Famous People Who Died In 1669

Rembrandt was a Dutch printmaker, painter, and draughtsman. A master in three major art media, Rembrandt is widely considered the most important visual artist in Dutch art history and one of the greatest of all time. He is also considered the greatest etcher in the history of printmaking. His life and work inspired several films, including the 1936 movie Rembrandt.

Daughter of Henry IV of France, Henrietta Maria, or Queen Mary, ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland as the queen after marrying King Charles I. Her open allegiance to Roman Catholicism prevented her from getting a formal coronation. She died of an overdose of laudanum to cure her of bronchitis.

The first wife of Russian tsar Alexei I, or Alexis, Maria Miloslavskaya bore 13 children, including tsars Feodor III and Ivan V, and princess regent Sophia Alekseyevna. Though Alexei had chosen another girl out of 200 marriage finalists, his tutor Morozov suggested Maria, a friend’s daughter, as the bride.

Arnold Geulincx was a Flemish philosopher, logician, and metaphysician. Over the years, Geulincx's works like De virtute and Methodus inveniendi argumenta have influenced other prominent personalities like Irish novelist and playwright Samuel Beckett, who cites Arnold Geulincx as a key influence.

Lars Wivallius was a Swedish poet, auditor, cartoonist, and adventurer. Many of his early poetic works are characterized by a lively sense of nature and a warm poetic feeling. Lars Wivallius is also remembered for his skills as a draftsman.

A renowned 17th-century professor of biblical philology and theology, Johannes Cocceius was a prominent part of the Reformed Church. Best known for works such as Summa doctrinae de foedere et testamento Dei, he believed the relation between God and man was a covenant. He thus promoted the covenant, or federal, theology.

Caspar de Crayer was a Flemish painter best remembered for his portraits and Counter-Reformation altarpieces. He also served as a court painter under the governors of the Southern Netherlands. Caspar de Crayer showcased his expertise in some of the most important cities of Flanders where he helped popularize the Rubens style. 

Richard Mather was a Puritan minister in colonial Boston in the 17th-century. He began his career as a school teacher and later became a minister. He soon gained fame as a preacher and traveled to many places to preach. He was a leader of New England Congregationalism and a co-author of the Bay Psalm Book.