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Saint-Exupéry's origins -

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born on June 29, 1900, in Lyon, France, to an aristocratic family. He was a creative child, who would conduct experiments and write poetry about his home and family.

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A national fascination -

Between 1900 and 1940, France was fascinated by aviation. Swept up by its popularity, Saint-Exupéry experienced his first flight at age 12.

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Profound losses -

Saint-Exupéry was profoundly shaped by two deaths in his youth. The first was that of his father, Jean, in 1904, and then his younger brother, François, with whom he was very close, died in 1917.

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Fan of Hans Christian Andersen -

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 1941, Saint-Exupéry revealed that the first book he ever loved was a collection of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales.

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Going after his dream -

After failing his naval exams and dropping out of architecture school, Saint-Exupéry went after his dream of becoming a pilot.

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A new career -

He eventually got a job delivering airmail with Aéropostale in North Africa and South America. However, as their airplanes weren't very functional, they'd crash all the time. This is how he became friends with French aviators Henri Guillaumet and Jean Mermoz, as they were always rescuing each other.

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Loving the desert -

While reminiscing about his shack in today's Tarfaya in Morocco, Saint-Exupéry wrote, "I have never loved my house more than when I lived in the desert."

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His first published work -

During his time at Aéropostale, Saint-Exupéry published a short story called 'L'Aviateur,' in 1926. Then in 1929, he published his first book, 'Southern Mail,' inspired by his experiences as a pilot.

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Saint-Exupéry's breakthrough novel -

Published in 1931, 'Night Flight' is about the harrowing adventures of brave pilots. It became a best seller that made Saint-Exupéry famous.

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Married life -

In 1931, Saint-Exupéry met and married Salvadorian-French writer and artist Consuelo Carrillo. They had a tumultuous marriage with extramarital affairs on both sides. Nonetheless, they remained married until his death in 1944.

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Back to flying -

As the Second World War broke out, Saint-Exupéry began flying reconnaissance missions until France fell in the hands of the Germans. He then moved to New York City, where he stayed for over two years.

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No English for him -

Even living for a while in the US, Saint-Exupéry made little to no effort to learn English. He relied heavily on his publisher and friends to get by.

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Longing to go back -

During this period, Saint-Exupéry became very depressed and wanted to rejoin the war effort. He even said, "I feel like I am watching the war from a theater seat." This was also the time when he began writing 'The Little Prince.'

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A man at work -

It's said that Saint-Exupéry began writing at 11 pm and went on until day break. He would even call his friends in the middle of the night, reading them drafts.

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Inspiration from life -

There's a lot of inspiration from Saint-Exupéry's life in 'The Little Prince.' This includes his 1935 crash in the Libyan desert, and his turbulent relationship with his wife.

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Illustrated by Saint-Exupéry himself -

Saint-Exupéry illustrated the book himself and had very specific demands for his publisher. These included that he would decide their placements, their colors, dimensions, and captions.

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The Little Prince wasn't a new character -

Saint-Exupéry had been drawing the same little figure on scraps of paper since he was in his twenties. When asked how he came up with the figure, Saint-Exupéry said: "I looked down at a blank sheet of paper one day and a figure looked back at me and said 'I am the Little Prince.'"

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Its first publication -

'The Little Prince' was first published in English and French in the US and Canada in 1943. It was only published in France after the war, in 1945.

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The return to war -

The same month 'The Little Prince' was released in 1943, Saint-Exupéry rejoined the French war effort. However, biographers aren't sure on the exact date he departed.

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A New York Times best seller -

'The Little Prince' only spent two weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list when it was first published. Nevertheless, it was a sensation. By the fall of 1943, it had sold 30,000 copies in English and 7,000 in French.

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Signed copies -

Saint-Exupéry signed the first 785 printed copies: 525 English books and 260 French books. In 2013, a first edition signed copy was valued at US$25,000 to $35,000.

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The death of Saint-Exupéry -

On July 31, 1944, Saint-Exupéry departed the island of Corsica on his 10th reconnaissance mission, but never returned. To this day, the reason(s) for his death remains a mystery.

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Traces of his disappearance -

In 1998, a fisherman discovered in the Mediterranean Sea a bracelet bearing Saint-Exupéry's name and the address of his New York publisher. The wreckage of his airplane was later found, but his body was never discovered.

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Possible cause of death -

In 2008, a former Luftwaffe pilot named Horst Rippert confessed he may have shot Saint-Exupéry's plane down. However, he was not completely certain.

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The famous fox -

The famous line of the fox, "What is essential is invisible to the eye," was revised and rewritten by Saint-Exupéry 15 times.

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An immediate French success -

When 'The Little Prince' was published in Saint-Exupéry's native France, it became an immediate success. Likewise, its popularity grew throughout the world.

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Worldwide translations -

'The Little Prince' has been translated in over 300 languages, making it one of the most widely translated texts in the world. ​Included in those translated books are 10 different English-language translations.

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Artistic adaptations -

Several movie adaptations have followed, such as the 2015 animated feature by Mark Osborn and the 1974 live-action film by Stanley Donen (pictured). However, the first film adaption was by Lithuanian filmmaker Arünas Zebrünas in 1967. The book has also been adapted into a musical, opera, and a ballet.

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In his honor -

Appropriately, the airport in his hometown of Lyon is called Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, in the famous aviator's honor.

Sources: (CBC) (Mental Floss)

See also: The incredible benefits of reading, and how to become a better reader 

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