Joseph de Maistre

Joseph Marie, comte de Maistre was a Savoyard philosopher, lawyer, diplomat, and magistrate. One of the forefathers of conservatism, Maistre advocated social hierarchy and monarchy in the period immediately following the French Revolution. Despite his close personal and intellectual ties with France, Maistre was throughout his life a subject of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which he served as a member of the Savoy Senate (1787–1792), ambassador to Russia (1803–1817), and minister of state to the court in Turin (1817–1821).

1 April 1753

Born on the same birth day (1 April): Abdul Qadeer Khan • Alberta Hunter • Alexander Stubb • Andrew Vlahov • Antonis Fotsis • D. Boon • Ding Junhui • Gábor Király • Harry Carney • Loris Kessel • Mark Jackson • Mehmet Özdilek • Nikitas Kaklamanis • Otto von Bismarck • Samboy Lim • William Mulready