Did you know
During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships and was the world-record holder in the mile, 5000 meters and 10,000 meters
Famous Birthdays on August 4
205 people
1222 – 1998
August 4 has seen 205 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1222 – 1998. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1958 — Mary Decker
American runner
Did you know
In total, she set 17 official and unofficial world records, and she was the first woman to break 4:20 for the mile
Did you know
record in the 2000 meters and 3000 meters since the early 1980s, while her 1500 meters record stood for 32 years and her mile record stood for 38 years
Did you know
In 2003, she was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame
Did you know
She was retroactively banned for two years from June 1996 for a doping violation for a high testosterone to epitestosterone ratio.
6th Earl of Gloucester, English soldier (died 1262)
Richard de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford, 6th Earl of Gloucester, 2nd Lord of Glamorgan, 8th Lord of Clare was the son of Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford, and Isabel Marshal. He was also a powerful Marcher Lord in…
Read More
1222
Emperor Wuzong of Yuan (died 1311)
Külüg Khan, born Khayishan, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Wuzong of Yuan, was an emperor of the Yuan dynasty of China. Apart from being the Emperor of China, he is regarded as the seventh Great Khan of…
Read More
1281
1290
Florentine patron of the arts (died 1503)
Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, nicknamed the Popolano, was an Italian banker and politician, the brother of Giovanni il Popolano. He belonged to the junior branch of the House of Medici of Florence.
Read More
1463
Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (died 1528)
Margarete of Saxony was a Saxon princess of the Ernestine line of the house Wettin by birth and by marriage a Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
Read More
1469
Italian cardinal (died 1520)
Bernardo Dovizi of Bibbiena was an Italian cardinal and comedy writer, known best as Cardinal Bibbiena, for the town of Bibbiena, where he was born.
Read More
1470
Italian noblewoman (died 1553)
Lucrezia Maria Romola de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman, the eldest daughter of Lorenzo de' Medici and Clarice Orsini and mother of Maria Salviati and Giovanni Salviati. Her portrait was considered as the baby Jesus…
Read More
1470
Pope Urban VII, born Giovanni Battista Castagna, was head of the Catholic Church, and ruler of the Papal States from 15 to 27 September 1590. His papacy was the shortest recognized in history.
Read More
1521
King of Mewar (died 1572)
Udai Singh II was the 12th Maharana of the Kingdom of Mewar from 1540 until his death in 1572. He was also the founder of the city of Udaipur in the present-day state of Rajasthan, India. He was the fourth son of Rana…
Read More
1522
abbé d'Aubignac, French cleric and author (died 1676)
François Hédelin, abbé d'Aubignac was a French author and cleric. He was a grandson of the surgeon Ambroise Paré. D'Aubignac worked as a lawyer in his early life, but he then joined the clergy. He was appointed as a…
Read More
1604
Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (1641–1680) and Hanau-Münzenberg (1642–1680) (died 1685)
Friedrich Casimir of Hanau was a member of the Hanau-Lichtenberg branch of the House of Hanau.
Read More
1623
Scottish historian and scholar (died 1757)
Thomas Blackwell the younger was a classical scholar, historian and "one of the major figures in the Scottish Enlightenment."
Read More
1701
Duke of Orléans (died 1752)
Louis, Duke of Orléans was a member of the House of Orléans, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, and as such was a prince du sang. At his father's death, he became the First Prince of the Blood and Duke of Orléans.…
Read More
1704
German mineralogist and geologist (died 1767)
Johann Gottlob Lehmann was a German mineralogist and geologist noted for his work and research contributions to the geologic record leading to the development of stratigraphy.
Read More
1719
1st Marquess of Stafford, English politician, Lord President of the Council (died 1803)
Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, KG PC, known as Viscount Trentham from 1746 to 1754 and as The Earl Gower from 1754 to 1786, was a British Whig politician from the Leveson-Gower family. Sitting in the…
Read More
1721
French soldier, painter, balloonist, and inventor (died 1805)
Nicolas-Jacques Conté was a French inventor of the modern pencil.
Read More
1755
English poet and playwright (died 1822)
Percy Bysshe Shelley was an English writer who is considered one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his…
Read More
1792
Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician (died 1865)
Sir William Rowan Hamilton was an Irish mathematician, physicist, and astronomer who made numerous major contributions to algebra, classical mechanics, and optics. His theoretical works and mathematical equations are…
Read More
1805
French fashion designer, founded Louis Vuitton (died 1892)
Louis Vuitton was a French malletier and businessman. He was the founder of the Louis Vuitton brand of leather goods now owned by LVMH. Prior to this, he had been appointed as trunk-maker to Eugénie de Montijo, wife of…
Read More
1821
American religious leader, co-founded the Seventh-day Adventist Church (died 1881)
James Springer White, also known as Elder White, was a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the husband of Ellen G. White. In 1849, he started the first Sabbatarian Adventist periodical entitled The…
Read More
1821
1834
Danish architect (died 1907)
Jens Vilhelm Dahlerup was a Danish architect who specialized in the Historicist style. One of the most productive and noted Danish architects of the 19th century, he is behind many of the most known buildings and…
Read More
1836
English author, critic, and academic (died 1894)
Walter Horatio Pater was an English essayist, art and literary critic, and fiction writer, regarded as one of the great stylists. His first and most often reprinted book, Studies in the History of the Renaissance…
Read More
1839
German composer and bandleader (died 1929)
Henry or Henri Berger was a Prussian Kapellmeister, composer and royal bandmaster of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi from 1872 to 1915.
Read More
1844
American painter, etcher, and academic (died 1902)
John Henry Twachtman was an American painter best known for his impressionist landscapes, though his painting style varied widely through his career. Art historians consider Twachtman's style of American Impressionism…
Read More
1853
Norwegian novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1952)
Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, perspective and environment. He…
Read More
1859
16th president of Liberia (died 1935)
Daniel Edward Howard was the 16th president of Liberia, serving from 1912 to 1920.
Read More
1861
American baseball player and coach (died 1918)
Jacob Peter Beckley, nicknamed "Eagle Eye", was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Pittsburgh Burghers, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York…
Read More
1867
Indian philosopher, yogi and guru (died 1922)
Canchupati Venkatarao Venkaswami Rao(4 August 1868 – 12 May 1922), referred as Master C.V.V. in his own handwritten original writings, was an Indian philosopher, yogi, and guru. Master C.V.V. served as the Chairman of…
Read More
1868
Scottish actor and singer (died 1950)
Sir Harry Lauder was a Scottish singer, comedian and actor. Popular in both music hall and vaudeville theatre traditions; he achieved international success.
Read More
1870
English-Australian politician, 19th Premier of New South Wales (died 1934)
William Arthur Holman was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 1913 to 1920. He came to office as the leader of the Labor Party, but was expelled from the party in the split of 1916. He…
Read More
1871
Italian lawyer and politician (died 1970)
Giovanni Giuriati was an Italian fascist politician.
Read More
1876
Australian politician, 10th Premier of Western Australia (died 1934)
John Scaddan, CMG, popularly known as "Happy Jack", was Premier of Western Australia from 7 October 1911 until 27 July 1916.
Read More
1876
English artist (died 1970)
Dame Laura Knight was an English artist who worked in oils, watercolours, etching, engraving and drypoint. Knight was a painter in the figurative, realist tradition, who embraced English Impressionism. In her long…
Read More
1877
Hungarian poet and critic (died 1949)
Béla Balázs, born Herbert Béla Bauer, was a Hungarian film critic, aesthetician, writer and poet of Jewish heritage. He was a proponent of formalist film theory.
Read More
1884
French cyclist (died 1941)
Henri Cornet was a French cyclist who won the 1904 Tour de France. He is its youngest winner, just short of his 20th birthday.
Read More
1884
Ukrainian-American businessman and philanthropist (died 1967)
Albert Monroe Greenfield was a real estate broker and developer who built his company into a vast East Coast network of department stores, banks, finance companies, hotels, newspapers, transportation companies, and the…
Read More
1887
Indian religious leader, 51st Da'i al-Mutlaq (died 1965)
Syedna Taher Saifuddin, also known as Taher Saifuddin, was the 51st and longest serving Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras. Saifuddin adapted the modernisation in Western and European ideas, and established its…
Read More
1888
Cuban baseball player and manager (died 1957)
Adolfo Domingo De Guzmán Luque was a Cuban starting pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1914 to 1935. He spent 12 seasons of his career (1918–1929) with the Cincinnati Reds. Luque was not only the first Latin…
Read More
1890
German historian and curator (died 1973)
Fritz Gause was a German historian, archivist, and curator described as the last great historian of his native city, Königsberg, East Prussia. Gause's most important work was his three-volume history of Königsberg, Die…
Read More
1893
Italian race car driver and engineer (died 1975)
Ernesto Maserati was an Italian automotive engineer and racer, with Maserati of Modena since its inception in Bologna on 14 December 1914, together with his brothers Alfieri Maserati (leader), Ettore Maserati, Bindo…
Read More
1898
American religious leader, 13th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (died 1994)
Ezra Taft Benson was an American farmer, government official, and religious leader who served as the 15th United States Secretary of Agriculture during both presidential terms of Dwight D. Eisenhower and as the 13th…
Read More
1899
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was also the last Empress…
Read More
1900
American trumpet player and singer (died 1971)
Louis Daniel Armstrong, nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American jazz and blues trumpeter and vocalist. Among the most influential figures in jazz, his career spanned five decades and several eras in…
Read More
1901
American baseball player (died 1981)
William Anthony Hallahan was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the 1920s and 1930s. Nicknamed "Wild Bill" because of his lack of control on the mound—he twice led the National League in…
Read More
1902
Polish author and playwright (died 1969)
Witold Marian Gombrowicz was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937, he published his first…
Read More
1904
1st President of Zanzibar (died 1972)
Abeid Amani Karume was a Tanzanian politician and statesman who served as the first president of Zanzibar and vice-president of Tanzania from 1964 until his assassination in 1972.
Read More
1905
German zoologist, director, and producer (died 1973)
Eugen Schuhmacher was a German zoologist and pioneer of animal documentaries. Besides Bernhard Grzimek and Heinz Sielmann he belongs to the German wildlife documentary filmmakers with an international reputation.
Read More
1906
1908
American runner and academic (died 1988)
Glenn Vernice Cunningham was an American middle-distance runner, and was considered the greatest American miler of all time. He received the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States in…
Read More
1909
American actress (died 2008)
Anita Page was an American film actress who reached stardom in the final years of the silent film era.
Read More
1910
American composer and educator (died 1992)
William Howard Schuman was an American composer and arts administrator.
Read More
1910
Romanian-American painter and photographer (died 2011)
Hedda Sterne was a Romanian-born American artist who was an active member of the New York School of painters. Her work is often associated with Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism. She was also the only woman to…
Read More
1910
Russian mathematician, physicist, and mountaineer (died 1999)
Aleksandr Danilovich Aleksandrov was a Soviet and Russian mathematician, physicist, philosopher and mountaineer.
Read More
1912
American composer and educator (died 2004)
David Raksin was an American composer noted for his work in film and television. Raksin had more than 100 film scores and 300 television scores to his credit. Some sources called him the "Grandfather of Film Music".
Read More
1912
Swedish architect and diplomat, savior of thousands of Jews from The Holocaust (died ~1947)
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian. He saved thousands of Jews in German-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust from German Nazis and Hungarian fascists during the later…
Read More
1912
American actor (died 1996)
Robert Wesley Addy was an American actor of stage, television, and film.
Read More
1913
American poet and educator (died 1980)
Robert Hayden was an American poet, essayist, and educator. He served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1976 to 1978, a role today known as US Poet Laureate. He was the first African-American…
Read More
1913
American businessman, founded Avis Rent a Car System (died 2007)
Warren Edward Avis was an American entrepreneur who founded Avis Car Rentals in 1946.
Read More
1915
American race car driver and engineer (died 2012)
John Cooper Fitch was an American racing driver and inventor. He was the first American to race automobiles successfully in Europe in the post-war era.
Read More
1917
Australian-English historian and journalist (died 2012)
Brian Rossiter Crozier was a British historian, propagandist and journalist. He was also one of the central staff members of a secret propaganda department belonging to the UK Foreign Office, known as the Information…
Read More
1918
French novelist, playwright, and critic (died 2016)
Michel Déon was a French novelist and literary columnist. He published over 50 works and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Prix Interallié for his 1970 novel, Les Poneys sauvages. Déon's 1973 novel Un…
Read More
1919
American journalist and author (died 2013)
Helen Amelia Thomas was an American reporter and author, and a long-serving member of the White House press corps. She covered the White House during the administrations of ten U.S. presidents—from the beginning of the…
Read More
1920
American guitarist (died 2010)
Mitchell Herbert Ellis was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson.
Read More
1921
Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 2000)
Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens. He was the first player in NHL history to score…
Read More
1921
American librarian (died 2006)
Mayme Agnew Clayton was a librarian, and the founder, president, and leader of the Western States Black Research and Education Center (WSBREC), the largest privately held collection of African-American historical…
Read More
1922
Puerto Rican cardinal (died 2012)
Luis Aponte Martínez was a Puerto Rican Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of San Juan from 1965 to 1999. He is the only Puerto Rican to have been named a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He participated as an…
Read More
1922
American physicist, biologist, and mountaineer (died 2000)
George Irving Bell was an American physicist, biologist, and mountaineer, and a grandson of John Joseph Seerley. He died in 2000 from complications of leukemia after surgery.
Read More
1926
American football player and coach (died 2014)
Perry Lee Moss was an American professional football player, coach, and executive. Moss played tailback at the University of Tulsa and quarterback at Illinois during the 1940s. As a Tulsa tailback, he was on the Orange…
Read More
1926
American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2008)
Gerardo Rocco "Gerard" Damiano was an American director of adult films.
Read More
1928
Serbian composer
Nadežda Mosusova (Nadezda) is a Serbian composer and musicologist. She was born in Subotica, Serbia, and studied composition with Predrag Milosevic at the Belgrade Academy of Music. She continued her studies at the…
Read More
1928
American businessman and politician (died 2024)
Clarke Thomas Reed Sr. was an American businessman and politician. He served as Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party from 1966 to 1976. Prior to his political career, Reed was an agricultural businessman and a…
Read More
1928
Indian singer-songwriter and actor (died 1987)
Kishore Kumar was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. Kumar was one of the most popular…
Read More
1929
Mridangam artiste from Tamil Nadu, India (died 2012)
Vellore G. Ramabhadran was a Mridangam artiste from Tamil Nadu, India. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2004.
Read More
1929
Iranian-Iraqi cleric and scholar
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani is an Islamic scholar and the dean of the Hawza in Najaf, Iraq. A Grand Ayatollah, Sistani is considered one of the leading religious leaders of Twelver Shia Muslims. After the invasion of Iraq…
Read More
1930
Indian cricketer (died 2002)
Narendra Shankar Tamhane was an Indian cricketer who played in 21 Test matches from 1955 to 1960. He was a wicket-keeper-batsman.
Read More
1931
American computer scientist and academic (died 2020)
Frances Elizabeth Allen was an American computer scientist and pioneer in the field of optimizing compilers. Allen was the first woman to become an IBM Fellow, and in 2006 became the first woman to win the Turing Award.…
Read More
1932
Chinese environmentalist, founded Friends of Nature (died 2010)
Liang Congjie was a Chinese historian best known for his work as an environmental activist who established the Friends of Nature in 1994 as the first environmental non-governmental organization to be officially…
Read More
1932
American baseball player and manager (died 2017)
George Dallas Green was an American professional baseball pitcher, manager, scout and executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played big league baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Senators and New…
Read More
1934
American actress and producer (died 2020)
Carol Arthur DeLuise, known professionally as Carol Arthur, was an American actress, mainly recognizable in supporting roles in films directed by Mel Brooks.
Read More
1935
German footballer and coach (died 1997)
Hans-Walter Eigenbrodt was a German football player. The defender won with Eintracht Frankfurt the German championship in 1959 and reached with the club the legendary 1960 European Cup Final against Real Madrid.
Read More
1935
Irish farmer and politician, 25th Minister of Defence for Ireland (died 2013)
Michael Joseph Noonan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as Minister for Defence from 1987 until 1989.
Read More
1935
1936
English keyboard player, composer, and conductor (died 2011)
David Vickerman Bedford was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music. He was the brother of the conductor Steuart Bedford, the grandson of the composer, painter and author…
Read More
1937
American historian and academic
Ellen Wolf Schrecker is an American professor emerita of American history at Yeshiva University. She has received the Frederick Ewen Academic Freedom Fellowship at the Tamiment Library at New York University. She is…
Read More
1938
Baron Cunningham of Felling, English politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office
John Anderson Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, is a British politician who was a Labour Member of Parliament for over 30 years, serving for Whitehaven from 1970 to 1983 and then Copeland until the 2005 general…
Read More
1939
American R&B/rock and roll singer (died 2015)
Frankie Ford was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer, best known for his 1959 hit "Sea Cruise".
Read More
1939
Uruguayan composer and musicologist (died 2017)
Coriún Aharonián was an Uruguayan composer and musicologist of Armenian ethnicity.
Read More
1940
Scottish academic and politician
Robin Charles Moreton Harper, is a Scottish politician, who was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothians region (1999–2011).
Read More
1940
American bass player and pianist (died 2009)
Lawrence William Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles–based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon &…
Read More
1940
English economist and academic
Frances Julia Stewart is professor emeritus of development economics and director of the Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), University of Oxford. A pre-eminent development…
Read More
1940
1940
English actor
Martin Jarvis OBE is an English actor. Described by the BBC as "one of Britain's most distinguished and versatile actors", he has had a varied career in theatre, film and television, and is particularly noted for radio…
Read More
1941
English footballer
Andrew Thomas Smillie is an English former professional footballer who played as an inside forward.
Read More
1941
American musician (died 2008)
Clifford James Nobles was an American soul singer, who is best known for his instrumental hit, "The Horse".
Read More
1941
American psychologist and politician, 68th Governor of Ohio
Theodore Strickland is an American politician who served as the 68th governor of Ohio from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing…
Read More
1941
American actor (died 2008)
Donald Sinclair Davis was an American actor best known for playing General George Hammond in the television series Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007), and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on the television series Twin…
Read More
1942
American baseball player
Cleon Joseph Jones is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder. Jones played most of his career for the New York Mets and in 1969 caught the final out of the…
Read More
1942
New Zealand lawyer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 2005)
David Russell Lange was a New Zealand politician who served as the 32nd prime minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. A member of the New Zealand Labour Party, Lange was also the minister of Education and the…
Read More
1942
Spanish politician, 6th President of the Principality of Asturias (died 2019)
Vicente Alberto Álvarez Areces, also known as Tini Areces, was a Spanish politician. He served as the sixth President of the Principality of Asturias in Spain, and he was a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party…
Read More
1943
German politician, lawyer and civil law notary
Barbara Saß-Viehweger is a German civil law notary, lawyer, and politician. She is member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
Read More
1943
1943
American actor (died 2023)
Richard Jay Belzer was an American actor, comedian, and author. He was best known for his role as BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/sergeant and investigator John Munch, whom he portrayed for 23 years in the NBC police…
Read More
1944
Senegalese lawyer and politician
Doudou Ndoye is a Senegalese lawyer and politician who served in the government of Senegal as Minister of Justice from 1983 to 1986. He is the Secretary-General of the Union for the Republic (UPR), a political party he…
Read More
1944
American painter and sculptor
Paul McCarthy is an American artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
Read More
1945
American engineer and businessman
Alan Roger Mulally is an American aerospace engineer and manufacturing executive. He was passed over as CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and left to become the president and chief executive officer of the Ford Motor…
Read More
1945
Estonian zoologist and ethologist
Aleksei Turovski is an Estonian zoologist and ethologist, specialising in parasitology and zoosemiotics. In 1973, he graduated from Tartu University with a degree in zoology; since 1972 he's been working in the Tallinn…
Read More
1946
German keyboard player and songwriter (died 2022)
Klaus Schulze was a German electronic music pioneer, composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried and was a member of the Krautrock bands Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, and the Cosmic Jokers before…
Read More
1947
American baseball player and coach
John Maywood Grubb, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter, who also occasionally played at first base. He played with the San Diego Padres (1972–1976), Cleveland Indians…
Read More
1948
American football player, sportscaster, and actor
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former professional football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He played college…
Read More
1949
American basketball player and coach (died 2014)
Caldwell "Pops" Jones Jr. was an American professional basketball player.
Read More
1950
Indian lawyer and politician, 9th Chief Minister of Puducherry
Natesan Krishnasamy Gounder Rangaswamy is an Indian politician who is serving as the Chief Minister of Puducherry since May 2021. He has previously served as the chief minister from 2001 to 2008 and from 2011 to 2016.…
Read More
1950
English geneticist and academic
Peter Neville Goodfellow is a British geneticist best known for his work on sex determination and the SRY gene that encodes testis determining factor. He was Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics at the University of…
Read More
1951
English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
James Norwich Arbuthnot, Baron Arbuthnot of Edrom,, is a British Conservative Party politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Wanstead and Woodford from 1987 to 1997, and then MP for North East Hampshire from…
Read More
1952
Irish singer-songwriter and harp player (died 2026)
Moya Brennan, also known as Máire Brennan, was an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist and philanthropist. She began performing professionally in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad. Brennan released her…
Read More
1952
Hungarian sociologist, lawyer, and politician
Gábor Demszky is a Hungarian politician, lawyer and sociologist by qualification. Demszky was the Mayor of Budapest from 1990 to 2010. He was a founding member of the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) between 1988 and…
Read More
1952
Japanese footballer and manager
Hiroyuki Usui is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team. His son Kempei Usui is also a footballer.
Read More
1953
Ukrainian engineer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Ukraine
Anatoliy Kyrylovych Kinakh is a Ukrainian politician and honorary professor at the Mykolaiv Government Humanitarian University. Kinakh is a former People's Deputy of Ukraine. Kinakh currently serves as the leader of…
Read More
1954
English footballer
Steven Edward Phillips is an English former professional footballer who had a long career as a forward for a number of teams in the Football League in the 1970s and 1980s. He scored 200 goals from 562 league appearances.
Read More
1954
Algerian-French singer-songwriter
François Valéry is a French singer-songwriter and composer. He is married to Nicole Calfan and Michael Calfan is his son.
Read More
1954
American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 80th United States Attorney General
Alberto Reynaldo Gonzales is an American lawyer who served as the 80th United States attorney general from 2005 to 2007. He was the highest-ranking Hispanic American in the executive government in American history until…
Read More
1955
American actor, director, and screenwriter
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and singer-songwriter. He received international attention after writing, directing and starring in the independent drama film Sling Blade (1996), for…
Read More
1955
British actor and voice actor
Rupert Charles Farley is an English actor and voice over artist. He has had various roles in movies such as From Hell, The Young Poisoner's Handbook, Shakespeare in Love and Mrs Brown. He is probably best known for his…
Read More
1957
American historian and author
Brooks Donohue Simpson is an American historian and an ASU Foundation Professor of History at Arizona State University, specializing in American political and military history, especially the American Civil War and…
Read More
1957
Latvian basketball player and coach
Valdis Valters is a retired Latvian professional basketball player. He played at the point guard position for the senior USSR national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest players to have played the game in…
Read More
1957
1957
American-Canadian poet and academic
Allison Adelle Hedge Coke is an American poet and editor. Her debut book, Dog Road Woman, won the American Book Award and was the first finalist of the Paterson Poetry Prize and Diane DeCora Award. Since then, she has…
Read More
1958
Tunisian-Israeli sergeant and politician, 30th Deputy Prime Minister of Israel
Zion Silvan Shalom is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015. He held several prominent ministerial positions, including Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the…
Read More
1958
American bowler
Brian Voss in Cornelius, North Carolina, is a professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association since 1982 at aged 24. The right-hander owns 25 PBA Tour titles, including one major…
Read More
1958
American guitarist and songwriter (died 2002)
Robbinson Lantz Crosby was an American guitarist who was a member of glam metal band Ratt, earning several platinum albums in the US in the 1980s. Crosby died in 2002 from complications from AIDS subsequent to a heroin…
Read More
1959
Irish politician, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government
John Gormley is an Irish former Green Party politician who served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from June 2007 to January 2011, Leader of the Green Party from June 2007 to May 2011 and…
Read More
1959
American jockey
Charles C. Lopez is an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. Recorded as "Charles," he is the son of jockey Carlos Lopez, Sr. His own sons, Erick and David Lopez, are also jockeys.
Read More
1960
American wrestler
Dean Shelly Simon, better known by the ring name Dean Malenko, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a senior producer. He is best known for his time in World…
Read More
1960
Spanish academic and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Spain
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. On…
Read More
1960
English director, screenwriter, and cinematographer
Bernard Rose is an English filmmaker, considered a pioneer of digital filmmaking. He is best known for directing the horror films Paperhouse (1988) and Candyman (1992), the historical romances Immortal Beloved (1994)…
Read More
1960
Australian author and playwright
Timothy John Winton is an Australian writer. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. In 1997, he was named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the…
Read More
1960
American lawyer and politician, 44th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate
Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president. Obama previously…
Read More
1961
American baseball player and actor
William Roger Clemens, nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and also…
Read More
1962
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Paul Reynolds is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained fame as the lead guitarist of the new wave band A Flock of Seagulls. AllMusic writer Tom Demalon praised Reynolds for his unique guitar style, which…
Read More
1962
30th Attorney General of Minnesota
Keith Maurice Ellison is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota since 2019. From 2007 to 2019, Ellison was the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district,…
Read More
1963
Australian social worker and politician
Andrew John Julian Bartlett is an Australian politician, social worker, academic, and social campaigner who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1997 to 2008 and from 2017 to 2018. He represented the Australian…
Read More
1964
Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian filmmaker, music composer, and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of nine National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.
Read More
1965
English businessman and politician
Adam Mensah Osei Afriyie is a British politician who served as the member of parliament (MP) for Windsor from 2005 to 2024. He is a member of the Conservative Party.
Read More
1965
American author, screenwriter, and producer
Dennis Lehane is an American author and screenwriter. He has published more than a dozen novels; the first several were a series of mysteries featuring recurring characters, including A Drink Before the War (1994). Four…
Read More
1965
Swedish soldier and politician, 42nd Prime Minister of Sweden
John Fredrik Reinfeldt is a Swedish economist and former politician who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 2006 to 2014 and as Leader of the Moderate Party from 2003 to 2015. He was the last rotating President of…
Read More
1965
German footballer and manager
Michael Heinz Skibbe is a German former football player and current manager of J1 League club Vissel Kobe.
Read More
1965
American sprinter
Michael Lawrence Marsh is a retired American sprinter, the 1992 Olympic champion in the 200 m.
Read More
1967
South Korean-American actor
Daniel Dae Kim is an American actor. He is known for his many roles in network television and theater. In 2025, Time magazine listed him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
Read More
1968
1968
Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He co-founded the heavy metal band Sepultura in 1984 with his brother Igor Cavalera, and was the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist until his departure…
Read More
1969
American director and screenwriter
John August is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist. He is known for writing the films Go (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the…
Read More
1970
American journalist
William Bret Baier is an American journalist and the host of Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News and the chief political anchor for Fox. He previously worked as the network's Chief White House Correspondent and…
Read More
1970
English journalist
Kate Silverton is an English child therapist. She formerly worked as a broadcaster and newsreader for the BBC. Silverton was a regular presenter of BBC News at One and BBC Weekend News, as well as making occasional…
Read More
1970
American race car driver and actor
Jeffery Michael Gordon is an American stock car racing executive and former professional stock car racing driver who currently serves as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015,…
Read More
1971
Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Stefan Brogren is a Canadian actor, director, and producer who is best known for his mainstay role as Archie "Snake" Simpson in the Degrassi television franchise. First appearing as a student in the second series…
Read More
1972
Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist
Eva María Amaral Lallana is a Spanish singer-songwriter, and a member of the group Amaral with Juan Aguirre.
Read More
1973
French swimmer
Xavier Marchand is a former French medley swimmer, who competed in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. He won the silver medal in the men's 200 metres individual medley event at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in…
Read More
1973
Slovak footballer
Marek Penksa is a Slovak former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for the Slovak national team.
Read More
1973
Brazilian footballer
Marcos Roberto Silveira dos Reis, known as Marcos, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was the starting goalkeeper of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning Brazilian squad and is…
Read More
1973
Argentine footballer
Cristian Alberto 'Kily' González Peret is an Argentine football manager and former professional player who played mainly as a left winger.
Read More
1974
American actor and singer (died 2009)
Andrew Alcott Hallett was an American actor and singer who became best known for playing the part of Lorne in the television series Angel (2000–2004). He used his singing talents often on the show, and performed two…
Read More
1975
Greek footballer
Nikos Liberopoulos is a retired Greek former professional international footballer who played as a forward. He is famous for his aim-to-goal shot, his innate in-play instincts, and his technical attacking skills.…
Read More
1975
Finnish politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Finland
Jutta Pauliina Urpilainen is a Finnish politician. She was the first female chair of the Social Democratic Party of Finland, which she led from 2008 to 2014. She was the Minister of Finance as well as the Deputy Prime…
Read More
1975
Dutch model and actress
Daniella van Graas is a Dutch fashion model, cover girl, and actress. She has appeared in movies, on television, and between 1997 and 2003, on the cover of several magazines. In 2012, she was featured in the Dutch…
Read More
1975
American tennis player
Paul Herbert Goldstein is an American tennis coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal men's tennis team.
Read More
1976
Australian footballer
Andrew Luke McLeod is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is the games record holder for Adelaide, having played 340…
Read More
1976
English rugby player and coach
Trevor James Woodman MBE is a former English rugby union footballer. He was born in Plymouth, but went to Liskeard School in Cornwall and won representative honours with Cornwall Under 16s.
Read More
1976
American wrestler
Frank Benedict Gerdelman is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he performs under the ring name Frankie Kazarian. He is a former one-time TNA World Champion. He…
Read More
1977
Portuguese footballer and manager
Luís Boa Morte Pereira is a Portuguese football coach and a former professional football player who played as an attacking winger, forward and centre midfielder. He is currently assistant coach of Thomas Reis at…
Read More
1977
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Jeremy Adduono is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He was drafted in the seventh round, 184th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft from the Ontario Hockey League's Sudbury Wolves.
Read More
1978
American baseball player (died 2022)
Lucas Gale Allen, was an American professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies from 2002–2003.
Read More
1978
American race car driver
Kurt Thomas Busch is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000 to 2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the…
Read More
1978
Lithuanian sprinter
Agnė Visockaitė-Eggerth is a track and field sprint athlete who competes internationally for Lithuania.
Read More
1978
1978
Norwegian ice hockey player
Per-Åge Skrøder is a Norwegian former ice hockey player, who last played for Modo in the HockeyAllsvenskan (Allsv).
Read More
1978
Japanese voice actor
Satoshi Hino is a Japanese voice actor. He is known for his roles in various anime series, such as Shakugan no Shana, The Familiar of Zero, Gintama, Nabari no Ou, Naruto Shippuuden, Overlord, and Yowamushi Pedal.
Read More
1978
South African cricketer
Robin John Peterson is a former South African cricketer who bowls left-arm spin and is a capable batsman. He has played 15 Tests and over 70 ODIs for South Africa. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket…
Read More
1979
English cricketer and coach
Richard Kevin James Dawson is an English cricket coach and former player, who is currently the head coach of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. As a player, he was primarily a bowler who bowled off-spin. He earned seven…
Read More
1980
American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
Marques Barrett Houston is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Houston began his singing career in 1990, performing with IMx, and found popularity as an actor for his portrayal of Roger Evans in the…
Read More
1981
Duchess of Sussex, American member of British royal family, media personality and actress
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is an American member of the British royal family, media personality, entrepreneur, and actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.
Read More
1981
American actress, producer, and screenwriter
Greta Celeste Gerwig is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director. She was initially known for working on various mumblecore films, such as Baghead (2008) and Yeast (2008), in which she became an important…
Read More
1983
Australian rugby league player
Terry Campese is a former professional rugby league footballer. A former Australia, Italy and New South Wales State of Origin representative five-eighth, he is also the nephew of rugby union player David Campese. He…
Read More
1984
American basketball player
Maurice Rodney "Mardy" Collins is an American former professional basketball player. He completed his college basketball career at Temple University, and was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 29th pick of the…
Read More
1984
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Crystal Lynn Bowersox is an American singer, songwriter and actress who was the runner-up on the ninth season of American Idol. She was the first female finalist in three years.
Read More
1985
American soccer player
Robert Findley is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward. He was capped 11 times by the United States national team, having made his international debut in 2007.
Read More
1985
Australian footballer
Mark Daniel Milligan is an Australian former professional footballer and the current head coach of Newcastle Jets.
Read More
1985
South Korean basketball player
Ha Seung-jin is a South Korean former professional basketball player who has played in the NBA and the NBA D-League. He was a second round draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2004 NBA draft. At 7 ft 3 in,…
Read More
1985
Ecuadorean footballer
Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera, known as Antonio Valencia, is an Ecuadorian former professional footballer who played primarily as a right-sided player throughout his career, initially as a right winger, before…
Read More
1985
American drummer
Nick Augusto is an American musician, best known as the former drummer of heavy metal band Trivium, in which he played from 2009 until 2014. He was the former touring drummer for Devil You Know/Light the Torch from 2016…
Read More
1986
1986
1986
New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player
Iosia Soliola is a former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League (NRL). He played for New Zealand and Samoa at international level.
Read More
1986
Australian rugby league player
David Williams is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played on the wing in the 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australia international representative, he played his…
Read More
1986
Marreese Akeem "Mo" Speights is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was a freshman member of…
Read More
1987
American soccer player
Kelley Maureen O'Hara is an American former professional soccer player. She represented the United States national team on 160 occasions, winning two FIFA Women's World Cups and an Olympic gold medal. She spent most of…
Read More
1988
Australian singer-songwriter and actress
Jessica Hilda Mauboy is an Australian singer and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of Australian Idol, where she was runner-up and subsequently signed…
Read More
1989
1989
1992
Dominican baseball player
Domingo Germán Polanco is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Read More
1992
American actor
Cole Mitchell Sprouse is an American actor. He is known for his role as Cody Martin on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005–2008), and its spin-off series The Suite Life on Deck (2008–2011), and…
Read More
1992
American actor
Dylan Thomas Sprouse is an American actor. He is known for his role as Zack Martin on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck, where he starred alongside his twin…
Read More
1992
American rapper
Ackquille Jean Pollard, known professionally as Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper and songwriter. Along with Rowdy Rebel, Shmurda is considered a pioneer of Brooklyn drill music. He rose to international fame in 2014…
Read More
1994
Brazilian actress
Bruna Reis Maia, known professionally as Bruna Marquezine, is a Brazilian actress, filmmaker, and model. She debuted on television in 2000 as one of the children interviewers for the children's program Gente Inocente.…
Read More
1995
Advertisement
Famous birthdays
Who was born on August 4?
Mary Decker — American middle-distance runner
FeaturedMary Decker
Birth year1958
Known forDuring her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships and was the world-record holder in the mile, 5000 meters and 10,000 meters
Birthdays on this date205 (1222 – 1998)
Explore August 4
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on August 4 in History
2020
Beirut Port explosion: At least 220 people are killed and over 5,000 are wounded when 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate explodes in Beirut, Lebanon. Wikipedia →
2019
Nine people are killed and 26 injured in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio. This comes only 13 hours after another mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, where 23 people were killed. Wikipedia →
2018
See all events on August 4
Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expel the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from the Iraq–Syria border, concluding the second phase of the Deir ez-Zor campaign. Wikipedia →
Advertisement