Who Was Alive in 1774

VoltaireAge 80

1694–1778 · Philosophy & Thought

Enlightenment writer and philosopher

Benjamin FranklinAge 68

1706–1790 · Science & Invention

Founding Father, electricity experiments

Carl LinnaeusAge 67

1707–1778 · Science & Invention

Father of modern taxonomy

Immanuel KantAge 50

1724–1804 · Philosophy & Thought

Critique of Pure Reason

Captain James CookAge 46

1728–1779 · Exploration

Mapped the Pacific, reached Australia

Catherine the GreatAge 45

1729–1796 · Politics & Leadership

Empress who expanded Russia

George WashingtonAge 42

1732–1799 · Politics & Leadership

First US President

James WattAge 38

1736–1819 · Science & Invention

Improved the steam engine

Thomas JeffersonAge 31

1743–1826 · Politics & Leadership

Author of the Declaration of Independence

Toussaint LouvertureAge 31

1743–1803 · Politics & Leadership

Leader of the Haitian Revolution

Francisco GoyaAge 28

1746–1828 · Art

Spanish Romantic painter

Edward JennerAge 25

1749–1823 · Science & Invention

Pioneer of the smallpox vaccine

Marie AntoinetteAge 19

1755–1793 · Politics & Leadership

Queen of France, executed in the Revolution

Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAge 18

1756–1791 · Music

Musical prodigy, symphonies & operas

Mary WollstonecraftAge 15

1759–1797 · Philosophy & Thought

Vindication of the Rights of Woman, feminist pioneer

HokusaiAge 14

1760–1849 · Art

The Great Wave, Japanese master printmaker

Napoleon BonaparteAge 5

1769–1821 · Politics & Leadership

Emperor of France, military genius

Ludwig van BeethovenAge 4

1770–1827 · Music

Symphonies composed while going deaf