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1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer and mathematician known as the father of modern astronomy. -
Francis Bacon
o 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. -
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei pioneered the experimental scientific method and was the first to use a refracting telescope to make important astronomical discoveries. -
Rene Descartes
Descartes has been heralded as the first modern philosopher. He is famous for having made an important connection between geometry and algebra -
Isaac Newton
he discovered the laws of gravity and motion and invented calculus -
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 -
Montesquieu
Montesquieu is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world -
Denis Diderot
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 -
Voltaire
He contributed to the French Encyclopedie and wrote treatises, pamphlets, and tracts condemning abuse, injustice, greed, and arbitrary power. -
James Watt
Although Watt invented and improved a number of industrial technologies, he is best remembered for his improvements to the steam engine. -
Adam Smith
formed the basis for theories of classical economics. -
George Washington
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 -
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. -
Maximillien Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre was a radical democrat and key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 -
Miguel Hidalgo
After the establishment of the Mexican Republic in 1824, Hidalgo was recognized as the first insurgent and a founding father of Mexico. -
Simon Bolivar
Bolivar became the most powerful leader in South America, nicknamed “El Libertador” (the liberator) for helping nations become independent from Spain.