Portrait of Martha Nussbaum

Birthday profile

Martha Nussbaum

Martha Nussbaum, American philosopher and author

Born
May 6, 1947
Age in 2026
79
Zodiac sign
Taurus
Birth year
1947

About Martha Nussbaum

Martha C. Nussbaum (; née Craven; born May 6, 1947) is an American philosopher and the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, where she is jointly appointed in the law school and the philosophy department. Nussbaum's work has concerned ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, political philosophy, existentialism, feminism, and ethics, such as animal rights. She also holds associate appointments in classics, divinity, and political science, is a member of the Committee on Southern Asian Studies, and a board member of the Human Rights Program. She previously taught at Harvard and Brown. Nussbaum has written more than two dozen books, including The Fragility of Goodness (1986). She received the 2016 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, the 2018 Berggruen Prize, and the 2021 Holberg Prize. In the early 2020s, she was considered a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Nussbaum is well known for her contributions in developing the capabilities approach to well-being, alongside Amartya Sen. The book Creating Capabilities, first published in 2011, outlines a unique theory regarding the Capability approach or the Human development approach. Nussbaum's interest in Judaism has continued and deepened; on August 16, 2008, she became a bat mitzvah in a service at Temple K.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Martha Nussbaum timeline

  1. Nussbaum's interest in Judaism has continued and deepened; on August 16, 2008, she became a bat mitzvah in a service at Temple K.
  2. The book Creating Capabilities, first published in 2011, outlines a unique theory regarding the Capability approach or the Human development approach.

The world when Martha Nussbaum was born

Martha Nussbaum was born in 1947. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1947

  • #1 song"Near You" – Francis Craig
  • Top movieMiracle on 34th Street
  • Top TV showHowdy Doody
  • Best-selling bookThe Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier
  • Top headlineJackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color barrier
  • Technology milestoneTransistor invented at Bell Labs
  • Defining fadFlying saucer mania
  • Notable inventionPolaroid instant camera
  • World population2.47 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonPhiladelphia Warriors (BAA)
  • U.S. population144.1M

1947 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Martha Nussbaum's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19472026
Gas$0.23$3.45/gal
Average home$7,800$435,000
Average income$4,700$67,500
Minimum wage$0.40$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.40$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population144.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.