Category: Famous Birthdays

1909 – Herman Uyttersprot, Flemish literature historian, born in Denderbelle (d. 1967)
1915 – Gerard McLarnon, British-Irish actor and writer (The Wrestler’s Honeymoon), born in Clitheroe, Lancashire (d. 1997)
1934 – Geoffrey Owen, British journalist and editor of the Financial Times (1981-90), born in England
1940 – Benoît Bouchard, French Canadian public official and former politician, born in Roberval, Quebec
1947 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar [Lew Alcindor], American Basketball Hall of Fame center (6 x NBA champion; NBA Finals MVP 1971, 1985; 6 × NBA MVP; 19 × NBA All-Star), born in New York City
1948 – Lynne Franks, British public relations consultant, born in London
1949 – Melody Patterson, American actress (F Troop), born in Inglewood, California (d. 2015)
1949 – Tom Kelly, American pop songwriter, with Billy Steinberg (“Like A Virgin”; “True Colors”; “I Touch Myself”), and session vocalist, born in Indiana
1957 – Heiko Salzwedel, German cycling coach (est. Australian Institute of Sport Road Cycling/MTB program; German, Danish, British Cycling), born in Schmalkalden, Germany (d. 2021)
1980 – Paul London, American professional wrestler (WWE Smackdown!, ROH: All Star Extravaganza), born in Austin, Texas

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1689 – Ferdinand Zellbell the elder, Swedish composer, born in Uppsala, Sweden (d. 1765)
1933 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (Samantha/Serena-Bewitched), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1995)
1947 – Roy Raymond, American businessman and founder of Victoria’s Secret, born in Connecticut (d. 1993)
1948 – Pippa Steel, British actress (Vampire Lovers), born in Flensburg, Germany (d. 1992)
1950 – Amy Wright, American actress (Inside Moves, Accidental Tourist), born in Chicago, Illinois
1952 – Sam McMurray, American actor (Tracey Ullman), born in New York City
1957 – Evelyn Ashford, American athlete (4 x Olympic sprint gold 1984, 88, 92), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
1964 – Lee Kernaghan, Australian country music singer-songwriter, and guitarist (“Spirit of the Bush”, “Spirit of the Anzacs”), born in Corryong, Victoria, Australia
1971 – Tim Tindale, NFL running back (Buffalo Bills)
1972 – Oksana Kostina, Russian gymnast (World C’ship gold USSR All-round 1992), born in Irkutsk, Russia (d. 1993)

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1572 – Adam Tanner, Austrian mathematician and philosopher, born in Innsbruck, Austria (d. 1632)
1900 – Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian opera singer and actor (Merry Andrew; Rock-a-Bye Baby), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1969)
1904 – Sonia Gaskell, Russian-Dutch choreographer (Diaghilev), born in Vilkaviškis, Lithuania (d. 1974)
1907 – Phyllis Konstam, British actress (Murder, Skin Game), born in London, England (d. 1976)
1914 – Jiri Reinberger, Czech organist and composer, born in Brno, Austria-Hungary (d. 1977)
1916 – C. R. Rangachari, Indian cricketer (India 1947-48), born in Mammandur, British India (d. 1993)
1925 – Abel Muzorewa, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979-80), born in Umtali, Manicaland, Southern Rhodesia (d. 2010)
1941 – Pete Rose, American baseball infielder (17 × MLB All-Star; NL MVP 1973; World Series MVP 1975, 76 Cincinnati Reds, 1980 Philadelphia Phillies) and manager (Cincinnati Reds 1984-89; banned for gambling), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2024)
1980 – Steven Holcomb, American Bobsledder (Olympic gold, 2010), born in Park City, Utah (d. 2017)
1993 – Graham Phillips, American singer and actor (The Good Wife, The Little Mermaid Live!), born in Laguna Beach, California

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1748 – Joseph Bramah, British inventor and locksmith who invented the beer pump, born in Stainborough, Yorkshire, England (d. 1814)
1762 – Charles Frederick Horn, German-English composer, arranger, and organist, born in Imperial City of Nordhausen (d. 1830)
1784 – Friedrich Graf von Wrangel, Prussian field marshal, born in Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1877)
1822 – Leroy Augustus Stafford, Confederate American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born near Cheneyville, Rapides Parish, Louisiana (d. 1864)
1832 – James Wimshurst, British designer and inventor (electrostatic generator), born in Poplar, England (d. 1898)
1915 – Roderic Coote, British Anglican bishop of Colchester (1966-87), born in Woking, England (d. 2000)
1927 – Maurice Ronet, French film actor, director, and writer (Frantic, Sphinx, Circle of Love), born in Nice, France (d. 1983)
1938 – Frederic Rzewski, American concert pianist and composer (Spacecraft), born in Westfield, Massachusetts (d. 2021)
1951 – Max Weinberg, American rock drummer (E Street Band; Conan O’Brien Show – Max Weinberg 7), born in Newark, New Jersey
1970 – Gerry Creaney, Scottish footballer, born in Coatbridge, Scotland

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1550 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, Lord Great Chamberlain of England, born in Hedingham Castle, Essex, England (d. 1604)
1908 – Virginia Cherrill, American actress (City Lights; Lake Extra; Brat), born in Santa Barbara, California (d. 1996)
1911 – Darrell A. Amyx, American classical archaeologist (Greek Ceramics), born in Exeter, California (d. 1997)
1915 – Ernest Borneman, German sexual researcher, psychotherapist, musician and writer (Bang, You’re Dead), born in Berlin (d. 1995)
1930 – Louw de Graaf, Dutch politician and bureaucrat (Member of Parliament; Secretary of Social Affairs (VDA), born in Kootstertille, Netherlands (d. 2020)
1933 – Montserrat Caballé, Spanish bel canto operatic soprano, and unlikely pop star (with Freddie Mercury – “Barcelona”), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2018)
1940 – Duncan Fearnley, English cricket entrepreneur (Duncan Fearnley cricket bats), born in Pudsey, Yorkshire, England (d. 2024)
1952 – Ralph Wiley, American sports journalist and writer (Sports Illustrated and ESPN’s Page 2), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2004)
1971 – Fernando Meligeni, Argentine tennis star, born in São Paulo, Brazil
1977 – Giovanny Espinoza, Ecuadorian footballer, born in Charguayaco, Ecuador

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1900 – Sándor Márai, Hungarian writer (A gyertyák csonkig égnek), born in Kassa, Hungary (d. 1989)
1904 – Paul McGrath, American actor (Witness, No Time for Love), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1978)
1913 – Oleg Cassini, American fashion designer (for Jackie Kennedy), born in Paris, France (d. 2006)
1922 – Alexander Raichev, Bulgarian composer, born in Lom, Bulgaria (d. 2003)
1931 – Nelly Kaplan, Argentine-French screenwriter and director (A Very Curious Girl, Néa), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2020)
1932 – Max Schubel, American composer (Opus One Records), born in New York (d. 2010)
1951 – Glyn Shaw, Welsh rugby union prop (12 caps; Neath RFC), and rugby league prop (7 caps Wales, 1 GB; Widnes RLFC, Wigan RLFC), born in Rhigos, Wales (d. 2022)
1957 – John Castellanos, American actor (John Silva in “The Young and the Restless”), born in Mesa, California
1971 – Vicellous Reon Shannon, American actor (The Hurricane), born in Memphis, Tennessee
1975 – Chris Coghill, British actor (24 Hour Party People, EastEnders), born in Manchester, England

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1929 – Mike Hawthorn, English auto racer (F1 world champion 1958), born in Mexborough, England (d. 1959)
1934 – Rodrigo Moya, Columbian-Mexican photojournalist known for documenting 1960s Latin America, born in Medellín, Colombia (d. 2025)
1936 – John Madden, American Pro Football HOF coach (Oakland Raiders 1969-78; Super Bowl 1976) and sportscaster (16X Emmy Award winner; CBS, FOX, ABC, NBC; Madden NFL video games), born in Austin, Minnesota (d. 2021)
1939 – Daniel Oliver, American CEO (Federal Trade Commission), born in New York City
1950 – Eddie Hazel, American pop guitarist (Funkadelic – “Uncle Jam Wants You”), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 1992)
1959 – Babyface [Kenneth Edmonds], American Grammy Award-winning RandB singer, songwriter (“Every Time I Close My Eyes”) and record producer (Boyz II Men; Whitney Houston; Ariana Grande; Eric Clapton), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
1963 – Warren DeMartini, American heavy metal guitarist (Ratt), born in Chicago, Illinois
1966 – Neil Smith, American football defensive end (KC Chiefs, Den Broncos-Super Bowl 32), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1969 – Ekaterini Koffa, Greek sprinter, born in Karditsa, Greece
1971 – Joey DeFrancesco, American jazz Hammond organist, 9-time winner of the Down Beat Critics Poll (All Of Me; Reboppin’), born in Springfield, Pennsylvania (d. 2022)

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1794 – Aristide Farrenc, French flautist, music publisher, and musicologist (Trésor des pianistes), born in Marseilles, France (d. 1865)
1876 – George Shepstone, South African cricket batsman (2 Tests; Transvaal), born in Pietermaritzberg, Natal, South Africa (d. 1940)
1883 – Frank King, American cartoonist (Gasoline Alley), born in Cashton, Wisconsin (d. 1969)
1888 – Sol Hurok, American theatrical impresario, born in Pogar, Chernigov Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1974)
1925 – Michael Richardson, British investment banker and advisor to Margaret Thatcher known as “Mr Privatisation”, born in London (d. 2003)
1936 – Benjamin Stevenson, British-American ballet dancer, choreographer and artistic director (Houston Ballet, 1976-2003), born in Portsmouth, England (d. 2026)
1938 – Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian politician (Prime Minister of Russia), born in Chernyy Otrog, Russia (d. 2010)
1940 – Geoff Palmer [Godfrey Palmer], Jamaican-British grain scientist, activist and the first Black professor in Scotland, born in St Elizabeth, Jamaica (d. 2025)
1941 – Hannah Gordon, British actress (Oh Alfie), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
1964 – Rob Awalt, American football player, born in Landstuhl, Germany

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1732 – David Rittenhouse, American astronomer, inventor, and mathematician, born in Paper Mill Run, Pennsylvania (d. 1796)
1882 – Lulu McConnell, American vaudeville, radio, and television comedienne (It Pays To Be Ignorant), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1962)
1897 – Herbert Eimert, German composer and musicologist (Glockenspiel), born in Bad Kreuznach, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1972)
1913 – Hubertus Ernst, Dutch Roman Catholic bishop of Breda, born in Breda, Netherlands (d. 2017)
1931 – John Gavin [Juan Vincent Apablasa Jr], American actor (Imitation of Life, Psycho), and US Ambassador to Mexico (1981–86), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2018)
1933 – Bob Garretson, American auto racer (Sebring 12 hours 1978; 24 Hours of Daytona and World Endurance C’ship for Drivers 1981), born in Sunnyville, California (d. 2025)
1942 – Leon Huff, American pianist, songwriter, and “Philadelphia Soul” producer, with Kenny Gamble (Billy Paul – “Me and Mrs Jones”; The O’Jays; Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes), born in Camden, New Jersey
1946 – Robert L. Johnson, American businessman and co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), born in Hickory, Mississippi
1968 – Patricia Arquette, American actress (Boyhood, True Romance, Severance), born in New York City
1979 – Jeremy Guthrie, American MLB baseball pitcher, 2004-17 (Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, and 3 other teams), born in Roseburg, Oregon

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1803 – Flora Tristan, French writer and social activist, born in Paris (d. 1844)
1847 – J. P. [Jens Peter] Jacobsen, Danish writer (Niels Lyhne), born in Thisted, Jutland (d. 1885)
1848 – Randall Thomas Davidson, British Archbishop of Canterbury and advisor to Queen Victoria, born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1930)
1891 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish carpenter, inventor, and toy maker (Lego Group), born in Filskov, Denmark (d. 1958)
1940 – Jan Wilhelm Morthenson, Swedish composer, born in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
1942 – Edda Barends, Dutch actress (Broken Mirrors, Oogappels), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
1945 – Megas [Magnús Þór Jónsson], Icelandic rock singer-songwriter, born in Reykjavík, Iceland
1967 – Artemis Gounaki, Greek-German pop singer-songwriter, vocal coach, and music producer, born in Munich, Germany
1971 – Guillaume Depardieu, French actor (Damien in “Versailles”, Fred in “The Apprentices”), born in Paris, France (d. 2008)
1973 – Brett Tomko, American baseball player

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