16 historically significant individuals born on November 29. November 29 is the birth date of several figures across literature, medicine, politics, and the arts. Born on this day are Venezuelan humanist Andrés Bello (1781), Portuguese neurologist and Nobel Prize winner António Egas Moniz (1874), and British author C. S. Lewis (1898), creator of The Chronicles of Narnia series. The date also marks the birth of Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi (1926) and Soviet-Azerbaijani painter Tahir Salakhov (1928).
Total Born
16
Countries
11
Top Century
20th· 9
Top Field
politician
3 individuals
Headline Figures
civil servant
John Mahama
1958 – PresentFormer President of Ghana who served from 2012 to 2017 and was the country's first head of state born after independence. He previously served as Vice President under John Atta Mills.
official
Jacques Chirac
1932 – 2019French president from 1995 to 2007 who served as mayor of Paris for 18 years and was convicted of corruption in 2011.
association football player
John Mensah
1982 – PresentGhanaian center-back who captained the national team at three World Cups and played for clubs including Rennes and Sunderland.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (9)
19th (3)
13th C.20th C.
20th Century
9Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
John Mahama
civil servanthistorian
Former President of Ghana who served from 2012 to 2017 and was the country's first head of state born after independence. He previously served as Vice President under John Atta Mills.
Jacques Chirac
officialpolitician
French president from 1995 to 2007 who served as mayor of Paris for 18 years and was convicted of corruption in 2011.
John Mensah
association football player
Ghanaian center-back who captained the national team at three World Cups and played for clubs including Rennes and Sunderland.
Tahir Teimurovitsch Salakhov
graphic artistpainter
Prominent Soviet and Azerbaijani painter and graphic artist known for his contributions to the "severe style" movement in Soviet art and his leadership roles in Soviet artistic institutions.
Dominic Adiyiah
association football player
Ghanaian striker who was the top scorer at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, helping Ghana win the tournament and earning the Golden Boot award.
Abdelmajid Lakhal
stage actortheatrical director
Influential theatre director and actor who founded the Théâtre de la Terre in Tunis and promoted Arabic theatrical works.
Beji Caid Essebsi
diplomatlawyer
President of Tunisia from 2014 to 2019 and veteran politician who served in various government roles. He was the first democratically elected president following the 2011 revolution.
Chibly Langlois
Catholic bishopCatholic priest
Catholic Cardinal who serves as Archbishop of Les Cayes and was elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis in 2014. He is one of the highest-ranking Catholic officials from Haiti.
Mariano Rivera
baseball player
Legendary closer who played 19 seasons for the New York Yankees, recording 652 saves and winning five World Series championships before his Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 2019.
19th Century
3Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
António Egas Moniz
neurologistneuroscientist
Portuguese neurologist who won the 1949 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing the lobotomy procedure, despite later controversy over the treatment.
Julius Raab
engineerpolitician
Austrian chancellor and politician (1891-1964)
C. S. Lewis
theologianuniversity teacher
British scholar and author who wrote "The Chronicles of Narnia" fantasy series and influential Christian apologetics including "Mere Christianity." He was a professor at Oxford and Cambridge universities and a close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien.
18th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Andrés Bello
diplomateducator
Andrés Bello was a polymath who drafted Chile's civil code, founded the University of Chile, and created influential works in law, philosophy, and grammar that shaped Latin American intellectual development.
William Shenstone
gardenerhorticulturist
English poet and landscape gardener (1714-1763)
17th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
John Ray
botanistbryologist
British botanist (1627–1705)
13th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Béla IV of Hungary
monarchpolitician
King of Hungary (1206-1270)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on November 29?
C. S. Lewis, the British author known for writing The Chronicles of Narnia series, was born on November 29, 1898. His work in fantasy literature and Christian apologetics has earned him global recognition.
Are there any Nobel Prize winners born on November 29?
António Egas Moniz, born on November 29, 1874, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949. A Portuguese neurologist, he developed the lobotomy procedure.
What famous Latin American intellectual was born on November 29?
Andrés Bello, born on November 29, 1781, was a Venezuelan humanist, poet, and educator. He became an influential intellectual figure in 19th-century Latin America and played a key role in the cultural and legal development of several South American countries.