Diary/Journal↕ | Author↕ | Period↕ | Subject Matter↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | 1942-1944 | Holocaust hiding, adolescence | Most famous diary ever, hiding from Nazis in the annex, translated into 70+ languages |
Pepys' Diary | Samuel Pepys | 1660-1669 | London life, Great Fire, plague | Eyewitness to Great Fire of London, coded personal entries, Restoration England |
The Diary of Frida Kahlo | Frida Kahlo | 1944-1954 | Art, pain, love, identity | Intimate paintings and writings, raw emotional honesty, beautiful illustrated journal |
The Pillow Book | Sei Shōnagon | 990s-1002 | Japanese court life, lists, observations | Heian period Japan, witty lists and observations, literary masterpiece, 1000 years old |
Journals of Lewis and Clark | Lewis & Clark | 1804-1806 | Expedition across America | Mapped the American West, documented Native American cultures, scientific observations |
The Diary of Che Guevara | Che Guevara | 1956-1967 | Revolution, guerrilla warfare | Motorcycle Diaries (earlier travels), Bolivian campaign journal, revolutionary icon |
Meditations | Marcus Aurelius | 170-180 AD | Stoic philosophy, self-reflection | Roman emperor's private journal, Stoicism bible, never meant for publication, timeless wisdom |
The Diary of Virginia Woolf | Virginia Woolf | 1915-1941 | Writing process, mental health, modernism | Raw insight into creative genius, Bloomsbury Group, modern literature backdrop |
Captain Scott's Last Expedition | Robert Falcon Scott | 1910-1912 | Antarctic exploration, death | Race to South Pole (lost to Amundsen), final entries as he froze, 'Great God, this is an awful place' |
The Diary of Anaïs Nin | Anaïs Nin | 1931-1974 | Sexuality, literature, psychoanalysis | Radical openness about female sexuality, 35,000+ pages, literary Paris |
A Journal of the Plague Year | Daniel Defoe | 1722 (set in 1665) | London's Great Plague | Fictional but historically accurate, COVID-era resurgence, plague diary genre |
The Freedom Writers Diary | Freedom Writers (students) | 1994-1998 | Inner-city youth, education, hope | Real students in Long Beach, Hilary Swank movie, diary as empowerment tool |
Darwin's Notebooks | Charles Darwin | 1836-1882 | Evolution, natural history | 'I think' tree of life sketch, development of evolution theory, stolen and returned 2022 |
The Diary of Lady Murasaki | Murasaki Shikibu | 1008-1010 | Japanese court life, writing | Author of world's first novel (Tale of Genji), Heian court insider |
Zlata's Diary | Zlata Filipović | 1991-1993 | Siege of Sarajevo, childhood in war | 'Bosnian Anne Frank', child's perspective on war, powerful and devastating |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is the Famous Diaries And Journals list ranked?
The Famous Diaries and Journals list is currently sorted by the source data's default ordering. Community voting is not enabled on this dataset.
How many entries are in this Famous Diaries And Journals dataset?
This dataset contains 15 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Famous Diaries And Journals data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 15-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
Related Datasets
More in History & Culture
Famous Prisons
Alcatraz, Bastille, Robben Island, Sing Sing — which notorious prison has the most gripping history?
World Religions Compared
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism — which world religion has shaped humanity the most?
Famous Sieges
Troy, Masada, Stalingrad, Constantinople, Leningrad — which siege tested human endurance to its absolute limit, and whose outcome changed the course of civilization more dramatically than any open battlefield ever could?
Famous Last Stands in History
Thermopylae, the Alamo, Rorke's Drift — which last stand was the most heroic?
Famous Walls and Barriers
Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, Hadrian's Wall, Western Wall — which historic wall or barrier has the most fascinating history, engineering, and cultural impact?
Types of Swords
Katana, Claymore, Rapier, Gladius, Scimitar — which legendary blade has the best design, history, and fighting style?
Mythological Creatures
Dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, krakens — which mythological creature is the most legendary?
Ancient Civilizations
Rome, Egypt, Greece, Maya — which ancient civilization was the greatest?
Famous Escapes
Alcatraz, the Great Escape, Houdini's stunts, Colditz Castle — which daring escape captures the ultimate triumph of human ingenuity over captivity, and which escape story would make the best movie?
Famous Archaeological Discoveries
Rosetta Stone, Terracotta Army, Pompeii — which archaeological discovery changed our understanding of history the most?
Famous Courtroom Trials
Nuremberg, OJ Simpson, Scopes Monkey Trial, Mandela's Rivonia — which courtroom drama changed the world the most, and which trial would you most want to have witnessed?
Famous Cemeteries
Pere Lachaise, Arlington, Highgate — which cemetery holds the most history and intrigue?