Origins & Early Life

Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( SIRR-ə-noh də BUR-zhə-rak, – BAIR-, French: [savinjɛ̃ d(ə) siʁano d(ə) bɛʁʒəʁak]; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th century. Today, he is best known as the inspiration for Edmond Rostand's most noted drama, Cyrano de Bergerac (1897), which, although it includes elements of his life, also contains invention and myth. Since the 1970s, there has been a resurgence in the study of Cyrano, demonstrated in the abundance of theses, essays, articles and biographies published in France and elsewhere.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Cyrano's novels L'Autre Monde: ou les États et Empires de la Lune ("Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon", published posthumously, 1657) and Les États et Empires du Soleil (The States and Empires of the Sun, 1662) are classics of early modern science fiction. He was the first writer to depict space flight by use of a vessel that has rockets attached, and he introduced Moon-Men as an extraterrestrial race in his novels. Cyrano's mixture of science and romance in his novels is credited with...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alonso de Guzmán y Sotomayor, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia — Contemporary (Died in 1619) (1619): Spanish aristocrat and patron, famed for his role in the 1588 Spanish Armada.
• Barbara Strozzi — Contemporary (Born in 1619) (1619): Pioneering Venetian Baroque composer and singer, known for secular output.
• Charles Le Brun — Contemporary (Born in 1619) (1619): Dominant 17th-century French painter, theorist, and court artist to Louis XIV.
• Bartolomeo Cristofori — Contemporary (Born in 1655) (1655): Pioneering Italian instrument maker, credited with inventing the modern piano.
• Charles XI of Sweden — Contemporary (Born in 1655) (1655): King of Sweden, known for strengthening the state and establishing royal absolutism.
• Jacob Bernoulli — Contemporary (Born in 1655) (1655): Swiss mathematician, pioneer of probability and calculus of variations.
• Adolph Caesar — Shared historical date (03-06 · Died) (1986): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• Alan Greenspan — Shared historical date (03-06 · Born) (1926): Influential American economist, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
• Abraham Pais — Shared historical date (07-28 · Died) (2000): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — Shared historical date (07-28 · Born) (1971): Iraqi militant leader and founder of the Islamic State (IS)
• 1619 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1619
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• 1655 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1655
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