Born in
France in 1790, Champollion and could speak
Greek,
Latin,
Hebrew,
Arabic, Chaldean and Syrian by the age of 14. By 19, Champollion was a History lecturer at Grenoble
University. Translated the
Rosetta Stone in 1821 and subsequently became the first expert in
Ancient Egyptians'
hieroglyphics. Died in 1832 aged 42 after founding the
Egyptology department at the
Louvre musuem in
Paris.