South African-English soldier and author (died 1996)

Laurens van der Post

Sir Laurens Jan van der Post, was a South African Afrikaner writer, farmer, soldier, educator, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer and conservationist. He was noted for his interest in Jungianism and the Kalahari Bushmen, his experiences during World War II, as well as his relationships with notable figures such as King Charles III and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. After his death, there was controversy over claims that he had exaggerated many aspects of his life, as well the revelation that he had impregnated a 14-year-old girl entrusted in his care.

Born

1906

December 13

Died

Living

Era

1900s

Country

—

About

Laurens, in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1906 Born

Also on December 13

What else happened on this day, through history

1076 The city of Salerno surrenders to Robert Guiscard. Duke Gisulf continues his resistance in the citadel until May of the following year.
1294 Saint Celestine V resigns the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.
1545 The Council of Trent begins as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation.
1577 Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.

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The world in 1906

When Laurens arrived

april 14 The first meeting of the Azusa Street Revival, which will launch Pentecostalism as a worldwide movement, is held in Los Angeles.
april 18 The 7.9 Mw earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California, killing more than 3,000 people, making one of the worst natural disasters in American history.
april 22 The 1906 Intercalated Games open in Athens.
april 27 The State Duma of the Russian Empire meets for the first time.

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Same-day contemporaries

Also born on December 13

Albert Aalbers 1897– Dutch architect, designed the Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel (died 1961) Alvin C. York 1887–1964 American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (died 1964) Amy Lee 1981– American singer, songwriter and pianist Ben Bernanke 1953– American economist Dave Leduc 1991– Canadian martial artist Elizabeth Alexander 1908–1958 English geologist, academic, and physicist (died 1958) Emma Corrin 1995– English actor Junkyard Dog 1952– American professional wrestler (died 1998) Larry Doby 1923–2003 American baseball player (died 2003)

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Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1906

Adolf Eichmann 1906–1962 a German Nazi SS-Obersturmbannführer (born 1906) Bea Benaderet 1906–1968 Turkish-Irish-American television, radio, and voice actress (died 1968) Buddhadasa 1906– Thai monk and philosopher (died 1993) Chandra Shekhar Azad 1906–1931 Indian revolutionary (born 1906) Clifford Odets 1906–1963 American director, playwright, and screenwriter (born 1906) Constance Stokes 1906–1991 Australian painter (died 1991) Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906–1945 German pastor and theologian (born 1906) Eleanor Hibbert 1906– English author (died 1993) Endre Kabos 1906– Hungarian fencer (died 1944)

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More to explore

Laurens's birthday December 13 Laurens's zodiac Sagittarius When Laurens arrived 1906