-
birth of François-Marie Arouet
François-Marie Arouet was born on November 21 1694, in the husting and bustling city of Paris in France. He was born into a middle-class family, to his parents François Arouet and Marie Marguerite d'Aumart. His mother died when he was 7 years old, causing him to grow closer to his intellectual godfather, whom strongly influenced him to get involved with literature and language (Voltaire [François-Marie Arouet]By Individual Philosopher Philosophy). -
Yale College is Founded
On October 9, 1701, The Collegiate School (Yale College) was founded. It stands today in New Haven, Connecticut, as a very reknowned Ivy League School. It was originally known as the Collegiate School and was located in Killingworth, but in 1716 was relocateed to New Haven and in 1718 was renamed Yale College after Elihu Yale, who had made a series of donations to the school. Originally Yale taught and emphasized classical studies and orthodox Puritanism (US History Timeline 1700-1800). -
Oedipe is Performed
Oedipe, Voltaire's first play, was performed on November 18, 1718. Voltaire wrote this tragic play throughout his eleven months he spent imprisoned in Bastille, where he first inherited his well-known pen name, Voltaire. The play told of an Athenian tradgedy, Oedipus the King. It was performed at the Comédie-Française, a French state theatre that still stands today, built by Victor Louis (Voltaire's Oedipe). -
Voltaire publishes Henriade
On May 7, 1723, Voltaire published "La Henriade," a poem that was created to celebrate the life of Henry IV. It was considered a great work of art and was made up of two parts. The first was strictly factual and was told from a historical point of view and the second consisted of Voltaire's ideas from his imagination. This poem questioned the political state of France like his other works and heavily impacted France (La Henriade). -
Voltaire publishes Philosophical Letters on the English
On June 26, 1733, Voltaire published a series of short essays that attacked and comically critisized the French way of life. These essays were based on the time that he experienced living in England after being exiled from France. He showed great admiration for their ways of tolerating freedom. These proved to be highly influential in reshaping France and their attitude towards liberty (Philosophical Letters - Voltaire). -
Voltaire publsihes Zadig
The exact month and day for the publishing of Zadig is unknown, but is estimated to have been executed in 1747. This book is fictional but described some social and political challenges Voltaire was facing in his present day. It tells of a young philosopher, Zadig, in ancient Babylonia, and his adventures. After Candide, Zadig is suggested as Voltaire's next best literary work. Today it is widely known for its use of contradiction and juxtaposition (Zadig Summary). -
Voltaire publishes Micromégas
Micromégas, published in 1752, was a scientific fiction novel that contributed to the development of present day literature. It is organized into seven chapters, and tells the story of a young boy who goes on a journey to Saturn and Earth. Throughout the chapters, Aristotle, Descartes, Malebranche, Aquinas, and Locke 's philosophical ideas are expressed, like Aquinas' idea that "the universe was uniquely made for mankind." Micromégas emphasizes a variety of philosophical ideas (Micromegas) -
Lisbon Eathquake
On November 1, 1755 a devastating earthquake hit the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. It was thought to have a magnitude of 8.0 (even though there was no equiptment to accurately measure it), killing over 50,000 people. The earthquake also brought a 20ft tsunami, also killing thousands. Even though there was much damage, Lisbon went under reconstruction that some people thought overall, "changed it for the better" (Earthquake Takes Heavy Toll on Lisbon). -
Voltaire publishes Essay on the Customs and the Spirit of the Nations
In 1756, Volatire published his literary work, Essay on the Customs and the Spirit of the Nations. Throughout this essay he traced the world's progression in civilization, by mentioning social history and the arts. He demonstrated that persecution and intolerance were both usless. This essay was probably his most influential one yet, and intrigued philosophers even more to read his works (Voltaire [Voltaire]) -
Candide is published
On May 24, 1759, Candide, probably one of Voltaire's most famous novels was published. Candide was inspired by the heavy destruction caused by "The Great Earthquake of Lisbon" and deaths of The Seven Years War. Voltaire strongly disliked how people described these two events as incidents that "happened for the best." He wrote Candide in order to attack optimism, the philosophy that positive thinking can overcome evil and negative social conditions (Full Text of Candide). -
7 Years War Ends
On Febuary 10, 1763 the Years War ended. It was a global conflict between Spain, Great Britain, and France resulting in the Treaty of Paris. Its outcome; France lost all of its' claims in America, Britain got Spanish Florida and areas of Canada, and the 13 Colonies were ultimately strengthened (History Timeline 1700-1800). -
Voltaire publishes Philosophical Dictionary
On June 16, 1764, Voltaire published the Philosophical Dictionary. This book alphabetically arranged 73 articles in which he critisized the Roman Catholic Church and other systems. It focused mainly on the injustices of the church. It was censored in multiple countries because of its' outrageous claims on religion (The Enlightenment in France: Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, the Encyclopedists and Nicholas De Condorcet). -
Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre occured. A patriot mob had begun to harass British guards by throwing snowballs, sticks, and stones. At first the conflict was bloodless, but when the British soldiers heard someone shout, "Fire," they shot. This wounded 8 and killed 3 resulting in a town meeting demanding to have the British removed from Boston immediately (US History Timeline 1700-1800). -
John Priestly discovers oxygen
On August 1, 1774 John Priestly discovered oxygen. Oxygen makes up nearly 21% of Earth's atmosphere and is the third most abundant element in the universe. It allows much of life on Earth to stay alive and contributes to the human body, like the respiratory system, in tremendous ways (Pappas). -
Declaration of Independence
Throughout the past year, in 1775, Americans had constantly been fighting to free themselves of British control. When they decided they had just had about enough, the Continental Congress met to discuss ideas of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams, and Benjamin Franklin drafted a formal statement declaring the colones' intentions and independence. This draft they created is known as The Declaration of Independence (Us History Timeline 1700-1800). -
Voltaire's Death
Voltaire passes away May 30, 1778, right where he began his life in Paris, France. It is said that he came back to Paris after returning from Ferney. The excitement and commotion of coming back to Paris after a long trip was too much for him to handle, and his last words are, "For God's sake, let me die in peace." Voltaire died in his sleep at age 83, and wasburried at an abbey in Champagne, Paris (Voltaire [François-Marie Arouet]By Individual Philosopher Philosophy).
