Life is full of beauty 🇨🇦

1726, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, George Frideric Handel, Jonathan Swift, Edmond Halley, and Isaac Newton were all living in London, making the city one of the greatest gatherings of intellectual talent in history.

At just 20 years old, Benjamin Franklin arrived from Philadelphia seeking work as a printer. Voltaire, then 32, was living in exile from France, where he admired England's relative freedom of speech and religious tolerance. Composer George Frideric Handel was at the height of his fame, writing Italian operas that captivated London's elite. Jonathan Swift had recently published Gulliver's Travels, while astronomer Edmond Halley continued his scientific work after correctly predicting the return of the comet that now bears his name. At 83, Sir Isaac Newton served as Master of the Royal Mint and remained one of the most respected figures in Europe.

Although some of these remarkable men knew one another personally, there is no evidence they ever all met together. Even so, they walked the same streets during the same remarkable year, each leaving an enduring mark on science, literature, music, and political thought.