Who Was Alive

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

Yes. William Shakespeare and René Descartes were alive at the same time for 20 years, from 1596 to 1616.

William Shakespeare was 31 when René Descartes was born.

René Descartes was 20 when William Shakespeare died, aged 51 or 52.

William Shakespeare

English playwright and poet

Born April 1564 · died 23 April 1616 (Julian calendar), aged 51 or 52

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

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

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