PHYSICIST
Christiaan Huygens
1629 - 1695

Christiaan Huygens
Christiaan Huygens, Lord of Zeelhem, ( HY-gənz, US also HOY-gənz; Dutch: [ˈkrɪstijaːn ˈɦœyɣə(n)s] ; also spelled Huyghens; Latin: Hugenius; 14 April 1629 – 8 July 1695) was a Dutch mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor who is regarded as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. In physics, Huygens made seminal contributions to optics and mechanics, while as an astronomer he studied the rings of Saturn and discovered its largest moon, Titan. As an engineer and inventor, he improved the design of telescopes and invented the pendulum clock, the most accurate timekeeper for almost 300 years. A talented mathematician and physicist, his works contain the first idealization of a physical problem by a set of mathematical parameters, and the first mathematical and mechanistic explanation of an unobservable physical phenomenon. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Christiaan Huygens is the 34th most popular physicist (down from 23rd in 2019), the 14th most popular biography from Netherlands (down from 11th in 2019) and the most popular Dutch Physicist.
Christiaan Huygens was a Dutch mathematician and astronomer who is most famous for inventing the pendulum clock in 1656.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Christiaan Huygens ranks 34 out of 851. Before him are Maria Goeppert Mayer, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Owen Willans Richardson, Ibn al-Haytham, Heinrich Hertz, and Lawrence Bragg. After him are James Clerk Maxwell, Louis de Broglie, Hendrik Lorentz, Daniel Bernoulli, Lise Meitner, and Charles-Augustin de Coulomb.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsMaria Goeppert Mayer
1906 - 1972
HPI: 82.73
Rank: 28
Charles Thomson Rees Wilson
1869 - 1959
HPI: 82.58
Rank: 29
Owen Willans Richardson
1879 - 1959
HPI: 82.49
Rank: 30
Ibn al-Haytham
965 - 1039
HPI: 82.42
Rank: 31
Heinrich Hertz
1857 - 1894
HPI: 82.34
Rank: 32
Lawrence Bragg
1890 - 1971
HPI: 82.07
Rank: 33
Christiaan Huygens
1629 - 1695
HPI: 82.04
Rank: 34
James Clerk Maxwell
1831 - 1879
HPI: 82.02
Rank: 35
Louis de Broglie
1892 - 1987
HPI: 82.00
Rank: 36
Hendrik Lorentz
1853 - 1928
HPI: 81.81
Rank: 37
Daniel Bernoulli
1700 - 1782
HPI: 80.97
Rank: 38
Lise Meitner
1878 - 1968
HPI: 80.92
Rank: 39
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb
1736 - 1806
HPI: 80.87
Rank: 40
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1629, Christiaan Huygens ranks 1. After him are John III Sobieski, Alexis of Russia, Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Pieter de Hooch, Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias, Gabriël Metsu, John of Austria the Younger, Charles II, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat, Narai, William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and Cornelis Tromp. Among people deceased in 1695, Christiaan Huygens ranks 1. After him are Jean de La Fontaine, Ahmed II, Henry Purcell, Juana Inés de la Cruz, Johann Ambrosius Bach, Pierre Mignard, Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg, Zumbi, Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł, and Thomas Tew.
Others Born in 1629
Go to all RankingsChristiaan Huygens
PHYSICIST
1629 - 1695
HPI: 82.04
Rank: 1
John III Sobieski
POLITICIAN
1629 - 1696
HPI: 80.05
Rank: 2
Alexis of Russia
POLITICIAN
1629 - 1676
HPI: 76.05
Rank: 3
Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg
POLITICIAN
1629 - 1698
HPI: 75.36
Rank: 4
Pieter de Hooch
PAINTER
1629 - 1684
HPI: 72.19
Rank: 5
Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias
POLITICIAN
1629 - 1646
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 6
Gabriël Metsu
PAINTER
1629 - 1667
HPI: 68.59
Rank: 7
John of Austria the Younger
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1629 - 1679
HPI: 66.65
Rank: 8
Charles II, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat
NOBLEMAN
1629 - 1665
HPI: 65.35
Rank: 9
Narai
POLITICIAN
1629 - 1688
HPI: 64.23
Rank: 10
William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
POLITICIAN
1629 - 1663
HPI: 62.44
Rank: 11
Cornelis Tromp
WRITER
1629 - 1691
HPI: 61.97
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1695
Go to all RankingsChristiaan Huygens
PHYSICIST
1629 - 1695
HPI: 82.04
Rank: 1
Jean de La Fontaine
WRITER
1621 - 1695
HPI: 80.50
Rank: 2
Ahmed II
POLITICIAN
1643 - 1695
HPI: 79.09
Rank: 3
Henry Purcell
COMPOSER
1659 - 1695
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 4
Juana Inés de la Cruz
WRITER
1648 - 1695
HPI: 71.71
Rank: 5
Johann Ambrosius Bach
COMPOSER
1645 - 1695
HPI: 69.77
Rank: 6
Pierre Mignard
PAINTER
1612 - 1695
HPI: 69.35
Rank: 7
Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
NOBLEMAN
1641 - 1695
HPI: 67.64
Rank: 8
François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1628 - 1695
HPI: 67.37
Rank: 9
Zumbi
POLITICIAN
1655 - 1695
HPI: 67.12
Rank: 10
Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł
POLITICIAN
1667 - 1695
HPI: 62.73
Rank: 11
Thomas Tew
PIRATE
1649 - 1695
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 12
In Netherlands
Among people born in Netherlands, Christiaan Huygens ranks 14 out of 1,646. Before him are Johan Cruyff (1947), Pope Adrian VI (1459), Hieronymus Bosch (1450), Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525), Mata Hari (1876), and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632). After him are Hendrik Lorentz (1853), Beatrix of the Netherlands (1938), Daniel Bernoulli (1700), Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff (1852), Hugo Grotius (1583), and Pieter Zeeman (1865).
Others born in Netherlands
Go to all RankingsJohan Cruyff
SOCCER PLAYER
1947 - 2016
HPI: 84.03
Rank: 8
Pope Adrian VI
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1459 - 1523
HPI: 83.91
Rank: 9
Hieronymus Bosch
PAINTER
1450 - 1516
HPI: 83.79
Rank: 10
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
PAINTER
1525 - 1569
HPI: 83.58
Rank: 11
Mata Hari
DANCER
1876 - 1917
HPI: 82.51
Rank: 12
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
BIOLOGIST
1632 - 1723
HPI: 82.46
Rank: 13
Christiaan Huygens
PHYSICIST
1629 - 1695
HPI: 82.04
Rank: 14
Hendrik Lorentz
PHYSICIST
1853 - 1928
HPI: 81.81
Rank: 15
Beatrix of the Netherlands
POLITICIAN
1938 - Present
HPI: 81.24
Rank: 16
Daniel Bernoulli
PHYSICIST
1700 - 1782
HPI: 80.97
Rank: 17
Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff
CHEMIST
1852 - 1911
HPI: 80.83
Rank: 18
Hugo Grotius
LAWYER
1583 - 1645
HPI: 80.80
Rank: 19
Pieter Zeeman
PHYSICIST
1865 - 1943
HPI: 80.53
Rank: 20
Among PHYSICISTS In Netherlands
Among physicists born in Netherlands, Christiaan Huygens ranks 1. After him are Hendrik Lorentz (1853), Daniel Bernoulli (1700), Pieter Zeeman (1865), Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853), Johannes Diderik van der Waals (1837), Peter Debye (1884), Simon van der Meer (1925), Nicolaas Bloembergen (1920), Frits Zernike (1888), Martinus J. G. Veltman (1931), and Gerard 't Hooft (1946).
Christiaan Huygens
1629 - 1695
HPI: 82.04
Rank: 1
Hendrik Lorentz
1853 - 1928
HPI: 81.81
Rank: 2
Daniel Bernoulli
1700 - 1782
HPI: 80.97
Rank: 3
Pieter Zeeman
1865 - 1943
HPI: 80.53
Rank: 4
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
1853 - 1926
HPI: 78.07
Rank: 5
Johannes Diderik van der Waals
1837 - 1923
HPI: 77.51
Rank: 6
Peter Debye
1884 - 1966
HPI: 75.71
Rank: 7
Simon van der Meer
1925 - 2011
HPI: 74.74
Rank: 8
Nicolaas Bloembergen
1920 - 2017
HPI: 73.93
Rank: 9
Frits Zernike
1888 - 1966
HPI: 73.57
Rank: 10
Martinus J. G. Veltman
1931 - 2021
HPI: 72.82
Rank: 11
Gerard 't Hooft
1946 - Present
HPI: 68.92
Rank: 12