Louis Pasteur was one of three children, born in the small town of Dole in the Jura (central eastern France) in 1822.  The town was a tannery town and Louis’ father was a poor man and a tanner.  The family were simple and devout Roman Catholics with no particular aspirations and nothing in their family history, as far as one can tell, to suggest a genius was born among them. - See more at: http://www.turquoisemoon.co.uk/blog/snippets-of-french-history-louis-pasteur-1822-1895-in-a-nutshell/#sthash.YpqRoK0l.dpuf