Karl Marx · Herman Melville Were Karl Marx and Herman Melville alive at the same time? Yes. Karl Marx and Herman Melville were alive at the same time for 63 years, from 1819 to 1883. Karl Marx was 1 when Herman Melville was born.Herman Melville was 63 when Karl Marx died, aged 64. Karl MarxGerman-born philosopherBorn 5 May 1818 · died 14 March 1883, aged 64Herman MelvilleAmerican writer and poetBorn 1 August 1819 · died 28 September 1891, aged 72 NapoleonAbraham LincolnKarl MarxHerman MelvilleMahatma GandhiVladimir LeninAlbert EinsteinAdolf Hitler Karl Marx and Herman Melville 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.