1686 – Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, Dutch-German-Polish physicist, inventor, and scientific instrument maker, who invented the thermometer and the Fahrenheit scale, born in Danzig, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (d. 1736)
1751 – Charles Emanuel IV, King of Sardinia (1796-1802), born in Turin (d. 1819)
1816 – Emanuel Leutze, American painter (Washington Crossing the Delaware), born in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Württemberg, German Confederation (d. 1868)
1830 – Alexei Savrasov, Russian painter, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1897)
1841 – Tito Mattei, Italian pianist and composer, born in Campobasso, Italy (d. 1914)
1852 – Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, Scottish politician, born in London (d. 1936)
1923 – Seijun Suzuki, Japanese cult film director, born in Tokyo (d. 2017)
1932 – Terence Heiser, British senior civil servant
1949 – Roger Deakins, English cinematographer (Blade Runner 2049), born in Torquay, Devon, England
1995 – Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein, eldest child of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, the Regent and Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, and his wife Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Duchess in Bavaria, born in Portland Hospital, London
Category: Famous Birthdays
Famous Birthdays for 23rd May 2023
1718 – William Hunter, Scottish anatomist and physician, born in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland (d. 1783)
1813 – Mason Brayman, American attorney, newspaperman and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1895)
1881 – Artur de Sacadura Freire Cabral, Portuguese aviator (1st flight across the south Atlantic), born in Celorico da Beira, Portugal (d. 1924)
1908 – John Bardeen, American physicist, electrical engineer and co-inventor of the transistor (Nobel 1956, 1972), born in Madison, Wisconsin (d. 1991)
1919 – Gayatri Devi, 3rd Maharani consort of Jaipur, India (1940-49), born in London, England (d. 2009)
1925 – Joshua Lederberg, American molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
1928 – Pauline Julien, Canadian singer-songwriter, social and political activist, born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (d. 1998)
1962 – Karen Duffy [Duff], American MTV VJ/actress (Meet Wally Sparks), born in NYC, New York
1971 – Issac Booth, NFL cornerback/safety (Cleveland Browns)
1980 – Lane Garrison, American actor
Famous Birthdays for 22nd May 2023
1780 – Jan Emmanuel Doležálek, Bohemian organist and composer, born in Chotěboř, Bohemia, Habsburg Monarchy (d. 1858)
1849 – Louis Perrier, Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council, born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland (d. 1913)
1891 – Robert Gordon Sproul, American educator and college president (University of California), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1975)
1907 – Hergé [Georges Prosper Remi], Belgian comic book creator (The Adventures of Tintin), born in Etterbeek, Belgium (d. 1983)
1917 – Nathan Davis, American actor (Dunston Checks In, Holes, Code of Silence), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2008)
1923 – Aline Griffith, American-born Spanish aristocrat, Countess of Romanones, spy and author, born in New York, United States (d. 2017)
1941 – Paul Winfield, American actor (Star Trek II, Huckleberry Finn, Mars Attack), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2004)
1941 – Martha Langbein, German athlete (Olympic silver 1960), born in Heidelberg, Germany
1952 – Jan Todd, woman power lifter, once lifted 248 kg in a squat, born in Pennsylvania
1982 – Apolo Anton Ohno, American short track speed skater
Famous Birthdays for 21st May 2023
1671 – Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia, Italian organist and composer, born in Siena (d. 1755)
1796 – Reverdy Johnson, American politician and jurist (Dred Scott v. Sandford), born in Annapolis, Maryland (d. 1876)
1926 – Rick Jason [Richard Jacobson], American stage and screen actor (Combat! – “Lt. Hanley”; The Fountain of Youth; Day of the Wolves), born in NYC, New York (d. 2000)
1934 – Bengt I. Samuelsson, Swedish biochemist, (1982 Nobel laureate for Medicine or Physiology for prostaglandins), born in Halmstad, Sweden
1945 – Richard Hatch, American actor (Battlestar Galactica), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2017)
1947 – Jonathan Hyde, Australian-born actor (Titanic), born in Brisbane, Australia
1957 – Nadine Dorries, British politician (C), born in Liverpool, England
1963 – Greg Smith, American session and touring rock bassist (Rainbow; Alice Cooper; Wendy O. Williams, Ted Nugent), born
1967 – Rogel Nachum, Israeli Men’s triple jumper (Olympics 1996)
1979 – Fayçal Salhi, French-Algerian jazz guitarist and oud player, born in Khenchela, Algeria
Famous Birthdays for 20th May 2023
1799 – Honoré de Balzac, French novelist (La Comédie Humaine), born in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France (d. 1850)
1911 – Annie M. G. Schmidt, Dutch writer (Fam Doorsnee, Jip and Janneke), born in Kapelle, Netherlands (d. 1995)
1920 – Elizabeth “Betty” Driver, British singer and actress (Coronation Street, Pardon the Expression), born in Leicester, England (d. 2011)
1930 – James McEachin, American actor and author (Perry Mason, Harry-Tenafly), born in Rennert, North Carolina
1931 – Ken Boyer, American baseball player (d. 1982)
1938 – Astrid Kirchherr, German photographer, helped establish The Beatles image, born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 2020)
1959 – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Native Hawaiian singer, songwriter (“Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World”), and Hawaiian sovereignty advocate, born in Honolulu, Hawaii (d. 1997)
1980 – Austin Kearns, American Baseball player
1992 – Jack Gleeson, Irish actor (Game of Thrones), born in Cork
2010 – Lady Cosima Windsor, daughter of Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster
Famous Birthdays for 19th May 2023
1616 – Johann Jakob Froberger, German singer, organist, and composer,baptized in Stuttgart, Duchy of Württemberg (now Germany) (d. 1667)
1896 – Michael Balcon, English film producer (head of Ealing Studios), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1977)
1898 – Julius Evola, Italian philosopher (d. 1974)
1921 – Karel van het Reve, Dutch writer, translator, and Russian literature historian (Comrade’s Religion), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1999)
1929 – Curt Simmons, American baseball pitcher (3 x MLB All-Star; World Series 1964 St. Louis Cardinals; Philadelphia Phillies), born in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania (d. 2022)
1939 – James Fox, English actor (The Servant), born in London, England
1940 – Frank Lorenzo, airline executive (Continental, Texas Air, Eastern)
1946 – Michele Placido, Foggia Italy, actor (La Lupa, Poliziotti)
1947 – Jerry Hyman, American rock trombonist (Blood Sweat and Tears, 1968-70), and chiropractor, born in Brooklyn, New York
2003 – JoJo Siwa, American dancer, singer and YouTube personality, born in Omaha, Nebraska
Famous Birthdays for 18th May 2023
1886 – Ole Windingstad, Norwegian composer (The Tide), born in Sandefjord, Norway (d. 1959)
1905 – Hedley Verity, English cricket spin bowler (40 Tests, 144 wickets @ 24.37), born in Leeds, Yorkshire (d. 1943)
1907 – Carl Mydans, American photojournalist (Life Magazine), born in Medford, Massachusetts (d. 2004)
1915 – Leon Shenandoah, native American leader (Iroquois Confederacy) (d. 1996)
1945 – Maarten van Traa, Dutch politician (PvdA)
1953 – (Feliciano) “Butch” Tavares, American RandB singer (Tavares – “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel”), born in Providence, Rhode Island
1958 – Ray Donaldson, NFL center (Dallas Cowboys), born in Rome, Georgia
1963 – Marty McSorley, Canadian NHL defenseman (LA Kings, NY Rangers), born in Hamilton, Ontario
1967 – Karl Dunbar, American NFL defensive tackle (Arizona Cardinals), born in Opelousas, Louisiana
1970 – Vicky Sunohara, Canadian ice hockey forward (Canada, Olympics 1998)
Famous Birthdays for 17th May 2023
1898 – A. J. Casson, Canadian painter (member of Group of Seven), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 1992)
1912 – Archibald Cox, American lawyer and special prosecutor (Watergate), born in Plainfield, New Jersey (d. 2004)
1932 – Colin Hope, British industrialist (Turner and Newall), born in Birkenhead (d. 2015)
1935 – Ivan Slone, world-famous watchmaker
1941 – David Cope, American composer, born in San Francisco, California
1945 – D A S Pennefather, Maj-General/Commandant (General Royal Marines)
1946 – F. Paul Wilson, American horror and sci-fi novelist (Repairman Jack), and medical doctor, born in Jersey City, New Jersey
1969 – Ujesh Ranchod, cricketer (Zimbabwe off-spinner 1993)
1970 – Jodie Rogers, Australian diver (Olympics 1996), born in Melbourne, Victoria
1979 – Kristóf Baráti, Hungarian classical violinist, born in Budapest, Hungary
Famous Birthdays for 16th May 2023
1659 – Campegius Vitringa, Dutch theologian (wrote work on prophetic theology – Anacrisis Apocalypseos Joannis Apostoli), born in Leeuwarden, Dutch Republic (d. 1722)
1788 – Friedrich Rückert, German Poet, Translator and Orientalist (d. 1866)
1832 – Philip Danforth Armour, American industrialist (foundered meatpacking firm Armour Foods), born in Stockbridge, New York (d. 1901)
1880 – Julius Tannen, American vaudeville comedian (Great Moment), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 1965)
1893 – José Calvo Sotelo, Spanish politician (Minister of Finance 1925-30, his murder helped lead to civil war), born in Tui, Spain (d. 1936)
1910 – Olga Berggolts, Russian poet (d. 1975)
1934 – Nicholas Goodison, CEO (TSB Group)
1961 – Charles Wright, American professional wrestler known as “The Godfather”
1965 – Krist Novoselic, American rock bassist, and accordion player (Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”; Giants In The Trees), born in Compton, California
1970 – Eric Lynch, NFL running back (Detroit Lions)
Famous Birthdays for 15th May 2023
1851 – Herbert Lawford, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1887; first exponent of topspin), born in Bayswater, England (d. 1925)
1905 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (Citizen Kane, The Third Man, Airport 77, Hearse), born in Petersburg, Virginia (d. 1994)
1914 – Walter “Turk” Broda, Canadian ice hockey goaltender, 5x Stanley Cup, 2x Vezina Trophy (Toronto Maple Leafs, 1935-51), born in Brandon, Manitoba (d. 1972)
1919 – Charles Palmer, English cricket batsman (1 Test; Leicestershire CCC, Worcestershire CCC) and administrator (President MCC 1978–79, chairman Test and County Cricket Board 1983-85), born in Sandwell, England (d. 2005)
1920 – Hugh Henry Home Popham, aviator/writer/poet
1936 – Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-American Tony Award-winning stage singer and actress (Carnival), and film star (Cinderfella), born in Pesaro, Italy
1939 – Dudley Wysong, American golfer (PGA C’ship 1966 runner-up), born in McKinney, Texas (d. 1998)
1940 – Paul Ryan Rudd, American stage and screen actor, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2010)
1961 – Katrin Cartlidge, British actress (d. 2002)
1982 – Alex Breckenridge, American actress