← Fame through time1942
1942
Whose working lives fell in 1942. 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 1942, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.
- 1
Frida Kahlo8 decades - 2
John Wayne9 decades - 3
Katharine Hepburn9 decades - 4
Astrid Lindgren6 decades - 5
Laurence Olivier9 decades - 6
Barbara Stanwyck9 decades - 7
Claus von Stauffenberg4 decades - 8
Alberto Moravia10 decades - 9
Robert A. Heinlein7 decades - 10
Burgess Meredith9 decades - 11
Carole Lombard9 decades - 12
Daphne du Maurier9 decades - 13
Lin Biao11 decades - 14
Lee Millernot measured- - 15
Oscar Niemeyer7 decades - 16
Hergé7 decades - 17
W. H. Auden9 decades - 18
Cesar Romero9 decades - 19
Baldur von Schirach9 decades - 20
François Duvalier8 decades - 21
Rachel Carson7 decades - 22
Mircea Eliade7 decades - 23
Rosalind Russell9 decades - 24
Jacques Tati8 decades - 25
Yakov Dzhugashvilinot measured- - 26
Ray Milland9 decades - 27
Cab Callowaynot measured- - 28
Le Duannot measured- - 29
Hideki Yukawa0 decades - 30
Gene Autrynot measured- - 31
Jack Albertsonnot measured- - 32
Yang Shangkunnot measured- - 33
Ayub Khan10 decades - 34
Erich Mielkenot measured- - 35
Fay Wraynot measured- - 36
Fred Zinnemann7 decades - 37
Varlam Shalamov4 decades - 38
James A. Michenernot measured- - 39
Roman Shukhevychnot measured- - 40
Ramon Magsaysay7 decades - 41
Peggy Ashcroft9 decades - 42
Pierre Mendès Francenot measured- - 43
Dora Maarnot measured- - 44
Ernesto Geiselnot measured- - 45
Sister Lúcianot measured- - 46
Mehdi Bazargannot measured- - 47
Anthony Bluntnot measured- - 48
Pavel Sudoplatovnot measured- - 49
Jozef Gabčíknot measured- - 50
Lucien Laurentnot measured- - 51
Harivansh Rai Bachchannot measured- - 52
Yoshiko Kawashimanot measured- - 53
Trường Chinhnot measured- - 54
Otto Ohlendorfnot measured- - 55
Run Run Shawnot measured- - 56
Miguel Hernándeznot measured- - 57
Takeo Mikinot measured- - 58
Sabahattin Alinot measured- - 59
Hans-Joachim Marseillenot measured- - 60
Konstantinos Karamanlis0 decades - 61
Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussianot measured- - 62
Robert Youngnot measured- - 63
Henri-Georges Clouzotnot measured- - 64
Zarah Leandernot measured- - 65
Maria Branyasnot measured- - 66
Franz Jägerstätternot measured- - 67
Frank Whittlenot measured- - 68
John McIntirenot measured- - 69
Compay Segundonot measured- - 70
Dixie Deannot measured- - 71
William Steignot measured- - 72
Dan Duryeanot measured- - 73
John Bowlbynot measured- - 74
Maurice Blanchotnot measured- - 75
Jan Kubišnot measured- - 76
Arseny Tarkovskynot measured- - 77
Atsushi Nakajimanot measured- - 78
Heinz Hitlernot measured- - 79
John G. Trumpnot measured- - 80
Helmuth James Graf von Moltkenot measured- - 81
Warren E. Burgernot measured- - 82
U Nunot measured- - 83
Pujienot measured- - 84
George W. Romneynot measured- - 85
Arlene Francisnot measured- - 86
Altiero Spinellinot measured- - 87
Tino Rossinot measured- - 88
Giovanna of Savoynot measured- - 89
Sebastian Haffnernot measured- - 90
René Charnot measured- - 91
Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbachnot measured- - 92
Annemarie Schwarzenbachnot measured- - 93
Miklós Rózsanot measured- - 94
Yasushi Inouenot measured- - 95
Víctor Paz Estenssoronot measured- - 96
James M. Gavinnot measured- - 97
Avraham Sternnot measured- - 98
Mascha Kalékonot measured- - 99
John Marleynot measured- - 100
Leonor Fininot 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.