Fyodor Dostoyevsky was born on 30 October 1821 in Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor. A Russian novelist, Dostoyevsky began his career with the novel Poor Folk and in 1849 was arrested for taking part in a circle of young intellectuals, sentenced to death and reprieved at the last moment before the firing squad. He spent four years in a Siberian prison camp and then served in the army. His later novels, including Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons and The Brothers Karamazov, explore guilt, faith, freedom and the psychology of extreme characters. He struggled with epilepsy, debt and gambling. His work influenced existentialism, psychology and twentieth-century literature.
Before and after
- 9 April 1821Birth of Charles Baudelaire
- 5 May 1821Founding of The Guardian
- 5 May 1821Death of Napoleon
- 12 August 1821Founding of University of Buenos Aires
- 30 October 1821Birth of Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- 12 December 1821Birth of Gustave Flaubert
- 1822Chios massacre
- 1822Invention of difference engine
- from 18 February 1822 to 8 March 1824Brazilian War of Independence
More in Art, literature & culture
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- 17 November 1869Construction of Suez Canal
- 1871The Internationale
- from 1886 to 1905Rise of Post-impressionism
- 31 March 1889Construction of Eiffel Tower
- from 6 April 1896 to 15 April 18961896 Summer Olympics
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.