Timeline of Quotes by Famous People -
The True Stars of Humanity

This collection of inspirational quotes by famous people is dedicated to the true stars of humanity. Included are some of the greatest minds to have ever lived. 

These fine minds have helped to push and evolve the human race forward into the 21st century with their vision and imagination.

I've organised these famous people in a timeline, from which you can click through to a brief profile and Top 10 list of the best inspirational quotes by each author.

Note: For the full effect you may want to click on this picture below! (Desktop only)




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Hubble image from NASA of deep space with famous people quote.


I love this next quote, and the fact it comes from the great Sir Isaac Newton makes it even more awesome. So yes, even Sir Isaac was grateful and found inspiration from the titians of the past.

So fuel your mind by getting to know these greats a little better and let their words of wisdom become a source of inspiration in your life. Who better to go to for advice than some of the most influential figures of history!




This timeline of quotes by famous people is by no means finished of course. 
I will continue to add and improve on it continuously, thanks for your patience!



Timeline of Inspirational Quotes by Famous People

6th Century BC - 2nd Century AD

Buddha quotes

563 - 483BC Buddha - Founder Buddhism
"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace."

Confucius quotes

551 - 479BC Confucius - Founder Confucianism
"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it."

Socrates quotes

469 - 399BC Socrates - Philosopher
"It is not living that matters, but living rightly."

Plato quotes

428 - 347BC Plato - Philosopher
"Philosophy begins in wonder."

Aristotle quotes

384 - 322BC Aristotle - Philosopher
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."

Jesus quotes

004 - 30AD Jesus Christ - Founder of Christianity
"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."


15th - 18th Century

Da Vinci quotes

1452 - 1519 Da Vinci -Artist, scientist, mathematician, inventor etc!
"Our life is made by the death of others."

Copernicus quotes

1473 - 1543 Copernicus - Astronomer
"Of all things visible, the highest is the heaven of the fixed stars."

Michelangelo quotes

1475 - 1564 Michelangelo - Artist, poet, architect
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

Shakespeare quotes

1564 - 1616 William Shakespeare - Playwright, poet and actor
"There was a star danced, and under that was I born."

Galileo quotes

1564 - 1642 Galileo - Astronomer and physicist
"Where the senses fail us, reason must step in."

Isaac Newton quotes

1642 - 1727 Isaac Newton - Physicist and mathematician
"We build too many walls and not enough bridges."

Benjamin Franklin quotes

1706 - 1790 Benjamin Franklin - Statesman, author and inventor
"Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."

George Washington quotes

1732 - 1799 George Washington - 1st U.S. president (1789 - 1797)
"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.

Thomas Jefferson quotes

1743 - 1826 Thomas Jefferson - 3rd U.S. president (1801 - 1809)
"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."


19th Century

Emerson quotes

1803 - 1882 Ralf Waldo Emerson - Philosopher, poet and lecturer
"Hitch your wagon to a star."

Abraham Lincoln quotes

1809 - 1865 Abraham Lincoln - 16th U.S. president (1861 - 1865)
"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

William James quotes

1842 - 1910 William James - Psychologist and philosopher
"Belief creates the actual fact."

1847 - 1922 Alexander Graham Bell - Scientist, inventor, and teacher
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays..."

Thomas Edison quotes

1847 - 1931 Thomas Edison - Inventor and entrepreneur
"Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning."

Theodore Roosevelt quotes

1858 - 1919 Theodore Roosevelt -26th U.S. President, author and explorer
"I am part of everything that I have read."

Gandhi quotes

1869 - 1948 Mahatma Gandhi - Leader of Indian independence
"A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes."

Churchill quotes

1874 - 1965 Winston Churchill - Prime Minister of Great Britain
"If you are going through hell, keep going."

Carl Jung quotes

1875 - 1961 Carl Gustav Jung - Psychologist and psychiatrist
"To be normal is the ideal aim of the unsuccessful."

Albert Einstein quotes

1879 - 1955 Albert Einstein - Theoretical physicist
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."

1880 - 1968 Helen Keller - Author, lecturer, and activist
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens;..."

Franklin Roosevelt quotes

1882 - 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt - 32nd U.S. president 1933 - 1945
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

1884 - 1962 Eleanor Roosevelt - Diplomat, author, and U.S. 1st Lady
"I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday."


20th Century

1910 - 1997 Mother Teresa - Roman Catholic nun
"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

Nelson Mandela quotes

1918 - 2013 Nelson Mandela - 1st black president of South Africa
"To be father of a nation is a great honour, but to be the father of a family..."

Martin Luther King quotes

1929 - 1968 Martin Luther King Jr - Clergyman / civil rights activist
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

Dalai Lama quotes

1935 - present 14th Dalai Lama - Spiritual leader
"In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision."

1954 - /----/ Oprah Winfrey - Billionaire and former talk show host
"I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become."




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It is I think comforting to know that even these greats were not perfect, they had their moments of self doubt and faced discrimination like many still face today. But their passion, desire, and most importantly, perseverance shines through to inspire us, and generations to come.

Want more quotes by famous people and enjoy this timeline? You may like our...

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