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 Chinese books during the 1950s, whenever they lived.

  1. 1Zhou Enlai1898-1976 · 20th century · China · Politicians173
  2. 2Mao Zedong1893-1976 · 20th century · China · Politicians100
  3. 3Lu Xun1881-1936 · 20th century · China · Writers55
  4. 4Liu Shaoqi1898-1969 · 20th century · China · Politicians43
  5. 5Sun Yat-sen1866-1925 · 20th century · China · Politicians24
  6. 6Li Peng1928-2019 · 20th century · China · Politicians17
  7. 7Zhu De1886-1976 · 20th century · China · Politicians9.0
  8. 8Deng Xiaoping1904-1997 · 20th century · China · Politicians8.4
  9. 9Jiang Zemin1926-2022 · 20th century · China · Politicians5.6
  10. 10Gao Ming1305-1370 · 14th century · Writers5.4
  11. 11Soong Ching-ling1893-1981 · 20th century · China · Politicians4.7
  12. 12Lin Biao1907-1971 · 20th century · China · Politicians4.3
  13. 13Confucius551 BC-479 BC · 1st millennium BC · China · Academics3.9
  14. 14Laozi579 BC-500 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics3.3
  15. 15Jiang Qing1914-1991 · 20th century · China · Actors2.5
  16. 16Du Fu712-770 · 8th century · China · Writers2.3
  17. 17Yuan Shikai1859-1916 · 19th century · China · Politicians2.1
  18. 18Li Bai701-762 · 8th century · Writers1.7
  19. 19Qu Yuan343 BC-278 BC · 1st millennium BC · China · Writers1.5
  20. 20Park Chung-hee1917-1979 · 20th century · South Korea · Politicians1.4
  21. 21Cao Xueqin1724-1760 · 18th century · China · Writers1.3
  22. 22Pu Songling1640-1715 · 17th century · China · Writers1.1
  23. 23Li Si280 BC-208 BC · 1st millennium BC · China · Politicians1.1
  24. 24Kang Youwei1858-1927 · 19th century · China · Politicians0.96
  25. 25Bada Shanren1626-1705 · 17th century · Artists0.93
  26. 26Shitao1642-1707 · 17th century · Artists0.93
  27. 27Li Hongzhang1823-1901 · 19th century · China · Politicians0.88
  28. 28Lin Tse-hsu1785-1850 · 19th century · Politicians0.87
  29. 29Zhuang Zhou369 BC-288 BC · 1st millennium BC · China · Academics0.84
  30. 30Koxinga1624-1662 · 17th century · Japan · Politicians0.78
  31. 31Gu Kaizhi345-406 · 4th century · Artists0.73
  32. 32Zheng He1371-1433 · 15th century · China · Historical Figures0.63
  33. 33Wang Chong27-97 · 1st century · Scientists0.61
  34. 34Wang Anshi1021-1086 · 11th century · China · Politicians0.47
  35. 35Wang Xizhi321-361 · 4th century · China · Artists0.40
  36. 36Tao Yuanming365-427 · 5th century · China · Writers0.39
  37. 37Liu Qing78-106 · 2nd century0.39
  38. 38Zhang Xun1854-1923 · 19th century · Politicians0.37
  39. 39Chen Shou233-297 · 3rd century · Writers0.34
  40. 40Dong Zhongshu179 BC-104 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians0.33
  41. 41Hong Xiuquan1814-1864 · 19th century · China · Politicians0.33
  42. 42Li Zicheng1606-1645 · 17th century · China · Politicians0.32
  43. 43Cao Cao155-220 · 2nd century · China · Politicians0.31
  44. 44Wu Zetian624-705 · 7th century · China · Writers0.31
  45. 45Bai Juyi772-846 · 9th century · China · Writers0.31
  46. 46Wang Fuzhi1619-1692 · 17th century · China · Writers0.29
  47. 47Zhuge Liang181-234 · 3rd century · China · Politicians0.29
  48. 48Liu Zongyuan773-819 · 9th century · Writers0.25
  49. 49Tan Sitong1865-1898 · 19th century · China · Academics0.25
  50. 50Su Shi1037-1101 · 11th century · China · Writers0.24
  51. 51Sima Qian145 BC-86 BC · 1st millennium BC · China · Writers0.22
  52. 52Zeng Guofan1811-1872 · 19th century · China · Politicians0.22
  53. 53Liu Bei161-223 · 2nd century0.22
  54. 54Puyi1906-1967 · 20th century · China · Historical Figures0.21
  55. 55Wen Tong1018-1079 · 11th century · Artists0.20
  56. 56Hai Rui1514-1587 · 16th century0.20
  57. 57Xu Xiake1587-1641 · 17th century · Historical Figures0.20
  58. 58Dong Qichang1555-1636 · 16th century · Artists0.20
  59. 59Li Qiangborn 1959 · 20th century · China · Politicians0.19
  60. 60Yan Fu1854-1921 · 19th century · Writers0.19
  61. 61Hua Guofeng1921-2008 · 20th century · China · Politicians0.18
  62. 62Lü Buwei291 BC-235 BC · 1st millennium BC · Politicians0.18
  63. 63Hu Jintaoborn 1942 · 20th century · China · Politicians0.18
  64. 64Shi Kefa1601-1645 · 17th century · Politicians0.15
  65. 65Ban Gu32-92 · 1st century · Writers0.15
  66. 66Wang Yangming1472-1529 · 16th century · China · Academics0.14
  67. 67Guan Hanqing1210-1298 · 13th century · Writers0.14
  68. 68Zhu Xi1130-1200 · 12th century · China · Writers0.13
  69. 69Hongwu Emperor1328-1398 · 14th century · China · Historical Figures0.13
  70. 70Wen Jiabaoborn 1942 · 20th century · China · Politicians0.12
  71. 71Xun Kuang313 BC-230 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.11
  72. 72Meng Haoran690-740 · 8th century · Writers0.10
  73. 73Qi Baishi1864-1957 · 19th century · China · Artists0.08
  74. 74Zhang Zhidong1837-1909 · 19th century · Politicians0.08
  75. 75Han Yu768-824 · 9th century · China · Writers0.08
  76. 76Emperor Taizong of Tang598-649 · 7th century · China · Historical Figures0.06
  77. 77Mozi470 BC-391 BC · 1st millennium BC · Academics0.05
  78. 78Ouyang Xiu1007-1072 · 11th century · China · Writers0.05
  79. 79Kim Il-sung1912-1994 · 20th century · North Korea · Politicians0.05
  80. 80Xi Shi506 BC-500 BC · 1st millennium BC0.05
  81. 81Dai Zhen1724-1777 · 18th century · China · Academics0.05
  82. 82Luo Guanzhong1334-1400 · 14th century · China · Writers0.05
  83. 83Lin Yutang1895-1976 · 20th century · China · Writers0.04
  84. 84Li Qingzhao1084-1155 · 12th century · China · Writers0.04
  85. 85Wang Wei699-759 · 8th century · China · Writers0.04
  86. 86Zhao Ziyang1919-2005 · 20th century · China · Politicians0.04
  87. 87Guan Yu160-220 · 2nd century · China · Historical Figures0.03
  88. 88Wang Bi226-249 · 3rd century · Politicians0.03
  89. 89Li Shizhen1517-1593 · 16th century · Scientists0.03
  90. 90Lee Kuan Yew1923-2015 · 20th century · Singapore · Politicians0.03
  91. 91Chen-ning Yang1922-2025 · 20th century · China · Scientists0.03
  92. 92Zhang Zai1020-1077 · 11th century · Academics0.03
  93. 93Huang Zongxi1610-1695 · 17th century · Academics0.03
  94. 94Luo Qinshun1465-1547 · 16th century · Writers0.03
  95. 95Emperor Wu of Han156 BC-87 BC · 1st millennium BC · Writers0.03
  96. 96Wu Cheng'en1500-1582 · 16th century · China · Writers0.02
  97. 97Chiang Ching-kuo1910-1988 · 20th century · China · Politicians0.02
  98. 98Gu Yanwu1613-1682 · 17th century · Writers0.02
  99. 99Xu Shen58-147 · 1st century · Writers0.02
  100. 100Zhang Zhongjing150-219 · 2nd century · Doctors0.02

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.