Jules Verne

That movie, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, was based on a book. It was written in the 1800's - years before the first sub was invented. The man who thought this story up was Jules Verne.

Jules Verne was an amazing writer who predicted the science future of the world. Some of the inventions he imagined were created later in his lifetime, but some are still to be invented. He was popular with all kinds of readers: rich, poor, young, old, scientists, artists and rulers. He wrote over 80 books mostly before 1900 and a few of the things he described were helicopters, modern weapons, movies with sound, television and rockets.

Jules Gabriel Verne was born in 1828, in Nates, France. Jules' parents were of a sefaring tradition, one factor which influenced his writings. As a boy, Jules Verne ran off to be a cabin boy on a merchant ship, but he was caught and returned to his parents. In 1847 Jules was sent to study law in Paris. While there, however, his passion for theatre grew. Later in 1850, Jules Verne's first play was published. His father was outraged when he heard that Jules was not going to continue law, so he disconinued the money he was giving him to pay for his expenses in paris. This forced Verne to make money by selling his stories.

After spending many hours in Paris libraries studying geology, engeneering, and astronomy, Jules Verne published his first novel Five Weeks in a Balloon. Soon he started writing many more novels novels. Some of his more famous novels are Five Weeks in a Balloon, A Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days, Mysterious Island, and Master of the World. A few of his novels have been turned into movies, like Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Because of the popularity of these and other novels, Jules Verne became a very rich man. In 1876, he bought a large yacht and sailed around Europe. The last novel befor Jules Verne's death was The Invasion of the Sea.

Jules Verne died on March 24, 1905 and the whole world mourned. He was the founder of modern science fiction and the creator of many imaginary inventions that became reality. He inspired scientists, explorers and builders.