Much of what we know about the Early Modern era comes from the writings of that time. With the proliferation of the printing press and a somewhat more literate population, much more literature of this period is preserved (as opposed to earlier times). Whether from a novel, play, travel journal or scientific paper, these writings add greatly to our knowledge of our history.
a Hungarian astronomer born in Pest, Hungary. Zach published Tables of the Sun (Gotha, 1792; new and improved edition, ibid., 1804), and numerous papers on geographical subjects, particularly on the geographical positions of many towns and places, which he determined on his travels with a sextant. His principal importance was, however, as editor of th...
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a Hungarian astronomer born in Pest, Hungary. Zach published Tables of the Sun (Gotha, 1792; new and improved edition, ibid., 1804), and numerous papers on geographical subjects, particularly on the geographical positions of many towns and places, which he determined on his travels with a sextant. His principal importance was, however, as editor of three scientific journals of great value.
a Sephardi Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian who served as Royal Astronomer in the 15th century to King John II of Portugal. The crater Zagut on the Moon is named after him.
an Orthodox Rabbi, and the founder and first (Lubavitcher) Rebbe of Chabad (1780–1812), a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi, Imperial Russia. He was the author of many works, and is best known for Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Tanya and his Siddur Torah Or compiled according to the Nusach Ari.
a Spanish-born Mexican historian, novelist, poet and journalist. He emigrated to Mexico in 1840. He died at 65 years of age after making important historiographical and journalistic to his adopted country contributions.
a bookseller and publisher. His most important achievement was the creation of a German encyclopedia, the Grosses Universal-Lexicon (Great Universal Lexicon), the largest and most comprehensive German-language encyclopedia developed in the 18th century.
a German Jewish bibliographer and librarian. In 1832 he became a tutor in the family of the book-seller A. Asher in Berlin, and later engaged in the book-trade himself; but being unsuccessful he accepted in 1845 a position as librarian of the Hebrew department of the British Museum in London.
a German American printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal. He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the governor of New York, but the jury acquitted Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press. In 1733, Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, in which the journal voiced op...
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a German American printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal. He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the governor of New York, but the jury acquitted Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press. In 1733, Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, in which the journal voiced opinions critical of the colonial governor, William Cosby. On November 17, 1734, on Cosby's orders, the sheriff arrested Zenger. After a grand jury refused to indict him, the Attorney General Richard Bradley charged him with libel in August 1735.
a German American printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal. He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the royal governor of New York, but the jury acquitted Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press. In 1733, Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, in which the journal voiced opinions c...
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a German American printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal. He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the royal governor of New York, but the jury acquitted Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press. In 1733, Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, in which the journal voiced opinions critical of the colonial governor, William Cosby. On November 17, 1734, on Cosby's orders, the sheriff arrested Zenger. After a grand jury refused to indict him, the Attorney General Richard Bradley charged him with libel in August 1735. Zenger's lawyers, Andrew Hamilton and William Smith, Sr., successfully argued that truth is a defense against charges of libel.
a noted Chinese poetical critic, who flourished in the 17th century. He was the author of the Ouwanji, a collection of essays, and also of a treatise on inks, dated 1671.
an 18th-century painter, engraver, writer and poet and a notable proponent of Pan-Slavism. His name was first mentioned in 1734 in Belgrade, where he was well known as an artist. Zhefrovich was the author of two religious works, an instruction to newly appointed priests and a description of Jerusalem. His name is also associated with two textbooks — a prim...
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an 18th-century painter, engraver, writer and poet and a notable proponent of Pan-Slavism. His name was first mentioned in 1734 in Belgrade, where he was well known as an artist. Zhefrovich was the author of two religious works, an instruction to newly appointed priests and a description of Jerusalem. His name is also associated with two textbooks — a primer and a grammar book, as well as numerous copper gravures of renowned personalities from Vojvodina.
the pseudonym of an early, mysterious commentator of the 18th-century Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. This person (a man or a woman) was a contemporary of the author Cao Xueqin, who knew the author intimately enough to be regarded as the chief commentator of his work, while it was still unpublished.
the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19th century. He held a high position at the Romanov court as tutor to the Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna and later to her son, the future Tsar-Liberator Alexander II.
a German religious and social reformer and bishop of the Moravian Church. Born at Dresden, Zinzendorf was often influenced by strong and vehement feelings, and he was easily moved both by sorrow and joy. He wrote a large number of hymns.
a Swiss reformed vicar. He was author and translator of many books. Zollikofers sermon on The unholy fiends' miserable condition - Christian warning regarding superstition and sorcery, in which magical practices are criticised. Witch-hunts were conducted with reference to his sermon.
a Spanish Romantic poet and dramatist. In 1837 he published a book of verses, mostly imitations of Alphonse de Lamartine and Victor Hugo, which was so favou...
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a Spanish Romantic poet and dramatist. In 1837 he published a book of verses, mostly imitations of Alphonse de Lamartine and Victor Hugo, which was so favourably received that he printed six more volumes within three years. After collaborating with Antonio García Gutiérrez on the play Juán Dondolo (1839) Zorrilla began his individual career as a dramatist with Cada cual con su razón (1840), and during the next five years he wrote twenty-two plays, many of them extremely successful.
a Croatian and Hungarian military leader, statesman and poet. He was a member of the House of Zrinski (or Zrínyi), a Croatian-Hungarian noble family. He is the author of the first epic poem in Hungarian literature.
an Italian Jesuit, astronomer, and physicist. As an astronomer he may have been the first to see the belts on the planet Jupiter (on May 17, 1630), and reported spots on Mars in 1640. His Optica philosophia experimentis et ratione a fundamentis constituta, published in 1652–56, described his 1616 experiments using a curved mirror instead of a lens a...
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an Italian Jesuit, astronomer, and physicist. As an astronomer he may have been the first to see the belts on the planet Jupiter (on May 17, 1630), and reported spots on Mars in 1640. His Optica philosophia experimentis et ratione a fundamentis constituta, published in 1652–56, described his 1616 experiments using a curved mirror instead of a lens as a telescope objective, which may be the earliest known description of a reflecting telescope.
an Aragonese historian of the sixteenth century who founded the modern tradition of historical scholarship in Spain. Zurita's style is somewhat crabbed and dry, but his authority is unquestionable; he displayed a new conception of an historian's duties, and, not content with the ample materials stored in the Archives of Aragon, continued his researches in th...
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an Aragonese historian of the sixteenth century who founded the modern tradition of historical scholarship in Spain. Zurita's style is somewhat crabbed and dry, but his authority is unquestionable; he displayed a new conception of an historian's duties, and, not content with the ample materials stored in the Archives of Aragon, continued his researches in the libraries of Rome, Naples and Sicily.
a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland; also a poet, hymnwriter, author of Pestlied. In his publications, he noted corruption in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, promoted clerical marriage, and attacked the use of images in places of worship.
