Famous People Who Died In 1824

Widely considered one of the greatest British poets of all time, Lord Byron remains influential as his works are widely read even today. He was also one of the most important personalities of the Romantic Movement. He is also known for his role in the Greek War of Independence, for which the Greeks consider him a national hero.

Louis XVIII of France was the king of France from 1814 to 1824, except for the duration of the “Hundred Days” in 1815.  He was the son of Louis, Dauphin of France, and his wife Maria Josepha of Saxony. He ruled for slightly less than a decade. He was not popular as a king.

Agustín de Iturbide was a Mexican politician and army general who played a key role during the Mexican War of Independence. During the war, Agustín built a successful military and political coalition that brought the entire Mexico City under its control on 27 September 1821, thus playing an important role in gaining independence for Mexico.

The man who lent his name to Parkinson’s disease, which he described as paralysis agitans in Essay on the Shaking Palsy, James Parkinson was a leading English surgeon. An avid paleontologist and geologist too, he often collected specimens and fossils. He and his son also offered the first description of appendicitis.

German Roman Catholic nun Anne Catherine Emmerich was born on a farm and initially failed to join any religious community due to her poor financial conditions. She later received the stigmata and experienced visions of the Virgin Mary and Passion of Jesus. Her visions apparently inspired the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ.

Alexander Henry The Elder was a fur trader and a partner in the North West Company. He was also a founding member and vice-chairman of the Beaver Club. He took an apprenticeship in business as a young man and ventured into the fur trade. He traveled extensively between different continents and pioneered the British-Canadian fur trade. 

French nobleman and scientist Jean-Louis-Paul-François de Noailles, 5th Duke of Noailles, a member of Académie des sciences, was a Knight of Golden Fleece. He became Duc d'Ayen following his grandfather's death, and Duc de Noailles following his father's death. He went into self-imposed exile in Switzerland until the Bourbon Restoration and then took the prestigious position of Peer of France.

Born to a courtesan mother in Aurangabad, as Chanda Bibi, Mah Laqa Bai mastered Deccani Kathak. She grew up to be a refined woman, skilled in everything from martial arts to poetry. Remembered for her fine ghazals and Urdu poetry, she was also the courtesan of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

German mystic Barbara von Krüdener, born to a wealthy baron and married to a Russian diplomat, renounced her affluent lifestyle to step into the world of spirituality. She converted many, including Tsar Alexander I, and was a key force behind the Holy Alliance of Russia, Austria, and Prussia.

French nobleman and military commander Eugène de Beauharnai is known for service at the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He had also been appointed the Viceroy of Italy under Napoleon I, who was also his stepfather though her mother Joséphine de Beauharnais’s second marriage.

The daughter of Spanish king Charles IV, Maria Luisa, married Louis, Hereditary Prince of Parma, who was her first cousin, at age 13. While Louis later became the king of Etruria, following his death, Maria acted as a regent to their son. After the dissolution of Etruria, she became the duchess of Lucca.

Known as the Father of Reform, John Cartwright made significant parliamentary reforms, which later became part of the People’s Charter. An English naval officer, he had also been part of the Seven Years’ War. He also worked for universal suffrage and, in his later life, invested in crop trials and agricultural improvement.