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Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow, Russia. He was the second of seven children of Mikhail Andreevich and Maria Dostoevsky. His father, a doctor, was a member of the Russian nobility, owned serfs and had a considerable estate near Moscow where he lived with his family. It's believed that he was murdered by his own serfs in revenge for the violence he would commit against them while in drunken rages. As a child Fyodor was traumatized when he witnessed the rape of a young female serf and suffered from epileptic seizures. He was sent to a boarding school, where he studied sciences, languages and literature. He was devastated when his favorite writer, Alexander Pushkin, was killed in a duel in St. Petersburg in 1837. That same year Dostoevsky's mother died, and he moved to St. Petersburg. There he graduated from the Military Engineering Academy, and served in the Tsar's government for a year.

Dostoevsky was active in St. Petersburg literary life; he grew out of his early influence by Nikolay Gogol, translated "Eugenia Grande" by Honoré de Balzac in 1844 and published his own first novel, "Poor Folk", in 1845, and became friends with Ivan Turgenev and Nikolai A. Nekrasov, but it ended abruptly after they criticized his writing. At that time he became indirectly involved in a revolutionary movement, for which he was arrested in 1849, convicted of treason and sentenced to death. His execution was scheduled for a freezing winter day in St. Petersburg, and at the appointed hour he was blindfolded and ordered to stand before the firing squad, waiting to be shot. The execution was called off at the last minute, however, and his sentence was commuted to a prison term and exile in Siberia, where his health declined amid increased epileptic seizures. After serving ten years in prison and exile, he regained his title in the nobility and returned to St. Petersburg with permission from the Tsar. He abandoned his formerly liberal views and became increasingly conservative and religious. That, however, didn't stop him from developing an acute gambling problem, and he accumulated massive gambling debts.

In 1862, after returning from his first major tour of Western Europe, Dostoevsky wrote that "Russia needs to be reformed, by learning the new ideas that are developing in Europe." On his next trip to Europe, in 1863, he spent all of his money on a manipulative woman, A. Suslova, went on a losing gambling spree, returned home flat broke and sank into a depression. At that time he wrote "Notes from Underground" (1864), preceding existentialism in literature. His first wife died in 1864, after six years of a childless marriage, and he adopted her son from her previous marriage. Painful experiences caused him to fall further into depression, but it was during this period that he wrote what many consider his finest work: "Crime and Punishment" (1866).

After completion of "The Gambler" (1867), the 47-year-old Dostoevsky married his loyal friend and literary secretary, 20-year-old Anna Snitkina, and they had four children. His first baby died at three months of age, causing him to sink further into depression and triggering more epileptic seizures. At that time Dostoevsky expressed his disillusionment with the Utopian ideas in his novels "The Idiot" (1868) and "The Devils" (aka "The Possessed") (1871), where the "devils" are destructive people, such as revolutionaries and terrorists. Dostoevsky was the main speaker at the opening of the monument to Alexander Pushkin in 1880, calling Pushkin a "wandering Russian, searching for universal happiness". In his final great novel, "The Brothers Karamazov" (1880), Dostoevsky revealed the components of his own split personality, depicted in four main characters; humble monk Alyosha, compulsive gambler Dmitri, rebellious intellectual Ivan, and their cynical father Fyodor Karamazov.

Dostoevsky died on February 9, 1881, of a lung hemorrhage caused by emphysema and epileptic seizures. He lived his entire life under the pall of epilepsy, much like the mythical "Sword of Damocles", and was fearless in telling the truth. His writings are an uncanny reflection on his own life - the fate of a genius in Russia.

Gustave Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821, in Rouen, Seine-Inférieure, France. His father was a Medical Doctor and practiced surgery in Rouen, in Hôtel-Dieu (where Flaubert was born). His mother was from an aristocratic Norman family. Young Flaubert received a good private education with emphasis on literature. In 1840 he went to Law School in Paris. There he met Victor Hugo and made his plan of becoming a writer. In 1846 he abandoned Paris and the study of law, after a probably nervous disease. From 1846-1854 he had an affair with the poet Louise Colet, which was his only relationship, and he never married. Flaubert traveled about several countries in Europe and in Africa. His travel experiences, especially those in Greece, Egypt, and Tunisia, gave him material for his writings.

Flaubert's first masterpiece, 'The Temptation of St. Anthony' (1849), was at first rejected by his friends Louis Bouilhet and Maxime du Camp and its publication was postponed. From 1850-1856 he was writing 'Madame Bovary', which was published in 1856. Flaubert and his publisher were charged of immorality in a law suit brought by the French government in 1957, but both were acquitted. In 1862 he published 'Salammbo', which became material for the eponymous opera by 'Modest Mussorgsky'. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, Flaubert's home was occupied by Prussian soldiers, and he suffered from a nervous breakdown. In 1872 his mother died, which caused him a depression. At that time he was supported by his close friend Ivan Turgenev, a Russian writer of decent means, who lived in Europe. Flaubert also enjoyed a friendship by correspondence with George Sand. After the traumatic events of war and the death of is mother, Flaubert lived a life of an ascetic monk for the rest of his life. He rarely visited Paris, and his health deteriorated rapidly. He died on May 8, 1880, in his mother's home in Croisset, and was laid to rest in the Flaubert family vault in the cemetery of Rouen, France.

Flaubert's comprehensive biography by Jean-Paul Sartre is considered definitive. Flaubert's correspondence with George Sand and Ivan Turgenev has been studied ever since as an immensely valuable historic and literary material. His books has been translated in many languages and sold millions of copies around the world. Flaubert's classic novel 'Madame Bovary' was adapted for film and television more that ten times. The 1991 adaptation, starring Isabelle Huppert, was nominated for Oscar.

Charles Baudelaire was a 19th century French poet, translator, and literary/art critic. At his birth, Baudelaire's mother, Caroline Archimbaut-Dufays, was 28; his father Francois Baudelaire was 61. Charles' father instilled in him an appreciation for art, taking his young son to museums and galleries, and teaching him to paint. When Charles was six, his father died and Charles became very attached to his mother, but when she remarried, he was sent to boarding school. The school was ruled by military discipline which caused much of Baudelaire's solitude and fits of crushing melancholy. Baudelaire resented the strictures of his life and was, in turn, difficult and rebellious. He frequently fought with students and teachers. He began to write poems, which were not well received by his masters, who felt them examples of precocious depravity, unsuitable for his age. He eventually attended the College Louis-le-Grand, but was expelled in April 1839.

In an attempt to draw him away from the company he was keeping, Baudelaire's stepfather sent him on a voyage to India in 1841. Baudelaire jumped ship and eventually made his way back to France in February of 1842. On his 21st birthday, Baudelaire received his father's inheritance, but his lavish and extravagant lifestyle (including use of hashish and opium) dwindled his fortune. He fell prey to cheats and moneylenders, which led to heavy debt. He also contracted the venereal disease that eventually took his life. His parents obtained a court order to supervise his money and Charles received only a small allowance. In 1842, Charles met a Creole woman named Jeanne Duval, who became his mistress and dominated his life for the next 20 years. Jeanne would inspire Baudelaire's most anguished and sensual love poetry, provoking such masterpieces of the exotic-erotic imagination as "La Chevelure" ("The Head of Hair").

Baudelaire used his writing to shock and astonish society, likely because of his strict upbringing and strong opposition to authority. He often focused on the immoral and cynical. He felt that his ideas where very similar to those of Edgar Allen Poe, who focused on beauty, death, and the bizarre. Baudelaire began to translate volumes of Poe's work into French, and much of Poe's popularity in England and France is attributed to Baudelaire. In 1857, Baudelaire's most well-known work, "Les Fleurs Du Mal" ("The Flowers of Evil") was seized by French authorities and Baudelaire was forced to omit six poems and pay a fine; today, it stands as perhaps the most influential poetry collection published in Europe in the 19th century. He continued to publish "salon" studies and critical reviews of other artists, including Flaubert's "Madame Bovary". In 1860, he began publishing prose poetry, a poetic form unknown in France, and became renowned for his innovation in prose experiments.

Near the end of his life, Baudelaire's agonizing moods of isolation and despair, which he called his moods of "spleen," returned and became more frequent. In 1867, while in Belgium, Baudelaire developed hemiplegia and aphasia. He was brought back to Paris, where he died.

Clara Barton was born on 25 December 1821 in North Oxford, Massachusetts, USA. Clara died on 12 April 1912 in Glen Echo, Maryland, USA.

Octave Feuillet was born on 11 August 1821 in St. Lô, France. He was a writer, known for A Parisian Romance (1932), A Parisian Romance (1916) and Der Schloßherr von Hohenstein (1917). He was married to Valérie Dubois (writer). He died on 29 December 1890 in Paris, France.

Richard Burton was born on 19 March 1821 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. Richard was a writer, known for Anansi Storytime (2016) and Tales from the Thousand and One Nights (1981). Richard was married to Isabel Arundel. Richard died on 20 October 1890 in Trieste, Austria-Hungary [now Italy].

Vasile Alecsandri (spelled Alecsandri not Alexandri , according to his choice!) is one of the great Romanian lyric poets and dramatists. Born in Bacau, Moldova on 14 June 1821, studied in Iasi Moldova and Paris France. In 1848 he was active in the liberal revolution, which stormed all over Europe and because of repression, went on exile and traveled through France, Spain, and North Africa. Back home after the unification of the two Romanian principats, he traveled to London in 1859 as minister for foreign affairs, to get British recognition of the Union of Valahia and Moldova in what will be later called Romania. In 1885 was appointed as the Romanian ambassador to Paris. Died on 22 August 1890 in Mircesti Romania.

Arthur Saint-Leon was born on 17 September 1821 in Paris, France. He was a writer and director, known for The Mysterious House of Dr. C. (1979), Dr. Coppelius (1966) and Coppelia (1968). He died on 2 September 1870.

Michel Carré was born on 20 October 1821 in Besançon, Doubs, France. He was a writer, known for Match Point (2005), Jojo Rabbit (2019) and The Adventures of Tintin (2011). He died on 27 June 1872 in Argenteuil, Val-d'Oise, France.

William Cool White was born on 28 July 1821 in Pennsylvania, USA. William Cool is known for My Darling Clementine (1946), Her Lucky Night (1945) and Hoosier Holiday (1943). William Cool was married to Mrs. Eliza F. Foster, née Bonnet and ? (second). William Cool died on 23 April 1891 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Lola Montez, born Maria Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert in 1821, was an Irish adventuress and "Spanish" dancer who achieved international notoriety through her liaison with King Louis I (Ludwig I) of Bavaria. Elizabeth ("Eliza") Gilbert spent much of her girlhood in India but was educated in Scotland and England. At age 17 she eloped with Lieutenant Thomas James; the couple separated five years later, and in 1843 Gilbert launched a career as the dancer Lola Montez. During her travels and performances she reputedly formed liaisons with Franz Liszt and Alexandre Dumas, among many others. In 1846 Montez danced in Munich, and Louis I of Bavaria was so struck by her beauty that he offered her a castle. She accepted, became Baroness Rosenthal and Countess of Lansfeld, and remained as his mistress. From 1851 to 1853 Montez performed in the United States. Her third marriage, to Patrick P. Hull of San Francisco in 1853, ended in divorce soon after she moved to Grass Valley, California. There, among other amusements, she coached young Lotta Crabtree in singing and dancing. Montez settled in New York City after an unsuccessful tour of Australia (1855-56) and gathered a following as a lecturer on such topics as fashion, gallantry, and beautiful women. An apparently genuine religious conversion led her to take up various personal philanthropies. Montez published Anecdotes of Love; Being a True Account of the Most Remarkable Events Connected with the History of Love; in All Ages and among All Nations (1858), The Arts of Beauty, or, Secrets of a Lady's Toilet with Hints to Gentlemen on the Art of Fascination (1858), and Lectures of Lola Montez, Including Her Autobiography (1858). The international notoriety of her heyday persisted long after her death and inspired numerous literary and balletic allusions. By 1860, Lola Montez was showing the tertiary effects of syphilis and her body began to waste away. She died at the age of 39 on 17 January 1861. She is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, where her tombstone states: "Mrs. Eliza Gilbert / Died 17 January 1861".

Sebastian Kneipp was born on 17 May 1821 in Stephansried, Ottobeuren, Kingdom of Bavaria [now Bavaria, Germany]. He died on 17 June 1897 in Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, Germany.

Giovanni Bottesini was born on 22 December 1821 in Crema, Lombardia, Italy. Giovanni is known for Bottesini: Ero & Leandro (2011) and Kontrabass virtuos! (2023). Giovanni died on 7 July 1899 in Parma, Italy.

Nikolai A. Nekrasov, one of Russian poetry's most eloquent voices who survived through child abuse and poverty in his youth, became a successful publisher and author of some of the most mellifluent verses about women.

He was born Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov on December 10, 1821, in Nemirov, Yaroslav province, Russia. His father was a Russian Army officer, his mother, Alexandra Zakrevska, was from Warsaw and belonged to Polish Gentry. Young Nekrasov grew up on ancestral estate, Greshnevo, near the Volga River, where he witnessed the hard labor of the Volga boatmen. He was abused by his tyrannical father, who's drunken rages against his serfs and his wife, caused traumatic experience and later affected Nekrasov's writing. Thanks to his mother's love and support, young Nekrasov managed to survive through the traumatic experiences of his childhood and youth. He admired his mother and expressed his love and empathy to all women through his poetry. He studied at the St. Petersburg University, when his father abruptly cut his support. At that time Nekrasov had to live in a shelter for homeless.

His first book of poetry was met with harsh criticism from V. G. Belinsky. Nekrasov was devastated and depressed, he removed all the copies of his failed book from booksellers. He joined the staff of "Otechestvennye Zapiski" (Notes of Fatherland), where his former critic V. G. Belinsky was the principal literary expert. They soon became friends and Nekrasov was promoted to an editing position. He edited the first novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky "Poor Folk" (1845). In 1846 Nekrasov acquired the "Sovremennik" (The Contemporary) magazine, which was originally founded by Alexander Pushkin. From 1846-1866 he was the publisher of "Sovremennik" and made it one the most reputable magazines of the 19th century Russia. In it Nekrasov published his own novels and poems, as well as the works of Ivan Turgenev, Lev Tolstoy, and other Russian writers. In 1866 "Sovremennik" was shut down by the Tsar's government in connection with the political prosecution of its editor Nikolai Chernyshevsky. After that Nekrasov became an independent writer and entered the most productive period in his life.

Nikolai A. Nekrasov's best poems, such as "Russian Women" (1871-72), "Who's Happy in Russia" (1873-76), and "Last Songs" (1877), stand out among the 19th century Russian poetry. Nekrasov was praised by Fyodor Dostoevsky, who compared him to Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin. In his later years Nekrasov suffered from chronic bronchitis and its complications; he had to travel to Italy and Arfica for convalescence, but never completely recovered. He died of complications after an unsuccessful cancer surgery on January 8, 1878, in St. Petersburg, and was laid to rest in the Novodevichy Convent Cemetery in St. Petersburg. Nekrasov's home in St. Petersburg, Russia, an important literary club of his time, is now a National Literary Museum.

Born into a celebrated family of Spanish performers, Pauline Garcia Viardot was initially lost in the shadow of her beautiful and talented sister, Maria. But Maria's sudden death forced the 15-year-old Pauline into the limelight, with astonishing results. She was hailed as a opera singer par excellence, as well as a composer of no small talent. She studied alongside Franz Liszt and was taught Russian by the poet Ivan Turgenev -- Turgenev fell completely under her spell and remained devoted to her all his life. She married author and director Louis Viardot in 1840, and had four children (some or all of which may have been Turgenev's). Her career flourished in the 1840s, and in 1843 her good friend George Sand wrote her into her novel "Consuelo" as its heroine. In 1863 Pauline Viardot retired from the stage, and devoted herself to nursing both her husband and Turgenev, who both died in 1883. She died peacefully in 1910 and was buried at Cimetière de Montmartre.

Cyprian Kamil Norwid, a.k.a. Cyprian Konstanty Norwid (24 September 1821 - 23 May 1883), was a nationally esteemed Polish poet, dramatist, painter, and sculptor. He was born in the Masovian village of Laskowo-Gluchy near Warsaw. One of his maternal ancestors was the Polish King John III Sobieski. Norwid is regarded as one of the second generation of romantics. He wrote many well-known poems including Fortepian Szopena ("Chopin's Piano"), Moja piosnka ("My Song") and Bema pamieci zalobny-rapsod (A Funeral Rhapsody in Memory of General Bem). Norwid led a tragic and often poverty-stricken life (once he had to live in a cemetery crypt). He experienced increasing health problems, unrequited love, harsh critical reviews, and increasing social isolation. He lived abroad most of his life, especially in London and, in Paris where he died. Norwid's original and non-conformist style was not appreciated in his lifetime and partially due to this fact, he was excluded from high society. His work was only rediscovered and appreciated by the Young Poland art movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He is now considered one of the four most important Polish Romantic poets. Other literary historians, however, consider this an oversimplification, and regard his style to be more characteristic of classicism and parnassianism.

Alexander Afanasyev was born on 12 July 1821 in Boguchar, Voronezh Governorate, Russian Empire [now Voronezh Oblast, Russia]. Alexander was a writer, known for Emelya-durak (1992). Alexander died on 23 October 1871 in Moscow, Russian Empire [now Russia].

Emilio Arrieta was born on 21 October 1821 in Puente la Reina, Spain. He was a composer, known for Teatro Apolo (1950), Espérame en el cielo (1988) and Banda sonora (2007). He died on 11 February 1894 in Madrid, Spain.

Charles Gabet was born on 16 May 1821 in Paris, France. Charles was a writer, known for A cornevillei harangok (1922) and Musical TV Theater (1970). Charles died on 15 January 1903.

Jens Andreas Friis was born on 2 May 1821 in Sogndal, Norway. Jens Andreas was a writer, known for Laila (1929), Laila (1937) and Make Way for Lila (1958). Jens Andreas died on 16 February 1896 in Kristiania, Norway.

Ritter von Mosenthal was born on 14 January 1821 in Kassel, Germany. He was a writer, known for Leah the Forsaken (1908), Leah, the Forsaken (1912) and Nicolai: The Merry Wives of Windsor (2015). He was married to Lina von Weil. He died on 17 February 1877 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.

Christian Molbech was born on 20 July 1821 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Christian was a writer, known for Âme d'artiste (1924). Christian died on 20 May 1888 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Mrs. Linnaeus Banks was born on 25 March 1821 in Manchester, England, UK. Mrs. Linnaeus was a writer, known for The Manchester Man (1920). Mrs. Linnaeus was married to George Linnaeus Banks. Mrs. Linnaeus died on 4 May 1897 in London, England, UK.

Johanne Louise Heiberg was born on 22 November 1821 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Johanne Louise was a writer, known for En søndag på Amager (1941), Thorkild Roose (1949) and En søndag på Amager (1962). Johanne Louise died on 21 December 1890 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Karel Havlícek Borovský was born on 31 October 1821 in Havlickova Borová, Bohemia, Austrian Empire [now Czech Republic]. He was a writer, known for King Lavra (1950). He was married to Julie. He died on 29 July 1856 in Prague, Bohemia, Austrian Empire [now Czech Republic].