The Future Starts Yesterday

[Sweder]

I jumped to my feet, completely thunderstruck. I blinked my eyes hard. I looked carefully all around me. And I saw a most extraordinary small person, who stood there examining me with great seriousness. Here you may see the best portrait that, later, I was able to make of him.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943 The Little Prince

Antione was born in Lyons, France. He took his first flight at the age of eleven, and became a pilot at twenty-six. He was a pioneer of international commercial aviation and flew in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. His writings include The Little Prince; Wind, Sand and Stars; and Southern Mail.

In 1944, while serving with his French air squadron, he disappeared during a reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean. A tragic loss.