Who Was Alive

Were William Harvey and René Descartes alive at the same time?

Yes. William Harvey and René Descartes were alive at the same time for 53 years, from 1596 to 1650.

William Harvey was 17 when René Descartes was born.

William Harvey was 71 when René Descartes died, aged 53.

William Harvey

English physician

Born 1 April 1578 · died 3 June 1657, aged 79

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

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

  1. Miguel de Cervantes
  2. Galileo Galilei
  3. William Shakespeare
  4. William Harvey
  5. René Descartes
  6. Molière
  7. Isaac Newton
William Harvey 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.