Simone de Beauvoir changed how the world thinks about being a woman. Her famous line, 'One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman', argued that femininity is shaped by society rather than nature. The Second Sex, published in 1949, became a founding text of modern feminism, and it was so controversial that the Vatican placed it on its list of banned books. She was also a novelist, winning France's top literary award, the Prix Goncourt, for The Mandarins. Her honest memoirs about her own life and ageing were as groundbreaking as her philosophy.
Key Milestones
1943: Publishes her first novel, She Came to Stay
1949: Publishes The Second Sex
1954: Wins the Prix Goncourt for The Mandarins
Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir (9 January 1908 – 14 April 1986) was a French existentialist philosopher, writer, social theorist, and feminist activist.
Simone de Beauvoir's birthday is January 9. She was born on January 9, 1908 in Paris, France.
How old was Simone de Beauvoir when she died?
Simone de Beauvoir died on April 14, 1986, aged 78.
Who shares a birthday with Simone de Beauvoir?
Famous people who share Simone de Beauvoir's January 9 birthday include Richard Nixon, Karel Čapek, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Husayn ibn Ali and Joan Baez.
