On 24th July 1902, the world welcomed Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated French playwright and writer whose literary genius would leave an indelible mark on storytelling. Best known as the mastermind behind The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, Dumas ranks among the most widely read French authors in history. His writings have found audiences across the globe through translations into numerous languages, and since the start of the 20th century, more than 200 film adaptations have brought his narratives to the screen. There's no question that Dumas was a remarkable gift to literature — his works remain as engaging and inspiring to readers today as they ever were.
Fun Facts
- On July 24, 1802, in the small city of Villers-Cotterets in Picardy, France, Alexandre Dumas came into the world as the son of General Thomas Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie and Marie Louise Elisabeth Labouret.
- A self-accomplished playwright and novelist, he made his greatest impact through works rooted in the romanticism and historical fiction genres.
- Among French authors, Alexandre Dumas stands as one of the most widely-read of all time.
- His notable literary contributions include The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later.
- During the 1840s, Dumas established the Theatre Historique in Paris.
- In 1840, he married Ida Ferrier, the love of his life. Sadly, she passed away in 1859.
- When Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in 1851, Dumas departed France for Belgium, having fallen out of favor and feeling that his life may have been in danger. From there, he would go on to travel to Russia and then Italy.
- Making his way back to Paris in 1864, he launched a newspaper called L'Independent, dedicated to the cause of Italian Unification.
- Alexandre Dumas died on 5th December 1870 at the age of 68.