38 historically significant individuals born on January 19. January 19 is the birth date of several influential figures throughout history. Notable individuals include French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798), American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809), and French post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne (1839). Others born on this date are Afghan leader Habibullāh Kalakāni (1890) and Jordanian Prime Minister Wasfi Tal (1919).
Total Born
38
Countries
27
Top Century
19th· 16
Top Field
journalist
7 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
Shimon Sakaguchi
1951 – PresentNobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2025)
scientist
Leonid Vitaliyevich Kantorovich
1912 – 1986Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (1975)
mathematician
Auguste Comte
1798 – 1857French philosopher, mathematician and sociologist (1798–1857)
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (13)
19th (16)
15th C.20th C.
20th Century
13Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Shimon Sakaguchi
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2025)
Leonid Vitaliyevich Kantorovich
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (1975)
Ricardo Arjona
actorbasketball player
Ricardo Arjona is a internationally successful singer-songwriter known for his poetic lyrics and has sold over 80 million records worldwide.
Ziaur Rahman
military personnelpolitician
Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as President from 1977 until his assassination in 1981. He founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and was the husband of later Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Edwidge Danticat
children's writernovelist
Award-winning Haitian-American author known for novels exploring the immigrant experience, including 'Breath, Eyes, Memory' and 'The Farming of Bones.' She has won numerous literary awards and is a MacArthur Fellow.
Wasfi Tal
diplomatpolitician
Three-time Prime Minister of Jordan who was assassinated in Cairo in 1971 by Palestinian militants for his role in Black September.
Jaime Moreno
association football coachassociation football player
Forward who played for clubs in South America and MLS, earning multiple caps for Bolivia's national team during the 1990s and 2000s.
Lauren
association football player
Cameroonian defender who played for Portsmouth and other English clubs, winning the FA Cup in 2008.
Aleksander Jackowski
anthropologistart critic
Polish academic (1920–2017)
Robert MacNeil
journalisttelevision presenter
American writer and journalist (1931–2024)
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
diplomatlawyer
5th Secretary-General of the United Nations (1920-2020)
Marvelous Nakamba
association football player
Defensive midfielder who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League and captains the Zimbabwe national football team.
Moussa Sow
association football player
Senegalese striker who scored over 100 career goals playing for clubs including Lille, Fenerbahçe, and Al-Ahli, and represented Senegal in two World Cups.
19th Century
16Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Paul Cézanne
draftspersonlithographer
French painter (1839–1906)
William Vermillion Houston
physicistscience administrator
American physicist (1900–1968)
Ștefan Procopiu
physicistuniversity teacher
Romanian physicist (1890–1972)
Henry Burrell
biologistnaturalist
Australian monotremes specialist and naturalist (1873–1945)
Habibullāh Kalakāni
politician
Reaver of Afghan Nation (1929)
Arthur Turcotte
journalistlawyer
Canadian politician (1845-1905)
María Enriqueta Camarillo
pianistplaywright
Mexican poet (1872-1968)
Milovan Glišić
journalistlinguist
Serbian writer (1847–1908)
Ferruccio Parri
journalistpartisan
Italian partisan and politician (1890–1981)
Manuel de Jesús Galván
diplomatjournalist
Dominican author (1834-1910)
Heikki Renvall
journalistjurist
Finnish jurist, journalist and politician (1872–1955)
Edgar Allan Poe
essayistliterary critic
American writer and literary critic (1809–1849)
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Thomas Dufferin Pattullo
journalistpolitician
Canadian politician (1873–1956)
Frank Devlin
badminton playernon-fiction writer
Irish badminton player (1900–1988)
Elisa Caroline Bommer
botanical collectorbotanist
Belgian botanist (1832-1910)
Frederic Storck
professorsculptor
Romanian sculptor (1872–1942)
18th Century
5Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Auguste Comte
mathematicianphilosopher
French philosopher, mathematician and sociologist (1798–1857)
Charles-René de Fourcroy
military engineernaturalist
Military engineer, member of the French Academy of Sciences, author of the Tableau poléométrique
Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
botanistgeographical engineer (military cartographer)
Writer and botanist from France (1737-1814)
Michel Bibaud
essayisthistorian
Canadian writer
Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom
aestheticianphilosopher
Swedish poet (1790–1855)
17th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Hakuin Ekaku
Buddhist monkcalligrapher
Japanese Zen Buddhist master (1686-1769)
Kitamura Kigin
poetwriter
Japanese poet and writer (1625-1705)
15th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Nicolaus Olahus
Catholic bishopCatholic priest
Roman Catholic archbishop
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy
collectorcomposer
Austrian archduchess and regent of the Netherlands (1480-1530)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on January 19?
Edgar Allan Poe, an American writer and poet born on January 19, 1809, is likely the most recognized figure born on this date. He is known for dark tales and poems like "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."
What famous artists were born on January 19?
Paul Cézanne, a French Post-Impressionist painter, was born on January 19, 1839. His approach to color and form influenced modern art and connected Impressionism with 20th-century movements.
Are there any famous philosophers born on January 19?
Auguste Comte, a French philosopher who founded positivism, was born on January 19, 1798. He is one of the founders of sociology and coined the term "sociology."