Famous People Who Died In 1869

Franklin Pierce was an American politician who served as the 14th president of the US. A northern Democrat, Franklin Pierce's actions leading up to the American Civil War are believed to have contributed to the commencement of the war. Scholars and historians rank Pierce as one of the least memorable and worst US presidents.

Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic conductor and composer who was highly regarded in places like Russia, Britain, and Germany. Although he did not achieve fame as a composer, Berlioz became renowned internationally for his skills as a conductor. He also wrote musical journalism, which includes his influential work, Treatise on Instrumentation. 

Mirza Ghalib was an Indian poet whose works give a detailed description of the beginning of British rule and the subsequent events in India. A respected poet, who wrote in Urdu and Persian languages, Ghalib remains popular among the Hindustani diaspora across the world. Several films and TV shows have been made in his honor.

French poet and historian Alphonse de Lamartine is best remembered for his collection of poems Méditations poétiques. He was a chief force behind the formation of the Second Republic of France. The allowances he gave his sisters depleted his finances, and he died struggling and in oblivion.

Allan Kardec was a French educator, author, and translator. The founder of Spiritism, Kardec is best remembered for writing five books which are collectively known as the Spiritist Codification. His work with Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi helped lay the foundation for the teaching model in France and Germany.

Carl Gustav Carus was a German painter and physiologist. He is best remembered for creating the concept of the vertebrate archetype. A man of many talents, Carl Gustav Carus was a renowned naturalist, psychologist, scientist, and doctor.

Hiram Bingham I was an American missionary who led the first group of American missionaries in an attempt to spread Christianity in the Hawaiian islands. An important figure in the history of Hawaii, Bingham continues to be revered in the US state. Punahou School, which is located in Honolulu, has a math building named in his honor.

Legendary Italian opera singer Giulia Grisi was the opera world’s prima donna for over 3 decades. She was 17 when she made her debut with Zelmira. She later also soared to fame in Paris and London. She later married opera singer and Italian nobleman and knight Giovanni Matteo Mario.

Greek poet Andreas Kalvos is best remembered for his works such as Lira and Neas Odas. Part of the Ionian, also known as the Heptanese or Romantic school of Greek poetry, he introduced Italian Neoclassical elements to Greek literature, as he was born and raised in Italy.

Scottish chemist Thomas Graham was a pioneer of colloid chemistry. His research on the diffusion of gases led to the Graham's Law. He is also considered to be the inventor of dialysis, a method he used to separate colloids from crystalloids, and one which was later modified to assist in kidney-related ailments.

Roger Fenton was a British photographer best remembered for his contributions as one of the earliest war photographers. One of the most prominent photographers of his generation, Fenton played an important role in founding the Photographic Society which was later renamed the Royal Photographic Society. Fenton is also credited with capturing the final few stages of the famous Crimean War.

Born to a doctor, Ōmura Masujirō initially studied Confucian ethics and Dutch, before being sent to Osaka study Western medicine. However, he later deviated to Western naval sciences and became a prominent military strategist, revolutionizing the Imperial Army with the introduction of conscription and thus going beyond the samurai system.

English botanist James Bowie was not just associated with the Kew Gardens but also traveled as far to Brazil and the Cape Province for collecting botanical specimens. Most of his preserved specimens now find a place at the British Museum. The genera Bowiea and Bowiesia were named in his honor.