Gregory of Tours

Born Georgius Florentius around 538, he became Bishop of Tours during the Merovingian period and set himself to a task most of his contemporaries ignored: recording what was happening. His Decem Libri Historiarum, also called the Historia Francorum, chronicles the Franks through ten books of history and remains the primary source for understanding that era. He also documented the lives of religious figures, particularly Martin of Tours. He died on 17 November 594, leaving behind the reason he's now called the father of French history: he wrote it down when it would otherwise have been lost.