Alexandre Dumas was born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie on 24 July 1802, in Villers-Cotterêts, France. His father, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, was the first person of colour to hold various important ranks within the French army; several of Dumas's adventure novels are known to have been based on his father's exploits. In some of his writings, he also meditated on the experience of being mixed-race.