Author Saint-Exupéry was born on June 29, 1900, in Lyon, France. He died on July 31, 1944.
Born into a wealthy, aristocratic family, he attended the Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Croix School and then studied literature at the Saint-John School in Switzerland. He served in the army as a pilot and became a military pilot. After leaving the military, he worked in car sales before joining a commercial airline.
At the age of 26, he made his debut as an author with "Southern Mail," a love story between a man and a woman. He achieved great success with "Southern Mail" (1929) and "Night Flight" (1931), both of which were based on his experiences as a pilot. In 1939, he was drafted into World War II, served as a flight instructor, and was assigned to a reconnaissance unit. Although his unit suffered heavy losses, the Vichy government of France signed a peace treaty with Germany. After being demobilized and returning to mainland France, he defected to the United States.

In 1943, his masterpiece, The Little Prince, was published in the United States. Shortly after, he returned to France and volunteered to return to military service as a pilot. On July 31, 1944, he was lost over the Mediterranean after flying solo from Borgo Airfield on a photo reconnaissance mission to the French interior.

Although a children's novel, The Little Prince is filled with thought-provoking words that resonate with both children and adults. It is still beloved around the world, and various related events are held all over the country. Until September 7th, the planetarium at Tokyo Skytree Town is hosting a screening where you can look at night skies from around the world while listening to a passage from The Little Prince's "Earth of Man."