← Fame through time1940
1940
Whose working lives fell in 1940. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in 1940, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Jean-Paul Sartre9 decades - 2
Ayn Rand3 decades - 3
Joan Crawford10 decades - 4
Henry Fonda9 decades - 5
Greta Garbo10 decades - 6
Albert Speer9 decades - 7
Howard Hughes9 decades - 8
Viktor Frankl6 decades - 9
Christian Dior8 decades - 10
Dag Hammarskjöld7 decades - 11
Robert Wadlow0 decades - 12
Simo Häyhä0 decades - 13
Fred Trumpnot measured- - 14
Clara Bow10 decades - 15
Mikhail Sholokhov9 decades - 16
Myrna Loynot measured- - 17
Elias Canetti4 decades - 18
Joseph Cottennot measured- - 19
Otto Preminger5 decades - 20
Dalton Trumbonot measured- - 21
Max Schmelingnot measured- - 22
Arthur Koestler8 decades - 23
Gertrude Ederlenot measured- - 24
Guillermo Stábilenot measured- - 25
Major Dhyan Chand Singhnot measured- - 26
Marcel Lefebvrenot measured- - 27
Władysław Gomułka0 decades - 28
Erika Mannnot measured- - 29
Anna May Wongnot measured- - 30
Joel McCreanot measured- - 31
Félix Houphouët-Boigny6 decades - 32
Lillian Hellmannot measured- - 33
Vasily Grossman9 decades - 34
Takashi Shimuranot measured- - 35
James J. Braddocknot measured- - 36
Savitri Devinot measured- - 37
Takeo Fukudanot measured- - 38
Raymond Aron9 decades - 39
Maria von Trappnot measured- - 40
Robert Donat9 decades - 41
Chen Yunnot measured- - 42
Daniil Kharms5 decades - 43
Emílio Garrastazu Médicinot measured-
- 44
Sada Abenot measured- - 45
Sterling Hollowaynot measured- - 46
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed2 decades - 47
Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmarknot measured- - 48
Franchot Tonenot measured- - 49
Albert Pierrepointnot measured- - 50
Lale Andersennot measured- - 51
Joseph Bonannonot measured- - 52
Tommy Dorseynot measured- - 53
Artem Mikoyannot measured- - 54
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tikhonovnot measured- - 55
Michael Powellnot measured- - 56
Robert Penn Warrennot measured- - 57
Severo Ochoa7 decades - 58
Hans Urs von Balthasarnot measured- - 59
Harold Arlennot measured- - 60
Marian Rejewskinot measured- - 61
Tex Ritternot measured- - 62
Sheikh Muhammad Abdullahnot measured- - 63
Ivan Serovnot measured- - 64
Sebastian Shawnot measured- - 65
Mildred Natwicknot measured- - 66
Mohammad Hidayatullahnot measured- - 67
Aldo Fabrizinot measured- - 68
Yen Chia-kannot measured- - 69
Harry Harlownot measured- - 70
Franz Ziereisnot measured- - 71
Nise da Silveiranot measured-
- 72
Emilio Segrè0 decades - 73
Abraham Zaprudernot measured- - 74
Mary Renaultnot measured- - 75
Edgar Snownot measured- - 76
D. R. Kaprekarnot measured- - 77
Kay Francisnot measured- - 78
Nihal Atsıznot measured- - 79
Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheimnot measured- - 80
J. William Fulbrightnot measured- - 81
Barnett Newmannot measured- - 82
Guy Molletnot measured- - 83
Serge Lifarnot measured- - 84
Gilbert Rolandnot measured- - 85
Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsunot measured- - 86
Felix Bloch3 decades - 87
Kurt Gersteinnot measured- - 88
C. P. Snownot measured- - 89
Gerard Kuiper0 decades - 90
Andy Devinenot measured- - 91
Mikio Narusenot measured- - 92
Mulk Raj Anandnot measured- - 93
Pierre Brasseurnot measured- - 94
John O'Haranot measured- - 95
Duke Albrecht, Duke of Bavarianot measured- - 96
Yves Allégretnot measured- - 97
Pierre Gemayelnot measured- - 98
Carl David Anderson0 decades - 99
The Axeman of New Orleansnot measured- - 100
Durga Khotenot measured-
How to read these rankings
- People sit in their own time. Everyone is placed in the century their working life belongs to, and never in one that came after their death.
- Attention, not reputation. A place on these lists reflects the attention a person still draws in the public record, read across every language rather than one. It is not a judgement on the life.
- Fame in print. The curves show how often a name appeared in the books of each decade from 1800 to 2019, drawn from the Google Books Ngram corpus. Those decades are closed, so each curve is measured once and kept.
- Gaps are left as gaps. Where the record is too thin to be fair, or a name belongs to more than one notable person, we would rather show nothing than guess.