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1534
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who put forth the theory that the Sun is at rest near the center of the Universe, and that the Earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves annually around the Sun. This is called the heliocentric, or Sun-centered, system. -
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon is most famous for his philosophy of science. He argued that scientific knowledge is obtained after making observations and then utilizing inductive reasoning to interpret the observations. Bacon also argued that controlled scientific experimentation is essential for understanding nature. -
Galileo Galilei
He is renowned for his discoveries: he was the first to report telescopic observations of the mountains on the moon, the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, and the rings of Saturn. He invented an early microscope and a predecessor to the thermometer. -
Rene Descartes
According to Descartes, God's existence is established by the fact that Descartes has a clear and distinct idea of God; but the truth of Descartes's clear and distinct ideas are guaranteed by the fact that God exists and is not a deceiver. -
Isaac Newton
Far more than just discovering the laws of gravity, Sir Isaac Newton was also responsible for working out many of the principles of visible light and the laws of motion, and contributing to calculus. -
John Locke
Often credited as a founder of modern “liberal” thought, Locke pioneered the ideas of natural law, social contract, religious toleration, and the right to revolution that proved essential to both the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution that followed. -
Montesquieu
In it, Montesquieu pleaded in favor of a constitutional system of government and the separation of powers, the ending of slavery, the preservation of civil liberties and the law, and the idea that political institutions ought to reflect the social and geographical aspects of each community. -
Denis Diderot
Diderot's major work is l'Encyclopédie, which still is a monument of the French Enlightenment, representing the standard of scholarly knowledge of its time and the spirit of rationalism which pervaded 18th century thought. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan born political and moral philosopher of the Enlightenment Era. He is well known for his work On the Social Contract, which questioned the purpose and place of government and its responsibility for its citizens. -
Voltaire
Voltaire was a versatile and prolific writer. In his lifetime he published numerous works, including books, plays, poems, and polemics. -
James Watt
James Watt was an 18th-century inventor and instrument maker. Although Watt invented and improved a number of industrial technologies, he is best remembered for his improvements to the steam engine. -
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a philosopher and economic theorist born in Scotland in 1723. He's known primarily for his groundbreaking 1776 book on economics called An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. -
George Washington
George Washington – first American president, commander of the Continental Army, president of the Constitutional Convention, and farmer. Through these roles, Washington exemplified character and leadership. -
Thomas Jefferson
. Thomas Jefferson, a spokesman for democracy, was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809). -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Throughout his life Mozart suffered frequent attacks of tonsillitis. In 1784 he developed post-streptococcal Schönlein Henoch syndrome which caused chronic Glomerular nephritis and chronic renal failure. -
Maximillien Robespierre
Maximillien Robespierre | Biography & Death | Study.com
Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) was a leader of the French Revolution best known for spearheading the Reign of Terror. He was an important member of the Jacobin political party. -
Miguel Hidalgo
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest who is celebrated as "the father of Mexican independence" for his role in the War of Independence that ended Spanish colonial rule in Mexico. -
Simon Bolivar
SIMON BOLIVAR IS BEST KNOWN AS THE LIBERATOR OF MOST OF SPANISH SOUTH AMERICA. HE WAS ALSO A REVOLUTION- ARY THINKER WHO TRIED TO ADAPT DEMOCRATIC IDEAS AND SOCIAL REFORMS TO NATIONS HE LIBERATED.