Alexandre Dumas is one of the most widely read French authors of all time, with his historical novels published in over a hundred languages. He was born on July 24, 1802, in Aisne, Picardy, France. While his family was poor and he had very little formal education, Dumas was a voracious reader. He soon became a playwright while working for the future king of France, Louis-Philippe, and he wrote plays for twenty years. In 1839, he decided to focus his attention on writing historical novels, and as a result he produced two of the most popular works of all time: The Count of Monte Cristo (1844–45) and The Three Musketeers (1844). In addition to these famous works, Dumas also wrote stories for children and a partial autobiography. He died on December 5, 1870, in his son’s home in Puys, France.