Origins & Early Life

Louis XIII (French pronunciation: [lwi tʁɛz]; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. Shortly before his ninth birthday, Louis became king of France and Navarre after his father Henry IV was assassinated. His mother, Marie de' Medici, acted as regent during his minority. Mismanagement of the kingdom and ceaseless political intrigues by Marie and her Italian favourites led the young king to take power in 1617 by exiling his mother and executing her followers, including Concino Concini, the most influential Italian at the French court.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Louis XIII, taciturn and suspicious, relied heavily on his chief ministers, first Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes and then Cardinal Richelieu, to govern the Kingdom of France. The King and the Cardinal are remembered for establishing the Académie française, and ending the revolt of the French nobility. They systematically destroyed the castles of defiant lords, and denounced the use of private violence (dueling, carrying weapons, and maintaining private armies). By the end...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Thomas Nashe — Contemporary (Died in 1601) (1601): Influential Elizabethan satirist, poet, and prolific pamphleteer of the English Renaissance.
• Tycho Brahe — Contemporary (Died in 1601) (1601): Pioneering Danish astronomer whose precise observations launched the Scientific Revolution.
• Benedetto Castelli — Contemporary (Died in 1643) (1643): Italian mathematician known for his association with Galileo and his work in hydraulics.
• Claudio Monteverdi — Contemporary (Died in 1643) (1643): Pioneering Italian composer, bridging the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
• Hong Taiji — Contemporary (Died in 1643) (1643): Founding emperor of the Qing dynasty, consolidating power and expanding the Manchu realm.
• Aimee Semple McPherson — Shared historical date (09-27 · Died) (1944): Pioneering Pentecostal evangelist, famous for founding the Foursquare Church.
• Albert Ellis — Shared historical date (09-27 · Born) (1913): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• August Strindberg — Shared historical date (05-14 · Died) (1912): Pioneering Swedish literary figure, playwright, and essayist of the late 19th century.
• B. B. King — Shared historical date (05-14 · Died) (2015): Pioneering electric blues master, nicknamed 'The King of the Blues'.
• René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle — Historical peer (Born in 1643) (1643): French explorer who claimed the Mississippi River basin for France as La Louisiane.
• 1601 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1601
• September 27 (09-27) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 27
• 1643 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1643
• May 14 (05-14) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 14