Portrait of Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

Birthday profile

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, Prussian field marshal (died 1891)

Born
October 26, 1800
Died
April 24, 1891
Zodiac sign
Scorpio
Birth year
1800

About Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

Graf Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke (German: [ˈhɛlmuːt fɔn ˈmɔltkə]; 26 October 1800 – 24 April 1891) was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall. The chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years, he is regarded as the creator of a new, more modern method of directing armies in the field and one of the finest military minds of his generation. He commanded troops in the Middle-East and then in Europe during the Second Schleswig War, Austro-Prussian War, and Franco-Prussian War. He is described as embodying "Prussian military organization and tactical genius". He was fascinated with railways and pioneered their military use. He is often referred to as Moltke the Elder to distinguish him from his nephew Helmuth von Moltke the Younger (Helmuth Johann Ludwig von Moltke), who commanded the German army at the outbreak of the First World War. He is notably the earliest-born human whose recorded voice is preserved, being born in the year 1800. He made four recordings; two that were recorded in October 1889 are preserved to this day. == Early life == Moltke was born in Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, son of Generalleutnant Friedrich Philipp Victor von Moltke (1768–1845), a German in Danish service. In 1805, his father settled in Holstein (then a possession of the King of Denmark).

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

The world when Helmuth von Moltke the Elder was born

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder was born in 1800. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Headlines and milestones

  • Top headlineUS capital moves to Washington, D.C.
  • Technology milestoneAlessandro Volta invents the electric battery
  • World population~900M

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJohn Adams
  • U.S. population5.3M

1800 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Helmuth von Moltke the Elder's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure18002026
Population5.3M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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