People and traditions
The conversation across centuries
Browse 99 preserved historical profiles. Published editorial changes from Sanity appear here without a code deployment.
1723–1790
Adam Smith
Moral philosophy · Political economycirca 525 BCE, Eleusis, Ancient Greece — circa 456 BCE, Gela, Sicily
Aeschylus
Preserved archive profile1058 CE, Ṭūs, Khorasan (Seljuk Empire) — December 19, 1111 CE, Ṭūs
Al Ghazali
Preserved archive profileAround 340 AD, in Trier, part of Roman Gaul (modern-day Germany) — 397 AD, in Milan, Italy
Ambrose
Preserved archive profilec. 8th century BCE, Tekoa, Kingdom of Judah — Unknown, likely in the Kingdom of Judah
Amos
Preserved archive profilecirca 1033 CE, Aosta, Lombardy (modern-day Italy) — circa 1109 CE, Canterbury, England
Anselm
Preserved archive profilec. 287 BCE, Syracuse, Sicily (modern-day Italy) — c. 212 BCE, Syracuse, Sicily (modern-day Italy)
Archimedes
Preserved archive profile384 BCE, Stagira, Greece — 322 BCE, Chalcis, Greece
Aristotle
Preserved archive profile354 CE, Thagaste, Numidia (modern Algeria) — 430 CE, Hippo Regius, North Africa
Augustine
Preserved archive profilecirca 1126 CE, Córdoba, Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain) — circa 1198 CE, Marrakesh, Morocco
Averroes
Preserved archive profilecirca 980 CE, Afshana, near Bukhara, Persia (modern-day Uzbekistan) — circa 1037 CE, Hamadan, Persia (modern-day Iran)
Avicenna
Preserved archive profilecirca 673 CE, Wearmouth-Jarrow, Kingdom of Northumbria (modern-day England) — circa 735 CE, Jarrow, Kingdom of Northumbria
Bede
Preserved archive profile480, in Nursia, Italy. — 547 (at age 67) in Monte Cassino
Benedict
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Beowulf
Preserved archive profileN/A (Textual tradition, c. 5th century BCE–2nd century CE, composed as part of the Mahabharata) — N/A (Timeless spiritual text)
Bhagavadgita
Preserved archive profile10 July 1723, in a middle-class family in London — 14 February 1780 (at the age of 56) in Wallingford, Berkshire, England
Blackstone
Preserved archive profileCirca 480 CE (likely in Rome or Pavia, Italy) — Executed in 524 or 525 CE under the order of Theodoric the Great
Boethius
Preserved archive profilec. 6th–5th century BCE, Lumbini, Shakya Republic (modern-day Nepal) — c. 5th century BCE, Kushinagar, Malla Republic (modern-day India)
Buddha
Preserved archive profileJanuary 12, 1729 – Dublin, Ireland — July 9, 1797 – Beaconsfield, England
Burke
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
BurntNjal
Preserved archive profileJuly 10, 1509, Noyon, Picardy, France — May 27, 1564, Geneva, Switzerland
Calvin
Preserved archive profilec.1343, London, England — October 25, 1400, London, England
Chaucer
Preserved archive profile3 January 106 BC, Arpinum, Roman Republic — 7 December 43 BC, Formiae, Roman Republic
Cicero
Preserved archive profileFebruary 1, 1552 – Mileham, Norfolk, England — September 3, 1634 – Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, England
Coke
Preserved archive profilec. 551 BCE, Lu State, Zou (modern-day Shandong, China) — c. 479 BCE, Lu State (modern-day Shandong, China)
Confucius
Preserved archive profileFebruary 19, 1473 – Toruń, in the Kingdom of Poland — May 24, 1543 – Frombork, in the region of Warmia
Copernicus
Preserved archive profilec. May 21–June 20, 1265, Florence, Italy — September 13/14, 1321, Ravenna, Italy
Dante
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Declaration of Independence
Preserved archive profilec. 50 CE, Hierapolis, Phrygia (modern Turkey) — c. 135 CE, Nicopolis, Greece
Epictetus
Preserved archive profileOctober 28, 1466, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, during the Holy Roman Empire — July 12, 1536 (at the age of 69), in Basel, Switzerland.
Erasmus
Preserved archive profile323 BCE in Alexandria, Egypt — 265 BCE in Alexandria, Egypt
Euclid
Preserved archive profilec. 1181 CE, Assisi, Umbria, Italy — c. 1226 CE, Assisi, Umbria, Italy
Francis of Assisi
Preserved archive profilec. 110–180 CE, possibly Rome or Asia Minor — Unknown (active in the 2nd century CE)
Gaius
Preserved archive profilecirca 129 CE, Pergamum, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) — circa 216 CE, Rome
Galen
Preserved archive profileFebruary 15, 1564, Pisa, Italy — January 8, 1642, Arcetri, near Florence, Italy
Galileo
Preserved archive profileCirca 2700 BCE, Uruk, Ancient Mesopotamia — Unknown
Gilgamesh
Preserved archive profileAugust 28, 1749, Frankfurt am Main, Germany — March 22, 1832, Weimar, Saxe-Weimar
Goethe
Preserved archive profileOctober 1340, in the Hanseatic city Deventer at the Bishopric of Utrecht — 20 August 1384 (at the age of 44) due to plague at Deventer
Groot
Preserved archive profileApril 10, 1583 – Delft, County of Holland, Dutch Republic — August 28, 1645 – Rostock, Holy Roman Empire
Grotius
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Hammurabi Code
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Heimskringla
Preserved archive profileCirca 1200 BCE, Boeotia, Ancient Greece — Circa 1150 BCE (approximate, based on traditional dating of his active period)
Hesiod
Preserved archive profilec. 460 BCE, Kos, Greece — c. 370 BCE, Larissa, Greece
Hippocrates
Preserved archive profileHe is believed to have lived during the 8th or 7th century BCE, possibly in Ionia (modern-day western Turkey). The details of Homer’s birth and life are unclear, both by contemporary and scholastic sources.
Homer
Preserved archive profilec. 8th century BCE, likely in the Northern Kingdom of Israel — Unknown, possibly in the Northern Kingdom of Israel
Hosea
Preserved archive profile1711, Edinburgh, Scotland — 1776, Edinburgh, Scotland
Hume
Preserved archive profileAround 1372 CE, in Husinec, Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic) — July 6, 1415 CE, in Constance (modern-day Germany); executed by burning
Huss
Preserved archive profilec. 8th century BCE, likely in Jerusalem, Kingdom of Judah — Unknown, possibly in Jerusalem, Kingdom of Judah
Isaiah
Preserved archive profilec. 7th century BCE, likely in Anathoth, Judah (modern-day Israel) — Unknown, possibly in Egypt
Jeremiah
Preserved archive profilec. 4–6 BCE, Bethlehem, Judea (modern-day West Bank) — c. 30–33 CE, Jerusalem, Judea (modern-day Israel)
Jesus Christ
Preserved archive profileca. 2000 BCE — ca. 1860 BCE
Job
Preserved archive profile6 AD in Bethsaida, Galilee during the Roman Empire — 100 AD (at the age of 93)
John
Preserved archive profilec. 4th–5th century CE — Unknown; traditionally believed to have lived during the Gupta Empire, possibly in Ujjain
Kalidasa
Preserved archive profile1724, Königsberg, Prussia — 1804, Königsberg, Prussia)
Kant
Preserved archive profile1818–1883
Karl Marx
Philosophy · Political economy · Social theoryc. 6th century BCE, possibly in Chu State, Ancient China — c. 5th century BCE, date and location uncertain
LaoTzu
Preserved archive profilecirca 1632 CE, Wrington, Somerset, England — circa 1704 CE, High Laver, Essex, England
Locke
Preserved archive profilec. 1st century CE, likely in Antioch, Syria (modern-day Turkey) — c. 84 CE, possibly in Boeotia, Greece
Luke
Preserved archive profileNovember 10, 1483, Eisleben, Holy Roman Empire — February 18, 1546, Eisleben
Luther
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Magna Carta
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Mahabharata
Preserved archive profilePossibly 30 March or 6 April 1135 in Cordoba, Spain, during the Almoravid Empire. — 12 December 1204 in Cairo, Egypt (at the age of 66–69 years).
Maimonides
Preserved archive profilec. 5–15 CE — Unknown; later tradition claims martyrdom in Alexandria, possibly around 68 CE
Mark
Preserved archive profilec. 5 AD, Galilee — c. 70 AD, Ethiopia (tradition)
Matthew
Preserved archive profile1497 CE, Bretten, Germany — 1560 CE, Wittenberg, Germany
Melanchthon
Preserved archive profileca. 372 BCE, State of Zou, ancient China (modern-day Shandong Province) — ca. 289 BCE, likely in the State of Song, ancient China
Mencius
Preserved archive profileUnknown; likely in Moresheth-Gath, Judah, during the 8th century BCE — Unknown; no specific record of his death is mentioned in biblical or historical sources
Micah
Preserved archive profileDecember 9, 1608, London, England — November 8, 1674, London, England
Milton
Preserved archive profilecirca 470 BCE, State of Lu, Ancient China — circa 391 BCE
Mo Tzu
Preserved archive profile570 CE in Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia (present day: Saudi Arabia) — 8 June 632 CE in Medina, Saudi Arabia (at the age of 61–62)
Mohammed
Preserved archive profileca. 1391 BCE, Land of Goshen, Ancient Egypt — ca. 1271 BCE, Mount Nebo, Moab (modern-day Jordan)
Moses
Preserved archive profileJanuary 4, 1643 (December 25, 1642, Old Style), Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England — March 31, 1727 (March 20, 1727, Old Style), London, England
Newton
Preserved archive profileAround 184 AD in Alexandria — Around 253 AD in Tyre, likely as a result of torture during persecution under Emperor Decius
Origen
Preserved archive profilec. 5–10 CE (estimated), Tarsus — c. 64–68 CE, likely martyred in Rome under Emperor Nero
Paul
Preserved archive profileJuly 20, 1304, in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy — July 18, 1374, in Arquà Petrarca, Italy, at the age of 69.
Petrarch
Preserved archive profile427 BCE, Athens (possibly during the Peloponnesian War) — 347 BCE, Athens
Plato
Preserved archive profilec. 204/5 CE, Lyco or Lycopolis, Egypt — 270 CE, Campania, Italy
Plotinus
Preserved archive profileca. 46 CE, Chaeronea, Boeotia, Greece — After 119 CE (most likely between 120–125 CE)
Plutarch
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Psalms
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Reformation Chorale
Preserved archive profilearound 865 CE in Ray, Iran — approximately 925 CE (at the age of 60–61) in Ray, Iran
Rhazes
Preserved archive profileca. 1500 BCE, Northwest India (Punjab region, near the Indus River Valley) — ca. 1200 BCE, Northwest India (early Vedic civilization)
Rigveda
Preserved archive profilec. 1576, Sturton le Steeple, Nottinghamshire, England — March 1, 1625, Leiden, Dutch Republic
Robinson
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Roman Chant
Preserved archive profileSeptember 21, 1452, Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara (Italy) — May 23, 1498, Florence (Italy)
Savonarola
Preserved archive profileBaptized April 26, 1564 (likely born April 23), Stratford-upon-Avon, England — April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Shakespeare
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Shih Ching
Preserved archive profile470 BCE in Deme Alopece, Athens, Greece — 399 BCE (age 71), Athens
Socrates
Preserved archive profilec. 497/6 BCE, Colonus, Attica (modern-day Greece) — c. 406/5 BCE, Athens, Greece
Sophocles
Preserved archive profileCirca 56 AD (exact birth year remains uncertain) — Around 120 AD
Tacitus
Preserved archive profileAround 624 BCE in Miletus, Ionia (present-day Turkey) — Around 546 BCE (at age 78)
Thales
Preserved archive profileCirca 1225 CE, at Roccasecca (near Aquino), in the Kingdom of Sicily — March 7, 1274 CE, at the Cistercian Abbey of Fossanova, Italy
Thomas Aquinas
Preserved archive profilec. 460 BCE, Alimos, Athens (modern-day Greece) — c. 400 BCE, possibly in Athens, Greece
Thucydides
Preserved archive profileHistorical profile
Upanishads
Preserved archive profilecirca 2112 BCE, Ur, Ancient Sumer — circa 2095 BCE
Ur-Nammu Code
Preserved archive profilec. 2350 BC, Lagash, Sumer (approximate) — c. 2340 BC, Lagash, Sumer (approximate)
Urukagina
Preserved archive profile70 BCE, Andes near Mantua, Italy — 19 BCE, Brundisium, Italy
Virgil
Preserved archive profilecirca 1330 CE, Yorkshire, England — circa 1384 CE, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, England
Wycliffe
Preserved archive profilec. 7th–6th century BCE, likely in eastern Persia (modern-day Iran) — Unknown, possibly in Persia
Zarathushtra
Preserved archive profileJanuary 1, 1484 – Wildhaus, Switzerland — October 11, 1531 – Kappel am Albis, Switzerland (killed in battle during the Second War of Kappel)