RELIGIOUS FIGURE
Father Damien
1840 - 1889
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai or Saint Damien De Veuster (Dutch: Pater Damiaan or Heilige Damiaan van Molokai; 3 January 1840 – 15 April 1889), born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious institute. He was recognized for his ministry, which he led from 1873 until his death in 1889, in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi to people with leprosy (Hansen's disease), who lived in government-mandated medical quarantine in a settlement on the Kalaupapa Peninsula of Molokaʻi. During this time, he taught the Catholic faith to the people of Hawaii. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Father Damien has received more than 1,622,081 page views. His biography is available in 44 different languages on Wikipedia. Father Damien is the 637th most popular religious figure (down from 517th in 2019), the 80th most popular biography from Belgium (down from 66th in 2019) and the most popular Belgian Religious Figure.
Father Damien is most famous for his work with lepers on the island of Molokai.
Memorability Metrics
1.6M
Page Views (PV)
65.19
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
44
Languages Editions (L)
6.25
Effective Languages (L*)
3.38
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES
Among religious figures, Father Damien ranks 637 out of 3,187. Before him are Pope Felix IV, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Charles Taze Russell, John Knox, Peter Waldo, and Jael. After him are Catherine Labouré, Obadiah, Nicodemus, Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, Clotilde, and Pope Anastasius II.
Most Popular Religious Figures in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsPope Felix IV
480 - 530
HPI: 65.34
Rank: 631
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
1486 - 1534
HPI: 65.30
Rank: 632
Charles Taze Russell
1852 - 1916
HPI: 65.28
Rank: 633
John Knox
1514 - 1572
HPI: 65.25
Rank: 634
Peter Waldo
1140 - 1205
HPI: 65.23
Rank: 635
Jael
HPI: 65.19
Rank: 636
Father Damien
1840 - 1889
HPI: 65.19
Rank: 637
Catherine Labouré
1806 - 1876
HPI: 65.17
Rank: 638
Obadiah
587 BC - 500 BC
HPI: 65.15
Rank: 639
Nicodemus
50 BC - 100
HPI: 65.15
Rank: 640
Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
1651 - 1719
HPI: 65.15
Rank: 641
Clotilde
475 - 545
HPI: 65.14
Rank: 642
Pope Anastasius II
450 - 498
HPI: 65.12
Rank: 643
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1840, Father Damien ranks 16. Before him are Edward Drinker Cope, Carl Menger, Ernst Abbe, Carlota of Mexico, John Boyd Dunlop, and August Bebel. After him are Per Teodor Cleve, Thomas Hardy, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and Edward Whymper. Among people deceased in 1889, Father Damien ranks 11. Before him are Jefferson Davis, Michel Eugène Chevreul, Alexandre Cabanel, Luís I of Portugal, Mihai Eminescu, and Nikolay Chernyshevsky. After him are Wilkie Collins, Charles III, Prince of Monaco, Marie of Prussia, Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, and Wilhelm Tempel.
Others Born in 1840
Go to all RankingsEdward Drinker Cope
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1840 - 1897
HPI: 68.26
Rank: 10
Carl Menger
ECONOMIST
1840 - 1921
HPI: 67.93
Rank: 11
Ernst Abbe
PHYSICIST
1840 - 1905
HPI: 67.25
Rank: 12
Carlota of Mexico
COMPANION
1840 - 1927
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 13
John Boyd Dunlop
INVENTOR
1840 - 1921
HPI: 66.19
Rank: 14
August Bebel
POLITICIAN
1840 - 1913
HPI: 65.26
Rank: 15
Father Damien
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1840 - 1889
HPI: 65.19
Rank: 16
Per Teodor Cleve
CHEMIST
1840 - 1905
HPI: 64.81
Rank: 17
Thomas Hardy
WRITER
1840 - 1928
HPI: 63.34
Rank: 18
Richard von Krafft-Ebing
PHYSICIAN
1840 - 1902
HPI: 63.22
Rank: 19
Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein
POLITICIAN
1840 - 1929
HPI: 62.54
Rank: 20
Alfred Thayer Mahan
WRITER
1840 - 1914
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 21
Edward Whymper
MOUNTAINEER
1840 - 1911
HPI: 61.01
Rank: 22
Others Deceased in 1889
Go to all RankingsJefferson Davis
POLITICIAN
1808 - 1889
HPI: 68.54
Rank: 5
Michel Eugène Chevreul
CHEMIST
1786 - 1889
HPI: 65.90
Rank: 6
Alexandre Cabanel
PAINTER
1823 - 1889
HPI: 65.73
Rank: 7
Luís I of Portugal
POLITICIAN
1838 - 1889
HPI: 65.64
Rank: 8
Mihai Eminescu
WRITER
1850 - 1889
HPI: 65.33
Rank: 9
Nikolay Chernyshevsky
WRITER
1828 - 1889
HPI: 65.26
Rank: 10
Father Damien
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1840 - 1889
HPI: 65.19
Rank: 11
Wilkie Collins
WRITER
1824 - 1889
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 12
Charles III, Prince of Monaco
POLITICIAN
1818 - 1889
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 13
Marie of Prussia
POLITICIAN
1825 - 1889
HPI: 61.31
Rank: 14
Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
WRITER
1838 - 1889
HPI: 61.31
Rank: 15
Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies
COMPANION
1822 - 1889
HPI: 61.01
Rank: 16
Wilhelm Tempel
ASTRONOMER
1821 - 1889
HPI: 60.58
Rank: 17
In Belgium
Among people born in Belgium, Father Damien ranks 80 out of 1,190. Before him are Paul Delvaux (1897), Adrian Willaert (1490), Dominique Pire (1910), Émile Verhaeren (1855), Corneille Heymans (1892), and Henri Pirenne (1862). After him are Peyo (1928), Ernest Solvay (1838), Paul-Henri Spaak (1899), Jacky Ickx (1945), Étienne Lenoir (1822), and Ferdinand Verbiest (1623).
Others born in Belgium
Go to all RankingsPaul Delvaux
PAINTER
1897 - 1994
HPI: 65.69
Rank: 74
Adrian Willaert
COMPOSER
1490 - 1562
HPI: 65.54
Rank: 75
Dominique Pire
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1910 - 1969
HPI: 65.49
Rank: 76
Émile Verhaeren
WRITER
1855 - 1916
HPI: 65.37
Rank: 77
Corneille Heymans
PHYSICIAN
1892 - 1968
HPI: 65.32
Rank: 78
Henri Pirenne
HISTORIAN
1862 - 1935
HPI: 65.26
Rank: 79
Father Damien
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1840 - 1889
HPI: 65.19
Rank: 80
Peyo
COMIC ARTIST
1928 - 1992
HPI: 65.11
Rank: 81
Ernest Solvay
CHEMIST
1838 - 1922
HPI: 65.07
Rank: 82
Paul-Henri Spaak
POLITICIAN
1899 - 1972
HPI: 65.03
Rank: 83
Jacky Ickx
RACING DRIVER
1945 - Present
HPI: 65.01
Rank: 84
Étienne Lenoir
INVENTOR
1822 - 1900
HPI: 64.72
Rank: 85
Ferdinand Verbiest
ASTRONOMER
1623 - 1688
HPI: 64.64
Rank: 86
Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES In Belgium
Among religious figures born in Belgium, Father Damien ranks 1. After him are Gertrude of Nivelles (626), Bavo of Ghent (589), Gudula (646), Begga (615), Lutgardis (1182), Clemens August of Bavaria (1700), Adalard of Corbie (751), Juliana of Liège (1193), Rimbert (830), William of St-Thierry (1085), and Edward Schillebeeckx (1914).
Father Damien
1840 - 1889
HPI: 65.19
Rank: 1
Gertrude of Nivelles
626 - 659
HPI: 63.88
Rank: 2
Bavo of Ghent
589 - 654
HPI: 60.94
Rank: 3
Gudula
646 - Present
HPI: 60.33
Rank: 4
Begga
615 - 693
HPI: 57.88
Rank: 5
Lutgardis
1182 - 1246
HPI: 57.49
Rank: 6
Clemens August of Bavaria
1700 - 1761
HPI: 57.26
Rank: 7
Adalard of Corbie
751 - 827
HPI: 57.13
Rank: 8
Juliana of Liège
1193 - 1258
HPI: 56.93
Rank: 9
Rimbert
830 - 888
HPI: 56.59
Rank: 10
William of St-Thierry
1085 - 1148
HPI: 56.58
Rank: 11
Edward Schillebeeckx
1914 - 2009
HPI: 56.12
Rank: 12