Did you know
He reached the top makuuchi division in November 2000 and won one yūshō or tournament championship, in September 2001
Famous Birthdays on April 11
226 people
145 – 2014
April 11 has seen 226 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 145 – 2014. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1976 — Kotomitsuki Keiji
Japanese sumo wrestler
Did you know
After a record 22 tournaments at sekiwake, he achieved promotion to sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki in July 2007 upon winning 35 out of 45 bouts in three consecutive tournaments
Did you know
This made him at 31 the oldest man to reach ōzeki in the modern era
Did you know
He is one of six wrestlers in the history of sumo to receive all three sanshō in the same tournament, accomplishing the feat in the November 2000 honbasho
Did you know
On July 4, 2010, he was expelled from professional sumo by the Japan Sumo Association for his involvement in an illegal gambling ring.
Roman emperor (probable; died 211)
Year 145 (CXLV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hadrianus and Caesar. The denomination 145 for this year has been used since the…
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145
Lord of Lüneburg (died 1213)
William of Winchester, also called William of Lunenburg or William Longsword, a member of the House of Welf, was heir to his family's allodial lands in the Duchy of Saxony after the deposition of his father, Duke Henry…
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1184
Byzantine Emperor (died 1385)
Andronikos IV Palaiologos or Andronicus IV Palaeologus was the eldest son of Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos. Appointed co-emperor from 1352, he had a troubled relationship with his father: he launched a failed…
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1348
John I, also called John of Aviz, was King of Portugal from 1385 until his death in 1433. He is recognized chiefly for his role in Portugal's victory in a succession war with Castile, preserving his country's…
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1357
Elector of Saxony (died 1428)
Frederick I, the Belligerent or the Warlike, a member of the House of Wettin, ruled as Margrave of Meissen from 1407 and as Elector of Saxony from 1423 until his death. He secured the Saxon electorship for the House of…
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1370
4th Earl of March, heir to the throne of England (died 1398)
Roger de Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, 6th Earl of Ulster was a great-grandson of King Edward III, descended from his second surviving son Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, and was considered the heir presumptive to…
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1374
1493
Silezian painter (died 1650)
Bartholomeus Strobel the Younger or Bartholomäus in German or Bartlomiej in Polish was a Baroque painter from Silesia, who worked in Prague, Silesia, and finally Poland, where he emigrated to escape the disruption of…
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1591
English lawyer and politician (died 1632)
Sir John Eliot was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he eventually died, by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament.
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1592
Duchess of Savoy (died 1724)
Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Savoy-Nemours was born a Princess of Savoy and became the Duchess of Savoy by marriage. First married by proxy to Charles of Lorraine in 1662, Lorraine soon refused to recognise the union and it…
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1644
4th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish peer (died 1712)
James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and 1st Duke of Brandon was a Scottish army officer, politician, courtier and diplomat. He was a major investor in the failed Darien scheme, which cost many of Scotland's ruling…
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1658
French composer and conductor (died 1738)
Jean-Joseph Mouret was a French composer whose dramatic works made him one of the leading exponents of Baroque music in his country. Even though most of his works are rarely performed, Mouret's name survives today…
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1683
English organist and composer (died 1806)
John Alcock was an English organist and composer. He wrote instrumental music, glees and much church music.
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1715
Czech-American clergyman and missionary (died 1808)
David Zeisberger was a Moravian clergyman and missionary among the Native American tribes who resided in the Thirteen Colonies. He established communities of Munsee (Lenape) converts to Christianity in the valley of the…
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1721
English actor, playwright, and poet (died 1771)
Christopher Smart was an English poet. He was a major contributor to two popular magazines, The Midwife and The Student, and a friend to influential cultural icons like Samuel Johnson and Henry Fielding. Smart, a high…
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1722
French miniaturist and portrait painter (died 1803)
Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, also known as Adélaïde Labille-Guiard des Vertus, was a French miniaturist and portrait painter. She was an advocate for women to receive the same opportunities as men to become great painters.…
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1749
English surgeon, geologist, and paleontologist (died 1824)
James Parkinson was an English surgeon, apothecary, geologist, palaeontologist, and political activist. He is best known for his 1817 work An Essay on the Shaking Palsy, in which he was the first to describe "paralysis…
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1755
Irish-English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1827)
George Canning was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as foreign secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the United…
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1770
English-American educator and politician, 15th Governor of Massachusetts (died 1865)
Edward Everett was an American politician, Unitarian pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, as a Whig, served as U.S. representative, U.S. senator, the 15th governor of Massachusetts,…
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1794
Italian physicist and academic (died 1854)
Macedonio Melloni was an Italian physicist, notable for demonstrating that radiant heat has similar physical properties to those of light.
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1798
German-English pianist and conductor (died 1895)
Sir Charles Hallé was a Prussian and later British pianist and conductor, best known for founding the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester.
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1819
German philosopher and jurist (died 1864)
Ferdinand Johann Gottlieb Lassalle was a German jurist, philosopher, and socialist activist. Best remembered as an initiator of the social democratic movement in Germany, in 1863 he founded the General German Workers'…
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1825
Indian scholar, philosopher, and activist (died 1890)
Jyotirao Phule, also known as Jyotiba Phule, was an Indian social activist, businessman, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra.
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1827
English architect (died 1911)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed over 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, particularly on the Eaton Hall estate. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his…
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1830
American army officer and law clerk (died 1861)
Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth was a United States Army officer, close personal friend of the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln, and law clerk who was the first conspicuous casualty and the first Union…
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1837
Australian cricketer (died 1938)
Hugh Hamon Massie was a cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia.
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1854
English cricketer and rugby player (died 1903)
Arthur Shrewsbury was an English cricketer and rugby football administrator. He was widely rated as competing with W. G. Grace for the accolade of best batsman of the 1880s; Grace himself, when asked whom he would most…
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1856
Greek historian and author (died 1939)
Stefanos Thomopoulos was a Greek writer and historian, who wrote especially on the history of Patras and its surrounding region.
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1859
American astronomer and academic (died 1938)
William Wallace Campbell was an American astronomer, and director of Lick Observatory from 1901 to 1930. He specialized in spectroscopy. He was the tenth president of the University of California from 1923 to 1930.
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1862
American lawyer and politician, 44th United States Secretary of State (died 1948)
Charles Evans Hughes was an American politician, academic, and jurist who served as the 11th chief justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the 36th governor of…
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1862
German author and activist (died 1943)
Johanna Elberskirchen was a feminist writer and activist for the rights of women, gays and lesbians as well as blue-collar workers. She published books on women's sexuality and health among other topics. Her last known…
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1864
Australian journalist, author, and poet (died 1953)
Bernard Patrick O'Dowd was an Australian poet, activist, lawyer, and journalist. He worked for the Victorian colonial and state governments for almost 50 years, first as an assistant librarian at the Supreme Court in…
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1866
American educator (died 1928)
Mark Keppel served as County Superintendent of Schools of Los Angeles County from 1902 to 1928.
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1867
Norwegian sculptor, designed the Nobel Peace Prize medal (died 1943)
Gustav Vigeland, born as Adolf Gustav Thorsen, was a Norwegian sculptor. Gustav Vigeland occupies a special position among Norwegian sculptors, both in the power of his creative imagination and in his productivity. He…
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1869
Hungarian runner (died 1940)
Gyula Richárd Kellner was a Hungarian athlete. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.
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1871
Albanian poet, rilindas and author of national anthem of Albania (died 1947)
Aleksandër Stavre Drenova, commonly known by the pen name Asdreni, was an Albanian poet, rilindas, translator, writer and the author of the poem which later became the national anthem of Albania. He is regarded as one…
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1872
English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (died 1955)
Edward Lawson VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
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1873
Irish painter (died 1958)
Paul Henry was an Irish artist noted for depicting the West of Ireland landscape in a spare Post-Impressionist style.
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1876
Georgian historian and academic (died 1940)
Ivane Alexandres dze Javakhishvili was a Georgian historian and linguist whose works heavily influenced the modern scholarship of the history and culture of Georgia. He was one of the founding fathers of the Tbilisi…
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1876
British pioneer of volunteer blood donation (died 1944)
Percy Lane Oliver was a British civil servant, who is credited with founding the first volunteer blood donation service. A layman, Oliver was working for the Camberwell division of the Red Cross in 1921 when he…
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1878
Estonian-German astronomer and optician (died 1935)
Bernhard Woldemar Schmidt was an Estonian optician. In 1930 he invented the Schmidt telescope, which corrected for the optical errors of spherical aberration, coma, and astigmatism, making possible for the first time…
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1879
Indian painter (died 1972)
Jamini Roy was an Indian painter. He was honoured by the Government of India the award of Padma Bhushan in 1954. He remains one of the most famous pupils of Abanindranath Tagore, another praised Indian artist and…
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1887
American lawyer and politician, 51st United States Secretary of State (died 1971)
Dean Gooderham Acheson was an American politician and lawyer. As the 51st U.S. secretary of state, he set the foreign policy of the Harry S. Truman administration from 1949 to 1953. He was also Truman's main foreign…
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1893
Canadian journalist and author (died 1967)
Léo-Paul Desrosiers was a Quebec writer and journalist well known for his historical novels. He was influenced by the nationalism of Henri Bourassa and Lionel-Adolphe Groulx.
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1896
African-American chemist and academic (died 1975)
Percy Lavon Julian was an American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. Julian was the first person to synthesize the natural product physostigmine, and a pioneer in…
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1899
Hungarian journalist and author (died 1989)
Sándor Márai was a Hungarian writer, poet, and journalist.
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1900
Japanese poet (died 1930)
Misuzu Kaneko was a Japanese poet, known for her poetry for children. She was born Teru Kaneko in the fishing village of Senzaki, now part of Nagato, Yamaguchi prefecture. Motifs of fishing and the sea often make…
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1903
Indian singer and actor (died 1947)
Kundan Lal Saigal, often abbreviated as K. L. Saigal, was an Indian singer and actor who worked in Hindi cinema, which was centred in Calcutta (Kolkata) during his time, but is currently based in Bombay (Mumbai).…
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1904
Hungarian poet and educator (died 1937)
Attila József was one of the most famous Hungarian poets of the 20th century. Generally not recognized during his lifetime, József was hailed during the communist era of the 1950s as Hungary's great "proletarian poet"…
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1905
American author and illustrator (died 2005)
Dalia Messick was an American comic strip artist who used the pseudonym Dale Messick. She was the creator of Brenda Starr, Reporter, which at its peak during the 1950s ran in 250 newspapers.
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1906
American actor (died 1959)
Paul Douglas Fleischer, known professionally as Paul Douglas, was an American actor.
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1907
American lawyer and judge (died 2007)
Jane Matilda Bolin was an American attorney and judge. She was the first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School, the first to join the New York City Bar Association, and the first to join the New York City Law…
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1908
Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (died 1997)
Masaru Ibuka was a Japanese electronics industrialist and co-founder of Sony, along with Akio Morita.
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1908
English tennis player and sportscaster (died 1992)
Daniel Maskell was an English tennis professional who later became a radio and television commentator on the sport. He was described as the BBC's "voice of tennis", and the "voice of Wimbledon".
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1908
Polish-American author and academic (died 1997)
Leo Calvin Rosten was an American writer and humorist in the fields of scriptwriting, storywriting, journalism, and Yiddish lexicography.
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1908
Portuguese general and politician, 14th President of Portugal (died 1996)
António Sebastião Ribeiro de Spínola was a Portuguese military officer, author and conservative politician. During the Estado Novo regime he became one of Portugal's most senior military commanders, leading military…
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1910
1912
French-American fashion designer (died 2006)
Oleg Cassini was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after launching his career as a designer in Rome, and quickly…
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1913
Scottish-Canadian animator, director, and producer (died 1987)
William Norman McLaren, was a Scottish-Canadian animator, director and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He was a pioneer in a number of areas of animation and filmmaking,…
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1914
Canadian economist, lawyer, and politician, 17th Premier of Nova Scotia (died 2003)
Robert Lorne Stanfield was a Canadian politician who served as the 17th premier of Nova Scotia from 1956 to 1967 and the leader of the Official Opposition and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from…
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1914
American mathematician (died 1988)
Dorothy Lewis Bernstein was an American mathematician known for her work in applied mathematics, statistics, computer programming, and her research on the Laplace transform. She was the first woman to be elected…
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1914
Argentinian pianist and composer (died 1983)
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.
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1916
American director and producer (died 2001)
Howard Winchel Koch was an American film producer and director. He served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and as head of film production at Paramount Pictures, and directed and produced…
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1916
American soldier, journalist, and author (died 2005)[better source needed]
David Westheimer, was an American novelist best known for writing the 1964 novel Von Ryan's Express, which was adapted into a 1965 film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard.
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1917
English soldier and politician (died 2003)
Richard Scurrah Wainwright was a British politician of the Liberal Party. He was the MP for Colne Valley from 1966 to 1970, and again from 1974 to 1987.
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1918
English historian and academic (died 2015)
Sir Albert Raymond Maillard Carr was an English historian specialising in the history of Spain, Latin America, and Sweden. From 1968 to 1987, he was Warden of St Antony's College, Oxford.
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1919
Italian lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Italy (died 2013)
Emilio Colombo was an Italian politician. A member of the Christian Democracy party, he served as Prime Minister of Italy from August 1970 to February 1972. In 2003, he was appointed senator for life, a seat he held…
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1920
American soldier and politician (died 2013)
William Howard Royer was an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as a U.S. Representative from the 11th Congressional District of California from 1979 until 1981.
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1920
1921
Australian rugby league player and coach (died 2008)
Rupert John Rayner was an Australian state and national representative rugby league player and NSWRFL coach. His club playing career was with the South Sydney Rabbitohs from 1946 to 1957 and he also represented New…
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1921
Estonian-Canadian soldier and author (died 2015)
Arved Viirlaid was an Estonian-Canadian writer.
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1922
Sr., American businessman (died 1980)
George Joseph Maloof Sr. was an American heir and businessman of Lebanese descent.
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1923
Pakistani-English activist and politician (died 2014)
Mohammad Naseem was a British Muslim leader and political activist. Nassem worked as a GP before later becoming chairman of the Birmingham Mosque Trust, one of the largest and most prominent Islamic places of worship in…
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1924
Russian hurdler and commander (died 2000)
Yuriy Nikolaevich Lituyev was a Soviet athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metre hurdles. He trained in Leningrad and later in Moscow at the Armed Forces sports society.
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1925
American civil rights activist (died 1965)
Viola Fauver Liuzzo was an American civil rights activist. In March 1965 she drove from her home in Detroit, Michigan to Alabama to support the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights. On March 25 she was shot dead…
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1925
Estonian botanist and ecologist (died 2001)
Viktor Masing was an Estonian botanist and ecologist. He was born in Tartu. He became a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences in 1993.
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1925
Canadian businessman, founded Quebecor (died 1997)
Pierre Péladeau was a Canadian businessman. He was the founder of Quebecor Inc., a Canadian media and telecommunications conglomerate in Quebec, Canada.
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1925
American commander and diplomat, United States Permanent Representative to NATO (died 2014)
David Manker Abshire was an American politician who served as a Special Counselor to President Ronald Reagan and was the United States Permanent Representative to NATO from 1983 to 1987. Abshire presided over the Center…
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1926
Canadian pianist and composer (died 2011)
Victor Bouchard OC CQ was a Canadian pianist and composer.
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1926
Estonian physicist and academic (died 2007)
Karl Rebane was a Soviet and Estonian physicist.
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1926
Indian historian
Lokesh Chandra is a prominent scholar of the Vedic period, Buddhism and the Indian arts. Between 1942 and 2004, he published 576 books and 286 articles.
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1927
American philanthropist (died 2024)
Ethel Kennedy was an American human rights advocate. She was the widow of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, a sister-in-law of U.S. president John F. Kennedy, and a daughter of businessman George Skakel.
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1928
American journalist and author (died 2017)
John Edwin Pope was an American journalist known for his sportswriting at the Miami Herald, where his work appeared from 1956 until his death in 2017. He covered Super Bowl I through Super Bowl XLVII. Some referred to…
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1928
Hungarian-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2013)
Thomas Tycho AM MBE DMus was a Hungarian-born Australian pianist, conductor, composer and arranger. He was active in both classical music and pop.
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1928
American businessman and politician, 68th United States Secretary of the Treasury
Nicholas Frederick Brady is an American banker and politician from New Jersey who briefly served in the United States Senate for eight months in 1982 and served as the 68th United States Secretary of the Treasury under…
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1930
German javelin thrower (died 2018)
Walter Krüger was an East German athlete who competed mainly in the javelin throw. He was born in Altenpleen, Pomerania. He competed for the United Team of Germany in the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy in the…
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1930
American occultist, founded the Church of Satan (died 1997)
Anton Szandor LaVey was an American writer, musician, and Satanist. He was the founder of the Church of Satan, and the philosophy of LaVeyan Satanism. He authored several books, including The Satanic Bible, The Satanic…
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1930
Welsh rugby player and coach (died 2024)
Benjamin Lewis Jones was a Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. A dual-code rugby international, he won ten caps for Wales and three for the British Lions in rugby union, and…
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1931
1932
American journalist and academic
William Anthony Brown is an American journalist, academic and businessman. He is best known as the commentator of the long-running syndicated television show Tony Brown's Journal.
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1933
Canadian-born American poet, essayist, and translator (died 2014)
Mark Strand was a Canadian-born American poet, essayist and translator. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1990 and received the Wallace Stevens Award in 2004. Strand was a…
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1934
English actor, director and playwright (died 2022)
Ronald Henry Pember was an English actor, stage director and dramatist. In a career stretching over thirty years, he was a character actor in British television productions in the 1970s and 1980s, usually in smaller…
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1934
American singer-songwriter (died 1997)
Richard Berry Jr. was an American singer, songwriter and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles doo-wop and close harmony groups in the 1950s, including the Flairs and the Robins.
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1935
English bishop (died 2019)
Brian Michael Noble was an English prelate who served in the Roman Catholic Church as the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1995 to 2010.
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1936
English actress and author (died 2020)
Jill Viola Gascoine was an English actress and novelist. Her credits include The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960), Z-Cars (1973), General Hospital (1974), Rooms (1974), Dixon of Dock Green (1974), Softly, Softly:…
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1937
American soccer player and manager (died 2013)
Gerard Austin Baker was an American soccer player. From 1955 until 1970, he played 16 seasons in either the Scottish or English first division. He earned seven caps with the US national team in 1968 and 1969, scoring…
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1938
American politician, Deputy White House Chief of Staff (died 2007)
Michael Keith Deaver was a member of President Ronald Reagan's White House staff who served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff under James Baker III and Donald Regan from January 1981 to May 1985.
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1938
American chemist and businesswoman
Reatha Belle Clark King is an American chemist, the former vice president of the General Mills Corporation; and the former president, executive director, and chairman of the board of trustees of the General Mills…
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1938
American singer and guitarist (died 2022)
Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson was an American blues singer and guitarist.
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1939
American actress
Louise Lasser is an American actress, television writer, and performing arts teacher and director. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, for which she…
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1939
Australian politician (died 2013)
Colin Charles "Col" Firmin was a former Australian politician.
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1940
Polish shot putter and actor (died 1998)
Władysław Stefan Komar was a Lithuanian-born Polish shot putter, actor and cabaretist. Competing in three Summer Olympics between 1964 and 1972, he won the gold medal at the Munich Games in 1972 with a throw of 21.18…
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1940
American journalist and author
Ellen Goodman is an American journalist and syndicated columnist. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1980. She is also a speaker and commentator.
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1941
English actress (died 2015)
Shirley Rosemary Stelfox was a British actress, known for her portrayal of the character Edna Birch, a moralising busybody in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, and as Rose, the vampy sister of the snobby and overbearing…
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1941
Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (died 2014)
Anatoly Nikolayevich Berezovoy was a Soviet and later Russian cosmonaut.
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1942
American writer
Hattie Gossett is an African-American feminist playwright, poet, and magazine editor. Her work focuses on bolstering the self-esteem of young black women.
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1942
English pathologist and academic
Sir James Cresseé Elphinstone Underwood FMedSci is a British pathologist who was awarded a knighthood for services to medicine in the 2005 New Year honours list.
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1942
11th Earl of Sandwich, English businessman and politician
John Edward Hollister Montagu, 11th Earl of Sandwich was a British businessman and politician. He was a crossbench member of the House of Lords from 1995 to 2024.
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1943
American wrestler and trainer (died 2019)
Harley Leland Race was an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, and trainer.
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1943
1944
American director, producer, and screenwriter
John Frederick Milius is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is considered a member of the New Hollywood generation of filmmakers.
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1944
Baron Krebs, English zoologist and academic
John Richard Krebs, Baron Krebs, FRS is an English zoologist researching in the field of behavioural ecology of birds. He was the principal of Jesus College, Oxford, from 2005 until 2015. Krebs was President of the…
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1945
American sculptor, illustrator, and academic (died 2015)
Christopher Lee Burden was an American artist working in performance art, sculpture, and installation art. Burden became known in the 1970s for his performance art works, including Shoot (1971), where he arranged for a…
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1946
English journalist and radio host
Robert Brinley Joseph Harris, popularly known as "Whispering Bob" Harris, is an English broadcaster. He was a host of the BBC2 music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test from 1972 to 1979, and was a co-founder of the…
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1946
1947
1947
American pianist and composer (died 2004)
Frank Mantooth was an American jazz pianist and arranger.
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1947
American actor, screenwriter and film director
Peter Riegert is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Donald "Boon" Schoenstein in Animal House (1978), oil company executive "Mac" MacIntyre in Local Hero (1983), pickle store owner Sam Posner in…
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1947
English engineer and academic (died 2015)
Michael Thomas Wright was a British academic who was the Vice-Chancellor of Aston University between 1996 and 2006.
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1947
American writer (died 2024)
Dorothy Earlene Allison was an American writer whose writing focused on class struggle, sexual abuse, child abuse, feminism, and lesbianism. She was a self-identified femme lesbian. Allison won several Lambda Literary…
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1949
German director and producer (died 2011)
Bernd Eichinger was a German film producer, screenwriter, and director.
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1949
American actor and clown
William Mills Irwin is an American actor, choreographer, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the…
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1950
1951
American singer and guitarist
Nancy Honeytree is an American Christian musician and one of the leaders in what was known as Jesus music.
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1952
Sri Lankan engineer and academic
Indira Vasanti Samarasekera is the former president and former vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta. She has been a member of the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, which advises on appointments…
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1952
English-Australian journalist and sportscaster
Peter David Windsor is a Formula One journalist, and former Formula One team and sponsorship manager.
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1952
Belgian politician, 47th Prime Minister of Belgium
Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Belgium from 2009 until 2024. Verhofstadt…
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1953
English mathematician and academic
Sir Andrew John Wiles is an English mathematician and a Royal Society Research Professor at the University of Oxford, specialising in number theory. He is best known for proving Fermat's Last Theorem, for which he was…
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1953
Turkish engineer and academic
Abdullah Atalar is a Turkish engineer and academician, who is a professor at Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University. From 2010 to 2022, he served as the rector of Bilkent University.…
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1954
Azerbaijani cyclist and coach
Aleksandr Dmitriyevich Averin is a retired Soviet cyclist. He competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in the road race and finished in 17th place. He won the multistage Peace Race individually in 1978 and with the Soviet…
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1954
English guitarist and composer
John Francis Lickerish, known professionally as Francis Lickerish, is a British composer, guitarist and lutenist, and founding member of British art-rock band The Enid.
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1954
Scottish psychologist and academic
David Ian Perrett is a professor of psychology at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he leads the Perception Lab. The main focus in his team's research is on face perception, including facial cues to…
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1954
English biologist and conservationist
Ian Michael Redmond OBE FZS FLS is a tropical field biologist and conservationist. Renowned for his work with mountain gorillas and elephants, Redmond has been involved in more than 50 documentaries on the subject for,…
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1954
American baseball player (died 2015)
Willie Arthur Royster was an American professional baseball player. The catcher spent eleven seasons in minor league baseball, with a brief, four-game Major League trial for the 1981 Baltimore Orioles. He threw and…
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1954
American lawyer and politician
Kevin Patrick Brady is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 8th congressional district from 1997 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes northern…
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1955
American singer-songwriter and AIDS activist (died 1993)
Michael Callen was an American singer, songwriter, composer, author, and AIDS activist. Callen was diagnosed with AIDS in 1982 and became a pioneer of AIDS activism in New York City, working closely with his doctor, Dr.…
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1955
American basketball player and coach (died 2025)
Michael Ray Richardson, known by the nickname "Sugar", was an American professional basketball player and head coach. He played college basketball for the Montana Grizzlies. The fourth overall pick in the 1978 NBA…
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1955
daughter of Roald Dahl and Patricia Neal
Chantal Sophia "Tessa" Dahl is a British author and former actress. She is the daughter of British-Norwegian author Roald Dahl and American actress Patricia Neal.
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1957
Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2001)
William Stuart Adamson was a Scottish rock guitarist and singer. Adamson began his career in the late 1970s as a founding member and performer with the punk rock band Skids. After leaving Skids in 1981, he formed Big…
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1958
Russian sprinter
Lyudmila Andreyevna Kondratyeva is a Russian former track and field athlete, who competed for the Soviet Union and is the 1980 Olympic 100 m champion.
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1958
Australian rugby league player
Wayne Wigham is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played most of his career at the Balmain Tigers, but he also played for the North Sydney Bears and Western…
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1958
Canadian ice hockey player
Pierre Lacroix is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 274 National Hockey League games for the Quebec Nordiques and the Hartford Whalers. He is the father of Maxime Lacroix. As a youth, he…
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1959
Cuban-American lawyer and judge
Ana María Polo González is a Cuban-American lawyer and television personality, best known as an arbitrator on the Spanish-language court show Caso Cerrado and the Anglophone spin-off counterpart Ana Polo Rules.
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1959
Bangladeshi politician
Zahid Maleque is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a former minister of health and family welfare. He is a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Manikganj-3 constituency during 2009–2024.
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1959
English journalist and television presenter
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English television presenter, journalist, farmer, and author who specialises in motoring. He is best known for hosting the motoring television programmes Top Gear (1988–2000) and Top…
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1960
American actor, director, producer, and musician
Vincent Gallo is an American actor, filmmaker, and musician. He has won several accolades, including a Volpi Cup for Best Actor, and has been nominated for the Palme d'Or, the Golden Lion, and the Bronze Horse.
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1961
American guitarist and songwriter (died 1993)
Douglas Owen Hopkins was an American musician and songwriter. He co-founded Gin Blossoms, a popular modern rock band of the early 1990s. He was the band's lead guitarist and principal songwriter. Hopkins' writing…
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1961
Japanese martial artist
Nobuaki Kakuda is a retired karateka and kickboxer and former K-1 Head referee.
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1961
French fencer
Franck Ducheix is a French fencer. He won a silver medal in the team sabre at the 1984 Summer Olympics and a bronze in the same event at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
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1962
English journalist and author
Mark Gerard Lawson is an English journalist, broadcaster and author. Specialising in culture and the arts, he is best known for presenting the flagship BBC Radio 4 arts programme Front Row between 1998 and 2014. He is…
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1962
New Zealand cricketer and umpire
Brent Fraser "Billy" Bowden is a New Zealand cricket umpire and former cricketer. He was a player until rheumatoid arthritis forced him to retire. He is well known for his dramatic signalling style which includes the…
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1963
Polish footballer and manager
Waldemar Fornalik is a Polish professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of I liga club Ruch Chorzów. A one-club man, he spent his entire playing career with Ruch. From July 2012 to…
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1963
Australian tennis player
Elizabeth Smylie, sometimes known as Liz Smylie, is an Australian sports broadcaster and retired professional tennis player. During her career, she won four Grand Slam titles, one in women's doubles and three in mixed…
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1963
Greek singer
Eleni Tsaligopoulou is a Greek singer who, in the course of a 30-year career, has maintained a position as one of her country's best-selling recording artists.
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1963
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Stephen Thomas Azar is an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and philanthropist. Active since 1996, he has released a total of seven studio albums: one on the former River North Records, one on…
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1964
English journalist and politician
John Robert Cryer, Baron Cryer, is a British politician. A member of the Labour Party, he was previously the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hornchurch from 1997 to 2005 and the MP for Leyton and Wanstead from 2010 to…
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1964
1964
American baseball player and coach
Bret William Saberhagen is an American former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, and Boston Red Sox…
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1964
1964
American baseball player and manager
Steven Wayne Scarsone is an American former professional baseball infielder and former minor league manager. He serves on the Oakland Athletics' Player Development staff as travelling minor league instructor. He played…
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1966
South Korean singer-songwriter
Shin Seung-hun is a South Korean singer-songwriter who was known in the 1990s as the "Emperor of Ballads". He debuted in 1990 with the hit song, "Reflection of You in Your Smile", and has since released 12 studio…
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1966
English singer-songwriter and actress
Lisa Jane Stansfield is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition Search for a Star. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first…
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1966
Kazakh-Russian journalist and author
Sergei Vasilyevich Lukyanenko is a Russian science fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian. His works often feature intense action-packed plots, interwoven with the moral dilemma of keeping one's humanity while…
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1968
Welsh singer-songwriter
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer, songwriter, author, and broadcaster. She was a founding member of Welsh rock band Catatonia and a leading figure in the "Cool Cymru" movement of the late 1990s.
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1969
American wrestler
Dustin Patrick Runnels is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes and is a former AEW TNT Champion. He also appears in AEW's…
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1969
Swiss skier
Michael von Grünigen is a Swiss former alpine skier. He is considered to be the most successful Giant slalom skier of his era: In 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2003, he won the World Cup in Giant slalom. In 1997 and 2001, he was…
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1969
Canadian ice hockey player and manager
Trevor John Linden is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former president of hockey operations and alternate governor of the Vancouver Canucks. He spent 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL),…
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1970
1970
German bass player
Oliver "Ollie" Riedel is a German musician, best known as one of the founders and the bassist of Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein.
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1971
American wrestler (died 2016)
Jonathan Rechner, better known by his ring name Balls Mahoney, was an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
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1972
French singer
Allan Théo is a French singer, particularly well known for his 1998 single "Emmène-moi", which peaked at No. 6.
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1972
American baseball player and manager
Jason Andrew Varitek, nicknamed "Tek", is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher. He was most recently the game planning coordinator, a uniformed coaching position, for the Boston Red Sox of Major…
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1972
French rugby player
Olivier Claude C. Magne is a French former rugby union footballer and a current coach.
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1973
American actress and writer
Jennifer Esposito is an American actress and director. She is known for her roles in the feature films Summer of Sam (1999), Don't Say a Word (2001), The Master of Disguise (2002), Welcome to Collinwood (2002), Crash…
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1973
Spanish tennis player and coach
Àlex Corretja Verdegay is a Spanish former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 2 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in 1999. Corretja won 17 ATP Tour singles titles,…
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1974
1974
Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
David Moses Jassy, is a Swedish musician, songwriter and music producer. With Andrés Avellán, he was part of a Swedish R&B hip hop duo, Navigators. After split up of the group, Jassy went on to writing music and…
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1974
Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Thomas William Arnold Thacker, known by his stage name Brown Tom, is a Canadian musician, songwriter, singer, and record producer. He is the lead guitarist, lead singer and co-founder of the punk rock group Gob, as well…
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1974
American baseball player and sportscaster
Christopher Trotman "Trot" Nixon, nicknamed "Dirt Dog" is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 through 2008, primarily with the Boston Red Sox from…
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1974
Norwegian journalist, non-fiction writer, and organizational leader
Marta Breen is a Norwegian non-fiction writer, journalist, and organizational leader. Her books often center on women's history and feminism.
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1976
Venezuelan baseball player
Kelvim José Escobar Bolívar is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1997–2003) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He won 101 games, but his career was cut short by…
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1976
German runner
Ivonne Teichmann is a retired German athlete who specialised in the 800 metres.
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1977
English footballer
Malcolm Neil Christie is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.
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1979
Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Sebastien Alexandre Grainger is a Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, multi instrumentalist, and music producer based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known as the lead vocalist, drummer and songwriter of the…
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1979
Swiss ice hockey player
Michel Riesen is a Swiss former professional ice hockey winger. Most of his career, which lasted from 1994 to 2014, was spent in the Swiss Nationalliga A, though he also played 12 games in the National Hockey League…
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1979
Japanese footballer
Keiji Tamada is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward. As of 2024, he is the manager of Shohei High School's football team, who plays in the Prince Takamado JFA U-18 Premier League.
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1980
American baseball player
Mark Charles Teixeira, nicknamed "Tex", is an American politician and former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles…
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1980
Brazilian model[citation needed]
Alessandra Corine Ambrósio is a Brazilian model. She is known for her work with Victoria's Secret and was chosen as the first spokesmodel for the company's PINK line. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2004 to 2017…
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1981
Canadian ice hockey player
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is currently working as a player development consultant for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing…
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1981
Dominican basketball player
Luis Alberto Flores is a Dominican former professional basketball player. He is a 6 ft 2 in tall point guard-shooting guard. He grew up in the United States, in the predominantly Dominican neighborhood of Washington…
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1981
Australian cricketer
Veronica Pyke is an Australian former cricketer who played for Tasmanian Roar and Hobart Hurricanes.
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1981
1982
Estonian skier
Peeter Kümmel is an Estonian cross-country skier who has competed since 2001.
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1982
Canadian skier
Jennifer Heil is a Canadian freestyle skier from Spruce Grove, Alberta. Heil started skiing at age two. Jennifer Heil won the first gold medal for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics games in Turin, Italy and a silver…
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1983
Spanish footballer
Rubén Palazuelos García is a Spanish footballer who plays for Tercera Federación club Vimenor as a defensive midfielder.
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1983
American actress
Kelli Brianne Garner is an American actress who has appeared in a variety of independent and mainstream films, television, and theater.
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1984
French handball player
Nikola Karabatić is a French former professional handball player who was named IHF World Player of the Year a male record-tying three times, in 2007, 2014, and 2016. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in…
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1984
Spanish footballer
Pablo Hernández Domínguez is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. He is the manager of Segunda División club Castellón.
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1985
Haitian model and human rights lawyer
Sarodj Bertin Durocher is a Haitian lawyer and beauty pageant titleholder.
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1986
German pentathlete
Lena Schöneborn is a German pentathlete, who won the gold medal in the Modern Pentathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She is living in Berlin and besides Pentathlon she is studying marketing. She won gold at the Women's…
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1986
English singer-songwriter and actress[citation needed]
Joscelyn Eve Stoker, known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to prominence in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004…
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1987
1987
Argentine footballer
Milton Óscar Casco is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as left-back for Atlético Nacional.
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1988
Canadian ice hockey player
Leland Bruce Irving is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for HC Lugano in the National League (NL). He was a first-round selection of the…
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1988
American sprinter (died 2014)
Torrin Lawrence was an American sprinter who competed in the 400 meters. He ran for the University of Georgia.
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1989
Greek footballer
Dimitrios Anastasopoulos is a Greek professional footballer who plays for Fostiras Ilioupoli as a midfielder.
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1990
South African footballer
Thulani Caleb Serero is a South African soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Cape Town City and the South African national team.
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1990
Spanish footballer
Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento, known as Thiago Alcântara or mononymously as Thiago, is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the assistant manager of La Liga club Barcelona. Born…
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1991
Congolese footballer
Cédric Bakambu is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or a winger for La Liga club Real Betis and the DR Congo national team.
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1991
American racing driver
Brennan Cole Poole is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Alpha Prime Racing. He was formerly a…
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1991
Danish politician
Sinem Dybvad Demir is a Danish politician and Member of the Folketing. A member of the Red–Green Alliance, she has represented North Zealand since March 2026.
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1992
Romanian footballer
Florin Andone is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Segunda Federación club Atlético Baleares.
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1993
Canadian ice hockey player
Brandon Montour is a Haudenosaunee-Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Montour was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round,…
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1994
1996
American singer-songwriter
Summer Marjani Walker is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with the Atlanta-based record label Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records, in late 2017 to release her debut commercial mixtape, Last…
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1996
Canadian ice hockey player
Calen Addison is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected…
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2000
Australian actress
Amelia May 'Milly' Alcock is an Australian actress. She received an AACTA Award nomination for her performance in the Foxtel comedy-drama Upright (2019–2022). She gained wider recognition for starring as young Rhaenyra…
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2000
2000
American rapper and record producer
Kenyatta Lee Bettis Frazier Jr., known professionally as Ken Carson, is an American rapper and record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Carson initially gained attention for his SoundCloud releases and collaborations with…
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2000
2000
Uruguayan footballer
Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Uruguay national team. Primarily a defensive midfielder, he can also be…
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2001
Australian cricketer
Jake Matthew Fraser-McGurk is an Australian international cricketer who has represented the Australia national cricket team in ODI and T20I cricket. McGurk is a right-handed batsman who plays for South Australia,…
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2002
English footballer
Jack Luca Hinshelwood is an English professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the England under-21 national team.
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2005
South Korean-Australian singer
Danielle June Marsh, known mononymously as Danielle (Korean: 다니엘), is an Australian and South Korean singer. She is known to be a former member of the South Korean girl group NewJeans.
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2005
British actress, plays Hermione Granger
Arabella Stanton is an English actress. In May 2025, she was confirmed to be cast as Hermione Granger in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter television series.
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2014
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April 11 in the Blog
Cambodia Invasion — April 11, 1970
Discover the story of Cambodia Invasion on April 29-30, 1970 in Cambodia.
Read the full storyFamous birthdays
Who was born on April 11?
Kotomitsuki Keiji — Japanese sumo wrestler
FeaturedKotomitsuki Keiji
Birth year1976
Known forA former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999
Birthdays on this date226 (145 – 2014)
Explore April 11
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on April 11 in History
2023
During the Pazigyi massacre, an airstrike conducted by the Myanmar Air Force kills at least 100 villagers in Pazigyi, Sagaing Region. Wikipedia →
2021
Twenty-year-old Daunte Wright is shot and killed in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, by officer Kimberly Potter, sparking protests in the city, when the officer mistakes her pistol for her taser. Wikipedia →
2018
See all events on April 11
An Ilyushin Il-76 owned and operated by the Algerian Air Force crashes near Boufarik, Algeria, killing 257. Wikipedia →
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