He was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his criticism of Christianity, especially the Roman Catholic Church, as well as his advocacy of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.
✦ Voltaire was imprisoned in the Bastille for nearly a year.
✦ He became wealthy by the lottery.
✦ Voltaire helped popularize the famous tale about Newton.
Voltaire Foundation awards the scholarship in memory of the writer.
