Famous Birthdays on February 17

Q: Who was born on February 17?

Famous people born on February 17 include: Wu Zetian, Al-Juwayni, Charles III, Francis, Charles de Lorraine.

Q: What is Meaghan Martin known for?

Meaghan Martin, American actress and singer

176 people 624 – 1998

February 17 has seen 176 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 624 – 1998. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · February 17 — Wikipedia

1992 — Meaghan Martin

American actress and singer

Did you know

She is best known for her starring role in the ABC Family television series, 10 Things I Hate About You as Bianca Stratford

Did you know

She is also well known for her role as Tess Tyler in the Disney Channel television films Camp Rock and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam

Did you know

She has also had guest starring roles in House and Jessie, and played the recurring role of Julie #2 in Awkward

Did you know

Martin also starred as Jo Mitchell in Mean Girls 2

Did you know

In 2019, Martin made her professional London stage debut in The Actor's Nightmare at the Park Theatre in London.

Wu Zetian

Chinese empress consort (died 705)

Empress Wu, commonly known as Wu Zetian, personal name Wu Zhao, was the only undisputed female sovereign in the history of China. She had previously held power as the empress consort of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang…

624

Al-Juwayni

Persian scholar and imam (died 1085)

Dhia' ul-Dīn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Yūsuf al-Juwaynī al-Shafi'ī was a Iranian Sunni scholar famous for being the foremost leading jurisconsult, legal theoretician and Islamic theologian of his time. His name is commonly…

1028

Charles III

duke of Bourbon (died 1527)

Charles III de Bourbon, comte de Montpensier, then duc de Bourbon was a French military commander, governor, prince of the royal blood and rebel during the early Italian Wars. The son of Gilbert de Bourbon and Clara…

1490

Francis

French Grand Chamberlain (died 1563)

François de Lorraine, 2nd Duke of Guise, 1st Prince of Joinville, and 1st Duke of Aumale, was a French general and statesman. A prominent leader during the Italian War of 1551–1559 and French Wars of Religion, he was…

1519

Charles de Lorraine

French cardinal (died 1574)

Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Chevreuse, was a French Cardinal, a member of the powerful House of Guise. He was known at first as the Cardinal of Guise, and then as the second Cardinal of Lorraine, after the death of his…

1524

Pierre Le Pesant

sieur de Boisguilbert, French economist (died 1714)

Pierre le Pesant, sieur de Boisguilbert or Boisguillebert was a French lawmaker and a Jansenist, one of the inventors of the notion of an economic market.

1646

Arcangelo Corelli

Italian violinist and composer (died 1713)

Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian composer, musician, and violinist of the middle Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of the…

1653

Tobias Mayer

German astronomer and academic (died 1762)

Tobias Mayer was a German astronomer famous for his studies of the Moon.

1723

Horace-Bénédict de Saussure

Swiss physicist and meteorologist (died 1799)

Horace Bénédict de Saussure was a Genevan geologist, meteorologist, physicist, mountaineer and Alpine explorer, often called the founder of alpinism and modern meteorology, and considered to be the first person to build…

1740

Friedrich Maximilian Klinger

German author and playwright (died 1831)

Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger was a German dramatist and novelist. His play Sturm und Drang (1776) gave its name to the Sturm und Drang artistic epoch. He was a childhood friend of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and is…

1752

Nicolas Baudin

French cartographer and explorer (died 1803)

Nicolas Thomas Baudin was a French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer, most notable for his explorations in Australia and the southern Pacific. He carried a few corms of Gros Michel banana from…

1754

John Pinkerton

Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, author, numismatist and historian (died 1826)

John Pinkerton was a Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, author, numismatist, historian, and early advocate of Germanic racial supremacy theory.

1758

John Cooke

English captain (died 1805)

Captain John Cooke was a Royal Navy officer who served in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Cooke is best known for his death in hand-to-hand combat with French forces during…

1762

René Laennec

French physician, invented the stethoscope (died 1826)

René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec was a French medical doctor and musician. His skill at carving his own wooden flutes led him to invent the stethoscope in 1816, while working at the Hôpital Necker. He pioneered its use…

1781

Philipp Franz von Siebold

German physician and botanist (died 1866)

Jhr. Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold was a German physician, botanist and traveller. He achieved prominence by his studies of Japanese flora and fauna. He was the father of the first female Japanese doctor educated…

1796

Carl Julian (von) Graba

German lawyer and ornithologist who visited and studied the Faroe Islands (died 1874)

Carl Julian (von) Graba was a German lawyer and Royal Danish judicial councillor, and was also a keen ornithologist and one of the first modern researchers to visit and study the Faroe Islands, where he described the…

1799

Édouard Thilges

Luxembourgish jurist and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Luxembourg (died 1904)

Jules Georges Édouard Thilges was a Luxembourgish politician. He served as prime minister of Luxembourg for over three years, from 20 February 1885 until 22 September 1888.

1817

Henri Vieuxtemps

Belgian violinist and composer (died 1881)

Henri François Joseph Vieuxtemps was a Belgian composer and violinist. He occupies an important place in the history of the violin as a prominent exponent of the Franco-Belgian violin school during the mid-19th century.…

1820

Lola Montez

Irish-American actress and dancer (died 1861)

Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, better known by the stage name Lola Montez, was an Irish dancer and actress who became famous as a Spanish dancer, courtesan, and mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who made her Gräfin…

1821

Richard Henry Park

American sculptor (died 1902)

Richard Henry Park was an American sculptor who worked in marble and bronze. He was commissioned to do work by the wealthy of the nineteenth century. He did a marble bust of John Plankinton, an astute businessman who…

1832

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Spanish author, poet, and playwright (died 1870)

Gustavo Adolfo Claudio Domínguez Bastida, better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, was a Spanish Romantic poet and writer, also a playwright, literary columnist, and talented in drawing. He is one of the most important…

1836

Aaron Montgomery Ward

American businessman, founded Montgomery Ward (died 1913)

Aaron Montgomery Ward was an American entrepreneur based in Chicago who made his fortune through the use of mail order for retail sales of general merchandise to rural customers. In 1872 he founded Montgomery Ward &…

1843

Louisa Lawson

Australian poet and publisher (died 1920)

Louisa Lawson was an Australian poet, writer, publisher, suffragist, and feminist. Her eldest son was the poet and author Henry Lawson.

1848

Joseph Favre

Swiss chef (died 1903)

Joseph Favre was a Swiss chef who worked in Switzerland, France, Germany, and England. Although he initially only received primary education because of his humble origins, as an adult he attended science and nutrition…

1849

Friedrich Alfred Krupp

German businessman (died 1902)

Friedrich Alfred Krupp was a German steel manufacturer and head of the company Krupp. He was the son of Alfred Krupp and inherited the family business when his father died in 1887. Whereas his father had largely…

1854

Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont

duchess of Albany (died 1922)

Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont, later Duchess of Albany, was a member of the British royal family by marriage. She was the fifth daughter and child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and his first…

1861

Mori Ōgai

Japanese general, author, and poet (died 1922)

Lieutenant-General Mori Rintarō , known by his pen name Mori Ōgai , was a Japanese Army Surgeon general officer, translator, novelist, poet and father of famed author Mari Mori. He obtained his medical license at a very…

1862

Jozef Murgaš

Slovak priest, botanist, and painter (died 1929)

Jozef Murgaš was a Slovak inventor, architect, botanist, painter and Roman Catholic priest. He contributed to radio development, which at the time was commonly known as "wireless telegraphy".

1864

Banjo Paterson

Australian journalist, author, and poet (died 1941)

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author, widely considered one of the greatest writers of Australia's colonial period.

1864

Thomas J. Watson

American businessman (died 1956)

Thomas John Watson Sr. was an American businessman who was the chairman and CEO of IBM. He oversaw the company's growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956. Watson developed IBM's management style and…

1874

Isabelle Eberhardt

Swiss explorer and author (died 1904)

Isabelle Wilhelmine Marie Eberhardt was a Swiss explorer and author. As a teenager, Eberhardt, educated in Switzerland by her father, published short stories under a male pseudonym. She became interested in North…

1877

André Maginot

French sergeant and politician (died 1932)

André Maginot was a French civil servant, soldier and Member of Parliament. He is best known for his advocacy of the string of forts known as the Maginot Line.

1877

Dorothy Canfield Fisher

American educational reformer, social activist and author (died 1958)

Dorothy Canfield Fisher was an educational reformer, social activist, and best-selling American author in the early 20th century. She strongly supported women's rights, racial equality, and lifelong education. Eleanor…

1879

Mary Carson Breckinridge

American nurse midwife, founded Frontier Nursing Service (died 1965)

Mary Carson Breckinridge was an American nurse midwife and the founder of the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS), which provided comprehensive family medical care to the mountain people of rural Kentucky. FNS served remote…

1881

Joseph Bech

Luxembourgish lawyer and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Luxembourg (died 1975)

Joseph Bech was a Luxembourgish politician and lawyer. He was the prime minister of Luxembourg, serving for eleven years, from 16 July 1926 to 5 November 1937. He returned to the position after World War II, and served…

1887

Leevi Madetoja

Finnish composer and critic (died 1947)

Leevi Antti Madetoja was a Finnish composer, music critic, conductor, and teacher of the late-Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as one of the most significant Finnish contemporaries of Jean…

1887

Ronald Knox

English Catholic priest (died 1957)

Ronald Arbuthnott Knox was an English Catholic priest, theologian, author, and radio broadcaster. Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where he earned a high reputation as a classicist, Knox was ordained as a…

1888

Otto Stern

German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1969)

Otto Stern was a German-American experimental physical chemist. He is the second most nominated person for a Nobel Prize, with 82 nominations during the years 1925–1945. In 1943, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics…

1888

Ronald Fisher

English-Australian statistician, biologist, and geneticist (died 1962)

Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher was a British polymath who was active as a mathematician, statistician, biologist, geneticist, and academic. He has been described as "a genius who almost single-handedly created the foundations…

1890

Abraham Fraenkel

German-Israeli mathematician and academic (died 1965)

Abraham Fraenkel was a German-born Israeli mathematician. He was an early Zionist and the first Dean of Mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is known for his contributions to axiomatic set theory,…

1891

Wally Pipp

American baseball player and journalist (died 1965)

Walter Clement Pipp Sr. was an American professional baseball player. A first baseman, Pipp played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds between 1913 and 1928.

1893

Jibanananda Das

Bangladeshi-Indian poet and author (died 1954)

Jibanananda Das was an Indian poet and writer who wrote in the Bengali language. Often referred to as the Rupashi Banglar Kabi, he is regarded as one of the most prominent Bengali poets after Rabindranath Tagore and…

1899

Ruth Clifford

American actress (died 1998)

Ruth Clifford was an American actress of leading roles in silent films whose career lasted from that era into the television era.

1900

Sadegh Hedayat

Iranian-French author and translator (died 1951)

Sadegh Hedayat was an Iranian writer, translator, satirist, and poet. Best known for his novel The Blind Owl, he was one of the earliest Iranian writers to adopt literary modernism in their career. He is widely…

1903

Joaquín Rodríguez Ortega

known as "Cagancho", Spanish bullfighter (died 1984)

Joaquín Rodríguez Ortega, professionally known as Cagancho, was a Spanish bullfighter much of whose career was spent in Mexico, although he did sometimes perform in his native Spain, and one of his performances there,…

1903

Hans Morgenthau

German-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (died 1980)

Hans Joachim Morgenthau was a German-American jurist and political scientist who was one of the major 20th-century figures in the study of international relations. Morgenthau's works belong to the tradition of realism…

1904

Rózsa Péter

Hungarian mathematician (died 1977)

Rózsa Péter, until January 1934 Rózsa Politzer, was a Hungarian mathematician and logician. She is best known as the "founding mother of recursion theory".

1905

Mary Brian

American actress (died 2002)

Mary Brian was an American actress who made the transition from silent films to sound films.

1906

Bo Yibo

Chinese general and politician, Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (died 2007)

Bo Yibo (Chinese: 薄一波; pinyin: Bó Yībō; Wade–Giles: Po2 I1-po1; 17 February 1908 – 15 January 2007) was one of the most senior political figures in China during the 1980s and 1990s.

1908

Marc Lawrence

American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2005)

Marc Lawrence was an American character actor who specialized in underworld types. He has also been credited as F. A. Foss, Marc Laurence and Marc C. Lawrence.

1910

Oskar Seidlin

German-American author, poet, and scholar (died 1984)

Oskar Seidlin was a Jewish emigre from Nazi Germany first to Switzerland and then to the U.S. He taught German language and literature as a professor at Smith College, Middlebury College, Ohio State University, and…

1911

Andre Norton

American author (died 2005)

Andre Alice Norton was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name Andre Norton, but also under Andrew North and…

1912

Arthur Kennedy

American actor (died 1990)

For the colonial administrator, see Arthur Kennedy.

1914

Alexander Obolensky

Russian rugby player and pilot (died 1940)

Prince Alexander Sergeevich Obolensky was a Rurikid prince of Russian aristocratic descent who became a naturalised Briton, having spent most of his life in England, and who went on to represent England in international…

1916

Don Tallon

Australian cricketer (died 1984)

Donald Tallon was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953. He was widely regarded by his contemporaries as Australia's finest ever wicket-keeper and one of the best in…

1916

Raf Vallone

Italian footballer and actor (died 2002)

Raffaele "Raf" Vallone was an Italian actor and footballer. One of the top male Italian stars of the 1950s and 1960s, he first became known for his association with the neorealist movement, and found success in several…

1916

William Bronk

American poet and academic (died 1999)

William Bronk was an American poet. For his book, Life Supports (1981), he won the National Book Award for Poetry.

1918

Jacqueline Ferrand

French mathematician (died 2014)

Jacqueline Lelong-Ferrand was a French mathematician who worked on conformal representation theory, potential theory, and Riemannian manifolds. She taught at universities in Caen, Lille, and Paris.

1918

J. M. S. Careless

Canadian historian and academic (died 2009)

James Maurice Stockford Careless was a Canadian historian. He taught history at the University of Toronto for 39 years, from 1945 until his retirement in 1984, and served as Chairman of the History Department from 1959…

1919

Kathleen Freeman

American actress and singer (died 2001)

Kathleen Freeman was an American actress. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost invariably to…

1919

Joe Hunt

American tennis player (died 1945)

Joseph Raphael Hunt was an American tennis player of the late 1930s and early 1940s from Southern California. He was the number one ranked American in 1943 and won the US singles championship in his final match. He died…

1919

Ivo Caprino

Norwegian director and screenwriter (died 2001)

Ivo Caprino was a Norwegian film director and writer, best known for his puppet films. His most noted film, Flåklypa Grand Prix, was made in 1975.

1920

Annie Glenn

American disability and communication disorder advocate (died 2020)

Anna Margaret Glenn was an American advocate for people with disabilities and communication disorders and the wife of astronaut and senator John Glenn. A stutterer from an early age, Glenn promoted the awareness of…

1920

Curt Swan

American illustrator (died 1996)

Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comics artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans call the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through…

1920

Duane Gish

American biochemist and academic (died 2013)

Duane Tolbert Gish was an American biochemist and a prominent member of the creationist movement. A young Earth creationist, Gish was a former vice-president of the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) and the author…

1921

Tommy Edwards

American R&B singer-songwriter (died 1969)

Thomas Jefferson Edwards was an American singer and songwriter. His most successful record was the multi-million-selling song "It's All in the Game", becoming the first African-American to reach No. 1 on the Billboard…

1922

Buddy DeFranco

American clarinet player and bandleader (died 2014)

Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco was an American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and 1970s.

1923

Margaret Truman

American singer and author (died 2008)

Mary Margaret Truman Daniel was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry S. Truman and First Lady…

1924

Ron Goodwin

English composer and conductor (died 2003)

Ronald Alfred Goodwin was an English composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included Where Eagles Dare, Battle of Britain,…

1925

Hal Holbrook

American actor and director (died 2021)

Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. was an American actor. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show, titled Mark Twain Tonight!, that he developed while studying at Denison University. He won the Tony…

1925

Marta Romero

Puerto Rican actress and singer (died 2013)

Marta Romero was a Puerto Rican actress and singer, and one of the pioneers in Puerto Rican television.

1928

Michiaki Takahashi

Japanese virologist (died 2013)

Michiaki Takahashi was a Japanese virologist, best known for inventing the first chickenpox vaccine. He developed the "Oka" vaccine by producing v-Oka, a live-attenuated virus strain of varicella zoster virus.

1928

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Chilean-French director and screenwriter

Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky is a Chilean and French avant-garde filmmaker. Known for his films El Topo (1970), The Holy Mountain (1973) and Santa Sangre (1989), Jodorowsky has been "venerated by cult cinema…

1929

Chaim Potok

American rabbi and author (died 2002)

Chaim Potok, was an American author, novelist, playwright, editor and rabbi. Among the more than a dozen books he authored, his first novel The Chosen (1967) was listed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 39…

1929

Nicholas Ridley

Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, English lieutenant and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (died 1993)

Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.

1929

Patricia Routledge

English actress and singer (died 2025)

Dame Katherine Patricia Routledge was an English actress and singer. She was best known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC One comedy series Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1995), for which she was twice nominated…

1929

Roger Craig

American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 2023)

Roger Lee Craig was an American professional baseball pitcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). After playing for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds…

1930

Benjamin Fain

Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and academic (died 2013)

Benjamin Fain was an Israeli physicist, professor-emeritus, and former refusenik.

1930

Ruth Rendell

English author (died 2015)

Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries.

1930

Jiřina Jirásková

Czech actress and singer (died 2013)

Jiřina Jirásková was a Czech actress. She was born and died in Prague, Czech Republic.

1931

Buddy Ryan

American football coach (died 2016)

James David "Buddy" Ryan was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the Philadelphia…

1931

Craig L. Thomas

American captain and politician (died 2007)

Craig Lyle Thomas was an American politician who served as United States senator from Wyoming from 1995 until his death in 2007. He was a member of the Republican Party. In the Senate, Thomas was considered an expert on…

1933

Alan Bates

English actor (died 2003)

Sir Alan Arthur Bates was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from Whistle Down the Wind to the kitchen sink drama A Kind of Loving.

1934

Barry Humphries

Australian comedian, actor, and author (died 2023)

John Barry Humphries was an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He was best known for writing and playing his stage and television characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He appeared in numerous…

1934

Christina Pickles

English-American actress

Christina Pickles is an English actress, known for her work in the United States. She is known for her role as Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere (1982–1988), for which she received five…

1935

Jim Brown

American football player and actor (died 2023)

James Nathaniel Brown was an American professional football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1965. Widely…

1936

Mary Ann Mobley

American model and actress, Miss America 1959 (died 2014)

Mary Ann Mobley was an American actress, television personality, and Miss America 1959.

1937

Vicente Fernández

Mexican singer-songwriter, actor, and producer (died 2021)

Vicente Fernández Gómez was a Mexican mariachi singer, actor and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente", "El Charro de Huentitán", "El Ídolo de México", and "El Rey de la Música Ranchera", Fernández started his career as a…

1940

Gene Pitney

American singer-songwriter (died 2006)

Gene Francis Alan Pitney was an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician.

1940

Julia McKenzie

English actress, singer, and director

Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim. On television, she is known for her…

1941

Huey P. Newton

American activist, co-founded the Black Panther Party (died 1989)

Huey Percy Newton was an African American revolutionary and political activist who co-founded the Marxist–Leninist political and militant organization the Black Panther Party (BPP) with fellow activist Bobby Seale in…

1942

Karl Jenkins

Welsh saxophonist, keyboard player, and composer

Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins,, HonFLSW is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song "Adiemus", Palladio (1995), The Armed Man (2000), his Requiem (2005) and his Stabat Mater…

1944

Zina Bethune

American actress, dancer, and choreographer (died 2012)

Zina Bianca Bethune was an American actress, dancer, and choreographer. She was the daughter of actress Ivy Bethune.

1945

Brenda Fricker

Irish actress

Brenda Fricker is an Irish actress, whose career has spanned six decades on stage and screen. She has appeared in more than 30 films and television roles. In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy…

1945

Shahrnush Parsipur

Iranian-American author and academic

Shahrnush Parsipur is an Iranian-born writer and translator.

1946

José José

Mexican singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (died 2019)

José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz, known professionally as José José was a Mexican singer and actor. Dubbed as "El Príncipe de la Canción", his performance and vocal style have influenced many Latin pop artists in a career that…

1948

Fred Frith

English guitarist and songwriter

Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as a founding member of the English avant-rock group…

1949

Dennis Green

American football player and coach (died 2016)

Dennis Earl Green was an American professional football coach. During his National Football League (NFL) career, Green coached the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 2001 and the Arizona Cardinals from 2004 to 2006. He…

1949

Rashid Minhas

Pakistani soldier and pilot (died 1971)

Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas NH was a Pakistani fighter pilot and the fifth recipient of Pakistan's highest military award, the Nishan-e-Haider. Minhas was the first and only officer from the Pakistan Air Force to…

1951

Karin Büttner-Janz

German gymnast and physician

Karin Büttner-Janz is a German medical doctor and former gymnast who won World and Olympic gold medals in artistic gymnastics for East Germany. She is co-inventor of the first artificial intervertebral disc, and from…

1952

Vladimír Padrůněk

Czech musician (died 1991)

Vladimír Padrůněk was a Czech jazz and rock bass guitarist. He is known for his work with the groups Jazz Q, Energit, Etc..., Abraxas, and others.

1952

Becky Ann Baker

American actress

Becky Ann Baker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Jean Weir on the NBC comedy-drama series Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000) and as Loreen Horvath on the HBO comedy-drama series Girls (2012–2017);…

1953

Lou Ann Barton

American singer-songwriter

Lou Ann Barton is an American blues singer based in Austin, Texas since the 1970s. AllMusic noted that "The grace, poise, and confidence she projects on-stage is part of a long tradition for women blues singers".

1954

Miki Berkovich

Israeli basketball player

Moshe "Miki" Berkovich is an Israeli former professional basketball player. A 193 cm shooting guard, he is considered to be one of the greatest Israeli basketball players of all time.

1954

Rene Russo

American actress

Rene Marie Russo is an American actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model in the 1970s, appearing on magazine covers such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She made her film debut in the 1989 comedy Major…

1954

Mo Yan

Chinese author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Mo Yan, born Guan Moye, is a Chinese writer. He gained attention for his 1984 novella, A Transparent Radish, and rose to international fame for his 1986 novel Red Sorghum, the first two parts of which were adapted into…

1955

Richard Karn

American actor and game show host

Richard Karn is an American actor, author and former game show host. He starred as Al Borland in the ABC series Home Improvement and as Fred Peters in the Hulu series Pen15. Karn was also the fourth host of Family Feud…

1956

Loreena McKennitt

Canadian singer-songwriter, accordion player, and pianist

Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who writes, records, and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. McKennitt is known for her refined and…

1957

Aryeh Deri

Moroccan-Israeli rabbi and politician, Israeli Minister of Internal Affairs

Aryeh Makhlouf Deri, also Arie Deri, Arye Deri, or Arieh Deri, is an Israeli politician and one of the founders of the Shas political party who served as the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Health, and Minister of the…

1959

Rowdy Gaines

American swimmer and sportscaster

Ambrose "Rowdy" Gaines IV is an American former competitive swimmer, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He is referred to as "The…

1959

Lindy Ruff

Canadian hockey player and coach

Lindy Cameron Ruff is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ruff was previously the head coach of the Sabres from…

1960

Angela Eagle

English politician, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Dame Angela Eagle DBE is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wallasey since 1992. She has served as Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs since 2025.

1961

Maria Eagle

English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

Maria Eagle is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Garston, previously Garston and Halewood, since 1997. She served as a junior minister in the governments of Tony…

1961

Andrey Korotayev

Russian anthropologist, historian, and sociologist

Andrey Vitalievich Korotayev is a Russian anthropologist, economic historian, comparative political scientist, demographer and sociologist, with major contributions to world-systems theory, cross-cultural studies, Near…

1961

Lou Diamond Phillips

American actor and director

Louis Diamond Phillips is an American actor, director, and writer. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film La Bamba (1987). For his performance as Angel David Guzman in…

1962

Larry the Cable Guy

American comedian and voice actor

Daniel Lawrence Whitney, known professionally as Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor and former radio personality. He was one of the members of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which…

1963

Alison Hargreaves

English mountaineer (died 1995)

Alison Jane Hargreaves was a British mountaineer. Her accomplishments included scaling Mount Everest alone, without supplementary oxygen or support from a Sherpa team, in 1995. She soloed all the great north faces of…

1963

Jen-Hsun Huang

Taiwanese-American businessman, co-founded Nvidia

Jen-Hsun Huang, commonly anglicized as Jensen Huang, is a Taiwanese and American business executive, electrical engineer, and philanthropist who is the founder, president, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nvidia,…

1963

Michael Jordan

American basketball player, executive, and businessman

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and retired professional basketball player who is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).…

1963

Sherry Hawco

Canadian gymnast (died 1991)

Sherry Louise Hawco was a Canadian gymnast.

1964

Michael Bay

American director and producer

Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget high-concept action films with fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special…

1965

Luc Robitaille

Canadian ice hockey player, manager, and actor

Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey executive and former player who serves as president of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

1966

Giuseppe Signori

Italian footballer

Giuseppe "Beppe" Signori is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

1968

Wu'erkaixi

Chinese journalist and activist

Uerkesh Davlet, commonly known by his pinyin name Wu'er Kaixi, is a Chinese political commentator known for his leading role during the Tiananmen protests of 1989. He achieved prominence while studying at Beijing Normal…

1968

David Douillet

French martial artist and politician

David Donald Hubert Roger Douillet is a French politician and retired judoka.

1969

Vasily Kudinov

Russian handball player (died 2017)

Vasily Alexandrovich Kudinov was a Russian handball player, born in Ilyinka, Astrakhan Oblast, Russian SFSR. He has won all three major international tournaments; European and World Championships and Olympic gold.

1969

Dominic Purcell

English-Australian actor and producer

Dominic Haakon Myrtvedt Purcell is an Australian actor. He is best known as Lincoln Burrows in Prison Break, Mick Rory / Heat Wave in The Flash (2014–16) and Legends of Tomorrow (2016–21), and Drake / Dracula in Blade:…

1970

Denise Richards

American model and actress

Denise Lee Richards is an American actress, model and television personality. She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film Starship Troopers (1997), the erotic thriller film Wild Things (1998), and the…

1971

Billie Joe Armstrong

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and producer

Billie Joe Armstrong is an American musician and actor. He is best known for being the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also…

1972

Philippe Candeloro

French figure skater

Philippe Candeloro is a French former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist, a two-time European silver medalist, and a four-time French national champion…

1972

Taylor Hawkins

American singer-songwriter and musician (died 2022)

Oliver Taylor Hawkins was an American musician who was the drummer and a vocalist of the rock band Foo Fighters, sharing vocals with Dave Grohl. He joined the band in 1997, and remained the band's drummer until his…

1972

Valeria Mazza

Argentine model and businesswoman

Valeria Raquel Mazza is an Argentine model and businesswoman. Mazza rose to prominence in the 1990s and became a household name after appearing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue of 1996 and in the…

1972

Drew Barry

American basketball player

Drew William Barry is an American former professional basketball player.

1973

Goran Bunjevčević

Serbian footballer (died 2018)

Goran Bunjevčević was a Serbian footballer who played as a defender in Serbia, England and the Netherlands.

1973

Raphaël Ibañez

French rugby player

Raphaël Ibañez is a retired French rugby union footballer. A hooker, he played for the France national team 98 times, and as captain 41 times. After a career in club rugby management, he became Team Manager for France…

1973

Kaoru

Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Dir En Grey is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of vocalist Kyo, guitarists Kaoru and Die, bassist Toshiya,…

1974

Jerry O'Connell

American actor, director, and producer

Jeremiah O'Connell is an American actor and TV show host. He is known for his roles as Quinn Mallory in the television series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me (1986),…

1974

Kaspars Astašenko

Latvian ice hockey player (died 2012)

Kaspars Astašenko was a Latvian professional ice hockey player. Astašenko was born in Riga, Latvia. Astašenko was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999 NHL entry draft, 127th overall. Astašenko played parts of…

1975

Václav Prospal

Czech ice hockey player

Václav "Vinny" Prospal is a Czech former professional ice hockey player, currently a hockey coach. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers,…

1975

Kelly Carlson

American actress and model

Kelly Carlson is an American actress, model and martial artist. She is best known for her role as Kimber Henry in the FX drama series Nip/Tuck.

1976

Rory Kinnear

English actor and playwright

Rory Michael Kinnear is an English actor. He won two Olivier Awards, both at the National Theatre, in 2008 for his portrayal of Sir Fopling Flutter in The Man of Mode, and for playing the William Shakespeare villain…

1978

Conrad Ricamora

American actor

Conrad Wayne Ricamora-Jensen is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Oliver Hampton on the ABC television series How to Get Away with Murder (2014–20). As a stage actor, he is noted for his roles in…

1979

Josh Willingham

American baseball player

Joshua David Willingham is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, and Kansas…

1979

Al Harrington

American basketball player

Albert Harrington is an American former professional basketball player. Selected with the 25th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Harrington played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the…

1980

Jason Ritter

American actor

Jason Morgan Ritter is an American actor. The son of John Ritter and Nancy Morgan, he is known for his work in television series such as Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005), Gravity Falls (2012–2016), Another Period…

1980

Klemi Saban

Israeli footballer

Klemi Saban,, is a retired Israeli football defender. Saban is mostly known for playing at Maccabi Netanya, there he played 6 years, captained the club and won over 200 caps in all club competitions.

1980

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

American actor, director, and producer

Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his leading performances…

1981

Paris Hilton

American model, media personality, actress, singer, DJ, author and businesswoman

Paris Whitney Hilton is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. Born in New York City, she is a great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton. She first attracted tabloid attention in…

1981

Pontus Segerström

Swedish footballer (died 2014)

Pontus Segerström was a Swedish footballer who played as a defender.

1981

Adriano

Brazilian footballer

Adriano Leite Ribeiro is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He had four prolific seasons in Italy with Italian clubs Parma and Inter Milan, being considered one of the best strikers in the world during this…

1982

Brian Bruney

American baseball player

Brian Anthony Bruney is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Chicago White Sox. He won the…

1982

AB de Villiers

South African cricketer

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a South African former international cricketer. He is regarded as one of the greatest batters of his generation. de Villiers was named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year three times during…

1984

Marcin Gortat

Polish basketball player

Marcin Janusz Gortat, also known as "the Polish Hammer", or "the Polish Machine", is a Polish former professional basketball player, and current player development and assistant coach at the Washington Wizards of the…

1984

Katie Hill

Australian 3.0 point wheelchair basketball player

Katie Hill is an Australian 3.0 point wheelchair basketball player. She participated in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, where she won a bronze medal, and the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, where she won a…

1984

Anders Jacobsen

Norwegian ski jumper

Anders Jacobsen is a Norwegian former ski jumper. He competed at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics and won a team bronze medal in the large hill event in 2010. He is the youngest Norwegian winner of Four Hills…

1985

Brett Kern

American football player

Brett Alan Kern is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Toledo Rockets and was signed by the Denver Broncos as an…

1986

Ísis Valverde

Brazilian actress

Isis Nable Valverde is a Brazilian actress who played a lead role in the 2010 telenovela Ti Ti Ti and has participated in several other telenovelas.

1987

Michael Frolík

Czech ice hockey player

Michael Frolík is a former Czech professional ice hockey right winger.

1988

Case Keenum

American football player

Casey Austin Keenum is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars, where he became the NCAA's all-time…

1988

Vasyl Lomachenko

Ukrainian boxer

Vasiliy Anatolyevich Lomachenko is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed between 2013 and 2024. He has held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the World Boxing Organization…

1988

Rebecca Adlington

English swimmer

Rebecca Adlington is an English former competitive swimmer who specialised in freestyle events. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle, breaking the…

1989

Chord Overstreet

American actor and singer

Chord Paul Overstreet is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role as Sam Evans on the Fox television series Glee (2009–2015). He has starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series Acapulco (2021–2025).

1989

Marianne St-Gelais

Canadian speed skater

Marianne St-Gelais is a Canadian former short track speed skater. She won two silver medals in the 500 m and 3,000 m relay at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and a third silver in the 3,000 m relay at the 2014…

1990

Edin Višća

Bosnian footballer

Edin Višća is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Süper Lig club Trabzonspor.

1990

Phil Pressey

American basketball player and coach

Phillip Michael Pressey is an American professional basketball coach and former player who played at the point guard position. He is currently the head coach for the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League.

1991

Ed Sheeran

English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Edward Christopher Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran…

1991

Jeremy Allen White

American actor

Jeremy Allen White is an American actor. His breakthrough role was juvenile delinquent Lip Gallagher in the comedy-drama series Shameless from 2011 to 2021, which earned him a nomination for a Critics' Choice Television…

1991

Bonnie Wright

English actress, filmmaker, and activist

Bonnie Francesca Wright is an English actress, filmmaker, and environmental activist. She is best known for her role as Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter film series.

1991

Marc Márquez

Spanish motorcycle racer

Marc Márquez Alentà is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who races for the Ducati Lenovo Team. He previously raced for Honda's factory team from 2013 to 2023, and for the Ducati satellite team Gresini in 2024.…

1993

Mason Jobst

American ice hockey player

Mason Kane Jobst is an American professional ice hockey left winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under…

1994

Madison Keys

American tennis player

Madison Keys is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 5 by the WTA. Keys has won ten career singles titles, including a Major at the 2025 Australian Open. She was also a…

1995

Sebastian Aho

Swedish ice hockey player

Sebastian Johannes Aho is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey…

1996

Sasha Pieterse

South African-American actress and singer-songwriter

Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer is a South African-born American actress and singer. She is known for portraying Alison DiLaurentis in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017), and its spin-off Pretty Little Liars:…

1996

Gaetano Castrovilli

Italian footballer

Gaetano Castrovilli is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie B club Cesena.

1997

Devin White

American football player

Devin Marcel White is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fifth overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He spent five seasons…

1998

Famous birthdays

Who was born on February 17?

Meaghan Martin — American actress and singer (born 1992)

FeaturedMeaghan Martin

Birth year1992

Known forShe is best known for her starring role in the ABC Family television series, 10 Things I Hate About You as Bianca Stratford

Birthdays on this date176 (624 – 1998)

Explore February 17

Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.

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2016

Military vehicles explode outside a Turkish Armed Forces barracks in Ankara, Turkey, killing at least 29 people and injuring 61 others. Wikipedia →

2015

Eighteen people are killed and 78 injured in a stampede at a Mardi Gras parade in Haiti. Wikipedia →

2011

Arab Spring: Libyan protests against Muammar Gaddafi's regime begin. Wikipedia →

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