1791

Events in 1791 9

• 1756 – 1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Classical genius Austrian composer who showed prodigious talent from age 3. His 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, and operas Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute remain cornerstones of the repertoire.
• 1791 – 1871 Charles Babbage (1791-1871) Died 18 October 1871, aged 79 Babbage was an English mathematician and inventor who designed the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine, mechanical devices considered early forerunners of the modern computer. Financial and technical difficulties meant neither machine was completed in his lifetime. His work is now recognised as foundational to the history of computing.
• 1791 – 1860 Christian Karl Josias von Bunsen (1791-1860) Died 28 November 1860, aged 69 Christian Karl Josias von Bunsen was a Prussian diplomat and scholar who served as ambassador to Britain and wrote extensively on theology, philology and ancient Egypt. He was a central figure in Anglo-German intellectual exchange during the mid-nineteenth century. He died in Bonn on 28 November 1860.
• 1791 – 1872 Franz Grillparzer (1791-1872) Died 21 January 1872, aged 81 Franz Grillparzer was an Austrian dramatist and poet regarded as one of the leading writers of the Biedermeier era. His plays, including Sappho and King Ottokar's Rise and Fall, remain part of the German-language theatrical canon.
• 1791 – 1844 Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791-1844) Died 29 July 1844, aged 53 Composer, pianist and teacher, and the youngest son of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He spent much of his career in Lemberg (Lviv).
• 1791 – 1864 Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864) Died 2 May 1864, aged 72 German-born composer whose grand operas, including Robert le diable and Les Huguenots, dominated the Paris Opéra for decades. He died in Paris shortly before the premiere of his final opera, L'Africaine.
• 1791 – 1867 Michael Faraday (1791-1867) Died 25 August 1867, aged 75 Faraday was a British scientist whose experiments on electromagnetism and electrochemistry laid the groundwork for the electric motor and generator. He discovered electromagnetic induction and formulated the laws of electrolysis. His lectures and papers made him one of the most influential experimental scientists of the 19th century.
• 1791 – 1872 Samuel Morse (1791-1872) Died 2 April 1872, aged 80 Samuel Morse was an American inventor and painter who developed the single-wire telegraph system and co-created Morse code. His work made long-distance electrical communication practical and transformed how information traveled around the world.
• 1791 – 1868 James Buchanan 15th President — only bachelor president James Buchanan (Apr 23, 1791 – Jun 1, 1868) was the 15th President 1857-1861 and the only president never to marry. He failed to prevent the secession of Southern states and is often ranked among the worst presidents.