Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (September 29, 1547 – April 23, 1616), often simply called Cervantes, was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright.
His major work, Don Quixote, considered to be the first modern European novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written. His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes (“the language of Cervantes”). He was dubbed El Príncipe de los Ingenios (“The Prince of Wits”).