Jacques Le Goff (1 January 1924 – 1 April 2014) was a French historian and author. He wrote many books about the Middle Ages. Mostly during the 12th and 13th centuries. Le Goff was known for arguing that the Middle Ages created a new civilization. In 1984, he wrote The Birth of Purgatory.
Le Goff was born in Toulon. He died in Paris, France from natural causes, aged 90.