EXPLORER
John Wesley Powell
1834 - 1902

John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902) was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He is famous for his 1869 geographic expedition, a three-month river trip down the Green and Colorado rivers, including the first official U.S. government-sponsored passage through the Grand Canyon. Powell was appointed by US President James A. Garfield to serve as the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey (1881–1894) and proposed, for development of the arid West, policies that were prescient for his accurate evaluation of conditions. Two years prior to his service as director of the U.S. Geological Survey, Major Powell had become the first director of the Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution where he supported linguistic and sociological research and publications. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John Wesley Powell is the 372nd most popular explorer (down from 356th in 2019), the 6,261st most popular biography from United States (down from 5,657th in 2019) and the 26th most popular American Explorer.
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Among EXPLORERS
Among explorers, John Wesley Powell ranks 372 out of 498. Before him are Eudoxus of Cyzicus, John Biscoe, Stepan Krasheninnikov, Arnaud-Michel d'Abbadie, Alexandre de Serpa Pinto, and Miguel Corte-Real. After him are George Bass, John Moresby, Olav Bjaaland, Henri Duveyrier, Samuel Baker, and Fernão de Loronha.
Most Popular Explorers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsEudoxus of Cyzicus
100 BC - 100 BC
HPI: 57.56
Rank: 366
John Biscoe
1794 - 1843
HPI: 57.51
Rank: 367
Stepan Krasheninnikov
1711 - 1755
HPI: 57.51
Rank: 368
Arnaud-Michel d'Abbadie
1815 - 1893
HPI: 57.50
Rank: 369
Alexandre de Serpa Pinto
1846 - 1900
HPI: 57.44
Rank: 370
Miguel Corte-Real
1448 - 1502
HPI: 57.43
Rank: 371
John Wesley Powell
1834 - 1902
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 372
George Bass
1771 - 1803
HPI: 57.40
Rank: 373
John Moresby
1830 - 1922
HPI: 57.22
Rank: 374
Olav Bjaaland
1873 - 1961
HPI: 57.15
Rank: 375
Henri Duveyrier
1840 - 1892
HPI: 57.00
Rank: 376
Samuel Baker
1821 - 1893
HPI: 56.98
Rank: 377
Fernão de Loronha
1470 - 1540
HPI: 56.93
Rank: 378
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1834, John Wesley Powell ranks 73. Before him are Franz Steindachner, Hermann Usener, Étienne Laspeyres, Valtazar Bogišić, Friedrich Tietjen, and Edmond Laguerre. After him are Lyuben Karavelov, Miguel Grau Seminario, Georg Hermann Quincke, Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Felix Dahn, and Wilhelm Sulpiz Kurz. Among people deceased in 1902, John Wesley Powell ranks 58. Before him are Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi, Salomon Jadassohn, Andrejs Pumpurs, Bret Harte, Gleb Uspensky, and Saigō Jūdō. After him are Lőrinc Schlauch, Clémence Royer, Ludwig von Brenner, Almon Brown Strowger, Infanta María Cristina of Spain, and Jimmy Ross.
Others Born in 1834
Go to all RankingsFranz Steindachner
BIOLOGIST
1834 - 1919
HPI: 58.80
Rank: 67
Hermann Usener
PHILOSOPHER
1834 - 1905
HPI: 58.54
Rank: 68
Étienne Laspeyres
ECONOMIST
1834 - 1913
HPI: 58.44
Rank: 69
Valtazar Bogišić
LAWYER
1834 - 1908
HPI: 58.30
Rank: 70
Friedrich Tietjen
ASTRONOMER
1834 - 1895
HPI: 57.82
Rank: 71
Edmond Laguerre
MATHEMATICIAN
1834 - 1886
HPI: 57.64
Rank: 72
John Wesley Powell
EXPLORER
1834 - 1902
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 73
Lyuben Karavelov
WRITER
1834 - 1879
HPI: 57.33
Rank: 74
Miguel Grau Seminario
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1834 - 1879
HPI: 57.29
Rank: 75
Georg Hermann Quincke
PHYSICIST
1834 - 1924
HPI: 56.91
Rank: 76
Ignacio Manuel Altamirano
WRITER
1834 - 1893
HPI: 56.47
Rank: 77
Felix Dahn
WRITER
1834 - 1912
HPI: 56.44
Rank: 78
Wilhelm Sulpiz Kurz
BIOLOGIST
1834 - 1878
HPI: 56.34
Rank: 79
Others Deceased in 1902
Go to all RankingsAbd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi
WRITER
1855 - 1902
HPI: 58.63
Rank: 52
Salomon Jadassohn
COMPOSER
1831 - 1902
HPI: 58.58
Rank: 53
Andrejs Pumpurs
WRITER
1841 - 1902
HPI: 57.86
Rank: 54
Bret Harte
WRITER
1836 - 1902
HPI: 57.86
Rank: 55
Gleb Uspensky
WRITER
1843 - 1902
HPI: 57.81
Rank: 56
Saigō Jūdō
POLITICIAN
1843 - 1902
HPI: 57.71
Rank: 57
John Wesley Powell
EXPLORER
1834 - 1902
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 58
Lőrinc Schlauch
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1824 - 1902
HPI: 57.34
Rank: 59
Clémence Royer
PHILOSOPHER
1830 - 1902
HPI: 56.96
Rank: 60
Ludwig von Brenner
CONDUCTOR
1833 - 1902
HPI: 56.91
Rank: 61
Almon Brown Strowger
INVENTOR
1839 - 1902
HPI: 56.72
Rank: 62
Infanta María Cristina of Spain
COMPANION
1833 - 1902
HPI: 56.71
Rank: 63
Jimmy Ross
SOCCER PLAYER
1866 - 1902
HPI: 56.67
Rank: 64
In United States
Among people born in United States, John Wesley Powell ranks 6,262 out of 20,380. Before him are Robert Ettinger (1918), John Ostrom (1928), Marc Wright (1890), Phil Anselmo (1968), Richard Burgi (1958), and Tom Noonan (1951). After him are Elizabeth Jane Gardner (1837), Floyd Gottfredson (1905), Chuck Connors (1921), James Juvenal (1874), Christine Jorgensen (1926), and Frederick Lorz (1884).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsRobert Ettinger
WRITER
1918 - 2011
HPI: 57.42
Rank: 6,256
John Ostrom
PHYSICIAN
1928 - 2005
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 6,257
Marc Wright
ATHLETE
1890 - 1975
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 6,258
Phil Anselmo
SINGER
1968 - Present
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 6,259
Richard Burgi
ACTOR
1958 - Present
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 6,260
Tom Noonan
ACTOR
1951 - Present
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 6,261
John Wesley Powell
EXPLORER
1834 - 1902
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 6,262
Elizabeth Jane Gardner
PAINTER
1837 - 1922
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 6,263
Floyd Gottfredson
COMIC ARTIST
1905 - 1986
HPI: 57.40
Rank: 6,264
Chuck Connors
ACTOR
1921 - 1992
HPI: 57.40
Rank: 6,265
James Juvenal
ATHLETE
1874 - 1942
HPI: 57.40
Rank: 6,266
Christine Jorgensen
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1926 - 1989
HPI: 57.40
Rank: 6,267
Frederick Lorz
ATHLETE
1884 - 1914
HPI: 57.40
Rank: 6,268
Among EXPLORERS In United States
Among explorers born in United States, John Wesley Powell ranks 26. Before him are Jim Bridger (1804), Roy Chapman Andrews (1884), John C. Frémont (1813), Meriwether Lewis (1774), Elisha Kent Kane (1820), and Edward S. Curtis (1868). After him are Nathaniel Palmer (1799), George Kennan (1845), Charles Francis Hall (1821), Isaac Israel Hayes (1832), Frederick Russell Burnham (1861), and Matthew Henson (1866).
Jim Bridger
1804 - 1881
HPI: 60.09
Rank: 20
Roy Chapman Andrews
1884 - 1960
HPI: 59.92
Rank: 21
John C. Frémont
1813 - 1890
HPI: 59.18
Rank: 22
Meriwether Lewis
1774 - 1809
HPI: 58.42
Rank: 23
Elisha Kent Kane
1820 - 1857
HPI: 58.05
Rank: 24
Edward S. Curtis
1868 - 1952
HPI: 57.88
Rank: 25
John Wesley Powell
1834 - 1902
HPI: 57.41
Rank: 26
Nathaniel Palmer
1799 - 1877
HPI: 56.74
Rank: 27
George Kennan
1845 - 1924
HPI: 55.67
Rank: 28
Charles Francis Hall
1821 - 1871
HPI: 55.65
Rank: 29
Isaac Israel Hayes
1832 - 1881
HPI: 55.21
Rank: 30
Frederick Russell Burnham
1861 - 1947
HPI: 54.74
Rank: 31
Matthew Henson
1866 - 1955
HPI: 54.03
Rank: 32