Famous 18th Century Historians

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 1 
Voltaire
(French Historian and Philosopher Known for His Wit and His Pointed Social Critique)
Voltaire
10
Birthdate: November 21, 1694
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: May 30, 1778
18th-century historian, author, philosopher, and advocate of freedom of speech Voltaire was a leading figure of the French Age of Enlightenment. He often ran into trouble for his criticism of the French nobility and the Roman Catholic Church. He once went to Britain on voluntary exile, fearing imprisonment in France.
 2 
David Hume
(Best Known for His Highly Influential System of Philosophical Empiricism, Scepticism and Naturalism)
David Hume
8
Birthdate: April 26, 1711
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: August 25, 1776

Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, and economist, David Hume, is considered one of the most important philosophers to write in English. His book, A Treatise of Human Nature, is counted among the most influential works in the history of philosophy. His works have influenced numerous thinkers, including German philosopher Immanuel Kant and Christian philosopher Joseph Butler.

 3 
Edward Gibbon
(Historian)
Edward Gibbon
6
Birthdate: April 8, 1737
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England
Died: January 16, 1794

Eighteenth-century historian and author Edward Gibbon is best remembered for his 6-volume historical work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a narrative that charted events from the 2nd century to the Fall of Constantinople. He had also been an MP, representing Lymington and Liskeard.

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 4 
Thomas Carlyle
(Philosopher)
Thomas Carlyle
4
Birthdate: December 4, 1795
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Died: February 5, 1881
Initially a math teacher, Thomas Carlyle later abandoned the profession when a sudden spiritual awakening led him to writing. His parents wanted him to become a clergy, but he ended up becoming one of the greatest Victorian essayists and authors ever, known for works such as Sartor Resartus.
 5 
Thomas Gray
(Poet, Writer, Literary critic)
Thomas Gray
5
Birthdate: December 26, 1716
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London
Died: July 30, 1771
 6 
Johann Joachim Winckelmann
(German Art Historian, Archaeologist and One of the Leading Proponents of Neoclassicism)
Johann Joachim Winckelmann
3
Birthdate: December 9, 1717
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Stendal, Germany
Died: June 8, 1768

German art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann is often referred to as the father of modern archaeology. Born to a cobbler, he studied Greek, theology, and even medicine. He later specialized in Greek and Neoclassical art and had a prominent influence on Western painting, sculpture, and literature.

 7 
Germaine de Staël
(Philosopher)
Germaine de Staël
5
Birthdate: April 22, 1766
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: July 14, 1817

Germaine de Staël was a French political theorist and woman of letters. She is best remembered for her collaboration with the popular  Swiss-French political thinker Benjamin Constant. Germaine, who was way ahead of her time, is widely regarded as a precursor of feminism.

 8 
Thomas Hutchinson
(Businessman)
Thomas Hutchinson
3
Birthdate: September 9, 1711
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: British America
Died: June 3, 1780
 9 
Horace Walpole
(Writer, Novelist, Autobiographer, Politician)
Horace Walpole
4
Birthdate: September 24, 1717
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London
Died: March 2, 1797
 10 
James Mill
(Historian)
James Mill
4
Birthdate: April 6, 1773
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Angus, Scotland
Died: June 23, 1836

James Mill was a Scottish economist, historian, philosopher, and political theorist. Mill is credited with co-founding the Ricardian school of economics. He is also credited with writing The History of British India, which classifies Indian history into three parts: British, Muslim, and Hindu. The classification has played an influential role in the field of Indian historical studies.

 11 
Thomas Arnold
(Educator)
Thomas Arnold
3
Birthdate: June 13, 1795
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: East Cowes, England
Died: June 12, 1842
 12 
William Whewell
(Economist, Physicist, Historian, Philosopher, Writer, University teacher, Mathematician)
William Whewell
3
Birthdate: May 24, 1794
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lancaster
Died: March 6, 1866

William Whewell was an English polymath, scientist, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He worked in a wide range of fields, publishing works in the disciplines of physics, mechanics, geology, economics, and astronomy. He also wrote poetry, sermons, and theological tracts. He is credited with coining the terms linguistics, physicist, consilience, scientist, catastrophism, and uniformitarianism.

 13 
François Guizot
(Politician, Diplomat, Historian, Translator, Writer, Literary critic, Carpenter)
François Guizot
3
Birthdate: October 4, 1787
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Nîmes
Died: September 12, 1874

François Guizot was a French historian and statesman. He was a key figure in French politics in the years leading to the Revolution of 1848. After serving under the "citizen king" Louis Philippe in several roles, he was made the Prime Minister of France in 1847. He played a critical role in expanding public education. 

 14 
Mountstuart Elphinstone
(Statesman)
Mountstuart Elphinstone
3
Birthdate: October 6, 1779
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dumbarton, Dumbartonshire, Scotland
Died: November 20, 1859
 15 
Friedrich Carl von Savigny
(Jurist)
Friedrich Carl von Savigny
3
Birthdate: February 21, 1779
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Died: October 25, 1861
 16 
James Rennell
(British Geographer, Historian and a Pioneer of Oceanography)
James Rennell
2
Birthdate: December 3, 1742
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chudleigh, Devon, England
Died: March 29, 1830

James Rennell was an English historian and geographer. A pioneer of oceanography, Rennell is often referred to as the Father of Oceanography. Rennell, who served as a Surveyor General of Bengal, India, is credited with producing some of the earliest accurate maps of Bengal. James Rennell is also credited with co-founding the Royal Geographical Society in London in 1830.

 17 
Nikolay Karamzin
(Writer)
Nikolay Karamzin
3
Birthdate: December 12, 1766
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mikhaylovka, Russia
Died: June 3, 1826
 18 
William H. Prescott
(Historian)
William H. Prescott
3
Birthdate: May 4, 1796
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Salem, Massachusetts, United States
Died: January 28, 1859
 19 
Adam Ferguson
(Philosopher)
Adam Ferguson
3
Birthdate: July 1, 1723
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Logierait, Perthshire, Scotland
Died: February 22, 1816
 20 
Charles Brockden Brown
(Novelist)
Charles Brockden Brown
3
Birthdate: January 17, 1771
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 22, 1810
 21 
Elizabeth F. Ellet
(Writer)
Elizabeth F. Ellet
3
Birthdate: October 18, 1818
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Sodus Point, New York, United States
Died: June 3, 1877
 22 
Jean Charles Léonard de Sismondi
(Historian)
Jean Charles Léonard de Sismondi
2
Birthdate: May 9, 1773
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
Died: June 25, 1842
 23 
Catharine Macaulay
(Historian)
Catharine Macaulay
2
Birthdate: April 2, 1731
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Wye, Kent, England
Died: June 22, 1791
 24 
Ernst Moritz Arndt
(Historian)
Ernst Moritz Arndt
2
Birthdate: December 26, 1769
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rügen, Germany
Died: January 29, 1860
 25 
Ludvig Holberg
(Playwright and an Author)
Ludvig Holberg
0
Birthdate: December 3, 1684
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bergen, Norway
Died: January 28, 1754

One of the forefathers of Norwegian and Danish literature, Ludvig Holberg was a legendary literary figure of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy era. Initially a French tutor, he later studied music, before devoting himself to writing. His comedies earned him the nickname of The Molière of the North.

 26 
Constantin François de Chassebœuf, comte de Volney
(Philosopher)
Constantin François de Chassebœuf, comte de Volney
2
Birthdate: February 3, 1757
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Craon, France
Died: April 25, 1820

Constantin François de Chassebœuf, comte de Volney was a French abolitionist, philosopher, orientalist, writer, and politician. Volney was one of the first modern writers to champion the Christ myth theory, which suggests that Jesus Christ had no historical existence. Volney argued that Jesus was a mythical character and that Christianity was an amalgam of numerous ancient mythologies. 

 27 
Charles Burney
(Musical Composer)
Charles Burney
2
Birthdate: April 7, 1726
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Shrewsbury, England
Died: April 12, 1814
 28 
Ludwig Uhland
(Poet)
Ludwig Uhland
2
Birthdate: April 26, 1787
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tübingen, Germany
Died: November 13, 1862
 29 
İbrahim Müteferrika
(Diplomat)
İbrahim Müteferrika
2
Birthdate: 1674 AD
Birthplace: Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Died: 1745 AD
 30 
Mary Russell Mitford
(Author)
Mary Russell Mitford
3
Birthdate: December 16, 1787
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New Alresford, England
Died: January 10, 1855
 31 
George Grote
(Historian)
George Grote
2
Birthdate: November 17, 1794
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Clay Hill, England
Died: June 18, 1871
 32 
Ignaz von Döllinger
(Theologian)
Ignaz von Döllinger
2
Birthdate: February 28, 1799
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bamberg, Germany
Died: January 10, 1890
 33 
William Robertson
(Historian)
William Robertson
2
Birthdate: September 19, 1721
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Borthwick, Scotland
Died: June 11, 1793
 34 
Thomas Warton
(Literary historian)
Thomas Warton
2
Birthdate: January 9, 1728
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Basingstoke, England
Died: May 21, 1790
 35 
Thomas Edward Bowdich
(Traveler)
Thomas Edward Bowdich
2
Birthdate: June 20, 1791
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bristol, England
Died: January 10, 1824
 36 
Pietro Verri
(Italian Economists, Historian, Philosopher and Writer)
Pietro Verri
2
Birthdate: December 12, 1728
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Milan, Italy
Died: June 28, 1797

Author of numerous literary, historical, and economic works, Pietro Verri was a leader of Milanese academy and moving force behind Società dei Pugni. Also a distinguished public administrator and political economist employed with the Milanese government, he has been credited with abolition of tax farming. Some of his important works are Riflessioni sulle leggi vincolanti and Meditazioni sull’ economia politica.

 37 
Thomas Rymer
(Antiquary)
Thomas Rymer
2
Birthdate: 1641 AD
Birthplace: Appleton Wiske, England
Died: December 14, 1713
 38 
Simanas Daukantas
(Historian)
Simanas Daukantas
2
Birthdate: October 28, 1793
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kalviai, Lithuania
Died: December 6, 1864
 39 
Josef Dobrovský
(Philologist)
Josef Dobrovský
2
Birthdate: August 17, 1753
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Gyarmat, Hungary
Died: January 6, 1829
 40 
Joseph von Görres
(Writer)
Joseph von Görres
2
Birthdate: January 25, 1776
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Koblenz, Germany
Died: January 29, 1848
 41 
Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix
(French Priest and Historian)
Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix
2
Birthdate: October 24, 1682
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Saint-Quentin, France
Died: February 1, 1761

Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix was a French Jesuit priest and historian, often considered the first historian of New France. He was ordained as a priest in 1713. He was a wide traveler with an eager curiosity to learn about his surroundings. He traveled to Canada and explored the region for a few years before returning to France. 

 42 
Edmund Malone
(Scholar and editor)
Edmund Malone
2
Birthdate: October 4, 1741
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: May 25, 1812
 43 
Henri de Boulainvilliers
(French Historian and Political Writer Who Set Forth a Broad Cultural Conception of Philosophical History)
Henri de Boulainvilliers
2
Birthdate: October 21, 1658
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Saint-Saire, France
Died: January 23, 1722

Henri de Boulainvilliers was a French nobleman who was a noted writer and historian. He studied the exact sciences, history, and geography at the College of Juilly. He then went on to serve in the army until 1697. He published many works on science, history, and philosophy. He had a keen interest in astrology as well. 

 44 
Jared Sparks
(Historian)
Jared Sparks
2
Birthdate: May 10, 1789
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Willington, Connecticut
Died: March 14, 1866
 45 
Thomas Hearne
(Antiquary)
Thomas Hearne
1
Birthdate: 1678
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Littlefield Green, England
Died: June 10, 1735
 46 
Pavel Josef Šafařík
(Poet)
Pavel Josef Šafařík
2
Birthdate: May 13, 1795
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kobeliarovo, Slovakia
Died: June 26, 1861
 47 
William Francis Patrick Napier
(Soldier)
William Francis Patrick Napier
1
Birthdate: December 7, 1785
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Celbridge, Ireland
Died: February 12, 1860
 48 
Wei Yuan
(Scholar)
Wei Yuan
1
Birthdate: April 23, 1794
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Shaoyang, China
Died: March 26, 1857
 49 
José de la Riva Agüero
(1st President of Peru)
José de la Riva Agüero
1
Birthdate: May 3, 1783
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lima, Peru
Died: May 21, 1858

José de la Riva Agüero was a Peruvian politician, soldier, and historian. He is best remembered for his service as the first President of Peru from 28 February 1823 to 23 June 1823. An important politician, José de la Riva Agüero also served as the second President of North Peru from 1 August 1838 to 24 January 1839.

 50 
Lodovico Antonio Muratori
(Italian Historian Known for His Discovery of the 'Muratorian Fragment')
Lodovico Antonio Muratori
1
Birthdate: October 21, 1672
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Vignola, Italy
Died: January 23, 1750

Best known for discovering the Muratorian Fragment, Lodovico Antonio Muratori was a pioneer of Italian historiography. He began his career as a priest and joined the Ambrosian library of Milan. He is remembered for his works such as Anecdota and Annali d’Italia. He was also against orthodox religious beliefs.