BUSINESSPERSON
Madam C. J. Walker
1867 - 1919
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Madam C. J. Walker
Madam C. J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. Walker is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records. Multiple sources mention that although other women (like Mary Ellen Pleasant) might have been the first, their wealth is not as well-documented. Walker made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for Black women through the business she founded, Madam C. J. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Madam C. J. Walker has received more than 11,592,215 page views. Her biography is available in 37 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 34 in 2019). Madam C. J. Walker is the 120th most popular businessperson (down from 93rd in 2019), the 1,337th most popular biography from United States (down from 1,000th in 2019) and the 41st most popular American Businessperson.
Madam C. J. Walker was an African-American entrepreneur who was the first female self-made millionaire in America. She became famous for inventing and marketing a hair care line for black women.
Memorability Metrics
12M
Page Views (PV)
66.27
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
37
Languages Editions (L)
3.24
Effective Languages (L*)
4.28
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among BUSINESSPEOPLE
Among businesspeople, Madam C. J. Walker ranks 120 out of 847. Before her are Chung Ju-yung, Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, William Randolph Hearst, Iwasaki Yatarō, César Ritz, and William Boeing. After her are Ivana Trump, Uli Hoeneß, François Pinault, James Mayer de Rothschild, Hiroshi Yamauchi, and Colonel Tom Parker.
Most Popular Businesspeople in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsChung Ju-yung
1915 - 2001
HPI: 66.47
Rank: 114
Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden
1908 - 1967
HPI: 66.40
Rank: 115
William Randolph Hearst
1863 - 1951
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 116
Iwasaki Yatarō
1835 - 1885
HPI: 66.36
Rank: 117
César Ritz
1850 - 1918
HPI: 66.36
Rank: 118
William Boeing
1881 - 1956
HPI: 66.30
Rank: 119
Madam C. J. Walker
1867 - 1919
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 120
Ivana Trump
1949 - 2022
HPI: 66.24
Rank: 121
Uli Hoeneß
1952 - Present
HPI: 66.23
Rank: 122
François Pinault
1936 - Present
HPI: 66.19
Rank: 123
James Mayer de Rothschild
1792 - 1868
HPI: 66.14
Rank: 124
Hiroshi Yamauchi
1927 - 2013
HPI: 66.01
Rank: 125
Colonel Tom Parker
1909 - 1997
HPI: 65.99
Rank: 126
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1867, Madam C. J. Walker ranks 39. Before her are Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony, Percy Fawcett, Kurt Eisner, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Edward B. Titchener, and Wilhelm Groener. After her are Henry L. Stimson, Antti Aarne, Charles Koechlin, Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Albert, 8th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, and Winsor McCay. Among people deceased in 1919, Madam C. J. Walker ranks 30. Before her are Johannes Rydberg, Terauchi Masatake, Leonid Andreyev, Habibullah Khan, Prince John of the United Kingdom, and Guido von List. After her are Loránd Eötvös, Henry Gantt, Sophia Tolstaya, Franz Mehring, Georg von Hertling, and Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans.
Others Born in 1867
Go to all RankingsPrincess Maria Josepha of Saxony
POLITICIAN
1867 - 1944
HPI: 67.39
Rank: 33
Percy Fawcett
WRITER
1867 - 1925
HPI: 67.39
Rank: 34
Kurt Eisner
WRITER
1867 - 1919
HPI: 67.26
Rank: 35
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez
WRITER
1867 - 1928
HPI: 66.96
Rank: 36
Edward B. Titchener
PSYCHOLOGIST
1867 - 1927
HPI: 66.33
Rank: 37
Wilhelm Groener
POLITICIAN
1867 - 1939
HPI: 66.30
Rank: 38
Madam C. J. Walker
BUSINESSPERSON
1867 - 1919
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 39
Henry L. Stimson
POLITICIAN
1867 - 1950
HPI: 65.25
Rank: 40
Antti Aarne
POLITICIAN
1867 - 1925
HPI: 65.01
Rank: 41
Charles Koechlin
COMPOSER
1867 - 1950
HPI: 64.50
Rank: 42
Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
POLITICIAN
1867 - 1909
HPI: 64.28
Rank: 43
Albert, 8th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
NOBLEMAN
1867 - 1952
HPI: 64.23
Rank: 44
Winsor McCay
COMIC ARTIST
1867 - 1934
HPI: 64.02
Rank: 45
Others Deceased in 1919
Go to all RankingsJohannes Rydberg
PHYSICIST
1854 - 1919
HPI: 67.12
Rank: 24
Terauchi Masatake
POLITICIAN
1852 - 1919
HPI: 66.89
Rank: 25
Leonid Andreyev
WRITER
1871 - 1919
HPI: 66.43
Rank: 26
Habibullah Khan
POLITICIAN
1872 - 1919
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 27
Prince John of the United Kingdom
NOBLEMAN
1905 - 1919
HPI: 66.37
Rank: 28
Guido von List
OCCULTIST
1848 - 1919
HPI: 66.33
Rank: 29
Madam C. J. Walker
BUSINESSPERSON
1867 - 1919
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 30
Loránd Eötvös
ENGINEER
1848 - 1919
HPI: 66.09
Rank: 31
Henry Gantt
ENGINEER
1861 - 1919
HPI: 66.06
Rank: 32
Sophia Tolstaya
WRITER
1844 - 1919
HPI: 66.03
Rank: 33
Franz Mehring
POLITICIAN
1846 - 1919
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 34
Georg von Hertling
POLITICIAN
1843 - 1919
HPI: 65.81
Rank: 35
Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans
POLITICIAN
1848 - 1919
HPI: 65.78
Rank: 36
In United States
Among people born in United States, Madam C. J. Walker ranks 1,337 out of 20,380. Before her are Lee de Forest (1873), Jean Tatlock (1914), Raoul Walsh (1887), Eric Roberts (1956), John Updike (1932), and Fredric Brown (1906). After her are Britney Spears (1981), Adam West (1928), Richard Farnsworth (1920), Richard Donner (1930), John Foster Dulles (1888), and Ben Gazzara (1930).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsLee de Forest
INVENTOR
1873 - 1961
HPI: 66.30
Rank: 1,331
Jean Tatlock
PSYCHOLOGIST
1914 - 1944
HPI: 66.29
Rank: 1,332
Raoul Walsh
FILM DIRECTOR
1887 - 1980
HPI: 66.29
Rank: 1,333
Eric Roberts
ACTOR
1956 - Present
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 1,334
John Updike
WRITER
1932 - 2009
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 1,335
Fredric Brown
WRITER
1906 - 1972
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 1,336
Madam C. J. Walker
BUSINESSPERSON
1867 - 1919
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 1,337
Britney Spears
SINGER
1981 - Present
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 1,338
Adam West
ACTOR
1928 - 2017
HPI: 66.26
Rank: 1,339
Richard Farnsworth
ACTOR
1920 - 2000
HPI: 66.26
Rank: 1,340
Richard Donner
FILM DIRECTOR
1930 - 2021
HPI: 66.26
Rank: 1,341
John Foster Dulles
POLITICIAN
1888 - 1959
HPI: 66.25
Rank: 1,342
Ben Gazzara
ACTOR
1930 - 2012
HPI: 66.25
Rank: 1,343
Among BUSINESSPEOPLE In United States
Among businesspeople born in United States, Madam C. J. Walker ranks 41. Before her are Solomon R. Guggenheim (1861), Ethan Allen (1738), Fred Trump (1905), Christina Onassis (1950), William Randolph Hearst (1863), and William Boeing (1881). After her are Sam Walton (1918), Margaret Hamilton (1936), Larry Flynt (1942), Phil Knight (1938), Asa Griggs Candler (1851), and John D. Rockefeller Jr. (1874).
Solomon R. Guggenheim
1861 - 1949
HPI: 66.93
Rank: 35
Ethan Allen
1738 - 1789
HPI: 66.86
Rank: 36
Fred Trump
1905 - 1999
HPI: 66.86
Rank: 37
Christina Onassis
1950 - 1988
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 38
William Randolph Hearst
1863 - 1951
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 39
William Boeing
1881 - 1956
HPI: 66.30
Rank: 40
Madam C. J. Walker
1867 - 1919
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 41
Sam Walton
1918 - 1992
HPI: 65.84
Rank: 42
Margaret Hamilton
1936 - Present
HPI: 65.67
Rank: 43
Larry Flynt
1942 - 2021
HPI: 65.66
Rank: 44
Phil Knight
1938 - Present
HPI: 65.50
Rank: 45
Asa Griggs Candler
1851 - 1929
HPI: 65.27
Rank: 46
John D. Rockefeller Jr.
1874 - 1960
HPI: 65.18
Rank: 47