Category: Famous Birthdays

1922 – Clark MacGregor, American Republican politician (involved in Watergate), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 2003)
1935 – Hans Tilkowski, German soccer goalkeeper (39 caps, West Germany; Westfalia Herne, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt), born in Husen, Germany (d. 2020)
1947 – Richard C. McCarty, American professor of psychology, born in Portsmouth, Virginia
1950 – Eric Carr [Paul Charles Caravello], American rock drummer (Kiss, 1980-91), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 1991)
1957 – Rick Husband, American astronaut, commander of STS-107 who died in the Columbia disaster, born in Amarillo, Texas (d. 2003)
1959 – Rolonda Watts, American talk show host and producer (Rolanda), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1965 – Robin Wilson, American rock singer (Gin Blossoms – “Hey Jealousy”; “Allison Road”), born in Detroit, Michigan
1972 – Brett Reed, American rock drummer (Rancid, 1991-2006 – “Time Bomb”), born in Oakland, California
1985 – Luiz Ejlli, Albanian pop singer (Eurovison, 2006), born in Shkodra, Albania
2002 – Nico Williams, Spanish footballer for Athletic Bilbao and Spain, born in Pamplona, Spain

More Famous Birthdays »

1841 – Daniël de Lange, Dutch composer, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1918)
1846 – Léon Bloy, French novelist and essayist, born in Périgueux, France (d. 1917)
1872 – Rollin Henry White, American inventor of steam boilers for early automobiles and Cletrac tractors, born in Cleveland (d. 1962)
1888 – Johanna Beyer, German-American pianist and composer (March for Thirty Percussion Instruments; Clusters), born in Leipzig, German Empire (d. 1944)
1898 – Hendrik J. Pos, Dutch philosopher and linguist (Committee of Watchfulness), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1955)
1927 – Herbert Blomstedt, American conductor (Dresdner Staatskapelle, 1975-85; San Francisco Symphony 1985-95), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
1931 – Thurston Harris, American RandB and pop vocalist (The Sharps – “Little Bitty Pretty One”), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 1990)
1942 – Tomasz Stańko, Polish trumpeter (Astigmatic), born in Rzeszów, Poland (d. 2018)
1981 – Mary Beth Arnold, American gymnast (World-bronze-95), born in Reno, Nevada
1987 – Shigeaki Kato, Japanese J-pop singer, guitarist and songwriter (NEWS), born in Hiroshima, Japan

More Famous Birthdays »

1871 – Marcel Proust, French intellectual and novelist (Remembrance of Things Past), born in Paris, France (d. 1922)
1883 – Sam Wood, American communist fighter and director (For Whom the Bell Tolls), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1949)
1895 – Nahum Goldmann, Israeli-Zionist leader (Zionist World Organization), born in Wisznewo, Lithuania (d. 1982)
1902 – Jacobus Wouterus van Dieren, Dutch biologist (specializing in study of dune formation, particularly on West Frisian Island of Terschelling), born in Amsterdam (d. 1935)
1921 – Jean “Jeff” Donnell, American actress (Gidget Goes to Rome, Hoedown, 9 Girls), born in Windham, Maine (d. 1988)
1922 – Herb McKenley, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 400m relay 1952; 3 x silver 1948, 52), born in Pleasant Valley, Clarendon, Jamaica (d. 2007)
1937 – Sandy Stewart [Galitz], American jazz and cabaret singer (“My Coloring Book”), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1951 – Cheryl Wheeler, American contemporary folk singer-songwriter (“If It Were Up to Me”), born in Timonium, Maryland
1954 – Neil Tennant, English singer and songwriter (Pet Shop Boy – “West End Girl”), born in North Shields, Northumberland, England
1957 – Cindy Sheehan, American anti-war and political activist, and author (Peace Mom). inspired by the Iraq War combat death of her son, Casey Sheehan (24), born in Inglewood, California

More Famous Birthdays »

1511 – Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway, born in Lauenburg Castle, Germany (d. 1571)
1764 – Ann Radcliffe, English Gothic novelist (The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Romance of the Forest), born in London (d. 1823)
1911 – John Archibald Wheeler, American physicist (first American involved in the theoretical development of the atomic bomb), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2008)
1921 – Irv Kluger, American big band jazz and session drummer (Artie Shaw; Gramercy Five), born in New York City (d. 2006)
1924 – Leonard Pennario, American concert pianist (Rózsa’s Piano Concerto with L.A. Philharmonic), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2008)
1925 – Guru Dutt [Vasanth Padukone], Indian Bollywood actor, regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time (Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool), born in Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore (d. 1964)
1925 – Alan Dale, American pop singer (“Cheery Pink and Apple Blossom White”), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2002)
1940 – Jair da Costa, Brazilian soccer winger (1 cap; Internazionale), born in Santo André, Brazil
1950 – Gwen Guthrie, American RandB, soul, and dance singer-songwriter (“Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent”), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 1999)
1950 – Adriano Panatta, Italian tennis player (French 1976, Italian 1976), born in Rome, Italy

More Famous Birthdays »

1871 – Clement Harris, British pianist and composer, born in Wimbledon, London (d. 1897)
1906 – Philip Johnson, American architect (International and Postmodern Style: 1st Pritzker Prize, 1979), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2005)
1917 – Pamela Brown, British actress (Cleopatra, I Know Where I’m Going!, Beckett), born in London, England (d. 1975)
1917 – Glenn Langan, American actor (Amazing Colossal Man, Margie, Jungle Heat, Rapture), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 1991)
1948 – Kim Darby, American actress (True Grit, Enola Gay, Rich Man Poor Man), born in Hollywood, California
1948 – Tom Jackson, American college football coach (Connecticut Huskies 1983-93), born in Scotch Plains, New Jersey (d. 2025)
1962 – Joan Osborne, American singer-songwriter (“One Of Us”), born in Anchorage, Kentucky
1964 – Maryalice Demler, American TV journalist and anchor, Miss New York (1991), born in North Tonawanda, New York
1986 – Kevin Chappell, American golfer (US Open 2011 3rd; Haskins Award 2008), born in Fresno, California
1991 – Devon Conway, New Zealand cricket batsman (7th batsman to score double century on Test debut; 200 v England 2021; Gauteng, Wellington, Somerset CCC), born in Johannesburg, South Africa

More Famous Birthdays »

1690 – Johann Tobias Krebs, German organist and composer, born in Heichelheim, Duchy of Saxe-Weimar (d. 1762)
1893 – Miroslav Krleža, Croatian poet, novelist and playwright (Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh), born in Zagreb, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1981)
1922 – Artie Malvin, American vocalist (Glenn Miller; Jimmy Dorsey), arranger and music director (Julie LaRosa; Pat Boone; Carol Burnett), born in New York City (d. 2006)
1936 – Friedhelm Döhl, German composer, born in Göttingen, Germany (d. 2018)
1947 – Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, last King of Nepal (2001-2008), born in Narayanhiti Royal Palace, Kathmandu, Nepal
1960 – Ralph Sampson, American College/Basketball HOF center (NBA All-Star 1984–87; Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets), born in Harrisonburg, Virginia
1970 – Min Patel, English cricket all-rounder (2 Tests, 1 wicket; Kent CCC, Central Districts CA), born in Mumbai, India
1979 – Anastasios Gousis, Greek sprinter, born in Corfu, Greece
1982 – George Owu, Ghanaian footballer, born in Accra, Ghana
1984 – Marie-Mai [Bouchard], French Canadian pop singer (“Jamais trop tard”), born in Varennes, Quebec

More Famous Birthdays »

1668 – Pieter Burman the Elder, Dutch classical scholar, born in Utrecht, Netherlands (d. 1741)
1747 – Coelestin Jungbauer, German composer, born in Grattersdorf, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1823)
1753 – Johannes Henricus Midderigh, Dutch wine merchant, politician, and chair of the Second Assembly in the coup d’état, born in Rotterdam, Dutch Republic (d. 1800)
1766 – Alexander Wilson, Scottish-American ornithologist and naturalist, born in Paisley, Scotland (d. 1813)
1918 – Bert Voeten, Dutch journalist and poet (Crossing), born in Breda, Netherlands (d. 1992)
1925 – Bill Haley, American rock guitarist and vocalist known as the father of Rock ‘n’ Roll (…and his Comets – “Rock Around the Clock”; “See You Later, Alligator”), born in Highland Park, Michigan (d. 1981)
1960 – Caroll-Ann Alie, Canadian sailor (Olympics-14-92, 96), born in Ottawa, Ontario
1972 – Isabelle Boulay, French Canadian singer (“Parle-moi”), born in Sainte-Félicité, Quebec
1975 – Amir-Abbas Fakhravar, Iranian journalist and activist (Annie Taylor Award), born in Tehran, Iran
1980 – Pau Gasol, Spanish Basketball HOF forward (NBA C’ship 2009, 10 LA Lakers; 6 × NBA All-Star; NBA Rookie of the Year 2002 Memphis Grizzlies), born in Barcelona, Spain

More Famous Birthdays »

1904 – Milburn Stone, American actor (Gunsmoke, Pickup on South Street), born in Burrton, Kansas (d. 1980)
1918 – George Rochberg, American composer (Concord Quartet), born in Paterson, New Jersey (d. 2005)
1924 – Niels Jannasch, Canadian historian and museum curator, born in Holzminden, Germany (d. 2001)
1929 – Tony Lock, English cricket spin bowler (49 Tests, 174 wickets, BB 7/35, 2 x 50; Surrey CCC, Western Australia, Leicestershire CCC), born in Limpsfield, England (d. 1995)
1952 – Timothy Drury, American session and touring keyboardist (Don Henley, Whitesnake, The Eagles), born in Los Angeles, California
1959 – Marc Cohn, American folk rock singer (“Walking in Memphis”), born in Cleveland, Ohio
1966 – Gianfranco Zola, Italian footballer and coach (Chelsea), born in Oliena, Italy
1968 – Ken Akamatsu, Japanese Manga artist, born in Tokyo
1988 – Joe Lycett, English comedian (The Great British Seeing Bee), born in Birmingham, England
1989 – Whitney Wolfe Herd, American entrepreneur (founder of Bumble, co-founder of Tinder), born in Salt Lake City, Utah

More Famous Birthdays »

1883 – Maximilian Steinberg, Russian composer, born in Vilnius, Russian Empire (d. 1946)
1888 – Henry Armetta, Italian-American actor (The Black Cat, Bell for Adano, Big Store), born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy (d. 1945)
1918 – Abigail Van Buren [Pauline Phillips], American columnist and radio show host known for “Dear Abby” advice column, twin sister of fellow advice columnist Ann Landers (Eppie Lederer), born in Sioux City, Iowa (d. 2013)
1928 – Sylvius Gerald Marie Rozendal, Premier of Netherlands Antilles, born in Willemstad, Curacao (d. 2003)
1941 – Sergio Oliva, American body builder (The Myth, IFBB Mr. Olympia, 1967-9), born in Havana, Cuba (d. 2012)
1943 – Alan Wilson, American rock guitarist and vocalist (Canned Heat – “Going Up The Country”), born in Arlington, Massachusetts (d. 1970)
1949 – Tonio K. [Steven Krikorian], American singer (Romeo Unchained; 16 Tons of Monkeys), born in Palm Desert, California
1954 – Chang-dong Lee, South Korean filmmaker and novelist (Secret Sunshine, Poetry), born in Daegu, South Korea
1965 – Tracy Letts, American playwright, screenwriter and actor (August: Osage County – Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2008), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
1980 – Max Elliott Slade, American film actor, born in Pasadena, California

More Famous Birthdays »

1906 – F. Gwendolen Rees, Welsh zoologist and parasitologist, born in Abercynon, Wales (d. 1994)
1934 – Roger Christian, American radio personality and lyricist (“Don’t Worry Baby”; “Little Deuce Coupe”; “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena”), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1991)
1944 – Paul Young, Scottish actor (Another Time Another Place), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
1951 – Sir Richard Hadlee, New Zealand cricket all-rounder (86 Tests, 3,124 runs, 431 wickets, 2 x 100, HS 151no; Canterbury, Nottinghamshire), born in Christchurch, Canterbury
1953 – Alynne Amkraut, American entertainer, born in Amityville, New York
1962 – Thomas Gibson, American actor (Dr Daniel Nyland-Chicago Hope), born in Charleston, South Carolina
1968 – Adam Wade, American indie-rock drummer (Shudder To Think; The Jealous Sound), born in Washington, D.C.
1970 – Serhiy Gonchar, Ukrainian road cyclist (UCI World C’ships gold Time Trial 2000), born in Rivne, Ukraine
1975 – Matt Haig, British author and journalist (Reasons to Stay Alive, The Midnight Library), born in Sheffield, England
1987 – Sebastian Vettel, German auto racer (World Formula 1 Drivers Champion 2010-13 Red Bull Racing), born in Heppenheim, Hesse, Germany

More Famous Birthdays »