Eugene Ionesco was a Romanian-French playwright and dramatist who is best known for his absurdist plays. Born in 1909 in Slatina, Romania, he moved to France in the 1930s to pursue a career in literature. Ionesco’s works were heavily influenced by his experiences growing up in Romania and his observations of the rise of totalitarianism in Europe. His most famous play, Rhinoceros, is a scathing critique of conformity and the dangers of groupthink. Ionesco’s work has had a lasting impact on theater and literature, and he is widely regarded as one of the most important playwrights of the 20th century.