Henry David Thoreau
1817–1862 · American · 19th Century
Known for: Lived in a cabin at Walden Pond, went to jail for civil disobedience, and inspired Gandhi and MLK—all while his mom did his laundry
Stubborn, principled, and deliberately contrary. He spent two years at Walden Pond to prove simple life was richer. He went to jail for refusing to pay a tax supporting slavery.
A meticulous naturalist and one of America's greatest prose stylists. His Civil Disobedience influenced Gandhi and King. He died of tuberculosis at 44.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.