Gustave Le Bon was a French social psychologist and sociologist, born on May 7, 1841. He is best known for his work on crowd psychology, particularly his book, The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, published in 1895. In this work, Le Bon explored how individuals in a crowd can lose their sense of self and be influenced by collective emotions and behaviors. Le Bon's theories have had a lasting impact on various fields, including psychology, sociology, and political science. His ideas about the irrationality of crowds and the power of suggestion have influenced later thinkers, such as Sigmund Freud and Wilfred Trotter, in understanding group dynamics and mass behavior.