Born: 23 May 1707 · Died: 10 January 1778 · Age at death: 70
How old was Carl Linnaeus when he died?
Carl Linnaeus died aged 70. He was born on 23 May 1707 and died on 10 January 1778.
Swedish botanist who created binomial nomenclature and the modern classification system that made him the father of taxonomy
Quick facts
Date of birth23 May 1707
Date of death10 January 1778
Age at death70
NationalitySwedish
BirthplaceRåshult, Sweden
Editor's Take:
Linnaeus achieved what few scientists manage: he invented infrastructure. His binomial system—genus plus species—became the universal language for naming life itself. Born to rural clergy, he transformed amateur plant-collecting into rigorous science through exhaustive fieldwork across Sweden during the 1740s. His elevation to nobility in 1761 recognised not just personal achievement but taxonomy's emergence as essential knowledge. The designation of Linnaeus himself as the type specimen for humanity carries peculiar poetry. He died in 1778 among Europe's most honoured scholars, having given science its grammar.
Key Milestones
1730: Began lecturing in botany at Uppsala University
1735: Published first edition of Systema Naturae abroad
1738: Appointed professor of medicine and botany
1761: Ennobled as Carl von Linné
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné, was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organisms. He is known as the "father of modern taxonomy".
