Chilean
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Chileans are known for their sense of humor, fun-loving nature, and love for music and dance. They are also famous for their prudence and wisdom. Chile was under Spanish colonial rule from mid-16th century to early 19th century until Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule. Hard working and determined, Chileans began rebuilding their nation and Chile is today one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. The country’s population is made up of people from varied backgrounds, the influence of which is reflected in their diverse cultures.
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Birthdate: July 12, 1904
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Parral, Chile
Died: September 23, 1973
Chilean poet-diplomat and politician, Pablo Neruda, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. He was a versatile writer and his works include surrealist poems, historical epics, political manifestos, and love poems. He is considered the national poet of Chile. As a politician, he served a term as a senator for the Chilean Communist Party and held several diplomatic positions.
Birthdate: April 2, 1975
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Birthdate: December 19, 1988
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tocopilla, Chile
Chilean professional footballer Alexis Sanchez currently plays for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Chile national team. He plays as a forward. He is Chile’s all-time leading goalscorer and helped Chile win the the 2015 Copa América tournament, marking one of the greatest achievements of his career.
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Isabel Allende(Chilean-American Author Known for Her Novels: ‘The House of the Spirits’ and ‘City of the Beasts’)
Birthdate: August 2, 1942
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lima, Peru
Chilean author Isabel Allende is known for her bestselling Spanish-language novels The House of the Spirits and City of the Beasts. The Chilean National Literature Prize-winner explores women’s perspectives and includes magic realism and autobiographical aspects in her works. She has also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Cote de Pablo(Actress, Singer and Co-Host of the Latin-American Talk Show ‘Entertainment Tonight’)
Birthdate: November 12, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Cote de Pablo is a Chilean-American singer and actress. She is best known for playing Ziva David in the popular action police procedural TV series NCIS. After co-hosting episodes of a Latin-American talk show titled Control, at the age of 15, Cote de Pablo went on to establish herself as a successful actress and musician.
Birthdate: May 22, 1987
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: San Joaquín, Chile
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Lorenza Izzo
(Chilean Model and Actress)
Birthdate: September 19, 1989
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Birthdate: June 26, 1908
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Died: September 11, 1973
Salvador Allende was a physician who later became the Chilean president, this becoming the first Marxist president of a Latin American nation. His policies included nationalization and collectivization. He committed suicide after delivering a farewell speech over radio, to escape General Augusto Pinochet’s coup to oust him from the government.
Birthdate: February 17, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tocopilla, Chile
Chilean-French filmmaker and artist, Alejandro Jodorowsky, is best known for his avant-garde films. A multifaceted personality, he is also a novelist, poet, musician, composer, and spiritual guru. His films are filled with surreal images and mysticism. A much-revered figure in international cinema, he is the recipient of the Jack Smith Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF).
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Claudio Bravo
(Football Player)
Birthdate: April 13, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Viluco, Chile
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Santiago Cabrera
(Chilean-British Actor )
Birthdate: May 5, 1978
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela
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Iván Zamorano
(Football player)
Birthdate: January 18, 1967
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
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Manuel Pellegrini
(Association football manager)
Birthdate: September 16, 1953
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
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Horatio Sanz
(Chilean-born American Comedian and Actor)
Birthdate: June 4, 1969
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Birthdate: February 25, 1778
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yapeyú
Died: August 17, 1850
José de San Martín was an Argentine general who played an important role in the Spanish American wars of independence. San Martín is considered a national hero of Peru and Argentina. The Order of the Liberator General San Martín, the highest honor conferred by the government of Argentina, was created in his honor.
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Leonor Varela
(Chilean Actor and the Daughter of Biologist and Neuroscientist Francisco Varela García)
Birthdate: December 29, 1972
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
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Gary Medel
(Football player)
Birthdate: August 3, 1987
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pudahuel, Chile
Birthdate: April 7, 1889
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Vicuña, Chile
Died: January 10, 1957
Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet and educator Lucila Godoy Alcayaga was better known by her pseudonym, Gabriela Mistral. The suicide of her first love inspired her poem Dolor. Her diplomatic assignments later took her to places such as Madrid and Lisbon. She is remembered for her emotional verses and her feminism.
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Nicolás Massú
(Tennis player)
Birthdate: October 10, 1979
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Viña del Mar, Chile
Birthdate: November 25, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Valparaíso
Died: December 10, 2006
Augusto Pinochet was the president of the Chilean Military Junta from 1973 to 1981. He ousted the elected government of President Salvador Allende through a U.S.-supported coup and became the Chilean President in December 1974. Following this, he persecuted all political opponents and leftists and also advocated for Operation Condor.
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Víctor Jara
(Chilean Teacher and Theater Director Who Was Tortured and Killed by Dictator Augusto Pinochet’s Men)
Birthdate: September 28, 1932
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Ignacio, Chile
Died: September 16, 1973
Legendary Chilean folk singer Víctor Jara was eventually gearing up for a career as a priest and later studied theater, eventually switching to music. He pioneered the nueva canción genre of music in the middle of extreme political turmoil. He was tortured and shot dead during dictator Augusto Pinochet’s reign.
Birthdate: December 1, 1949
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Santiago
Chilean president Sebastian Pinera not only boasts of a Harvard doctoral degree but is also a successful businessman, having introduced credit cards to the Chilean public through his company Bancard. His Fundación Futuro works for causes such as energy and water conservation. He is married to his neighbor Cecilia Morel.
Birthdate: October 4, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Carlos, Chile
Died: February 5, 1967
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Roberto Bolaño
(Chilean Writer Best Known for His Award-Winning Novel 'The Savage Detectives')
Birthdate: April 28, 1953
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Died: July 15, 2003
A vagabond who roamed around countries such as Chile, Mexico, and France, author Roberto Bolaño eventually settled in Spain, where he spent his days working odd jobs, such as garbage collection and dishwashing, and wrote at night. He is remembered for his Rómulo Gallegos Prize-winning novel The Savage Detectives.
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Marcelo Salas
(Football player)
Birthdate: December 24, 1974
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Temuco, Chile
Birthdate: February 6, 1903
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chillán, Chile
Died: June 9, 1991
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Sammis Reyes
(Basketball player, American football player)
Birthdate: October 19, 1995
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Talcahuano, Biobío, Chile
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Marcelo Ríos
(Former Tennis player who was the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles rankings in March 1998)
Birthdate: December 26, 1975
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
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Fernando González
(Tennis player)
Birthdate: July 29, 1980
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
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Mauricio Isla
(Chilean footballer)
Birthdate: June 12, 1988
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Buin
Birthdate: June 12, 1977
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lille, France
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Mon Laferte
(Singer known for her musical versatility, having composed songs in a wide variety of genres such as pop, rock)
Birthdate: May 2, 1983
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Viña del Mar, Chile
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Orlando Letelier
(Chilean Politician, Economist, and Diplomat)
Birthdate: April 13, 1932
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Temuco
Died: September 21, 1976
Orlando Letelier was a Chilean politician, economist, and diplomat. After his arrest due to his participation in the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, Letelier was exiled from Chile. In 1975, Letelier left for Washington D.C., where he achieved popularity as an economist and teacher. Orlando Letelier was murdered in 1976 by agents of the Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional.
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Michelle Bachelet
(33rd and 35th President of Chile)
Birthdate: September 29, 1951
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Chilean politician Michelle Bachelet serves as 7th United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She became the first female politician in Chilean history who was elected as the country’s President and the first elected female leader in South America. She served as the 33rd and 35th President of Chile and held several other prominent positions during her expansive political career.
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Mark González
(Footballer)
Birthdate: July 10, 1984
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Durban
Mark González is a Chilean retired football player who was chosen to play three Copa América tournaments during his career. He also represented his national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Renowned for his speed, Mark González helped his national team win their second Copa América Centenario in 2016.
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Nicolas Jaar
(Chilean-American Recording Artist and Composer)
Birthdate: January 10, 1990
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
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Don Francisco
(Chilean TV Host)
Birthdate: December 28, 1940
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Talca, Chile
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Lautaro
(Mapuche War Leader Who Led the Indigenous Chile Resistance Against the Spanish)
Birthdate: 1534 AD
Birthplace: Treguaco, Chile
Died: April 29, 1557
Lautaro was a Mapuche war leader best remembered for spearheading the indigenous resistance against the conquest of Chile by the Spanish. He led the warriors of Mapuche to a series of triumphs against the Spanish. He was killed at the Battle of Mataquito in his early 20s. Lautaro is credited with developing tactics that were used even after his death.
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Cristian Garín
(Tennis Player)
Birthdate: May 30, 1996
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Arica, Chile
Birthdate: November 11, 1911
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Santiago
Died: November 23, 2002
Legendary Chilean painter Roberto Matta is remembered as a significant figure of the abstract expressionist and surrealist art of the 20th century. The Praemium Imperiale-winning artist had initially studied architecture in Santiago and had then worked for Le Corbusier in Paris. His inscape works were influenced by Freud’s psychoanalysis.
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David Pizarro
(Footballer)
Birthdate: September 11, 1979
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Valparaíso
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Elías Figueroa
(Footballer)
Birthdate: October 25, 1946
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Valparaíso, Chile
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Isabel Allende Bussi
(Chilean Politician and the First Woman to Serve as the President of the Chilean Senate)
Birthdate: January 18, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Santiago
Isabel Allende Bussi is a Chilean politician best known for her service as the President of the Chilean Senate from 2014 to 2015. She was the first woman to serve as the president of the Senate in Chilean history. An important and influential member of the Socialist Party, Isabel Allende is currently serving as Senator for Valparaíso.
Birthdate: November 11, 1999
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Chilean-American singer Paloma Mami first gained fame with the reality show Rojo, el color del talento. She then became the first Chilean singer to seal a contract with Sony Music Latin. She has universal following, as she sings in both Spanish and English, and mingles Latin R&B with pop and trap.
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Patricio Aylwin
(Chilean Politician, Lawyer, Author, and Professor)
Birthdate: November 26, 1918
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Viña del Mar, Chile
Died: April 19, 2016
Patricio Aylwin was a Chilean politician who served as the President of Chile from 1990 to 1994. Aylwin did much to reduce inequality and poverty. Under his presidency, the number of people living in poverty in Chile decreased significantly. He also served as the President of the Senate of Chile from 12 January 1971 to 22 May 1972.
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Luis Sepúlveda
(Chilean Author and Communist Militant Who Was Tortured During Augusto Pinochet’s Rule)
Birthdate: October 4, 1949
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Ovalle, Chile
Died: April 16, 2020
Chilean author and journalist Luis Sepúlveda started his career leading a student movement under Salvador Allende’s rule. He was tortured and jailed during dictator Augusto Pinochet’s rule, and spent much of his life moving from one country to another. He later penned award-winning novels such as Un viejo que leía novelas de amor.
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Miguel Serrano
(Chilean Diplomat, Occultist and Nazi Sympathizer Who Wrote Extensively on Esoteric Hitlerism)
Birthdate: September 10, 1917
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Santiago
Died: February 28, 2009
Chilean diplomat and Nazi sympathizer Miguel Serrano was also an occultist who practiced kundalini yoga and studied Hinduism. He later became one of the most prominent authors of esoteric Hitlerism, claiming that the Aryan race had originated from extra-terrestrial entities. He was also the Chilean ambassador to countries such as Yugoslavia and India.
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Xiye Bastida
(Climate activist and member of the indigenous Mexican Otomi-Toltec nation)
Birthdate: April 18, 2002
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Atlacomulco, Toluca, Mexico
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Ricardo Lagos
(Former President of Chile (2000 – 2006))
Birthdate: March 2, 1938
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Santiago
Ricardo Lagos is a Chilean lawyer and politician who served as the President of Chile from 2000 to 2006. He openly denounced Dictator Augusto Pinochet on live television in 1988. He also served as the Minister of Education from 1990 to 1992.
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Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
(31st President of Chile (1994 - 2000))
Birthdate: June 24, 1942
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Santiago
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle served as the President of Chile from 1994 to 2000. Under his presidency, poverty in Chile decreased and improvements were made in education and health sectors. An important politician, Frei also served as the President of the Senate of Chile from 2006 to 2008.
The nation’s folk music was revived in the mid 20th century by composers like Raul de Ramon, Margot Loyola, Luis Aguirre Pinto, and Violeta Parra. Chileans call their country país de poetas — country of poets—and for good reason. The nation has produced writers like Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda who received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Chileans have also made their mark in the fields of cinema and sports. Manuel Plaza Reyes, Luis Vicentini and Estanislao Loayza are among the great sportsmen born in the nation. Read on to discover about the life and works of famous Chileans.