Did you know
He won 62 singles titles and 16 doubles titles during his career, including four singles major titles and the 1974 Tour Finals
Famous Birthdays on August 17
218 people
1153 – 2003
August 17 has seen 218 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1153 – 2003. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1952 — Guillermo Vilas
Argentinian tennis player
Did you know
He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991, two years after his first retirement.
Did you know
1 for at least 10 weeks, particularly in 1977 when he won two majors
Did you know
1 of the Grand Prix seasons in 1974, 1975 and 1977
Did you know
2 in April 1975, a position he held for a total of 83 weeks, although some have argued that Vilas should have been ranked No
Count of Poitiers (died 1156)
William, Count of Poitiers was the first son of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine.
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1153
Duke of Savoy (died 1482)
Philibert I, surnamed the Hunter, was the son of Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy and Yolande of Valois. Philibert was Duke of Savoy from 1472 to 1482.
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1465
Duke of York (died 1483)
Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York was the second son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. Richard and his older brother, King Edward V, mysteriously disappeared shortly after their uncle Richard III…
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1473
Count of Hanau-Münzenberg (died 1529)
Philipp II was Count of Hanau-Münzenberg from 1512 until his death. He was the son of Count Reinhard IV and his wife, Katharina of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg.
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1501
English martyr and saint (died 1581)
Alexander Briant, SJ was an English Jesuit and martyr, executed at Tyburn.
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1556
Italian painter (died 1660)
Francesco Albani or Albano was an Italian Baroque painter of Albanian descent who was active in Bologna, Rome, Viterbo (1609–1610), Mantua (1621–1622) and Florence (1633). He was a distinguished artist of the Bolognese…
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1578
Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, first prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (died 1638)
Prince Johann of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the ruling Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen from 1606 to 1623. He was elevated to the rank of prince in 1623 and so was Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen from 1623 until…
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1578
Maltese philosopher (died 1639)
John Matthew Rispoli was a major Maltese philosopher of great erudition. He was held in high esteem by the Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller Order, the Bishops of Malta, the Viceroys of Sicily, cardinals,…
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1582
German theologian (died 1654)
Johannes Valentinus Andreae, also known as Johannes Valentinus Andreä or Johann Valentin Andreae, was a German theologian and writer.
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1586
Swedish Field Marshal, Privy Councillour and Governor-General (died 1651)
Lennart Torstensson, Swedish Field Marshal and later Governor-General of Pomerania, Västergötland, Dalsland, Värmland and Halland. He adapted the use of artillery on the battlefield, making it a more mobile weapon than…
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1603
Polish–Lithuanian king (died 1696)
John III Sobieski was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696.
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1629
Italian composer and educator (died 1768)
Nicola Antonio Giacinto Porpora was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli. Other students included composers Johann…
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1686
Bohemian philologist and historian (died 1828)
Josef Dobrovský was a Czech philologist and historian. He was one of the most important figures of the Czech National Revival along with Josef Jungmann.
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1753
French general (died 1800)
Louis Charles Antoine Desaix was a French general and military leader during the French Revolutionary Wars. According to the usage of the time, he took the name Louis Charles Antoine Desaix de Veygoux. He was considered…
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1768
American soldier and politician (died 1836)
David Crockett was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennessee in the United States House of…
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1786
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later Princess of Leiningen and subsequently Duchess of Kent and Strathearn, was a German princess and the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. As the widow of Emich…
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1786
Swedish writer and feminist (died 1865)
Fredrika Bremer was a Finnish-born Swedish writer and reformer. Her Sketches of Everyday Life were wildly popular in Britain and the United States during the 1840s and 1850s and she is regarded as the Swedish Jane…
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1801
French neurologist and physician (died 1897)
Jules Bernard Luys was a French neurologist known for significant contributions to nineteenth-century neuroanatomy and neuropsychiatry. He produced influential works on the structure and function of the central nervous…
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1828
English poet and activist (died 1922)
Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, sometimes spelt Wilfred, was an English poet and writer. He and his wife Lady Anne Blunt travelled in the Middle East and were instrumental in preserving the Arabian horse bloodlines through their…
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1840
American physician and naturalist (died 1909)
Dr. Henry Cadwalader Chapman was an American physician and naturalist.
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1845
Scottish-Australian politician, 17th Premier of Queensland (died 1919)
William Kidston was an Australian bookseller, politician and Premier of Queensland, from January 1906 to November 1907 and again from February 1908 to February 1911.
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1849
American author and photographer (died 1924)
Gene Stratton-Porter, born Geneva Grace Stratton, was an American writer, nature photographer, and naturalist from Wabash County, Indiana. In 1917 Stratton-Porter urged legislative support for the conservation of…
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1863
English-American actress (died 1950)
Julia Marlowe was an English-born American actress, known for her interpretations of William Shakespeare's plays.
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1865
Asaf Jah VI, Indian 6th Nizam of Hyderabad (died 1911)
Asaf Jah VI, also known as Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi, was the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad State, one of the princely states of India, between 1869 and 1911.
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1866
American gynecologist and academic (died 1946)
John Albertson Sampson was a gynecologist who studied endometriosis.
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1873
American golfer and tennis player (died 1923)
Ralph McKittrick was an American golfer and tennis player who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
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1877
Australian cricketer (died 1911)
Reginald Alexander Duff was an Australian cricketer who played in 22 Tests between 1902 and 1905.
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1878
South African cricketer and tennis player (died 1948)
Percy William Sherwell was a South African cricketer who played in 13 Tests for South Africa as captain, wicketkeeper and batsman from 1906 to 1911.
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1880
Charles I and IV was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from November 1916 until the monarchy was abolished in November 1918. He was the last of the monarchs…
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1887
Jamaican journalist and activist, founded Black Star Line (died 1940)
Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. was a Jamaican political activist. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, through which he declared himself…
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1887
American actor, raconteur, and pundit (died 1963)
Edgar Montillion "Monty" Woolley was an American film and theater actor. At the age of 50, he achieved a measure of stardom for his role in the 1939 stage play The Man Who Came to Dinner and its 1942 film adaptation.…
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1888
Dutch bacteriologist, dermatologist, and Islamicist (died 1957)
Pieter Henricus van der Hoog, also known after converting to Islam as Mohammed Abdul-Ali, was a Dutch bacteriologist, dermatologist, and Islamicist. Born in The Hague, Van der Hoog was pressured by his father to enter…
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1888
Norwegian singer and actress (died 1967)
Lalla Carlsen was a Norwegian singer and actress. She was a very popular singer in Norway.
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1889
Polish soldier and pilot (died 1920)
Stefan Bastyr was a Polish aviator and military pilot, one of the pioneers of the Polish aviation. He is credited with the first military flight in the history of the Polish Air Force on 5 November 1918, almost a week…
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1890
American politician and diplomat, 8th United States Secretary of Commerce (died 1946)
Harold Lloyd Hopkins was an American statesman, public administrator, and presidential advisor. A trusted deputy to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hopkins directed New Deal relief programs before serving as the…
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1890
German-American director and production manager (died 1982)
John Brahm was a German film and television director. His films include The Undying Monster (1942), The Lodger (1944), Hangover Square (1945), The Locket (1946), The Brasher Doubloon (1947), and the 3D horror film The…
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1893
1893
1st Baron Rootes, English businessman, founded Rootes Group (died 1964)
William Edward Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes GBE was a British motor manufacturer. He opened his first car sales agency in 1913, leading to the global Rootes Group. During the Second World War he supervised the volume…
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1894
American general and engineer, head of the Manhattan Project (died 1970)
Leslie Richard Groves Jr. was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project, the top secret research program that developed the atomic…
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1896
Estonian lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia in exile (died 1991)
Tõnis Kint was an Estonian politician. He served as "Acting Prime Minister of Estonian Exile Government" from 22 August 1960 to 1 January 1962 and again from 29 March 1963 to 23 December 1970 and as "Prime Minister in…
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1896
American historian and author (died 1970)
Oliver Waterman Larkin was an American art historian and educator. He won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Art and Life in America.
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1896
American poet and novelist (died 1998)
Janet Loxley Lewis was an American novelist, poet, and librettist. She was considered one of the finest American literary figures of the 20th century.
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1899
British travel writer and adventurer (died 1957)
Vivienne Florence Beatrice de Watteville was a British travel writer and adventurer, author of two books based on her experiences in East Africa in the 1920s, Out in the Blue (1927) and Speak to the Earth (1935). She is…
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1900
American teacher, historian, aviator and activist (died 1991)
Pauline Alice Young was an African-American teacher, librarian, historian, lecturer, community activist, humanitarian, and individualist.
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1900
1904
Austrian composer and musicologist (died 1991)
Leopold Nowak was an Austrian musicologist chiefly known for editing the works of Anton Bruckner for the International Bruckner Society. He reconstructed the original form of some of those works, most of which had been…
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1904
American trumpet player and bandleader (died 1985)
Larry Clinton was an American musician, best known as a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader and arranger.
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1909
English footballer (died 1980)
Wilfred Copping was an English football player who played for Leeds United, Arsenal and the England national team.
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1909
Russian chess player and engineer (died 1995)
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who held five world titles in three different reigns. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer…
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1911
German colonel and lawyer (died 2010)
Martin Sandberger was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era and a convicted Holocaust perpetrator. He was the commander of Sonderkommando 1a of Einsatzgruppe A, as well as of the Sicherheitspolizei and SD at the…
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1911
American lawyer and agent, 2nd Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (died 2008)
William Mark Felt Sr. was an American law enforcement officer who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1942 to 1973 and was known for his role in uncovering the Watergate scandal. Felt was an FBI…
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1913
Argentinian race car driver (died 1989)
Oscar Alfredo Gálvez was an Argentine racing driver, known best for participating – and for scoring two championship points – in the Formula One World Championship Grand Prix on 18 January 1953.
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1913
1913
American journalist (died 1978)
William Randall Downs, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He worked for CBS News from 1942 to 1962 and for ABC News beginning in 1963. He was one of the original members of the team of war…
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1914
American lawyer and politician (died 1988)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. was an American lawyer, politician, and businessman. He served as a United States congressman from New York from 1949 to 1955 and in 1963 was appointed United States Under Secretary of…
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1914
Nigerian physician and politician (died 2012)
Chief Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi was a Nigerian gynaecologist and obstetrician. He was Minister of Health in the Nigerian First Republic.
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1916
British-American actress (died 1985)
Evelyn Felisa Ankers was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably The Wolf Man (1941) opposite…
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1918
American saxophonist and pianist (died 1963)
Ike Abrams Quebec was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career in the big band era of the 1940s, then fell from prominence for a time until launching a comeback in the years before his death.
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1918
English geographer and academic (died 2015)
Michael John Wise CBE, MC was a British academic who served as a professor of geography at the University of London.
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1918
American singer (died 2006)
Georgia Gibbs was an American popular singer and vocal entertainer rooted in jazz. Already singing publicly in her early teens, Gibbs achieved acclaim and notoriety in the mid-1950s copying songs originating with the…
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1919
Irish-American actress and singer (died 2015)
Maureen O'Hara was an Irish and American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate but sensible heroines, often in…
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1920
American photographer and author (died 2014)
Lida Moser was an American photographer and author, with a career that spanned more than six decades, before retiring in her 90s. She was known for her photojournalism and street photography as a member of both the…
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1920
German-English historian and academic (died 1994)
Sir Geoffrey Rudolph Elton was a German-born British political and constitutional historian, specialising in the Tudor period. He taught at Clare College, Cambridge, and was the Regius Professor of Modern History there…
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1921
English cricketer (died 2011)
Roy Tattersall was an English cricketer who played for Lancashire and played sixteen Tests for England as a specialist off spin bowler. He was born at Tonge Moor, Bolton, Lancashire, England.
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1922
Venezuelan artist (died 2019)
Carlos Cruz-Diez was a Venezuelan artist who played a central role in the development of Kinetic and Op art. His work focused on the perceptual and spacial experience of color, presenting it as an autonomous event…
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1923
American painter and sculptor (died 2002)
Larry Rivers was an American painter, musician, filmmaker, and occasional actor. Considered by many scholars to be the "Godfather" and "Grandfather" of Pop art, he was one of the first artists to merge non-objective,…
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1923
American novelist, poet, and short story writer (died 2013)
Evan Shelby Connell Jr. was a U.S. novelist, short-story writer, essayist and author of epic historical works. He also published under the name Evan S. Connell Jr.
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1924
English businesswoman (died 2012)
Esmé Valerie Eliot was the second wife and later widow of the Nobel Prize-winning poet T. S. Eliot. She was a major shareholder in the publishing firm of Faber and Faber Limited and the editor and annotator of a number…
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1926
Chinese engineer and politician, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (paramount leader) and 5th President of China (died 2022)
Jiang Zemin was a Chinese politician who served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1989 to 2002, as the chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2004, and as the president…
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1926
American saxophonist and bandleader (died 2009)
Sam Butera was an American tenor saxophonist and singer best noted for his collaborations with Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Butera is frequently regarded as a crossover artist who performed with equal ease in both R&B…
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1927
American lawyer and politician, Governor of Vermont (died 2015)
Frank Ray Keyser Jr. was an American lawyer and politician from Vermont. He served as Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1959 to 1961, and the 72nd governor of Vermont from 1961 to 1963.
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1927
American composer, conductor, and educator
Thomas Jefferson "T.J." Anderson, Jr. is an American composer, conductor, orchestrator and educator.
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1928
Dutch tennis player, sportscaster, and producer (died 2011)
Willem Duys was a Dutch radio and television presenter, commentator, tennis player and music producer.
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1928
American captain and pilot (died 1977)
Francis Gary Powers was an American pilot who served as a United States Air Force officer and a CIA employee. Powers is best known for his involvement in the 1960 U-2 incident, when he was shot down while flying a…
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1929
American screenwriter and producer (died 2015)
Harve Bennett was an American television and film producer and screenwriter.
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1930
English poet and playwright (died 1998)
Edward James Hughes was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. He was appointed…
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1930
English historian, demographer, and academic (died 2022)
Sir Edward Anthony Wrigley was a British historical demographer. Wrigley and Peter Laslett co-founded the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure in 1964.
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1931
Trinidadian-English novelist and essayist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)
Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul was a Trinidad and Tobago-born British writer renowned for his work of fiction and nonfiction in English. He is known for his comic early novels set in Trinidad, his bleaker novels of…
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1932
American pianist and composer (died 1980)
Columbus Calvin "Duke" Pearson Jr. was an American jazz pianist and composer. Allmusic describes him as having a "big part in shaping the Blue Note label's hard bop direction in the 1960s as a record producer."
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1932
French cartoonist (died 2022)
Jean-Jacques Sempé, usually known as Sempé, was a French cartoonist. He is known for the series of children's books he created with René Goscinny, Le Petit Nicolas, and also for his poster-like illustrations, usually…
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1932
American pop singer (died 1986)
Max Edward "Mark" Dinning was an American pop music singer.
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1933
Brazilian pianist and composer (died 2023)
João Donato de Oliveira Neto was a Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist as well as a trombonist from Rio Branco. He first worked with Altamiro Carrilho and went on to perform with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud…
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1934
1934
Irish educator and politician, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (died 2020)
Seamus Frederick Mallon was an Irish politician who served as deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2001 and Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) from 1979 to 2001. He also sat…
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1936
American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner
Margaret Elaine Hamilton is an American computer scientist. She directed the Software Engineering Division at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, where she led the development of the on-board flight software for NASA's…
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1936
Greek lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece (died 2023)
Theodoros Pangalos was a Greek politician and leading member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). He served as the deputy prime minister of Greece, responsible for the coordination of the Government Council…
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1938
American blues guitarist and singer (died 1997)
Luther Sylvester Allison was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas, although some accounts suggest his actual place of birth was Mayflower, Arkansas. Allison was interested…
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1939
Argentinian director and screenwriter (died 2006)
Eduardo Mignogna was an Argentine film director and screenwriter.
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1940
English academic and politician
Barry John Sheerman is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huddersfield, previously Huddersfield East, for 45 years from 1979 to 2024. A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, he is…
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1940
German businessman and politician (died 2013)
Lothar Bisky was a German politician. He was the chairman of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), the successor of East Germany's Socialist Unity Party (SED). In June 2007, he became co-chairman of The Left party,…
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1941
Canadian director and screenwriter
Jean Pierre Lefebvre is a Canadian filmmaker. He is widely admired as "the godfather of independent Canadian cinema," particularly among young, independent filmmakers.
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1941
American baseball player
John Wesley "Boog" Powell is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from 1961 through 1977, most prominently as a member of the Baltimore…
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1941
Australian actor, animator, and screenwriter
John Shane Porteous is an Australian actor, screenwriter, animation layout artist and animation voice artist. As a screenwriter, he is sometimes credited as John Hanlon.
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1942
English composer, painter, and author
Edward Cowie is an Australian composer, author, natural scientist, and painter.
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1943
American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer
Robert Anthony De Niro is an American actor, director, film producer, and restaurateur. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various…
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1943
Welsh journalist and author
Desmond John Humphrys is a Welsh broadcaster. From 1981 to 1987 he was the main presenter of the Nine O'Clock News, the flagship BBC News television programme, and from 1987 until 2019 he presented on the BBC Radio 4…
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1943
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2002)
Dave "Snaker" Ray was an American blues singer and guitarist from St. Paul, Minnesota, and was associated with Spider John Koerner and Tony "Little Sun" Glover in the early Sixties folk revival. Together, the three…
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1943
American businessman, co-founded the Oracle Corporation
Lawrence Joseph Ellison is an American businessman. He co-founded the software company Oracle Corporation, and was its CEO from 1977 to 2014. He now serves as its CTO and executive chairman. According to Forbes, as of…
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1944
1944
American author, poet, and educator (died 2023)
Rachel Grace Pollack was an American science fiction author, comic book writer, and expert on divinatory tarot.
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1945
South African golfer
Hugh John Baiocchi is a South African professional golfer who has won more than 20 professional tournaments around the world.
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1946
American director, producer, and screenwriter
Martha Coolidge is an American film director and former President of the Directors Guild of America. She has directed such films as Valley Girl, Real Genius and Rambling Rose.
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1946
Trinidadian-Tobagonian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (died 2016)
Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning was a Trinidadian politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago twice from 1991 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2010. A geologist by training, Manning served…
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1946
Sahrawi politician, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (died 2016)
Mohamed Abdelaziz ben Khalili ben Mohamed al-Bachir Er-Rguibi was the 3rd Secretary General of the Polisario Front, from 1976, and the President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic from 1982, until his death in 2016.
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1947
American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and author
Gary Talley is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and author. He began his career as lead guitarist for the Grammy-nominated group The Box Tops who were famous for hits like "The Letter", and "Cry Like a Baby".
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1947
Russian-English cellist and conductor (died 2014)
Alexander Vasilievich Ivashkin, was a Russian cellist, writer, academic and conductor. He was a professor of music and the Chair of Performance Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London since 1999, the director of the…
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1948
American lawyer and politician, 52nd Mayor of St. Paul
Norman Bertram Coleman Jr. is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a United States senator for Minnesota. From 1994 to 2002, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. First…
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1949
American fiddler and composer (died 2013)
Sue Draheim was an American fiddler, boasting a more than forty year musical career in the US and the UK. Growing up in North Oakland, Draheim began her first private violin lessons at age eleven, having started public…
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1949
English actor, director, screenwriter, and politician
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, known professionally as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, writer, producer, film director, and Conservative peer. He has received…
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1949
American rock drummer (died 2017)
John Thomas "Sib" Hashian was an American musician, best known as a drummer for the rock band Boston.
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1949
Welsh musician, poet and television producer (died 2025)
Geraint Jarman was a Welsh musician, poet and television producer whose career dates back to the early years of Welsh popular music. He recorded many albums as a solo artist and with his band Geraint Jarman a'r…
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1950
American Muppet performer (died 1992)
Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer, best known as a Muppet performer on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and other projects for The Jim Henson Company. His roles on The Muppet Show included Scooter,…
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1951
Canadian actor
Robert Joy is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as medical examiner Sid Hammerback on the police procedural series CSI: NY, and his appearances in the films Atlantic City (1980), Ragtime (1981),…
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1951
Russian footballer and coach (died 2012)
Aleksandr Ivanovich Maksimenkov was a Soviet and Russian football player and coach.
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1952
Brazilian race car driver and businessman
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior is a Brazilian former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from 1978 to 1991. Piquet won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in 1981, 1983,…
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1952
German engineer and businessman
Mario Albert Theissen is the former BMW Motorsport Director and was team principal of BMW Sauber, the company's Formula One team from 2005 until 2009, when BMW sold the team back to Peter Sauber.
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1952
Australian footballer and coach
Michael Raymond Malthouse is a former Australian rules footballer and coach, who played for the St Kilda Football Club and Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
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1953
Romanian-German poet and author, Nobel Prize laureate
Herta Müller is a Romanian-German novelist, poet, essayist and recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature. She was born in Nițchidorf, Timiș County in Romania; her native languages are German and Romanian. Since…
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1953
Indonesian author, poet, and critic (died 2015)
Korrie Layun Rampan was an Indonesian novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic, journalist, and politician.
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1953
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Kevin Rowland is a British singer and musician best known as the frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners. The band had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen", both…
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1953
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist, vocalist and composer. His 1990 album Ah Via Musicom was certified platinum by the RIAA, and the single "Cliffs of Dover" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental…
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1954
Colombian lawyer and politician, 38th President of Colombia
Andrés Pastrana Arango is a Colombian politician who was President of Colombia from 1998 to 2002, following in the footsteps of his father, Misael Pastrana Borrero, who was president from 1970 to 1974.
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1954
English singer-songwriter and bassist
Colin Ivor Moulding is an English bassist, singer, and songwriter who was one of the core members of the rock band XTC. Moulding wrote their first three charting UK singles: "Life Begins at the Hop" (1979), "Making…
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1955
American businessman, co-founded BermanBraun
Gail Berman is an American producer and television executive. She is co-owner and founding partner of The Jackal Group, a production entity formed in partnership with Fox Networks Group. The Jackal Group develops and…
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1956
Spanish cyclist
Álvaro Pino Couñago is a former professional road racing cyclist from Galicia who raced between 1981 through 1991 and is most famous for winning the overall title at the 1986 Vuelta a España over favorites Robert Millar…
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1956
American director and screenwriter
Kenneth William Kwapis is an American film and television director, screenwriter, and author. He specialized in single-camera sitcoms in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as Sesame Street Presents:…
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1957
American poet, author, and actor
Laurence Overmire is an American poet, author, actor, educator, genealogist, peace activist, civil rights, human rights, and animal rights advocate and environmentalist.
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1957
British competitive figure skater
Robin John Cousins is a British former competitive figure skater who was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1980. He was the 1980 Olympic champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist (1978–1980)…
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1957
American singer-songwriter
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer and songwriter. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of The Go-Go's, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.
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1958
Scottish banker and accountant
Frederick Anderson Goodwin FRSE FCIBS is a Scottish chartered accountant and former banker who was chief executive officer (CEO) of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) between 2001 and 2009.
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1958
Brazilian race car driver
Maurizio Sandro Sala is a Brazilian former racing driver. He drove in multiple classes of racing in a career lasting from 1978 to 2004.
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1958
American novelist and essayist
Jonathan Earl Franzen is an American novelist and essayist. His 2001 novel The Corrections drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist, earned a…
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1959
Polish footballer
Jacek Kazimierski is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1959
American journalist and author
Eric Matthew Schlosser is an American journalist and food writer. He is known for his books Fast Food Nation (2001), Reefer Madness (2003), and Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the…
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1959
American cult leader (died 1993)
David Koresh was an American cult leader and preacher who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect, Koresh claimed to be its final prophet. His apocalyptic…
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1959
Swiss singer-songwriter
Stephan Eicher is a Swiss singer. He sings in a variety of languages, including French, German, English, Italian, Swiss German and Romansh, sometimes using different languages in the same song.
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1960
1960
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Gilbert J. Clarke is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is known for having a three-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use…
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1962
American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
Daniel John Dakich is an American basketball sportscaster. He is a former player, assistant coach, interim head coach for the Indiana University Hoosiers, former head coach at Bowling Green State University and a member…
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1962
American football player, coach, and sportscaster
Jon David Gruden is an American former football coach and media personality, currently employed by Barstool Sports.
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1963
American politician (died 2022)
Jacqueline Renae Walorski was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Indiana's 2nd congressional district from 2013 until her death in 2022. She was a member of the Republican Party. Walorski…
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1963
Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Colin James is a Canadian blues rock singer and songwriter. James has been very successful in Canada, having attained seven Gold-certified albums in Canada during his career, including four Platinum albums and two…
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1964
American singer-songwriter
Maria Luisa McKee is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song "Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress " from the soundtrack of the film Pulp Fiction.
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1964
English footballer and manager
David Mark Penney is an English football manager and former player. Born in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, Penney entered professional football at the relatively late age of 21. He had been working as a bricklayer…
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1964
American drummer
Steve Gorman is an American musician and radio host. He is best known as the former drummer of the American rock and roll band The Black Crowes. He spent time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics. He also…
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1965
American golfer
Dottie Pepper is an American professional golfer and television golf broadcaster. From 1988 to 1995 she competed as Dottie Mochrie, which was her married name before a divorce. She won two major championships and 17…
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1965
1966
American skateboarder and stuntman
John Rodney Mullen is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. He is considered one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. Mullen is credited for…
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1966
Canadian ice hockey player and manager
Donald Clarke Sweeney is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played over 1,100 games in the National Hockey League (NHL), mostly with the Boston Bruins. He ranks among the top ten in many Bruins team statistics,…
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1966
American actor
David Conrad is an American actor. From 2005 to 2010, he starred in the television series Ghost Whisperer alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt.
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1967
German footballer and manager
Michael Preetz is a German former professional footballer who played as a forward. He spent his whole career in Germany, playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf, 1. FC Saarbrücken, MSV Duisburg and SG Wattenscheid 09, but he is…
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1967
Ukrainian singer-songwriter (died 2015)
Andriy Viktorovych "Kuzma" Kuzmenko was a Ukrainian singer, poet, writer, TV presenter, producer and actor. He was best known as the lead singer of the Ukrainian rock band Skryabin, founded in 1989.
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1968
American football player and sportscaster
Edward Thomas McCaffrey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos.…
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1968
English actress (died 2021)
Helen Elizabeth McCrory was an English actress. After studying at the Drama Centre London, she made her professional stage debut in The Importance of Being Earnest in 1990. Other theatre roles include playing Lady…
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1968
American basketball player and coach
Christian Donald Laettner is an American former professional basketball player. His college career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)…
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1969
American rapper, songwriter and producer
Kelvin Mercer, also known by his stage name Posdnuos, Plug 1 and occasionally Pos, is an American rapper and record producer from East Massapequa, New York, best known for his work as one third of the hip hop trio De La…
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1969
American singer-songwriter, actor and producer
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. is an American singer, actor, and producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. He has starred in the TV drama series Blue Bloods as NYPD Detective Danny Reagan and…
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1969
American tennis player and sportscaster
James Spencer Courier is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 58 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 in…
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1970
Estonian author
Andrus Kivirähk is an Estonian writer, a playwright, topical satirist, and screenwriter. As of 2004, 25,000 copies of his novel Rehepapp ehk November had been sold, making him the most popular 21st-century Estonian…
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1970
Norwegian footballer and coach
Øyvind Leonhardsen is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He retired after the 2007 season, ending a career with nine years in English football at clubs Wimbledon, Liverpool, Tottenham…
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1970
South Korean singer and actress
Uhm Jung-hwa is a South Korean singer, actress and dancer. Uhm is considered to be one of the most influential women in the Korean entertainment industry, finding success in both music and film. Her legacy and career…
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1971
Puerto Rican-American baseball player
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs,…
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1971
Australian footballer and coach
Shaun Jason Rehn is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club and the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
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1971
Bangladeshi cricketer
Qazi Habibul Bashar is a retired Bangladeshi cricketer and the former captain of the Bangladesh cricket team. Under the managership of Dav Whatmore, he has been found to be the most successful captain to lead the…
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1972
Italian-American journalist and television personality
Giuliana Rancic is an American entertainment reporter and television personality. She is a former co-anchor of E! News and resides in Chicago and Los Angeles.
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1974
Austrian composer
Johannes Maria Staud is an Austrian composer. His works have been performed internationally by major orchestras, ensembles, and soloists, and he has received several composition prizes.
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1974
Canadian ice hockey player
Eric Boulton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. Boulton was drafted 234th overall in the ninth round of the 1994 draft by the New York Rangers. While he never played for the Rangers, he played for…
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1976
Dutch journalist and director
Geertjan Lassche is a Dutch reporter and documentary film maker.
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1976
Ukrainian footballer and manager (died 2014)
Serhiy Volodymyrovych Zakarlyuka was a Ukrainian footballer and football manager.
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1976
Australian race walker
Nathan Deakes is an Australian former race walker. Deakes trained with the Australian Institute of Sport under Ronald Weigel and Craig Hilliard.
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1977
French footballer
William Eric Gallas is a French football coach and former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played most of his footballing career in France and England before finishing his career in Australia with…
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1977
French footballer
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster, and former player. One of the greatest players of all time, he is widely regarded as the greatest player in Premier League…
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1977
Welsh guitarist
Michael Richard Lewis is a Welsh musician. He is best known as the former rhythm guitarist for the alternative rock band Lostprophets.
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1977
Finnish singer-songwriter and producer
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen-Cabuli, known professionally as Tarja Turunen or simply Tarja, is a Finnish heavy metal singer best known as the former lead vocalist of the symphonic metal band Nightwish.
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1977
American football player and journalist
Antwaan Randle El is an American professional football coach and former player who currently serves as the wide receivers coach and assistant head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He…
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1979
Austrian politician
Nicole Sunitsch is an Austrian politician of the Freedom Party serving as a member of the National Council since 2024. She has been a city councillor of Sankt Michael in Obersteiermark since 2020.
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1979
Zimbabwean cricketer
Keith Mbusi Dabengwa is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He was appointed head coach of the Denmark national cricket team in October 2021.
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1980
Spanish footballer
Daniel González Güiza is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Primera Andaluza club Jerez Industrial.
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1980
Dutch footballer
Jan Kromkamp is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He manages CSV Apeldoorn.
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1980
Norwegian singer-songwriter
Lene Marlin Pedersen is a Norwegian musician, singer and songwriter.
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1980
English footballer
Philip Nikodem Jagielka is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is primarily known for his lengthy tenures at Sheffield United and Everton.
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1982
American wrestler and manager
Melissa Anderson is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Cheerleader Melissa. She is best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where she worked as Alissa Flash and Raisha…
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1982
American actor and musician (died 2018)
Mark Wayne Salling was an American actor and musician known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the television series Glee.
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1982
American baseball player
Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the Boston Red Sox, from 2006 to 2019. He was a four-time All-Star, and won the…
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1983
1984
Russian ice dancer
Oksana Alexandrovna Domnina is a Russian former competitive ice dancer. She and partner Maxim Shabalin are the 2010 Olympic bronze medalists, the 2009 World Champions, the 2008 & 2010 European Champions, the 2007 Grand…
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1984
British sprint canoeist
Liam Heath is a British sprint canoeist. He is the most successful British canoeist at the Olympics with a total of four medals; he won a gold medal in the individual 200m kayak sprint event at the 2016 Summer Olympics…
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1984
American football player
Garrett Wolfe is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played his…
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1984
1985
1986
American basketball player
Tyrus Wayne Thomas is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU) before being drafted fourth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2006…
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1986
American actor and director
Brady James Monson Corbet is an American filmmaker and actor. He had roles in films such as Thirteen (2003), Mysterious Skin (2004), Funny Games (2007), Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011), Melancholia (2011), and Clouds of…
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1988
Kuwaiti-British member of ISIS (died 2015)
Mohammed Emwazi , commonly referred to as Jihadi John, was a British militant of Kuwaiti origin seen in several videos produced by the Islamist extremist group Islamic State (IS) showing the beheadings of a number of…
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1988
American rapper
Gary Maurice "Joyner" Lucas Jr. is an American rapper. Lucas first gained exposure online with his 2015 single "Ross Capicchioni". After three self-released projects, he signed with Atlantic Records to release his…
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1988
Norwegian singer-songwriter
Natalie Sandtorv is a Norwegian jazz musician married July 29, 2016, to drummer Ole Mofjell, residing in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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1988
1988
1989
Scottish footballer
Rachel Louise Corsie is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a defender.
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1989
English actress
Rachel Hurd-Wood is an English actress. She is known for her performances in the fantasy adventure film Peter Pan (2003), the supernatural horror film An American Haunting (2005), the thriller film Perfume: The Story of…
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1990
American actor
Austin Robert Butler is an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he has received a British Academy Film Award and Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, two Critics'…
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1991
English wrestler
Saraya-Jade Bevis is an English professional wrestler. As of April 2026, she is signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Paige, and is one-half of the current WWE Women's Tag Team…
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1992
New Zealand-Australian rugby player (died 2013)
Alex Elisala was a Samoa international rugby league footballer who was contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys at the time of his death. He primarily played as a hooker.
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1992
Australian rugby league player
Chanel Mata'utia-Leifi ( MAH-tə-oo-TEE-ə is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He plays for the Cessnock Goannas in the Newcastle Rugby League. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights in…
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1992
Israeli marathon runner
Maru Abinet Teferi, also known as Teferi Marhu, is an Israeli marathon and half marathon runner, and an Olympian. He won a silver medal in men's marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, a silver medal in…
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1992
Brazilian footballer
Ederson Santana de Moraes, simply known as Ederson, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the Brazil national team.
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1993
Swedish swimmer
Sarah Fredrika Sjöström is a Swedish competitive swimmer specialising in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events. She is one of the most decorated swimmers of all time.
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1993
Chinese athlete
Xie Zhenye is a Chinese sprinter. He is the current Asian record holder of the 200 metres with a time of 19.88 seconds. In 2018, Xie ran a personal best of 9.97 seconds in the 100 metres, making him the second Chinese…
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1993
American singer/songwriter
Phoebe Lucille Bridgers is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four…
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1994
American football player
Jonathan Jackson Conklin is an American professional football offensive tackle. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans and was selected by the Tennessee Titans eighth overall in the 2016 NFL draft.…
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1994
American actress
Taissa Farmiga is an American actress. Her numerous appearances in horror films have established her as a scream queen, alongside her older sister Vera Farmiga.
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1994
American figure skater
Grace Elizabeth Gold is an American figure skater. She is a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event, a six-time Grand Prix medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. She placed 4th at the 2014 Winter…
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1995
New Zealand rugby league player
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or fullback for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL) and New Zealand at international level.
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1995
Canadian ice hockey player
Jacob Virtanen is a Finnish-Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for HK Dukla Michalovce of the Slovak Extraliga. Virtanen was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks sixth overall in the 2014 NHL entry…
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1996
Japanese baseball player
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes, where he…
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1998
2000
2003
Australian rapper and songwriter
Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, known professionally as the Kid Laroi, is an Australian singer, rapper, and songwriter. He was signed with American rapper Lil Bibby's Grade A Productions, in a joint venture with…
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2003
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Famous birthdays
Who was born on August 17?
Guillermo Vilas — Argentine tennis player
FeaturedGuillermo Vilas
Birth year1952
Known forHe was the world No
Birthdays on this date218 (1153 – 2003)
Explore August 17
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on August 17 in History
2019
A bomb explodes at a wedding in Kabul killing 63 people and leaving 182 injured. Wikipedia →
2017
Barcelona attacks: A van is driven into pedestrians in La Rambla, killing 14 and injuring at least 100. Wikipedia →
2015
See all events on August 17
A bomb explodes near the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least 19 people and injuring 123 others. Wikipedia →
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