Famous people born on November 14th
November 14 is a remarkably wide-ranging birthday on the calendar, linking world-shaping political leaders with boundary-pushing artists, writers, and innovators. The date gathers figures who influenced everything from international diplomacy and national identity to music, literature, and modern industry. It is also notable for its mix of household names and quietly influential thinkers whose work reshaped how people see the world.
Notable highlights
- Jawaharlal Nehru (1889) - India"s first prime minister and a central architect of the country"s early institutions and non-aligned foreign policy.
- Claude Monet (1840) - A defining Impressionist whose late water-lily series turned atmosphere and light into the main subject of painting.
- Condoleezza Rice (1954) - Served as U.S. secretary of state and national security advisor, helping shape American foreign policy in the early 2000s.
- Zhang Yimou (1950) - Influential Chinese director known for visually striking historical dramas and for helming the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
- Astrid Lindgren (1907) - Beloved Swedish author who created Pippi Longstocking, a lasting symbol of spirited, independent childhood.
- Aaron Copland (1900) - Composer whose open, spacious sound helped define a distinctly American musical voice in works like "Appalachian Spring".
- Wendy Carlos (1939) - Pioneering electronic musician whose synthesizer recordings brought Moog-based sound into the mainstream.
- Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1922) - As UN secretary-general, he pressed for a stronger peacekeeping and diplomacy framework in the post-Cold War era.
- Bernard Hinault (1954) - Cycling legend and five-time Tour de France winner, celebrated for his relentless, aggressive racing style.
- P. J. O"Rourke (1947) - Political satirist and journalist whose sharp, comic prose made economics and ideology readable for broad audiences.
On this day
- 1889 - Journalist Nellie Bly begins her record-setting journey around the world, popularizing the idea through mass media coverage.
- 1940 - Coventry suffers a major German air raid during World War II, becoming a lasting symbol of the Blitz.
- 1969 - Apollo 12 launches, the second crewed mission to land on the Moon.
- 2003 - The Iraq War begins to reshape Iraq"s political landscape as insurgency and reconstruction efforts intensify worldwide attention.