1672 births

Peter the Great (Russian: Пётр Вели́кий, Pyotr Velikiy, ), Peter I (Russian: Пётр Первый, Pyotr Pyerviy, ) or Pyotr Alekseevich (Russian: Пётр Алексе́евич, 9 June [O.S. 30 May] 1672 – 8 February [O.S. 28 January] 1725) ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from 7 May [O.S. 27 April] 1682 until his death in 1725, jointly ruling before 1696 with his elder half-brother, Ivan V. Through a number of successful wars, he expanded the Tsardom into a much larger empire that became a major European power and also laid the groundwork for the Russian navy after capturing ports at Azov and the Baltic Sea. He led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditionalist and medieval social and political systems with ones that were modern, scientific, Westernised and based on the Enlightenment. Peter's reforms had a lasting impact on Russia, and many institutions of the Russian government trace their origins to his reign. He is also known for founding and developing the city of Saint Petersburg, which remained the capital of Russia until 1917.

Lady Barbara FitzRoy (16 July 1672 – 6 May 1737), was the sixth and youngest child of Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, a mistress of Charles II of England. Charles never publicly acknowledged her as his child, as he was probably not the father. She became a Benedictine nun, known as Benedite.

Johan Robeck (1672–1739) was a Swedish-German theologian and philosopher who justified and committed suicide.

Colonel Francis Charteris (baptised 4 April 1675 – 24 February 1732), nicknamed "The Rape-Master General", was a Scottish soldier and adventurer who earned a substantial sum of money through gambling and the South Sea Bubble. He was convicted of raping a servant in 1730 and sentenced to death, but was subsequently pardoned, before dying of natural causes shortly afterwards.

Anna Mons (Russian: Áнна Монс; 1 January 1672, Moscow – 15 August 1714) was a royal mistress of Peter the Great.

Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox, KG (29 July 1672 – 27 May 1723), of Goodwood House near Chichester in Sussex, was the youngest of the seven illegitimate sons of King Charles II, and was that king's only son by his French-born mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. He was appointed Hereditary Constable of Inverness Castle.

Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 June 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine. His simple prose style marked the end of the mannerisms and conventional classical images of the 17th century.

'Mad' Jack Hall (John Hall; also known as Crazy Jack Hall) (1672 – 13 July 1716) was an English Jacobite leader and property owner and a Justice of Peace in Northumberland. He was a member of Clan Hall, a Scottish clan of Norman descent and owned the Otterburn Tower in Redesdale, Northumberland; his initials are still carved over a doorway today.

Benjamin Mildmay, 1st Earl FitzWalter PC (27 December 1672 – 29 February 1756), styled The Honourable Benjamin Mildmay until 1728 and known as The Lord FitzWalter between 1728 and 1730, was a British politician. He served as First Lord of Trade between 1735 and 1737 and as Treasurer of the Household between 1737 and 1755.