Sir Francis Bacon was born on January 22, 1561, in London. Bacon is considered the pioneer of empiricism. He and his brother were accepted into the societas magistrorum (society of teachers) in 1576. The sudden death of their father in February 1579 required them to return to England. That year, Bacon returned to his law studies at Gray's Inn. In 1582, he began practicing law. In 1583, he became a member of the House of Commons, where he served until 1614. He was finally able to gain a political foothold when James I came to power. Bacon was promoted to Lord Chancellor in 1618. Three year later, after having received the title Viscount St. Alban in the meantime, he was accused of corruption. After his confession and being sentenced, Bacon was banned from the court. The payment of fines was never demanded. Francis Bacon died on April 9, 1626, in Highgate, then near London.