Origins & Early Life

Brigham Young ( BRIG-əm; June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877. He also served as the first governor of the Utah Territory from 1851 until his resignation in 1858. Young was born in 1801 in Whitingham, Vermont, and raised in Upstate New York.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

After working as a painter and carpenter, he became a full-time LDS Church leader in 1835. Following a short period of service as a missionary, he moved to Missouri in 1838. Later that year, Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs signed the Mormon Extermination Order, and Young organized the migration of the Latter Day Saints from Missouri to Illinois, where he became an inaugural member of the Council of Fifty. In 1844, while he was traveling to gain support for Joseph Smith's presidential campaign, Smith was killed by a mob, igniting the Illinois Mormon War and triggering a succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement. After negotiating a ceasefire, Young was unanimously elected as the church's second president in 1847.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

During the Mormon exodus, Young led his followers west from...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Antoine de Rivarol — Contemporary (Died in 1801) (1801): French royalist writer and translator active during the tumultuous Revolutionary era.
• David Farragut — Contemporary (Born in 1801) (1801): Pioneering US Navy Admiral, famed for Mobile Bay's 'Damn the torpedoes' order.
• Domenico Cimarosa — Contemporary (Died in 1801) (1801): Master of the Neapolitan School, renowned for his comic operas.
• Adolphe Thiers — Contemporary (Died in 1877) (1877): Influential French statesman, historian, and President of the Third Republic.
• Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt — Contemporary (Born in 1877) (1877): American sportsman and businessman, known for his involvement in pioneering endeavors.
• Charles Barkla — Contemporary (Born in 1877) (1877): Pioneering physicist known for the discovery of characteristic X-rays.
• Alanis Morissette — Shared historical date (06-01 · Born) (1974): Iconic singer-songwriter known for raw emotion and confessional alt-rock anthems.
• Brandi Carlile — Shared historical date (06-01 · Born) (1981): Acclaimed American singer-songwriter known for folk rock and Americana artistry.
• Alfred Peet — Shared historical date (08-29 · Died) (2007): Dutch-American founder credited with starting the US specialty coffee revolution.
• Éamon de Valera — Shared historical date (08-29 · Died) (1975): Dominant Irish statesman, leading figure in the establishment of modern Irish governance.
• 1801 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1801
• June 1 (06-01) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 1
• 1877 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1877
• August 29 (08-29) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on August 29