Famous People Who Died In 1875

The 17th president of the United States, Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency while serving as the vice president when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Born in poverty, Andrew Johnson did not attend school. However, he worked his way up to become a prominent politician—an inspiring story indeed!

Georges Bizet was a French composer whose career was cut short by his untimely demise at the age of 36. Since his death in 1875, Bizet's final work Carmen has become one of the most frequently performed works in the opera repertoire. Although he couldn’t achieve success during his lifetime, Bizet's death is considered a loss to French musical theatre.

From being the youngest vice-president of the United States to joining the Confederate Army during the American civil war, John Breckinridge was a controversial figure in politics. While he was regarded as a shrewd military commander, the former Democratic Congressman was considered a traitor in the northern region. He fled the US after the Civil War but later on returned.

Ferdinand I of Austria reigned as the Austrian emperor from 1835 until his retirement in 1848. As the emperor of Austria, Ferdinand also ruled as the king of Croatia, Hungary, and Bohemia. He also served as the king of Lombardy–Venetia and held several other lesser titles, which any emperor of Austria is entitled to hold.

Charles Grandison Finney, dubbed as the Father of Modern Revivalism, began his career with the Presbyterian Church, where his style of preaching fermented spirited revivals. Later, his dissatisfaction with Presbyterian theology led to formation of Broadway Tabernacle and he started promoting abolitionism and equal education for women and blacks. He spent his last years as minister of Oberlin’s First Congregational Church.

French painter Camille Corot is remembered for his landscape paintings that paved the path for the Impressionist movement. Born into a milliner’s family, Corot was a poor student and shunned his family business to learn painting at 25. His works, however, were easy to replicate and led to many forgeries.

Tongzhi Emperor was the Emperor of the Qing dynasty who reigned from 1861 to 1875. The predecessor of Xianfeng Emperor, Tongzhi was the eighth Qing emperor to reign over the Eighteen Provinces. Tongzhi was a puppet emperor whose reign was overshadowed by the influence of his mother Empress Dowager Cixi over state affairs.

Charles Lyell was a Scottish geologist best remembered for his work Principles of Geology, which explains the origin of the earth. He is also remembered for his pioneering explanation of climate change. A close friend of Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell is also credited with influencing many of Darwin's works pertaining to the theories of evolution.  

John Edward Gray was a British zoologist best remembered for his association with the British Museum in London, where he was the keeper of zoology from 1840 to 1874. John Edward Gray is also remembered for publishing several records of the museum collections that included descriptions of new species.

Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy was the second cousin of Leo Tolstoy and a gifted poet, playwright, novelist, and satirist, who often made use of historical themes. His iconic trilogy of historical dramas, consisting of The Death of Ivan the Terrible, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, and Tsar Boris, was widely acclaimed.

Part of the École des Beaux-Arts school of architecture, French architect Henri Labrouste is best known for popularizing iron frame construction. The Prix de Rome winner also designed the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève and the Bibliothèque Nationale. He also received a pension from the French government and lived in the Medici Villa.

Marie Pleyel was a Belgian concert pianist who amazed the audience with her young virtuosity at the age of eight when she first gave her formal recital. She went on to become one of the most famous and admired pianists of the 1830s.

Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán was a Salvadoran politician best remembered for his service as the acting President of El Salvador. He served as the acting president on three occasions between 1844 and 1859. An important politician, Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán also served as the Vice President of El Salvador on a couple of occasions.   

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux was a French painter and sculptor who worked during Napoleon III's reign. Impressed by his early works, which included a bust of Princess Mathilde, Napoleon III commissioned several works to Carpeaux which established his reputation as an important sculptor. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux is credited with mentoring future sculptors like Olin Levi Warner and Jules Dalou.

Adam Kok III was a South African political leader who served as the leader of the Griqua people. He played a major role in founding Griqualand East, which is now known as New Griqualand. Kok III. He is also credited with establishing an efficient method of government in order to benefit the Griqua people.

Apart from being a Lutheran pastor, Eduard Mörike was also one of Germany’s best-known lyric poets. His Peregrina poems, his sonnets to Luise Raufolk, his poems and tales, such as Das Stuttgarter Hutzelmännlein, along with his novel Maler Nolten, remain significant to German literature to this day.

German astronomer Heinrich Louis d’Arrest is best remembered for hastening the discovery of Planet Neptune by suggesting the use an unpublished star chart, Hora XXI of the Berliner Akademische Sternkarten, while assisting Johann Gottfried Galle at Berlin Observatory. Known for his meticulous investigation he later discovered d'Arrest's Comet, 76 Freia, nebulae and two spiral galaxies called NGC1 and NGC 26.

Edgar Quinet was a French historian and intellectual. His father wanted him to pursue a business career, but he choose to engage in literary pursuits. He wrote several books and lectures on topics ranging from politics to religion. He participated in the 1848 Revolution which overthrew King Louis-Philippe of France. He was married to Romanian writer Hermiona Asachi. 

Antoine-Louis Barye was a French sculptor best remembered for his work as a sculptor of animals. He also served as a professor at the Museum of Natural History and was inducted into the Académie des beaux-arts in 1868. Antoine-Louis Barye is credited with mentoring his son Alfred Barye, who went on to become a respected sculptor in his own right.

Giovanni Strazza is perhaps best known for his unique artwork The Veiled Virgin, a stunning and realistic depiction of the Virgin Mary, with a veil draped over her, made of high-quality Carrara marble, derived from Tuscany. The Italian sculptor taught at his alma, Brera Academy in Milan.

George A. Smith was one of the first leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement which was founded by Joseph Smith. He played an important role in Zion's Camp, which aimed at helping members of the church in Missouri. George A. Smith also played a key role in the events leading up to the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857.

Everhardus Johannes Potgieter was a Dutch poet and prose writer. Along with Bakhuizen van den Brink and Heije, Potgieter is credited with founding a literary review called De Muzen, which soon became a leading monthly magazine called De Gids. Potgieter went on to become a role model of the golden age of the Netherlanders during the 16th and 17th centuries.