The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell — released 1791
The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell reached audiences in 1791, during the Industrial Age (18th century), and became one of the defining works of its moment.
Context
Industrial Age — Steam, revolutions, and the modern world takes shape. That's about 179 years ago, roughly 2 centuries back. Around the same time, the world was also seeing Vermont (1791) and United States Bill of Rights ratified (1791).
Why it matters
The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell shaped taste and conversation in its moment, then kept influencing later creators long after its debut in 1791.
Did you know?
Just 0 years after, Vermont (1791) was also making headlines — a reminder how much history can compress into a single decade.
Era
Industrial Age
Steam, revolutions, and the modern world takes shape.
Category
Arts
Arts are the paintings, novels, films, songs and performances that captured the spirit of their age and still move us today.
Contemporary events
What else was happening in the world around this time.
Sources & further reading7 verified references · tap to open
About this lesson. Overview, context, and “Why it matters” are generated summaries written for study and gameplay. Dates and category placement come from the Timeline question bank[1]; era descriptions are adapted from standard historical periodisation[2]. For primary sources and in-depth reading, use the references below.
- Timeline question bank — © the game's original author, used with permission.
- Era framework based on Wikipedia's Human history overview, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikipedia
Community-maintained encyclopedia entry with citations.
Encyclopædia Britannica
Editorially reviewed reference articles.
Library of Congress
Primary sources, photographs, and archival records.
National Archives
Original U.S. government documents and records.
Smithsonian
Museum collections and curator-written explainers.
BBC History
Long-form explainers and documentaries.
History.com
Timelines and topic overviews from HISTORY.
Educational content notice
Lessons are for general historical education, not professional advice. Some entries touch on wars, violence, or other sensitive events — appropriate for ages 9+. External links open in your browser and are not controlled by Timeline.
Quick check
Which of these happened in 1791?
Related lessons
Same question · 1513
Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Navigation) - Piri Reis
Same question · 1644
Areopagitica - John Milton
Same question · 1775
Common Sense - Thomas Paine
Same era in category · 1786
The Marriage of Figaro - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Same era in category · 1792
The Old Farmer's Almanac
Same era in category · 1794
The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology - Thomas Paine
0 yrs after · 1791
Vermont
0 yrs after · 1791
United States Bill of Rights ratified