Origins & Early Life

Sir Richard John Evans (born 29 September 1947) is a British historian of 19th- and 20th-century Europe with a focus on Germany. He is the author of eighteen books, including his three-volume The Third Reich Trilogy (2003–2008). Evans was Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge from 2008 until he retired in 2014, and President of Cambridge's Wolfson College from 2010 to 2017. He has been Provost of Gresham College in London since 2014.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Evans was appointed Knight Bachelor for services to scholarship in the 2012 Birthday Honours. Richard Evans was born at Woodford, Essex, on 29 September 1947, to Ieuan Trefor Evans and Evelyn (Jones) Evans, who both came from Wales. He was educated at Forest School, Jesus College, Oxford (MA), and St Antony's College, Oxford (DPhil). In a 2004 interview, he stated that frequent visits to Wales during his childhood inspired both an interest in history and a sense of "otherness". He said one reason that he was drawn to the study of modern German history in the late 1960s was his identification of parallels between the Vietnam War and German imperialism.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He admired the work of Fritz Fischer, whom he credits...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Alfie Boe — Shared historical date (09-29 · Born) (1973): Acclaimed English musical theatre star, celebrated for roles like Jean Valjean.
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• Aleister Crowley — Historical peer (Died in 1947) (1947): Founder of Thelema, a major occultist, poet, and ceremonial magician.
• Alberto Sordi — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• Althea Gibson — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pioneering American tennis and golf star who broke racial barriers in sports.
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): Dissident author who exposed Soviet repression, notably the Gulag system.
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