Famous People Who Died In 1864

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American writer, known for dark romanticism and moral-themed novels and short stories. A descendant of judge John Hathorne of the Salem witch trials infamy, the writer was a friend of late American president Franklin Pierce. His well-known books include Twice-Told Tales, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. Nathaniel was married to painter Sophia Peabody.

George Boole is remembered for pioneering Boolean algebra, a tool used in digital computer circuits. More of a self-taught mathematician, Boole began teaching at 16 and later grew up to be a math professor at Queen’s College, Cork. His work in differential equations and algebraic logic was groundbreaking.

Juan José Flores was a Venezuelan-born military general who served as the president of the new Republic of Ecuador on three non-consecutive terms. Enlisted as a private in the Spanish Royalist army at the age of 15, he grew up to be a military man with a commanding presence. He was an intelligent man and an eloquent orator. 

Gonçalves Dias was a Brazilian lawyer, poet, playwright, ethnographer, and linguist. A major figure of Brazilian Romanticism, he is credited with having composed Canção do exílio, often considered the best known poem of Brazilian literature. He was posthumously awarded the title of national poet of Brazil and is the patron of the 15th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. 

Leonidas Polk was an American Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. He is credited with establishing an Anglican Christian denomination called the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America. A political general of the Civil War, Leonidas Polk is remembered for commanding troops in the Battle of Perryville and the Battle of Shiloh among many other battles.

Part of the legendary Struve family of astronomers, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve is best remembered for his research on double stars, or binary stars. The winner of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Struve had fled Germany and moved to Denmark and to Russia, to avoid military service.

ʿUmar Tal was a West African Islamic scholar, political leader, Toucouleur military commander, and Tijani Sufi. He is best remembered for founding the short-lived Toucouleur Empire, which encompassed much of present-day Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea, and Mali. ʿUmar Tal remains an important figure in Senegal, Mali, and Guinea. 

Henry Schoolcraft was an American geologist, geographer, and ethnologist. He is best remembered for his studies of Native American cultures. Henry Schoolcraft is also credited with founding The Journal of Education, America's first journal on public education.

Rose O'Neal Greenhow was a well-known Confederate spy who was active during the American Civil War. She is credited with securing the South's victory at the Battle of First Manassas in July 1861. After her demise, Rose O'Neal Greenhow was given a Confederate military funeral.

Scottish economist and statistician John Ramsay McCulloch was one of the main promoters of the principles of British economist David Ricardo. He also wrote for The Edinburgh Review and co-established and edited The Scotsman. Once a University College, London professor, he was also known for his works on economic history.

Sakuma Shōzan was a major force behind the modernization of Japan and believed in the motto "Eastern ethics, Western techniques." He learned Dutch and taught himself techniques of making sophisticated weapons. He was assassinated by nationalists while trying to bridge gaps between the shogun and the emperor.

Though a qualified lawyer, Imre Madách gained fame as a poet and author. The 15-act play The Tragedy of Man, compared to the works of Faust and Milton, was not only his best-known work but also a significant addition to Hungarian literature. He was also a politician and an MP.

Born to a vicar, Nassau William Senior received elite education at Eton and Oxford. A qualified lawyer, he later deviated to economics. He later became Oxford’s first Drummond professor of political economy. As a Whig advisor, he formulated the New Poor Law and helped in setting up various economic policies.

James Frederick Ferrier was a Scottish metaphysical philosopher, writer, and professor. He is best remembered for authoring a series of articles titled An Introduction to the Philosophy of Consciousness, which were published in Blackwood's Magazine. As an educator, James Frederick Ferrier taught at several prestigious institutions like Edinburgh University and the University of St Andrews.

German-Russian chemist Karl Ernst Claus of Baltic-German ancestry is best remembered as the discoverer of the chemical element ruthenium. He discovered it while serving as a professor at Kazan State University and named it ruthenium in honour of his homeland Russia. Claus is also counted among the first scientists who applied quantitative methods in botany.

Taiping Rebellion leader Hong Rengan was a cousin of the movement’s founder, Hong Xiuquan. He was elevated to the level equivalent to that of the prime minister of Taiping but was executed after the fall of the kingdom to Qing forces. He remained the last loyal Taiping rebel.

German physician Johann Lukas Schönlein made many pioneering contributions to medical science, such as using the microscope for the first time the chemical analyses of urine and blood diagnosing diseases. He first published the word tuberculosis and coined the word hemophilia. He also discovered Achorion schonleinii as the cause of ringworm infection.

Enamoured by the ideas of French and German philosophers, Ferdinand Lassalle initially aspired to be a lecturer. He later joined the socialist cause and spearheaded Germany’s social democratic movement. He also introduced terms such as the iron law of wages and concepts such as Lassallism, or achieving socialist ideals through the state.