# Pierre-Simon Laplace

_French mathematician and astronomer (1749–1827)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pierre-simon-laplace
Last updated: 2026-11-02

> Pierre-Simon, Marquis de Laplace was a French polymath, a scholar whose work has been instrumental in the fields of physics, astronomy, mathematics, engineering, statistics, and philosophy. He summarized and extended the work of his predecessors in his five-volume Mécanique céleste (1799–1825). This work translated the geometric study of classical mechanics to one based on calculus, opening up a broader range of problems. Laplace also popularized and further confirmed Sir Isaac Newton's work. In statistics, the Bayesian interpretation of probability was developed mainly by Laplace.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 23 March 1749 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Beaumont-en-Auge ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P19))
- **Died:** 5 March 1827 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P570))
- **Place of death:** Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P20))
- **Citizenship:** France ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P27))
- **Occupation:** mathematician; astronomer; physicist; politician; philosopher; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P106))
- **Education:** University of Caen Normandy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P69))
- **Spouse:** Marie Anne Charlotte de Courty de Romange ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P26))
- **Positions held:** president (1822–1823); Member of the Académie française (11 April 1816 – 5 March 1827); Pair of France (4 June 1814 – 5 March 1827); president of the French Academy of Sciences (1 January 1812 – 31 December 1812); member of the Sénat conservateur (1799–1814); Minister of the Interior of France (12 November 1799 – 25 December 1799); president of the French Academy of Sciences (1796–1796) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P39))
- **Awards:** Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour; Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; Knight of the Legion of Honour; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Reunion; Fellow of the Royal Society; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; 72 names on the Eiffel Tower ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481#P166))

## Questions

**When was Pierre-Simon Laplace born?**  
Pierre-Simon Laplace was born on 23 March 1749 in Beaumont-en-Auge.

**What positions has Pierre-Simon Laplace held?**  
Positions held by Pierre-Simon Laplace include: president (1822–1823); Member of the Académie française (1816–1827); Pair of France (1814–1827); president of the French Academy of Sciences (1812–1812); member of the Sénat conservateur (1799–1814).

**Where did Pierre-Simon Laplace study?**  
Pierre-Simon Laplace was educated at University of Caen Normandy.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Pierre-Simon Laplace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Simon_Laplace) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q44481](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44481) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (1745-1827) - Guérin.jpg by Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pierre-Simon,_marquis_de_Laplace_(1745-1827)_-_Gu%C3%A9rin.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Pierre-Simon Laplace, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (1745-1827) - Guérin.jpg — Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Pierre-Simon Laplace". DigiNepal. Last updated 2 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pierre-simon-laplace. Retrieved 4 November 2026.