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A gifted poet, playwright, and wit; Oscar Wilde was a phenomenon in 19th-century England. He was illustrious for preaching the importance of style in life and art, and of attacking Victorian narrow-mindedness.

Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland. He studied at Trinity College in Dublin, before leaving the country to study at Oxford University in England when he was in his early 20s. His prodigious literary talent was recognized when he received the Newdegate Prize for his outstanding poem "Ravenna". After leaving university, he began to cause a sensation, using sheer force of personality, as he published his first volume of poetry, "Patience", in 1881, followed by a play, "The Duchess of Padua", two years later.

On his arrival in America, he stirred the nation with his flamboyancy: wearing silk stockings, and sporting long, flowing hair, which gave the impression, to many, of an effeminate, and he bore a general air of wittiness, sophistication, and eccentricity. He was an instant celebrity, but his works did not find recognition until the publication of "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" (1888). His other noted work was his only novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890), which caused controversy, because it evidently attacked the hypocrisy of England, and its' obvious homosexual content was later used as incriminating evidence at Wilde's trial.

Wilde was married, and he had two children, but he was also a gay man. He had an affair with a young aristocrat named Lord Alfred Douglas. Douglas' father, the Marquess of Queensberry, did not approve of his son's relationship with the distinguished writer, and when he accused Wilde of sodomy, Wilde sued him for libel. However, his case was dismissed when his homosexuality--which at the time was outlawed in England--was exposed. He was, as a result, arrested for 'gross indecency', tried, and sentenced to two years hard labor. Upon his release, he was penniless, and he was, as a result, reduced to living off of the generosity of friends, and of his wife, from whom he lived in a socially dictated separation. He did, however, begin to display some of his former glory in his efforts to reinvent himself as a kind of exposé writer and commentator, though his worthwhile, honest efforts were mostly unsuccessful, due to the prejudice his sentencing had caused, and that led him to understandable displays of dejection. He died in a Paris hotel room, just over three years after his release, likely from an ear injection contracted in prison. He was 46.

Wilde is immortalized through his works, which remain popular, and have been, and continue to be, interpreted on stage, in films, and on television.

Wilde was finally pardoned by the British government in 2017.

Friedrich Nietzsche was raised having five women around him - his mother, grandmother, two aunts and a sister, all living together. His father, a Lutheran pastor, died when Nietzsche was 5 years old. After a Catholic school he studied music and Greco-Roman culture at the famous Schulpfora from 1858-1864, continued at the universities of Bonn, Leipzig and Basel, where he was a professor of classic philology for 12 years. His influences were: classic history, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, writer Fyodor Dostoevsky and Jesus Christ, whom he called "Superman".

His main books are "The Gay Science", "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", "Beyond Good and Evil", "Twilight of the Idols" and the radical "Antichrist". Nietzsche analyzed foundations of values and morality through transformations of human nature and society. His contention that traditional values, religion and God, are not working in the modernized world, led to his conceptual statement: "God is dead." In replacement of God comes his concept of a superman - a rational, secure and highly independent individual. He lists Jesus, Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Goethe and Napoleon as models or prototypes of a superman. His idealistic superman was often misinterpreted as a role for a dictator in a totalitarian society. Nitzsche's goal for this concept was mainly individualistic because of his despise of any crowd and attention to him. He considered any crowd as a main source of lies and manipulations. According to Nietzsche it is the independence that allows a superman to be truly original and creative.

His sarcastic humor and contradictory ideas, often misunderstood in metaphysical context, caused misinterpretations of his personality and his works. His nihilism resulted from frustrations in search of meaning. For self-liberation Nietzsche terminated his German citizenship and remained a stateless person for the rest of his life. He distanced himself from Richard Wagner being repelled by the banality of the Bayreuth shows and the baseness of the crowd. He suffered from migraine headaches and from shortsightedness to the degree of blindness that caused his retirement from University of Basel. After he saw a brutal beating of a horse on a street, Nitzsche had a mental breakdown at age 44, and he retreated into solitude as a self-defense from crowds and manipulations. He lived with his mother and sister until his death of pneumonia in 1900. Most researchers regard his breakdown as irrelevant to his works. He received postmortem recognition by existentialists and by 20th century postmodern philosophers.

Nietzsche's idea of a day in a life repeating itself again, and again, and again was written at the end of the Book IV of "The Gay Science" (1887). It is used in the film 'Groundhog Day (1993)'.

Nietzsche listed laughter and humor as vital qualities of being a superman. He only failed to add a superwoman on his list of models to make it really serious.

Stephen Crane was the 14th child of parents who were both writers. Descended from a line of soldiers and clergymen (his father, Rev. Jonathan T. Crane, was a Methodist minister), Crane inherited from his forebearers the obsessive subject of war, stoical compassion and, particularly in his poetry, a Biblical style. His short, phenomenal literary career, which began in 1891 when he quit Syracuse University as a freshman, yielded the novels "The Red Badge of Courage" (1895), "The Open Boat" (1898) and "The Blue Hotel" (1899), as well as two volumes of poetry. His novel "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets", reputed to have been written in two days in 1891, is often credited with starting the naturalistic tradition in American fiction. He worked as a reporter in New York and later as a foreign correspondent following the wars. During his brief residence in England he befriended Henry James, Joseph Conrad, H.G. Wells and F.M. Ford, who all recognized Crane's ruthless literary talent. His emergence as a fiction writer and poet was cut short when he died of tuberculosis at the tragically premature age of 28.

Arthur Sullivan was a composer, born in London in 1842 and died in 1900. His father was a military bandmaster, and Arthur composed his first anthem at the age of eight. He studied at London's Royal Academy of Music after being awarded the inaugural Mendelssohn Scholarship at 14 years of age.

Sullivan was one half of Gilbert & Sullivan, the partnership responsible for works such as The Mikado, H.M.S. Pinafore, and The Pirates of Penzance.

Novelist committed to social reform who introduced Naturalism and Realism to Portugal. He is often considered to be the greatest Portuguese novelist, certainly the leading 19th-century Portuguese novelist whose fame was international. The son of a prominent magistrate, Eça de Queiroz spent his early years with relatives and was sent to boarding school at the age of five. After receiving his degree in law in 1866 from the University of Coimbra, where he read widely French, he settled in Lisbon. There his father, who had since married Eça de Queiroz' mother, made up for past neglect by helping the young man make a start in the legal profession. Eça de Queiroz' real interest lay in literature, however, and soon his short stories - ironic, fantastic, macabre, and often gratuitously shocking - and essays on a wide variety of subjects began to appear in the "Gazeta de Portugal". By 1871 he had become closely associated with a group of rebellious Portuguese intellectuals committed to social and artistic reform and known as the Generation of '70. Eça de Queiroz gave one of a series of lectures sponsored by the group in which he denounced contemporary Portuguese literature as unoriginal and hypocritical. He served as consul, first in Havana (1872-74), then in England, UK - in Newcastle upon Tyne (1874-79) and in Bristol (1879-88). During this time he wrote the novels for which he is best remembered, attempting to bring about social reform in Portugal through literature by exposing what he held to be the evils and the absurdities of the traditional order. His first novel, "O crime do Padre Amaro" (1875; "The Sin of Father Amaro", 1962), describes the destructive effects of celibacy on a priest of weak character and the dangers of fanaticism in a provincial Portuguese town. A biting satire on the romantic ideal of passion and its tragic consequences appears in his next novel, "O Primo Basílio" (1878; "Cousin Bazilio", 1953). Caustic satire characterizes the novel that is generally considered Eça de Queiroz' masterpiece, "Os Maias (1888; "The Maias", 1965), a detailed depiction of upper middle-class and aristocratic Portuguese society. His last novels are sentimental, unlike his earlier work. "A Cidade e as Serras" (1901; "The City and the Mountains", 1955) extols the beauty of the Portuguese countryside and the joys of rural life. Eça de Queiroz was appointed consul in Paris in 1888, where he served until his death. Of his posthumously published works, "Contos" (1902) is a collection of short stories, and "Últimas Páginas" (1912) includes saints' legends. Translations of his works persisted into the second half of the 20th century.

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (Hovannes Aivasian) was born on July 29, 1817, in Feodosia, Crimea, Russian Empire, into a poor Armenian family. His father was a modest Armenian trader. His mother was a traditional homemaker. His early talent as an artist earned him a scholarship to study at the Simferopol gymnasium. From 1833-1839 Aivasovsky studied at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, where he was a student of professor Mikhail Vorob'ev, and graduated with the Gold Medal.

Aivazovsky was sent to paint in Crimea and in Italy, being sponsored by the Russian Imperial Academy for 6 years from 1838-1844. His numerous paintings of Mediterranean seascapes won him popularity among art collectors, such as the Russian Czars, the Ottoman Sultan, and among the various nobility in many countries. His dramatic depiction of a sea storm with the survivors from a shipwreck, known as 'The Ninth Wave' (1850), made him extremely famous. The original canvas is in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. He also made many variations and repetitions of this particular painting, as well, as of his other popular works.

Aivazovsky produced over six thousand paintings of variable quality over the course of his long life. Most of his works were made on a longstanding commission from the Imperial Russian Navy Headquarters, where he worked for the most of his life, from the 1840s until 1900. He earned a considerable fortune, which he spent for charity, and also used for the foundation of the first School of Arts (in 1865) and the Art Gallery (in 1889) in his home town of Feodosia.

Aivazovsky was a member of Academies of Rome, Florence, Stuttgart and Amsterdam. He died on May 5, 1900, in Feodosia.

Franklyn McLeay was born on 28 June 1864 in Watford, Upper Canada, Canada. He was an actor, known for King John (1899). He was married to Grace Warner. He died on 6 July 1900 in St Pancras, Middlesex, London, England, UK'.

John Ruskin was born on 8 February 1819 in 54 Hunter Street, Brunswick Square, London, England, UK. John was a writer, known for Jackanory (1965), The Quarry (2013) and The King of the Golden River (1959). John was married to Euphemia Chalmers Gray. John died on 20 January 1900 in Brantwood, Coniston, Cumbria, Lancashire, England, UK.

R.D. Blackmore was born on 7 June 1825 in Longworth, Berkshire, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Lorna Doone (1934), Lorna Doone (1920) and Lorna Doone (1922). He died on 20 January 1900 in Teddington, Middlesex, England, UK.

Charles Hale Hoyt was born on 26 July 1860 in Concord, New Hampshire, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for A Texas Steer (1915), A Midnight Bell (1921) and A Bunch of Keys (1915). He was married to Flora Walsh and Caroline Miskel. He died on 20 November 1900 in New York City, New York, USA.

Lady John Scott was born on 24 June 1810 in Westruther, Berwickshire, England, UK. She is known for Bonnie Annie Laurie (1918), Fûun kyû nari Ôsaka jô: Sanada jûyûshi sô shingun (1957) and Annie Laurie (1926). She was married to Lord John Scott. She died on 12 March 1900.

Ernst Eckstein was born on 6 February 1845 in Gießen, Germany. He was a writer, known for Themis (1920) and Der Besuch im Karzer (1961). He was married to Elisabeth Bolle. He died on 18 November 1900 in Dresden, Germany.

Abby Sage Richardson was born on 14 October 1837 in Hingham, Massachusetts, USA. Abby Sage was a writer, known for The Pride of Jennico (1914). Abby Sage was married to Albert Deane Richardson (journalist) and Daniel A. McFarland. Abby Sage died on 5 December 1900 in Rome, Italy.

Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred was born on 6 August 1844 in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, UK. He was married to Duchess Maria Edinburgh of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He died on 30 July 1900 in Schloss Rosenau, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, German Empire [now Bavaria, Germany].

King Umberto was born on 14 March 1844 in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia. He was married to Queen Margherita. He died on 29 July 1900 in Monza, Italy.

Giorgi Tsereteli was born on 26 May 1842 in Gorisa, Georgia, Russian Empire. He was a writer, known for Sami sitsotskhle (1924) and Mamluqi (1958). He died on 24 January 1900 in Tiflis, Russian Empire [now Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia].

Carl Laufs was born on 20 December 1858 in Mainz, Grand Duchy of Hesse [now Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany]. He was a writer, known for Ein toller Einfall (1916), Pension Schöller (1930) and Une idée folle (1933). He died on 12 August 1900 in Kassel, Hesse, Germany.

Richard Hovey was born on 4 May 1864 in Normal, Illinois, USA. He died on 24 February 1900 in New York, New York, USA.

After completing secondary school, Daimler began an apprenticeship as a gunsmith in Stuttgart, which he completed with the journeyman's examination in 1852. For further training, he attended the Württemberg State Trade School from 1852 to 1853. In 1853, Daimler settled in Alsace, where he found his first professional job at a mechanical engineering company in Grafenstaden. In 1857 he returned to Stuttgart and studied mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic School until 1859. Daimler then visited Paris, Leeds, Manchester and Coventry during a study trip. From 1862 he worked as a designer in the Straub metal goods factory in Geislingen and in 1865 he became head of the machine factory at the "Bruderhaus" orphanage in Reutlingen. Here Daimler met the engineer Wilhelm Maybach. A friendship developed between the two that lasted throughout their lives.

In 1867, Daimler married the pharmacist's daughter Emma Kurz. Five children were born from this marriage. In 1869 he moved to Karlsruhe as director of the Karlsruher Industriewerkstätten, IWKA, where Maybach followed him shortly afterwards as a technical draftsman. In 1872, Daimler became technical director of the Deutz gas engine factory under Nikolaus August Otto and Carl Eugen Langen. His friend Maybach followed him here too, perfecting the engine designed by Otto and developing it to series production. After differences between Daimler and Otto, both separated in 1882; Maybach also left Otto. For the patents created under his leadership, Daimler received compensation of 112,000 Reichsmarks in Deutz shares. That same year, Daimler founded his first workshop in Cannstatt near Stuttgart, where he manufactured smaller and more powerful engines that burned gasoline instead of gas.

This research, in which Maybach played a key role, resulted in the first patent for a single-cylinder four-stroke engine with hot tube ignition in 1883. The fuel was also revolutionary, as until then petrol had mostly been sold as a stain remover and was only sold in pharmacies. In 1885, Maybach installed the 0.5 HP unit in a so-called riding car, which can now be seen as the world's first motorcycle. Gottlieb's son Paul Daimler carried out the successful test drive of the prototype, which was registered for a patent in the same year. At the same time, Maybach developed a motor car at Daimler and Carl Friedrich Benz. In 1889, Maybach presented his motor car to the enthusiastic public. Daimler's wife died in 1889. The company operated with high losses due to the low number of units, so in order to reduce the entrepreneurial risk, he founded Daimler-Motoren Aktiengesellschaft in 1890. A third of the shares remained with Daimler itself.

Shortly afterwards, Daimler and Maybach worked together to develop the first two-cylinder in-line engine. After differences arose between the shareholders and Daimler, Daimler sold its shares and left the company with Maybach in 1893. In the same year he married Lina Schwend. This relationship resulted in two more children. With the help of an English investor, Daimler became a shareholder again in Daimler-Motoren-Aktiengesellschaft. The merchant and ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Monarchy in Nice, Emil Jellinek, commissioned Wilhelm Maybach to develop a sports car for Daimler-Motoren-Aktiengesellschaft. Since he financed the entire project and was able to demonstrate excellent sales figures in the south of France, he made it a condition in 1899 that the car should be named "Mercedes" after his daughter.

The "Mercedes", completed in 1900 with a 4-cylinder engine and 5,913 cm3, set new standards in speed, reliability and appearance, so that the name Mercedes became synonymous with the performance of the brand and found its way into the entire production as an automobile name.

In 1926, Daimler-Motoren-Aktiengesellschaft merged with Benz & Cie. from Carl Friedrich Benz to Daimler-Benz AG in Stuttgart.

Henry Russell was born on 24 December 1812 in Sheerness, Kent, England, UK. He died on 8 December 1900 in London, England, UK.

Carit Etlar was born on 7 August 1816 in Fredericia, Denmark. He was a writer, known for Love in Exile (1923), Gøngehøvdingen (1961) and Gøngehøvdingen (1992). He was married to Olga Augusta Schultz and Hansine Erasmine Thorbjørnsen. He died on 9 May 1900 in Fredericia, Denmark.

Sigbjørn Obstfelder was born on 21 November 1866 in Stavanger, Norway. He was a writer, known for Den evige Eva (1953) and Dikt og prosa av Sigbjørn Obstfelder (1966). He was married to Helga Ingeborg Maria Weeke. He died on 29 July 1900 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Wilhelm Steinitz was born on 14 May 1836 in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, Austrian Empire. He died on 12 August 1900 in New York City, United States.

Harald Molander was born on 17 March 1858 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was a writer, known for En lyckoriddare (1921) and En liten Geisha (1936). He died on 22 November 1900.

Ottokar Novácek was born on 13 May 1866 in Fehértemplon, Serbia. He is known for Cousin Bette (1998) and Concert Magic (1951). He died on 3 February 1900 in New York City, New York, USA.