Philosophy · Scholarship · 1858–1917
Born: 15 April 1858 · Died: 15 November 1917 · Age at death: 59
Émile Durkheim died aged 59. He was born on 15 April 1858 and died on 15 November 1917.
French scholar who founded academic sociology, studied suicide statistically and wrote The Division of Labour in Society
Did you know?He established the first European department of sociology and founded one of the earliest academic journals dedicated to the subject.
Émile Durkheim helped turn sociology into a proper academic discipline. He argued that society shapes individuals in ways they rarely notice. In his study Suicide he showed that suicide rates rise and fall with social ties. He coined the idea of anomie, a sense of normlessness in fast-changing societies. He studied religion as a force that binds groups together. He set out rules for studying social facts scientifically. He founded France's first university course in sociology and an important journal. His ideas still guide research today.
David Émile Durkheim (French: or; 15 April 1858 – 15 November 1917) was a French sociologist. He formally established the academic discipline of sociology and is commonly cited as one of the principal architects of modern social science, along with Karl Marx and Max Weber.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Profile
French sociologist, 1858–1917
Émile Durkheim was born in Épinal on 15 April 1858.
The Division of Labour in Society appeared in 1893.
Suicide followed in 1897.
The Elementary Forms of Religious Life appeared in 1912.
Career highlights
Did you know?He founded the journal L'Année sociologique in 1898.
Questions people ask
1452–1519
1707–1783
1894–1971
1912–1994
b. 1990
b. 1949Missing someone? Suggest them
1452–1519
1853–1890
1889–1977
1685–1750A newspaper from their birth date
The front page from the day they were born, a classic keepsake.
Shop on AmazonAries zodiac gifts
Jewellery, prints and candles for the Aries in your life.
Shop on EtsyStar map of April 15
A custom print of the night sky on their birthday.
Shop on EtsyMilestone birthday gifts
Ideas for 18th, 30th, 40th, 50th and beyond.
Shop on AmazonWe may earn a small commission from purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.
Last reviewed: October 2026