1694-1778 Voltaire
Pseudonym of François-Marie Arouet, one of the greatest of all French writers, he continues to be held in worldwide repute as a courageous crusader against tyranny, bigotry, and cruelty. His critical capacity, wit, and satire vigorously propagated an ideal of progress to which people of many nations have remained responsive. His works and activities influenced the direction taken by European civilization as it moved from classicism to revolution.