Birth of Denis Diderot5 October 1713
Denis Diderot is born in Langres to master cutler Didier Diderot.
Historical person
Denis Diderot Biography
Historical biography and chronological timeline for Denis Diderot, based on 12 World History Database records associated with France.
12 records1713–178412 events4 places
Chronological biography
1713
1732
Master of Arts Degree1732
Diderot receives a Master of Arts degree after studies in Paris.
1746
Philosophical Thoughts1746
Diderot anonymously publishes Philosophical Thoughts, challenging religious dogmatism.
1749
Letter on the Blind1749
Diderot publishes Letter on the Blind and is imprisoned for its materialist implications.
Imprisonment at Vincennes24 July 1749
Diderot is confined at Vincennes because of his controversial philosophical writings.
1751
First Volume of the Encyclopedie28 June 1751
Diderot and d'Alembert publish the first volume of the Encyclopedie.
Encyclopedie First Volume1 July 1751
Publishes the first volume of the Encyclopedie with collaborators.
Enlightenment Knowledge Project1 July 1751
Organizes scientific, technical and philosophical knowledge for a broad readership.
1759
Encyclopedie Suppression1759
Royal authorities revoke the Encyclopedie's publication privilege, forcing editorial work underground.
1765
Completion of Encyclopedie Text1765
Diderot completes the principal text volumes of the Encyclopedie after years of censorship.
1773
Journey to Russia1773
Diderot travels to Russia and discusses education and reform with Catherine II.
1784
Death of Denis Diderot31 July 1784
Denis Diderot dies in Paris, aged seventy.
Titles and roles
Editor · Editor and Philosopher · Philosopher · Student
Record provenance
This biography is assembled from World History Database records filtered by country and personal-name fields. Exact duplicate display records are removed. The database is an index rather than a complete narrative biography; formal research should verify entries against relevant primary or specialist sources.