Jane Austen

1775 – 1817 · died at about 42^[1][2]

Literature

Fun Facts About Jane Austen

• Jane Austen accepted her only known marriage proposal, from Harris Bigg-Wither, then realized by the next morning that she had made a mistake and withdrew.^[1]
• Austen's name never appeared on her books during her lifetime. Later novels were billed as written "By the author of Sense and Sensibility".^[1]
• When Austen's father offered the novel that became Pride and Prejudice to a London publisher, his letter came back marked "Declined by Return of Post".^[1]
• A publisher paid £10 for Austen's novel Susan, later Northanger Abbey, then sat on it for years, until she bought the copyright back in 1816.^[1]
• Austen disapproved of the Prince Regent, a fan who kept her novels at each of his residences, but she could scarcely refuse when asked to dedicate Emma to him.^[1]
• Austen's epitaph in Winchester Cathedral, written by her brother, does not explicitly mention her achievements as a writer.^[1]
• Jane Austen was alive at the same time as Voltaire — their lives overlapped for 3 years (1775–1778).^[1][2][3][4]
• Jane Austen and Caravaggio died on the same day of the year, July 18.^[1][2][5][6]

Jane Austen was an English writer known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century.^[1]

Contemporaries

James Watt

42 yr overlap

Thomas Jefferson

42 yr overlap

Francisco Goya

42 yr overlap

Edward Jenner

42 yr overlap

Hokusai

42 yr overlap

Napoleon Bonaparte

42 yr overlap

Ludwig van Beethoven

42 yr overlap

John Adams

42 yr overlap

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

42 yr overlap

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

42 yr overlap

Andrew Jackson

42 yr overlap

James Madison

42 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Jane Austen

When was Jane Austen born?

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, and died on July 18, 1817.

How old was Jane Austen at death?

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, and died on July 18, 1817, at age 41.

What was Jane Austen known for?

Jane Austen was known for: Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen was an English writer known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century.

Who was alive at the same time as Jane Austen?

Jane Austen's closest contemporary was James Watt. Their lives overlapped for 42 years.