John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
1834 – 1902 · aged 68
British politician and historian (1834–1902)
- Born
- 10 Jan 1834 · Naples
- Died
- 19 Jun 1902 · Tegernsee
Life timeline
Their life from birth to death. On the timeline, world events of the time are shown faintly.
- 10 Jan 1834BornBorn in Naples
- 1859 – 1865RoleMember of the 18th Parliament of the United Kingdom
- 1865 – 1866RoleMember of the 19th Parliament of the United Kingdom
- 1895 – 1902RoleRegius Professor of History, Cambridge University
- 19 Jun 1902DiedDied in Tegernsee
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Meanwhile in the world
Major world events during their lifetime (1834 – 1902).
- 1853 – 1856Crimean War
- 1857 – 1858Indian Rebellion of 1857
- 1870 – 1871Franco-Prussian War
- 18961896 Summer Olympics
- 1898Spanish–American War
Biography
John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, 13th Marquess of Groppoli, (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902), better known as Lord Acton, was an English Catholic historian, Liberal politician, and writer. A strong advocate for individual liberty, Acton is best known for his observation on the dangers of concentrated authority. In an 1887 letter to an Anglican bishop, he famously wrote, 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely', underscoring his belief that unchecked power poses the greatest threat to human freedom. His works consistently emphasised the importance of limiting governmental and institutional power in favour of individual rights and personal liberty.
Text from the Wikipedia article John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, CC BY-SA 4.0
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