Today in History

February 25, 1723

Sir Christopher Wren Dies

Today marks the anniversary of the death of the greatest English architect of all time, Sir Christopher Wren, who designed St. Paul's Cathedral as well as over 50 other churches in London. He was a founder of the Royal Society, and its first president. At Cambridge, he designed the Pembroke and Emmanuel College chapels, as well as the Trinity College library. His most important commissions included the Greenwich Observatory and Greenwich Hospital, Chelsea Hospital, and extensive work at Kensington Palace.

When the Great Fire destroyed two-thirds of London in 1665, Wren submitted his plans for rebuilding the city to King Charles II. Appointed as the King’s Surveyor of Works in 1669, he worked to rebuild the city although his full plans were never adopted. He was knighted in 1673. Although he lived outside of London, he traveled into the city often to check on the progress of St. Paul's. On one of those trips, he developed a fever and died in his sleep at the age of 90. He is buried in the courtyard of St. Paul’s.

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