Profile of the Day: Miguel de Cervantes

Have you read Don Quixote? On this day in 1547, author Miguel de Cervantes was born. Today Cervantes is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Spanish language.

Image: Miguel de Cervantes / New York Public Library

Cervantes was born near Madrid, Spain and was the fourth of seven children. His father, Rodrigo de Cervantes, was a barber-surgeon and his mother, Leonor de Cortinas, was the daughter of a nobleman. Dubbed “El Príncipe de los Ingenios” or “The Prince of Wits,” Cervantes’s work had a profound influence on Spanish literature.

Not much is known about the Spanish author’s early years. He led an adventurous life and enlisted as a soldier in the Spanish Navy. He continued his military career until 1575, when he was captured by Barbary pirates. He was held in captivity for 5 years before he was ransomed and returned to Spain.

In 1605, Cervantes published the first volume of Don Quixote. His two-volume magnus opus is considered to be the first modern European novel, and is regarded as one of the best works of fiction ever written.

Do you have Spanish roots? Explore Miguel de Cervantes’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related!

View Miguel de Cervantes’s Geni Profile