Famous People Who Died In 1909

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1909. This list includes people like Leopold II of Belgium, Geronimo, Mary MacKillop, Red Cloud, Hermann Minkowski and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, science fiction writers, military leaders and poets who died in 1909. This list includes people from United States and many more countries.
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 1 
Geronimo
(Bedonkohe Apache Leader of the Chiricahua Apache)
Geronimo
20
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: June 16, 1829
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Arizpe Municipality, Mexico
Died: February 17
Native American hero Geronimo is remembered for his heroics in the Apache Wars against the U.S. and Mexico. After his surrender in 1886, he lived as a U.S. prisoner of war and spent the rest of his life being exhibited at various events and selling his belongings for money.
 2 
Leopold II of Belgium
(Former King of the Belgians (1865 - 1909))
Leopold II of Belgium
33
Birthdate: April 9, 1835
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Died: December 17

Leopold II of Belgium reigned over Belgium as its second king from 1865 to 1909. He also owned the Independent State of the Congo from 1885 to 1908. Congolese people were subjected to torture and murder under Leopold's administration; the term crimes against humanity was coined by George Washington Williams in 1890 to describe the atrocities of Leopold's administration.

 3 
Red Cloud
(One of the Most Important Leaders of the Oglala Lakota from 1868 to 1909)
Red Cloud
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 20, 1822
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: North Platte, Nebraska, United States
Died: December 10

One of the most significant leaders of the Oglala Lakota tribe of the Sioux group of Native Americans, Red Cloud is remembered for his fearless resistance to the American plan of accessing the goldfields in Montana. He attached workers along the Bozeman Trail and eventually forced the U.S. to withdraw.

 4 
ItĹŤ Hirobumi
(Politician, Diplomat)
ItĹŤ Hirobumi
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 16, 1841
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Yamaguchi Prefecture
Died: October 26

One of the most significant figures behind the modernization of Japan, ItĹŤ Hirobumi had led his country as its first prime minister and was also a genrĹŤ. Born to an adopted son of a samurai family, he contributed to the Meiji Restoration and the formation of the Japanese constitution.

 5 
Hermann Minkowski
(German Mathematician and Professor Who Created and Developed the Geometry of Numbers)
Hermann Minkowski
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 22, 1864
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kaunas, Lithuania
Died: January 12

Hermann Minkowski was a mathematician who served as a professor at the University of Göttingen, the University of Königsberg, and the University of Zurich. He is credited with creating and developing the geometry of numbers. He is also credited with using geometrical methods to resolve problems in the theory of relativity, mathematical physics, and number theory.

 6 
Isaac Albeniz
(Spanish Catalan Virtuoso Pianist & One of the Foremost Composers of the Post-Romantic Era)
Isaac Albeniz
5
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: May 29, 1861
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Camprodon, Spain
Died: May 18

Isaac Albeniz was a Spanish composer, conductor, and virtuoso pianist. Widely regarded as one of the most important composers of the Post-Romantic era, Albeniz had a strong influence on younger composers as well as his contemporaries. Many of his personal papers are preserved in several prominent institutions, such as the Library of Catalonia.

 7 
Hermann Ebbinghaus
(Psychologist, Educationist, University teacher)
Hermann Ebbinghaus
2
Birthdate: January 24, 1850
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Barmen
Died: February 26

Especially remembered for his pioneering work on rote learning and memory, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus became interested in the subject after reading Gustav Fechner's Elements of Psychophysics.  Eventually, he developed the experimental methods for measuring memory, using 2,300 three-letter nonsense syllables that he devised. Later, he also discovered the forgetting curve and the spacing effect and described the learning curve.

 8 
Francisco Tárrega
(Spanish Composer and Classical Guitarist Known for His Work During the Romantic Period)
Francisco Tárrega
4
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 21, 1852
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Villarreal, Spain
Died: December 15

Francisco Tárrega was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist active during the Romantic period. He is often considered the father of classical guitar and is counted among the greatest guitarists of all time. He loved music from an early age and was able to build a successful career with his father’s encouragement. He died at the peak of his career. 

 9 
Frederic Remington
(Sculptor, Writer, Painter)
Frederic Remington
2
Birthdate: October 4, 1861
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York
Died: December 26

Frederic Remington was an American sculptor, painter, illustrator, and writer. Best remembered for his depictions of the Western United States, Remington is a member of several cowboy halls of fame, including the Texas Trail Hall of Fame. Frederic Remington was regarded as one of the most successful and popular Western illustrators during the late 19th century and early 20th century.

 10 
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia
(Military personnel)
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 13, 1832
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: December 18
 11 
Cesare Lombroso
(Criminologist, Phrenologist, Physician)
Cesare Lombroso
4
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: November 6, 1835
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Verona, Italy
Died: October 19

Cesare Lombroso was an Italian criminologist, phrenologist, and physician. He founded the Italian School of Positivist Criminology at the end of the 19th century. Initially an army surgeon, he later became a professor of forensic medicine and hygiene. His works drew from the concepts of physiognomy, degeneration theory, and psychiatry. Later in life, be became interested in spirituality.

 12 
Helena Modjeska
(Actress)
Helena Modjeska
1
Birthdate: October 12, 1840
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Free City of Cracow
Died: April 8
 13 
Joshua Slocum
(First Person in Recorded History to Sail Around the World Single-handedly)
Joshua Slocum
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 20, 1844
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mount Hanley, Canada
Died: November 14

Joshua Slocum was a seaman who became the first person to sail single-handedly around the world. He was also a noted writer and wrote a book about his journey, Sailing Alone Around the World; the book became an international bestseller. He disappeared in November 1909, during one of his sailing adventures. He was declared legally dead after a few years. 

 14 
George Meredith
(Novelist)
George Meredith
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 12, 1828
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Died: May 18
 15 
Jean Clemens
(Welfare worker)
Jean Clemens
1
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: July 26, 1880
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Elmira, New York, United States
Died: December 24
 16 
John Millington Synge
(Irish Playwright, Poet and a Key Figure in the Irish Literary Revival)
John Millington Synge
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 16, 1871
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland
Died: March 24

A major figure of the Irish Literary Revival, John Millington Synge is best remembered for his play The Playboy of the Western World, which caused riots in Dublin due to its satiric depiction of the Irish nature of boasting. His life ended abruptly at 37, due to blood cancer.

 17 
Paul Gachet
(Physician)
Paul Gachet
1
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: July 30, 1828
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lille, France
Died: January 9
 18 
Peder Severin Krøyer
(Painter)
Peder Severin Krøyer
0
Birthdate: July 23, 1851
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Stavanger, Norway
Died: November 21

Peder Severin Krøyer was a Danish painter best remembered for painting beach scenes featuring local fishermen as well as recreation life on the beach. Some of his paintings are preserved at the Skagens Museum in Denmark.

 19 
Renée Vivien
(Poet)
Renée Vivien
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 11, 1877
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England
Died: November 18
 20 
Mary MacKillop
(Australian Religious Sister Who Has Been Declared a Saint By the Catholic Church)
Mary MacKillop
26
Birthdate: January 15, 1842
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Fitzroy, Australia
Died: August 8

Mary MacKillop, the first Australian to be made a saint by the Catholic Church, was born to poor Scottish immigrants and had taken up the reins of her family at age 14. She got a pedophile priest dismissed and is thus revered as a patron saint of sexual abuse victims.

 21 
Edward Henry Harriman
(Railroad Executive)
Edward Henry Harriman
1
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: February 20, 1848
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hempstead, New York, United States
Died: September 9
 22 
Carlos, Duke of Madrid
(Noble)
Carlos, Duke of Madrid
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 30, 1848
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Died: July 18
 23 
Simon Newcomb
(Astronomer, Mathematician, Economist, Novelist, Writer, Teacher, University teacher, Science fiction writer)
Simon Newcomb
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 12, 1835
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nova Scotia
Died: July 11

Initially a herbalist’s apprentice, Simon Newcomb later deviated to mathematics and astronomy. Born to a schoolteacher, he had loved math since age 5 but wasn’t formally educated. He later joined Harvard University, taught math at the US Navy, detected locations of celestial bodies, and wrote a science-fiction novel, too.

 24 
Whitcomb L. Judson
(Inventor, Engineer)
Whitcomb L. Judson
0
Birthdate: March 7, 1846
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chicago
Died: December 7
 25 
Charles Follen McKim
(Architect)
Charles Follen McKim
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: August 24, 1847
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: September 14

Nineteenth-century Beaux-Arts architect Charles Follen McKim was a major part of the Neoclassical revival. The Harvard alumnus became a master architect and specialized in making houses out of shingles. He co-founded the firm McKim, Mead & White, and his notable works include the Columbia University and the Boston Public Library.

 26 
George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon
(Statesman)
George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 24, 1827
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
Died: July 9
 27 
William Torrey Harris
(Philosopher)
William Torrey Harris
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 10, 1835
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: North Killingly, Connecticut, U.S.
Died: November 5
 28 
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(Poet, Writer)
Algernon Charles Swinburne
2
Listed In:
Birthdate: April 5, 1837
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London
Died: April 10
 29 
Sarah Orne Jewett
(Novelist)
Sarah Orne Jewett
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 3, 1849
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: South Berwick, Maine, United States
Died: June 24
 30 
Adelaide of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
(Nun)
Adelaide of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 3, 1831
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kleinheubach, Germany
Died: December 16
 31 
John Of Kronshtadt
(Saint)
John Of Kronshtadt
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 31, 1829
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pinezhsky District, Russia
Died: January 2
 32 
Fanny Cerrito
(Ballet Dancer)
Fanny Cerrito
0
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: May 11, 1817
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Died: May 6
 33 
Rufus W. Peckham
(Jurist)
Rufus W. Peckham
0
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: November 8, 1838
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States
Died: October 24
 34 
Francis Marion Crawford
(Writer)
Francis Marion Crawford
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 2, 1854
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bagni di Lucca, Italy
Died: April 9
 35 
William Powell Frith
(Painter)
William Powell Frith
1
Birthdate: January 9, 1819
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Aldfield, England
Died: November 2
 36 
Ludwig Mond
(Chemist)
Ludwig Mond
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 7, 1839
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kassel, Germany
Died: December 11
 37 
Zhang Zhidong
(Former Viceroy of Liangjiang (1902 - 1903, 1894 - 1896), Viceroy of Huguang (1904 - 1907, 1898 - 1902))
Zhang Zhidong
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 4, 1837
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Xingyi, China
Died: October 5

Zhang Zhidong was a Chinese official who played an important role in the Qing dynasty. Zhang was one of the four most important officials of the dynasty, along with Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, and Zeng Guofan. Zhang is remembered for promoting the modernization of Chinese troops. He also played a major role in the eradication of the Imperial examination system.

 38 
Edward Everett Hale
(Writer, Theologian, Science fiction writer, Author)
Edward Everett Hale
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 3, 1822
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: June 10
 39 
Euclides da Cunha
(Brazilian Journalist, Sociologist and Engineer Famous for His Classic Historical Narrative Os Sertões)
Euclides da Cunha
0
Birthdate: January 20, 1866
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cantagalo, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died: August 15

Euclides da Cunha was a Brazilian engineer and journalist. He attended Escola Militar da Praia Vermelha as a young man. He then studied civil engineering and began his career as a journalist. He was elected to the Academia Brasileira de Letras (Brazilian Academy of Letters) in 1903. He was murdered by his wife’s affair partner in 1909. 

 40 
Karl Krumbacher
(Scholar)
Karl Krumbacher
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 23, 1856
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kempten, Germany
Died: December 12
 41 
Martha Finley
(Teacher)
Martha Finley
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 26, 1828
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chillicothe, Ohio, United States
Died: January 30
 42 
John Davidson
(Scottish poet)
John Davidson
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 11, 1857
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Barrhead, Scotland
Died: March 23

John Davidson was a Scottish poet, novelist, and playwright best remembered for his ballads. A prolific writer, Davidson's work influenced several Modernist poets like Wallace Stevens and Hugh MacDiarmid. John Davidson's financial troubles as well as mental and physical health problems culminated in his suicide by drowning on 23 March 1909 at the age of 51.

 43 
Caran d'Ache
(Cartoonist)
Caran d'Ache
0
Birthdate: November 6, 1858
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: February 25
 44 
Friedrich Martens
(Diplomat)
Friedrich Martens
0
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: August 27, 1845
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Pärnu, Estonia
Died: June 19
 45 
Michael Jan de Goeje
(Dutch Orientalist)
Michael Jan de Goeje
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 13, 1836
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dronrijp, Netherlands
Died: May 17

Michael Jan de Goeje was a Dutch orientalist who wielded great influence over his pupils as well as eastern administrators and theologians who attended his lectures. Michael Jan de Goeje's editions of Arabic texts, especially his edition of Tabari, are of great value to scholars. He also served as the president of the International Association of Academies of Science.

 46 
Pascual Cervera y Topete
(Naval Officer)
Pascual Cervera y Topete
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 18, 1839
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Medina-Sidonia, Cadiz province, Spain
Died: April 3
 47 
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
(Grand Duke of Russia)
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 22, 1847
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Saint Peterburg, Russia
Died: February 17
 48 
Oliver Otis Howard
(Military Officer)
Oliver Otis Howard
6
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 8, 1830
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Leeds, Maine, United States
Died: October 26
 49 
Gaston, Marquis de Galliffet
(General)
Gaston, Marquis de Galliffet
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 23, 1830
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: July 8
 50 
Clorinda Matto de Turner
(Peruvian Author and Journalist Who Wrote about the Peruvian Indigenous Community)
Clorinda Matto de Turner
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 11, 1852
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cusco, Peru
Died: October 25

Peruvian novelist and journalist Clorinda Matto de Turner is remembered for her popular novel Aves Sin Nido. She depicted the lives of Peru’s indigenous people through her works and later moved to Argentina, after being hounded out of Peru due to her controversial and political themes.