Photo: Moshe Milner, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Source
French existentialist philosopher, writer, and feminist whose treatise 'The Second Sex' (1949) is one of the most influential works of feminist philosophy ever written. Her declaration 'One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman' challenged biological determinism and laid intellectual groundwork for second-wave feminism. She wrote novels including 'The Mandarins' (Prix Goncourt, 1954), memoirs, and political essays. Her lifelong open relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre was as famous as her philosophical work. She was active in French political life, supporting Algerian independence and reproductive rights.