Famous People Born In 1773

The ninth president of the US, William Henry Harrison died 31 days into his presidential term, becoming the shortest-serving US president ever. His demise caused a brief constitutional crisis pertaining to the succession to the presidency. Subsequently, Vice President John Tyler became the new president, setting an important precedent in terms of transfer of the presidency in such situations.

Louis-Philippe I of France reigned as the King of the French from 9 August 1830 to 24 February 1848. Although his rule was much loved at the beginning, his popularity suffered when the economic conditions in France declined in 1847. Subsequently, Louis Philippe I was forced to abdicate the throne when the French Revolution broke out in 1848.   

Copley Medal-winning Scottish botanist Robert Brown is remembered for his detailed descriptions on topics such as the cell nuclei and what later came to be known as the Brownian motion. After studying medicine, he had also served the British Army as a surgeon and also toured the Australian shores aboard The Investigator.

Often referred as The Last Man Who Knew Everything, British polymath Thomas Young made significant contributions to a wide range of subjects like vision, light, energy, musical harmony etc. Especially famous for Wave Theory of Light, he also made significant contribution in deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Young-Helmholtz theory, Young temperament and Young's Modulus carry his legacy to these days.

A slave woman of mixed race, Sally Hemings was owned by the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Historians say there is evidence to show that Jefferson had a long-term sexual relationship with her and he was the father of Sally’s six children. A DNA study also points to this. However, there are some who do not agree.

British engineer and inventor George Cayley was a pioneer of aeronautics and aviation. He designed the world’s first glider that could successfully carry a human being. He was also a prominent Whig and had contributed to the formation of what is now known as the University of Westminster.

German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs is remembered for inventing a decimal scale used to measure the hardness of minerals, known as the Mohs scale. A professor at the University of Vienna, he later also became the curator of the Imperial Mineralogical Collection. He also laid down a system of classifying crystals.

William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst was initially sent as an ambassador to China but returned without securing any trade relations because of his refusal to show complete subordination. He later became the governor-general of India and annexed major parts of Burma after the First Burmese War.

At 10, Nathaniel Bowditch was forced to quit studies due to poverty and started working, first at his father’s shop and then as a clerk in other shops. During his voyages in merchant ships, he discovered his love for math. He later redefined maritime navigation with his mathematical research.

Ludwig Tieck was a German poet, writer, and translator. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the Romantic movement that originated in the late 18th century. He wrote numerous short stories, poems, and plays in the early Romantic tradition. In his later years, he was active as a literary critic. Poet Sophie Tieck was his sister. 

Trained for the navy, Joseph de Villèle made voyages to the West and East Indies before becoming the mayor of Toulouse. An ultra-royalist, he was the French prime minister during the reign of King Charles X. He imposed press censorship and also let Catholic elements remove liberal professors from universities.

James Mill was a Scottish economist, historian, philosopher, and political theorist. Mill is credited with co-founding the Ricardian school of economics. He is also credited with writing The History of British India, which classifies Indian history into three parts: British, Muslim, and Hindu. The classification has played an influential role in the field of Indian historical studies.

Born in the then-Dano-Norwegian city of Stavanger, Henrik Steffens grew up to be a fine philosopher. Initially a lecturer in the universities of Kiel and Jena, he later brought German romanticism to Denmark. He also taught mineralogy and physics and combined science and metaphysics. He also supported German nationalism.

Best remembered for melodramatic plays such as The Dog of Montarges and Coelina, theater director and playwright René-Charles Guilbert de Pixérécourt was known for his signature realistic sets. His melodramas set the tone for the theater of the 19th century. He had initially studied law and had then served the army.

A major figure of the Enlightenment in Hungary, Mihály Csokonai Vitéz was initially a professor of poetry but later lost his job due to conduct issues. He then became a wandering poet, immortalizing his lady love Lilla, through his poems. He died poor, in his native town, at age 31.