Famous Historical Figures Most People Have No Idea Lived At The Same Time
Vote on the most surprising overlapping timelines.
History is a murky concept at best, and it gets murkier the further back one goes. That’s why it’s often so surprising to learn about famous historical figures who lived at the same time, let alone historical moments that happened at the same time. Sometimes, it’s even more surprising to learn about historical figures who were born at the same time, which, rude as it may sound, often gives one a true sense of just how damn old some people are!
History is full of amazing paths that crossed. Thanks to all the famous world leaders who were alive at the same time, humanity has had some unlikely friendships throughout history, like the one between Elvis and Nixon, who invented the war on drugs. As they say, it’s a small world, after all, and it also happens to be a world filled with interesting people - many of whom walked the Earth at the exact same time.
- 1114 VOTES
Buddha And Socrates Could Have Philosophized Together
The exact birth date of Buddha Shakyamuni is not totally clear, but he’s definitely “religion founding” old. One possible life span for Buddha is about 480 BCE to 400 BCE, which would mean that his life overlapped almost perfectly with another important philosopher: Socrates. The Greek thinker, who practically defined Western thought, was born around 470 BCE and died in 399 BCE after being sentenced to death by hemlock poisoning. A well-traveled individual could have possibly learned under both men.
- 297 VOTES
Abraham Lincoln And Charles Darwin Were Born On The Same Day
Both men were born the exact same day, February 12, 1809.
- 3106 VOTES
Martin Luther King, Anne Frank, And Barbara Walters Were Born The Same Year
The 20th century was a tumultuous time in which several of history’s most influential figures made their mark. It has ensured that certain birth years are absolutely “stacked” when it comes to notables. The year 1929 is one such year. Right away, on January 15, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born, followed by author and Holocaust victim Anne Frank on June 12. Then, legendary TV journalist Barbara Walters was born on September 25 that same year.
Although several other important figures were born in 1929, these three in particular are interesting because they each appear to belong in different eras. Frank died during the Holocaust, King Jr. changed the world in the ‘60s, and Walters was active up until she retired in 2014.
- 483 VOTES
Leonardo Da Vinci Was A Year Younger Than Christopher Columbus
Leonardo da Vinci is the definitive figure of the Italian Renaissance and Christopher Columbus is known as the man who brought the world into the modern age with his “discovery” of the New World. One would think that da Vinci was born long before Columbus, but he was actually a year younger. Columbus was born sometime in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. Elsewhere in Italy, Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, less than a year later.
- 593 VOTES
Neil Armstrong Reached His Late Teens Before Orville Wright Passed Away
Orville Wright is one half of the famous Wright Brothers, who achieved the world’s first successful flight in 1903. Amazingly, humanity would only take another 66 years before putting a person on the moon, which means that Orville’s life actually overlapped with that of the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. While Wilbur Wright died at the age of 45 in 1912, Orville, the younger brother born in 1871, lived a much longer life before dying on January 30, 1948. Neil Armstrong, who was born on August 5, 1930, was 17 at the time of the last Wright brother's death.
- 681 VOTES
Queen Elizabeth II Was Born The Same Year As Marilyn Monroe
Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe are two of the most important female icons of the 20th century, albeit for entirely different reasons. Queen Elizabeth, born on April 21, 1926, was the longest reigning monarch in British history. Monroe’s reign as the queen of Hollywood was, tragically, quite brief. She was born Norma Jean Mortenson less than two months after the future Queen, on June 1, 1926, and died on August 5, 1962 at the age of 36.
- 776 VOTES
Abraham Lincoln Was 12 When Napoleon Died
Abraham Lincoln is probably most famous for putting an end to the Civil War and helping pave the way for enslaved people to be free in America. He was also a contemporary of another world leader famous for winning (and losing) a few wars - Napoleon Bonaparte. Honest Abe was born in a log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809, and was six years old when the French Emperor was fighting the Battle of Waterloo. Lincoln was 12 years old when Napoleon, who was born in Corsica on August 15, 1769, died in exile on May 5, 1821.
- 867 VOTES
Betty White Overlapped With Thomas Edison For Nine Years
Betty White was loved for her ageless charm and her long-reigning status as the only remaining Golden Girl until her passing on December 31, 2021 at the age of 99. White, born on January 17, 1922, was a teenager when World War II broke out and her life overlapped with some remarkable people. One of them was Thomas Edison, one of America’s greatest inventors - or a patent-stealing brigand, depending on who you ask. Edison was born on February 11, 1847, and lived until October 18, 1931. This means that White was nine years old when he died. The two could have conceivably met and had a conversation. There’s absolutely nothing to suggest that they did, but the fact that it could have happened is remarkable.
- 983 VOTES
Ben Franklin Was In His 20s When Isaac Newton Died
Benjamin Franklin is an important figure in the founding of America. Before that, he was an important philosopher and inventor. Franklin is most famous for discovering electricity, which seems like a modern thing, but Franklin, who lived from January 17, 1706, to April 17, 1790, was around for long enough to cross chronological paths with some truly classical scientists. One such example is Isaac Newton, the mathematical genius famous for describing gravity, among other things. Newton was born on December 25, 1642, and died on March 20, 1727.
- 1073 VOTES
Harriet Tubman Could Have Met Six-Year-Old John Wayne
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery sometime in 1820, and would later escape her bonds and help others escape as the conductor of the famous Underground Railroad. Despite her dangerous campaign, Tubman lived a long life, reaching the age of 93 before dying on March 10, 1913. She lived long enough to overlap with an icon of an entirely different American era, John Wayne. Wayne, whose real name was Marion Morrison, was born on May 26, 1907, and would lead a sizeable life of his own, dying on June 11, 1979.
- 1174 VOTES
Pablo Picasso Outlived Jimi Hendrix
Pablo Picasso is one of the most influential artists to have ever lived. Some people will find it surprising that he did all of his work in the 20th century. Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, and lived a long life until April 8, 1973. His life actually overlaps with some interesting characters. In fact, the entire life of another influential artist, Jimi Hendrix, was encapsulated within Picasso’s. Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942, and died tragically young in 1970 at the age of 27.
- 1266 VOTES
Pope Francis Is The Same Age As Buddy Holly Would Be
Pope Francis established himself as a fan favorite for his pleasant outlook on the world, which belies his advanced age. Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936, meaning he was born a little more than three months after rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly. The lead singer of the Crickets, born September 7, 1936, reached fame for his musical talents, but gained legendary status when he perished in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, along with several other musicians. On “The Day the Music Died,” Pope Francis hadn’t even entered the priesthood yet.
- 1351 VOTES
Woody Allen Was Born The Same Year As Elvis
Woody Allen seems like a relic from another era but, unfortunately for him, not an era in which marrying one’s adopted daughter would ever be acceptable. The infamous director was born in Brooklyn on November 30, 1935, and has been making movies since the ‘60s. He shares a birth year with another American entertainment icon whose reputation dwarfs his own - Elvis Presley. The King of Rock and Roll was born on January 8, 1935, and was dead by August 16, 1977, right when Allen was hitting his prime.
- 1473 VOTES
Donald Trump Was Around For Six Years Of Stalin
Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States of America. He’s also one of the oldest individuals to hold the office, which means that he was around for six years of Joseph Stalin’s brutal rule over the USSR when Stalin kicked the bucket. A holiday baby, Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia, on December 18, 1878, and died on March 5, 1953, after a lengthy reign. Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in New York City, not long after Stalin had helped win World War II.
- 1553 VOTES
Thomas Jefferson Was Around When Bach Was Still Making Music
Thomas Jefferson, born on April 13, 1743, is one of America’s most important founding fathers as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and the country’s third President. Jefferson, who fittingly died on July 4, 1826, is a controversial character for many reasons - most of which are slavery-related - and some try to excuse him because he is from a different era. Different enough of an era, it turns out, that he was around when Johann Sebastian Bach was still making music. The German composer was born on March 31, 1685, and lived until July 28, 1750, remaining active right up until his final years.
- 1654 VOTES
Queen Elizabeth II Was 14 During Winston Churchill’s First Stint As PM
The reign of Queen Elizabeth II, who was born on April 21, 1926, and crowned in 1953, had been the longest of any monarch in British history. Although it may not be surprising that she is a contemporary of another famous British leader, Winston Churchill, it is surprising just how much of a contemporary she was. Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, and died on January 24, 1965, and in between he served two stints as Prime Minister, from 1941 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955.
