You’ve probably seen his face on a banknote or heard him called the "Father of Capitalism." But honestly, if you try to pin down the exact day Adam Smith was born, you’re going to hit a wall. History is funny like that. We have massive volumes of his theories on the "invisible hand," yet his own entrance into the world is a bit of a mystery.
He was born in Kirkcaldy, a small Scottish port town. People usually cite June 5, 1723, as his birthday. But that’s actually his baptism date. Back then, record-keeping wasn't exactly what it is today.
Smith’s father—also named Adam—was a lawyer and customs officer who died about five months before his son was even born. That left the young Adam to be raised by his mother, Margaret Douglas. They were incredibly close. Like, "he lived with her for most of his adult life" close.
The Kirkcaldy Kid and the "Gipsy" Scare
Kirkcaldy was a "lang toun" (long town) full of salt pans and coal smoke. It’s where Smith first saw the division of labor in action, long before he wrote a single word about pin factories.
There’s this weird story from when he was three. Supposedly, he was kidnapped by a group of "gipsies" (as the old texts call them) while visiting his uncle. His uncle chased them down, and the toddlers was returned. A biographer named John Rae later joked that Smith "would have made a poor gipsy." He was too much of a dreamer. He was the kind of guy who would walk miles in his nightgown because he was lost in thought.
💡 You might also like: Do You Have to Have Receipts for Tax Deductions: What Most People Get Wrong
Why the Dates Feel "Off"
If you're looking at historical records, you might see June 16 instead of June 5. Don't panic. It's not a conspiracy. Britain switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1752. This jumped the dates forward by 11 days. So, while the church register says June 5, 1723 (Old Style), the modern "anniversary" falls on the 16th.
Life Between the Dates
Smith wasn't just some dry economist. He was a moral philosopher. He studied at Glasgow at age 14—yeah, 14—under Francis Hutcheson. Then he headed to Oxford.
He hated Oxford.
He thought the professors there were lazy because they got paid regardless of whether they actually taught anything. He spent his time in the library teaching himself because the classrooms were "educational deserts." This frustration actually fueled his later theories on competition and incentives. If you don't have to work to get paid, you won't work. Basic Smith.
📖 Related: ¿Quién es el hombre más rico del mundo hoy? Lo que el ranking de Forbes no siempre te cuenta
The Quiet End in Edinburgh
Adam Smith died on July 17, 1790. He was 67.
He spent his final years in Edinburgh as the Commissioner of Customs. It’s a bit ironic, right? The guy who advocated for free trade ended his career enforcing tariffs. But he took the job seriously. He lived in Panmure House, just off the Royal Mile, and hosted famous Sunday suppers for the intellectual elite of the Scottish Enlightenment.
His death wasn't sudden. His health had been tanking since his mother died in 1784. He never really got over that loss.
Before he passed, Smith did something that still drives historians crazy. He ordered his friends to burn almost all of his unpublished manuscripts. He was a perfectionist. He didn't want the world seeing his "unpolished" thoughts. Roughly 16 volumes of writing went up in smoke just days before he breathed his last.
👉 See also: Philippine Peso to USD Explained: Why the Exchange Rate is Acting So Weird Lately
Where is Adam Smith Buried?
If you ever find yourself in Edinburgh, walk down the Royal Mile to the Canongate Kirkyard. You’ll find a large, somewhat imposing stone monument.
It’s surprisingly simple for a man who changed the world.
The inscription basically says: "Here are deposited the remains of Adam Smith, author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations." That’s it. No long-winded eulogy. Just the titles of the two books he felt defined him.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you want to understand the man behind the dates, don't just look at a timeline.
- Visit the "Adam Smith Close" in Kirkcaldy: You can literally walk the same narrow alleys he used to reach the shore. It gives you a sense of the scale of the world he was trying to explain.
- Read the other book: Everyone quotes The Wealth of Nations, but Smith actually thought The Theory of Moral Sentiments was better. It explains how humans aren't just greedy; we have an "internal spectator" that makes us want to be good people.
- Check the Calendar: When looking at 18th-century dates, always check if they are "O.S." (Old Style) or "N.S." (New Style) to avoid being 11 days off.
Smith’s life began in a quiet coastal town and ended in the intellectual heart of Scotland. He lived through the transition from a feudal world to a commercial one, and his birth and death dates bookend the very birth of modern economic thought.
To truly grasp his legacy, start by reading the first few chapters of The Theory of Moral Sentiments. It provides the human context that makes his economic theories actually make sense.