Edgar Quinet was born on February 17, 1803, in Bourg-en-Bresse, France. He graduated in philosophy and history, and quickly gained recognition for his publications on the history of France and Europe. He was a professor at the Collège de France, where his lectures on the French Revolution and the history of religion had a great impact. Quinet was a fervent defender of secularism and freedom of thought, which led him into conflicts with the established power on several occasions. His work "La Révolution" is a landmark in the historiography of the event. He also distinguished himself as a poet and memoirist. Edgar Quinet passed away on March 4, 1875.