Michel de Nostredame, widely known as Nostradamus, was a French apothecary, physician, and astrologer born in December 1503. Raised in a family of Jewish heritage that had converted to Catholicism, he began his studies at the University of Avignon, which was cut short by an outbreak of the plague. He subsequently worked as an apothecary before attempting to earn a doctorate at the University of Montpellier. However, he was expelled when the university discovered his manual trade as an apothecary, which violated school statutes.
After losing his first wife and two children to the plague in 1534, Nostradamus worked alongside other physicians to combat the disease. He later remarried and settled down, turning his attention to writing. His literary career gained momentum with the publication of a highly successful almanac for the year 1550. This success led him to produce subsequent annual editions and secure patronage from wealthy elites, most notably the French queen consort Catherine de' Medici.
In 1555, Nostradamus published his most famous work, Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains. Drawing heavily on historical and literary precedents, the book initially received a mixed reception. In the centuries following his death in July 1566, Nostradamus gained a lasting reputation as a seer, with supporters claiming he predicted major historical events. However, academic scholars dismiss these claims, attributing his perceived accuracy to vague phrasing, mistranslations, and creative misinterpretations.
