Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- 1900–1944
Writer, aviator, and humanist, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry stands as one of the most iconic figures of 20th-century French literature. Born in Lyon, he combined from an early age a passion for flight with a love of words. As a pilot for the Aéropostale, he crossed deserts and oceans—experiences that inspired his major works such as Night Flight, Wind, Sand and Stars, and the universally beloved The Little Prince, translated into hundreds of languages. Saint-Exupéry disappeared during a reconnaissance mission in July 1944, off the coast of Marseille. In Paris, an inscription in the Panthéon pays tribute "to the writer and aviator lost during a reconnaissance mission on July 31, 1944." His work, imbued with humanism and poetic grace, continues to inspire generations of readers across the globe.
