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If you’ve ever pondered which famous person, alive or dead, you’d like to have dinner with, you’ve likely dreamed of connecting your life with the legends who shaped history. A fascinating data visualization called The Big Map of Who Lived When, created by Redditor profound_whatever, brings this idea to life. It displays the lifespans of historical and contemporary figures in a timeline, revealing surprising connections and overlaps of people who lived during the same time.
The map uses a color-coding system to divide the famous figures into seven categories: Artists, Business & Industry, Entertainers, Athletes, Writers, and Leaders & Baddies. It also highlights specific events and eras in another color, offering a fascinating perspective on the individuals’ historical overlap.
For instance, did you know that impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926) lived during the same time as aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (1897–1939)? Monet passed away just 11 years before Earhart vanished over the Pacific Ocean in 1937, and she was later declared dead in 1939. Additionally, it’s interesting to see that current U.S. President Joe Biden and filmmaker Martin Scorsese were both born in 1942. And Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) and Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) were born just four days apart.
Another more obscure overlap reveals that J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973), author of The Lord of the Rings, coincided by one year with rapper Eminem (born 1972). And it’s fascinating to be reminded that explorer Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), polymath Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), and theologian Martin Luther (1483–1546) were all alive at the same time.
The map also highlights notable periods such as the Age of Discovery, the Age of Enlightenment, and the Golden Age of Piracy, showcasing the influential individuals who shaped these eras. It underscores how these small, influential groups made a significant impact during their lifetimes. For example, the Lost Generation, consisting of iconic writers and poets such as Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, left a lasting mark on literature and culture.
Check out The Big Map of Who Lived When below to find more surprising overlaps of famous lives. And for more specialized insight, check out a version just focusing on Writers, Poets, Playwrights, and Philosophers.
The Big Map of Who Lived When visualizes the lifespans of famous figures, revealing surprising connections and overlaps between people who lived during the same time.
Click for full view.
For more specialized insight, check out a version just focusing on Writers, Poets, Playwrights, and Philosophers.
Click for full view.