Origins & Early Life

John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He was a pioneer archaeologist, who recorded (often for the first time) numerous megalithic and other field monuments in southern England, and who is particularly noted for his systematic examination of the Avebury henge monument. The Aubrey holes at Stonehenge are named after him, although there is considerable doubt as to whether the holes that he observed are those that currently bear the name. He was also a pioneer folklorist, collecting together a miscellany of material on customs, traditions and beliefs under the title "Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme".

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He set out to compile county histories of both Wiltshire and Surrey, although both projects remained unfinished. His "Interpretation of Villare Anglicanum" (also unfinished) was the first attempt to compile a full-length study of English place-names. He had wider interests in applied mathematics and astronomy, and was friendly with many of the greatest scientists of the day. Aubrey was the author of Brief Lives, a collection of short biographical pieces. For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, thanks largely to the popularity...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Christina, Queen of Sweden — Contemporary (Born in 1626) (1626): Queen of Sweden, known for her intellect, patronage, and dramatic abdication to Rome.
• Edmund Gunter — Contemporary (Died in 1626) (1626): English clergyman and mathematician known for Gunter's chain and logarithmic tangents.
• Edward Alleyn — Contemporary (Died in 1626) (1626): Pioneering Elizabethan actor and founder of the Dulwich College.
• Abbé Prévost — Contemporary (Born in 1697) (1697): French novelist, best known for the highly popular romance, Manon Lescaut.
• Anne Bonny — Contemporary (Born in 1697) (1697): Iconic Irish pirate of the Golden Age, known for her daring service under John Rackham.
• Canaletto — Contemporary (Born in 1697) (1697): Master Vedutista: Celebrated painter of Venetian and Roman cityscapes.
• Alexander Mackenzie (explorer) — Shared historical date (03-12 · Died) (1820): Scottish explorer and fur trader famed for crossing North America north of Mexico.
• André Le Nôtre — Shared historical date (03-12 · Born) (1613): Master French landscape architect, famed for the formal gardens of Versailles.
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — Shared historical date (06-07 · Died) (2006): Jordanian jihadist militant known for orchestrating violence in Iraq (1966–2006)
• Al-Nasir Muhammad — Shared historical date (06-07 · Died) (1341): Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, known for his extensive, though turbulent, rule across several decades.
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