Origins & Early Life

Taha Hussein (Arabic: طه حسين, romanized: Ṭāhā Ḥusayn, Egyptian Arabic: [ˈtˤɑːhɑ ħ(e)ˈseːn]; November 15, 1889 – October 28, 1973) was among the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a leading figure of the Arab Renaissance and the modernist movement in the Arab world. His sobriquet was "The Dean of Arabic Literature" (Arabic: عميد الأدب العربي, romanized: ʿAmīd al-Adab al-ʿArabī). He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twenty-one times. Taha Hussein was born in Izbet el Kilo, a village in the Minya Governorate in central Upper Egypt.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was the seventh of thirteen children of lower middle class Muslim parents. He contracted ophthalmia at the age of two, and became blind as a result of malpractice by an unskilled physician. After attending a kuttab, he studied religion and Arabic literature at El Azhar University; but from an early age, he was dissatisfied with the traditional education system. When the secular Cairo University was founded in 1908, he was keen to be admitted, and despite being poor and blind, he won a place. In 1914, he received a PhD for his thesis on the sceptic poet and philosopher Abu al-ʿAlaʾ al-Maʿarri...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Aaron Copland — Shared historical date (11-14 · Born) (1900): Pioneering American composer, conductor, and critic, known as the "Dean of American Music".
• Bernadette Lafont — Shared historical date (10-28 · Born) (1938): Iconic French actress, celebrated for her role in the New Wave movement.
• Bill Gates — Shared historical date (10-28 · Born) (1955): Co-founder of Microsoft, pioneer of the microcomputer revolution and global philanthropist.
• 1889 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1889
• November 14 (11-14) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 14
• 1973 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1973
• October 28 (10-28) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 28