French Enlightenment Writer, Historian, and Philosopher, Famous for his Wit, and his Criticism of Christianity?especially the Roman Catholic Church?and of Slavery, and an Advocate of Freedom of Speech and of Religion

: A French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his nom de plume M. de Voltaire (/v?l?t??r, vo?l-/; also US: /v??l-/; French: [v?lt???]), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity?especially the Roman Catholic Church?and of slavery. Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. (From: Wikipedia.org.)