J. M. Coetzee was born on 9 February 1940 in Cape Town. A South African-born novelist and critic who became an Australian citizen, Coetzee is among the most acclaimed writers in English. His novels, including Waiting for the Barbarians, Life and Times of Michael K, Disgrace and Elizabeth Costello, deal with themes of power, guilt, cruelty and the relationship between people and animals. He won the Booker Prize twice, the first writer to do so, for Life and Times of Michael K and Disgrace. He taught literature at the University of Cape Town and in the United States, and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003. He settled in Australia in 2002.
Before and after
- 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
- 23 February 1940Release of Pinocchio
- 10 March 1940Birth of Chuck Norris
- 12 March 1940Moscow Peace Treaty
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1923Construction of Forbidden City
- 1925Rise of Art Deco
- 1935Construction of Cà Mau Airport
- 28 May 1937Construction of Golden Gate Bridge
- 21 September 1937Publication of The Hobbit
- 20 May 1940Construction of Auschwitz
The era
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.