Marquis de Lafayette
/mɑːˌkiː də ˌlɑːfaɪˈet/
/mɑːrˌkiː də ˌlæfiˈet/
- (1757-1834) a French soldier and politician who helped the Americans during the American Revolution and fought at the Battle of Yorktown. He also persuaded the French king Louis XVI to send more soldiers to America to fight the British. This made him very popular in the US, and towns are named after him in several states, including Indiana, Louisiana and Alabama. He was made an honorary citizen of the US by George W Bush in 2002.