Voltaire
Satirist who attacked the Church and arbitrary power and championed religious tolerance; he spent his later years at Ferney near Geneva.
| Lived | 1694 – 1778 |
| Known as | Enlightenment writer |
| Birthplace or main place | Paris |
| Places on the map | Paris, Geneva |
ParisSee the world of Voltaire in the interactive map
Who ruled these places in his lifetime
| Place | At birth (map of 1650) | At death (map of 1700) |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | France | same |
| Geneva | Swiss Confederation | Sardinia-Piedmont |
From the border maps nearest to each date; borders are approximate.
Further reading
Contemporaries
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1706 – 1790 | Benjamin Franklin | Scientist and statesman |
| 1711 – 1799 | Qianlong Emperor | Qing emperor |
| 1712 – 1778 | Jean-Jacques Rousseau | Philosopher |
| 1685 – 1750 | Johann Sebastian Bach | Composer |
| 1724 – 1804 | Immanuel Kant | Philosopher |
| 1728 – 1779 | James Cook | Navigator |
| 1729 – 1796 | Catherine the Great | Empress of Russia |
| 1732 – 1799 | George Washington | First president of the United States |
| 1743 – 1826 | Thomas Jefferson | Third president of the United States |
| 1643 – 1727 | Isaac Newton | Scientist |
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.