20 historically significant individuals born on November 19. November 19 is the birth date of several notable individuals across various fields and centuries. Among those born on this day are Paracelsus (1493), the Swiss physician and alchemist; James A. Garfield (1831), the 20th President of the United States; and José Raúl Capablanca (1888), the Cuban chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion. Other births include Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770) and Romanian-American cell biologist George Emil Palade (1912), who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Total Born
20
Countries
15
Top Century
20th· 13
Top Field
politician
5 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
Earl W. Sutherland, Jr.
1915 – 1974Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1971)
scientist
James B. Sumner
1887 – 1955Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1946)
chess player
José Raúl Capablanca
1888 – 1942Cuban chess grandmaster who served as World Chess Champion from 1921 to 1927. He is considered one of the greatest chess players in history, known for his exceptional endgame technique and natural playing style.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (13)
19th (4)
15th C.20th C.
20th Century
13Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Earl W. Sutherland, Jr.
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1971)
Indira Gandhi
politicianwriter
Prime Minister of India who served two terms (1966-1977, 1980-1984) and was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. She was assassinated in 1984 following her controversial decision to order military action at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Sushmita Sen
actorbeauty pageant contestant
Indian actress and former Miss Universe 1994 winner who became the first Indian woman to win this title. She has appeared in numerous Bollywood films and is known for her philanthropic work.
Mette Frederiksen
politiciantrade unionist
Danish Social Democratic politician who has served as Prime Minister of Denmark since 2019, becoming the country's youngest-ever prime minister.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
military personnelpolitician
Former military general who became Egypt's president in 2014 after leading the coup that removed Mohamed Morsi from power.
George Emil Palade
cell biologistchemist
Romanian-American cell biologist who won the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering ribosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum.
Muteesa II of Buganda
politicianwriter
Traditional ruler who served as Kabaka of Buganda from 1939 until his death and briefly as Uganda's ceremonial first President following independence in 1962.
Zygmunt Bauman
opinion journalistphilosopher
Polish-British sociologist and philosopher known for his analysis of modernity, particularly his concept of "liquid modernity" describing contemporary social conditions.
Yuan T. Lee
chemistNobel Prize winner
Yuan T. Lee won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering work in chemical reaction dynamics using crossed molecular beams. He later served as president of Academia Sinica, Taiwan's premier research institution.
Meseret Defar
athletics competitorlong-distance runner
Ethiopian middle-distance runner who won two Olympic gold medals in the 5,000 meters and set multiple world records.
Petr Nečas
politiciantechnologist
Czech politician who served as Prime Minister from 2010 to 2013 until his government collapsed amid a corruption scandal involving his chief of staff and romantic partner.
Shin Dong-hyuk
human rights defenderjournalist
North Korean defector who claimed to be the first person born in a political prison camp to escape and tell his story. His autobiography 'Escape from Camp 14' brought international attention to North Korean human rights abuses.
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya
athletics competitor
Sprinter who sought asylum in Poland during the 2021 Olympics after refusing orders to return to Belarus following criticism of her coaches.
19th Century
4Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
James B. Sumner
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1946)
José Raúl Capablanca
chess playerdiplomat
Cuban chess grandmaster who served as World Chess Champion from 1921 to 1927. He is considered one of the greatest chess players in history, known for his exceptional endgame technique and natural playing style.
James A. Garfield
lawyermilitary personnel
President of the United States in 1881
James Mason
chess playerwriter
Irish chess player, journalist and writer (1849–1905)
18th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Bertel Thorvaldsen
designersculptor
Neoclassical sculptor renowned for works like 'The Lion of Lucerne' and numerous mythological figures, considered Denmark's greatest sculptor.
José de Urrutia
cartographerengineer
Spanish general (1739-1803)
15th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Paracelsus
astrologerastronomer
Swiss physician, philosopher, theologian, and alchemist (c. 1493–1541)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on November 19?
James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, is likely the most famous person born on November 19, 1831. Other notable figures include the renowned chess champion José Raúl Capablanca and the influential physician Paracelsus.
What US President was born on November 19?
James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was born on November 19, 1831. He served as president for only 200 days before being assassinated in 1881.
Are there any famous scientists or doctors born on November 19?
Yes, two notable medical figures were born on November 19: Paracelsus (1493), a Swiss physician who revolutionized Renaissance medicine, and George Emil Palade (1912), a Nobel Prize-winning cell biologist. Both made significant contributions to their fields of study.