James Curtis Hepburn
1815 – 1911

James Curtis Hepburn

American physician, educator, and phonologist of Japanese (1815–1911)

Bible translatorlinguistlexicographertranslatormissionary
Born
1815-03-13, Milton
Died
1911-09-21
Birthplace state
Pennsylvania

Biography

James Curtis Hepburn was an American physician, educator, translator and lay Christian missionary. He is known for the Hepburn romanization system for transliteration of the Japanese language into the Latin alphabet, which he popularized in his Japanese–English dictionary.

Occupation

James Curtis Hepburn is recorded as a Bible translator, a linguist, a lexicographer, a translator, a missionary, a physician and a teacher, born in Pennsylvania (1815–1911).

Connections to Pennsylvania

James Curtis Hepburn was born in Milton, Pennsylvania in 1815. Explore other notable figures from Pennsylvania, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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James Curtis Hepburn came from Milton. A full Aubrey report on Milton pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about James Curtis Hepburn

Who was James Curtis Hepburn?
James Curtis Hepburn was American physician, educator, and phonologist of Japanese (1815–1911), born in Pennsylvania (1815 – 1911).
When and where was James Curtis Hepburn born?
James Curtis Hepburn was born on 1815-03-13 in Milton.
When did James Curtis Hepburn die?
James died on 1911-09-21.
What was James Curtis Hepburn known for?
James Curtis Hepburn is recorded as a Bible translator, a linguist, a lexicographer, a translator, a missionary, a physician and a teacher.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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