WRITER
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803 - 1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and critical thinking, as well as a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society and conformity. Friedrich Nietzsche thought he was "the most gifted of the Americans," and Walt Whitman called Emerson his "master". Emerson gradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of his contemporaries, formulating and expressing the philosophy of Transcendentalism in his 1836 essay, "Nature". Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ralph Waldo Emerson is the 280th most popular writer (down from 236th in 2019), the 287th most popular biography from United States (down from 204th in 2019) and the 28th most popular American Writer.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is most famous for his essay "Self-Reliance," which was published in 1841. The essay is a call for individualism and self-reliance, and is one of the most influential essays in American literature.
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Among WRITERS
Among writers, Ralph Waldo Emerson ranks 280 out of 7,302. Before him are Elfriede Jelinek, Peter Handke, Gao Xingjian, Pär Lagerkvist, Anna Komnene, and Vladimir Mayakovsky. After him are Valmiki, Germaine de Staël, Isabel Allende, Kenzaburō Ōe, Pierre Corneille, and Ludovico Ariosto.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsElfriede Jelinek
1946 - Present
HPI: 76.31
Rank: 274
Peter Handke
1942 - Present
HPI: 76.29
Rank: 275
Gao Xingjian
1940 - Present
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 276
Pär Lagerkvist
1891 - 1974
HPI: 76.22
Rank: 277
Anna Komnene
1083 - 1153
HPI: 76.22
Rank: 278
Vladimir Mayakovsky
1893 - 1930
HPI: 76.22
Rank: 279
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803 - 1882
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 280
Valmiki
80 BC - 2 BC
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 281
Germaine de Staël
1766 - 1817
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 282
Isabel Allende
1942 - Present
HPI: 76.20
Rank: 283
Kenzaburō Ōe
1935 - 2023
HPI: 76.20
Rank: 284
Pierre Corneille
1606 - 1684
HPI: 76.18
Rank: 285
Ludovico Ariosto
1474 - 1533
HPI: 76.15
Rank: 286
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1803, Ralph Waldo Emerson ranks 4. Before him are Hector Berlioz, Christian Doppler, and Prosper Mérimée. After him are Justus von Liebig, Maria Anna of Savoy, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Adolphe Adam, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Albrecht von Roon, Flora Tristan, and Maria Teresa of Savoy. Among people deceased in 1882, Ralph Waldo Emerson ranks 4. Before him are Charles Darwin, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and Friedrich Wöhler. After him are Arthur de Gobineau, Jesse James, Theodor Schwann, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Francesco Hayez, Bruno Bauer, Léon Gambetta, and Louis Blanc.
Others Born in 1803
Go to all RankingsHector Berlioz
COMPOSER
1803 - 1869
HPI: 83.08
Rank: 1
Christian Doppler
PHYSICIST
1803 - 1853
HPI: 77.27
Rank: 2
Prosper Mérimée
WRITER
1803 - 1870
HPI: 77.10
Rank: 3
Ralph Waldo Emerson
WRITER
1803 - 1882
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 4
Justus von Liebig
CHEMIST
1803 - 1873
HPI: 75.92
Rank: 5
Maria Anna of Savoy
POLITICIAN
1803 - 1884
HPI: 74.82
Rank: 6
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
POLITICIAN
1803 - 1873
HPI: 74.43
Rank: 7
Adolphe Adam
COMPOSER
1803 - 1856
HPI: 73.61
Rank: 8
Charles Lucien Bonaparte
BIOLOGIST
1803 - 1857
HPI: 71.10
Rank: 9
Albrecht von Roon
POLITICIAN
1803 - 1879
HPI: 70.08
Rank: 10
Flora Tristan
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1803 - 1844
HPI: 68.95
Rank: 11
Maria Teresa of Savoy
POLITICIAN
1803 - 1879
HPI: 68.44
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1882
Go to all RankingsCharles Darwin
BIOLOGIST
1809 - 1882
HPI: 91.48
Rank: 1
Giuseppe Garibaldi
POLITICIAN
1807 - 1882
HPI: 87.09
Rank: 2
Friedrich Wöhler
CHEMIST
1800 - 1882
HPI: 78.43
Rank: 3
Ralph Waldo Emerson
WRITER
1803 - 1882
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 4
Arthur de Gobineau
WRITER
1816 - 1882
HPI: 73.81
Rank: 5
Jesse James
MAFIOSO
1847 - 1882
HPI: 73.31
Rank: 6
Theodor Schwann
BIOLOGIST
1810 - 1882
HPI: 72.87
Rank: 7
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
WRITER
1828 - 1882
HPI: 72.74
Rank: 8
Francesco Hayez
PAINTER
1791 - 1882
HPI: 71.40
Rank: 9
Bruno Bauer
PHILOSOPHER
1809 - 1882
HPI: 70.86
Rank: 10
Léon Gambetta
POLITICIAN
1838 - 1882
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 11
Louis Blanc
POLITICIAN
1811 - 1882
HPI: 69.61
Rank: 12
In United States
Among people born in United States, Ralph Waldo Emerson ranks 287 out of 20,380. Before him are Jane Fonda (1937), Burt Lancaster (1913), Bill Paxton (1955), James Buchanan (1791), Carl Sagan (1934), and John Travolta (1954). After him are Barry Barish (1936), Tony Curtis (1925), Val Kilmer (1959), William Boeing (1881), Jerome Powell (1953), and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (1934).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJane Fonda
ACTOR
1937 - Present
HPI: 76.25
Rank: 281
Burt Lancaster
ACTOR
1913 - 1994
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 282
Bill Paxton
ACTOR
1955 - 2017
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 283
James Buchanan
POLITICIAN
1791 - 1868
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 284
Carl Sagan
ASTRONOMER
1934 - 1996
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 285
John Travolta
ACTOR
1954 - Present
HPI: 76.22
Rank: 286
Ralph Waldo Emerson
WRITER
1803 - 1882
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 287
Barry Barish
PHYSICIST
1936 - Present
HPI: 76.20
Rank: 288
Tony Curtis
ACTOR
1925 - 2010
HPI: 76.20
Rank: 289
Val Kilmer
ACTOR
1959 - 2025
HPI: 76.19
Rank: 290
William Boeing
BUSINESSPERSON
1881 - 1956
HPI: 76.19
Rank: 291
Jerome Powell
POLITICIAN
1953 - Present
HPI: 76.14
Rank: 292
Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1934 - 2012
HPI: 76.12
Rank: 293
Among WRITERS In United States
Among writers born in United States, Ralph Waldo Emerson ranks 28. Before him are Pearl S. Buck (1892), Ray Bradbury (1920), J. D. Salinger (1919), Truman Capote (1924), Joseph Heller (1923), and Dale Carnegie (1888). After him are Walt Whitman (1819), Paul Auster (1947), Arthur Miller (1915), Herman Melville (1819), Philip K. Dick (1928), and Mario Puzo (1920).
Pearl S. Buck
1892 - 1973
HPI: 77.88
Rank: 22
Ray Bradbury
1920 - 2012
HPI: 77.38
Rank: 23
J. D. Salinger
1919 - 2010
HPI: 77.30
Rank: 24
Truman Capote
1924 - 1984
HPI: 77.19
Rank: 25
Joseph Heller
1923 - 1999
HPI: 76.72
Rank: 26
Dale Carnegie
1888 - 1955
HPI: 76.57
Rank: 27
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803 - 1882
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 28
Walt Whitman
1819 - 1892
HPI: 75.87
Rank: 29
Paul Auster
1947 - 2024
HPI: 75.86
Rank: 30
Arthur Miller
1915 - 2005
HPI: 75.76
Rank: 31
Herman Melville
1819 - 1891
HPI: 75.56
Rank: 32
Philip K. Dick
1928 - 1982
HPI: 75.12
Rank: 33
Mario Puzo
1920 - 1999
HPI: 75.09
Rank: 34