Famous People Who Died In 1781

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was a noted German dramatist, critic, and author, remembered especially for his contribution towards liberating German theatre from the influence of its classical and French counterpart. Known for such literary masterpieces like Miss Sara Sampson; Emilia Galotti; Minna von Barnhelm; Nathan the Wise; Laocoön; Hamburg Dramaturgy, he is now considered an outstanding representative of the Enlightenment era.

Anne Robert Jacques Turgot was a chief economist of 18th-century France. One of the pioneers of economic liberalism, he was previously clubbed with the economists of the Physiocratic school. Many of Adam Smith’s ideas in the pathbreaking book Wealth of Nations were hugely inspired by Turgot’s.

British naturalist and biologist John Needham was also a Roman Catholic priest who became the first Catholic clergyman to be named a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. He supported the theories of spontaneous generation and vitalism. He also served the Imperial Academy in Brussels as its director.

Josef Mysliveček was a Czech composer who made immense contributions to the development of late 18th-century classicism in music. He is best remembered for his collaborations with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Josef Mysliveček was also close to the Mozart family.

Túpac Amaru II  was the leader of a large Andean uprising against the Spanish in Peru. His wife was also a revolutionary and played a key role in the uprising. They were both captured, tortured, and put to death by the Spaniards. Following his death, he became known as a mythical figure in the Peruvian struggle for independence. 

Peter Scheemakers was a Flemish sculptor who lived and worked for most part of his life in London. Scheemakers' church and public sculptures in a classicist style had a significant impact on the progression of modern sculpture in England. Peter Scheemakers is best remembered for executing a memorial to William Shakespeare which is part of Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Edo period Japanese painter Miura Sakonjirō, better known as Soga Shōhaku, was a master of the brush-style drawing of the Muromachi period. Though he was initially trained according to the Kanō school, he was later inspired by the works of Soga Jasoku. He was also known to be eccentric by nature.

Italian operatic mezzo-soprano Faustina Bordoni was a prima donna of the 18th century. Known both for her vocal range and her beauty, she was a noblewoman who made her musical debut with Ariodante. She was a prominent rival of fellow opera singer Francesca Cuzzoni, and both were satirized in John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera.

Micaela Bastidas was a Peruvian leader who campaigned against the Spanish rule in South America. She was martyred during the Peruvian struggle for independence. Along with her husband José Gabriel Condorcanqui, Micaela Bastidas fought against the Spanish forces and suffered martyrdom when the revolt failed.