Famous People Born In 1807

A commander of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, Robert E. Lee commanded the Army of Northern Virginia. He was a skilled tactician who served in the US Army for 32 years. Brilliant from a young age, he was a top graduate of the US Military Academy. In his later years, he became president of Washington College.

Italian general, patriot, and republican Giuseppe Garibaldi is remembered for the role he played in the Italian unification and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. He is considered one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland." A highly proficient military general, he also led the Expedition of the Thousand on behalf of Victor Emmanuel II. He died in 1882.

Louis Agassiz was a biologist and geologist. He was famous as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Born in Switzerland, he completed his education in Europe and emigrated to USA. He was appointed a professor of zoology and geology at Harvard University. He later founded the Museum of Comparative Zoology at the Lawrence Scientific School.  

Amir Kabir was chief minister to Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (Shah of Persia) for three years. He is regarded as "Iran's first reformer." He tried to bring gradual reform to the country. He executed many Babis, including the founder of the movement, the Báb. Later in his life, he was exiled to Fin Garden in Kashan and eventually murdered. 

Alfred Vail, along with Samuel F.B. Morse, revolutionized the American telegraph system. Though initially interested in theology, he changed his career path after meeting Morse. Some scholars believe Vail and Morse had both contributed equally for the development of the Morse code but was not valued.

Charles Francis Adams Sr. was an American writer, historical editor, diplomat, and politician. He played a key role during the American Civil War, serving as the US Minister to the UK under Abraham Lincoln; he used his diplomacy to not recognize the Confederacy and keep the British government neutral. He is credited with building Adams National Historical Park.

Son of a French army man, Jules Grévy was a lawyer before he joined politics. He later became the president of France and pushed for a strong legislature. He adopted moderate foreign policies and was against colonial expansion. He resigned in the wake of a corruption scandal involving his son-in-law.

British colonizer Henry Sewell initially followed in his father’s footsteps to become a solicitor and joined his father’s law firm. He later joined the Canterbury Association and participated in the colonization of New Zealand, becoming the country’s first premier. He had also been an attorney general and a minister of justice.

Orphaned at age 10, Barbizon school painter Narcisse Virgilio Díaz also lost one of his legs to a reptile bite. Raised by a Protestant minister, he initially worked in a porcelain factory. Later, a regular at the Paris Salon, he created masterpieces depicting landscapes, gypsies, and musicians.

Educated at her Unitarian minister father’s school, Mary Carpenter grew up to form her own free schools for the poor, known as the ragged schools. Her work later took her to India and North America. She also established the National Indian Association to ease communication between Indian and British reformers.

After gaining his engineering degree, Auguste Laurent worked briefly as a laboratory assistant for Jean-Baptiste Dumas and then taught chemistry at the University of Bordeaux. Apart from laying down a system of naming organic chemical substances, he also discovered phthalic acid, anthracene, and carbolic acid.

Norwegian poet Johan Sebastian Welhaven is remembered for his marked dislike for extreme nationalism in the works of some of his contemporaries. He is best remembered for his criticism of Henrik Wergeland. Primarily a lyric poet, he penned works such as The Dawn of Norway. He also worked as a philosophy lecturer.

Wilford Woodruff was an American religious leader. From 1889 until his death in 1898, Woodruff served as the president of the Mormon Church. He is credited with ending the public practice of polygamy among the members of the Church in 1890. Woodruff's journals are regarded as an important contribution to the Mormon Church history.