Historical figures in Toronto
The atlas holds 23 people and 28 moments here, from 1842 to 2016. The most recorded lives are Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. Among them Writers, Performers and Educators, across the Space Age and the Cold War.
Notable people
Alice Munro
from 1973 to 2009
2 moments here
Canadian short-story writer and 2013 Nobel laureate. Born in Wingham, Ontario, Munro studied in London, Ontario; lived in British Columbia during her…
Amelia Earhart
in 1917
1 moment here
American aviator and author. Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas, became a leading aviation pioneer, crossed the Atlantic as a passenger in 1928,…
Anthony Quinn
in 2001
1 moment here
Mexican-American actor, painter, sculptor, writer, and civil-rights supporter Anthony Quinn (Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca) worked in film,…
Bingu wa Mutharika
in 2010
1 moment here
Malawian economist and politician who served as Malawi's third president from 2004 until his death in office in 2012.…
Charles Dickens
in 1842
1 moment here
English novelist, journalist, editor, social reformer, actor and celebrated public reader. This chronology traces documented residences, workplaces,…
C. V. Raman
in 1924
1 moment here
Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (1888–1970), known for research on light scattering and for the Raman effect.…
Diego Maradona
in 1996
1 moment here
Argentine football player and manager Diego Armando Maradona (1960–2020) was a central figure in world football.…
Doris Lessing
in 1985
1 moment here
British novelist Doris May Lessing was born in Kermanshah, Iran, grew up in Southern Rhodesia, and moved to London in 1949.…
Edmund Barton
in 1902
1 moment here
Australian barrister, federation leader, first prime minister of Australia (1901–1903), and founding justice of the High Court of Australia.…
Ernest Hemingway
from 1919 to 1923
2 moments here
American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. Hemingway’s documented movements ranged from Illinois and Michigan to Italy in World War I,…
Igor Stravinsky
in 1967
1 moment here
Russian-born composer, conductor, and pianist who became a French citizen in 1934 and an American citizen in 1945.…
John Lennon
in 1969
1 moment here
English musician, songwriter, artist and peace activist; co-founder of the Beatles. This chronology records documented physical presence at…
Lata Mangeshkar
in 1985
1 moment here
Indian playback singer and occasional composer whose career spanned eight decades. Born in Indore, she moved to Mumbai in 1945 and became a central…
Mark Twain
from 1884 to 1885
2 moments here
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known as Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, journalist, lecturer, riverboat pilot, and traveler.…
Maryam Mirzakhani
in 1995
1 moment here
Iranian mathematician whose work transformed the study of hyperbolic surfaces, moduli spaces, and dynamics.…
Muhammad Ali
in 1966
1 moment here
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.) was an American boxer, activist, humanitarian, and global cultural figure.…
Nadine Gordimer
in 2006
1 moment here
South African novelist, short-story writer, and anti-apartheid activist whose work examined apartheid, race, power, and moral responsibility.…
Olivia Hussey
in 1974
1 moment here
British actress born in Argentina, best known for playing Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet.…
Pedro II of Brazil
in 1876
1 moment here
Pedro II (1825–1891) was the second and final emperor of Brazil, reigning from 1831 until the 1889 coup that abolished the monarchy.…
Prince
from 1984 to 2016
2 moments here
Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer, songwriter, musician, producer, actor, and filmmaker associated with the Minneapolis sound.…
Ronald Reagan
in 1988
1 moment here
American broadcaster, actor, labor leader, governor of California, and 40th president of the United States.…
Sridevi
in 2012
1 moment here
Indian actress Sridevi (Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan) worked in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema from childhood through 2018.…
William Faulkner
in 1918
2 moments here
American novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and Nobel laureate whose work was closely associated with Oxford and north Mississippi.…
Moments
- 1842 Arrives in Toronto Charles Dickens
- 1876 Travel to Toronto Pedro II of Brazil
- 1884 Reading-tour appearance in Toronto Mark Twain
- 1885 Second Toronto reading-tour visit Mark Twain
- 1902 Return journey visit to Toronto Edmund Barton
- 1917 Toronto nursing service Amelia Earhart
- 1918 Royal Air Force recruit-depot training William Faulkner
- 1918 Royal Air Force enlistment William Faulkner
- 1919 Toronto Star work Ernest Hemingway
- 1923 Return to Toronto for son's birth Ernest Hemingway
- 1924 British Association meeting in Toronto C. V. Raman
- 1966 Chuvalo title defense Muhammad Ali
- 1967 Final public conducting appearance Igor Stravinsky
- 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival John Lennon
- 1973 Creative-writing teaching at York University Alice Munro
- 1974 Filming Black Christmas in Toronto Olivia Hussey
- 1984 Purple Rain Tour performance Prince
- 1985 Massey Lectures in Toronto Doris Lessing
- 1985 United Way benefit concert Lata Mangeshkar
- 1988 Attends Toronto economic summit Ronald Reagan
- 1995 International Mathematical Olympiad perfect score Maryam Mirzakhani
- 1996 Toronto Italia friendly Diego Maradona
- 2001 Final film work in Toronto Anthony Quinn
- 2006 Lecturer at Massey College Nadine Gordimer
- 2009 International Festival of Authors opening Alice Munro
- 2010 G20 summit appearance Bingu wa Mutharika
- 2012 English Vinglish world premiere Sridevi
- 2016 Toronto Piano & a Microphone shows Prince