Jean-Paul Sartre

Jean-Paul Sartre was born to Jean-Baptiste Sartre, a naval officer, and Anne-Marie Schweitzer, the cousin of the famous medical missionary Albert Schweitzer. His father died of a fever in 1906, leaving him to be raised by his mother and grandparents.

Sartre enters the prestigious École Normale Supérieure, a leading French university, to study philosophy. Here, he meets influential figures and begins to develop his philosophical ideas.

Sartre meets Simone de Beauvoir, a fellow philosophy student, and they form a lifelong intellectual and personal partnership. Their relationship is marked by a commitment to intellectual and personal freedom.

Sartre publishes 'Nausea,' a philosophical novel that explores the concepts of existentialism and the absurdity of human existence. The book becomes a seminal work in existential literature.

Sartre's major philosophical work, 'Being and Nothingness,' is published. This dense and influential text lays out his existentialist philosophy, emphasizing human freedom and the absurdity of the human condition.

Sartre's play 'No Exit' premieres in Paris. The play's famous line, 'Hell is other people,' encapsulates his existentialist belief in the conflict and interdependence of human relationships.

Sartre co-founds the influential literary and political journal 'Les Temps Modernes' with Simone de Beauvoir and other intellectuals. The journal becomes a platform for existentialist and left-wing thought.

Sartre travels to the Soviet Union, where he is initially supportive of the regime. However, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 leads him to criticize Soviet actions and reevaluate his stance on communism.

Sartre declines the Nobel Prize in Literature, stating that he does not wish to be institutionalized and that he believes a writer should reject all honors to maintain his independence.

Sartre begins a close collaboration with Benny Lévy, a French journalist and philosopher. Together, they work on political and philosophical projects, including the publication of 'Hope Now.'

Jean-Paul Sartre dies of edema in Paris, France. His funeral is attended by thousands, a testament to his profound influence on philosophy, literature, and cultural thought.