1780 - 1838
Pieter Mauritz Retief (12 November 1780 – 6 February 1838) was a Voortrekker leader. Settling in 1814 in the frontier region of the Cape Colony, he later assumed command of punitive expeditions during the sixth Xhosa War. He became a spokesperson for the frontier farmers who voiced their discontent, and wrote the Voortrekkers' declaration at their departure from the colony.He was a leading figure during their Great Trek, and at one stage their elected governor. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Piet Retief has received more than 313,316 page views. His biography is available in 17 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 16 in 2019). Piet Retief is the 311th most popular explorer (up from 314th in 2019), the 73rd most popular biography from South Africa (up from 77th in 2019) and the most popular South African Explorer.
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Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
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Among explorers, Piet Retief ranks 311 out of 405. Before him are Karl Maximovich, Friedrich Welwitsch, Humphrey Gilbert, Kristian Prestrud, Louis Jolliet, and Friedrich Gerhard Rohlfs. After him are Isidore of Charax, Edward John Eyre, John C. Frémont, Charles Wilkes, Alexander Burnes, and Pyotr Kozlov.
1827 - 1891
HPI: 49.88
Rank: 305
1806 - 1872
HPI: 49.88
Rank: 306
1539 - 1583
HPI: 49.78
Rank: 307
1881 - 1927
HPI: 49.77
Rank: 308
1645 - 1700
HPI: 49.70
Rank: 309
1831 - 1896
HPI: 49.70
Rank: 310
1780 - 1838
HPI: 49.63
Rank: 311
50 BC - 100
HPI: 49.62
Rank: 312
1815 - 1901
HPI: 49.59
Rank: 313
1813 - 1890
HPI: 49.47
Rank: 314
1798 - 1877
HPI: 49.44
Rank: 315
1805 - 1841
HPI: 49.44
Rank: 316
1862 - 1935
HPI: 49.41
Rank: 317
Among people born in 1780, Piet Retief ranks 36. Before him are Élie, duc Decazes, Alexey Venetsianov, Fulgencio Yegros, Juana Azurduy de Padilla, August Leopold Crelle, and José Joaquín de Olmedo. After him are Elizabeth Fry, Karoline von Günderrode, Johann Friedrich Naumann, Michele Tenore, Johann Friedrich Adam, and Francisco Xavier de Luna Pizarro. Among people deceased in 1838, Piet Retief ranks 25. Before him are José Bonifácio de Andrada, Joseph Lancaster, William Clark, Osceola, Ferenc Kölcsey, and Kaspar Maria von Sternberg. After him are Maximilian von Montgelas, Jędrzej Śniadecki, Frédéric Cuvier, Ludwig Abeille, Ignaz von Rudhart, and Thomas Andrew Knight.
1780 - 1860
HPI: 51.55
Rank: 30
1780 - 1847
HPI: 51.44
Rank: 31
1780 - 1821
HPI: 50.86
Rank: 32
1780 - 1862
HPI: 50.58
Rank: 33
1780 - 1855
HPI: 49.90
Rank: 34
1780 - 1847
HPI: 49.69
Rank: 35
1780 - 1838
HPI: 49.63
Rank: 36
1780 - 1845
HPI: 49.58
Rank: 37
1780 - 1806
HPI: 49.18
Rank: 38
1780 - 1857
HPI: 48.30
Rank: 39
1780 - 1861
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 40
1780 - 1832
HPI: 47.59
Rank: 41
1780 - 1855
HPI: 47.56
Rank: 42
1763 - 1838
HPI: 52.37
Rank: 19
1778 - 1838
HPI: 52.33
Rank: 20
1770 - 1838
HPI: 51.69
Rank: 21
1804 - 1838
HPI: 50.96
Rank: 22
1790 - 1838
HPI: 50.71
Rank: 23
1761 - 1838
HPI: 50.21
Rank: 24
1780 - 1838
HPI: 49.63
Rank: 25
1759 - 1838
HPI: 49.27
Rank: 26
1768 - 1838
HPI: 49.23
Rank: 27
1773 - 1838
HPI: 48.86
Rank: 28
1761 - 1838
HPI: 47.56
Rank: 29
1790 - 1838
HPI: 47.43
Rank: 30
1759 - 1838
HPI: 45.46
Rank: 31
Among people born in South Africa, Piet Retief ranks 73 out of 374. Before him are Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (1819), J. G. Strijdom (1893), Laurence Oliphant (1829), Steve Nash (1974), Nico Diederichs (1903), and Ronald Harwood (1934). After him are Laurens van der Post (1906), Cecil Kellaway (1890), Evelyn Mase (1922), Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo (1868), Deon Meyer (1958), and Oliver Tambo (1917).
1819 - 1901
HPI: 50.24
Rank: 67
1893 - 1958
HPI: 50.18
Rank: 68
1829 - 1888
HPI: 50.14
Rank: 69
1974 - Present
HPI: 50.04
Rank: 70
1903 - 1978
HPI: 50.04
Rank: 71
1934 - 2020
HPI: 50.04
Rank: 72
1780 - 1838
HPI: 49.63
Rank: 73
1906 - 1996
HPI: 49.53
Rank: 74
1890 - 1973
HPI: 49.53
Rank: 75
1922 - 2004
HPI: 49.36
Rank: 76
1868 - 1913
HPI: 49.17
Rank: 77
1958 - Present
HPI: 48.90
Rank: 78
1917 - 1993
HPI: 48.77
Rank: 79
Among explorers born in South Africa, Piet Retief ranks 1.