Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would have turned 254 years old today if he were alive.
The Austrian composer is responsible for over 600 pieces and is often cited as an archetypal example of the Classical style of music.
As Mozart’s career went on, he grew to specialize in chromatic harmony that was rare for his era. In 1769, he was honored as the concertmaster of the archbishop and was knighted by the pope in Rome. Not even Taylor Swift has accomplished those achievements!
A father of six, Mozart wrote one of his masterpieces, “Die Zauberflöte,” in the last year of his life. He passed away from mercury poisoning (look out, Jeremy Piven!) while being treated for syphilis.
Send in your posthumous birthday wishes today!
In other celebrity birthday news, Lil John turns 39 and British model Daisy Lowe is 21 today.