Machado de Assis

Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, often known by his surnames as Machado de Assis, Machado, or Bruxo do Cosme Velho, was a pioneer Brazilian novelist, poet, playwright and short story writer, widely regarded as the greatest writer of Brazilian literature. In 1897, he founded and became the first President of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. He was multilingual, having taught himself French, English, German and Greek later in life.

21 June 1839

Born on the same birth day (21 June): Başak Eraydın • Carl Stokes • Dimitris Papaioannou • Friedrich Curschmann • Hussein El Shahat • John Edrich • Mike Sherrard • Milward Kennedy • Patrick Dunleavy • Pierre-Nicolas Beauvallet • Ralph Craig • Ričardas Berankis • Scipione Chiaramonti • Wilhelm Küchelbecker • William Stubbs

Born in the same month (June 1839): Gustavus Franklin Swift • Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg • Samuel R. Watkins • William H. Seward Jr.