Feb. 26: Victor Hugo, French author

BORN FEBRUARY 26:

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) French author, considered one of the greatest writers in the French language. Exiled for political reasons for 15 years in mid-life, he returned a national hero. As he entered his 80th year, Paris celebrated by holding a six-hour parade past his house, and the street he lived on was renamed in his honor. Best known as a poet in French, he's better known to readers of English for two novels: Notre-Dame de Paris (English title The Hunchback of Notre-Dame), and Les Miserables, a book far more complex than the movies (and musical) based on it. Hugo is buried in the Pantheon, a place of honor, with the likes of Rousseau, Voltaire, Dumas, and the Curies; and his face has been used on French currency.

---

Navigation:

• View this post on Facebook or Instagram
• Go to the Calendar Index
• See all March births
• See all calendar posts