Confucius was born in 551 B.C. in the state of Lu. His original name was K'ung Ch'iu.

In 527 B.C., Confucius began his career as a teacher.  In an attempt to bring order to the world, Confucius articulated a philosophy that emphasized personal and governmental morality, justice, and sincerity. These values later gained prominence under the Han Dynasty.

Confucius traveled through-out China for 13 years, until he was 69 years old, when he returned to Lu (his home state) where he died 3 years later in 479 BC. After Confucius died, he was buried in a grave in the city of Ch'uFu, Shandong. Today the site of his final resting place is the beautiful K'ung Forest.

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Further Reading:

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Confucius

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Internet Archive, Confucius

Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Confucius