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 13th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: March 6, 1938
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 25 
Nikolai Berdyaev
(Former philosopher who emphasized the existential spiritual significance of human freedom and the human person)
Nikolai Berdyaev
1
Listed In: Philosophers
Birthdate: 18th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kiev, Ukraine
Died: March 24, 1948
 26 
J. C. Leyendecker
(American Illustrator and Painter)
J. C. Leyendecker
1
Birthdate: 23rd March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Montabaur, Germany
Died: July 26, 1951
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 27 
Bert Williams
(Actor, Screenwriter, Stage actor)
Bert Williams
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 12th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Nassau
Died: March 4, 1922

Bert Williams was an American entertainer and comedian. One of the greatest entertainers of the Vaudeville era, Bert Williams was also regarded as one of the most famous comedians of his time. In 1914, he was cast to play the leading role in Darktown Jubilee, making him the first Black man to play the main role in a film.

 28 
Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
(Princess)
Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
0
Birthdate: 24th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Darmstadt, Germany
Died: November 16, 1878
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 29 
Antanas Smetona
(Former President of Lithuania)
Antanas Smetona
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 10th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Taujėnai
Died: January 9, 1944

The first president of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona was drawn into the revolutionary movements of his country soon after finishing law school. A major political figure of his country during the two World Wars, he came to power for a second time after launching a coup in 1926.

 30 
Oswald Chambers
(Author, Theologian)
Oswald Chambers
1
Birthdate: 24th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Aberdeen
Died: November 15, 1917
 31 
Polaire
(Singer)
Polaire
1
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 14th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Algiers, Algiers, Algeria
Died: October 11, 1939
 32 
Josef Suk
(Czech Composer, Violinist and Pupil of 'Antonín Dvořák' Noted for His Composition 'Asrael Symphony')
Josef Suk
1
Listed In: Composers
Birthdate: 4th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Křečovice, Czechia
Died: May 29, 1935

Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk was considered one of the most promising students of the reputed Czech composer Antonín Dvořák. Suk along with two other students of Dvořák, Karel Hoffmann and Oskar Nedba, and a student of Hanuš Wihan founded the internationally reputed Czech string quartet called Bohemian Quartet. Major works of Suk are Asrael Symphony and Serenade for Strings.

 33 
Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven
(German Visual Artist and Poet)
Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven
1
Birthdate: 12th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Swinoujscie, Poland
Died: December 14, 1927

Part of the German avant-garde movement and a prominent Dadaist, poet and artist Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven is best remembered for her sound poetry and her posthumously published book Body Sweats. It is believed the famous urinal Fountain sculpture thought to be a work of Marcel Duchamp was actually created by Elsa.

 34 
Vsevolod Meyerhold
(Russian and Soviet Theatre Director, Actor and Theatrical Producer)
Vsevolod Meyerhold
1
Birthdate: 9th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Penza, Russia
Died: February 2, 1940

Initially part of the Moscow Art Theatre, Russian director-actor Vsevolod Meyerhold is remembered for pioneering avant-garde theories of symbolism in theater. He also paved the path for biomechanics in Russian theater and created masterpieces such as The Magnificent Cuckold. He was executed, and his wife was murdered, during the Great Purge.

 35 
Johannes Stark
(Nobel Prize Winner in Physics)
Johannes Stark
0
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 15th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Freihung
Died: June 21, 1957

Johannes Stark was a German physicist who discovered the phenomenon that came to be known as the Stark effect. For this work, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1919. A supporter of Adolf Hitler, he was a main figure in the anti-Semitic Deutsche Physik movement. He was found guilty by a denazification court in 1947.

 36 
Joe Gans
(Boxer)
Joe Gans
1
Listed In: Boxers
Birthdate: 25th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: August 10, 1910
 37 
Charles A. Beard
(Historian of the modern age, Historian, University teacher)
Charles A. Beard
1
Listed In: Historians
Birthdate: 27th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Knightstown
Died: September 1, 1948

Charles A. Beard was an American historian who served as a professor at Columbia University. Beard is credited with writing several influential books, such as An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States which played a crucial role in helping him attain an iconic status within the progressive school of historical interpretation.

 38 
Nap Lajoie
(Baseball player)
Nap Lajoie
4
Listed In: Baseball Players
Birthdate: 5th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Woonsocket, Rhode Island, United States
Died: February 7, 1959
 39 
Ernst Cassirer
(Philosopher, University teacher)
Ernst Cassirer
0
Listed In: Philosophers
Birthdate: 28th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wrocław
Died: April 13, 1945

German Jewish philosopher Ernst Cassirer was a major figure of the Weimar intellectual circle. While he initially followed in the path of his mentor Hermann Cohen, he later developed and promoted philosophical idealism and also penned books such as Philosophy of Symbolic Forms. His The Myth of the State dealt with Nazi Germany.

 40 
Amy Lowell
(Poet, Writer, Socialite)
Amy Lowell
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 9th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brookline
Died: May 12, 1925
Joaquín Torres García
1
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 28th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Montevideo
Died: August 8, 1949
 42 
Abbas II of Egypt
(Khedive)
Abbas II of Egypt
0
Listed In: Emperors & Kings
Birthdate: 14th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: December 19, 1944
 43 
Auguste Perret
(French Architect)
Auguste Perret
0
Birthdate: 12th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ixelles, Belgium
Died: February 25, 1954

Auguste Perret was a French architect who developed the architectural use of reinforced concrete. Perret is credited with designing many important edifices like the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Church of Notre-Dame du Raincy. In 1948, Perret was honored with the Royal Gold Medal and he won the AIA Gold Medal in 1952. He also influenced younger architects like Le Corbusier.

 44 
François Coty
(French Businessman, Perfumer, Politician, Newspaper Publisher, and Patron of the Arts)
François Coty
0
Listed In: Publishers
Birthdate: 3rd May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ajaccio, France
Died: July 25, 1934
 45 
Princess Elisabeth Marie of Bavaria
(Princess)
Princess Elisabeth Marie of Bavaria
1
Birthdate: 8th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: München, Königreich Bayern, Germany
Died: March 4, 1957
 46 
Karl Kraus
(Austrian Writer and Journalist)
Karl Kraus
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 28th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Jicin, Czechia
Died: June 12, 1936

Initially aspiring to be a lawyer, Austrian writer Karl Kraus later deviated to philosophy and German literature before quitting studies altogether. He had also been a stage performer but later made his mark as one of the finest aphorists and playwrights in German history, with works such as Nights.

 47 
William Lyon Mackenzie King
(The 10th Prime Minister of Canada)
William Lyon Mackenzie King
5
Listed In: Prime Ministers
Birthdate: 17th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Ontario, Canada
Died: July 22, 1950

Canadian statesman and politician Mackenzie King OM CMG PC, was the 10th prime minister of Canada. He held the position for three non-consecutive terms with a total of over 21 years in office and emerged as the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Canada. He remained instrumental in laying the foundations of the Canadian welfare state.

 48 
Robert Service
(Writer, Poet, Novelist)
Robert Service
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 16th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: City of Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Died: September 11, 1958
 49 
Vulcana
(Welsh Strongwoman)
Vulcana
0
Birthdate: 6th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Abergavenny, Wales
Died: August 8, 1946
 50 
Luigi Einaudi
(President of Italy from 1948 to 1955)
Luigi Einaudi
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 24th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Carrù, Italy
Died: October 30, 1961