# François Arago

_French mathematician, physicist, astronomer and politician (1786-1853)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/francois-arago
Last updated: 2026-11-05

> Dominique François Jean Arago, known simply as François Arago, was a French mathematician, physicist, astronomer, freemason, supporter of the Carbonari revolutionaries, and politician.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 26 February 1786 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Estagel ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P19))
- **Died:** 2 October 1853 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P570))
- **Place of death:** Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P20))
- **Citizenship:** France ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P27))
- **Occupation:** astronomer; mathematician; physicist; politician; university teacher; biographer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P106))
- **Political party:** French Republican Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P102))
- **Education:** Lycée François-Arago; École polytechnique ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P69))
- **Positions held:** Deputy of the French Second Republic (13 May 1849 – 2 December 1851); head of government of France (9 May 1848 – 24 June 1848); Member of the 1848 Constituent Assembly (23 April 1848 – 26 May 1849); Minister of War (5 April 1848 – 11 May 1848); president of the Société des gens de lettres (1840–1844); Member of the Chambre des députés des départements (15 July 1831 – 24 February 1848); president of the French Academy of Sciences (1 January 1824 – 31 December 1824) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P39))
- **Awards:** Copley Medal; Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order; citizen of Edinburgh; Rumford Medal; Order of the Cross of July; Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Foreign Member of the Royal Society; Knight of the Legion of Honour; Officer of the Legion of Honour; Commander of the Legion of Honour; Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; 72 names on the Eiffel Tower; Officer of the Order of Leopold; honorary member of the Physics Association (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353#P166))

## Questions

**When was François Arago born?**  
François Arago was born on 26 February 1786 in Estagel.

**What positions has François Arago held?**  
Positions held by François Arago include: Deputy of the French Second Republic (1849–1851); head of government of France (1848–1848); Member of the 1848 Constituent Assembly (1848–1849); Minister of War (1848–1848); president of the Société des gens de lettres (1840–1844).

**Where did François Arago study?**  
François Arago was educated at Lycée François-Arago, École polytechnique.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): François Arago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Arago) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q154353](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154353) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: François Arago par Ary Scheffer.jpg by Ary Scheffer (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fran%C3%A7ois_Arago_par_Ary_Scheffer.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article François Arago, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: François Arago par Ary Scheffer.jpg — Ary Scheffer, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"François Arago". DigiNepal. Last updated 5 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/francois-arago. Retrieved 5 November 2026.