wing of the archive
The Early Modern Era
Navigators, reformers, and the first scientists, from the Renaissance to the age of revolutions.
Early Modern era
Guru Gobind Singh
December 22, 1666 – October 7, 1708
Tenth Sikh guru (1661–1708)
Early Modern era
Panini
June 17, 1691 – October 21, 1765
Italian painter and architect (1691–1765)
Early Modern era
Boris Godunov
August 12, 1552 – April 23, 1605
Russian Tsar (1598–1605)
Early Modern era
Lady Jane Grey
1537 – February 12, 1554
Queen of England and Ireland in July 1553
Early Modern era
Guy Fawkes
1570 – January 31, 1606
English member of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605
Early Modern era
James I of England
June 19, 1566 – March 27, 1625
King of Scotland from 1566 to 1625, King of England and Ireland from 1603 to 1625
Early Modern era
Charles I of England
November 19, 1600 – January 30, 1649
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 to 1649 (1600-1649)
Early Modern era
Charles II of England
May 29, 1630 – February 6, 1685
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1630-1685)
Early Modern era
William the Silent
April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584
Dutch statesman and revolt leader (1533-1584)
Early Modern era
Cosimo de Medici
June 12, 1519 – April 21, 1574
Duke of Florence (1519-1574)
Early Modern era
Catherine de Medici
April 13, 1519 – January 5, 1589
Queen-consort and regent of France (1519–1589)
Early Modern era
Henry IV of France
December 13, 1553 – May 14, 1610
King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610 and King of France from 1589 to 1610 (1553-1610)
Early Modern era
Cardinal Richelieu
September 9, 1585 – December 4, 1642
French clergyman, cardinal, noble and statesman (1585-1642)
Early Modern era
Christina of Sweden
December 18, 1626 – April 19, 1689
Queen of Sweden, ruled from 1632 until abdication in 1654 (1626–1689)
Early Modern era
Charles XII of Sweden
June 27, 1682 – December 11, 1718
The fifth and last emperor of Sweden (1697–1718)
Early Modern era
John III Sobieski
August 17, 1629 – June 17, 1696
King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1629–1696)
Early Modern era
Roxelana
1505 – April 15, 1558
Wife of Suleiman the Magnificent
Early Modern era
Nader Shah
October 22, 1688 – June 19, 1747
Shah of Iran (r. 1736–47) and founder of the Afsharid dynasty
Early Modern era
Maharana Pratap
May 9, 1540 – January 19, 1597
16th century ruler of Mewar, India
Early Modern era
Tipu Sultan
November 20, 1751 – May 4, 1799
Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1782 to 1799
Early Modern era
Miyamoto Musashi
1584 – June 5, 1645
Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer, artist, and rōnin (1584–1645)
Early Modern era
Yi Sun-sin
April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598
Korean (Joseon) naval commander (1545 – 1598)
Early Modern era
James Monroe
April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831
President of the United States from 1817 to 1825 (1758–1831)
Early Modern era
John Quincy Adams
July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848
President of the United States from 1825 to 1829
Early Modern era
James K. Polk
November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849
President of the United States from 1845 to 1849 (1795–1849)
Early Modern era
Patrick Henry
May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799
American Founding Father, orator and politician (1736 – 1799)
Early Modern era
Paul Revere
January 1, 1735 – May 10, 1818
American silversmith and Patriot in the American Revolution (1735–1818)
Early Modern era
Samuel Adams
September 27, 1722 – October 2, 1803
American statesman, political philosopher, governor of Massachusetts and Founding Father of the United States (1722-1803)
Early Modern era
John Hancock
January 23, 1737 – October 8, 1793
American Patriot and statesman during the American Revolution (1737–1793)
Early Modern era
Betsy Ross
January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836
American upholsterer who was credited by her relatives with making the first American flag
Early Modern era
Tecumseh
1768 – October 5, 1813
Shawnee Native American military leader (1768-1813)
Early Modern era
Robert Walpole
August 26, 1676 – March 18, 1745
British statesman and art collector, 1st Earl of Orford (1676–1745)
Early Modern era
William Pitt the Younger
May 28, 1759 – January 23, 1806
British statesman (1759–1806)
Early Modern era
Duke of Marlborough
May 26, 1650 – June 16, 1722
English soldier and statesman (1650-1722)
Early Modern era
Robert Peel
February 5, 1788 – July 2, 1850
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1788–1850)
Early Modern era
King George III
May 24, 1738 – January 29, 1820
King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820 (1738–1820)
Early Modern era
Talleyrand
February 2, 1754 – May 17, 1839
French diplomat (1754-1838)
Early Modern era
Georges Danton
October 26, 1759 – April 5, 1794
French revolutionary (1759–1794)
Early Modern era
Jean-Paul Marat
May 24, 1743 – July 13, 1793
Politician and journalist during the French Revolution (1743-1793)
Early Modern era
Bernardo O'Higgins
August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842
Chilean independence leader (1778–1842)
Early Modern era
Shaka Zulu
1787 – September 22, 1828
Leader of the Zulu Kingdom
Early Modern era
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
October 24, 1632 – August 26, 1723
Dutch scientist known as "the Father of Microbiology", and one of the first microscopists (1632–1723)
Early Modern era
Evangelista Torricelli
October 15, 1608 – October 25, 1647
Italian physicist and mathematician (1608-1647)
Early Modern era
Daniel Bernoulli
February 8, 1700 – March 17, 1782
Swiss mathematician and physicist (1700-1782)
Early Modern era
John Napier
February 1, 1550 – April 4, 1617
Scottish mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (1550–1617)
Early Modern era
John Harrison
March 24, 1693 – March 24, 1776
British clockworker
Early Modern era
Luigi Galvani
September 9, 1737 – December 4, 1798
Italian physician, physicist, and philosopher
Early Modern era
Pierre-Simon Laplace
March 23, 1749 – March 5, 1827
French mathematician and astronomer (1749–1827)
Early Modern era
Joseph-Louis Lagrange
January 25, 1736 – April 10, 1813
Mathematician and astronomer (1736–1813)
Early Modern era
Joseph Fourier
March 21, 1768 – May 16, 1830
French mathematician and physicist (1768 – 1830)
Early Modern era
Sophie Germain
April 1, 1776 – June 27, 1831
French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (1776-1831)
Early Modern era
John Nash
January 18, 1752 – May 13, 1835
British architect (1752–1835)
Early Modern era
Thomas Young
June 13, 1773 – May 10, 1829
English polymath (1773-1829)
Early Modern era
Charles Messier
June 26, 1730 – April 12, 1817
18th- and 19th-century French astronomer
Early Modern era
Giovanni Cassini
June 8, 1625 – September 14, 1712
Italian/French mathematician, astronomer, engineer, and astrologer (*1625 – †1712)
Early Modern era
Jons Jacob Berzelius
August 20, 1779 – August 7, 1848
Swedish chemist (1779–1848)
Early Modern era
Daniel Defoe
September 13, 1660 – April 24, 1731
English trader, writer, and journalist (1660–1731)
Early Modern era
Jonathan Swift
November 30, 1667 – October 19, 1745
Anglo-Irish satirist and essayist (1667–1745)
Early Modern era
John Bunyan
November 28, 1628 – August 31, 1688
English Christian writer and preacher (1628-1688)
Early Modern era
Alexander Pope
May 21, 1688 – May 30, 1744
English poet (1688–1744)