Nobel laureate Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez passed away Thursday in his home in Mexico City at the age of 87.

The following is a brief introduction to the 1982 Nobel laureate:

Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, Garcia Marquez is a master of magic realism and best known for his fictional works, such as Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Love in the Time of Cholera and Autumn of the Patriarch.

His epic 1967 novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, sold more than 30 million copies in more than 25 languages, is a groundbreaking work of literature that introduced the world to magic realism.

Garcia Marquez, born in Colombia on March 6, 1927, worked as a reporter for many years before dedicating himself to writing fiction, and has been living in Mexico City since the 1960s.

In 1958, he married Mercedes Barcha. They had two sons. One is a television and film director, and the other is a graphic designer.