Hans Christian Andersen died on 4 August 1875 in Rolighed, aged 70. A Danish author, Andersen was born in Odense to a poor family and moved to Copenhagen as a teenager to seek a career in the theatre. He wrote novels, plays, poems and travel books, but he is remembered above all for his fairy tales, which he began to publish in 1835. They include The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Little Match Girl, many of them original stories with a mix of humour, sadness and moral insight. His tales have been translated into more than a hundred languages. International Children's Book Day is held on his birthday.
Before and after
- 20 May 1875Founding of International Bureau of Weights and Measures
- 6 June 1875Birth of Thomas Mann
- 26 July 1875Birth of Carl Jung
- 31 July 1875Death of Andrew Johnson
- 4 August 1875Death of Hans Christian Andersen
- 1 September 1875Birth of Edgar Rice Burroughs
- 20 September 1875Ganghwa Island incident
- 31 October 1875Birth of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- 4 December 1875Birth of Rainer Maria Rilke
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1792Publication of La Marseillaise
- 7 May 1824Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premieres
- 26 November 1865Publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- 1871The Internationale
- 19 March 1882Construction of Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family
- from 1886 to 1905Rise of Post-impressionism
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.