Find out more about the greatest 19th Century American Mathematicians, including Charles Sanders Peirce, Alfred North Whitehead, Norbert Wiener, Josiah Willard Gibbs and Nathaniel Bowditch.
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1
Edwin Powell Hubble(American Astronomer Who is Regarded as the Leading Observational Cosmologist of the 20th Century)
Birthdate: November 20, 1889
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Marshfield, Missouri, United States
Died: September 28, 1953
While the Hubble Telescope, named after Edwin Powell Hubble, reminds one of his contribution to astronomy, he failed to get a Nobel Prize, as back in his time, the Nobel Committee didn’t recognize astrophysics as a valid science. He is best remembered for his work on galaxies and extragalactic astronomy.
Birthdate: February 15, 1861
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ramsgate, Kent, England
Died: December 30, 1947
Alfred North Whitehead was a British mathematician and philosopher, best known for his collaboration with his student Bertrand Russell on Principal of Mathematics, a three-volume work on the foundations of mathematics. Also known for his pioneering works on process philosophy and metaphysics, he is credited with developing a comprehensive metaphysical system that differs from most Western philosophies.
Birthdate: November 26, 1894
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Columbia, Missouri, United States
Died: March 18, 1964
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Josiah Willard Gibbs(Scientist)
Birthdate: February 11, 1839
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died: April 28, 1903
Josiah Willard Gibbs was an American scientist best remembered for making major theoretical contributions to mathematics, physics, and chemistry. As a mathematician, Gibbs is credited with inventing modern vector calculus. In 1901, he was honored with the prestigious Copley Medal for his contributions. Josiah Willard Gibbs's work had a major influence on physicists like J. D. van der Waals.
5
Percival Lowell(Astronomer, Mathematician)
Birthdate: March 13, 1855
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Boston
Died: November 12, 1916
Born into the famous Brahmin Lowell family of Massachusetts, Percival Lowell studied at Harvard, where he excelled in math. He managed a cotton mill and also spent time in Asia as a diplomat. He is best remembered for initiating the discovery ofPluto and for studying the canals on Mars.
6
Charles Proteus Steinmetz(German Mathematician and Engineer Whose Research on AC Systems Revolutionized the US Electric Industry)
Birthdate: April 9, 1865
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Wrocław
Died: October 26, 1923
Though German-born American mathematician and engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz suffered from a deformed back since childhood, he excelled in math, physics, and classical literature. His ideas on alternating current (AC) systems initiated the electrical era in the US. By the time he died, he had over 200 patents under his name.
7
Harry Nyquist(Physicist, Computer scientist, Engineer, Statistician, Mathematician)
Birthdate: February 7, 1889
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kil Municipality
Died: April 4, 1976
Harry Nyquist was a Swedish electronic engineer and physicist best remembered for his contributions to communication theory. His work earned him many prestigious awards such as the IRE Medal of Honor, the Stuart Ballantine Medal, and the Rufus Oldenburger Medal. Harry Nyquist is also remembered for his association with Bell Telephone Laboratories.
8
Nathaniel Bowditch(Mathematician, Astronomer, Actuary, Physicist, Sailor)
Birthdate: March 26, 1773
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Salem
Died: March 16, 1838
At 10, Nathaniel Bowditch was forced to quit studies due to poverty and started working, first at his father’s shop and then as a clerk in other shops. During his voyages in merchant ships, he discovered his love for math. He later redefined maritime navigation with his mathematical research.
9
Simon Newcomb(Astronomer, Mathematician, Economist, Novelist, Writer, Teacher, University teacher, Science fiction writer)
Birthdate: March 12, 1835
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nova Scotia
Died: July 11, 1909
Initially a herbalist’s apprentice, Simon Newcomb later deviated to mathematics and astronomy. Born to a schoolteacher, he had loved math since age 5 but wasn’t formally educated. He later joined Harvard University, taught math at the US Navy, detected locations of celestial bodies, and wrote a science-fiction novel, too.
10
Solomon Lefschetz(Mathematician, Topologist, University teacher)
Birthdate: September 3, 1884
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Moscow
Died: October 5, 1972
11
Orson Pratt
12
George David Birkhoff(Mathematician)
Birthdate: March 21, 1884
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Overisel, Michigan, United States
Died: November 12, 1944
13
Edward Kasner
14
Kelly Miller(American mathematician)
Birthdate: July 18, 1863
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Winnsboro, South Carolina, United States
Died: December 29, 1939
15
Eric Temple Bell(Mathematician, Historian of mathematics, Novelist, Writer, Science fiction writer)
Birthdate: February 7, 1883
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Peterhead
Died: December 21, 1960
Born to a Scottish factor, mathematician Eric Temple Bell spent most of his life in the U.S. The Stanford alumnus contributed to the analytic number theory and also taught math at institutes such as Caltech. He also penned sci-fi novels such as The Time Stream as John Taine.
16
Oswald Veblen(Mathematician)
Birthdate: June 24, 1880
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Decorah, Iowa, United States
Died: August 10, 1960
17
Benjamin Peirce(Mathematician)
Birthdate: April 4, 1809
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Salem, Massachusetts, United States
Died: October 6, 1880
18
Christine Ladd-Franklin
19
Agnes Meyer Driscoll(Cryptologist)
Birthdate: July 24, 1889
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Illinois, United States
Died: September 16, 1971
20
Jesse Douglas(Mathematician)
Birthdate: July 3, 1897
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: October 7, 1965
21
Frank Nelson Cole
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Florian Cajori
23
George William Hill(American Astronomer and Mathematician)
Birthdate: March 3, 1838
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York, United States
Died: April 16, 1914
Considered one of the pioneers of celestial mechanics, George William Hill is best remembered for his study on the motions of the Moon. He also studied the motion of Jupiter and Saturn. The Copley Medal-winning mathematician and astronomer also laid down the theory of ordinary differential equations.
24
Max Dehn
25
James W. Alexander II(Mathematician)
Birthdate: September 19, 1888
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sea Bright, New Jersey, United States
Died: September 23, 1971
26
Henry Seely White(Mathematician)
Birthdate: May 20, 1861
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cazenovia, New York, United States
Died: May 20, 1943
27
Francis Robbins Upton(American physicist)
Birthdate: July 26, 1852
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Peabody, Massachusetts, United States
Died: March 10, 1921
28
Leonard Eugene Dickson
29
Hubert Anson Newton
30
Maxime Bôcher(Mathematician)
Birthdate: August 28, 1867
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: September 12, 1918
31
Edwin Bidwell Wilson(Mathematician)
Birthdate: April 25, 1879
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, United States
32
Carl Georg Barth(American Mathematician)
Birthdate: February 28, 1860
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Oslo, Norway
Died: October 28, 1939
33
Max Mason(Mathematician)
Birthdate: October 26, 1877
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Died: March 22, 1961
34
Robert Adrain(Mathematician)
Birthdate: September 30, 1775
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland
Died: August 10, 1843
Irish-born mathematician Robert Adrain moved to the US when he was 23, as a political refugee, after his campaign against the British Crown forces failed. In the US, he taught at various institutes, such as Rutgers and Columbia, and made significant contributions to algebra and statistics.
35
Gilbert Ames Bliss(Mathematician)
Birthdate: May 9, 1876
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: May 8, 1951
36
Julian Coolidge(Mathematician)
Birthdate: September 28, 1873
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
Died: March 5, 1954
37
Helen Almira Shafer(Mathematician)
Birthdate: September 23, 1839
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: January 20, 1894
