Karl Marx · Selma Lagerlöf Were Karl Marx and Selma Lagerlöf alive at the same time? Yes. Karl Marx and Selma Lagerlöf were alive at the same time for 24 years, from 1858 to 1883. Karl Marx was 40 when Selma Lagerlöf was born.Selma Lagerlöf was 24 when Karl Marx died, aged 64. Karl MarxGerman-born philosopherBorn 5 May 1818 · died 14 March 1883, aged 64Selma LagerlöfSwedish writerBorn 20 November 1858 · died 16 March 1940, aged 81 NapoleonAbraham LincolnKarl MarxSelma LagerlöfMahatma GandhiVladimir LeninAlbert EinsteinAdolf HitlerRonald Reagan Karl Marx and Selma Lagerlöf 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.