Profile of the Day: Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

Today we remember French aristocrat and military officer, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, who was born on this day in 1757. Also known simply as Lafayette, the Frenchman was an important figure during the American Revolutionary War and fought alongside the Continental Army against the British.

Image: Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette / Library of Congress

Lafayette was born to a wealthy, aristocratic family in Auvergne, France on September 6, 1757. The Lafayette family had a long and distinguished reputation. His 8th great-grandfather, Gilbert Motier de La Fayette, had fought with Joan of Arc during the Siege of Orléans in 1429.

In 1777, Lafayette arrived in America to join the fight for American independence. He was made a major general in the Continental Army and struck a close friendship with George Washington. After the war, he returned to France where he became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789.

Lafayette died on May 20, 1834 in Paris, France at the age of 76. Today, he is sometimes referred to as “The Hero of Two Worlds,” for his service to both France and the United States.

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