Famous People Of The 18th Century

There were many people born in the 18th century who went ahead to change the world in radical ways. The 18th century was a politically tumultuous period in several parts of the world, especially in Europe, Asia, and America. Marked by major revolutions across the globe including the French and the American revolutions, the period witnessed the birth of some truly great men and women from all over the world. Maximilien Robespierre was one of the most influential figures of the French Revolution. The century also saw the birth of George Washington who later became the first President of the United States. The world of music and arts was also revolutionized by the likes of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, François Boucher, and the likes. The great mathematician Leonhard Euler and the innovator James Watt also made major contributions to the world in this era. Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, is another major 18th century figure. Read on to learn more about the life and works of famous people of the 18th century.
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 1 
George Washington
(1st President of the United States (1789 - 1797))
George Washington
199
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 22, 1732
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States
Died: December 14, 1799
 2 
Alexander Hamilton
(American Revolutionary and Founding Father of the United States)
Alexander Hamilton
110
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 11, 1755
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Died: July 12, 1804
 3 
Isaac Newton
(One of the Most Influential Scientists of All Time )
Isaac Newton
111
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: January 4, 1643
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lincolnshire, England
Died: March 31, 1727
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 4 
Benjamin Franklin
(One of the Founding Fathers of the United States)
Benjamin Franklin
73
Birthdate: January 17, 1706
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: April 17, 1790
 5 
Thomas Jefferson
(3rd President of the United States)
Thomas Jefferson
81
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 13, 1743
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia, United States
Died: July 4, 1826
 6 
Napoleon Bonaparte
(Emperor of the French (1804-1814))
Napoleon Bonaparte
133
Birthdate: August 15, 1769
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ajaccio, France
Died: May 5, 1821
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
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 7 
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(One of the Greatest Composers in the History of Western Music)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
83
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: January 27, 1756
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791
 8 
Ludwig van Beethoven
(One of the Most Admired Composers and Pianists in the History of Western Music)
Ludwig van Beethoven
53
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: December 17, 1770
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany
Died: March 26, 1827
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 9 
Marie Antoinette
(Former Queen Consort of France (1774 - 1792))
Marie Antoinette
46
Birthdate: November 2, 1755
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: The Hofburg, Vienna, Austria
Died: October 16, 1793
 10 
John Adams
(2nd President of United States (1797-1801))
John Adams
51
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 30, 1735
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, United States
Died: July 4, 1826
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 11 
Catherine the Great
(Former Empress of Russia (1762 – 1796))
Catherine the Great
71
Birthdate: May 2, 1729
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
Died: November 17, 1796
 12 
Jane Austen
(English Author Best Known for Her Novels: ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Mansfield Park’ and ‘Emma’)
Jane Austen
40
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: December 16, 1775
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Steventon, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
Died: July 18, 1817
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
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 13 
Johann Sebastian Bach
(One of the Greatest Composers of All Time)
Johann Sebastian Bach
20
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: March 31, 1685
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750
 14 
James Madison
(4th President of The United States)
James Madison
26
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 16, 1751
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Port Conway, Virginia, United States
Died: June 28, 1836
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 15 
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton
(American Socialite, Philanthropist and Co-Founder of the Private Orphanage ‘Graham Windham’)
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton
27
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 9, 1757
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States
Died: November 9, 1854
 16 
Andrew Jackson
(7th President of the United States)
Andrew Jackson
24
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 15, 1767
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Waxhaws
Died: June 8, 1845
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 17 
John Locke
(English Philosopher and Physician, Popularly Known as the ‘Father of Liberalism’)
John Locke
35
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 29, 1632
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wrington, Somerset, England
Died: October 28, 1704
 18 
William Wordsworth
75
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 7, 1770
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kingdom of Great Britain
Died: April 23, 1850
 19 
Aaron Burr
(3rd Vice President of United States)
Aaron Burr
27
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 6, 1756
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: September 14, 1836
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 20 
Davy Crockett
(Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee from 1827 to 1831)
Davy Crockett
25
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 17, 1786
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Limestone, Tennessee, United States
Died: March 6, 1836
 21 
Voltaire
(French Historian and Philosopher Known for His Wit and His Pointed Social Critique)
Voltaire
20
Birthdate: November 21, 1694
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: May 30, 1778
 22 
Simon Bolivar
(Revolutionary & Military Leader)
Simon Bolivar
40
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 24, 1783
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela
Died: December 17, 1830
 23 
Marquis de Lafayette
(French Aristocrat, Freemason and Military Officer Who Fought in the American Revolutionary War)
Marquis de Lafayette
21
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 6, 1757
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chavaniac-Lafayette, France
Died: May 20, 1834
 24 
Immanuel Kant
(One of the Greatest Philosophers of All Time)
Immanuel Kant
16
Birthdate: April 22, 1724
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Königsberg, Germany
Died: February 12, 1804
 25 
James Cook
(British Naval Captain, Navigator and Explorer)
James Cook
119
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 7, 1728
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Marton, England
Died: February 14, 1779
 26 
William Blake
(English Poet Who is Considered a Seminal Figure in the History of the Poetry of the Romantic Age)
William Blake
28
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 28, 1757
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: August 12, 1827
 27 
Adam Smith
(18th Century Scottish Economist Who is Considered the Father of Modern Economics)
Adam Smith
38
Birthdate: June 5, 1723
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Died: July 17, 1790
 28 
Sacagawea
(Interpreter)
Sacagawea
25
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1788 AD
Birthplace: Salmon
Died: 1812 AD
 29 
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(Philosopher, Writer, & Composer Whose Political Philosophy Influenced the Progress of the Age of Enlightenment)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
27
Birthdate: June 28, 1712
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
Died: July 2, 1778
 30 
James Monroe
(One of the Founding Fathers Who Served as the 5th President of the United States)
James Monroe
30
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: April 28, 1758
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Monroe Hall, Virginia, United States
Died: July 4, 1831
 31 
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(Novelist Best Known for 'The Sorrows of Young Werther', the First Novel of The Sturm Und Drang Movement)
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
22
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 28, 1749
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Goethe House, Frankfurt, Germany
Died: March 22, 1832
 32 
Paul Revere
(American Military Officer & Silversmith Who Warned Boston-Area Residents that the British Were Coming During His Midnight Ride)
Paul Revere
40
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 1, 1735
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: May 10, 1818
 33 
Carl Linnaeus
(Botanist)
Carl Linnaeus
64
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 23, 1707
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Linnés Råshults Stiftelse, Älmhult Municipality, Sweden
Died: January 10, 1778
 34 
Carl F. Gauss
(One of the Greatest Mathematicians of All Tim)
Carl F. Gauss
18
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: April 30, 1777
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Brunswick, Germany
Died: February 23, 1855
 35 
Zachary Taylor
(12th President of the United States (1849-50))
Zachary Taylor
33
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 24, 1784
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Barboursville, Virginia, United States
Died: July 9, 1850
 36 
Thomas Paine
(Founding Father of the United States)
Thomas Paine
8
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 29, 1737
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Thetford, England
Died: June 8, 1809
 37 
Daniel Boone
(American Frontiersman and One of the First Folk Heroes of the United States)
Daniel Boone
13
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 2, 1734
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States
Died: September 26, 1820
 38 
Leonhard Euler
(Mathematician, Physicist)
Leonhard Euler
29
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: April 15, 1707
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Basel
Died: September 18, 1783
 39 
George II of Great Britain
(Former King of Great Britain & Ireland (1727 - 1760))
George II of Great Britain
15
Birthdate: November 10, 1683
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Hanover, Germany
Died: October 25, 1760
 40 
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
(Baroque Composer & Virtuoso Violinist Known for His Violin Concertos 'The Four Seasons')
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
17
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: March 4, 1678
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Venice, Italy
Died: July 28, 1741
 41 
George III of the United Kingdom
(King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 1760 to 1801)
George III of the United Kingdom
16
Birthdate: June 4, 1738
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England
Died: January 29, 1820
 42 
Charles Babbage
(Father of the computer)
Charles Babbage
15
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 26, 1791
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London, England
Died: October 18, 1871
 43 
Angelica Schuyler Church
(American Socialite and Eldest Daughter of Continental Army General ‘Philip Schuyler’)
Angelica Schuyler Church
21
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 20, 1756
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States
Died: March 6, 1814
 44 
Louis XVI of France
(King of France)
Louis XVI of France
25
Birthdate: August 23, 1754
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France
Died: January 21, 1793
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 45 
George Frideric Handel
(German-British Composer Known for His Works: ‘Water Music’ and ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’)
George Frideric Handel
17
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: February 23, 1685
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Halle (Saale), Germany
Died: April 14, 1759
 46 
Samuel Adams
(American Political Philosopher and 4th Governor of Massachusetts (1794–1797))
Samuel Adams
18
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 27, 1722
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: October 2, 1803
 47 
Maria Theresa
(Holy Roman Empress (1745 - 1765))
Maria Theresa
15
Birthdate: May 13, 1717
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: November 29, 1780
 48 
Louis XIV of France
(King of France from 1643 to 1715)
Louis XIV of France
26
Birthdate: September 5, 1638
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Died: September 1, 1715
 49 
Frederick The Great
(Former King of Prussia (1740 - 1786))
Frederick The Great
16
Birthdate: January 24, 1712
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: August 17, 1786
 50 
Shaka
(Zulu Emperor)
Shaka
15
Birthdate: 1787 AD
Birthplace: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Died: September 22, 1828