Who Was Alive in 1817

James WattAge 81

1736–1819 · Science & Invention

Improved the steam engine

Thomas JeffersonAge 74

1743–1826 · Politics & Leadership

Author of the Declaration of Independence

Francisco GoyaAge 71

1746–1828 · Art

Spanish Romantic painter

Edward JennerAge 68

1749–1823 · Science & Invention

Pioneer of the smallpox vaccine

HokusaiAge 57

1760–1849 · Art

The Great Wave, Japanese master printmaker

Napoleon BonaparteAge 48

1769–1821 · Politics & Leadership

Emperor of France, military genius

Ludwig van BeethovenAge 47

1770–1827 · Music

Symphonies composed while going deaf

Jane AustenAge 42

1775–1817 · Literature

Pride and Prejudice

Niccolò PaganiniAge 35

1782–1840 · Music

Virtuoso violinist, the Devil's violinist

Simón BolívarAge 34

1783–1830 · Politics & Leadership

Liberator of South America

Jacob GrimmAge 32

1785–1863 · Literature

Grimm's Fairy Tales

Shaka ZuluAge 30

1787–1828 · Politics & Leadership

Founder of the Zulu Kingdom

Michael FaradayAge 26

1791–1867 · Science & Invention

Electromagnetic induction

Charles BabbageAge 26

1791–1871 · Science & Invention

Father of the computer, designed the Analytical Engine

Alexander PushkinAge 18

1799–1837 · Literature

Father of Russian literature

Victor HugoAge 15

1802–1885 · Literature

Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Hans Christian AndersenAge 12

1805–1875 · Literature

The Little Mermaid, fairy tales

Abraham LincolnAge 8

1809–1865 · Politics & Leadership

16th US President, ended slavery

Charles DarwinAge 8

1809–1882 · Science & Invention

Theory of evolution by natural selection

Edgar Allan PoeAge 8

1809–1849 · Literature

Master of the macabre, The Raven

Frédéric ChopinAge 7

1810–1849 · Music

Romantic piano virtuoso

Charles DickensAge 5

1812–1870 · Literature

A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist

Giuseppe VerdiAge 4

1813–1901 · Music

La Traviata, Aida — operatic master

Richard WagnerAge 4

1813–1883 · Music

Ring Cycle, revolutionary opera

Otto von BismarckAge 2

1815–1898 · Politics & Leadership

Unified Germany, the Iron Chancellor

Ada LovelaceAge 2

1815–1852 · Science & Invention

First computer programmer