Life story
Milan Rastislav Štefánik was born on 21 July 1880 in Košariská, the son of an Evangelical pastor. He studied astronomy in Prague and, as a scientist, devoted his life to observing the stars — at observatories in Meudon near Paris and on expeditions across the world, from Mont Blanc to Tahiti.
The First World War turned the astronomer into a soldier and a diplomat. As a general of the French Army and one of the three principal figures of the resistance abroad — together with T. G. Masaryk and E. Beneš — he helped build the Czechoslovak legions and win the support of the great powers for the new state.
He was the first Minister of War of Czechoslovakia. He travelled through Russia, Siberia, America, and Italy, organized the legions, and championed the idea of a common state of Czechs and Slovaks. His energy and personal charm opened doors that remained closed to others.
He perished on 4 May 1919 in an air crash near Ivanka pri Dunaji, as he was returning home to his free homeland. He rests in a burial mound on Bradlo, which the nation raised for him on a hill above his native land. He remained a symbol of courage, learning, and service.
Biographical information from public sources. Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
Constellation of Life
Important milestones that shaped their journey.