ASTRONOMER

Ptolemy

100 - 170

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Claudius Ptolemy (; Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος, Ptolemaios; Latin: Claudius Ptolemaeus; c. 100 – c. 170 AD) was an Alexandrian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine, Islamic, and Western European science. The first was his astronomical treatise now known as the Almagest, originally entitled Mathematical Treatise (Greek: Μαθηματικὴ Σύνταξις, Mathēmatikḗ Syntaxis). The second is the Geography, which is a thorough discussion on maps and the geographic knowledge of the Greco-Roman world. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Ptolemy has received more than 6,104,347 page views. His biography is available in 117 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 115 in 2019). Ptolemy is the 5th most popular astronomer (down from 4th in 2019), the 6th most popular biography from Egypt (down from 4th in 2019) and the most popular Egyptian Astronomer.

Ptolemy is most famous for his geocentric model of the universe, which he proposed in his book, "Almagest." In this model, the earth is at the center of the universe and all other celestial bodies orbit around it.

Memorability Metrics

  • 6.1M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 87.51

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 117

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 15.35

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.99

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among ASTRONOMERS

Among astronomers, Ptolemy ranks 5 out of 644. Before him are Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and Giordano Bruno. After him are Anders Celsius, Tycho Brahe, William Herschel, Ulugh Beg, Ja'far al-Sadiq, Aristarchus of Samos, and Edwin Hubble.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 100, Ptolemy ranks 1. After him are Pope Alexander I, Joseph of Arimathea, Decebalus, Dionysius the Areopagite, Thecla, James the Less, Longinus, Saint Sarah, Pope Victor I, Pope Telesphorus, and Pope Hyginus. Among people deceased in 170, Ptolemy ranks 1. After him are Apuleius, Salvius Julianus, Junius Rusticus, and Alexander of Abonoteichus.

Others Born in 100

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Others Deceased in 170

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In Egypt

Among people born in Egypt, Ptolemy ranks 6 out of 642. Before him are Moses (-1393), Cleopatra (-69), Tutankhamun (-1341), Euclid (-350), and Nefertiti (-1400). After him are Yasser Arafat (1929), Akhenaten (-1400), Hypatia (350), Anthony the Great (251), Origen (185), and Joshua (-1355).

Others born in Egypt

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  • Photo of Moses

    Moses

    RELIGIOUS FIGURE

    1393 BC - 1273 BC

    HPI: 93.73

    Rank: 1

  • Photo of Cleopatra

    Cleopatra

    POLITICIAN

    69 BC - 30 BC

    HPI: 90.58

    Rank: 2

  • Photo of Tutankhamun

    Tutankhamun

    RELIGIOUS FIGURE

    1341 BC - 1323 BC

    HPI: 88.27

    Rank: 3

  • Photo of Euclid

    Euclid

    MATHEMATICIAN

    350 BC - 240 BC

    HPI: 88.24

    Rank: 4

  • Photo of Nefertiti

    Nefertiti

    COMPANION

    1400 BC - 1330 BC

    HPI: 87.79

    Rank: 5

  • Photo of Ptolemy

    Ptolemy

    ASTRONOMER

    100 - 170

    HPI: 87.51

    Rank: 6

  • Photo of Yasser Arafat

    Yasser Arafat

    POLITICIAN

    1929 - 2004

    HPI: 87.00

    Rank: 7

  • Photo of Akhenaten

    Akhenaten

    POLITICIAN

    1400 BC - 1336 BC

    HPI: 86.39

    Rank: 8

  • Photo of Hypatia

    Hypatia

    MATHEMATICIAN

    350 - 415

    HPI: 83.73

    Rank: 9

  • Photo of Anthony the Great

    Anthony the Great

    RELIGIOUS FIGURE

    251 - 356

    HPI: 83.25

    Rank: 10

  • Photo of Origen

    Origen

    PHILOSOPHER

    185 - 254

    HPI: 82.98

    Rank: 11

  • Photo of Joshua

    Joshua

    RELIGIOUS FIGURE

    1355 BC - 1245 BC

    HPI: 82.94

    Rank: 12

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Among ASTRONOMERS In Egypt

Among astronomers born in Egypt, Ptolemy ranks 1. After him are Sosigenes of Alexandria (-80), and Timocharis (-320).

Egyptian born Astronomers

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