Aquino was born María Corazón Sumulong Cojuangco on 25 January 1933 in Paniqui, Tarlac, and was the sixth (of whom two died in infancy) of eight children of José Cojuangco, a former congressman, and Demetria Sumulong, a pharmacist. Her siblings were Pedro, Josephine, Teresita, Jose Jr., and Maria Paz. Both Aquino's parents came from prominent clans. Her father was a prominent Tarlac businessman and politician, and her grandfather, Melecio Cojuangco, was a member of the historic Malolos Congress. Her mother belonged to the Sumulong family of Rizal province who were also politically influential; Juan Sumulong, a prominent member of the clan, ran against Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon in 1941.