Voltaire

Voltaire, pseudonym for François-Marie Arouet, was born on 21 November, 1694 in Paris. He is
regarded as one of the greatest French writers till date and a key figure in the European philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment. Through critical discourse, satire and wit, his work effectively propagates the idea of progress and commentary against State institutions. Voltaire was precociously talented as a poet. His most-known works included the fictitious Lettres philosophiques published in 1734 and the satirical novel Candide in 1759. He died on 30 May 1778 in Paris.