Jean de La Fontaine, French author and poet (died 1695)

Jean de La Fontaine was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, as well as in French regional languages.

July 8 is the 189th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 176 days remain until the end of the year.