Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German polymath and writer, who is widely regarded as the greatest and most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a profound and wide-ranging influence on Western literary, political, and philosophical thought from the late 18th century to the present day. Goethe was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatises on botany, anatomy, and color.

28 August 1749

Born on the same birth day (28 August): Andrei Platonov • Ben Gazzara • Brian Thompson • Caleb Moore • Cyril Walters • Gareth Farrelly • Godfrey Hounsfield • Hamish McLachlan • István Kertész (conductor) • Jake Owen • Jo Kwon • Jonathan Reynolds • Kanō Motonobu • Lee Janzen • Morris Graves • Royce Willis • Ruth Riley • Umberto Giordano • Vance Palmer • Wayne Osmond • Wendelin Wiedeking • Will Harris (baseball)

Born in the same month (August 1749): Thomas Lynch Jr.