Who Was Alive

Were John Donne and René Descartes alive at the same time?

Yes. John Donne and René Descartes were alive at the same time for 35 years, from 1596 to 1631.

John Donne was 23 or 24 when René Descartes was born.

René Descartes was 35 when John Donne died, aged 58 or 59.

John Donne

English poet and cleric

Born 1572 · died 31 March 1631, aged 58 or 59

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. John Donne
  5. René Descartes
  6. Molière
  7. Isaac Newton
John Donne 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.