Gao Xingjian was born on 4 January 1940 in Ganxian District. A Chinese-born novelist, playwright and painter, Gao left China in 1987 and became a French citizen in 1998. His works, including the novel Soul Mountain, based on a journey through the Chinese hinterland, and One Man's Bible, and plays such as Bus Stop, are known for their experimental forms and for his emphasis on individual freedom. His writings were banned in China after he criticized the government's response to the 1989 Tiananmen protests. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000, the first for a writer in the Chinese language, which the Chinese government dismissed.
Before and after
- from 1940 to 1957Rise of Forest Brothers
- from 1940 to 1991Occupation of the Baltic states
- 1940Discovery of astatine
- 19401940 becomes the warmest year on record
- 4 January 1940Birth of Gao Xingjian
- 19 January 1940Construction of Dublin Airport
- 24 January 1940Birth of Joachim Gauck
- 9 February 1940Birth of J. M. Coetzee
- 19 February 1940Birth of Saparmyrat Nyýazow
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This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.