Pierre de Coubertin was born in Paris on January 1, 1863,
to a family the ancestor of which, known under the name
de Fredy, was in the service of the King of France Louis
XI who knighted him in 1471.
It was in 1577 that the domain of Coubertin near Paris
was acquired by a Fredy who assumed the name and the estate.
Since then, all his descendants preserve the name f Fredy
de Coubertin.
It was in Normandy, not far from the port of Le Havre,
that Pierre de Coubertin lived during his youth in the
domain of Mirville, brought in marriage by his mother,
a descendant of a companion of the Viking chief Rollon,
first duke of Normandy. Pierre did his schooling at Paris
and followed courses at the School of Political Sciences.
Having considered a military career, he renounced it,
foreseeing a period of peace. Politics seemed disappointing
to him. Thus he considered the reform of education of
French youth.
After informational voyages to England and the United
States, embarking at Le Havre, he decided to consecrate
his life to pedagogical reform - which he did unstintingly.
page
1 of 2 - next page |
