INVENTOR
Michael S. Hart
1947 - 2011

Michael S. Hart
Michael Stern Hart (March 8, 1947 – September 6, 2011) was an American author, best known as the inventor of the e-book and the founder of Project Gutenberg (PG), the first project to make e-books freely available via the Internet. He published e-books via ARPANET years before the Internet existed, and later on BBS networks and Gopher servers. Hart devoted his life after founding PG in 1971 to digitizing and distributing literature from works in the public domain with free and expired copyrights. The first e-books were typed in plain text format and published as text files; other formats were made available later. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Michael S. Hart is the 261st most popular inventor (up from 277th in 2019), the 5,038th most popular biography from United States (down from 4,881st in 2019) and the 67th most popular American Inventor.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Michael S. Hart ranks 261 out of 426. Before him are George Pullman, Eugen Langen, Glenn Curtiss, Hary Gunarto, Adolf Martens, and Arthur Wynne. After him are Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Angelo Moriondo, Walter Zapp, Gerald Bull, Ray Dolby, and Henri Fabre.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsGeorge Pullman
1831 - 1897
HPI: 59.47
Rank: 255
Eugen Langen
1833 - 1895
HPI: 59.43
Rank: 256
Glenn Curtiss
1878 - 1930
HPI: 59.38
Rank: 257
Hary Gunarto
1954 - Present
HPI: 59.36
Rank: 258
Adolf Martens
1850 - 1914
HPI: 59.35
Rank: 259
Arthur Wynne
1871 - 1945
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 260
Michael S. Hart
1947 - 2011
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 261
Joseph-Armand Bombardier
1907 - 1964
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 262
Angelo Moriondo
1851 - 1914
HPI: 59.13
Rank: 263
Walter Zapp
1905 - 2003
HPI: 58.98
Rank: 264
Gerald Bull
1928 - 1990
HPI: 58.96
Rank: 265
Ray Dolby
1933 - 2013
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 266
Henri Fabre
1882 - 1984
HPI: 58.86
Rank: 267
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1947, Michael S. Hart ranks 359. Before him are Hans-Jürgen Kreische, Olavo de Carvalho, Sylvia Nasar, Aziz Dweik, Luis Ángel González Macchi, and Valery Afanassiev. After him are Albert Brooks, Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, Herbert Mullin, Jerry Nadler, Alan Lee, and Svetlana Toma. Among people deceased in 2011, Michael S. Hart ranks 194. Before him are Saad el-Shazly, Elaine Stewart, James L. Elliot, Hind Rostom, David Wilkerson, and John Wood. After him are Dennis Oppenheim, Paulette Dubost, Inge Sørensen, Yevhen Rudakov, Sam Rivers, and Jeff Conaway.
Others Born in 1947
Go to all RankingsHans-Jürgen Kreische
SOCCER PLAYER
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 353
Olavo de Carvalho
PHILOSOPHER
1947 - 2022
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 354
Sylvia Nasar
WRITER
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 355
Aziz Dweik
POLITICIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.22
Rank: 356
Luis Ángel González Macchi
POLITICIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.19
Rank: 357
Valery Afanassiev
MUSICIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.18
Rank: 358
Michael S. Hart
INVENTOR
1947 - 2011
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 359
Albert Brooks
COMEDIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 360
Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein
DIPLOMAT
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.12
Rank: 361
Herbert Mullin
EXTREMIST
1947 - 2022
HPI: 59.12
Rank: 362
Jerry Nadler
POLITICIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.10
Rank: 363
Alan Lee
PAINTER
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.03
Rank: 364
Svetlana Toma
ACTOR
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.00
Rank: 365
Others Deceased in 2011
Go to all RankingsSaad el-Shazly
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1922 - 2011
HPI: 59.41
Rank: 188
Elaine Stewart
ACTOR
1930 - 2011
HPI: 59.37
Rank: 189
James L. Elliot
ASTRONOMER
1943 - 2011
HPI: 59.37
Rank: 190
Hind Rostom
ACTOR
1929 - 2011
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 191
David Wilkerson
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1931 - 2011
HPI: 59.22
Rank: 192
John Wood
ACTOR
1930 - 2011
HPI: 59.21
Rank: 193
Michael S. Hart
INVENTOR
1947 - 2011
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 194
Dennis Oppenheim
SCULPTOR
1938 - 2011
HPI: 59.11
Rank: 195
Paulette Dubost
ACTOR
1910 - 2011
HPI: 59.10
Rank: 196
Inge Sørensen
POLITICIAN
1924 - 2011
HPI: 59.08
Rank: 197
Yevhen Rudakov
SOCCER PLAYER
1942 - 2011
HPI: 59.07
Rank: 198
Sam Rivers
MUSICIAN
1923 - 2011
HPI: 58.99
Rank: 199
Jeff Conaway
ACTOR
1950 - 2011
HPI: 58.99
Rank: 200
In United States
Among people born in United States, Michael S. Hart ranks 5,038 out of 20,380. Before him are Dorothy Gibson (1889), Ashley Johnson (1983), Arnold Palmer (1929), David Silverman (1957), Steve Zahn (1967), and Peter Lynch (1944). After him are Cat Power (1972), Albert Brooks (1947), Alexander H. Stephens (1812), Margaret Sullavan (1909), Peggy Whitson (1960), and Susan Brownmiller (1935).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsDorothy Gibson
ACTOR
1889 - 1946
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 5,032
Ashley Johnson
ACTOR
1983 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 5,033
Arnold Palmer
GOLFER
1929 - 2016
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 5,034
David Silverman
FILM DIRECTOR
1957 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 5,035
Steve Zahn
ACTOR
1967 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 5,036
Peter Lynch
BUSINESSPERSON
1944 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 5,037
Michael S. Hart
INVENTOR
1947 - 2011
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 5,038
Cat Power
SINGER
1972 - Present
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 5,039
Albert Brooks
COMEDIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 5,040
Alexander H. Stephens
POLITICIAN
1812 - 1883
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 5,041
Margaret Sullavan
ACTOR
1909 - 1960
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 5,042
Peggy Whitson
ASTRONAUT
1960 - Present
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 5,043
Susan Brownmiller
WRITER
1935 - 2025
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 5,044
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, Michael S. Hart ranks 67. Before him are John Wesley Hyatt (1837), Philo Farnsworth (1906), Charles Martin Hall (1863), Marcian Hoff (1937), George Pullman (1831), and Glenn Curtiss (1878). After him are Ray Dolby (1933), Robert Cornelius (1809), Lester Allan Pelton (1829), Valerie Thomas (1943), Beulah Louise Henry (1888), and Cyrus McCormick (1809).
John Wesley Hyatt
1837 - 1920
HPI: 60.27
Rank: 61
Philo Farnsworth
1906 - 1971
HPI: 60.22
Rank: 62
Charles Martin Hall
1863 - 1914
HPI: 59.86
Rank: 63
Marcian Hoff
1937 - Present
HPI: 59.63
Rank: 64
George Pullman
1831 - 1897
HPI: 59.47
Rank: 65
Glenn Curtiss
1878 - 1930
HPI: 59.38
Rank: 66
Michael S. Hart
1947 - 2011
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 67
Ray Dolby
1933 - 2013
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 68
Robert Cornelius
1809 - 1893
HPI: 58.46
Rank: 69
Lester Allan Pelton
1829 - 1908
HPI: 58.37
Rank: 70
Valerie Thomas
1943 - Present
HPI: 58.32
Rank: 71
Beulah Louise Henry
1888 - 1973
HPI: 58.20
Rank: 72
Cyrus McCormick
1809 - 1884
HPI: 58.04
Rank: 73