Jonathan Swift was born on 30 November 1667 in Dublin. An Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman, Swift is regarded as one of the greatest satirists in English. His Gulliver's Travels, a fantastic account of voyages to imaginary lands, was both an adventure story and a sharp attack on human folly and politics. A Modest Proposal, in which he ironically suggested that the poor of Ireland should sell their children as food, remains a famous piece of satire. Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, he defended Irish interests in the Drapier's Letters, and he was a writer for the Tory party. He left his wealth to found a hospital for the mentally ill.
Before and after
- 19 December 1666Founding of Lund University
- 1667Publication of Paradise Lost
- from 24 May 1667 to 2 May 1668War of Devolution
- from 9 June 1667 to 14 June 1667Raid on the Medway
- 30 November 1667Birth of Jonathan Swift
- 1668Founding of Sveriges Riksbank
- 1669Discovery of phosphorus
- 4 October 1669Death of Rembrandt
- 1670Founding of Fall River
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 1500sMona Lisa
- 18 April 1506Construction of St. Peter's Basilica
- 1 January 1519Origins of Reformed Christianity
- 1605Publication of Don Quixote
- from 1660 to 1725Rise of Classicism
- from c. 1730s to 1780sRise of Rococo
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.