Jean-François Champollion

Jean-François Champollion, also known as Champollion le jeune, was a French philologist and orientalist, known primarily as the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs and a founding figure in the field of Egyptology. Partially raised by his brother, the scholar Jacques Joseph Champollion-Figeac, Champollion was a child prodigy in philology, giving his first public paper on the decipherment of Demotic in his late teens. As a young man he was renowned in scientific circles, and read Coptic, Ancient Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Arabic.

23 December 1790

Born on the same birth day (23 December): Adrian Belew • Akihito • Bob Kurland • Chris Cook (racing driver) • Dick Weber • Duncan Hallas • Finn Wolfhard • Guy Beaulne • Henri-Alexandre Wallon • Ilchi Lee • James Gregory (actor) • James M. Canty • James Stockdale • John Marin • Jori Lehterä • Mamnoon Hussain • Maritza Correia • Martin Opitz • Robbie Dupree • Thomas Rohregger • Vadim Sharifijanov

Born in the same month (December 1790): Leopold I of Belgium