Who Was Alive

Were Hugo Grotius and René Descartes alive at the same time?

Yes. Hugo Grotius and René Descartes were alive at the same time for 49 years, from 1596 to 1645.

Hugo Grotius was 12 when René Descartes was born.

René Descartes was 49 when Hugo Grotius died, aged 62.

Hugo Grotius

Dutch jurist and scholar

Born 10 April 1583 · died 28 August 1645, aged 62

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

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

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