catcha
Full Member
The Swiss author and publicist Erich von Däniken has died at the age of 90. The writer made a name for himself around the world as a controversial expert on the gods, and his books sold millions of copies.
His death was confirmed to news agency Keystone-SDA by his daughter on Sunday.
Cornelia von Däniken said that her father had died of old age at a hospital in Interlaken, canton Bern. The news of the death of the internationally renowned author and journalist can also be found on websites dedicated to Erich von Däniken.
The author made a name for himself worldwide as a controversial researcher of the gods. Von Däniken was born on April 14, 1935 in Zofingen, canton Aargau. With the publication of Chariots of the Gods in 1968, von Däniken triggered a science-fiction boom and conquered bestseller lists.
His debut was followed by numerous other books, documentaries and television series. Von Däniken went from being an amateur researcher to an entrepreneur, later founding a foundation.
Altogether von Däniken wrote 49 books, which sold 75 million copies and were translated into more than 30 languages, according to his agent. He was a global phenomenon who nevertheless had difficulty establishing himself in his own country.
