Born: 26 February 1802 · Died: 22 May 1885 · Age at death: 83
How old was Victor Hugo when he died?
Victor Hugo died aged 83. He was born on 26 February 1802 and died on 22 May 1885.
Romantic novels Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, lyric poetry, and his republican political activism during exile
Quick facts
Date of birth26 February 1802
Date of death22 May 1885
Age at death83
NationalityFrench
BirthplaceBesançon, France
Editor's Take:
Hugo remains France's pre-eminent Romantic author, bridging literature and politics with unmatched influence. His novels championed the marginalised—hunchbacks, prostitutes, convicts—making social justice integral to French literary culture. The exile years paradoxically amplified his voice; from Guernsey he published scathing political satires and completed Les Misérables, which became an immediate international sensation. His funeral marked a republican sacrament, the Panthéon burial cementing him as the Third Republic's secular saint. Both works remain perpetually adapted, proving his narratives of redemption and human dignity transcend their century. Hugo understood spectacle; his life and art were inseparable performances of democratic idealism.
Key Milestones
1831: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame established his literary fame
1851: Fled to exile opposing Napoleon III's coup d'état
1862: Published Les Misérables, his masterpiece exploring social injustice
1885: State funeral honoured him as republican hero and writer
Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (French:; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862).
Victor Hugo's birthday is February 26. He was born on February 26, 1802 in Besançon, France.
How old was Victor Hugo when he died?
Victor Hugo died on May 22, 1885, aged 83.
Who shares a birthday with Victor Hugo?
Famous people who share Victor Hugo's February 26 birthday include Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ariel Sharon, Johnny Cash, Ahmet Davutoğlu and Michel Houellebecq.
