Johann Sebastian Bach
31 March, 1685
Full Name: Johann Sebastian Bach; Profession: German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, violinist, and church musician of the Baroque period; Nationality: German; Born: 31 March 1685 (New Style); Birthplace: Eisenach, Thuringia, Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach, in present-day Germany; Generation: Late Baroque-era generation of composers born in 1685 alongside George Frideric Handel and Domenico Scarlatti, representing the high Baroque in early modern Europe; Chinese Zodiac: Ox (Bach is classified under the Ox in Chinese-zodiac composer lists). Zodiac Sign: Aries (March 31 falls under Aries, and Bachβs sun is listed in Aries in astrological charts); Age in 2026: 341 (he would be 341 years old in 2026 if alive, given his birth in 1685). Marital Status: Married twiceβfirst to his second cousin Maria Barbara Bach (m. 1707β1720) and, after her death, to singer Anna Magdalena Wilcke (m. 1721β1750), thus being widowed once and married at his death. Children: 20 biological children in total, seven with Maria Barbara and thirteen with Anna Magdalena, about half of whom survived to adulthood; Description: Johann Sebastian Bach was a German Baroque composer and musician whose oeuvre includes the Brandenburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations, Mass in B minor, the St. Matthew and St. John Passions, hundreds of sacred and secular cantatas, orchestral suites, organ works, and keyboard collections such as The Well-Tempered Clavier, and he is now revered as one of the greatest composers of all time for his unparalleled mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and his synthesis of German, Italian, and French styles; over a career spanning positions as court and church organist, Konzertmeister, Kapellmeister, and Thomaskantor in places such as Weimar, KΓΆthen, and Leipzig, he trained students, directed choirs and instrumental ensembles, and created music of immense technical, intellectual, and spiritual depth whose influence shaped later composers and the entire trajectory of Western classical music. Cause of Death: Died on 28 July 1750 in Leipzig after severe eye disease and two cataract operations by the itinerant surgeon John Taylor, which left him blind, followed a few months later by a stroke and burning fever. Modern medical historians describe his death as resulting from complications of eye surgery, possible underlying illness, and a final stroke.