Elie Wiesel was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He was born in 1928 in Sighetu Marmației, Romania and later moved to the United States. Wiesel authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including the memoir 'Night' which is based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Holocaust. He was a prominent voice in bringing awareness to the genocide and worked to prevent future atrocities. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his efforts to 'oppose violence, intolerance and oppression.' He passed away in 2016 in New York City.