Author Jules Verne died on this day in 1905. Considered by many as the father of science fiction, Verne is best known for his books "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Journey to the Center of the Earth," and "Around the World in 80 Days," though his bibliography is much, much longer than that. After a failed stint in law school, he started writing plays and short stories, over time gravitating toward more future-focused stories. Forward-looking novels with a scientific bent was not really a thing at that point in history, so when in 1863 he published "Five Weeks in a Balloon" (about some guys using fanciful hot air balloon tech to travel over parts of Africa that Europeans had yet to reach) it sold like hotcakes.
His career would include many more books about ventures into the unknown using impressive technological innovations. He would continue writing up until his death. Luckily for the reading public, he’d left a bunch of near-complete manuscripts in his desk. His son, Michel, salvaged them, and continued putting out his father’s works through 1919.
You can learn more about the life of Verne in this article from Mental Floss.
