Profile of the Day: Jules Verne

Posted February 8, 2022 by Amanda | No Comment

Today we remember author Jules Verne, who was born on this day in 1828.

Image: Jules Verne / Bibliothèque nationale de France, Wikimedia Commons

Verne was born on February 8, 1828 in Nantes, France to Pierre Verne, a lawyer, and Sophie Allote de la Fuye. Although he was expected to follow his father’s footsteps into law, Verne developed a strong passion for literature and theater. He frequented Paris’s famous literary salons, where he befriended French writer Alexandre Dumas and his son. The writers are 18th cousins once removed.

Dubbed the “Father of Science Fiction,” Verne’s writings depicted technologies that were far ahead of their time. Some of his most popular stories include Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days. Today, Verne is one of the most translated authors in history with his works translated in about 150 languages worldwide.

Verne died on March 24, 1905 at the age of 77.

Jules Verne is connected to over 160 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. Explore his family tree and share how you’re related!