INVENTOR
John Browning
1855 - 1926

John Browning
John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world. He made his first firearm at age 13 in his father's gun shop and was awarded the first of his 128 firearm patents on October 7, 1879, at the age of 24. He is regarded as one of the most successful firearms designers of the 19th and 20th centuries and a pioneer of modern repeating, semi-automatic, and automatic firearms. Browning influenced nearly all categories of firearms design, especially the autoloading of ammunition. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John Browning is the 78th most popular inventor (down from 65th in 2019), the 1,071st most popular biography from United States (down from 680th in 2019) and the 26th most popular American Inventor.
John Browning is most famous for being the inventor of the M1911 pistol, which was the US military's standard sidearm for over 50 years. He also invented the first semi-automatic rifle, the Winchester rifle, and the Browning machine gun.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of John Browning by language
Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, John Browning ranks 78 out of 426. Before him are Ruth Handler, Claude Chappe, George Eastman, Léon Theremin, Jacques Piccard, and James Naismith. After him are Alois Senefelder, Rowland Hill, Charles K. Kao, Jacques de Vaucanson, Paul Gottlieb Nipkow, and Oleg Antonov.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsRuth Handler
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 72
Claude Chappe
1763 - 1805
HPI: 70.15
Rank: 73
George Eastman
1854 - 1932
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 74
Léon Theremin
1896 - 1993
HPI: 70.06
Rank: 75
Jacques Piccard
1922 - 2008
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 76
James Naismith
1861 - 1939
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 77
John Browning
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 78
Alois Senefelder
1771 - 1834
HPI: 69.75
Rank: 79
Rowland Hill
1795 - 1879
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 80
Charles K. Kao
1933 - 2018
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 81
Jacques de Vaucanson
1709 - 1782
HPI: 69.48
Rank: 82
Paul Gottlieb Nipkow
1860 - 1940
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 83
Oleg Antonov
1906 - 1984
HPI: 69.03
Rank: 84
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1855, John Browning ranks 8. Before him are Ferdinand Tönnies, King C. Gillette, Andrew Mellon, Émile Verhaeren, Houston Stewart Chamberlain, and Otto Liman von Sanders. After him are Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, Percival Lowell, Ernest Chausson, Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin, Paul Deschanel, and Eleanor Marx. Among people deceased in 1926, John Browning ranks 23. Before him are Gertrude Bell, Rudolph Valentino, Aleksei Brusilov, Louise of Sweden, Nikola Pašić, and Margherita of Savoy. After him are Viktor Vasnetsov, Karl Harrer, Constantin Fehrenbach, William Bateson, John Louis Emil Dreyer, and Mikao Usui.
Others Born in 1855
Go to all RankingsFerdinand Tönnies
PHILOSOPHER
1855 - 1936
HPI: 75.37
Rank: 2
King C. Gillette
BUSINESSPERSON
1855 - 1932
HPI: 72.52
Rank: 3
Andrew Mellon
POLITICIAN
1855 - 1937
HPI: 71.29
Rank: 4
Émile Verhaeren
WRITER
1855 - 1916
HPI: 71.02
Rank: 5
Houston Stewart Chamberlain
PHILOSOPHER
1855 - 1927
HPI: 70.73
Rank: 6
Otto Liman von Sanders
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1855 - 1929
HPI: 70.27
Rank: 7
John Browning
INVENTOR
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 8
Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1855 - 1936
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 9
Percival Lowell
ASTRONOMER
1855 - 1916
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 10
Ernest Chausson
COMPOSER
1855 - 1899
HPI: 69.03
Rank: 11
Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin
BIOLOGIST
1855 - 1935
HPI: 69.01
Rank: 12
Paul Deschanel
POLITICIAN
1855 - 1922
HPI: 68.78
Rank: 13
Eleanor Marx
WRITER
1855 - 1898
HPI: 68.76
Rank: 14
Others Deceased in 1926
Go to all RankingsGertrude Bell
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1868 - 1926
HPI: 72.32
Rank: 17
Rudolph Valentino
ACTOR
1895 - 1926
HPI: 71.94
Rank: 18
Aleksei Brusilov
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1853 - 1926
HPI: 71.74
Rank: 19
Louise of Sweden
COMPANION
1851 - 1926
HPI: 71.47
Rank: 20
Nikola Pašić
POLITICIAN
1845 - 1926
HPI: 71.35
Rank: 21
Margherita of Savoy
COMPANION
1851 - 1926
HPI: 70.97
Rank: 22
John Browning
INVENTOR
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 23
Viktor Vasnetsov
PAINTER
1848 - 1926
HPI: 69.65
Rank: 24
Karl Harrer
WRITER
1890 - 1926
HPI: 69.17
Rank: 25
Constantin Fehrenbach
POLITICIAN
1852 - 1926
HPI: 68.75
Rank: 26
William Bateson
BIOLOGIST
1861 - 1926
HPI: 67.94
Rank: 27
John Louis Emil Dreyer
ASTRONOMER
1852 - 1926
HPI: 67.78
Rank: 28
Mikao Usui
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1865 - 1926
HPI: 67.34
Rank: 29
In United States
Among people born in United States, John Browning ranks 1,071 out of 20,380. Before him are Stanley Tucci (1960), Drew Weissman (1959), Ali MacGraw (1939), Alan Arkin (1934), Wallace Carothers (1896), and Victor Fleming (1889). After him are Kamehameha I (1758), Kenneth G. Wilson (1936), Suzi Quatro (1950), Benjamin Thompson (1753), Judith Butler (1956), and Kevin Kline (1947).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsStanley Tucci
ACTOR
1960 - Present
HPI: 69.79
Rank: 1,065
Drew Weissman
PHYSICIAN
1959 - Present
HPI: 69.78
Rank: 1,066
Ali MacGraw
ACTOR
1939 - Present
HPI: 69.78
Rank: 1,067
Alan Arkin
ACTOR
1934 - 2023
HPI: 69.77
Rank: 1,068
Wallace Carothers
CHEMIST
1896 - 1937
HPI: 69.77
Rank: 1,069
Victor Fleming
FILM DIRECTOR
1889 - 1949
HPI: 69.77
Rank: 1,070
John Browning
INVENTOR
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 1,071
Kamehameha I
POLITICIAN
1758 - 1819
HPI: 69.75
Rank: 1,072
Kenneth G. Wilson
PHYSICIST
1936 - 2013
HPI: 69.74
Rank: 1,073
Suzi Quatro
SINGER
1950 - Present
HPI: 69.74
Rank: 1,074
Benjamin Thompson
PHYSICIST
1753 - 1814
HPI: 69.72
Rank: 1,075
Judith Butler
PHILOSOPHER
1956 - Present
HPI: 69.72
Rank: 1,076
Kevin Kline
ACTOR
1947 - Present
HPI: 69.71
Rank: 1,077
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, John Browning ranks 26. Before him are Isaac Singer (1811), John Deere (1804), Josephine Cochrane (1839), Les Paul (1915), Ruth Handler (1916), and George Eastman (1854). After him are Ray Tomlinson (1941), Raymond Damadian (1936), Leo Fender (1909), Elisha Otis (1811), Walter Hunt (1796), and David Bushnell (1742).
Isaac Singer
1811 - 1875
HPI: 71.04
Rank: 20
John Deere
1804 - 1886
HPI: 70.77
Rank: 21
Josephine Cochrane
1839 - 1913
HPI: 70.52
Rank: 22
Les Paul
1915 - 2009
HPI: 70.39
Rank: 23
Ruth Handler
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 24
George Eastman
1854 - 1932
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 25
John Browning
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 26
Ray Tomlinson
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 27
Raymond Damadian
1936 - 2022
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 28
Leo Fender
1909 - 1991
HPI: 68.21
Rank: 29
Elisha Otis
1811 - 1861
HPI: 67.78
Rank: 30
Walter Hunt
1796 - 1859
HPI: 67.44
Rank: 31
David Bushnell
1742 - 1824
HPI: 66.94
Rank: 32