215,950 profiles ranked

← Fame through time1950-1959

The 1950s

Whose names filled the books of the 1950s - anyone at all, however long dead - counted as mentions per million words printed, so a period that simply published more does not inflate anyone.

Talked about then

Whose names appeared most in Russian books during the 1950s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Peter the Great1672-1725 · 18th century · Russia · Politicians3.6
  2. 2Leo Tolstoy1828-1910 · 19th century · Russia · Writers3.6
  3. 3Vladimir Lenin1870-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians2.2
  4. 4Boris Godunov1552-1605 · 16th century · Politicians2.1
  5. 5Nicholas I of Russia1796-1855 · 19th century · Russia · Models2.0
  6. 6Patriarch Nikon of Moscow1605-1681 · 17th century · Religious Figures1.5
  7. 7Ivan the Terrible1530-1584 · 16th century · Politicians1.4
  8. 8Maxim Gorky1868-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers1.3
  9. 9Alexander I of Russia1777-1825 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.2
  10. 10Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia1690-1718 · 18th century · Politicians1.2
  11. 11Alexander II of Russia1818-1881 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.1
  12. 12Alexis of Russia1629-1676 · 17th century · Historical Figures1.1
  13. 13Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia1904-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures1.0
  14. 14Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia1899-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.96
  15. 15Ivan I of Tver1357-1425 · 14th century · Historical Figures0.88
  16. 16Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow1482-1563 · 16th century · Writers0.84
  17. 17Ivan I Aleksandrovich, Prince of Smolenskdied 1359 · 14th century0.78
  18. 18Sergo Ordzhonikidze1886-1937 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.76
  19. 19Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia1850-1908 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.75
  20. 20Vladimir Mayakovsky1893-1930 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.72
  21. 21Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia1864-1931 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.71
  22. 22Nicholas II of Russia1868-1918 · 20th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.70
  23. 23Ivan Fyodorov1510-1583 · 16th century0.65
  24. 24Alexandra Velyaminova1301-1364 · 14th century0.58
  25. 25Joseph Stalin1878-1953 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.55
  26. 26Gleb Uspensky1843-1902 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.54
  27. 27Vasili IV of Russia1552-1612 · 16th century · Historical Figures0.51
  28. 28Taras Shevchenko1814-1861 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.49
  29. 29Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia1832-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.49
  30. 30Aleksey Tolstoy1882-1945 · 20th century · France · Writers0.47
  31. 31Michael of Russia1596-1645 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.47
  32. 32Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia1847-1909 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.46
  33. 33Stepan Razin1630-1671 · 17th century0.46
  34. 34Alexander Pushkin1799-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.45
  35. 35Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia1860-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.44
  36. 36Georgi Dimitrov1882-1949 · 20th century · Bulgaria · Politicians0.44
  37. 37Alexander Suvorov1730-1800 · 18th century · Russia0.43
  38. 38Maria Feodorovna1847-1928 · 19th century · Denmark · Historical Figures0.42
  39. 39Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy1817-1875 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.41
  40. 40Anton Chekhov1860-1904 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.41
  41. 41Nikolai Ostrovsky1904-1936 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.41
  42. 42Yanka Kupala1882-1942 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.41
  43. 43Alexander III of Russia1845-1894 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.40
  44. 44Avraamy Palitsyn1550-1626 · 16th century · Writers0.40
  45. 45Alexander Blok1880-1921 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.39
  46. 46Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia1827-1892 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.39
  47. 47Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia1857-1905 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.38
  48. 48Ivan Pavlov1849-1936 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.38
  49. 49Paul I of Russia1754-1801 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.38
  50. 50Elizabeth of Russia1709-1761 · 18th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.36
  51. 51Alexander Bestuzhev1797-1837 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.35
  52. 52Andrei Bely1880-1934 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.35
  53. 53Mikhail Lomonosov1711-1765 · 18th century · Russia · Scientists0.34
  54. 54Nâzım Hikmet1902-1963 · 20th century · Turkey · Writers0.33
  55. 55Yemelyan Pugachev1742-1775 · 18th century · Russia · Activists0.31
  56. 56Maximus the Greek1475-1556 · 16th century · Writers0.29
  57. 57Leonid Andreyev1871-1919 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.28
  58. 58Yakub Kolas1882-1956 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.28
  59. 59Catherine Pavlovna of Russia1788-1819 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.27
  60. 60Symeon of Polotsk1629-1680 · 17th century · Writers0.27
  61. 61Peter III of Russia1728-1762 · 18th century · Germany · Historical Figures0.26
  62. 62Patriarch Joachim1621-1690 · 17th century0.25
  63. 63Denis Davydov1784-1839 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.25
  64. 64Nikita Khrushchev1894-1971 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.24
  65. 65Alexander Radishchev1749-1802 · 18th century · Russia · Writers0.24
  66. 66Boris of Tver1400-1461 · 15th century0.23
  67. 67Nikolay Chernyshevsky1828-1889 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.22
  68. 68Mikhail Glinka1804-1857 · 19th century · Russia · Musicians0.22
  69. 69Alexander Ivanov1806-1858 · 19th century · Russia · Artists0.22
  70. 70Valery Bryusov1873-1924 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.21
  71. 71Mikhail Sholokhov1905-1984 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.20
  72. 72Mikhail Kalinin1875-1946 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.20
  73. 73Ivan Vazov1850-1921 · 19th century · Bulgaria · Writers0.20
  74. 74Hyacinth1777-1853 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.20
  75. 75Vasili III of Russia1479-1533 · 16th century · Politicians0.20
  76. 76Ilia Chavchavadze1837-1907 · 19th century · Writers0.19
  77. 77Ilya Ehrenburg1891-1967 · 20th century · Russia · Writers0.19
  78. 78Ivan Michurin1855-1935 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.18
  79. 79Vissarion Belinsky1811-1848 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.18
  80. 80Konstantin Aksakov1817-1860 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.17
  81. 81Joseph Volotsky1440-1515 · 15th century · Writers0.17
  82. 82Nikolai Gogol1809-1852 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.17
  83. 83Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia1783-1801 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.16
  84. 84Ilya Repin1844-1930 · 19th century · Russia · Artists0.16
  85. 85Alexander Herzen1812-1870 · 19th century · Switzerland · Writers0.15
  86. 86Sofia Kovalevskaya1850-1891 · 19th century · Sweden · Academics0.15
  87. 87Konstantin of Uglich1389-1434 · 15th century0.15
  88. 88Abay Kunanbaiuly1845-1904 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.15
  89. 89Shoqan Walikhanov1835-1865 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.15
  90. 90Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya1923-1941 · 20th century · Russia0.15
  91. 91Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia1779-1831 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.15
  92. 92Kosta Khetagurov1859-1906 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.15
  93. 93Nadezhda Krupskaya1869-1939 · 20th century · Russia · Politicians0.15
  94. 94Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia1825-1844 · 19th century · Russia · Historical Figures0.14
  95. 95Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia1858-1915 · 19th century · Russia · Writers0.14
  96. 96Dmitri Mendeleev1834-1907 · 19th century · Russia · Scientists0.14
  97. 97Vladimir Solovyov1853-1900 · 19th century · Russia · Academics0.14
  98. 98Felix Dzerzhinsky1877-1926 · 20th century · Russia · Activists0.13
  99. 99Béla Kun1886-1938 · 20th century · Hungary · Activists0.13
  100. 100Grand Duke Dimitri Constantinovich of Russia1860-1919 · 19th century · Russia · Politicians0.12

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 1950s, ranked where coverage and readership agree.

  1. 1John F. Kennedy1917-1963 · United States · Politicians11 decades
  2. 2Jimmy Carter1924-2024 · United States · Politicians7 decades
  3. 3Pope John Paul II1920-2005 · Poland · Religious Figures5 decades
  4. 4George H. W. Bush1924-2018 · United States · Politicians2 decades
  5. 5Nelson Mandela1918-2013 · South Africa · Politicians6 decades
  6. 6Judy Garland1922-1969 · United States · Actors9 decades
  7. 7Marlon Brando1924-2004 · United States · Actors7 decades
  8. 8Frank Sinatra1915-1998 · United States · Musicians8 decades
  9. 9Indira Gandhi1917-1984 · India · Politicians7 decades
  10. 10Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh1921-2021 · United Kingdom0 decades
  11. 11Mohammad Reza Pahlavi1919-1980 · Historical Figures4 decades
  12. 12Henry Kissinger1923-2023 · United States · Politicians7 decades
  13. 13Christopher Lee1922-2015 · United Kingdom · Actors6 decades
  14. 14Roald Dahl1916-1990 · Norway · Writers6 decades
  15. 15Isaac Asimov1920-1992 · United States · Writers7 decades
  16. 16Ingrid Bergman1915-1982 · Sweden · Actors8 decades
  17. 17James Dean1931-1955 · United States · Actors9 decades
  18. 18Richard Feynman1918-1988 · United States · Scientists4 decades
  19. 19Nicolae Ceaușescu1918-1989 · Politiciansnot measured-
  20. 20Orson Welles1915-1985 · United States · Directors9 decades
  21. 21Lee Kuan Yew1923-2015 · Singapore · Politicians7 decades
  22. 22Kirk Douglas1916-2020 · United States · Actors8 decades
  23. 23Eva Perón1919-1952 · Argentina · Actors8 decades
  24. 24Édith Piaf1915-1963 · France · Musicians6 decades
  25. 25Charles Bronson1921-2003 · United States · Actors5 decades
Show 75 more

How to read these rankings

  • Attention, not reputation. A place on these lists reflects the attention a person still draws in the public record. 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.
  • Gaps are left as gaps. Where the record is too thin to be fair, we would rather show nothing than guess.