Peter Mark Roget was born on 18 January 1779, the son of a Swiss clergyman. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Sadly, his father and wife both died young, and his uncle committed suicide in his presence; this left him with depression for most of his life, and the compilation of his Thesaurus was in part a strategy to battle this depression.

He retired from professional life in 1840, and spent his time preparing for publication the Thesaurus that had occupied him in its compilation for about 40 years. The first edition was printed in 1852 and it went through 27 further printings in his lifetime. After his death it was revised and expanded by his son, John Lewis Roget.

He died while on holiday at West Malvern, Worcestershire, on 12 September 1869, aged 90, and is buried there.

[Source: Wikipedia]

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