Famous birthdays by year

Famous People Born in 1852

Born in 1852? Meet the well-known people who share your birth year, from the biggest names to the ones you might not expect, month by month.

Turning 174 in 2026 · Chinese zodiac: Year of the Rat

The 1850s

The most famous people born in 185218

1852–1926

Antoni Gaudí

Catalan architect whose fantastical buildings, including the Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló and Park Güell, define Barcelona

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet ( gow-DEE, GOW-dee; Catalan:; 25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Catalan architect and designer, widely known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernisme. Gaudí's works have a sui generis style, with most located in Barcelona, including his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família church.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ArtWould be 174

Photo: Pau Audouard Deglaire · Public domain

1852–1908

Antoine Henri Becquerel

French physicist who discovered radioactivity in uranium in 1896 and shared the Nobel Prize with Marie and Pierre Curie

Antoine Henri Becquerel (15 December 1852 – 25 August 1908) was a French experimental physicist who shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with Marie and Pierre Curie for his discovery of radioactivity.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScienceWould be 173

Photo: Paul Nadar / Adam Cuerden · Public domain

1852–1931

Albert Abraham Michelson

American physicist who measured the speed of light with great precision and became the first American Nobel laureate in science

Albert Abraham Michelson (December 19, 1852 – May 9, 1931) was an American experimental physicist known for his work on measuring the speed of light and especially for the Michelson–Morley experiment. In 1907, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics, becoming the first American to win the Nobel Prize in a science.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScienceWould be 173

Photo: The original uploader was Bunzil at English Wikipedia . · Public domain

1852–1911

Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff

First winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff Jr. (Dutch:; 30 August 1852 – 1 March 1911) was a Dutch physical chemist.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScienceWould be 174

Photo: Unknown author · Public domain

1852–1912

Emperor Meiji

Emperor who oversaw the rapid modernisation and industrialisation of Japan

Emperor Meiji (3 November 1852 – 29 July 1912), personal name Mutsuhito, was Emperor of Japan from 30 January 1867 until his death in 1912. The Meiji Restoration proclaimed the Empire of Japan in 1868, beginning the Meiji era.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

RoyaltyWould be 173

Photo: Uchida Kuichi · Public domain

1852–1934

Santiago Ramón y Cajal

Nobel Prize-winning scientist considered the father of modern neuroscience

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (Spanish:; 1 May 1852 – 17 October 1934) was a Spanish neuroscientist, pathologist, and histologist specialising in neuroanatomy, and the central nervous system. He and Camillo Golgi received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScienceWould be 174

Photo: Original photo is anonymous although published by Clark University in 1899. Restoration by Garrondo · Public domain

1852–1916

William Ramsay

Nobel Prize-winning chemist who discovered the noble gases

Sir William Ramsay (2 October 1852 – 23 July 1916) was a Scottish chemist who discovered the noble gases and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air" along with his collaborator, John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, who…

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScienceWould be 174

Photo: Elliott & Fry · Public domain

1852–1919

Emil Fischer

German chemist who won the Nobel Prize for work on sugars

Hermann Emil Louis Fischer (German:; 9 October 1852 – 15 July 1919) was a German chemist and 1902 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He discovered the Fischer esterification.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScienceWould be 174

Photo: Unknown author · CC BY 4.0

Born in 1852, month by month

January
- Constantin Fehrenbach (January 11) · German statesman who served as Chancellor during the Weimar Republic era
- Joseph Joffre (January 12) · French general who served as Commander-in-Chief during World War I
- Paul-Henri-Benjamin d'Estournelles de Constant (January 22) · French diplomat and winner of the 1909 Nobel Peace Prize
February
- Charles Taze Russell (February 16) · American minister and founder of the Bible Student movement
May
- Santiago Ramón y Cajal (May 1) · Nobel Prize-winning scientist considered the father of modern neuroscience
- Charles W. Fairbanks (May 11) · Vice President of the United States under Theodore Roosevelt
June
- Antoni Gaudí (June 25) · Catalan architect whose fantastical buildings, including the Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló and Park Güell, define Barcelona
July
- Gojong of the Korean Empire (July 25) · First Emperor of Korea and final monarch of the Joseon dynasty
August
- Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff (August 30) · First winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
September
- Paul Bourget (September 2) · French novelist and poet who was nominated for the Nobel Prize
- H. H. Asquith (September 12) · British Prime Minister who led the country into World War One
- Henri Moissan (September 28) · French chemist who first successfully isolated the element fluorine
October
- William Ramsay (October 2) · Nobel Prize-winning chemist who discovered the noble gases
- Emil Fischer (October 9) · German chemist who won the Nobel Prize for work on sugars
November
- Emperor Meiji (November 3) · Emperor who oversaw the rapid modernisation and industrialisation of Japan
- Francisco Tárrega (November 21) · Spanish composer and virtuoso known as the father of modern classical guitar
December
- Antoine Henri Becquerel (December 15) · French physicist who discovered radioactivity in uranium in 1896 and shared the Nobel Prize with Marie and Pierre Curie
- Albert Abraham Michelson (December 19) · American physicist who measured the speed of light with great precision and became the first American Nobel laureate in science

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