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Franz Liszt, the virtuoso pianist and composer, was the most famous concert superstar of the 19th century. He was born in what was then the Austrian Empire. His father was Hungarian and his mother was Austrian. At age 6 he took music lessons from his father, Adam Liszt, who worked at the Court of Count Esterhazy, the main sponsor of Liszt's education and career. Liszt continued his music studies in Vienna under Carl Czerny and Antonio Salieri.

In 1823, at the young age of 12, Liszt moved with his parents to Paris. There he enjoyed an early friendship with Frédéric Chopin, but later they became rivals. At that time young Liszt began his career of a travelling virtuoso. He was adulated all-over Europe, from Ireland to Russia. His concert performances included his own compositions, regarded by many as the most difficult piano music ever written. His elegant, worldly manners in combination with diabolic cynicism and his impressive stage presence and supernatural virtuosity gave cause for rumors, that he must have made a deal with the Devil. His "Mephisto Waltz" depicts the Devil playing a Paganini-style violin on the piano.

Franz Liszt became a friend of many important cultural figures of his time. He attended the Paris premiere of the "Symphonie Fantastique" by Hector Berlioz and the two composers became good friends. Liszt shared mutual respect with Mikhail Glinka. He also admired Aleksandr Borodin and promoted his first symphony for performances in Western Europe. Liszt was a friend of Richard Wagner, who was Liszt's son-in-law, until their differences led to cooler relationship in their later years. Liszt's influence on his fellow musicians was legendary. He made superb piano transcriptions of symphonies, operas and large orchestral works of other composers, such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Wagner. Operas and symphonies in Liszt's transcriptions became valuable repertoire of many pianists.

Liszt lived and travelled with the married Countess Marie D'Agoult for 12 years and they had three children. In 1847, in Russia, Liszt met the beautiful and wealthy Princess Carolyne Wittgenstein, who soon left her husband for Liszt. In 1848 he became the Director of Music at the Court of Weimar. There, living with Carolyne in her mansion, he composed and revised his most important music, including the "Dream of Love", dedicated to Carolyne. The Church did not allow Liszt to marry Carolyne and also did not allow Carolyne to divorce Wittgenstein, with whom she had a daughter. In 1861 Liszt settled in Rome where Carolyne bought a home and they tried to marry again, but the Church did not terminate Carolyne's marriage until her husband died in 1864. She then changed her mind and lived with unmarried Liszt, who was stuck in this painful situation until the end of his life. Under her influence, he became a religious man and in 1865 Pope admitted Liszt into Holy Orders and commissioned the church music. Since 1870s Liszt taught at the Budapest Conservatory and also participated with Wagner in several concert events in Bayreith. He spent his last years between Rome, Weimar, Budapest and Bayreuth, where he died in 1886.

William Makepeace Thackeray (18 July 1811 - 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of British society, and the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, which was adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was born into a prominent, religious, Calvinist family in Litchfield, Connecticut on 14 June 1811. She married a seminary professor, Calvin Ellis Stowe, and had seven children, several of whom died during childhood. 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', her first novel, was published in 1852 and provoked, to Mrs. Stowe's satisfaction, an intense and undeniable reaction -- at home and abroad -- against American slavery. She wrote many more novels, none of them as famous or important as her first, the best-selling novel of the nineteenth century. She eventually rejected strenuously the Calvinist teachings of her youth, replacing them with a more merciful and forgiving religious philosophy.

Karel Jaromír Erben was a Czech folklorist and poet of the mid-19th century, best known for his collection Kytice (Czech: Bouquet), which contains poems based on traditional and folkloric themes. He also wrote Písne národní v Cechách (Folk Songs of Bohemia) which contains 500 songs and Prostonárodní ceské písne a ríkadla (Czech Folk Songs and Nursery Rhymes), a five-part book that brings together most of Czech folklore.

Théophile Gautier was born on 31 August 1811 in Tarbes, France. He was a writer, known for Madamigella di Maupin (1966), Avatar (1916) and Le capitaine Fracasse (1961). He was married to Ernesta Grisi. He died on 23 October 1872 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Domingo F. Sarmiento was born on 15 February 1811 in San Juan, Argentina. He was a writer, known for Su mejor alumno (1944). He died on 11 September 1888 in Asunción, Paraguay.

Richard Dybeck was born on 1 September 1811 in Västmanland, Sweden.

József Gaál was born on 12 December 1811 in Nagykároly, Hungary. He was a writer, known for A peleskei nótárius (1916) and A peleskei nótárius (1975). He died on 28 February 1866 in Pest, Hungary.

Ambroise Thomas was born on 5 August 1811 in Metz, France. He is known for Hitting a New High (1937), Supai Zoruge (2003) and Hamlet (1921). He died on 12 February 1896 in Paris, France.

August Blanche was born on 17 September 1811 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was a writer, known for Kalle Utter (1925), The Springtime of Life (1912) and Kärlek på turné (1955). He died on 30 November 1868 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.

Édouard René Lefebvre de Laboulaye was born on 18 January 1811 in Paris, France. Édouard René Lefebvre was a writer, known for The Princess and the Magic Mirror (2014), Cudák Zerbino (1982) and Stories from My Childhood (1998). Édouard René Lefebvre died on 25 May 1883 in Paris, France.

H.P. Holst was born on 23 November 1811 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a writer, known for Den lille hornblæser (1909). He died on 2 June 1893 in Denmark.

Karl Gutzkow was born on 17 March 1811 in Berlin, Germany. He was a writer, known for Zopf und Schwert - Eine tolle Prinzessin (1926), Uriel Acosta (1920) and Die preußische Heirat (1974). He was married to Bertha Meidinger and Amalie Klönne. He died on 16 December 1878 in Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.

Elisha Otis was born on 3 August 1811 in Halifax, Vermont, U.S.A. He died on 8 April 1861 in Yonkers, New York, USA.

Roderich Benedix was born on 21 January 1811 in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony [now Germany]. He was a writer, known for The Troublemaker (1933) and NBC Television Opera Theatre (1949). He was married to Leontine Paulmann and Maria Ludovica von Sommers. He died on 26 September 1873 in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony [now Saxony, Germany].

Sakuma Shozan was born on 22 March 1811 in Shinano Province, Japan.

Jules Sandeau was born on 19 February 1811 in Aubusson, Creuse, France. He was a writer, known for La roche aux mouettes (1933), Le gendre de Monsieur Poirier (1933) and Mademoiselle de La Seiglière (1921). He died on 24 April 1883 in Paris, France.

Adolphe d'Ennery was born on 17 June 1811 in Paris, France. He was a writer, known for The Adventurer (1920), Orphans of the Storm (1921) and Le sette spade del vendicatore (1962). He was married to Josephine-Clémence Lecarpentier. He died on 25 January 1899 in Paris, France.

Eugène Cormon was born on 5 May 1811 in Lyon, France. He was a writer, known for Match Point (2005), Orphans of the Storm (1921) and A Celebrated Case (1914). He died in March 1903 in Paris, France.