Surname: Arouet Forename(s): François-Marie b. 21 November 1694. d. 30 May 1778. Nationality: French. VIAF.
Poet and philosopher. Also known as Voltaire. Born in Paris. Son of François Arouet,
a lawyer, and Marie-Marguerite Daumard. Educated at the Jesuit Collège Louis-le-Grand
and a leading figure of the Enlightenment. His early writings led to clashes with
the court, resulting in his exile and imprisonment in Sully and later, the Bastille.
His literary career flourished in England, where he admired English liberty and literature.
Author of Candide (1759), a satirical novella and Lettres Philosophiques (1734). Biographical information: ODNB. (NM)