On This Day Edward Gibbon Died

On This Day in Modern History - January 16, 1794 -
Picture of Edward Gibbon. Public Domain. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

One of the most important historians of ancient Rome died. He was Edward Gibbon and is sometimes considered the first modern historian. His 6-volume Roman history was drawn from primary sources instead of relying only on secondary accounts. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is still read today.

Gibbon was born near London in 1737, attended Oxford, and published the first volume of his monumental work in 1776.

Read more about Edward Gibbon.