Famous People Born In 1638

Louis XIV of France reigned as the King of France from 1643 to 1715. Louis XIV is the longest-reigning monarch of a sovereign country in the history of Europe. Under his rule, France often asserted its military prowess and emerged as the most dominant European monarchy. His life inspired several films, such as The Taking of Power by Louis XIV.

Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty was the first Qing ruler of China proper. Shunzhi relied on Buddhist priests and eunuch officials. While some believe he had died of smallpox, others state he had retired to a monastery to cope with the death of his favorite consort.

Nicolas Steno was a 17th-century Danish scientist considered a pioneer in both anatomy and geology. He received training in the classical texts on science and went on to become an expert on fossils and rock formation. Today, he is considered one of the founders of modern stratigraphy and modern geology. He became a Catholic bishop in his later years.  

Johann Georg Gichtel was a German mystic and religious leader. He was a vocal critic of Lutheranism. As a young man, he was trained to be a lawyer, but he later abandoned his profession to promote the Christerbauliche Jesusgesellschaft (Christian Edification Society of Jesus). Later on, he became an ardent disciple of mystic Jakob Böhme. 

James Gregory was a Scottish astronomer and mathematician. A celebrated mathematician, Gregory served as a professor of mathematics in several institutions like the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews. He is also remembered for publishing several books, including Optica Promota, which describes Gregory's design for a reflecting telescope which came to be known as the Gregorian telescope.

Carlo Fontana was an Italian architect who worked closely with popular architects like Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Pietro da Cortona, working as a draughtsman for their architectural plans. He then started working independently and went on to design the Santa Maria sopra Minerva's Casanate library, the ribbed hemispherical dome for Montefiascone's duomo, and the casino in the Vatican.