10 Famous Historical Figures Who Kept Journals

When it comes to journaling, people from all walks of life have found it beneficial to overcome anxiety, find clarity, and explore ideas.

Many historical figures journaled too, not always in the same way, but as a means to find meaning in their lives.

From the pioneers of the California Gold Rush to the space explorers of the 21st Century, journaling has always been used to record history in the making.

Here is a list of 10 famous historical figures who kept an active journaling practice:

1) Leonardo da Vinci

Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci who painted masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper kept notebooks filled with sketches of human anatomy, machinery, architectural design, and engineering. He also posed scientific questions and explored innovative ideas such as human flight in his notebooks. 

2) Marcus Aurelius

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius journaled and wrote about his Meditations for his personal growth. His journal was never meant for publication but for his own self-reflection. Fortunately, it was published and became an important source of Stoic philosophy.

3) Marie Curie

The first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only one to win a Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields, Marie Curie kept scientific journals that helped her to record and reflect on her scientific research and findings. However, perhaps for her, the more significant journal was her grief journal in which she wrote about the pain of losing her beloved husband.

4) Benjamin Franklin

American polymath Benjamin Franklin recorded his daily activities in his journal for personal growth and development.  He tracked his progress by writing about his virtues and how he could improve upon areas where he had failed. Many of these ideas would show up in his Poor Richard's Almanack and other writings.

5) Abraham Lincoln

President Abraham Lincoln didn’t have a typical journal. Perhaps, the closest he got to writing in a journal was when he was a child and manually stitched his own copy book together. But as a young attorney, he wrote his thoughts on scraps of paper that he stuffed in his top hat and reviewed later. He also wrote letters to himself to gain clarity. This habit later helped him to draft his famous Gettysburg Address and The Emancipation Proclamation.

6) Anne Frank

Anne Frank was a young girl when she wrote her famous The Diary of Anne Frank under Nazi persecution during World War II. Her journaling helped her to deal with her clear and present danger, anxiety, and growing pains. Her diary became a record of events as they unfolded for her and the entire world.

7) Theodore Roosevelt

President Theodore Roosevelt kept a journal from a young age to record his observations about life and events that were unfolding around him. This habit helped him to practice his observation and writing skills. He became an important writer as an adult and published famous works such as The Naval War of 1812 and The Rough Riders.

8) Mark Twain

American author and humorist Mark Twain who wrote the classic tales The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, kept a journal in which he recorded his personal thoughts, his traveling excursions, and even his to-do lists. His journaling helped him to evolve as one of America's most important and famous writers.

9) Virginia Woolf

One of 20th Century's most prolific British writers, Virginia Woolf, kept a journal from an early age. She journaled almost daily about everything from the weather to mental health and politics. Her journals were a space for her to also explore her creativity all of which showed up in her famous works such as Mrs. Dalloway and A Room of One's Own.

10) Thomas Edison

American inventor Thomas Edison kept many journals. Journaling was an important aspect of his work and allowed him to explore his many ideas. He recorded his scientific experiments, failures, and breakthroughs in his journals. His tinkering produced the phonograph, incandescent light bulb, and the motion picture camera.

I hope this short list has given you some idea of the importance of journaling. Your mind may come up with all kinds of ideas but to transform them into things that work whether it is an invention or mental clarity, may require more than just memorization. Journaling can be a great way to explore your ideas and thoughts in a tangible way.

What ideas are you holding in your mind that could benefit yourself or humanity that you can start journaling about today?

Until next time,

Keep Creating!

Angelina