Did you know
He won the National Basketball League championship in 1946 with the Rochester Royals while being an All-NBL First Team in three straight seasons
Famous Birthdays on February 12
207 people
41 – 2001
February 12 has seen 207 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 41 – 2001. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1917 — Al Cervi
American basketball player and coach (died 2009)
Did you know
He stayed with the NBL with the Syracuse Nationals in 1948, where he became player-coach that same year, which was the last one prior to joining the NBA
Did you know
In that first year in the NBA, the Nationals won 51 games and reached the Finals, where they lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in six games
Did you know
Cervi led the team back to the Finals in 1954 and 1955, which each saw the Nationals play in a Game 7; denied in 1954 to Minneapolis, the Nationals won Game 7 in 1955 for their first NBA championship
Did you know
After twelve games in 1956, Cervi was fired from the Nationals, having coached them to eight postseason appearances in nine seasons
Roman son of Claudius (died 55)
AD 41 (XLI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of C. Caesar Augustus Germanicus and Cn. Sentius Saturninus. The denomination AD 41 for…
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41
nominal empress regnant of Northern Wei
Empress Yuan, personal name unknown, was briefly an emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Wei dynasty. She bore the surname Yuan, originally Tuoba. Yuan was the only child of Emperor Xiaoming, born to his…
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528
Ōku was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period in Japanese history. She was the daughter of Emperor Tenmu and sister of Prince Ōtsu. As a young girl, she witnessed the Jinshin War. According to the Man'yōshū, she…
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661
Conrad II of Italy, also known as Conrad (III) (12 February 1074 – 27 July 1101), was the Duke of Lower Lorraine (1076–1087), King of Germany (1087–1098) and King of Italy (1093–1098). He was the second son of Holy…
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1074
Japanese shōgun (died 1256)
Kujō Yoritsune , also known as Fujiwara no Yoritsune , was the fourth shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. His father was kanpaku Kujō Michiie and his grandmother was a niece of Minamoto no Yoritomo. His wife was…
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1218
Margrave of Moravia (died 1375)
John Henry of Luxembourg, a member of the House of Luxembourg, was Count of Tyrol from 1335 to 1341 and Margrave of Moravia from 1349 until his death.
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1322
Italian noble (died 1508)
Giovanni II Bentivoglio was an Italian nobleman who ruled as lord of Bologna from 1463 until 1506. He had no formal position, but held power as the city's "first citizen." The Bentivoglio family ruled over Bologna from…
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1443
Duke of Legnica (died 1547)
Frederick II, Duke of Legnica, also known as the Great of Legnica, was a Duke of Legnica from 1488, of Brzeg from 1521. The most notorious of all Legnica Piast rulers, thanks to his excellent financial politics his…
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1480
1540
English composer, poet, and physician (died 1620)
Thomas Campion was an English composer, poet, and physician. He was born in London, educated at Cambridge, and studied law in Gray's Inn. He wrote over a hundred lute songs, masques for dancing, and an authoritative…
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1567
Dutch historian, poet, and theologian (died 1648)
Caspar Barlaeus was a Flemish polymath and Renaissance humanist, a theologian, poet, and historian.
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1584
English-American lawyer and politician, Governor of Connecticut (died 1676)
John Winthrop the Younger, FRS, was an English-born physician, colonial administrator, and alchemist. He was an early governor of the Connecticut Colony who played a large role in the unification of numerous settlements…
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1606
Italian Jesuit priest (died 1685)
Daniello Bartoli was an Italian Jesuit writer and historiographer, celebrated by the poet Giacomo Leopardi as the "Dante of Italian prose"
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1608
Dutch biologist and zoologist (died 1680)
Jan Swammerdam was a Dutch biologist and microscopist. His work on insects demonstrated that the various phases during the life of an insect—egg, larva, pupa, and adult—are different forms of the same animal. As part of…
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1637
English-American minister and author (died 1728)
Cotton Mather was a Puritan clergyman and author in colonial New England, who wrote extensively on theological, historical, and scientific subjects. After being educated at Harvard College, he joined his father Increase…
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1663
German botanist and physician (died 1721)
Rudolf Jakob Camerarius or Camerer was a German botanist and physician.
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1665
French author (died 1772)
Charles Pinot Duclos was a French writer and contributor to the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers.
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1704
German Baroque sculptor and woodcarver (died 1777)
Johann Joseph Christian was a German Baroque sculptor and woodcarver. His masterworks are considered to be the choir stalls in Zwiefalten Abbey and Ottobeuren Abbey. He was one of the few sculptors to work with wood,…
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1706
French architect (died 1799)
Étienne-Louis Boullée was a visionary French neoclassical architect whose work greatly influenced contemporary architects.
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1728
French admiral (died 1798)
Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, Comte de Brueys was a French Navy officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and French Revolutionary Wars. He commanded the French fleet in the Mediterranean…
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1753
Czech pianist and composer (died 1812)
Jan Ladislav Dussek was a Czech classical period composer and virtuoso pianist. He was an important representative of Czech music abroad in the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Some…
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1761
Holy Roman Emperor (died 1835)
Francis II and I was the last Holy Roman Emperor as Francis II from 1792 to 1806, and the first Emperor of Austria as Francis I from 1804 to 1835. He was also King of Germany, Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and served as…
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1768
6th First Lady of the United States (died 1852)
Louisa Catherine Adams was the first lady of the United States from 1825 to 1829 during the presidency of her husband John Quincy Adams. She was born in England and raised in France. Her father was an influential…
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1775
French chemist and academic (died 1838)
Bernard Courtois, also spelled Barnard Courtois, was a French chemist credited with first isolating iodine, making early photography possible.
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1777
German author and poet (died 1843)
Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte, Baron Fouqué was a German writer of the Romantic style.
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1777
French physicist and chemist (died 1838)
Pierre Louis Dulong FRS FRSE was a French physicist and chemist. He is remembered today largely for the law of Dulong and Petit, although he was much-lauded by his contemporaries for his studies into the elasticity of…
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1785
Canadian bishop and missionary (died 1853)
Joseph-Norbert Provencher was a Canadian clergyman and missionary and one of the founders of the modern province of Manitoba. He was the first Bishop of Saint Boniface and was an important figure in the history of the…
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1787
German chemist and philosopher (died 1869)
Karl Ludwig Freiherr von Reichenbach, known as Carl Reichenbach, was a German chemist, geologist, metallurgist, naturalist, industrialist and philosopher, and a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. He is best…
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1788
American businessman and philanthropist, founded Cooper Union (died 1883)
Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and politician. He designed and built the first American steam locomotive, the Tom Thumb, founded the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and…
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1791
Russian chess player and composer (died 1867)
Alexander Dmitrievich Petrov was a Russian chess player, chess composer, and chess writer.
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1794
Mexican general and politician (died 1850)
José Valentín Raimundo Canalizo Bocadillo, was a Mexican general and statesman who served twice as interim president during the Centralist Republic of Mexico and was later made Minister of War during the Mexican…
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1794
German-Italian physicist and academic (died 1865)
Heinrich Friedrich Emil Lenz, usually cited as Emil Lenz or Heinrich Lenz in some countries, was a Russian physicist of Baltic German descent who is most noted for formulating Lenz's law in electrodynamics in 1834.
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1804
English naturalist, geologist, biologist and theorist (died 1882)
Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended from a common ancestor is…
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1809
American lawyer and statesman, 16th President of the United States (died 1865)
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederate States and playing a…
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1809
American sculptor, architect, poet and editor (died 1895)
William Wetmore Story was an American sculptor, art critic, poet, and editor.
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1819
Indian monk and philosopher, founded Arya Samaj (died 1883)
Dayanand Saraswati born Mool Shankar Tiwari, was a Hindu philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of Hinduism. His book Satyarth Prakash has remained one of the influential texts on…
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1824
English novelist and poet (died 1909)
George Meredith was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first, his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but Meredith gradually established a reputation as a novelist. The Ordeal of…
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1828
British-American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School (died 1926)
Thomas Moran was an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York whose work often featured the Rocky Mountains. Moran and his family, wife Mary Nimmo Moran and daughter Ruth, took residence in…
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1837
French photographer (died 1927)
Eugène Atget was a French flâneur and a pioneer of documentary photography, determined to document all of the architecture and street scenes of Paris before their disappearance to modernization. Most of his photographs…
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1857
English cricketer and coach (died 1943)
Robert Peel was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire between 1883 and 1897. Primarily a left-arm spin bowler, Peel was also an effective left-handed batsman who played in the…
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1857
Russian-German psychoanalyst and author (died 1937)
Lou Andreas-Salomé was a Russian-born psychoanalyst and a well-traveled author, narrator, and essayist from a French Huguenot-German family. Her diverse intellectual interests led to friendships with a broad array of…
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1861
Russian philosopher (died 1938)
Lev Isaakovich Shestov, born Yeguda Lev Shvartsman, was a Russian existentialist and religious philosopher. He is best known for his critiques of both philosophical rationalism and positivism. His work advocated a…
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1866
1869
English actress and singer (died 1922)
Matilda Alice Victoria Wood, professionally known as Marie Lloyd, was an English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress. She was best known for her performances of songs such as "The Boy I Love Is Up in…
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1870
The 13th Dalai Lama was the 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet enthroned during a turbulent modern era. He presided during the collapse of the Qing dynasty, and is referred to as "the Great Thirteenth", responsible for…
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1876
French engineer and businessman, co-founded Renault (died 1944)
Louis Renault was a French industrialist, one of the founders of Renault, and a pioneer of the automobile industry.
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1877
Maltese priest and saint (died 1962)
George Franco Preca, T.OCarm was a Maltese Catholic priest, the founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine and a Third Order Carmelite. Pope John Paul II dubbed him "Malta’s second father in faith".
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1880
American miner and union leader (died 1969)
John Llewellyn Lewis was an American leader of organized labor who served as the ninth president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960 and the first president of the Congress of Industrial…
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1880
Russian-English ballerina and actress (died 1931)
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova was a Russian prima ballerina. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, but is most recognized for creating the role of The Dying Swan…
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1881
English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1968)
Sir Walter Nash was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, having been…
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1882
German painter and sculptor (died 1950)
Max Carl Friedrich Beckmann was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer. Although he is classified as an Expressionist artist, he rejected both the term and the movement. In the 1920s, he was…
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1884
Estonian-Russian general (died 1953)
Johan Laidoner was an Estonian general and statesman. He served as Commander‑in‑Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces during the Estonian War of Independence and was among the most influential people in the Estonian…
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1884
American author (died 1980)
Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth was an American writer and socialite. She was the eldest child of U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt and his only child with his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt. Longworth led an…
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1884
Russian-French painter (died 1957)
Mariya Ivanovna Vassilieva, gallicised and known in Western sources as Marie Vassilieff, was a Russian-born painter and set designer active in Paris.
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1884
American composer (died 1938)
James Sylvester Scott was an American ragtime composer and pianist. He is regarded as one of the "Big Three" composers of classical ragtime along with Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb.
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1885
German publisher, founded Der Stürmer (died 1946)
Julius Sebastian Streicher was a German publicist, politician, and convicted war criminal. A member of the Nazi Party, he served as the Gauleiter of Franconia and a member of the Reichstag, the national legislature. He…
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1885
Cambodian monk, lawyer, and judge (died 1999)
Samdach Vira Dharmawara Bellong Mahathera, also known simply as Bhante Dharmawara, was a Cambodian-born Theravada monk and teacher who died at the age of 110.
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1889
American general (died 1981)
Omar Nelson Bradley was a senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army. He was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and oversaw the U.S.…
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1893
Faroese lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (died 1984)
Kristian Djurhuus was a Faroese politician. He was a member of the Union Party.
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1895
South African-Australian colonel and politician (died 1988)
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Groves Wright Anderson was a South African-born Australian soldier, farmer, and politician. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross and a member of the Australian House of Representatives.
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1897
American astronomer and academic (died 1985)
Lincoln LaPaz was an American astronomer from the University of New Mexico and a pioneer in the study of meteors.
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1897
English-American actor and singer (died 1966)
Wallace Ford was an English–American vaudevillian, stage performer and screen actor. Usually playing wise-cracking characters, he combined a tough but friendly-faced demeanor with a small but powerful, stocky physique.
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1898
American lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of California (died 1983)
Roger John Traynor was an American lawyer who served as Chief Justice of California from 1964 to 1970 and was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California from 1940 to 1964. Traynor had served as a deputy…
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1900
Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 1987)
William Collier Jr. was an American stage performer, producer, and a film actor who in the silent and sound eras was cast in no fewer than 89 motion pictures.
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1902
Peruvian historian (died 1980)
Jorge Alfredo Basadre Grohmann was a Peruvian historian known for his extensive publications about the independent history of his country. He served during two different administrations as Minister of Education and was…
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1903
American baseball player and manager (died 1973)
Charles James "Chick" Hafey was an American player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1924–1931) and Cincinnati Reds, Hafey was a strong line-drive hitter who batted for a high average…
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1903
1904
American actor (died 1962)
Joseph Sherrard Kearns was an American actor, who is best remembered for his role as George Wilson on the CBS television series Dennis the Menace from 1959 until his death in 1962. He was also a prolific radio actor,…
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1907
French painter, caricaturist, illustrator and journalist (died 1982)
Jean Effel, real name François Lejeune, was a French painter, caricaturist, illustrator and journalist. Mostly he considered himself to be a journalist and political commentator. His pseudonym is created by his initials…
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1908
French mathematician and philosopher (died 1931)
Jacques Herbrand was a French mathematician. Although he died at age 23, he was already considered one of "the greatest mathematicians of the younger generation" by his professors Helmut Hasse and Richard Courant.
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1908
Slovene painter and illustrator (died 2005)
Zoran Mušič, baptised as Anton Zoran Musič, was a Slovene painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. He was the only painter of Slovene descent who managed to establish himself in the elite cultural circles of Italy and…
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1909
German physician (died 1945)
Sigmund Rascher was a German Schutzstaffel (SS) doctor. He conducted deadly experiments on humans pertaining to high altitude, freezing and blood coagulation under the patronage of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, to…
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1909
Norwegian speed skater (died 1994)
Charles Mathiesen was a speed skater who was active from 1930 to 1948.
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1911
English author and playwright (died 1972)
Ronald Frederick Delderfield was an English novelist and dramatist, some of whose works have been adapted for television and film.
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1912
American singer, saxophonist, and bandleader (died 2000)
Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. His band is also…
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1914
German-Canadian mathematician (died 1971)
Johanna (Hanna) Neumann was a German-born mathematician who worked on group theory.
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1914
Canadian-American actor (died 1987)
Lorne Hyman Greene was a Canadian actor, singer, and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western Bonanza and Commander Adama in the original science-fiction television series…
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1915
American sailor (died 2018)
Olivia Juliette Hooker was an American psychologist and professor. She was a survivor of the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, and the first African-American woman to enter the U.S. Coast Guard. During World War II, she…
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1915
American lawyer and politician, 36th Mayor of San Francisco (died 1998)
Joseph Lawrence Alioto was an American politician who served as the 36th mayor of San Francisco, California, from 1968 to 1976.
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1916
American baseball player (died 2009)
Dominic Paul DiMaggio, nicknamed "the Little Professor", was an American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox (1940–1953). DiMaggio was the youngest…
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1917
American psychologist and academic (died 2015)
Norman Louis Farberow was an American psychologist, and one of the founding fathers of modern suicidology. He was among the three founders in 1958 of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, which became a base of…
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1918
American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1994)
Julian Seymour Schwinger was an American theoretical physicist. He shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics with Richard Feynman and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga "for their fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics (QED), with…
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1918
American actor (died 1986)
Forrest Meredith Tucker was an American actor in movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker worked in vaudeville as a straight man at the age of fifteen. While he was on a trip to California,…
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1919
South African anti-apartheid and ANC activist (died 2005)
Raymond Mphakamisi Mhlaba OMSG was an anti-apartheid activist, Communist and leader of the African National Congress (ANC) who became the first premier of the Eastern Cape. Mhlaba spent 25 years of his life in prison.…
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1920
Malaysian lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia (died 1990)
Hussein bin Onn was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Malaysia from 1976 to 1981.
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1922
Italian director, producer, and politician (died 2019)
Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II era, gaining…
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1923
English politician (died 1984)
Sir Anthony George Berry was a British Conservative politician. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Enfield Southgate and a Whip in Margaret Thatcher's government.
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1925
American-French painter (died 1992)
Joan Mitchell was an American artist who worked primarily in painting and printmaking, and also used pastel and made other works on paper. She was an active participant in the New York School of artists in the 1950s. A…
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1925
1926
American baseball player and sportscaster (died 2016)
Joseph Henry Garagiola Sr. was an American professional baseball catcher, and later a radio and television personality with a varied career.
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1926
American academic (died 2019)
Charles Lincoln Van Doren was an American writer and editor who was involved in a television quiz show scandal in the 1950s. In 1959 he testified before the United States Congress that he had been given the correct…
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1926
Jr., American drummer and composer (died 2013)
Vincent Montana Jr., known as Vince Montana, was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist, and percussionist. He is best known as a member of MFSB and as the founder of the Salsoul Orchestra. He has been called "the…
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1928
Irish hurler and politician (died 2010)
John Doyle was an Irish hurler who played as a left corner-back at senior level for the Tipperary county team.
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1930
American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (died 2012)
Arlen Specter was an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2011. Specter was a Democrat from 1951 to 1965, then a Republican from 1965 until 2009,…
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1930
Dutch-American author and translator (died 2008)
Jan Willem Lincoln van de Wetering was the author of a number of works in English and Dutch.
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1931
Norwegian author and poet (died 2003)
Axel Buchardt Jensen was a Norwegian author. From 1957 until 2002, he published both fiction and non-fiction texts which include novels, poems, essays, a biography, and manuscripts for cartoons and animated films.
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1932
American economist, author, and academic (died 1998)
Julian Lincoln Simon was an American economist. He was a professor of economics and business administration at the University of Illinois from 1963 to 1983 before later moving to the University of Maryland, where he…
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1932
Soviet cosmonaut (died 1992)
Ivan Nikolayevich Anikeyev was a Soviet cosmonaut who was dismissed from the Soviet space program for disciplinary reasons.
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1933
Greek-French director and producer
Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras, known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political…
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1933
Scottish actress
Annette Crosbie is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her role as Margaret Meldrew in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000). She twice won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress, for The Six Wives of…
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1934
American economist and academic
Anne Osborn Krueger is an American economist. She was the World Bank Chief Economist from 1982 to 1986, and the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2001 to 2006. She is currently…
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1934
American basketball player and coach (died 2022)
William Felton Russell was an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics…
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1934
American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2011)
Eugene Booker McDaniels was an American singer, producer and songwriter. He had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s, reaching number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "A Hundred Pounds…
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1935
American actor (died 2025)
Joe Don Baker was an American actor, known for playing "tough guy" characters on both sides of the law. He established himself as an action star with supporting roles in the Westerns Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)…
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1936
Australian immunologist
Alan Martin Ebringer is an Australian immunologist, professor at King's College London. He is also an Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist in the Middlesex Hospital, now part of the UCH School of Medicine. He is known for…
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1936
American author and educator
Judith Marcia Blume is an American writer of children's, young adult, and adult fiction. She began writing in 1959 and has published more than 26 novels. Among her best-known works are Superfudge (1980), Are You There…
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1938
1939
American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (died 2013)
Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. was an American keyboardist, vocalist, and music producer. He is best known as a member of the rock band the Doors, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA Film School graduate Jim…
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1939
Brazilian singer-songwriter and accordion player (died 2013)
José Domingos de Morais, better known as Dominguinhos, was a Brazilian composer, accordionist and singer. His principal musical influences were the music of Luiz Gonzaga, Forró and in general the music of the Sertão in…
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1941
Japanese mountaineer and explorer (died 1984)
Naomi Uemura was a Japanese adventurer who was known particularly for his solo exploits. For example, he was the first person to reach the North Pole solo, the first person to raft the Amazon River solo, and the first…
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1941
Israeli general and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Israel
Ehud Barak is an Israeli former general and politician who served as the prime minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party between 1997 and 2001 and between 2007 and 2011. He was also Minister…
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1942
American science fiction and fantasy author (died 2024)
Terry Ballantine Bisson was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was best known for his short stories, including "Bears Discover Fire", which won the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, and "They're Made Out…
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1942
American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 2006)
Patrick Edward Dobson, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers (1967–69), San Diego Padres (1970), Baltimore Orioles (1971–72), Atlanta Braves (1973),…
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1942
Swedish model and actress
Maud Solveig Christina Adams is a Swedish actress and model, best known for her roles as two different Bond girls, first in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and then as the title character in Octopussy (1983).
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1945
American economist, physicist, and scholar
David Director Friedman is an American economist, physicist, and legal scholar. He is known for his textbook writings on microeconomics and the libertarian theory of anarcho-capitalism, which is the subject of his most…
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1945
Gabonese politician, Prime Minister of Gabon
Jean Eyeghé Ndong is a Gabonese politician. He was the Prime Minister of Gabon from January 20, 2006 to July 17, 2009. He was also the First Vice-president of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) until 2009.
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1946
Turkish singer-songwriter and actress
Ayşe Ajda Pekkan is a Turkish singer. She is known by the title "superstar" in the Turkish media. Pekkan became a prominent figure of Turkish pop music with her songs, in which she tried to create a strong female…
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1946
American computer scientist and engineer
Raymond Kurzweil is an American computer scientist, author, entrepreneur, futurist, and inventor. He is involved in fields such as optical character recognition (OCR), text-to-speech synthesis, speech recognition…
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1948
English politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames, Baron Soames of Fletching, is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Sussex from 1997 to 2019, having previously served as the MP for…
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1948
American baseball player
Leonard Shenoff Randle was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers franchise, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and…
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1949
Indian cricketer
Gundappa Ranganath Viswanath is a former Indian cricketer. Vishwanath is rated as one of India's finest batsmen throughout the 1970s. Viswanath played Test cricket for India from 1969 to 1983, making 91 appearances and…
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1949
Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Angelo Branduardi is an Italian folk/folk rock singer-songwriter and composer who scored relative success in Italy and European countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Greece.
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1950
English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Stephen Richard Hackett is an English guitarist who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums,…
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1950
Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter
Frederick Reginald Ironside, known professionally as Michael Ironside, is a Canadian actor. A prominent character actor with over 270 film and television credits, he is known for playing villains and antiheroes, but has…
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1950
English actor, director, and producer (died 2010)
Simon Charles Pendered MacCorkindale was a British actor, film director, writer, and producer from Ely, England. He spent much of his childhood moving around owing to his father's career as an officer with the Royal Air…
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1952
American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
Michael H. McDonald is an American singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. Known for his distinctive, soulful voice, he was a backing vocalist for Steely Dan from 1973 to 1980 and rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the…
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1952
American actress and director
Joanna Kerns is an American actress and director best known for her role as Maggie Seaver on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains from 1985 to 1992.
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1953
American actor
Zach Grenier is an American actor. He is known for his work with director David Fincher, and his roles as Andy Cramed on the television series Deadwood (2004–06) and David Lee on The Good Wife (2010–16) and its spinoff…
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1954
Georgian-Australian musicologist and academic
Joseph Jordania is an Australian–Georgian ethnomusicologist and evolutionary musicologist and professor. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne and the Head of…
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1954
Greek comedian, singer, and author (died 2018)
Tzimis Panousis was a Greek musician, stand-up comedian and occasional film and theater actor born in Athens, where he spent most of his life. He is often seen as the modern-day Aristophanes. His fans usually refer to…
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1954
American cryptographer and programmer
Philip R. Zimmermann is an American computer scientist and cryptographer. He is the creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), the most widely used email encryption software in the world. He is also known for his work in…
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1954
American musician and producer
William Otis Laswell is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk,…
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1955
American baseball player and coach
Chester Earl Lemon was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning with the Chicago White Sox in 1975, where he played for six years. He was then…
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1955
American actor and talk show host
Arsenio Hall is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted a late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014.
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1956
Dutch lawyer and politician, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert is a Dutch politician and diplomat of the Labour Party (PvdA) who has served as a Member of the Council of State since 20 January 2016.
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1956
Scottish musician and songwriter
Brian David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known as a former member of Thin Lizzy from 1974 to 1978, and Motörhead from 1982 to 1983, replacing Fast Eddie Clarke.
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1956
Canadian ice hockey player and executive
Robert David Smith is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He played for the Minnesota North Stars and Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL). In 184 Stanley Cup playoff games,…
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1958
American basketball player
Larry Donnell Nance Sr. is an American former professional basketball player. A power forward from Clemson University, Nance played 14 seasons (1981–1994) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the…
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1959
American anthropologist and activist (died 2020)
David Rolfe Graeber was an American anthropologist and anarchist social and political activist. His influential work in social and economic anthropology, particularly his books Debt: The First 5,000 Years (2011), The…
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1961
Canadian environmentalist and politician
James R. M. Harris is a Canadian author, environmentalist, and politician. He was leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006, when he was succeeded by Elizabeth May.
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1961
Haitian singer and politician, 56th President of Haiti
Michel Joseph Martelly is a Haitian musician and politician who served as the 47th president of Haiti from 2011 until his resignation in 2016. On 20 August 2024, the United States sanctioned him for trafficking drugs,…
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1961
American actor and comedian
John Michael Higgins is an American actor, comedian and game show host whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's The Late Shift, and a starring role in the…
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1963
American drummer, producer, arranger, and composer
Omar Hakim is an American drummer, producer, arranger and composer. His session work covers jazz, jazz fusion, and pop music. He has worked with Weather Report, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Chic, Sting, Madonna, Dire…
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1964
American actor and director
Raphael Sbarge is an American actor and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Jake Straka in The Guardian (2001–04), Jiminy Cricket / Dr. Archibald Hopper in Once Upon a Time (2011–18) and Inspector David…
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1964
Jr., American baseball player and manager
Rubén Amaro Jr. is an American former professional baseball outfielder, coach and executive. Amaro played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1991 to 1998. He was named the GM of the Philadelphia Phillies on November 3,…
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1965
American actress and producer
Christine Elise McCarthy, professionally known as Christine Elise, is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Emily Valentine in Beverly Hills, 90210 and BH90210, and Kyle in the…
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1965
American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Brett Michael Kavanaugh is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since…
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1965
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
David Westlake is an English singer/songwriter. He led indie band The Servants from 1985 to 1991.
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1965
Australian rugby league player
Greg Carberry is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. Carberry played for the Illawarra Steelers and Cronulla Sharks in the NSWRL competition. His position of…
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1966
American musician, songwriter, and producer
Paul Crook is an American guitarist known for recording and performing with Meat Loaf. He has also recorded and toured with Anthrax, Sebastian Bach and Marya Roxx.
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1966
Canadian actor
Lochlyn Munro is a Canadian actor. His most notable film roles include A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Scary Movie (2000), Freddy vs. Jason (2003), White Chicks (2004), The Predator (2018) and Cosmic Sin (2021). For…
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1966
American actor
Josh James Brolin is an American actor. A son of actor James Brolin, he gained fame in his youth for his role in the adventure film The Goonies (1985). Brolin had a resurgence with his starring role in the crime film No…
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1968
American singer and actress
Chynna Gilliam Phillips is an American singer and actress. She is a member of the pop vocal trio Wilson Phillips and is the daughter of the Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips and half-sister of…
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1968
Australian politician, 41st Premier of New South Wales
Nathan Rees is an Australian former politician who served as the 41st Premier of New South Wales and leader of the New South Wales Labor Party from September 2008 to December 2009. Rees was a Member of the New South…
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1968
American director, producer, and screenwriter
Darren Aronofsky is an American filmmaker. His films are noted for their surreal, dramatic, and often disturbing elements, frequently in the form of psychological realism. His accolades include a Golden Lion and a…
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1969
Ethiopian educator and politician (died 2014)
Alemayehu Atomsa was an Ethiopian politician who served as the president of the Oromia Region, the largest of the country's regions, from 2010 until his resignation due to illness in 2014, from which he died in Bangkok,…
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1969
English javelin thrower
Stephen James Backley, OBE is an English retired track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He formerly held the world record, and his 91.46-metre (300.1 ft) throw from 1992 is the British record. During…
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1969
Norwegian singer and actress
Anneli Marian Drecker is a Norwegian singer and actress from the city of Tromsø. She is the frontwoman for the dream pop band Bel Canto.
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1969
South Korean footballer and manager
Hong Myung-bo is a South Korean football manager and former footballer who played as a sweeper. He is currently the manager of the South Korea national team.
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1969
Canadian singer-songwriter and musician
James Raymond Creeggan is the bassist for Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies.
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1970
1970
American author and illustrator
Judd Winick is an American cartoonist, comic book writer and screenwriter, as well as a former reality television personality. He first gained fame for his stint on MTV's The Real World: San Francisco in 1994, before…
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1970
American voice actor, singer, actor and musician
Scott David Menville is an American actor and musician who is known for his work in animated films, television series and video games. He voices Robin in Cartoon Network's Teen Titans (2003–2006) and Teen Titans Go!…
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1971
Northern Irish-Canadian ice hockey player
Owen Liam Nolan is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1990 NHL entry draft. During his 18-year NHL career, he played for the Nordiques, Colorado…
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1972
Dutch speed skater
Gianni Petrus Cornelis Romme is a Dutch marathoner and a former long track speed skater. He won two gold medals at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano and was the World all-round champion in 2000 and 2003. Romme has been…
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1973
Canadian-American voice actress and singer
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as The Powerpuff Girls, The Fairly…
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1973
English boxer
Naseem Hamed, nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002. He held multiple featherweight world championships between 1995 and 2000, and reigned as lineal…
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1974
American basketball player and actor
Scot L. Pollard is an American former professional basketball player. In an 11-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he played for five teams, spending the bulk of his career with the Sacramento Kings and…
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1975
New Zealand rugby player
Christian Mathias Cullen is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He played most of his rugby at fullback for New Zealand, for the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and for Manawatu, Wellington and later Munster at…
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1976
American soccer player and manager
James Paul Conrad is an American former soccer player who played as a defender. During his 13-year MLS career, he was four-time MLS Best XI and the 2005 MLS Defender of the Year. He also earned 27 caps with the United…
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1977
English actor
Paul Anderson is an English film and television actor who came to prominence for portraying Arthur Shelby Jr. in Peaky Blinders, Mr Anderson in the 2015 film The Revenant, and Sebastian Moran in Sherlock Holmes: A Game…
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1978
Australian actor and violinist
Jesse Gordon Spencer is an Australian actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, for which he was nominated for two Logie Awards, Dr. Robert Chase on the…
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1979
Spanish tennis player
Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a Spanish tennis coach and a former professional player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for a total of eight weeks.…
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1980
American actress
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress and director. She is known for her long-running roles as Rachel Meyers in the series Saved by the Bell: The New Class and Ellie Bartowski in the comedy-spy series Chuck, as well as…
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1980
American rapper
Radric Delantic Davis, known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and music executive. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip-hop subgenre trap…
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1980
American actress and producer
Christina Ricci is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci works mostly in independent productions, but she has also appeared in numerous box-office hits. She is the recipient…
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1980
Australian rugby league player
Wade McKinnon is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. His position of preference was as a fullback.
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1981
Swiss ice hockey player
Jonas Hiller is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender. Hiller played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Anaheim Ducks and the Calgary Flames. He began his NHL career with the Ducks in 2007 after…
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1982
1982
New Zealand rugby player
Anthony Tuitavake is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays as a centre or on the wing. Tuitavake, of Tongan descent, is a fast attacking centre.
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1982
American football player and coach
Carlton Brewster is a former National Football League (NFL) wide receiver. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Ferris State University.
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1983
American race car driver
Bradley Aaron Keselowski is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and entrepreneur. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing, a…
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1984
Estonian footballer
Andrei Sidorenkov is an Estonian former professional footballer who played as a left-back.
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1984
American swimmer
Peter William Vanderkaay is an American former competition swimmer and four-time Olympic medalist who competed for the University of Michigan who specialized in middle and long distance freestyle events. He was a member…
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1984
Kazakhstani ice hockey player
Konstantin Vladimirovich Pushkaryov is a Kazakhstani former ice hockey winger. He played 17 games in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. Most of his career,…
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1985
American baseball player
Todd Brian Frazier, nicknamed "the Toddfather", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Texas…
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1986
French tennis player
Jérémy Chardy is a French tennis coach and a former professional player. He has won one ATP Tour singles title, in Stuttgart in 2009. His best major performance in singles was reaching the quarterfinals of the 2013…
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1987
Romanian basketball player
Gabriela Mărginean is a Romanian professional women's basketball player who plays for the Turkey club İzmit Belediyespor.
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1987
American football player
DeMarco Murray is an American football coach and former professional player who is currently the running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). A running back in the National…
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1988
Argentine footballer
Nicolás Hernán Gonzalo Otamendi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Primeira Liga club Benfica, which he captains, and the Argentina national team.
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1988
American baseball player
Joshua Aaron Phegley is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago Cubs.
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1988
American singer-songwriter and producer
Michael Robert Henrion Posner is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, poet, and record producer from Detroit. He signed with J Records in 2009 and released his debut single "Cooler Than Me" the following year. The…
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1988
American basketball player
Josh Douglas Harrellson is an American professional basketball player for Saga Ballooners of the Japanese B.League. Standing 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), he played center for the Kentucky Wildcats from 2008 to 2011. He was…
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1989
Canadian actress, director, writer, and producer
Katherine Barrell is a Canadian actress, writer, producer, and director. She is best known for her role as Sheriff Nicole Haught in the Syfy supernatural weird West television series Wynonna Earp. In 2020, she joined…
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1990
American football player
Robert Lee Griffin III, nicknamed RGIII or RG3, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, most notably with the Washington Redskins. He…
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1990
German footballer
Patrick Herrmann is a German former professional footballer who played as a right winger.
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1991
Australian cricketer
Kane William Richardson is a former Australian international cricketer who played domestic cricket for South Australia and Queensland and played in the Big Bash League for the Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades, and…
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1991
Polish tennis player
Magda Linette is a Polish professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 19, achieved in March 2023. She has reached eight finals on the WTA Tour, winning three titles, and the semifinals…
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1992
American football player
Alvin "Bud" Dupree Jr. is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, and was selected in the…
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1993
1993
American actress
Jennifer Stone is an American podcaster, social media personality, nurse, and actress. As a child actor, she became known for playing Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012). She…
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1993
Belgian politician
Kemal Bilmez is a Belgian politician and member of the Chamber of Representatives. A member of the Workers' Party of Belgium, he has represented Flemish Brabant since June 2024.
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1994
American sprinter
Arman "Gino" Hall is an American sprinter specializing in the 400 m. He is a World and Olympic gold medalist as a member of USA's 2014 and 2016 4 × 400 m relay teams.
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1994
American football player
Paxton James Lynch is an American professional football quarterback for the Colorado Spartans of the National Arena League (NAL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers, and was selected in the first round of…
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1994
South Korean actress
Kim Ji-min is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her roles in Goddess of Fire (2013) and Pluto Secret Society (2014). Since January 2020, she is part of SM C&C.
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2000
Georgian footballer
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Georgia national team. Regarded as one of the best wingers in the world and as…
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2001
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Who was born on February 12?
Al Cervi — American basketball player and coach (1917–2009)
FeaturedAl Cervi
Birth year1917
Known forOne of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s, he was always assigned to defend against the opposing team's best scoring threat
Birthdays on this date207 (41 – 2001)
Explore February 12
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Also on February 12 in History
2026
In the first general election since the July Revolution in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, wins a landslide victory upon returning to power after almost 19 years. A referendum held alongside was also approved by the majority of voters. Wikipedia →
2019
The country known as the Republic of Macedonia renames itself the Republic of North Macedonia in accordance with the Prespa agreement, settling a long-standing naming dispute with Greece. Wikipedia →
2016
See all events on February 12
Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill sign an Ecumenical Declaration in the first such meeting between leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since their split in 1054. Wikipedia →
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