Zamenhof, Ludwig Lazar

Born Dec. 15 (27), 1859, in Bialystok; died Apr. 14 (27), 1917, in Warsaw. Polish oculist; inventor of Esperanto.

Zamenhof studied in Warsaw, Moscow, and Vienna. In 1887 under the pseudonym D-ro Esperanto he published his plan for an artificial auxiliary international language, hoping that it would serve the cause of mutual understanding among peoples. He later published Esperanto dictionaries as well as anthologies and separate editions of his original works and of Esperanto translations of classics of world literature. In 1959–60, following a resolution by UNESCO, the 100th anniversary of Zamenhof ‘s birth was widely observed.