Haitian
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A Caribbean country in North America, Haiti is the land of the high mountains. If history is to be believed, French fondly referred to the country as the Pearl of the Antilles. This was primarily because Haiti was rich both in terms of natural beauty and accumulated wealth. In fact, it was the richest colony owned by the European powers of that time. Taking the legacy of the richness forward were its nationals, Haitians, as they are known as who contributed extensively to the country’s rich political, economic, art and cultural background through their personal endeavours. Interestingly, apart from national heroes, Haiti has served as the home of many migrant Haitians who have created quite a niche for themselves and their homeland in foreign countries. Did you know that the famous singer Usher, NBA player Blake Griffith, rapper Tony Yayo and actor Jamie Hector are all Haitian descents? Additionally, there have been numerous Haitian nationals, who have done their country proud through their works. Jean Michael-Basquiat was a highly prolific painter who infused African and Caribbean culture in his canvas. Haitian women have also made noteworthy contribution. Edwidge Danticat is an award-wining writer best known for her works, ‘Breath, Eyes, Memory’ and ‘The Dew Breaker’. Read this section to find more about famous Haitians.
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1
Wyclef Jean(Haitian Rapper Who is a Member of the New Jersey Hip Hop group 'Fugees')
Birthdate: October 17, 1969
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, actor, and rapper. This Grammy Award-winning musician garnered national attention when his efforts to raise relief funds to aid the victims of the 2010 Haitian earthquake through his charitable organization Yéle Haiti were questioned as reports suggested that Jean retained the money for his own benefit. The organization has been the subject of controversy.
2
Garcelle Beauvais
(Actress)
Birthdate: November 26, 1966
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: St. Marc, Haiti
3
Andre Berto
(Two-Time Former Welterweight World Champion)
Birthdate: September 7, 1983
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Winter Haven, Florida, United States
Birthdate: April 14, 1907
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince
Died: April 21, 1971
François Duvalier was a Haitian politician. From 1957 to 1971, he served as the president of Haiti. Over the course of his political career, Duvalier's regime became despotic and totalitarian. In 1964, Duvalier declared himself President for Life and remained in power until his death. Since his demise, several books have been written about his rule in Haiti.
Birthdate: September 22, 1977
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Birthdate: September 20, 1758
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Guinea
Died: August 17, 1806
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was an important figure and leader of the Haitian Revolution. He went on to rule an independent Haiti, which became the first country to abolish slavery permanently. Considered one of Haiti's founding fathers, Dessalines reigned as the emperor of Haiti from 1804 until his murder in 1806. Today, he is regarded as an icon of Haitian nationalism.
Birthdate: November 1, 1978
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Plaine-du-Nord
Bermane Stiverne is a Haitian-Canadian boxer who reigned as the WBC heavyweight champion for eight months between 2014 and 2015. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal in the 2003 and 2004 National Championships as well as a silver medal at the 2005 Championships. An avid fan of basketball, Stiverne supports the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association.
8
Skal Labissiere
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: March 18, 1996
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Birthdate: February 12, 1961
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince
Michel Martelly is a Haitian former politician. From 2011 to 2016, he served as the 41st president of Haiti. Also a singer and keyboardist, Michel was one of Haiti's most popular musicians for over a period of 10 years! He is renowned for his Kompa music and has released several studio albums like Anba Rad La and Tout Cé Mately.
10
Jimmy Jean-Louis
(Actor, Producer)
Birthdate: August 8, 1968
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Petion-Ville, Haiti
Birthdate: August 25, 1992
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
12
Henri Christophe
(Former Haitian President Who Declared Himself the King of Haiti)
Birthdate: October 6, 1767
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Grenada
Died: October 8, 1820
Former Haitian president Henry Christophe also declared himself the king of northern Haiti as Henry I. Apart from spending lavishly on building palaces for himself, he also restored soldier peasants and gifted plantations to military leaders. He eventually committed suicide by shooting himself, fearing a coup against him.
13
Duckens Nazon
(Footballer Striker)
Birthdate: April 7, 1994
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
14
Jacques Agnant
(Music executive known for his connection to Tupac in the early 1990s)
15
Jean Louis
(Artist, Screenwriter, Costume designer)
Birthdate: October 5, 1907
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris
Died: April 20, 1997
Jean Louis was a French-born costume designer who worked predominantly in Hollywood. In an illustrious Hollywood career that spanned more than four decades, Louis designed outfits for almost every Hollywood star including Rita Hayworth, Lucille Ball, and Judy Garland. Jean Louis is also credited with designing Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress worn at President John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday celebration.
16
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche
(Engineer)
Birthdate: May 26, 1887
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cap-Haïtien, Haiti
Died: April 15, 1912
17
Alexandre Pétion
(First President of Haiti)
Birthdate: April 2, 1770
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Died: March 29, 1818
Alexandre Pétion was a Haitian political leader best remembered for his service as the first President of Haiti from 9 March 1807 until his death on 29 March 1818. Today, Alexandre Pétion is revered as one of the founding fathers of Haiti.
18
Edwidge Danticat(Novelist and Short Story Writer Known for Her Books: ‘Breath, Eyes, Memory’, ‘Krik? Krak!’ and ‘Everything Inside’)
Birthdate: January 19, 1969
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Apparently, Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat, known for books such as Breath, Eyes, Memory, had begun writing to escape the bullying she faced because of her Haitian ways after she moved to the U.S. as a young girl. Although her parents wanted her to study medicine, she took up French literature.
19
Zach Auguste
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: July 8, 1993
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Zach Auguste is a Greek-American basketball player who has won two Greek League titles so far. He also won a Greek Cup as well as a Slovenian Cup in 2021 and 2022, respectively. He currently plays for the Slovenia club, Cedevita Olimpija.
20
Junior Galette
(Football player)
Birthdate: March 27, 1988
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
21
Dutty Boukman
(Haitian Revolutionary Who was Active During the Haitian Revolution)
Birthdate: 1767 AD
Birthplace: Senegambia
Died: November 7, 1791
Dutty Boukman was a Haitian revolutionary who was active during the Haitian Revolution. It is believed that Boukman and a Vodou mambo named Cécile Fatiman presided over a religious ceremony at Bois Caïman that instigated the 1791 slave revolt which came to be known as the Haitian Revolution.
22
Olden Polynice
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: November 21, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
23
Faustin Soulouque
(President of Haiti from 1847 to 1849)
Birthdate: August 15, 1782
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Petit-Goave, Haiti
Died: August 3, 1867
Faustin Soulouque was a Haitian military commander and politician. He is best remembered for his service as the President of Haiti from 1 March 1847 to 25 August 1849. He then acquired autocratic powers and declared himself the Emperor of Haiti. Faustin Soulouque went on to reign as the Emperor of Haiti from 26 August 1849 to 15 January 1859.
24
Pierre Desir
(American Football player)
Birthdate: September 8, 1990
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
25
Cady Lalanne
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: April 22, 1992
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Birthdate: September 8, 1983
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Haiti
Birthdate: July 3, 1951
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince
Died: October 4, 2014
Jean-Claude Duvalier was a Haitian politician. From 1971 to 1986, Duvalier served as the president of Haiti before he was removed from office by a popular uprising. During his presidency, thousands of Haitians were tortured or killed. His presidency was also marked by his notoriously lavish lifestyle, while many Haitians were left to battle poverty.
28
René Préval
(41st President of Haiti)
Birthdate: January 17, 1943
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince
Died: March 3, 2017
Born to Haitian agronomist Claude Préval, René Préval, too, followed in his father’s footsteps to become a prominent agronomist. He also studied geothermal sciences, before stepping into politics and becoming Haiti’s 2nd prime minister and, later, its 41st president. He had also served as the Haitian interior and defense minister.
29
Gosder Cherilus
(Football player)
Birthdate: June 28, 1984
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Haiti
Birthdate: July 15, 1953
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Port-Salut, Haiti
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian politician who served as the country's first democratically elected president. He was removed from office during the 2004 coup d'état and was later forced into exile. He returned to Haiti after seven years amidst rumors that blamed the US for orchestrating the coup against him. A former priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide taught liberation theology to many.
31
Vladimir Ducasse
(American Football player)
Birthdate: October 15, 1987
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
32
Laurent Lamothe
(Prime Minister of Haiti from 2012 to 2014)
Birthdate: August 14, 1972
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince
Laurent Lamothe is a Haitian businessman, political figure, and economist. He is known for his service as the Prime Minister of Haiti from 16 May 2012 to 14 December 2014. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 24 October 2011 to 6 August 2012. Laurent Lamothe is currently serving as the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation.
33
Simone Duvalier
(Haitian first lady)
Birthdate: March 19, 1913
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Léogâne Arrondissement, Haiti
Died: December 26, 1997
Birthdate: August 21, 1991
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
35
Antenor Firmin
(Anthropologist)
Birthdate: October 18, 1850
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cap-Haitien, Haiti
Died: September 19, 1911
36
Marie-Cessette Dumas
(Enslaved woman)
Birthdate: 1714 AD
Birthplace: Hait
Died: 1786 AD
37
Dadi Nicolas
(Football player)
Birthdate: September 29, 1992
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
39
Michèle Bennett
(First Lady of Haiti (27 May 1980 – 7 February 1986))
Birthdate: January 15, 1950
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Port‑au‑Prince, Haiti
40
Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité
(Politician)
Birthdate: April 11, 1758
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Léogâne, Saint-Domingue
Died: August 8, 1858
41
Jeffrey Julmis
(Sprinter, Hurdler)
Birthdate: September 30, 1987
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
42
Jacques Roumain
(Iconic Haitian Author and Marxist Intellectual)
Birthdate: June 4, 1907
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Died: August 18, 1944
Haitian author and intellectual Jacques Roumain explored the black perspective through his works and also believed in the concept of art for people's sake. Best known for his poetry collection Ebony Wood and his novel Masters of the Dew, he was also a supporter of Marxist theory.
43
Marie-Louise Coidavid
(Queen regnant)
Birthdate: May 8, 1778
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bredou, Ouanaminthe, Saint-Domingue
Died: March 14, 1851
44
Jean-Pierre Boyer
(President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843)
Birthdate: February 15, 1776
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Died: July 9, 1850
Jean-Pierre Boyer was a Haitian political leader best remembered for his service as the President of Haiti from 30 March 1818 to 13 February 1843. He is credited with reuniting the north and south of Haiti to form the Republic of Haiti. Jean-Pierre Boyer also annexed Spanish Haiti to bring all of Hispaniola under a single Haitian government by 1822.
45
Suzanne Simone Baptiste Louverture
(Politician)
Birthdate: 1742 AD
Birthplace: Hait
Died: May 19, 1816
46
Stephanie Villedrouin
(Haitian Entrepreneur & Politician)
Birthdate: March 29, 1982
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela
Born to Haitian diplomat Alix Balmir in Venezuela, Stephanie Villedrouin grew up to lead Haiti as its tourism minister and witnessed the inauguration of Haiti’s first tourism promotion office during her tenure. She later turned into an entrepreneur and has also managed a hotel in Kenscoff.
47
Paul Magloire
(President of Haiti from 1950 to 1956)
Birthdate: July 19, 1907
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Quartier-Morin, Haiti
Died: July 12, 2001
Paul Magloire was a Haitian politician best known for his service as the President of Haiti from 6 December 1950 to 12 December 1956. He also served as the Minister of Interior and Defence on two occasions; in 1946 and again in 1950.
48
Frankétienne
(Writer, Painter)
Birthdate: April 12, 1936
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ravine-Sèche, Haiti
49
Dayana Cadeau
(Bodybuilder)
Birthdate: June 2, 1966
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Haiti
Birthdate: 1894 AD
Birthplace: Saint-Marc, Haiti
Died: 1948 AD