Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

José Echegaray

Role / Field:

Spanish polymath: engineer, mathematician, politician, and Nobel laureate dramatist.

Born:

1832-04-19

Died:

1916-09-14

Century / Era:

1832s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

José Echegaray y Eizaguirre (Spanish: [xoˈse etʃeɣaˈɾaj]; 19 April 1832 – 14 September 1916) was a Spanish civil engineer, mathematician, politician, and one of the leading dramatists of the last quarter of the 19th century. He was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature "in recognition of the numerous and brilliant compositions which, in an individual and original manner, have revived the great traditions of the Spanish drama." He was born in Madrid on 19 April 1832. His father, a doctor and institute professor of Greek, was from Aragon and his mother was from Navarra. He spent his childhood in Murcia, where he finished his elementary school education.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

It was there, at the Murcia Institute, where he first gained his love for mathematics. While still a child he read Goethe, Homer, and Balzac, readings that alternated with those of mathematicians like Gauss, Legendre, and Lagrange. In order to earn enough money to attend the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (Engineering School of Roads, Channels and Ports), he moved at the age of fourteen to Madrid. At the age of twenty, he left the Madrid School with a Civil Engineering...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Charles Boycott — Contemporary (Born in 1832) (1832): English land agent whose ostracism in Ireland gave the English word 'boycott'.
• Adriana Caselotti — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): American actress and singer, famed for voicing Snow White in the first Disney feature.
• Alexander Prokhorov — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): Soviet physicist known for fundamental work on optics, leading to the laser and maser.
• Arno Peters — Contemporary (Born in 1916) (1916): German historian known for developing the Peters world map projection.
• Alexis Korner — Shared historical date (04-19 · Born) (1928): Founding father of British blues, influential musician and radio broadcaster.
• Anthony van Diemen — Shared historical date (04-19 · Died) (1645): Dutch colonial governor whose career spanned the East Indies and marked early Australian encounters.
• Aaron Burr — Shared historical date (09-14 · Died) (1836): American politician, lawyer, and statesman known for his role in the Jeffersonian era.
• Alexander von Humboldt — Shared historical date (09-14 · Born) (1769): German polymath, geographer, and naturalist who pioneered biogeography and modern science.
• 1832 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1832
• April 19 (04-19) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 19
• 1916 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1916
• September 14 (09-14) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 14

Frequently Asked Questions about José Echegaray