Famous People Born In 1600

Charles I, the King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625 to 1649, was said to be authoritarian and was in constant battle with the Parliament over the issue of royal prerogative. The friction led to a civil war from 1642 to 1645 between him and the English and Scottish Parliaments. He was defeated and executed in 1649 for treason.

A cartographer who was a pioneer of road atlases, John Ogilby was also a well-known poet and translator. Initially a dance master, he is also credited with building Ireland’s first theater in Dublin. He was the target of satirical attacks by Alexander Pope in The Dunciad and by John Dryden in MacFlecknoe.

A maternal uncle of Aurangzeb, Shaista Khan was a major figure in Indian history. He not only served as the governor of Bengal but also reigned over Khandesh as its viceroy. He had 3 of his fingers sliced off in a fight with Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji at Lal Mahal.

Metallurgist Dud Dudley is remembered for pioneering the method of smelting iron ore with coke. His invention was a welcome change at a time when the government was way of the environmental damage caused by deforestation in search of fuel. He had also penned the book Metallum Martis.

Presbyterian theologian Edmund Calamy the Elder wrote with a group of fellow Calvinists under the joint pseudonym Smectymnuus. A non-Conformist, he was expelled from the ministry for going against the Act of Uniformity. He died out of shock at the sight of the Great Fire of London.

Samuel Twardowski, who mostly worked as an assistant or secretary to diplomats, is best remembered for his diary, The Important Mission of His Grace Duke Krzysztof Zbaraski, written in verse. Known as the Polish Virgil, he wrote many other historical treatises, apart from several pastoral romances.

One of the most significant Baroque playwrights of the Spanish Golden Age, Pedro Calderon de la Barca had penned iconic dramas such as Life Is a Dream and many religious plays and operas, too. Many of his works reflected the issues of a dysfunctional family, probably inspired by his own life.

Puritan clergyman Thomas Goodwin, also known as the Elder, had served as a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. He had a major role in drafting the Savoy Declaration and was also made the president of Magdalen College, Oxford. His written works include five volumes of his sermons, published posthumously.