Philippeville (French pronunciation: [fi.lip.vil]) is a Walloon municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. The Philippeville municipality includes the old communes of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Neuville, Omezée, Roly, Romedenne, Samart, Sart-en-Fagne, Sautour, Surice (Wallonia), Villers-en-Fagne, Villers-le-Gambon, and Vodecée.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Philippeville region was on the boundary between Charles V’s Burgundian Netherlands and Francis I’s France. Fighting around Philippeville did not start, however, until 1554, after Henry II had succeeded his father on the throne. This area was ideal for an attack as it was covered with forests, sparsely populated and divided among the County of Hainaut, that of Namur, by now part of Burgundy, and the Bishopric of Liège. The medieval forts in the area were taken and pillaged one after the other. The fortress of Mariembourg, close to Couvin, and the town of Givet soon fell to the French. In 1555, Charles V’s new commander, William the Silent, established a new fort in the village of Echerennes, a village known since the 9th century. He garrisoned his troops there as soon as the fort was completed, barely four months after the start of construction. In 1556, Charles V named his new fortress Philippeville in honour of his son, Philip II of Spain, who would succeed him in the Netherlands – and on the city – the following year.

Jean Rostand (October 30, 1894, Paris - September 4, 1977) was a French biologist and philosopher.

Active as an experimental biologist, Rostand became famous for his work as a science writer, as well as a philosopher and an activist. His scientific work covered a variety of biological fields such as amphibian embryology, parthenogenesis and teratogeny, while his literary output extended into popular science, history of science and philosophy. His work in the area of cryogenics gave the idea of cryonics to Robert Ettinger.

Rostand was born to playwright Edmond Rostand and poetess Rosemonde Gérard as well as the brother of novelist and playwright Maurice Rostand.^{[citation needed]}

Following the footsteps of his father, Rostand was elected to the Académie française in 1959.^{[citation needed]}

Rostand was active in several causes, in particular against nuclear proliferation and the death penalty.^{[citation needed]} An agnostic, he demonstrated humanist convictions.^{[citation needed]} He wrote several books on the question of eugenism and the responsibilities of mankind regarding its own fate and its place in nature.^{[citation needed]}