Claim profile
1–99

The 1st century

Whose working lives fell in the 1st century. 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 the 1st century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇮🇹 Italy🇮🇱 Israel🇹🇷 Turkey🇪🇸 Spain🇩🇪 Germany🇫🇷 France🇪🇬 Egypt🇨🇳 China🇰🇷 South Korea🇺🇸 United States
FieldAllPoliticiansHistorical FiguresReligious FiguresWritersAcademicsDoctorsScientistsModelsBusiness ProfessionalsArchitects
  1. 1JesusJesus5 BC–30 · Religious Figures22 decades
  2. 2Saint PeterSaint Peter1 BC–65 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures22 decades
  3. 3Mary, mother of JesusMary, mother of Jesus18 BC–48 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  4. 4John the BaptistJohn the Baptist6 BC–30 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures22 decades
  5. 5Matthew the ApostleMatthew the Apostle10–74 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures11 decades
  6. 6James, son of ZebedeeJames, son of Zebedee1–44 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  7. 7Thomas the ApostleThomas the Apostle1–72 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures22 decades
  8. 8Mark the EvangelistMark the Evangelist12–68 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures14 decades
  9. 9Jude the ApostleJude the Apostle10–62 · Religious Figures0 decades
  10. 10Pope LinusPope Linus10–79 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  11. 11Saint StephenSaint Stephen1–36 · Religious Figures7 decades
  12. 12BarnabasBarnabas1–61 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  13. 13Pope AnacletusPope Anacletus25–90 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  14. 14Saint VeronicaSaint Veronica1–1 · 🇮🇱 Israel · Religious Figures0 decades
  15. 15Saint TimothySaint Timothy17–97 · 🇹🇷 Turkey · Religious Figures0 decades
  16. 16Pope Sixtus IPope Sixtus I42–126 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Religious Figures0 decades
  17. 17Simon MagusSimon Magus50–65 · Religious Figures22 decades
  18. 18Penitent thiefPenitent thiefdied 33 · Religious Figures0 decades
  19. 19ZacchaeusZacchaeus50–100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  20. 20Saint TitusSaint Titus13–107 · Religious Figures0 decades
  21. 21Papias of HierapolisPapias of Hierapolis60–150 · Religious Figures0 decades
  22. 22CrescensCrescensdied 100 · Religious Figures17 decades
  23. 23Andronicus of PannoniaAndronicus of Pannonia50–100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  24. 24Silvanus of the SeventySilvanus of the Seventyborn 50 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  25. 25Pancras of TaorminaPancras of Taormina1–40 · Religious Figures0 decades
  26. 26PPerfectus1–850 · Religious Figures0 decades
  27. 27Saint Marcian of SyracuseSaint Marcian of Syracuse50–68 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  28. 28JBJoshua ben Gamlaborn 50 · Religious Figures0 decades
  29. 29Hermes of PhilippopolisHermes of Philippopolisdied 100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  30. 30Gaius of EphesusGaius of Ephesusdied 100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  31. 31ABAnanias ben Nedebaios50–50 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  32. 32Saint MariSaint Maridied 101 · Religious Figures0 decades
  33. 33EumachiaEumachia50–100 · Religious Figures3 decades
  34. 34Euphrasius of IlliturgisEuphrasius of Illiturgis50–100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  35. 35Jesus son of DamneusJesus son of Damneusborn 50 · Religious Figures0 decades
  36. 36POPhlegon of Marathonborn 50 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  37. 37Epenetus of CarthageEpenetus of Carthage1–100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  38. 38HOHermas of Dalmatiadied 100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  39. 39Saint OvidiusSaint Ovidius50–135 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  40. 40Torquatus of AcciTorquatus of Acci50–100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  41. 41LJLucius Junius Silanus Torquatus50–65 · Religious Figures0 decades
  42. 42Romulus of FiesoleRomulus of Fiesoledied 100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  43. 43Tertius of IconiumTertius of Iconiumdied 100 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  44. 44GJGaius Julius Silanusborn 50 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  45. 45JBJonathan ben Ananusdied 58 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  46. 46MBMattathias ben Theophilus IIdied 66 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  47. 47Saint LibertineSaint Libertine1–200 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  48. 48MHMarcus Herennius Faustusborn 50 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  49. 49MMatthias6–70 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  50. 50MAMarcus Arruntius Aquilaborn 50 · Religious Figuresnot measured—
  51. 51TJTiberius Julius Candidus Capitoborn 50 · Religious Figuresnot measured—

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.