Famous People Born In 1880

Discover the most famous people born in 1880. The list includes people like Helen Keller, Douglas MacArthur, Alfred Wegener, George Marshall, H. L. Mencken and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include soldiers, novelists, philosophers and psychologists born in 1880. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & France and many more countries.
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 1 
Helen Keller
(American Author and First Deaf-Blind Person to Earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree)
Helen Keller
97
Listed In: Educators
Birthdate: 27th June
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tuscumbia, Alabama, United States
Died: June 1, 1968

A prolific author, having written 12 published books and several articles, Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her autobiography, The Story of My Life, made Keller famous and was adapted for film and stage. She was also an activist and campaigned for women's suffrage, labour rights, socialism and other such causes.

 2 
Douglas MacArthur
(American Military Leader Who Played a Prominent Role in the Pacific Theater During World War II)
Douglas MacArthur
34
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 26th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Died: April 5, 1964
American five-star general Douglas MacArthur was the field marshal of the Philippine Army. He and his father were the first father-son duo to win the Medal of Honor. after World War II, he became the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Japan and contributed to Japan’s reconstruction.
 3 
George Marshall
(3rd United States Secretary of Defense)
George Marshall
2
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 31st December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Uniontown, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: October 16, 1959

George Marshall was an American statesman and soldier who played a key role in the Allied victory during the Second World War. Marshall served as the third US Secretary of Defense from 1950 to 1951. As Secretary of State, George Marshall advocated economic recovery programs to aid post-war European countries, for which he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.

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 4 
W. C. Fields
8
Birthdate: 29th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Darby, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: December 25, 1946
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 5 
Alfred Wegener
(German Climatologist and Geophysicist Known for His 'Continental Drift Theory')
Alfred Wegener
7
Birthdate: 1st November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: November 1, 1930

In the early 1900s, meteorologist Alfred Wegener did not find too many takers for his theory that all the continents of the world had initially been a single mass named Pangaea and that continental drift had caused them to split apart. Wegener died on his fourth expedition in Greenland.

 6 
H. L. Mencken
(One of the Greatest and Most Influential American Literary Critic in the 1920s)
H. L. Mencken
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 12th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: January 29, 1956

H. L. Mencken was an American journalist, cultural critic, essayist, satirist, and scholar of American English. His reporting on the Scopes Trial earned him national recognition. The trial came to be known as the Scopes Monkey Trial as Mencken had nicknamed it Monkey Trial in accordance with his satirical reporting of the trial.

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 7 
Tom Mix
(Actor)
Tom Mix
1
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 6th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mix Run, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: October 12, 1940
 8 
Jeannette Rankin
(Feminist Politician & the First Woman to be Part of the US Congress and Only from Montana)
Jeannette Rankin
7
Birthdate: 11th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Missoula
Died: May 18, 1973

Jeannette Rankin scripted history as the first female member of the US Congress. A feminist, she was also associated with the women’s suffrage movement. Earlier, the Republican worked as a dressmaker, a furniture designer, and a teacher. She was the only legislator to vote against war after the Pearl Harbor incident.

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 9 
Munshi Premchand
(Novelist and Author)
Munshi Premchand
77
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 31st July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lamhi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: October 8, 1936
Indian author Dhanpat Rai Srivastava, better known by his pseudonym, Munshi Premchand, was one of the most celebrated Hindi-language writers of the 20th century. He initially wrote as Nawab Rai. Some of his greatest works include the novels Godaan, Idgah, and Karmabhoomi. He also wrote short stories and plays. 
 10 
Christy Mathewson
(Baseball player)
Christy Mathewson
2
Listed In: Baseball Players
Birthdate: 12th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Factoryville, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: October 7, 1925
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 11 
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
(Queen of the Netherlands (1890 - 1948))
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
2
Birthdate: 31st August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: The Hague, Netherlands
Died: November 28, 1962

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the only child of the King William III and his second wife, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, became queen at age 10. While she remained neutral during World War I, she went into exile to England during World War II. Her autobiography revealed her religious devotion.

 12 
Marie Stopes
(Paleobotanist & Women’s Rights Activists)
Marie Stopes
4
Birthdate: 15th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Edinburgh
Died: October 2, 1958

Apart from being a successful botanist, Marie Stopes was also a popular activist, known for her contribution to the feminist cause. A leading supporter of birth control, she established the UK’s first clinic for family planning. She was also known for her books Married Love and Wise Parenthood.

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 13 
Damon Runyon
(Writer)
Damon Runyon
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 4th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan, Kansas, United States
Died: December 10, 1946
 14 
Elizabeth Kenny
(Nurse & Health Administrator)
Elizabeth Kenny
4
Listed In: Nurses
Birthdate: 20th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Warialda, New South Wales
Died: November 30, 1952

Elizabeth Kenny was an Australian bush nurse. A self-trained nurse, Kenny pioneered a new and then-controversial method to treat the victims of poliomyelitis. Her method, which she advocated enthusiastically, became the foundation of physiotherapy. Her life and career inspired the 1946 American biographical film Sister Kenny, in which she was played by Rosalind Russell.

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 15 
Georg von Trapp
(Naval officer)
Georg von Trapp
4
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 4th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Zadar, Croatia
Died: May 30, 1947

Georg von Trapp, or Captain von Trapp, was an Austrian naval officer who led the Trapp Family Singers, the family that inspired the play and the film The Sound of Music. An able military man, he had also been part of World War II and was knighted by the Austrian government.

 16 
Guillaume Apollinaire
(Known for His Poems Without Punctuation)
Guillaume Apollinaire
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 26th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: November 9, 1918

French poet Guillaume Apollinaire was a significant figure of the avant-garde movement. It is believed he had coined the terms Cubism, Surrealism, and Orphism. Known for his iconic poem Chanson du mal-aimé, written after being rejected by a lover, he also developed the typography-based concrete poetry in the collection Calligrammes.

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 17 
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
(German Expressionist Painter and Printmaker Who was One of the Founders of the Artists Group 'Die Brücke')
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
3
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 6th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Aschaffenburg, Germany
Died: June 15, 1938

One of the pioneers of Expressionism, German painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner co-established the artists’ group Die Brücke, or The Bridge. His iconic works such as Girl under Japanese Umbrella and Street, Berlin displayed psychological and erotic themes. Declared a "degenerate" by the Nazis, he later committed suicide.

 18 
Frances Perkins
(United States Secretary of Labor (1933-45))
Frances Perkins
1
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: 10th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: May 14, 1965
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 19 
Elton Mayo
(Australian Psychologist Known for His Industrial Research Including the 'Hawthorne Studies')
Elton Mayo
0
Listed In: Psychologists
Birthdate: 26th December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
Died: September 7, 1949

Elton Mayo was an Australian-born industrial researcher, psychologist, and organizational theorist. As a psychologist, Mayo played an important role during World War I, helping soldiers returning from the war recover from the stresses. He also conducted psycho-pathological tests and is credited with pioneering the psychoanalytic treatment of shell-shock. Elton Mayo's works also laid the basis for the human relations movement.

 20 
Una O Connor
(Actress)
Una O Connor
1
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 23rd October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Belfast, Ireland
Died: February 4, 1959
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 21 
Mack Sennett
(Canadian-American Film Actor, Director, and Producer)
Mack Sennett
3
Birthdate: 17th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Richmond, Canada
Died: November 5, 1960

Mack Sennett was a film actor, director, and producer. He specialized in comedy and was known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Canada in 1880, he moved to USA as a young man and entered the fledgling film industry as an actor. He found considerable success and went on to open Keystone Studios in Edendale. 

 22 
Tod Browning
(American Film Director, Actor and Screenwriter)
Tod Browning
1
Birthdate: 12th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Died: October 6, 1962

Tod Browning was an American actor, director, screenwriter, and vaudeville performer. Browning is best remembered for directing films like Dracula and Freaks. He had an illustrious career that spanned from 1913 to 1939. Although he was famous during his lifetime, Browning's work received greater critical appreciation after his death. He is sometimes referred to as the Edgar Allan Poe of cinema.

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 23 
Alexander Blok
(Poet)
Alexander Blok
1
Listed In: Philosophers
Birthdate: 28th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: August 7, 1921
 24 
Thomas H. Ince
(Film Producer)
Thomas H. Ince
0
Birthdate: 16th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Newport, Rhode Island, United States
Died: November 19, 1924
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 25 
Christabel Pankhurst
(British Suffragette and Co-Founder of the 'Women’s Social and Political Union')
Christabel Pankhurst
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 22nd September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Died: February 13, 1958

Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst was a British suffragette who co-founded the Women's Social and Political Union. From 1912 to 1913, Pankhurst directed the organization's militant actions from France. After the war, Christabel Pankhurst settled down in the United States of America where she served as an evangelist for the Second Coming movement.

 26 
Alfred Noyes
10
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 16th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wolverhampton
Died: June 28, 1958
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 27 
Andre Derain
(French Artist, Painter, Sculptor and Co-founder of 'Fauvism')
Andre Derain
1
Birthdate: 10th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Garches, France
Died: September 8, 1954

Andre Derain is considered a co-founder of Fauvism, along with fellow artist Henri Matisse, who was one of his classmates at the Académie Carriere. He also created theatrical décor for Ballets Russes and woodcut book illustrations for authors such as Antonin Artaud and André Breton.

 28 
Radclyffe Hall
(Poet)
Radclyffe Hall
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 12th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Died: October 7, 1943
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 29 
Otto Weininger
(Philosopher, Writer, Psychologist)
Otto Weininger
0
Birthdate: 3rd April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Vienna
Died: October 4, 1903

Austrian thinker Otto Weininger, whose main areas of interests included philosophy of religion, logic, gender and psychology, lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His book Geschlecht und Charakter (Sex and Character), which gained popularity following his suicide by gunshot, became a sourcebook for anti-Semitic propagandists. Some of his writings were used by Nazi propaganda.  

 30 
Duncan Hines
(Food critic, Journalist)
Duncan Hines
2
Birthdate: 26th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States
Died: March 15, 1959
 31 
Franz Marc
(German Painter, Printmaker and One of the Key Figures of German Expressionism)
Franz Marc
1
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 8th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: March 4, 1916

Best known as one of the founders of the German Expressionist group The Blue Rider, German painter Franz Marc mostly depicted animals through his works. The Tower of Blue Horses and Yellow Cow are two of his notable works. Children and the mentally disabled also appeared as his subjects.

 32 
Paul Hausser
(Military Leader)
Paul Hausser
10
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 7th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brandenburg, Germany
Died: December 21, 1972

Paul Hausser was a German general who played an important role in the post-war efforts in order to achieve legal and historical rehabilitation. Hausser was among many former members of the Waffen-SS who strived towards achieving rehabilitation. He also played a prominent role during World War I, serving in the Prussian Army.

 33 
Max Wertheimer
(Psychologist, University teacher)
Max Wertheimer
0
Listed In: Psychologists
Birthdate: 15th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Prague, Czechia
Died: October 12, 1943
 34 
Alfred Einstein
(German-American Musicologist and Music Editor)
Alfred Einstein
9
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 30th December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: February 13, 1952
 35 
Grantland Rice
(Sports writer)
Grantland Rice
1
Birthdate: 1st November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States
Died: July 13, 1954
 36 
Jean Patou
(Fashion Designer)
Jean Patou
0
Birthdate: 19th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Normandy, France
Died: March 8, 1936

Jean Patou was a French fashion designer. He is credited with founding the popular French fashion house, Jean Patou. Over the years, several popular fashion designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Bohan, and Jean Paul Gaultier have worked for Jean Patou. Patou is also credited with creating the designer tie, which he invented in the 1920s.

 37 
James Reese Europe
(Composer)
James Reese Europe
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 22nd February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mobile, Alabama, United States
Died: May 9, 1919
 38 
Milan Rastislav Štefánik
(One of the Founding Fathers of Czechoslovakia)
Milan Rastislav Štefánik
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 21st July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Košariská, Slovakia
Died: May 4, 1919

Milan Rastislav Štefánik was a Slovak politician, diplomat, aviator, and Freemason. He served as the minister of war for Czechoslovakia during World War I while simultaneously serving as a general in the French Army. He was a  leading member of the Czechoslovak National Council and contributed to the cause of Czechoslovakian sovereignty. He died in a plane crash in 1919.  

 39 
Jean Clemens
(Welfare worker)
Jean Clemens
1
Birthdate: 26th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Elmira, New York, United States
Died: December 24, 1909
 40 
Ernest Bloch
(One of the Greatest Swiss Composers in History)
Ernest Bloch
2
Listed In: Composers
Birthdate: 24th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
Died: July 15, 1959

Born to a Jewish family in Geneva, Ernest Bloch had learned to play the violin by age 9. Best known for works such as Avodath Hakodesh, Bloch composed music that carried a significant neoclassical trend. He also taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and was a skilled photographer, too.

 41 
Ernest Oppenheimer
(Diamond and Gold Mining Entrepreneur Who Controlled the 'De Beers' Group)
Ernest Oppenheimer
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 22nd May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Friedberg, Germany
Died: November 25, 1957

Born to a cigar merchant in Germany, Ernest Oppenheimer went to South Africa as a representative of a diamond brokerage company and ended up becoming the mayor of Kimberley. He later established himself as a leading financier, who chaired De Beers and co-founded the Anglo American Corporation.

 42 
Jacob Epstein
(American-British Sculptor Known for Pioneering Modern Sculpture)
Jacob Epstein
1
Listed In: Sculptors
Birthdate: 10th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: August 21, 1959

Jacob Epstein was an American-British sculptor who produced revolutionary works that challenged the already established ideas that dictated the kind of artworks shown to the public. Epstein helped pioneer modern sculpture. In addition to being a sculptor, Epstein was also a painter and artist; he exhibited many of his paintings and drawings. His works have influenced artists like Barbara Hepworth.

 43 
Martiros Saryan
(Painter)
Martiros Saryan
2
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 28th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Don Host Oblast, Russia
Died: May 5, 1972
 44 
Elizabeth of the Trinity
(Writer)
Elizabeth of the Trinity
0
Birthdate: 18th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Avord, Farges-en-Septaine, (Cher), France
Died: November 9, 1906
 45 
Tudor Arghezi
(Romanian Author and Poet Known for Enriching Romanian Children's Literature)
Tudor Arghezi
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 21st May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bucharest, Romania
Died: July 14, 1967

Romanian author Ion N. Theodorescu, better known as Tudor Arghezi, is remembered for his contribution to Romanian children’s literature and for introducing a new lyric poetry form. He was a leading figure of Poporanism and Symbolism in Romania. The novel Wooden Icons and the poetry collection Suitable Words remain 2 of his best-known works.

 46 
Étienne Balsan
(horsebreeder, jockey)
Étienne Balsan
0
Listed In: Celebrities
Birthdate: 11th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris
Died: 1953 AD
 47 
Michel Fokine
(Russian Choreographer and Dancer)
Michel Fokine
0
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: 23rd April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: August 22, 1942

Michel Fokine was a Russian dancer and choreographer whose pieces are performed internationally to this day. Fokine is credited with choreographing the works of popular dancers like Anna Pavlova. Renowned for his groundbreaking works, such as Le Pavillon d'Armide, Michel Fokine has been portrayed in a couple of films, namely Nijinsky and A Woman for All Time.

 48 
Robert R. McCormick
Robert R. McCormick
0
Listed In: Editors
Birthdate: 30th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago
Died: April 1, 1955
 49 
Mihail Sadoveanu
(Romanian Political Figure, Journalist, Short Story Writer, and Novelist)
Mihail Sadoveanu
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 5th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pascani, Moldova, Romania
Died: October 19, 1961

Mihail Sadoveanu was a Romanian political figure, journalist, short story writer, and novelist. One of the most prolific writers of Romania, Sadoveanu is best remembered for his adventure and historical novels. In 1961, Mihail Sadoveanu was honored with the prestigious Lenin Peace Prize

 50 
Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt
(Millionaire, Equestrian)
Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt
5
Birthdate: 14th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Staten Island, New York City, New York, United States
Died: September 4, 1925