Figure timeline
François-Marie Arouet, known by his pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher (philosophe), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit and his criticism of Christianity and of slavery, Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.
culture · French writer and philosopher (1694–1778) · philosopher · poet · historian · essayist · playwright · autobiographer · diarist · poet lawyer · science fiction writer · encyclopédistes · also Voltaire
Born 21 November 1694 · Died 30 May 1778 · Q9068
51 published statements · 0 followers
Updated 1 day agoSee & hear
14 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
Unverified headlines, straight from trusted outlets’ feeds
Checking the wires…
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Connections
Live pulse
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
Your holiness will pardon the liberty taken by one of the lowest of the faithful, though a zealous admirer of virtue, of submitting to the head of the true religion this performance, written in opposition to the founder of a false and barbarous sect. To whom could I with more propriety inscribe a satire on the cruelty and errors of a false prophet, than to the vicar and representative of a God of truth and mercy?
“We have slandered the Chinese because their metaphysics is not the same as ours ... This great misunderstanding about Chinese rituals has come about because we have judged their usages by ours, for we carry the prejudices of our contentious spirit to the end of the world.”
“Your holiness will pardon the liberty taken by one of the lowest of the faithful, though a zealous admirer of virtue, of submitting to the head of the true religion this performance, written in opposition to the founder of a false and barbarous sect. To whom could I with more propriety inscribe a satire on the cruelty and errors of a false prophet, than to the vicar and representative of a God of truth and mercy?”
“have surpassed all nations in impertinent fables, in bad conduct and in barbarism. You deserve to be punished, for this is your destiny.”
Infobae: Dónde ver a Aurelio Voltaire en CDMX: concierto, boletos y funciones de su primera película “The Demonatrix”
louderthanwar.com: Cabaret Voltaire and Gazelle Twin : The John Robb interview about their upcoming UK tour and their music
USA Today: Noah Voltaire Stats, NCAAF News, Bio and More - USA TODAY Sports
The Times of India: Quote of the day inspired by Voltaire: 'Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats' and why choosing joy in the face of chaos may be the ultimate act ...
Kansas City Pitch: Eat This Now: Pommes frites with port wine ketchup at Voltaire
Mshale: Hilary Duff — You, From The Honeymoon (Live At Voltaire Las Vegas 05.24.26) Meteo Viterbo (EOvYDD0AM6)
ArchDaily: Galería de Voltaire / SABO project - 21
Moneycontrol.com: Voltaire Leasin Standalone June 2026 Net Sales at Rs 0.16 crore, down 1.21% Y-o-Y
ArchDaily: Galería de Colegio Voltaire / NM2A - 17
marketscreener.com: Voltaire Leasing & Finance Limited Reports Earnings Results for the First Quarter Ended June 30, 2026
Business Standard: Voltaire Leasing & Finance standalone net profit declines 15.38% in the June 2026 quarter
WWD: Bicester Village to Bring Beryl Cook’s Paintings to Life in Tie-up With Britain’s Studio Voltaire
DJ Mag: Cabaret Voltaire’s ‘CODE’ gets deluxe reissue ahead of final shows this autumn
Diario La Hora: El Voltaire de la ciencia ficción
Clarin.com: Cita del día, de Voltaire: "La incertidumbre es una posición incómoda, pero la certeza es un absurdo"
Public attention spiked: 13,272 Wikipedia readers in one day, 7.2× the usual 1,837, with 1 article edits.
Public attention spiked: 6,585 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.6× the usual 1,837, with 1 article edits. Editors noted: script-assisted date audit and style fixes per MOS:NUM
Yahoo Finance: Cardano Is on Track for Voltaire Upgrade This Month, Co-Founder Hoskinson Says
Law: Voltaire: Law School Dropout, Ex-Con, Hero of the Age of Enlightenment, and Pro Bono Counsel
AP News rated the claim “French philosopher Voltaire said” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
Snopes.com rated the claim “French writer Voltaire said: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize."” Incorrect Attribution.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
PolitiFact rated the claim “Says Voltaire said, “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
More than fifty years after the first volume appeared
Lead Stories rated the claim “Voltaire said "To Learn Who Rules Over You, Simply Find Out Who You're Not Allowed To Criticize"” Wrong Person.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
BOOM Fact Check rated the claim “The French philosopher Voltaire said, "If you want to know who controls you, look at who you are not allowed to criticize".” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
USA Today rated the claim “Voltaire said, 'If you want to know who controls you, look at who you are not allowed to criticize'” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
AFP Fact Check rated the claim “Quote about censorship is from Voltaire” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
Yahoo: Great French Philosopher Voltaire Reinvented for the Modern Age in ZDFE-Sold and France Télévisions-Produced Series
Scroll: Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ talks to us eloquently in this era of the pandemic and wild conspiracy theories
JSTOR Daily: Voltaire and the French Academy
NPR: After Paris Attacks, Voltaire's 'Tolerance' Is Back In Vogue
“if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him”
Left his collection to the University of Oxford, where the Voltaire Foundation became established as a department
Voltaire's 250th birthday was celebrated in both France and the Soviet Union, honoring him as "one of the most feared opponents" of the Nazi collaborators and someone "whose name symbolizes freedom of thought, and hatred
“A false science makes atheists, a true science prostrates men before the Deity”
Awarded Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order.
Studied at Lycée Louis-le-Grand.
Died 1778-05-30.
“Le superflu, chose très nécessaire.”
“Le secret d'ennuyer est celui de tout dire.”
“Men are equal; it is not birth, it is virtue alone that makes them differ.”
“Man: General Reflection on Man”
“Canon Law: Ecclesiastical Ministry”
“État de la France jusqu'à la mort du cardinal Mazarin en 1661”
Career landmark: seat 33 of the Académie française (1746–1778).
Career landmark: historiographer of France (1744–1750).
Awarded Fellow of the Royal Society (1743).
Born 1694-11-21.