Born on January 9

French explorer and navigator (1492–1557) who undertook three major voyages to North America between 1534 and 1542. He explored the St. Lawrence River and the coasts of Canada, paving the way for French colonization of New France.

French philosopher and novelist (1908–1986), Simone de Beauvoir is a towering figure of existentialism and modern feminism. Author of The Second Sex, a foundational essay on the condition of women, she profoundly shaped philosophical thought and emancipatory movements throughout the 20th century.

Senegalese-Guinean writer and historian (1932–2021), Djibril Tamsir Niane is celebrated for collecting and transcribing the epic of Sundiata Keita. His major work, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali (1960), helped bring recognition to African oral traditions.

Guatemalan political activist and human rights defender