Famous People Who Died In 1871

The son of renowned astronomer William Herschel, John Herschel was educated at Eton and Cambridge and grew up to be a polymath. Apart from contributing to the field of photography, he was known for cataloguing and naming stars and satellites. He briefly also served as the Master of the Royal Mint.

Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a French watchmaker turned magician and illusionist. The son of a watchmaker, he followed in his father’s footsteps and had a successful career in this field. He ventured into magic by chance and ended up revolutionizing the field. He is today widely regarded as the father of the modern style of conjuring. 

Augustus De Morgan was a British logician and mathematician. He is best remembered for formulating De Morgan's laws which are widely applied in solving mathematical equations. He also came up with the term mathematical induction, a mathematical proof technique. 

French chemist Anselme Payen is known for co-discovering the first enzyme diastase, and for discovering the carbohydrate cellulose. He broke the Dutch monopoly for borax by developing a method to synthesize borax from soda and boric acid; developed a method to determine nitrogen and methods for refining sugar; and invented a decolorimeter.

Born in Austria, Moritz von Schwind led a bohemian life for much of his youth. The famed painter later moved to Germany, where he taught at the Munich Academy. His art reflected Romanticism, and his subjects were often casual honeymooning couples. He also painted the glass windows of the Glasgow Cathedral.

Known as The Poet of the Slaves because of his support for abolitionism, Castro Alves was one of the major figures of Brazilian literature. In spite of being trained as a lawyer, he became one of the icons of Brazilian romantic poetry and Condorism. He died of tuberculosis worsened by an amputated foot.

Karl Tausig was a Polish virtuoso pianist and composer. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time. The son of a pianist, he was introduced to the instrument at an early age. He studied under Hungarian Romantic pianist Franz Liszt and thrived under his mentorship. Sadly, the brilliant pianist died an untimely death at 29. 

Irish-Canadian painter Paul Kane was known for his paintings of subjects ranging from Native Americans, missionaries, and landscapes, and his attention to detail, especially the jewelry and attire of his subjects. Specializing in portraits, he also later released Wanderings of an Artist, which was a collection of his travel experiences.

Revolutionary leader Louis Charles Delescluze was a significant figure of the Paris Commune. As a student activist, he joined the Amis du Peuple and briefly fled to Brussels after being accused of plotting to kill King Louis-Philippe. He was eventually shot to death at the Commune barricades.

Turkish author and playwright İbrahim Şinasi was a pioneer of the Ottoman play and was one of the first Ottoman writers to simplify and modernize the language of Turkish literature and use Western stylistic aspects. He founded the newspaper Tasvir-i Efkâr. Şair Evlenmesi remains his best-known work.

Swiss pianist Sigismond Thalberg started performing at age 14 and soon became a court pianist in Vienna. Known for his signature melody that he played in the middle of the keyboard, he later toured to places such as Paris, London, and Brazil, mesmerizing audiences with his tunes.