WRITER
Samuel Smiles
1812 - 1904

Samuel Smiles
Samuel Smiles (23 December 1812 – 16 April 1904) was a British author and government reformer. Although he campaigned on a Chartist platform, he promoted the idea that more progress would come from new attitudes than from new laws. His primary work, Self-Help (1859), promoted thrift and claimed that poverty was caused largely by irresponsible habits, while also attacking materialism and laissez-faire government. It has been called "the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism" and had lasting effects on British political thought. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Samuel Smiles is the 3,086th most popular writer (down from 2,762nd in 2019), the 2,524th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 2,065th in 2019) and the 278th most popular British Writer.
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Among WRITERS
Among writers, Samuel Smiles ranks 3,086 out of 7,302. Before him are Amadou Hampâté Bâ, Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos, Igor Gouzenko, Philotheus of Pskov, Charles Pinot Duclos, and Elmore Leonard. After him are Antoninus Liberalis, Dodie Smith, Victoria Benedictsson, Can Xue, Breyten Breytenbach, and Howard Fast.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsAmadou Hampâté Bâ
1900 - 1991
HPI: 60.16
Rank: 3,080
Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos
1256 - 1335
HPI: 60.16
Rank: 3,081
Igor Gouzenko
1919 - 1982
HPI: 60.16
Rank: 3,082
Philotheus of Pskov
1465 - 1542
HPI: 60.16
Rank: 3,083
Charles Pinot Duclos
1704 - 1772
HPI: 60.14
Rank: 3,084
Elmore Leonard
1925 - 2013
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 3,085
Samuel Smiles
1812 - 1904
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 3,086
Antoninus Liberalis
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 3,087
Dodie Smith
1896 - 1990
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 3,088
Victoria Benedictsson
1850 - 1888
HPI: 60.12
Rank: 3,089
Can Xue
1953 - Present
HPI: 60.12
Rank: 3,090
Breyten Breytenbach
1939 - 2024
HPI: 60.11
Rank: 3,091
Howard Fast
1914 - 2003
HPI: 60.11
Rank: 3,092
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1812, Samuel Smiles ranks 43. Before him are Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, Luigi Carlo Farini, George Allman, William Fox, Knud Knudsen, and Ignacio Comonfort. After him are Carl Christian Hall, Robert Fortune, Walthère Frère-Orban, Francisco Coll Guitart, Alexander H. Stephens, and Charles Duclerc. Among people deceased in 1904, Samuel Smiles ranks 59. Before him are Fyodor Bredikhin, Eugen Schauman, George Frederic Watts, Charles Foster, Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, and Korla Awgust Kocor. After him are Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Edwin Arnold, Émile Duclaux, Wilhelm His Sr., Alexander William Williamson, and Sumner Paine.
Others Born in 1812
Go to all RankingsHeinrich Wilhelm Ernst
MUSICIAN
1812 - 1865
HPI: 61.17
Rank: 37
Luigi Carlo Farini
PHYSICIAN
1812 - 1866
HPI: 61.11
Rank: 38
George Allman
BIOLOGIST
1812 - 1898
HPI: 60.92
Rank: 39
William Fox
POLITICIAN
1812 - 1893
HPI: 60.82
Rank: 40
Knud Knudsen
WRITER
1812 - 1895
HPI: 60.51
Rank: 41
Ignacio Comonfort
POLITICIAN
1812 - 1863
HPI: 60.30
Rank: 42
Samuel Smiles
WRITER
1812 - 1904
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 43
Carl Christian Hall
POLITICIAN
1812 - 1888
HPI: 59.88
Rank: 44
Robert Fortune
BIOLOGIST
1812 - 1880
HPI: 59.78
Rank: 45
Walthère Frère-Orban
POLITICIAN
1812 - 1896
HPI: 59.72
Rank: 46
Francisco Coll Guitart
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1812 - 1875
HPI: 59.37
Rank: 47
Alexander H. Stephens
POLITICIAN
1812 - 1883
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 48
Charles Duclerc
POLITICIAN
1812 - 1888
HPI: 58.80
Rank: 49
Others Deceased in 1904
Go to all RankingsFyodor Bredikhin
ASTRONOMER
1831 - 1904
HPI: 61.35
Rank: 53
Eugen Schauman
POLITICIAN
1875 - 1904
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 54
George Frederic Watts
PAINTER
1817 - 1904
HPI: 60.91
Rank: 55
Charles Foster
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1904
HPI: 60.78
Rank: 56
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
POLITICIAN
1819 - 1904
HPI: 60.30
Rank: 57
Korla Awgust Kocor
COMPOSER
1822 - 1904
HPI: 60.24
Rank: 58
Samuel Smiles
WRITER
1812 - 1904
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 59
Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
POLITICIAN
1819 - 1904
HPI: 60.05
Rank: 60
Edwin Arnold
WRITER
1832 - 1904
HPI: 59.94
Rank: 61
Émile Duclaux
BIOLOGIST
1840 - 1904
HPI: 58.86
Rank: 62
Wilhelm His Sr.
PHYSICIAN
1831 - 1904
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 63
Alexander William Williamson
CHEMIST
1824 - 1904
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 64
Sumner Paine
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1868 - 1904
HPI: 58.71
Rank: 65
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Samuel Smiles ranks 2,525 out of 8,785. Before him are Tom Felton (1987), Henry Roscoe (1833), Bill Roberts (1912), Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild (1840), Solomon (1902), and Sylvia Pankhurst (1882). After him are Jamie Dornan (1982), Dodie Smith (1896), Frederick Guthrie (1833), Nigel Hawthorne (1929), David Mumford (1937), and Brian Naylor (1923).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsTom Felton
ACTOR
1987 - Present
HPI: 60.16
Rank: 2,519
Henry Roscoe
CHEMIST
1833 - 1915
HPI: 60.16
Rank: 2,520
Bill Roberts
ATHLETE
1912 - 2001
HPI: 60.15
Rank: 2,521
Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
POLITICIAN
1840 - 1915
HPI: 60.15
Rank: 2,522
Solomon
MUSICIAN
1902 - 1988
HPI: 60.14
Rank: 2,523
Sylvia Pankhurst
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1882 - 1960
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 2,524
Samuel Smiles
WRITER
1812 - 1904
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 2,525
Jamie Dornan
ACTOR
1982 - Present
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 2,526
Dodie Smith
WRITER
1896 - 1990
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 2,527
Frederick Guthrie
PHYSICIST
1833 - 1886
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 2,528
Nigel Hawthorne
ACTOR
1929 - 2001
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 2,529
David Mumford
MATHEMATICIAN
1937 - Present
HPI: 60.12
Rank: 2,530
Brian Naylor
RACING DRIVER
1923 - 1989
HPI: 60.12
Rank: 2,531
Among WRITERS In United Kingdom
Among writers born in United Kingdom, Samuel Smiles ranks 278. Before him are Francis Beaumont (1584), John Aubrey (1626), Siegfried Sassoon (1886), Charlotte Smith (1749), Walter Pater (1839), and Josephine Tey (1896). After him are Dodie Smith (1896), Jack Higgins (1929), Herbert Read (1893), Frederick Denison Maurice (1805), Joseph Delaney (1945), and William Congreve (1670).
Francis Beaumont
1584 - 1616
HPI: 60.38
Rank: 272
John Aubrey
1626 - 1697
HPI: 60.33
Rank: 273
Siegfried Sassoon
1886 - 1967
HPI: 60.29
Rank: 274
Charlotte Smith
1749 - 1806
HPI: 60.22
Rank: 275
Walter Pater
1839 - 1894
HPI: 60.20
Rank: 276
Josephine Tey
1896 - 1952
HPI: 60.17
Rank: 277
Samuel Smiles
1812 - 1904
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 278
Dodie Smith
1896 - 1990
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 279
Jack Higgins
1929 - 2022
HPI: 60.09
Rank: 280
Herbert Read
1893 - 1968
HPI: 60.07
Rank: 281
Frederick Denison Maurice
1805 - 1872
HPI: 60.07
Rank: 282
Joseph Delaney
1945 - 2022
HPI: 60.05
Rank: 283
William Congreve
1670 - 1729
HPI: 59.97
Rank: 284