Edward Gibbon

Edward Gibbon (1737–1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament, celebrated for his monumental six-volume work, *The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire* (1776–1788). Born in Putney, near London, he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later spent formative years in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he pursued rigorous reading and mastered French. Gibbon’s narrative style, critical use of sources, and skeptical treatment of religious and political institutions helped shape modern historical writing. He also wrote *Memoirs of My Life and Writings* (published posthumously) and served as a militia officer. He died in London in 1794.