A Chronology of Voltaire's life, with significant political and literary events
Portrait of Voltaire at the age of 41, by Maurice-Quentin de Latour (1735)
Voltaire later in life, in a sketch by Jean Huber
The title page of the first edition of Candide, 1759
Illustrations from the 1778 and 1787 editions of Voltaire's Contes
Compare the original edition of Candide with one of the many pirated editions of 1759
Manuscript page of chapter XXIV, secretary's handwriting with annotations by Voltaire
Voltaire's "Poem on the Lisbon Disaster" (1756)
A Letter concerning the Earthquake in Lisbon, background to chapters 5 and 6
A Letter on the subject of Candide, to the Journal encyclopédique, 15 July 1759
"All is well," the article from Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary (1764)
D'Alembert's article "Optimism", take from volume 11 of the Encyclopédie (1765).
Leonard Bernstein's musical comedy, Candide
Links to other internet resources:
A reading from Leibnitz's Theodicy: "Abridgment of the Argument Reduced to Syllogistic Form"; this text deals with the inclusion of evil in the "best" world and limitations on God's freedom.
Alexander Pope, with his Essay on Man, is also a target of Voltaire's critique of "optimism."
Here is a presentation of the Auto-da-Fé held in conjunction with the wedding of Charles II, king of Spain, in 1680.
For additional information on Voltaire, see the site of the Voltaire Society of America.