Famous People Born In 1776

Son of a reputed senator and lawyer in Italy, Amedeo Avogadro was himself a qualified lawyer. However, he later delved into research as a mathematical physicist and is best remembered for laying down the Avogadro’s law, contributing to the molecular theory of gases. The Avogadro constant is named after him.

E. T. A. Hoffmann was a German author, jurist, artist, composer, and music critic. His stories served as an inspiration and laid the foundation for The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach. The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is also based on Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Hoffmann is among the most influential authors of the Romantic Movement.

French mathematician Sophie Germain had used the pseudonym M. Le Blanc to get hold of notes from the École Polytechnique, as being a woman, she was not allowed to attend the institute. She later contributed to the number theory and also pioneered the elasticity theory. She died of breast cancer.

Ioannis Kapodistrias was a Greek statesman who served as the first Governor of Greece from 1828 to 1831. One of the most distinguished diplomats and politicians of Europe, Kapodistrias had served as the Foreign Minister of Russia from 1816 to 1822. Considered an architect of Greek independence, Ioannis Kapodistrias is also regarded as the founder of the modern Greek state.

One of the rare literate slaves of the colonial era, Gabriel Prosser was born into slavery at a tobacco plantation in Virginia. He led one of the first great slave revolutions of the U.S., aspiring to create an all-Black state, with himself as the king. He was eventually hanged.

Henri Dutrochet was a French physician, physiologist, and botanist. Dutrochet is best remembered for his investigation into osmosis. He is also credited with discovering cells in plants and cell biology. Henri Dutrochet’s works earned him several awards including the Académie Française's prize for experimental physiology.

Jean-Pierre Boyer was a Haitian political leader best remembered for his service as the President of Haiti from 30 March 1818 to 13 February 1843. He is credited with reuniting the north and south of Haiti to form the Republic of Haiti. Jean-Pierre Boyer also annexed Spanish Haiti to bring all of Hispaniola under a single Haitian government by 1822.

Mary Anne Clarke was Prince Frederick's mistress. Her memoirs, which documented her relationship with Prince Frederick, were published in 1809. Her life and career inspired the famous novel Mary Anne which was written by her great-great granddaughter Daphne du Maurier.

Barthold Georg Niebuhr was a Danish-German banker, statesman, and historian. A symbol of national spirit in Germany, Barthold Georg Niebuhr helped invigorate a sense of patriotism and nationalism in students at the University of Berlin. 

José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi was a Mexican political journalist and writer best remembered for his 1816 novel El Periquillo Sarniento. Translated in English as The Mangy Parrot, this work is widely regarded as the first novel to be written by a Mexican and the first novel published in Latin America.

Irish-born British naval officer and explorer James Hingston Tuckey was known for his expeditions, especially the one to Port Philip, where he was commanded by David Collins. Though his expedition to Congo failed, and he died in the middle of it, it helped pave the path for the exploration of Africa.

The first Hungarian poet to work with classical themes and meters, Dániel Berzsenyi initially worked on a farm and led an isolated life, till he was discovered by author Ferenc Kazinczy. He quit writing after his only volume of poems was bitterly criticized and he was labeled as a person who copied Horatius.

Welsh poet Ann Griffiths is remembered for her scriptural and spiritual themes in her works. It’s believed she would often recite her poems to her maid. Following her death after childbirth at age 29, her maid and the maid’s husband, who was a Calvinistic Methodist minister, published her poems.

William Blackwood was a Scottish publisher and bookseller best remembered for establishing the popular publishing house, William Blackwood and Sons. He is also credited with founding the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine, which was renamed Blackwood’s Magazine in 1905.