Born: July 8, 1621. Birthplace: Château-Thierry, Champagne, France. Zodiac Sign: Cancer. Died: April 13, 1695 (aged 73). The work that brought Jean de La Fontaine the most fame was his collection of fables, which was used as a template by fabulists all throughout Europe.  In 1621, La Fontaine was born into a family that was prosperous and of the middle class. In the middle of the 1650s, he traveled to Paris in order to pursue a career in literature. Prior to that, he had briefly studied law. La Fontaine's literary career thrived in the 1660s with the publication of his "Contes et nouvelles en vers" (1664) and the first six volumes of his renowned "Fables" (1668). Both of these works were published in the time period. He became a member of a renowned literary circle that included the poet Boileau, the dramatists Racine and Molière, and other notable figures in the literary world. 1684 was the year when La Fontaine, who was 63 years old at the time, was chosen to join the famous Académie française. Over the course of over twenty years, culminating in her passing in 1693, he resided in the home of Madame de la Sablière, who was both his sponsor and his companion. The 12 volumes of Fables, which are considered to be his most lasting work, are comprised of 239 fables that are renowned for their straightforward but incisive lyrics, which often become proverbial words in the Francophone language.