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Evolution of the problem "search for life in the Universe" from some examples

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Drake formula, it appears interesting to briefly review the history of Astrobiology from the origins up to the epoch of the Drake formula. After recalling the main steps of this history during Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, we point out some little known or unknown studies during the Modern and Contemporary epochs. Then we review the importance of astrobiology and the search for life in the Universe in the scientific publications during the 20th century.