Who is Voltaire from The Story of Philosophy and what is their importance?

Voltaire is born in 1694 and lives until 1778. He is born Francois Marie Arouet in Paris. His father is a successful notary or public official. Francois' mother is an aristocrat. His aunt sees potential greatness in her young nephew. She leaves money for him in her will to buy books. Despite his aunt's hopes, Francois' father predicts literature as a profession will make him useless to society, a burden to his family and hungry. At twenty-one years old Francois writes two poems that criticize France's interim ruler. The Regent imprisons him in the Bastille in 1717.