Historical figures in Oxford

The atlas holds 27 people and 46 moments here, from 1492 to 2015. The most recorded lives are J. R. R. Tolkien, Winston Churchill and John Locke. Among them Writers, Philosophers and Scientists, across the Space Age and the Cold War.

Notable people

1. J. R. R. Tolkien

   from 1911 to 1972

   10 moments here

   John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English philologist, university professor, and author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.…

2. Winston Churchill

   from 1874 to 1965

   3 moments here

   Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874–1965) was a British soldier, journalist, author and statesman whose career ranged from imperial campaigns in…

3. John Locke

   from 1652 to 1681

   3 moments here

   English philosopher, physician, and political writer. Locke was born in Somerset, educated in London and Oxford, served Lord Shaftesbury in London,…

4. Elizabeth I

   from 1554 to 1592

   3 moments here

   Elizabeth I (1533–1603), daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death.…

5. Rabindranath Tagore

   from 1920 to 1930

   2 moments here

   Bengali poet, novelist, dramatist, composer, painter, philosopher, social reformer, and educationist.…

6. Adam Smith

   in 1740

   2 moments here

   Scottish moral philosopher and political economist of the Scottish Enlightenment, author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the…

7. Stephen Hawking

   from 1942 to 1959

   2 moments here

   English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author whose work on singularities, black-hole thermodynamics, and Hawking radiation reshaped modern…

8. Benazir Bhutto

   from 1973 to 1977

   2 moments here

   Pakistani political leader who served twice as prime minister, from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996.…

9. Albert Einstein

   in 1931

   1 moment here

   German-born theoretical physicist who transformed modern physics through special and general relativity, foundational work on quantum theory, and…

10. Ronald Reagan

    in 1992

    1 moment here

    American broadcaster, actor, labor leader, governor of California, and 40th president of the United States.…

11. Charles Darwin

    in 1847

    1 moment here

    English naturalist, geologist, and biologist whose observations during the global voyage of HMS Beagle and subsequent research led to his theory of…

12. Charlie Chaplin

    in 1962

    1 moment here

    English actor, comedian, director, writer, producer and composer whose screen persona, the Tramp, became an international icon.…

13. Mark Twain

    in 1907

    1 moment here

    Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known as Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, journalist, lecturer, riverboat pilot, and traveler.…

14. Oscar Wilde

    in 1874

    1 moment here

    Irish author, poet, playwright, critic, and leading figure in late nineteenth-century aestheticism.…

15. Margaret Thatcher

    in 1943

    1 moment here

    British stateswoman Margaret Hilda Thatcher (née Roberts) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, the first woman to hold the…

16. Jane Austen

    in 1783

    1 moment here

    English novelist Jane Austen spent her life in southern England, principally in Hampshire, Bath, Southampton, Chawton, and Winchester.…

17. Jorge Luis Borges

    in 1971

    1 moment here

    Argentine writer, poet, essayist, translator, lecturer, librarian, and critic. Borges was born in Buenos Aires, lived in Switzerland and Spain during…

18. Theodore Roosevelt

    in 1910

    1 moment here

    Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (1858–1919) was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909.…

19. Osama bin Laden

    in 1971

    1 moment here

    Saudi-born founder and first emir of al-Qaeda. His documented movements include childhood and education in Saudi Arabia and England; militant…

20. Indira Gandhi

    in 1937

    1 moment here

    Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was an Indian stateswoman who served as prime minister from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.…

21. Jonathan Swift

    in 1692

    1 moment here

    Anglo-Irish writer, satirist, political pamphleteer, and Church of Ireland cleric, best known for Gulliver's Travels, A Tale of a Tub, and A Modest…

22. Thomas Hobbes

    in 1603

    1 moment here

    English philosopher and political theorist, best known for Leviathan (1651). Hobbes’s documented movements include study at Oxford, European travel…

23. Desiderius Erasmus

    in 1499

    1 moment here

    Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, theologian, editor, and author. Erasmus was born in the Burgundian Netherlands, educated in the Low…

24. John Milton

    in 1642

    1 moment here

    English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. This chronology follows documented residences, education, continental travel, marriages, public service,…

Moments

1. 1492 Studies at Oxford Thomas More
2. 1499 First English visit at Oxford Desiderius Erasmus
3. 1554 House arrest at Woodstock Palace Elizabeth I
4. 1566 Royal visit to Oxford Elizabeth I
5. 1583 First Oxford visit and public debate Giordano Bruno
6. 1592 Visit to Ryecote Elizabeth I
7. 1603 Student at Magdalen Hall Thomas Hobbes
8. 1642 Marriage at Forest Hill John Milton
9. 1652 Christ Church residence and study John Locke
10. 1674 Return to Oxford for medical degree John Locke
11. 1681 Oxford Parliament activity John Locke
12. 1692 Master's degree at Hart Hall Jonathan Swift
13. 1740 Departure for Oxford Adam Smith
14. 1740 Oxford study Adam Smith
15. 1783 Education in Oxford Jane Austen
16. 1847 Attends British Association at Oxford Charles Darwin
17. 1874 Magdalen College undergraduate Oscar Wilde
18. 1874 Born at Blenheim Palace Winston Churchill
19. 1907 Receives Oxford honorary degree Mark Twain
20. 1908 Proposes to Clementine at Blenheim Winston Churchill
21. 1910 Romanes Lecture at Oxford Theodore Roosevelt
22. 1911 Begins at Exeter College J. R. R. Tolkien
23. 1918 Returns to Oxford for dictionary work J. R. R. Tolkien
24. 1920 Lectures at Oxford University Rabindranath Tagore
25. 1925 Returns to Oxford as professor J. R. R. Tolkien
26. 1930 Move to 20 Northmoor Road J. R. R. Tolkien
27. 1930 Delivers the Hibbert Lectures at Oxford Rabindranath Tagore
28. 1931 First Christ Church residence Albert Einstein
29. 1937 Somerville College studies Indira Gandhi
30. 1942 Birth in Oxford Stephen Hawking
31. 1943 Chemistry student at Somerville Margaret Thatcher
32. 1945 Merton Professor at Oxford J. R. R. Tolkien
33. 1947 Move to Manor Road J. R. R. Tolkien
34. 1950 Move to Holywell Street J. R. R. Tolkien
35. 1953 Move to Sandfield Road J. R. R. Tolkien
36. 1955 First O'Donnell Lecture J. R. R. Tolkien
37. 1959 Undergraduate study at University College Stephen Hawking
38. 1962 Receives Oxford honorary degree Charlie Chaplin
39. 1965 Buried at Bladon Winston Churchill
40. 1971 Oxford honorary doctorate Jorge Luis Borges
41. 1971 English-language course in Oxford Osama bin Laden
42. 1972 Return to central Oxford J. R. R. Tolkien
43. 1973 Relocates for Oxford study Benazir Bhutto
44. 1977 President of the Oxford Union Benazir Bhutto
45. 1992 Addresses Oxford Union Ronald Reagan
46. 2015 Visits Oxford and meets Mirzakhani Society Maryam Mirzakhani

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