Origins & Early Life

Georges Duby (French: [ʒɔʁʒ dybi]; 7 October 1919 – 3 December 1996) was a French historian who specialised in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages. He ranks among the most influential medieval historians of the twentieth century and was one of France's most prominent public intellectuals from the 1970s to his death. In 2019, his work was published in the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade. Born in Paris to a family of craftsmen of Burgundian and Alsacian origin, Duby was initially educated in the field of historical geography before he moved into history.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He earned an undergraduate degree at Lyon in 1942 and completed his graduate thesis at the Sorbonne under Charles-Edmond Perrin in 1952. He taught first at Besançon and then at the University of Aix-en-Provence before he was appointed in 1970 to the Chair of the History of Medieval Society in the Collège de France. He remained attached to the Collège until his retirement in 1991. He was elected to the Académie française in 1987. Although Duby authored dozens of books, articles and reviews during his prolific career—for academic as well as popular audiences—his...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Akashi Motojiro — Contemporary (Died in 1919) (1919): General in the Imperial Japanese Army and Governor-General of Taiwan.
• Andrew Carnegie — Contemporary (Died in 1919) (1919): Scottish-American industrialist who pioneered the American steel industry and became a major philanthropist.
• Beate Uhse-Rotermund — Contemporary (Born in 1919) (1919): Pioneering German pilot and influential founder of the modern sex shop industry.
• 6ix9ine — Contemporary (Born in 1996) (1996): American rapper known for aggressive style and controversial public persona.
• A'ja Wilson — Contemporary (Born in 1996) (1996): Elite American WNBA star known for multiple MVP awards and championship success.
• Abdus Salam — Contemporary (Died in 1996) (1996): Pioneering Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate.
• Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi — Shared historical date (10-07 · Died) (732): Umayyad commander who led Andalusian forces against the Franks, dying at Tours.
• Al Martino — Shared historical date (10-07 · Born) (1927): Iconic Italian-American crooner, celebrated for standards and his role in The Godfather.
• Anna Freud — Shared historical date (12-03 · Born) (1895): Pioneering psychoanalyst known for child psychology and ego theory.
• Anton Webern — Shared historical date (12-03 · Born) (1883): Radical modernist composer of the Second Viennese School, known for atonal and twelve-tone techniques.
• 1919 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1919
• October 7 (10-07) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 7
• 1996 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1996
• December 3 (12-03) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 3