John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester was an English poet and courtier of King Charles II's Restoration court, who reacted against the "spiritual authoritarianism" of the Puritan era. Rochester embodied this new era, and he became as well known for his rakish lifestyle as for his poetry, although the two were often interlinked. He died as a result of a sexually transmitted infection at the age of 33.

1 April 1647

Born on the same birth day (1 April): Alexander Stubb • Aprille Ericsson • Bijou Phillips • Chris Evans (presenter) • Daniel Paillé • David N'Gog • Jane Powell • John Butler (musician) • John Morris (cricketer, born 1964) • Jonathan Haze • Mark Jackson • Memos Makris • Samboy Lim

Born in the same month (April 1647): Maria Sibylla Merian • William Ashhurst