Born on April 14th, 1935, in Zofingen, Switzerland, Erich von Däniken was educated at the College St. Michel in Fribourg, where he was already occupying his time with the study of ancient holy writings. While managing director of a Swiss 5-star hotel, he wrote his first book, Chariots of the Gods, which was an immediate best-seller in the United States, Germany, and later in 38 other countries. He won instant fame in the United States as a result of the television special In Search of Ancient Astronauts, which was based on that book. His other books, including the more recent Twilight of the Gods and Odyssey of the Gods, have been translated into 32 languages and have sold more than 63 million copies worldwide.
From his books, two full-length documentary films have been produced, Chariots of the Gods and Messages of the Gods. He is featured in the History Channel’s extremely successful series Ancient Aliens, for which Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, of the Center for Ancient Astronaut Research and publisher of Legendary Times magazine, serves as consulting producer.
Of the more than 3,000 lectures that Erich von Däniken has given in 25 countries, more than 500 were presented at universities. Fluent in four languages, Erich von Däniken is an avid researcher and a compulsive traveler, averaging 100,000 miles each year to the most remote spots on the globe. This enables him to closely examine the phenomena about which he writes. Erich von Däniken is a member of the Swiss Writers Association, the German Writers Association, and the International PEN Club. He was awarded with an honorary doctorate degree by the La Universidad Boliviana. He received the Huesped Illustre award from the cities of Ica and Nazca in Peru. In Brazil he received the Lourenço Filho award in Gold and Platinum, and in Germany he was awarded with the Order of Cordon Bleu du Saint Esprit (together with the German astronaut Ulf Merbold). In 2004, he was awarded the Explorers Festival prize.
In 1998, Erich von Däniken cofounded the Archaeology, Astronautics, and SETI Research Society (AASRS), which publishes the English journal Legendary Times, reporting on the latest research in the paleo-SETI field. In 2003, he opened his “Mysteries of the World” theme park in Interlaken, Switzerland, which still fascinates visitors with his research into the various mysteries of the world, including paleo-SETI and the Ancient Astronaut Theory.
Today, Erich von Däniken lives in the small mountain village of Beatenberg in Switzerland (40 miles from Berne, above the city of Interlaken). He has been married to Elisabeth Skaja since 1960. He has one daughter, Cornelia (born 1963), and two grandchildren. Von Däniken is an amateur chef and a lover of Bordeaux wines.