Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born into a family of old provincial nobility. He failed his final exams at a preparatory school, and instead, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts to study architecture. In 1921, he began military service in the 2nd Regiment of Chasseurs, and was sent to Strasbourg for pilot training. The next year, he obtained his license, and was offered a transfer to the air force. However, his fiancée's family objected, so he settled in Paris and took an office job.