Founding figure of Romanian literature, playright and short story writer. He began writing during the most important literary movement of his era, the Junimea. The Junimea was a literary society that was founded in 1863. He joined the society in 1878 and he became one of its leading members. Dating back to the 15th century, the culture of Romania had always been influenced by the Slavic Orthodox Church. Romania did not have a culture of its own so the Junimea society set out to establish the basis of a modern Romanian culture. By 1867 the Junimea began publishing its own cultural journal and it became the most important literary publication in the history of Romania. This movement produced some of the most prolific writers in the history of Romania, such as Ion Creanga, Ioan Slavici and Mihai Eminescu. His most influential plays were; A Lost Letter,A Stormy Night, Carnival Adventures, and The Calamity. His portrait is on the old 1,000,000 lei note and the new 100 lei banknote issued in 2005. Prahova has been renamed in his honor to I. L. Caragiale. (bio by: Tom Denardo) Cause of death: Arteriosclerosis