Who Was Alive

Were Francis Bacon and René Descartes alive at the same time?

Yes. Francis Bacon and René Descartes were alive at the same time for 30 years, from 1596 to 1626.

Francis Bacon was 35 when René Descartes was born.

René Descartes was 30 when Francis Bacon died, aged 65.

Francis Bacon

English philosopher and statesman

Born 22 January 1561 · died 9 April 1626 (Julian calendar), aged 65

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

Born 31 March 1596 · died 11 February 1650, aged 53

  1. Michelangelo
  2. Miguel de Cervantes
  3. Francis Bacon
  4. Galileo Galilei
  5. William Shakespeare
  6. René Descartes
  7. Molière
  8. Isaac Newton
Francis Bacon and René Descartes in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.