Claim profile
1700–1799

The 18th century

Whose working lives fell in the 18th century. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 18th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇺🇸 United States🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇮🇹 Italy🇪🇸 Spain🇸🇪 Sweden🇯🇵 Japan🇹🇷 Turkey🇨🇭 Switzerland
FieldAllPoliticiansHistorical FiguresWritersScientistsMusiciansArtistsAcademicsArchitectsDoctorsReligious Figures
  1. 1Mikhail LomonosovMikhail Lomonosov1711–1765 · Scientists19 decades
  2. 2Carl LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus1707–1778 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists7 decades
  3. 3Antoine LavoisierAntoine Lavoisier1743–1794 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  4. 4Alessandro VoltaAlessandro Volta1745–1827 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists22 decades
  5. 5James WattJames Watt1736–1819 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists22 decades
  6. 6Jean-Baptiste LamarckJean-Baptiste Lamarck1744–1829 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  7. 7William HerschelWilliam Herschel1738–1822 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists22 decades
  8. 8Georg Christoph LichtenbergGeorg Christoph Lichtenberg1742–1799 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists17 decades
  9. 9Anders CelsiusAnders Celsius1701–1744 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists0 decades
  10. 10Daniel Gabriel FahrenheitDaniel Gabriel Fahrenheit1686–1736 · Scientists1 decades
  11. 11Emanuel SwedenborgEmanuel Swedenborg1688–1772 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists0 decades
  12. 12Tadeusz KościuszkoTadeusz Kościuszko1746–1817 · Scientists0 decades
  13. 13Nicolas AppertNicolas Appert1749–1841 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists6 decades
  14. 14Abram Petrovich GannibalAbram Petrovich Gannibal1696–1781 · Scientists7 decades
  15. 15Laura BassiLaura Bassi1711–1778 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists22 decades
  16. 16Charles-Augustin de CoulombCharles-Augustin de Coulomb1736–1806 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  17. 17Caroline HerschelCaroline Herschel1750–1848 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists10 decades
  18. 18Joseph PriestleyJoseph Priestley1733–1804 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists22 decades
  19. 19Charles MessierCharles Messier1730–1817 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists1 decades
  20. 20Carl Wilhelm ScheeleCarl Wilhelm Scheele1742–1786 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists8 decades
  21. 21Nicolas-Joseph CugnotNicolas-Joseph Cugnot1725–1804 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  22. 22Jean Sylvain BaillyJean Sylvain Bailly1736–1793 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  23. 23Johann Balthasar NeumannJohann Balthasar Neumann1687–1753 · Scientists13 decades
  24. 24John HarrisonJohn Harrison1693–1776 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists22 decades
  25. 25Antoine-Augustin ParmentierAntoine-Augustin Parmentier1737–1813 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  26. 26Lazzaro SpallanzaniLazzaro Spallanzani1729–1799 · 🇮🇹 Italy · Scientists22 decades
  27. 27Hans EgedeHans Egede1686–1758 · 🇳🇴 Norway · Scientists17 decades
  28. 28Joseph BanksJoseph Banks1743–1820 · Scientists22 decades
  29. 29René Antoine Ferchault de RéaumurRené Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur1683–1757 · Scientistsnot measured—
  30. 30Jérôme LalandeJérôme Lalande1732–1807 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists4 decades
  31. 31Peter Simon PallasPeter Simon Pallas1741–1811 · Scientists9 decades
  32. 32Roger Joseph BoscovichRoger Joseph Boscovich1711–1787 · Scientists7 decades
  33. 33Benjamin ThompsonBenjamin Thompson1753–1814 · 🇺🇸 United States · Scientists22 decades
  34. 34Joseph Marie JacquardJoseph Marie Jacquard1752–1834 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  35. 35Jean-François Pilatre de RozierJean-François Pilatre de Rozier1754–1785 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  36. 36Horace Bénédict de SaussureHorace Bénédict de Saussure1740–1799 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  37. 37Martin Heinrich KlaprothMartin Heinrich Klaproth1743–1817 · Scientists7 decades
  38. 38Claude ChappeClaude Chappe1763–1805 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists17 decades
  39. 39Antoine Laurent de JussieuAntoine Laurent de Jussieu1748–1836 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists20 decades
  40. 40James HuttonJames Hutton1726–1797 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists22 decades
  41. 41Mary-Anne Paulzzze LavoisierMary-Anne Paulzzze Lavoisier1758–1836 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  42. 42Herman BoerhaaveHerman Boerhaave1668–1738 · Scientists4 decades
  43. 43Ernst ChladniErnst Chladni1756–1827 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists5 decades
  44. 44Jacques CharlesJacques Charles1746–1823 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists13 decades
  45. 45Joseph BlackJoseph Black1728–1799 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists22 decades
  46. 46Carl Peter ThunbergCarl Peter Thunberg1743–1828 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists0 decades
  47. 47Johann Elert BodeJohann Elert Bode1747–1826 · Scientists4 decades
  48. 48Giovanni Battista VenturiGiovanni Battista Venturi1746–1822 · Scientists2 decades
  49. 49Johann Friedrich GmelinJohann Friedrich Gmelin1748–1804 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Scientists3 decades
  50. 50Pierre-Joseph RedoutéPierre-Joseph Redouté1759–1840 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists2 decades
  51. 51Jacques de VaucansonJacques de Vaucanson1709–1782 · Scientists0 decades
  52. 52Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de MalesherbesGuillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes1721–1794 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  53. 53Thomas TelfordThomas Telford1757–1834 · Scientists22 decades
  54. 54Johan FabriciusJohan Fabricius1745–1808 · Scientists0 decades
  55. 55Joseph ProustJoseph Proust1754–1826 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  56. 56Yeongjo of JoseonYeongjo of Joseon1694–1776 · 🇰🇷 South Korea · Scientistsnot measured—
  57. 57Jethro TullJethro Tull1674–1741 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists22 decades
  58. 58Matthew BoultonMatthew Boulton1728–1809 · Scientists22 decades
  59. 59William CareyWilliam Carey1761–1834 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists22 decades
  60. 60Abraham-Louis BreguetAbraham-Louis Breguet1747–1823 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  61. 61Benjamin BannekerBenjamin Banneker1731–1806 · 🇺🇸 United States · Scientists7 decades
  62. 62John Loudon McAdamJohn Loudon McAdam1756–1836 · Scientists0 decades
  63. 63William MurdochWilliam Murdoch1754–1839 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists13 decades
  64. 64James HargreavesJames Hargreaves1720–1778 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists17 decades
  65. 65John SmeatonJohn Smeaton1724–1792 · Scientists21 decades
  66. 66Johann Friedrich BöttgerJohann Friedrich Böttger1682–1719 · Scientists10 decades
  67. 67Edmund CartwrightEdmund Cartwright1743–1823 · Scientists9 decades
  68. 68James BradleyJames Bradley1693–1762 · Scientists22 decades
  69. 69Pierre MéchainPierre Méchain1744–1804 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  70. 70Pierre BouguerPierre Bouguer1698–1758 · Scientists4 decades
  71. 71Samuel CromptonSamuel Crompton1753–1827 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists15 decades
  72. 72Jacques LabillardièreJacques Labillardière1755–1834 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientistsnot measured—
  73. 73Nicolas-Louis de LacailleNicolas-Louis de Lacaille1713–1762 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  74. 74Georg Wilhelm RichmannGeorg Wilhelm Richmann1711–1753 · Scientists0 decades
  75. 75Jan IngenhouszJan Ingenhousz1730–1799 · Scientists0 decades
  76. 76Johan GadolinJohan Gadolin1760–1852 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientistsnot measured—
  77. 77Bartolomeu de GusmãoBartolomeu de Gusmão1685–1724 · 🇵🇹 Portugal · Scientists0 decades
  78. 78Johann Maria FarinaJohann Maria Farina1685–1766 · Scientists0 decades
  79. 79Abbé FariaAbbé Faria1756–1819 · Scientists0 decades
  80. 80Philip MillerPhilip Miller1691–1771 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists22 decades
  81. 81Louis Nicolas VauquelinLouis Nicolas Vauquelin1763–1829 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  82. 82GLGuillaume Le Gentil1725–1792 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  83. 83Michel-Gabriel PaccardMichel-Gabriel Paccard1757–1827 · Scientists0 decades
  84. 84Michel AdansonMichel Adanson1727–1806 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists9 decades
  85. 85Jean-Pierre BlanchardJean-Pierre Blanchard1753–1809 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  86. 86George ShawGeorge Shaw1751–1813 · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Scientists21 decades
  87. 87Mathurin Jacques BrissonMathurin Jacques Brisson1723–1806 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  88. 88Carl Linnaeus the YoungerCarl Linnaeus the Younger1741–1783 · 🇸🇪 Sweden · Scientists0 decades
  89. 89Jean-Antoine ChaptalJean-Antoine Chaptal1756–1832 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists4 decades
  90. 90David RittenhouseDavid Rittenhouse1732–1796 · 🇺🇸 United States · Scientists22 decades
  91. 91Daniel RutherfordDaniel Rutherford1749–1819 · Scientists4 decades
  92. 92John Theophilus DesaguliersJohn Theophilus Desaguliers1683–1744 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  93. 93Gilbert WhiteGilbert White1720–1793 · Scientists22 decades
  94. 94Nicole-Reine LepauteNicole-Reine Lepaute1723–1788 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  95. 95William BartramWilliam Bartram1739–1823 · 🇺🇸 United States · Scientists22 decades
  96. 96Jean-Baptiste Joseph DelambreJean-Baptiste Joseph Delambre1749–1822 · 🇫🇷 France · Scientists0 decades
  97. 97SGStephen Gray1666–1736 · Scientists11 decades
  98. 98John PlayfairJohn Playfair1748–1819 · Scientists14 decades
  99. 99Inō TadatakaInō Tadataka1745–1818 · 🇯🇵 Japan · Scientists0 decades
  100. 100Ivan KulibinIvan Kulibin1735–1818 · Scientists0 decades

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.