Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry

Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry was a French aviator and writer born in Lyon. He pioneered international airmail routes across Africa and South America, experiences that inspired his literary works. His notable books include Southern Mail (1929), Night Flight (1931), Wind, Sand and Stars (1939), and The Little Prince (1943). During World War II, he returned to active duty with the Free French Air Force. On July 31, 1944, he disappeared during a reconnaissance mission over the Mediterranean; his plane was found in 2000 near Marseille, though the exact cause of his crash remains unknown.