Profession: Writer
Biography: Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, best known for his participation in the philosophical movement known as existentialism. He was, aside from this, also a writer and political activist.
Sartre's best known philosophical work is Being and Nothingness, although he is also known for his novels and plays. His first novel, Nausea (1938), explores many of the same themes as his philosophical writings; and his play No Exit (1944) gave rise to the famous phrase "hell is other people."
In 1964, Sartre was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age." While he technically declined the award, the Swedish Academy claimed this did not change his having won it.
Born: June 21, 1905
Birthplace: Paris, France
Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Snake
Star Sign: Cancer
Died: April 15, 1980 (aged 74)
Cause of Death: Edema of the lung
Historical Events
- 1944-05-27 Jean-Paul Sartres' existentialist play "Huis Clos" (No Exit) premieres in Paris
- 1946-11-08 Jean-Paul Sartre's "La Putain Respecteuse" premieres in Paris
- 1964-10-22 French philosopher and author Jean-Paul Sartre refuses Nobel prize
- 1974-12-04 Jean-Paul Sartre visits Red Army Faction (Baader–Meinhof Gang) leader Andreas Baader in prison
Quotes by Jean-Paul Sartre
- "If you are lonely when you're by yourself, you are in bad company."
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