Jonathan Spence

British-born historian
Person human Q932820
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Jonathan Spence

Summary

Jonathan Spence is a human[1]. His place of birth was Surrey[2]. He was born on August 11, 1936[3]. He passed away in West Haven[4]. He died on December 25, 2021[5]. He worked as a historian[6], university teacher[7], and sinologist[8]. He ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (361 views/month, #7,218 of 1,000,298).[9]

Key Facts

  • Born in Surrey[2], Jonathan Spence…
  • Jonathan Spence died in West Haven[4].
  • Jonathan Spence was born on August 11, 1936[3].
  • Jonathan Spence died on December 25, 2021[5].
  • Jonathan Spence is buried at Grove Street Cemetery[10].
  • Jonathan Spence's father was Dermot Chesson Spence[11].
  • Jonathan Spence's mother was Muriel Evelyn Crailsham[12].
  • Jonathan Spence was married to Annping Chin[13].
  • Jonathan Spence held citizenship in United States[14].
  • Jonathan Spence worked as a historian[6].
  • Jonathan Spence's professions included university teacher[7].
  • Jonathan Spence worked as a sinologist[8].
  • Jonathan Spence's field of work was sinology[15].
  • Jonathan Spence's field of work was history of China[16].
  • Jonathan Spence's field of work was history[17].
  • Jonathan Spence was employed by Yale University[18].
  • Jonathan Spence was educated at Winchester College[19].
  • Jonathan Spence's education included a stint at Clare College[20].
  • Jonathan Spence was educated at University of Cambridge[21].
  • Jonathan Spence's education included a stint at Yale University[22].
  • Jonathan Spence's education included a stint at Yale University[23].
  • Jonathan Spence's doctoral advisor was Mary C. Wright[24].
  • A notable work attributed to Jonathan Spence is The Search for Modern China[25].
  • A notable work attributed to Jonathan Spence is Treason by the Book[26].
  • Jonathan Spence received the Guggenheim Fellowship[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Jonathan Spence's place of birth was Surrey[2]. He was born on August 11, 1936[3]. His father was Dermot Chesson Spence[11]. His mother was Muriel Evelyn Crailsham[12].

Education

Educated at Winchester College[19], an independent school[28], in United Kingdom[29], founded in 1382[30], headquartered in Winchester[31]; Clare College[20], a college of the University of Cambridge[32], in United Kingdom[33], founded in 1326[34]; University of Cambridge[21], a collegiate university[35], in United Kingdom[36], founded in 1209[37], headquartered in Cambridge[38]; and Yale University[22], a private university[39], in United States[40], founded in 1701[41], headquartered in New Haven[42]. Jonathan Spence's doctoral advisor was Mary C. Wright[24].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include historian[6], university teacher[7], and sinologist[8]. Fields of work include sinology[15], an academic discipline[43]; history of China[16], a history of a country or state[44]; and history[17]. Among Jonathan Spence's employers was Yale University[18].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include The Search for Modern China[25] and Treason by the Book[26].

Recognition

Awards received include Guggenheim Fellowship[27], a fellowship grant[45], in United States[46], founded in 1925[47]; John Addison Porter Prize[48], a literary award[49], in United States[50], founded in 1872[51]; MacArthur Fellows Program[52], a science award[53], in United States[54], founded in 1981[55]; Lionel Gelber Prize[56], a literary award[57], in Canada[58], founded in 1989[59]; Sterling Professor[60], a position[61], in United States[62]; and Newberry Library Award[63], an award[64], in United States[65], founded in 1987[66].

Personal Life

Among Jonathan Spence's spouses was Annping Chin[13].

Death and Burial

Jonathan Spence died on December 25, 2021[5]. He died in West Haven[4]. The cause of death was Parkinson's disease[67]. He is buried at Grove Street Cemetery[10].

Why It Matters

Jonathan Spence ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (361 views/month, #7,218 of 1,000,298).[9] He has Wikipedia articles in 13 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[68] He is known by 11 alternative names across languages and contexts.[69]

FAQs

Where was Jonathan Spence born?

Jonathan Spence was born in Surrey[2].

Where did Jonathan Spence die?

Jonathan Spence passed away in West Haven[4].

Who were Jonathan Spence's parents?

Jonathan Spence's father was Dermot Chesson Spence[11]. Jonathan Spence's mother was Muriel Evelyn Crailsham[12].

Who was Jonathan Spence married to?

Jonathan Spence's spouses include Annping Chin[13].

What did Jonathan Spence do for work?

Jonathan Spence worked as historian[6], university teacher[7], and sinologist[8].

Where did Jonathan Spence go to school?

Jonathan Spence was educated at Winchester College[19], Clare College[20], University of Cambridge[21], and Yale University[22].

What awards did Jonathan Spence receive?

Honors received include Guggenheim Fellowship[27], John Addison Porter Prize[48], MacArthur Fellows Program[52], and Lionel Gelber Prize[56].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . ieas.berkeley.edu. ieas.berkeley.edu. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . Associated Press. Retrieved . apnews.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  3. [11] . wikidata.org.
  4. [12] . wikidata.org.
  5. [13] . wikidata.org.
  6. [14] . onlinelibrary.wiley.com. onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  7. [19] . wikidata.org.
  8. [20] . wikidata.org.
  9. [21] . wikidata.org.
  10. [22] . wikidata.org.
  11. [23] . wikidata.org.
  12. [15] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  13. [16] . wikidata.org.
  14. [17] . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  15. [6] . NNDB. nndb.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  16. [7] . wikidata.org.
  17. [8] . wikidata.org.
  18. [18] . wikidata.org.
  19. [10] . wikidata.org.
  20. [27] . Guggenheim Fellows database. wikidata.org.
  21. [48] . wikidata.org.
  22. [52] . wikidata.org.
  23. [56] . wikidata.org.
  24. [60] . wikidata.org.
  25. [63] . wikidata.org.
  26. [24] . wikidata.org.
  27. [67] . The New York Times. Retrieved . nytimes.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  28. [3] . wikidata.org.
  29. [5] . Associated Press. Retrieved . apnews.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  30. [25] . wikidata.org.
  31. [26] . wikidata.org.

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [9] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [68] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [69] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Jonathan Spence. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/jonathan-spence
MLA “Jonathan Spence.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 10 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/jonathan-spence.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_jonathan-spence_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Jonathan Spence}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/jonathan-spence}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Jonathan Spence — https://4ort.xyz/entity/jonathan-spence (retrieved 2026-04-10)

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