Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, philosopher, alchemist and astronomer.

He was the author of The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories detailing the lives and concerns of a group of Christian pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral. It was later printed and distributed, and Ezio Auditore da Firenze bought a copy of the collection in Constantinople in 1511.

Chaucer was a vital figure in developing the legitimacy of English as the literary language of England.