Origins & Early Life

Sir Simon Michael Schama ( SHAH-mə; born 13 February 1945) is an English historian and television presenter. He specialises in art history, Dutch history, Jewish history, and French history. As of January 2026 he is a professor of history and art history at Columbia University. Schama first came to public attention with his history of the French Revolution titled Citizens, published in 1989.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He is also known for writing and hosting the 15-part BBC television documentary series A History of Britain (2000–2002), as well as other documentary series such as The American Future: A History (2008) and The Story of the Jews (2013). Schama was knighted in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List. Simon Michael Schama was born on 13 February 1945 in Marylebone, London. His mother, Gertie (née Steinberg), was from an Ashkenazi Lithuanian Jewish family (from Kaunas, present-day Lithuania), and his father, Arthur Schama, was of Sephardi Jewish background (from Smyrna, present-day İzmir in Turkey), later moving through Moldova and Romania. Schama has recalled attending synagogue with his family every Shabbat during his childhood and not travelling by car or bus on the...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Mulally — Contemporary (Born in 1945) (1945): Aerospace executive credited with revitalizing Boeing and saving Ford Motor Company.
• Anne Frank — Contemporary (Died in 1945) (1945): German-born diarist whose secret writings documented life in hiding during the Holocaust.
• Anne Murray — Contemporary (Born in 1945) (1945): Pioneering Canadian country and pop vocalist with a 40-year global career.
• Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah — Shared historical date (02-13 · Died) (1021): Sixth Fatimid Caliph and 16th Ismaili Imam, known for a controversial reign.
• Aung San — Shared historical date (02-13 · Born) (1915): Burmese politician and independence activist, considered the 'Father of the Nation' of Myanmar.
• Anselm Kiefer — Historical peer (Born in 1945) (1945): German painter and sculptor confronting German history, the Holocaust, and myth.
• Anton Webern — Historical peer (Died in 1945) (1945): Radical modernist composer of the Second Viennese School, known for atonal and twelve-tone techniques.
• Anthony Leggett — Historical peer (Died in 2026) (2026): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for work on superfluidity and low-temperature quantum systems.
• Biruté Galdikas — Historical peer (Died in 2026) (2026): Pioneering primatologist and conservationist, renowned for her work with orangutans.
• A. J. Ayer — Historical peer (Died in 1989) (1989): Influential English philosopher known for logical positivism and emotivism.
• 1945 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1945
• February 13 (02-13) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 13