Jules Gabriel Verne (February 8, 1828 – March 24, 1905)

Google pays tribute to French sci-fi writer Jules Verne with rather an elegant home page animation for FEB-08th on his 183rd birthday.

To salute the author so famed for "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," the illustration features golden portholes

As a master storyteller of air, sea and land, Verne is of course one of the "fathers of science fiction"; some of his other noted literary voyages include "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Voyage to the Center of the Earth."

 Verne wrote about space,air and underwater travel before air travel and practical submarines were invented, and before practical means of space travel had been devised. He is the third most translated individual author in the world, Some of his books have been made into films.