Origins & Early Life

Johannes Messenius (1579–1636) was a Swedish historian, dramatist and university professor. He was born in the village of Freberga, in Stenby parish in Östergötland, and died in Oulu, in modern-day Finland. He was the son of a miller named Jöns Thordsson. At an early age his brilliance caught the attention of a monastery priest named Magnus Andreae, who gave him guidance and taught him.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Unbeknownst to the boy's parents, the priest sent him to the Jesuit school in Braunsberg, which was specialized in educating boys for winning Scandinavia back from Protestantism. After seven years in Braunsberg, Johannes travelled across Europe. He visited Denmark in 1602, and in 1603, he was a dinner speaker at Bishop Piotr Tylicki in Kraków. He made a short visit in Rome in 1604, but the climate forced him to return to Germany where he possibly won an M.A. in Ingolstadt, in 1605.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He is also said to have received the title Poëta cæsarius ("poet of the Emperor") from emperor Rudolph II. Johannes moved further north to the Jesuit hostel in Danzig, he taught at a school in Braunsberg, and eventually, he opened a private school in Danzig, where he married Lucia Grothusen...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Dong Qichang — Contemporary (Died in 1636) (1636): Influential Ming Dynasty art theorist, calligrapher, and painter.
• Iskandar Muda — Contemporary (Died in 1636) (1636): Twelfth Sultan of Aceh; presided over the sultanate's peak power and territorial reach.
• Louise Boursier — Contemporary (Died in 1636) (1636): Pioneering French midwife and medical writer, author of foundational texts on obstetrics.
• Amy Johnson — Shared historical date (07-01 · Born) (1903): Pioneering English aviator, first woman to fly solo from London to Australia.
• Babak Khorramdin — Shared historical date (07-01 · Born) (798): 9th-century Iranian revolutionary leader of the Khorram-Dinān rebellion.
• Adam Johann von Krusenstern — Shared historical date (11-08 · Born) (1770): Russian admiral and explorer, famed for leading the first Russian circumnavigation.
• Alain Delon — Shared historical date (11-08 · Born) (1935): Iconic French actor, producer, and cinematic leading man of the 20th century.
• Michael Sendivogius — Historical peer (Died in 1636) (1636): Polish alchemist, philosopher, and physician, pioneer of chemistry.
• Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux — Historical peer (Born in 1636) (1636): Influential French poet and literary critic, known for reforming French verse.
• Abul Fazl — Historical peer (Died in 1602) (1602): Pioneering Mughal historian, writer, and Grand Vizier of Emperor Akbar's court.
• 1579 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1579
• July 1 (07-01) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 1
• 1636 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1636
• November 8 (11-08) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on November 8