Francis Bacon
1561–1626 · English · Early Modern Period
Known for: Father of the scientific method who died from experimenting with frozen chicken—literally
Brilliant, ambitious, and morally flexible. Rose to Lord Chancellor but was convicted of bribery. A gifted essayist whose aphorisms remain widely quoted.
He reportedly died from pneumonia contracted while stuffing a chicken with snow to test freezing. His inductive method became the basis of modern science.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.