45 historically significant individuals born on January 9. January 9 is the birth date of several notable figures in politics, literature, and science. Born on this day were French existentialist philosopher and feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir in 1908, the 37th President of the United States Richard Nixon in 1913, and Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Har Gobind Khorana in 1922, who contributed to understanding the genetic code.
Total Born
45
Countries
31
Top Century
20th· 23
Top Field
journalist
7 individuals
Headline Figures
autobiographer
Simone de Beauvoir
1908 – 1986French feminist philosopher who wrote "The Second Sex," a foundational text of modern feminism analyzing women's oppression in society.
historian
Levon Ter-Petrosyan
1945 – PresentFirst President of Armenia (1991-1998) and historian who led the country to independence from the Soviet Union and established its early democratic institutions.
rapper
Sean Paul
1973 – PresentJamaican dancehall artist who achieved international success with hits like "Get Busy" and "Temperature." He helped bring dancehall music to mainstream global audiences in the early 2000s.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (23)
19th (14)
17th C.21st C.
21st Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Piero Hincapié
association football player
Center-back defender who plays for Bayer Leverkusen and represents Ecuador's national team, emerging as one of South America's most promising young defenders.
20th Century
23Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Simone de Beauvoir
autobiographerdiarist
French feminist philosopher who wrote "The Second Sex," a foundational text of modern feminism analyzing women's oppression in society.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan
historianpolitician
First President of Armenia (1991-1998) and historian who led the country to independence from the Soviet Union and established its early democratic institutions.
Sean Paul
rappersinger
Jamaican dancehall artist who achieved international success with hits like "Get Busy" and "Temperature." He helped bring dancehall music to mainstream global audiences in the early 2000s.
Rigoberta Menchú
autobiographerhuman rights defender
Indigenous K'iche' Maya woman who won the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy of indigenous rights and social justice in Guatemala.
Lara Fabian
actorsinger
Belgian-Canadian multilingual singer known for her powerful vocals and international hits in French, English, and other languages.
Har Gobind Khorana
biologistgeneticist
Indian-American molecular biologist who won the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for deciphering the genetic code and demonstrating how genes control protein synthesis.
Nina Dobrev
actorballet dancer
Bulgarian-Canadian actress best known for her dual role as Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce in the supernatural drama series 'The Vampire Diaries' (2009-2015).
Aminata Savadogo
modelrecord producer
Latvian singer-songwriter who represented Latvia at Eurovision 2015 with "Love Injected" and has released multiple albums.
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría
economistlawyer
Served as President of Costa Rica from 1998 to 2002, previously working as an economist and serving as Secretary General of the Organization of American States. He faced corruption charges after his presidency.
MD
Mirza Delibašić
basketball coachbasketball player
Legendary basketball player and coach who starred for Bosna and Yugoslavia, considered one of Europe's greatest players of the 1970s-80s.
João Cabral de Melo Neto
diplomatplaywright
Brazilian writer (1920-1999)
Michel Aflaq
historianphilosopher
Syrian philosopher, sociologist and Arab nationalist (1910–1989)
Heinz Sandauer
composerconductor
Austrian musician (1911-1979)
Richard Nixon
autobiographerlawyer
President of the United States from 1969 to 1974 (1913–1994)
KM
Kari Mannerla
board game designerinventor
Finnish board and card game designer (1930-2006)
Sakari Olkkonen
artistic gymnast
Finnish artistic gymnast
BW
Barrington Watson
painterwriter
Jamaican painter (1931-2016)
SD
Stefan Dichev
journalistscreenwriter
Bulgarian writer (1920-1996)
BD
Blaženka Despot
feministphilosopher
Croatian philosopher and sociologist
Ángel Berni
association football coachassociation football player
Paraguayan footballer (1931-2017)
Ilie Savu
association football coachassociation football player
Romanian footballer (1920-2010)
Amel Tuka
athletics competitor
Middle-distance runner who won bronze in the 800m at the 2015 World Championships and competed at multiple Olympics.
Fidel Escobar
association football player
Panamanian midfielder who has been a regular starter for the Panama national football team in World Cup qualifying matches.
19th Century
14Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Harvey H. Cluff
Mission presidentMormon missionary
American businessman (1836–1916)
Eugène Marais
entomologistjournalist
South African lawyer, naturalist, poet and writer (1871–1936)
Max Winter
journalistpolitician
Austrian journalist and politician (1870-1937)
Félix-Gabriel Marchand
journalistnotary
Canadian politician (1832-1900)
Laura Kieler
authorjournalist
Norwegian writer (1849-1932)
Eugenio Larrabure y Unanue
diplomatjournalist
Peruvian journalist, diplomat and politician (1844-1916)
Laure Conan
essayisthagiographer
Canadian writer (1845-1924)
Julio Garmendia
diplomatjournalist
Venezuelan writer and diplomat
Henriette Yvonne Stahl
translatorwriter
Romanian writer
Jan Verhas
genre painterpainter
Belgian painter (1834-1896)
Gyula Jungfer
artistblacksmith
Hungarian artist (1841-1908)
Anton Schmid
military personnelsoldier
Austrian soldier and Righteous Among the Nations (1900–1942)
Urbano Caldeira
association football coachassociation football player
Brazilian footballer and manager (1890-1933)
BF
Benigno Andrade Flores
military officerpolitician
Acting Chief of the Executive Power of Ecuador
18th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Elisabeth Stierncrona
writer
Swedish noble
Julián Álvarez
lawyerpolitician
Lawyer and politician (1788-1843)
17th Century
5Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Empress Meishō
aristocratmonarch
Empress of Japan (1624-1696)
Robert Joseph Pothier
judgejurist
French jurist (1699-1772)
Marquis of Verboom
engineermilitary engineer
Flemish-born military engineer in the service of the King of Spain
Axel Sparre
military personnelpainter
Swedish textile artist and painter (1652-1728)
Béat Louis de Muralt
writer
Swiss writer
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on January 9?
Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, was born on January 9, 1913. Other notable individuals include French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and Nobel Prize-winning scientist Har Gobind Khorana.
What Nobel Prize winner was born on January 9?
Har Gobind Khorana, born on January 9, 1922, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968 for his research on genetic code and protein synthesis. He shared the award with Robert W. Holley and Marshall W. Nirenberg.
Are there any famous philosophers born on January 9?
Yes, Simone de Beauvoir, the French existentialist philosopher and feminist theorist, was born on January 9, 1908. She is known for her work 'The Second Sex' and her contributions to feminist philosophy.