Who Was Alive

Were Galileo Galilei and René Descartes alive at the same time?

Yes. Galileo Galilei and René Descartes were alive at the same time for 45 years, from 1596 to 1642.

Galileo Galilei was 32 when René Descartes was born.

René Descartes was 45 when Galileo Galilei died, aged 77.

Galileo Galilei

Italian polymath

Born 15 February 1564 · died 8 January 1642, aged 77

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

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

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