Today's Google Doodle honours the life and work of revered French writer Alexandre Dumas.
Born in 1802, Dumas went on to pen a number of legendary novels including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, the serial publication of which first began on August 28, 1884.
His works are still enjoyed today and have seen him become one of the most widely read French authors.
Following decades of achievement, Dumas died in 1870 at the age of 68, leaving behind a legacy of more than 100,000 published pages.
So, here's a look back at his life:
Who was Alexandre Dumas?
Dumas was born under the name Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie in Villers-Cotterêts, France, in 1802.
He later assumed the surname of his paternal grandmother, Marie-Césette Dumas, a woman of African descent and a slave in present-day Haiti. Dumas' father had done the same as an adult.
Aged 20, he moved to Paris in 1822 and established himself as a playwright before going on to pen novels, many of which were originally published as serials, including The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.
Dumas' adventure novels drew heavily on the experiences of his father, General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, who enjoyed a prestigious career in the French military.
He would go on to found the Théâtre Historique in Paris in the 1840s and write several travel books inspired by adventures in Europe and elsewhere.
But after decades of achievement, Dumas died on December 5, 1870, at the age of 68.
He was survived by his son, also named Alexandre Dumas, who went on to become a playwright and novelist himself.
Today, Dumas' works have been translated into more than 100 different languages and are enjoyed by readers in his native France and around the world.
