Ludwig van Beethoven was born on 16 December 1770 in Bonn. A German composer and pianist, Beethoven was born in Bonn and moved to Vienna, where he studied and became a celebrated virtuoso and composer. His music links the Classical and Romantic periods, and includes nine symphonies, five piano concertos, thirty-two piano sonatas, string quartets and the opera Fidelio. He began to lose his hearing in his late twenties, and was almost completely deaf in his last years, but he continued to compose, writing the Ninth Symphony with its choral finale, the Ode to Joy. His works expanded the scope and emotional power of music and have influenced composers ever since.
Before and after
- 13 December 1769Founding of Dartmouth College
- 5 March 1770Boston Massacre
- 7 April 1770Birth of William Wordsworth
- 27 August 1770Birth of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
- 16 December 1770Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven
- 1771Construction of Vatican Museums
- 1771Discovery of oxygen
- 1771Arkwright opens Cromford Mill, the first modern factory
- 15 August 1771Birth of Walter Scott
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The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.