Did you know
Famous Birthdays on April 1
217 people
1220 – 2000
April 1 has seen 217 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1220 – 2000. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1913 — Memos Makris
Greek sculptor (died 1993)
Did you know
In 1979 his first retrospective exhibition in Greece took place in the National Art Gallery.
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He spent his early childhood in Patras but his family moved to Athens in 1919
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He was deported from France in 1950 due to his political allegiance to the Left and sought political asylum in Hungary
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In Hungary he became an important figure in the country's political and cultural life
Emperor Go-Saga was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1242 through 1246.
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1220
1282
Duchess of Orléans (died 1382)
Blanche of France was the posthumous daughter of King Charles IV of France and his third wife, Joan of Évreux. She was the last direct Capetian and the last-surviving member of her family, and her marriage to her second…
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1328
Duke of Lesdiguières (died 1626)
François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières was a French soldier of the French Wars of Religion and Constable of France, and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France.
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1543
English physician and academic (died 1657)
William Harvey was an English physician who made influential contributions to anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, pulmonary and systemic circulation as well as…
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1578
French soldier and critic (died 1703)
Charles de Marguetel de Saint-Denis, seigneur de Saint-Évremond was a French soldier, hedonist, essayist and literary critic. After 1661, he lived in exile, mainly in England, as a consequence of his attack on French…
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1610
French organist and composer (died 1691)
Jean-Henri d'Anglebert was a French composer, harpsichordist and organist. He was one of the foremost keyboard composers of his day.
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1629
Danish mathematician and academic (died 1697)
Jørgen Mohr was a Danish mathematician, known for being the first to prove the Mohr–Mascheroni theorem, which states that any geometric construction which can be done with compass and straightedge can also be done with…
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1640
2nd Earl of Rochester, English poet and courtier (died 1680)
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester was an English poet and courtier of King Charles II's Restoration court, who reacted against the "spiritual authoritarianism" of the Puritan era. Rochester embodied a novel rebellion…
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1647
French novelist and translator (died 1763)
Antoine François Prévost d'Exiles, usually known simply as the Abbé Prévost, was a French priest, author, and novelist. He is best remembered for Manon Lescaut (1731), a romance and adventure novel, the most reprinted…
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1697
Dutch-English organist, violinist, and composer (died 1799)
Pieter Hellendaal was a Dutch composer, organist and violinist.
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1721
English architect and surveyor (died 1825)
George Dance the Younger RA was an English architect and surveyor as well as a portraitist.
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1741
French philosopher, lawyer, and diplomat (died 1821)
Joseph Marie, comte de Maistre was a Savoyard lawyer, diplomat, and political philosopher. He is chiefly remembered as one of the intellectual forefathers of modern conservatism.
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1753
Italian engraver and etcher (died 1810)
Luigi Schiavonetti was an Italian reproductive engraver and etcher.
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1765
French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (died 1831)
Marie-Sophie Germain was a French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher. Despite initial opposition from her parents and difficulties presented by society, she gained education from books in her father's library,…
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1776
Irish genre painter (died 1863)
William Mulready was an Irish genre painter living in London. He is best known for his romanticising depictions of rural scenes, and for creating Mulready stationery letter sheets, issued at the same time as the Penny…
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1786
German lawyer and politician, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire (died 1898)
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as its first chancellor from 1871 to 1890.…
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1815
American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (died 1880)
Edward Clark was an America politician, slaveowner, and the eighth governor of Texas. When Governor Sam Houston refused to serve the Confederate States of America following the state's secession from the United States…
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1815
American general and politician, 30th Governor of Kentucky (died 1891)
Simon Bolivar Buckner was an American soldier, Confederate military officer, and politician. He fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War. He later fought in the Confederate States Army during the…
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1823
Canadian bishop (died 1901)
Louis-Zéphirin Moreau was a Canadian Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe from 1875 until his death in 1901. He was also the cofounder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Hyacinthe with Élisabeth…
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1824
American businessman (died 1872)
James Fisk Jr., known variously as "Big Jim", "Diamond Jim", and "Jubilee Jim" – was an American stockbroker and corporate executive who has been referred to as one of the "robber barons" of the Gilded Age. Though Fisk…
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1834
American painter and illustrator (died 1911)
Edwin Austin Abbey was an American muralist, illustrator, and painter. He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings of…
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1852
Irish Benedictine abbot (died 1923)
Columba Marmion O.S.B, born Joseph Aloysius Marmion was an Irish Benedictine monk and the third Abbot of Maredsous Abbey in Belgium. Beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000, Columba was one of the most…
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1858
Austrian-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1929)
Richard Adolf Zsigmondy was an Austrian-born chemist. He was known for his research in colloids, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1925, as well as for co-inventing the slit-ultramicroscope, and…
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1865
New Zealand cartoonist and politician (died 1938)
William Blomfield was a New Zealand cartoonist and local politician. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 1 April 1866. Between 1914 and 1921 he was the second Mayor of Takapuna.
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1866
Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1924)
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary figures…
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1866
French actress (died 1929)
Ève Lavallière was a French stage actress and later a noteworthy Catholic penitent and member of the Secular Franciscan Order.
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1866
French poet and playwright (died 1918)
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with the naturalistic…
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1868
English cricketer (died 1954)
Walter Mead was the principal bowler for Essex during their first two decades as a first-class county. As a member of the Lord’s ground staff, he was also after J.T. Hearne the most important bowler for MCC and Ground,…
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1868
Norwegian-American violinist and conductor (died 1955)
Fredrik Melius Christiansen was a Norwegian-born violinist and choral conductor in the Lutheran choral tradition. He is most notable for his many a cappella choral arrangements, and for founding The St. Olaf Choir in…
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1871
Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1943)
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives…
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1873
English mathematician and theologian (died 1953)
Ernest William Barnes was a British mathematician and scientist who later became a liberal theologian and bishop.
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1874
Prince Karl of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a Major General in the Bavarian Army.
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1874
English journalist, author, and playwright (died 1932)
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was a British writer of crime and adventure fiction.
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1875
Ceylon Tamil philologist (died 1958)
Vidhva Shiromani Brahma Sri C. Ganesha Iyer was a Ceylonese Tamil philologist from Jaffna.
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1878
Polish wrestler and strongman (died 1967)
Stanisław Jan Cyganiewicz, better known by his ring name Stanislaus Zbyszko, was a Polish strongman, catch wrestler, and professional wrestler. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion in the United States during…
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1879
Romanian Prime Minister (died 1938)
Octavian Goga was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator.
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1881
American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1930)
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney was an American actor and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and…
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1883
Norwegian actor and director (died 1976)
Edvard Drabløs was a Norwegian actor and theatre director.
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1883
Irish-American actress (died 1946)
Laurette Taylor was an American stage and silent film star who is particularly well known for originating the role of Amanda Wingfield in the first production of Tennessee Williams's play The Glass Menagerie.
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1883
American actor (died 1949)
Wallace Fitzgerald Beery was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in Min and Bill (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in Grand Hotel (1932), as the pirate…
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1885
English wife of Winston Churchill (died 1977)
Clementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill, was the wife of Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and a life peer in her own right. While she was legally the daughter of Sir Henry…
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1885
Indian physician and activist (died 1940)
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was an Indian physician who founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary organisation, in Nagpur in 1925. He was also known as Doctorji.
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1889
Australian-English actress (died 1980)
Dame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge was an Australian-born British actress, comedian and singer. The daughter of the producer and playwright Robert Courtneidge, she was appearing in his productions in the West End by the…
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1893
African-American singer-songwriter and nurse (died 1984)
Alberta Hunter was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977.
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1895
Ukrainian-Russian Jewish American mathematician, anthropologist, and historian (died 1944)
William James Sidis was an American child prodigy whose exceptional abilities in mathematics and languages made him one of the most famous intellectual prodigies of the early 20th century. Born to Boris Sidis, a…
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1898
Latvian academic and politician (died 1968)
Gustavs Celmiņš was a Latvian politician, who was the founder of the ultranationalist, Anti-Baltic, anti-Slavic, and antisemitic political party Pērkonkrusts.
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1899
Danish Olympic diver (died 1981)
Anna Stefanie Nanna Fryland Clausen was a Danish diver. She was a gold medalist at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
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1900
American journalist and spy (died 1961)
Whittaker Chambers was an American author, journalist, and spy. After dropping out of Columbia University, Chambers joined the open Communist Party in 1925. He wrote and edited for the New Masses and the Daily Worker,…
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1901
Greek poet (died 1930)
Maria Polydouri was a Greek poet who belonged to the school of Neo-romanticism.
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1902
Belgian economist and politician, 47th Prime Minister of Belgium (died 1988)
Gaston François Marie, Viscount Eyskens was a Christian democratic politician and prime minister of Belgium. He was also an economist and member of the Belgian Christian Social Party (CVP-PSC).
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1905
Australian historian, poet, and politician, 17th Governor-General of Australia (died 1993)
Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck was an Australian statesman who served as the 17th governor-general of Australia, in office from 1969 to 1974. Prior to that, he was a Liberal Party politician, holding ministerial…
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1905
Russian engineer, founded the Yakovlev Design Bureau (died 1989)
Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev was a Soviet aeronautical engineer. He designed the Yakovlev military aircraft and founded the Yakovlev Design Bureau. Yakovlev joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1938.
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1906
Indian religious leader and philanthropist (died 2019)
Shivakumara Swami was an Indian humanitarian, spiritual leader, educator and supercentenarian. He was a Veerashaiva religious figure. Swami joined the Siddaganga Matha in 1930 Karnataka and became head seer in 1941. He…
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1907
American psychologist and academic (died 1970)
Abraham Harold Maslow was an American psychologist who created Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a theory of psychological health predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self-actualization.
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1908
American shot putter, lawyer, and academic (died 1997)
Harlow Phelps Rothert was an American athlete who competed mainly in the shot put.
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1908
American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1977)
Abner Warren Biberman was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.
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1909
American pianist and bandleader (died 1951)
Edwin Frank Duchin, commonly known as Eddy Duchin or alternatively Eddie Duchin, was an American popular music pianist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s.
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1909
American saxophonist and clarinet player (died 1974)
Harry Howell Carney was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments, but primarily used the baritone saxophone, being a…
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1910
American high jumper and soldier (died 1987)
Bob Van Osdel was an American athlete who competed mainly in the high jump.
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1910
African American librarian (died 1998)
Augusta Braxton Baker was an American librarian and storyteller. She was known for her contributions to children's literature, especially regarding the portrayal of Black Americans in works for children.
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1911
Austrian-Swiss actor and director (died 2004)
Otto Wilhelm Fischer was an Austrian film and theatre actor, a leading man of West German cinema during the Wirtschaftswunder era of the 1950s and 1960s.
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1915
British mathematician (died 2002)
Sheila May Edmonds was a British mathematician, a Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and Vice-Principal of Newnham College from 1960 to 1981.
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1916
Canadian screenwriter and producer, co-created Doctor Who (died 1997)
Sydney Cecil Newman was a Canadian television producer and screenwriter who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. After his return to Canada in 1970, he was…
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1917
American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2007)
Melville Shavelson was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. He was President of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAw) from 1969 to 1971, 1979 to 1981, and 1985 to 1987.
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1917
American surgeon and soldier, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2012)
Joseph Edward Murray was an American plastic surgeon who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 with E. Donnall Thomas for "their discoveries concerning organ and cell transplantation in the…
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1919
Japanese actor (died 1997)
Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played heroic characters…
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1920
American composer and educator (died 1994)
William Laurence Bergsma was an American composer and teacher. He was long associated with Juilliard School, where he taught composition, until he moved to the University of Washington as head of their music school…
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1921
American guitarist, fiddler, and composer (died 2014)
Arthur Smith was an American musician, composer, and record producer, as well as a radio and TV host. He produced radio and TV shows; The Arthur Smith Show was the first nationally syndicated country music show on…
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1921
American pianist and composer (died 2006)
Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan was an American jazz pianist.
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1922
American historian and author (died 2004)
William Raymond Manchester was an American author, biographer, and historian. He was the author of 18 books which have been translated into over 20 languages. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal and the Abraham…
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1922
American lieutenant, judge, and politician, 47th Governor of New Jersey (died 2018)
Brendan Thomas Byrne was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982.
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1924
American-Irish author (died 2011)
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction and the first to win a Nebula Award. Her 1978 novel The White…
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1926
American soccer player, coach, and manager (died 2018)
Walter Alfred Bahr was an American professional soccer player, considered one of the greatest ever in the United States. He was the long-time captain of the U.S. men's national team and played in the 1950 FIFA World Cup…
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1927
American R&B singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1980)
Joseph Amos Milburn was an American R&B singer and pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s. One commentator noted, "Milburn excelled at good-natured, upbeat romps about booze and partying, imbued with a vibrant sense of…
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1927
Hungarian footballer and manager (died 2006)
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and the sport's first international superstar. A forward and an attacking midfielder, he scored 84 goals…
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1927
American actor, producer, screenwriter, and production manager (died 2024)
Jonathan Haze was an American actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in Roger Corman films, especially the 1960 black comedy cult classic The Little Shop of Horrors, in which he played…
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1929
Czech-French novelist, poet, and playwright (died 2023)
Milan Kundera was a Czech and French novelist. Kundera went into exile in France in 1975, acquiring citizenship in 1981. His Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked in 1979, but he was granted Czech citizenship in 2019.
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1929
Thai animator and director (died 2010)
Payut Ngaokrachang was a Thai cartoonist and animator. He created Thai cinema's first cel-animated feature film, The Adventure of Sudsakorn.
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1929
American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2021)
Jane Powell was an American actress, singer, and dancer who appeared in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals in the 1940s and 50s. With her soprano voice and girl-next-door image, Powell appeared in films, television and on the…
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1929
American actress and singer (died 2015)
Grace Lee Whitney was an American actress and singer. Her entertainment career spanned over a half century in a variety of capacities in radio, on stage, in music as a singer and songwriter, in television and in movies.…
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1930
Icelandic writer and visual artist (died 1971)
Ásta Sigurðardóttir was an Icelandic writer and visual artist recognized for her pioneering contributions to modernist short fiction. Her work is notably characterized by its depiction of urban marginalization in…
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1930
Bulgarian-English actor and screenwriter (died 2011)
George Morris Baker was an English actor and writer. He was best known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.
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1931
German author and playwright (died 2020)
Rolf Hochhuth was a German author and playwright, best known for his 1963 drama The Deputy, which insinuates Pope Pius XII's indifference to Hitler's extermination of the Jews, and he remained a controversial figure…
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1931
American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2016)
Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s.
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1932
Algerian-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji is a French physicist at the École normale supérieure in Paris. He is known for his experiments in laser cooling. He was the first to show that it is possible to cool far beyond the limit expected…
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1933
American sculptor and educator (died 1996)
Daniel Nicholas Flavin Jr. was an American minimalist artist famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from commercially available fluorescent light fixtures.
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1933
Danish folklorist (died 1992)
Bengt Holbek was a Danish folklorist known for his unorthodox approach to folklore theory. He wrote one of the definitive works of fairy tale scholarship entitled Interpretation of Fairy Tales (1987).
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1933
French-American journalist and radio host
Vladimir Vladimirovich Pozner, sometimes Vladimir Pozner, Jr., is a French-born Russian-American journalist and presenter. In the West he represented and explained the views of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He…
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1934
South African paediatric oncologist
Cyril Karabus is a South African paediatric oncologist. Karabus was initially well-recognised in South Africa for his work with black cancer patients during apartheid. In 2012, Karabus gained international attention…
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1935
American physician and politician (died 1983)
Lawrence Patton McDonald was an American physician, politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Democrat from 1975 until he was killed as…
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1935
English-American director and producer (died 1980)
Peter Collinson was a British film director whose notable credits include The Italian Job (1969).
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1936
Swiss politician, 80th President of the Swiss Confederation (died 1998)
Jean-Pascal Delamuraz was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1983–1998).
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1936
Indian politician, 14th Chief Minister of Assam (died 2020)
Tarun Gogoi was an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 13th Chief Minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016. He was the longest serving Chief Minister of Assam. He was a member of the Indian National Congress.…
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1936
Indian-Pakistani physicist, chemist, and engineer (died 2021)
Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani nuclear physicist and metallurgical engineer. He is colloquially known as the "father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program".
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1936
American actor
Jordan Charney is an American character actor known for Ghostbusters (1984), Network (1976) and Hill Street Blues (1981).
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1937
Palme d'Or award-winning Kurdish film director, scenarist, actor, novelist and activist (died 1984)
Yılmaz Güney was a Kurdish film director, screenwriter, novelist, actor and communist political activist. He quickly rose to prominence in the Turkish film industry. Many of his works were made from a far-left…
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1937
Canadian aviator, political advisor, and mercenary
Lynn Garrison is a Canadian pilot and political adviser. He was a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot in the 403 City of Calgary Squadron, before holding jobs as a commercial pilot, film producer, director and…
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1937
American model and actress
Elizabeth Alice MacGraw is an American actress. For her role in Goodbye, Columbus (1969) she won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She then starred in Love Story (1970), for which she was nominated for…
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1939
American baseball player and manager (died 2020)
Philip Henry Niekro, nicknamed "Knucksie", was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue…
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1939
Kenyan environmentalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2011)
Wangarĩ Maathai was a Kenyan social, environmental, and political activist who founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on planting trees, environmental conservation, and…
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1940
Israeli journalist and politician (died 2012)
Gideon Gadot was an Israeli journalist and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1984 and 1992.
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1941
Indian cricketer, coach, and manager (died 2018)
Ajit Laxman Wadekar was an Indian international cricketer who played for the Indian national team between 1966 and 1974. Described as an "aggressive batsman", Wadekar made his first-class debut in 1958, before making…
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1941
American author and critic
Samuel R. "Chip" Delany is an African American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction, memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society.
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1942
American economist and academic
Richard David Wolff is an American Marxian economist known for his work on economic methodology and class analysis. He is a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a visiting…
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1942
Welsh academic and politician
Dafydd Wynne Wigley, Baron Wigley, is a Welsh politician who served as the leader of Plaid Cymru from 1981 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2000. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Caernarfon from 1974 to 2001…
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1943
Bissau-Guinean revolutionary (died 1973)
Ernestina "Titina" Silá was a Bissau-Guinean revolutionary. Recruited into the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), while she was a young woman, she joined in the Guinea-Bissau War of…
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1943
Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Health and Social Security
Nikitas Michail Kaklamanis is a Greek politician who has served as President of the Hellenic Parliament since 2025, and has been a member of parliament from Athens A multiple times since 1990.
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1946
English bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 1997)
Ronald Frederick Lane was an English musician and songwriter who was the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Small Faces (1965–1969) and Faces (1969–1973).
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1946
Italian footballer, coach, and manager
Arrigo Sacchi is an Italian former football executive and manager, best known for having managed AC Milan and the Italy national team. Regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, his Milan side (1987–1991) is…
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1946
French mathematician and academic
Alain Connes is a French mathematician, known for his contributions to the study of operator algebras and noncommutative geometry. He was a professor at the Collège de France, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques,…
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1947
Spanish footballer and manager
Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano, Irureta for short, is a Spanish retired football attacking midfielder and manager.
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1948
Welsh politician and independent Member of Parliament (died 2006)
Peter John Law was a Welsh politician. For most of his career Law sat as a Labour councillor and subsequently Labour Co-operative Assembly member (AM) for Blaenau Gwent. Latterly he sat as an independent member of…
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1948
French businessman
Gérard Mestrallet is a French manager who was chairman and CEO of Engie 2008 to 2016. He is also the chairman of Suez.
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1949
American lobbyist, political consultant, and convicted felon
Paul John Manafort Jr. is an American former lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney. A long-time Republican Party campaign consultant, he chaired the Trump presidential campaign from June to August 2016. Manafort…
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1949
Northern Irish footballer and coach
Samuel Nelson is a former footballer who played as a left back in the Football League for Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion. He was capped 51 times for Northern Ireland and played at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
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1949
American singer-songwriter and author (died 2011)
Gilbert Scott-Heron was an American jazz poet, singer, musician and author, known for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackson fused jazz, blues…
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1949
American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated to the high court by President George W. Bush on October 31, 2005, and has…
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1950
1950
Canadian academic and politician
Daniel Paillé is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Prévost in the National Assembly of Quebec from 1994 to 1996 as a member of the Parti Québécois, and represented the district of Hochelaga in the…
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1950
American general
John Philip Abizaid is a retired United States Army general and former United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander who served as the United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2021.
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1951
1952
French philosopher and academic (died 2020)
Bernard Stiegler was a French philosopher. He was head of the Institut de recherche et d'innovation (IRI), which he founded in 2006 at the Centre Georges-Pompidou. He was also founder of the political and cultural group…
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1952
American cinematographer, director, and producer
Barry Sonnenfeld is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing comedy films like The Addams Family (1991), the Men in Black trilogy…
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1953
Italian footballer and manager
Alberto Zaccheroni is an Italian former football manager, formerly in charge of the United Arab Emirates and Japan national football teams.
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1953
American drummer, songwriter, and producer (died 1992)
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro was an American drummer and songwriter. He is best known for being the co-founder and drummer of the rock band Toto, but is also one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on…
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1954
American football player and sportscaster
Donald William Hasselbeck was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and the New York…
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1955
Pakistani politician, 5th Commerce Minister of Pakistan
Humayun Akhtar Khan is a Pakistani politician, business tycoon and actuary. He has been elected as a member of the National Assembly four consecutive times between 1990 and 2007, having served as Federal Minister for…
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1955
Australian rugby league player (died 2025)
John Wayne Farragher was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s. He played for the Penrith Panthers as a prop.
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1957
English cricketer and sportscaster
David Ivon Gower is an English cricket commentator and former cricketer who was captain of the England cricket team during the 1980s. Described as one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of his era, Gower played 117…
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1957
American actress (died 2019)
Denise Marie Nickerson was an American actress. Starting her career as a child actress, at the age of 13, she starred as Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. She later played Allison…
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1957
1958
Romanian footballer (died 2024)
Helmut Duckadam was a Romanian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1959
Scottish singer
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of Britain's Got Talent, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. As of 2021, Boyle had…
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1961
Italian professional basketball head coach
Sergio Scariolo is an Italian professional basketball coach who is the head coach of Real Madrid of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. Having won four EuroBasket championships and a World Cup at the head of Spain,…
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1961
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Mark Andrew White is an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician and record producer.
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1961
American author
Mark Shulman is an American children's author who has written more than 200 books. He is the founder of Oomf, Inc., a book production company.
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1962
English journalist and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
Christopher Stephen Grayling, Baron Grayling,, is a British politician and author who served as Secretary of State for Justice from 2012 to 2015, Leader of the House of Commons from 2015 to 2016 and Secretary of State…
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1962
Filipino basketball player and manager (died 2023)
Avelino "Samboy" Borromeo Lim Jr., nicknamed "The Skywalker", was a Filipino professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association and the national team in the 1980s and 1990s.
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1962
English television host
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English television presenter. He began his UK television career as a Children's BBC continuity announcer from 1985 to 1987, and went on to present a wide range of high-profile programmes…
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1962
Filipino guitarist and songwriter (died 1988)
Teodoro "Teddy" de Villa Diaz was a Filipino musician and songwriter, best known as the founder and original guitarist of the Dawn.
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1963
American aerospace engineer
Aprille Joy Ericsson is an American aerospace engineer who had served as the assistant secretary of defense for science and technology. Ericsson is the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical…
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1963
Dutch cyclist and manager
Erik Breukink is a former Dutch professional road racing cyclist. In 1988, Breukink won the youth competition in the Tour de France. In 1990, finished 3rd in the 1990 Tour de France. Most recently, he served as the…
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1964
American basketball player (died 2008)
Kevin Jerome Duckworth was an American professional basketball player who played as center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of Illinois, he played college basketball for the Eastern Illinois…
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1964
English cricketer
John Edward Morris is an English former cricketer, who played for England in three Test matches and eight One Day Internationals in 1990 and 1991. He played first-class cricket for Derbyshire from 1982 to 1993, for…
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1964
Portuguese journalist, author, and educator
José António Afonso Rodrigues dos Santos is a Portuguese journalist, novelist and university lecturer. He has been one of the presenters of Telejornal, the evening news program on the Portuguese public television…
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1964
American film, television, and stage actress
Jane Adams is an American actress and screenwriter. Known for her work in independent cinema, her acting credits include Light Sleeper (1992), Happiness (1998), Mumford (1999), Songcatcher (2000), The Anniversary Party…
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1965
American basketball player and coach
Mark A. Jackson is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm and was selected by the…
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1965
English radio and television host
Christopher James Evans is an English television presenter, radio DJ, and producer for radio and television.
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1966
Turkish footballer and manager
"Şifo" Mehmet Özdilek is a Turkish football manager and former player. He is nicknamed "Şifo" after Belgian star Enzo Scifo with whom he shared a similar playing style.
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1966
Australian lawyer and politician, 34th Attorney-General for Australia
Nicola Louise Roxon is an Australian former politician. After politics, she has worked as a company director and academic.
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1967
Australian politician, 44th Premier of New South Wales
Michael Bruce Baird is an Australian investment banker and former politician who was the 44th Premier of New South Wales, the Minister for Infrastructure, the Minister for Western Sydney, and the Leader of the New South…
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1968
German actor and director
Andreas Schnaas is a German director and actor working exclusively in the horror genre. Since he first appeared on the film scene in 1989, he has become a leader in Germany's ultra-violent low-budget horror film…
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1968
Finnish academic and politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Finland and 13th President of Finland
Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb is a Finnish politician serving as the president of Finland since 2024. A member of the National Coalition Party, he previously served as prime minister of Finland from 2014 to 2015 and has…
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1968
Ukrainian-Russian decathlete
Lev Alekseyevich Lobodin is a male decathlete from Russia, having changed nationality from Ukraine at the end of 1996. His best achievement was the silver medal at the 2003 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
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1969
Australian basketball player
Andrew Mitchell Vlahov is an Australian retired professional basketball player. He played his entire eleven-year professional career for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL), with whom he won three…
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1969
English footballer and manager
Dean Windass is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played spells at Bradford City and contributed to his hometown team Hull City's promotion to the Premier League in 2008.
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1969
American author, screenwriter, and producer
Brad Meltzer is an American novelist, non-fiction writer, TV show creator, and comic book author. His novels touch on the political thriller, legal thriller and conspiracy fiction genres, while he has also written…
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1970
Cuban javelin thrower
Sonia Bisset Poll is a retired Cuban track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw.
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1971
1971
Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
Darren Douglas McCarty is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward and professional wrestler, best known for his years playing with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). McCarty has been…
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1972
American guitarist and songwriter
Jesse Tobias is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and co-songwriter for Morrissey since 2004. Tobias first gained fame during a brief tenure with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1993, although he was…
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1972
American comedian and actor
Fletcher Christian Finnegan, better known as Christian Finnegan, is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor based in New York City.
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1973
New Zealand cricketer and coach
Stephen Paul Fleming is a cricket coach and former captain of the New Zealand national cricket team. He was a left-handed opening batter and an occasional right arm slow medium bowler. He is New Zealand's second-most…
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1973
American journalist and author
Rachel Anne Maddow is an American television news program host and liberal political commentator. She hosts The Rachel Maddow Show, a weekly television show on MS NOW, and serves as the cable network's special event…
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1973
Argentinian footballer and manager
Hugo Benjamín Ibarra nicknamed "Negro," is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as a right back. He last managed Boca Juniors.
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1974
American-Australian singer-songwriter and producer
John Charles Wiltshire-Butler, professionally known as John Butler, is an Australian singer, songwriter and music producer. He is best known for his time as the eponymous frontman of the John Butler Trio, a roots rock…
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1975
Bulgarian tennis player
Magdalena Georgieva Maleeva is a Bulgarian former professional tennis player. Her best WTA singles ranking was world No. 4. She played on the WTA Tour competing in singles and doubles, from April 1989 to October 2005…
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1975
Lebanese-Australian rugby league player and educator
Hazem El Masri is a Lebanese Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a winger in the 1990s and 2000s. An international representative for Australia and Lebanon, and a New South Wales State…
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1976
American race car driver
David Leonard Gilliland is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and team owner. Since 2017, he has operated Tricon Garage, a team that races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team has…
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1976
Hungarian footballer
Gábor Ferenc Király is a Hungarian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1976
English actor
David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo is a British actor, director, and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy…
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1976
Dutch-Brazilian footballer and manager
Clarence Clyde Seedorf is a Dutch former professional football manager and player. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He is currently working primarily remotely as a senior sports…
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1976
1976
Brazilian-American boxer and mixed martial artist
Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian-American professional boxer and retired mixed martial artist who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and…
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1977
Spanish cyclist
Haimar Zubeldia Agirre is a Spanish former road racing cyclist from the Basque Country, who competed professionally between 1998 and 2017 for the Euskaltel–Euskadi, Astana, Team RadioShack and Trek–Segafredo teams.…
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1977
Mexican footballer (died 2009)
Antonio de Nigris Guajardo was a Mexican professional footballer who played as a striker.
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1978
Slovak-Swiss tennis player
Miroslava "Mirka" Federer is a Swiss former professional tennis player of Slovak origin.
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1978
Romanian-English actress
Anamaria Marinca is a Romanian actress. She made her screen debut with the Channel 4 film Sex Traffic, for which she won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. Marinca is also known for her performance…
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1978
American basketball player
Dedrick Etan Thomas is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a…
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1978
Spanish high jumper
Ruth Beitia Vila is a Spanish retired high jumper who was the 2016 Olympic champion in the women's high jump. She was also a politician in the Partido Popular and a member of the Parliament of Cantabria.
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1979
German footballer
Dennis Kruppke is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or forward.
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1980
American wrestler
Randal Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Orton…
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1980
American actress and model
Bijou Mary Phillips is an American model, socialite, and actress and singer. The daughter of musicians John Phillips and Geneviève Waïte, she began her career as a model. Phillips made her singing debut with I'd Rather…
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1980
Greek basketball player
Antonis Fotsis is a Greek professional basketball player for Ilysiakos. His height is of 2.09-metre tall. During his professional career he was also the captain of the senior Greek national team. In most of his playing…
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1981
Norwegian ski jumper
Bjørn Einar Romøren is a Norwegian former ski jumper who competed at World Cup level from 2001 to 2014. His career highlights include eight individual World Cup wins, two ski flying world records, and a team bronze…
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1981
American actor, voice artist, comedian, and writer
Taran Hourie Killam is an American actor and comedian. He first garnered attention for his brief stint on the Fox comedy series MADtv during its seventh season between 2001 and 2002, followed by his wider success as a…
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1982
Norwegian javelin thrower
Andreas Thorkildsen is a retired Norwegian track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He was the Olympic Champion in 2004 and 2008, European Champion in 2006 and 2010, and World Champion in 2009. He is…
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1982
Icelandic footballer
Ólafur Ingi Skúlason is an Icelandic former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the manager of Iceland national under-19 football team and the Iceland national under-15 women's team.
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1983
American football player (died 2007)
Sean Michael Maurice Taylor was an American professional football player who was a safety for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected fifth overall in the 2004 NFL draft by the…
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1983
Brazilian footballer
Gilberto Macedo da Macena, commonly known as Gilberto Macena, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Rasisalai United of the Thai League 2.
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1984
American baseball player
Daniel Thomas Murphy is an American former professional baseball second baseman and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, and Colorado…
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1985
English gymnast
Elizabeth Kimberly Tweddle is a retired English artistic gymnast. Renowned for her uneven bar and floor routines, she was the first female gymnast from Great Britain to win a medal at the European Championships, World…
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1985
Greek weightlifter
Nikolaos Kourtidis is a Greek weightlifter of Georgian origin. At age eighteen, Kourtidis made his official debut for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, representing the host nation Greece. He successfully lifted 377.5…
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1986
American country singer-songwriter
Hillary Dawn Scott-Tyrrell is an American singer and songwriter who rose to fame as the co-lead vocalist of the country music group Lady A. She is signed to Big Machine Records.
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1986
Portuguese footballer
Vitorino Gabriel Pacheco Antunes is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a left-back.
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1987
Chinese professional snooker player
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. He is the most successful Asian player in the history of the sport. Throughout his career, he has won 15 major ranking titles, including three UK Championships, and…
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1987
Italian footballer
Gianluca Musacci is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie D club U.S.D. Real Forte dei Marmi-Querceta.
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1987
English racing driver
Oliver Jonathan Turvey is a British professional racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula E, and is currently signed to DS Penske as a reserve driver and a sporting advisor. He was a notable kart racer, with…
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1987
American basketball player
Brook Robert Lopez is a Cuban-American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Splash Mountain", he was named an NBA All-Star as a member of…
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1988
American basketball player
Robin Byron Lopez is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 15th pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, was traded to the New…
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1988
Dutch speed skater
Jan Blokhuijsen is an Olympic award-winning Dutch long-track speed skater who until 2013 skated for the commercial TVM team.
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1989
French footballer
David Philippe Henri Ngog is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker.
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1989
German racing driver
Christian Johannes Vietoris is a German retired racing driver. He competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, most recently for HWA Team. Vietoris has also been a part of the revitalized Mercedes-Benz Junior Team,…
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1989
German discus thrower
Julia Harting is a German athlete who specialises in the discus throw. She won the silver medal at the 2016 European Championships, and has represented Germany at two Olympics.
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1990
Colombian footballer
Duván Esteban Zapata Banguero is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains Serie A club Torino.
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1991
Chinese gymnast
Deng Linlin is a Chinese retired gymnast. She was a member of the Chinese team that won the team gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, People's Republic of China, and is a three-time World Cup gold medalist.…
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1992
Barbadian-English cricketer
Jofra Chioke Archer is an English cricketer who represents England in all formats as a right-arm fast bowler. In domestic cricket he plays for Sussex as well as a number of T20 franchises. Archer was a member of the…
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1995
American YouTuber, actor and wrestler
Logan Alexander Paul is an American influencer, professional wrestler, entrepreneur, boxer, singer and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE since June 2022, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is a member…
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1995
American socialite
Sophia Hutchins was an American socialite, media personality, businesswoman, charity executive and model. She was best known as the manager of Caitlyn Jenner, the chief executive officer and director of the Caitlyn…
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1996
English actor
Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield is an English actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Butterfield first achieved recognition as the lead of the historical drama film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008). He continued…
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1997
Spanish racing driver
Álex Palou Montalbo is a Spanish racing driver who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series, where he won the 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025 championships and the 2025 Indianapolis 500. He is the first Spanish…
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1997
American rapper
Christian Casey "King" Combs is an American rapper and model. The son of rapper Sean Combs and model Kim Porter, Combs began his recording career with the release of his 2017 single "Type Different". His debut extended…
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1998
American basketball player
Mitchell Robinson III is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. Before…
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1998
American football player
Gabriel Davis is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the UCF Knights and was selected by the Bills in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Davis has been nicknamed…
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1999
English footballer
Rhian Joel Brewster is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for EFL Championship club Derby County. In 2017, he was part of the England squad which won the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in…
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2000
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April 1 in the Blog
Tesla's Lab Fire — April 1, 1895
Discover the story of Tesla's Lab Fire on April 1, 1895 in New York City, USA.
Read the full storyFamous birthdays
Who was born on April 1?
FeaturedMemos Makris
Birth year1913
Known forHe spent his early childhood in Patras but his family moved to Athens in 1919
Birthdays on this date217 (1220 – 2000)
Explore April 1
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on April 1 in History
2026
The Artemis II lunar flyby mission launches, marking the first crewed flight above low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Wikipedia →
2016
The 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict begins along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact. Wikipedia →
2011
See all events on April 1
After protests against the burning of the Quran turn violent, a mob attacks a United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of fourteen people, including seven UN workers. Wikipedia →
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