Famous People Who Died In 1908

Grover Cleveland, a Democratic Party member, was the President of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and then again from 1893 to 1897. He is known for his campaign for political reform and fiscal conservatism. However, he was unable to deal with the economic depression in his second term as President, which led to massive decline in his popularity.

Empress Dowager Cixi was a Chinese regent and empress dowager. From 1861 to 1908, Cixi served as the de facto supreme ruler of the Qing dynasty. She is credited with overseeing a series of moderate reforms called the Tongzhi Restoration, which helped the regime survive for a long period of time. She also supported military and technological reforms.  

While he grew up listening to Russian folk songs and church music, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov later joined the navy with his brother. One of the legendary Russian composers known as The Mighty Handful, he is remembered for his pieces such as Flight of the Bumblebee from the opera Tsar Saltan.

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Henri Becquerel is known for his chance discovery of spontaneous radioactivity. Born into a family of scientists, Becquerel had been an engineer and a physics professor earlier. Marie Curie, who shared the Nobel with him and her husband, Pierre, was one of his doctoral students.

Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis was a Brazilian novelist, playwright, poet, and short-story writer. Hailing from a family of freed slaves, he had a difficult childhood that he overcame to become a famous writer. He founded the Brazilian Academy of Letters and became the organization’s first president. He is credited with having shaped the realism movement in Brazil.   

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was an Indian religious leader. He is credited with founding the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which is an Islamic revival movement. A prolific author, Ghulam Ahmad wrote over 90 books on various theological, moral, and religious subjects. He continues to be revered as a subordinate prophet by Ahmadi Muslims, which is often debated by mainstream Muslims.

Tomás Estrada Palma was a Cuban politician who served as the first President of Cuba after Cuba's independence in 1902. During his presidency, Cuba's infrastructure, public health, and communication improved significantly. Tomás Estrada Palma had also played an important role during the Ten Years' War, serving as the Cuban Republican in Arms' president.

The eldest son of Portuguese king Carlos I, Luís Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal is also known as the 20-minute king. His father was killed by assassins while traveling with the family in an open carriage. Luis, who became the default king, died 20 minutes later. He was almost 21 when he died.

German artist and poet Wilhelm Busch is best remembered for pioneering the illustrations known as Bilderbogen, believed to have inspired the modern-day comic strip format. A qualified mechanical engineer, he later deviated to art. His best-known work remains Max und Moritz, which influenced The Katzenjammer Kids.

Demetrius Vikelas was a Greek writer and businessman. He is best remembered for serving as the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) first president from 1894 to 1896. The Syros Island National Airport and the Sports Center Stadium in Syros are named in his honor.

Guangxu Emperor reigned over the Qing dynasty from 1875 to 1908. He was also the ninth Qing emperor to reign over the Eighteen Provinces or China proper. He is best remembered for initiating the Hundred Days' Reform, which was brought to an end by Empress Dowager Cixi in 1898. Subsequently, Guangxu Emperor lost power and was killed in 1908.

Unlike other renowned chess players, Mikhail Chigorin began playing chess quite late, at 16, and only began pursuing it seriously after leaving his job as a government officer. He was associated with the Romantic chess style and paved way for the Soviet chess school. He had also launched a chess magazine.

Tony Pastor was an American variety performer, impresario, and theatre owner. Dubbed the Dean of Vaudeville, Pastor played a crucial role in popularizing American vaudeville during the 19th century. He is also remembered for presenting family-friendly content in the form of vaudeville, bringing about an end to bawdy variety acts that were prevalent at that time.

American art professor and author Charles Eliot Norton was also a prominent social reformer. The Harvard graduate not only lectured at his alma later but also penned a number of books, which included a translation of The Divine Comedy by Dante. He also campaigned in support of euthanasia.

Starting his medical career as an army surgeon, Friedrich von Esmarch later pioneered the use of the Esmarch bandage as a first-aid solution for soldiers. He later taught as a professor of surgery and also penned an invaluable manual of military surgical procedures. He eventually received a patent of nobility.

John Evans was an English geologist and archaeologist. He is best remembered for his service as the president of several prestigious institutions and societies, including the Society of Antiquaries, the Royal Numismatic Society, the Geological Society of London, and the British Association for the Advancement of Science. John Evans also wrote papers on geological and archaeological subjects.

Jonas Lie is regarded as one of The Four Greats of Norwegian literature. An eye defect prevented him from pursuing his naval ambitions, and he became a lawyer instead. Known for works such as The Family at Gilje, he was a major part of the literary movement of Realism.

Holger Drachmann was a Danish poet, dramatist, and painter. Artistically inclined from a young age, he chose to pursue painting professionally. He also composed poems and staged semi-poetic performances. He focused on writing for many years before returning to art, often painting pictures of ships and the sea.  His relationship with multiple women made him a controversial figure. 

Edward Caird was a Scottish philosopher best remembered as one of the founders of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Association for Women's Suffrage. Also an educator, Caird taught at the University of Glasgow where John Watson was one of his students. Edward Caird also wrote several influential books, such as The Evolution of Religion.