Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

About Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), was a pivotal French aristocrat and military officer who achieved major historical significance through his role in the American Revolutionary War. He is ranked #838 in overall historical importance by MIT's Pantheon project, largely due to his significant military service as a major general in the Continental Army under George Washington. Beyond America, his influence extended to the early days of the French Revolution, where he helped draft the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Lafayette currently experiences a notable 'Attention Gap,' showing an overattention relative to his historical rank, registering at +3x. He garners approximately 1.1 million annualized Wikipedia pageviews in 2025. To contrast this, Al-Farabi, ranked significantly higher at #502 in historical importance, receives under 200,000 views. This suggests Lafayette maintains a relatively strong, though perhaps slightly declining, presence online, as his views saw a year-over-year decrease of -10.7%.

Despite the slight annual dip, his immediate Q1 vs. Q3 2025 momentum shows a modest increase of +2%, indicating his profile remains active in contemporary digital discourse.