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1610 BCE
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei pioneered the experimental scientific method and was the first to use a refracting telescope to make important astronomical discoveries. He is often referred to as the “father of modern astronomy” and the “father of modern physics”. Albert Einstein called Galileo the “father of modern science.” -
1543
Nicolás Copernicus
Nicolás Copérnico (1473-1543) fue un matemático y astrónomo que propuso que el sol estaba estacionario en el centro del universo y que la tierra giraba a su alrededor. -
Francis Bacon
To the present day Bacon is well known for his treatises on empiricist natural philosophy (The Advancement of Learning, Novum Organum Scientiarum) and for his doctrine of the idols, which he put forward in his early writings, as well as for the idea of a modern research institute, which he described in Nova Atlantis. -
Rene Descartes
René Descartes is generally considered the father of modern philosophy. He was the first major figure in the philosophical movement known as rationalism, a method of understanding the world based on the use of reason as the means to attain knowledge. -
isaac newton
Isaac Newton is best know for his theory about the law of gravity, but his “Principia Mathematica” (1686) with its three laws of motion greatly influenced the Enlightenment in Europe. -
John Locke
Often credited as a founder of modern “liberal” thought, Locke pioneered the ideas of natural law, social contract, religious toleration, and the right to revolution that proved essential to both the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution that followed. -
Montesquieu
Montesquieu is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He is also known for doing more than any other author to secure the place of the word “despotism” in the political lexicon. -
Denis Diderot
Why is Denis Diderot significant? The French philosopher and essayist Denis Diderot served as chief editor (1745–72) of the Encyclopédie, and in that role he was one of the originators and interpreters of the Enlightenment. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, born in Geneva in 1712, was one of the 18th century's most important political thinkers. His work focused on the relationship between human society and the individual, and contributed to the ideas that would lead eventually to the French Revolution. -
Voltaire
He contributed to the French Encyclopedie and wrote treatises, pamphlets, and tracts condemning abuse, injustice, greed, and arbitrary power. He advocated the principle that the punishment should fit the crime and criticized capital punishment and recourse to torture. -
James Watt
James Watt (1736-1819) Famous for: Inventing the Watt steam engine, which converted steam back to water. Developing a rotary engine which mechanised weaving, spinning and transport. -
George Washington
What is George Washington known for? George Washington is often called the “Father of His Country.” He not only served as the first president of the United States, but he also commanded the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1775–83) and presided over the convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution. -
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a philosopher and economic theorist born in Scotland in 1723. He's known primarily for his groundbreaking 1776 book on economics called An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Smith introduced the concept that free trade would benefit individuals and society as a whole. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, a spokesman for democracy, was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809). -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was one of the most influential, popular and prolific composers of the classical period. He composed over 600 works, including some of the most famous and loved pieces of symphonic, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Mozart was born in Salzburg to a musical family. -
Maximillien Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre was a radical democrat and key figure in the French Revolution of 1789. Robespierre briefly presided over the influential Jacobin Club, a political club based in Paris. He also served as president of the National Convention and on the Committee of Public Safety. -
Miguel Hidalgo
After the establishment of the Mexican Republic in 1824, Hidalgo was recognized as the first insurgent and a founding father of Mexico. In his honor, one of Mexico's states and the city of Dolores were named after him. Mexico's independence day is celebrated on September 16, the day he proclaimed the insurgency. -
Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolivar is remembered today as the greatest leader of South American independence. Highly influenced by the examples of the United States, the French Revolution and Napoleon, he led a massive revolt against Spanish colonial rule in South America, beginning in 1810.