Wait—perhaps that isn't quite true. Because he saw many of these things in his imagination!
Jules Verne is famous for being one of the earliest of science fiction writers, and he wrote about voyages yet to be taken in books such as From the Earth to the Moon and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. He also wrote imaginative books about voyages that will probably never be taken, such as Journey to the Center of the Earth. Another famous voyage book by Verne is Around the World in Eighty Days.
Jules Verne was definitely one of the “Fathers of Science Fiction,” and he is the second most translated author in the world (after mystery writer Agatha Christie). He's written a lot! In addition to writing plays, short stories, essays, and poems, Verne wrote 55 books!
Celebrate Jules Verne!
- You could of course read one of his books or stories. Here is From the Earth to the Moon, courtesy of Project Gutenberg.
- Watch one of the many film, TV, or animated adaptations to Verne's books. Here is Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Also on this date: