Gaston Maurice Julia (February 3, 1893 – March 19, 1978) was a French mathematician who devised the formula for the Julia set. His works were later popularized  in the 1990’s by French mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot.  Julia Sets and Mandelbrot fractals are closely related.

Julia was born in the Algeria, at the time governed by the French. During his youth, he had an interest in mathematics and music.  He was 21 years old when France became involved with World War I and he was conscripted to serve with the army. During an attack he suffered a severe injury, losing his nose. After many unsuccessful operations to remedy the situation the Journal de Mathématiques Pures et Appliquées, he resigned himself to wearing a leather mask around the area where his nose had been for the rest of his life.

 
Spectacular 'Julia Set' crop circle

Julia gained attention for his mathematical work after the war when a 199-page article he wrote was featured in, a French mathematics journal. The article, which he published during 1918, at the age of 25 gained immense popularity among mathematicians and the general public, which resulted in Julia's later receiving of the Grand Prix de l'Académie des Sciences award. Despite his fame, his works were mostly forgotten until decades later, when another mathematician, Benoît Mandelbrot mentioned them in his works.

Julia died in Paris at the age of 85.

When Julia set calculations are depicted graphically, they result in beautiful and spectacular geometric designs. These designs have frequently appeared overnight
as ‘crop circles’ in ways that suggest they are the work of an alien intelligence. For this reason they are referred to as ‘Julia Set’ crop circles. Flying Saucers and alien beings have been seen in and around these crop circles. Because of the extraterrestrial confirmation of his work, Gaston Julia is once again becoming known and popular.
(Gaston Julia biographical data courtesy of WikiMedia Data.)