Famous People Born In 1602

Known as the last Renaissance man, Athanasius Kircher was a German Jesuit priest who taught at the Roman College for 4 decades. He was also obsessed with Sinology and Egyptology, and studied everything from fossils to microbes. He was also interested in medicine and invented machines such as the magnetic clock.

Franciscan abbess and spiritual-writer María de Agreda was a noted mystic of her era. She served as the spiritual and at times political advisor to King Philip IV of Spain for over two decades and is best-known for the correspondence she had with the King besides reports of her bilocation. She penned 14 books, including the most notable Mystical City of God.    

Seventeenth-century Italian composer Francesco Cavalli had taken up the surname of his Venetian patron Federico Cavalli. He was initially a soprano at the St. Mark's Basilica. While he mainly composed for operas, he also developed the early recitative-aria technique. Two of his most notable works were Erismena and L’Ormindo.

Kanō Tan'yū, born in the family of noted Japanese painters, was a leading Japanese painter of the Kanō school who produced several of the most famous Kanō works that are widely-known today. He was inducted as the first official painter during the Tokugawa shogunate. His creations include large-scale works for Edo Castle, Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Osaka Castle, Nijō Castle, and Nagoya Castle.

Per Brahe the Younger was a Swedish statesman, soldier, and author. As the Governor General of Finland, Brahe made several administrative reforms. He introduced a postal system, promoted education, and developed commerce and agriculture. Per Brahe the Younger is also credited with founding the town of Raahe as well as the Royal Academy of Turku. 

Otto von Guericke was a German inventor, scientist, and politician. He made several significant contributions to the development of the Scientific Revolution. He is also credited with inventing the first air pump which he used effectively to study the phenomenon of vacuum. His studies and observation helped reveal the fact that light unlike sound can travel through a vacuum.

Owen Felltham was a 17th-century English writer. He is best known as the author of a book titled Resolves, Divine, Moral, and Political, an anthology containing 146 short essays. His collection of essays played a key role in the development of the English essay as a genre. He questioned the disparity in gender equality in some of his works. 

Italian cardinal, diplomat, and politician Jules Mazarin served as a papal diplomat for Pope Urban VIII. He later became Chief Minister of France and served under Monarchs Louis XIII and Louis XIV until his death. While serving the position for almost two decades, Mazarin emerged as the de facto ruler of France and remained instrumental in establishing the Westphalian principles.