Famous Birthdays on February 19

Q: Who was born on February 19?

Famous people born on February 19 include: Domenico Grimani, Nicolaus Copernicus, Matthäus Schwarz, Froben Christoph of Zimmern, Carolus Clusius.

Q: What is Eddie Arcaro known for?

Eddie Arcaro, American jockey and sportscaster (died 1997)

1916 — Eddie Arcaro

American jockey and sportscaster (died 1997)

February 19 has seen 199 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1461 – 2004. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · February 19 — Wikipedia

Famous Birthdays 199 people 1461 – 2004

Did you know

Eventually nicknamed "Banana Nose" by his confreres, Arcaro won his first race in 1932 at the Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico; he was 16 years old

Did you know

George Edward Arcaro was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S

Did you know

In 1934, the inaugural year of Narragansett Park, Arcaro was a comparative unknown who rode many of his early career races at 'Gansett.

Did you know

Arcaro was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of an impoverished taxi driver

Did you know

His parents, Pasquale and Josephine, were Italian immigrants and his father held a number of jobs, including taxi driver and operator of an illegal liquor enterprise during Prohibition

Domenico Grimani

Italian cardinal (died 1523)

Domenico Grimani was an Italian nobleman, theologian and cardinal. Like most noble churchmen of his era, Grimani was an ecclesiastical pluralist, holding numerous posts and benefices.

1461

Nicolaus Copernicus

Prussian mathematician and astronomer (died 1543)

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center. The publication of Copernicus's model in his book De revolutionibus orbium…

1473

$Matthäus Schwarz$

Matthäus Schwarz

German fashion writer (died 1574)

Matthäus Schwarz was a German accountant, best known for compiling his Klaidungsbüchlein or Trachtenbuch, a book cataloguing the clothing that he wore between 1520 and 1560. The book has been described as "the world's…

1497

Froben Christoph of Zimmern

German author of the Zimmern Chronicle (died 1566)

Count Froben Christoph of Zimmern was the author of the Zimmern Chronicle and a member of the von Zimmern family of Swabian nobility. This article is based primarily on Beat Rudolf Jenny's biography of him.

1519

Carolus Clusius

Flemish botanist and academic (died 1609)

Charles de l'Écluse, L'Escluse, or Carolus Clusius, seigneur de Watènes, was an Artois doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th-century scientific horticulturists.

1526

Jean-Antoine de Baïf

French poet (died 1589)

Jean Antoine de Baïf was a French poet and member of the Pléiade.

1532

Melchior Klesl

Austrian cardinal (died 1630)

Melchior Klesl was an Austrian statesman and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church during the time of the Counter-Reformation. He was minister-favourite of King and Emperor Matthias (1609-1618) and a leading advocate…

1552

Henry Frederick

Prince of Wales (died 1612)

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales was the eldest son and heir apparent of King James VI and I and Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley; and Frederick II of Denmark. Prince…

1594

Andries de Graeff

Dutch politician (died 1678)

Andries de Graeff was a regent and burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam and leading Dutch statesman during the Golden Age.

1611

Shivaji

Indian warrior-king and the founder of Maratha Empire (died 1680)

Shivaji I was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji inherited a fiefdom from his father who served as a retainer for the Sultanate of Bijapur, which later formed the genesis of the Maratha…

1630

Friedrich Hoffmann

German physician and chemist (died 1742)

Friedrich Hoffmann or Hofmann was a German physician and chemist. He is also sometimes known in English as Frederick Hoffmann.

1660

David Garrick

English actor, playwright, and producer (died 1779)

David Garrick was an English actor who wrote, produced and influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Samuel Johnson. He appeared in several…

1717

Luigi Boccherini

Italian cellist and composer (died 1805)

Ridolfo Luigi Boccherini was an Italian composer and cellist of the Classical era whose music retained a courtly and galante style even while he matured somewhat apart from the major classical musical centers. He is…

1743

Allan MacNab

Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Premier of Canada West (died 1862)

Sir Allan Napier MacNab, 1st Baronet was a Canadian political leader, land speculator and property investor, lawyer, soldier, and militia commander who served in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada twice, the…

1798

Émilie Gamelin

Canadian nun and social worker, founded the Sisters of Providence (died 1851)

Émilie Tavernier Gamelin was a Canadian Catholic social worker and religious sister best known as the founder of the Sisters of Providence of Montreal. In 2001, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

1800

Carl von Rokitansky

German physician, pathologist, and philosopher (died 1878)

Baron Carl von Rokitansky was a Bohemian-born Austrian physician, pathologist, humanist philosopher and liberal politician, founder of the Viennese School of Medicine of the 19th century. He was the founder of…

1804

August Schleicher

German linguist and academic (died 1868)

August Schleicher was a German linguist. Schleicher studied the Proto-Indo-European language and devised theories concerning historical linguistics. His great work was A Compendium of the Comparative Grammar of the…

1821

Élie Ducommun

Swiss journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1906)

Élie Ducommun was a Swiss peace activist. He was a Nobel laureate, awarded the 1902 Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with Charles Albert Gobat.

1833

Lydia Thompson

British burlesque performer (died 1908)

Lydia Thompson, was an English dancer, comedian, actor and theatrical producer.

1838

Elfrida Andrée

Swedish organist, composer, and conductor (died 1929)

Elfrida Andrée was a Swedish organist, composer, and conductor. Her sister was the singer Fredrika Stenhammar.

1841

Nishinoumi Kajirō I

Japanese sumo wrestler, the 16th Yokozuna (died 1908)

Nishinoumi Kajirō I was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sendai, Satsuma Province. He was the sport's 16th yokozuna, and the first to be officially listed as such on the banzuke ranking sheets, an act which…

1855

Svante Arrhenius

Swedish physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1927)

Svante August Arrhenius was a Swedish scientist. Originally a physicist, but often referred to as a chemist, Arrhenius was one of the founders of the science of physical chemistry. In 1903, he received the Nobel Prize…

1859

Sven Hedin

Swedish geographer and explorer (died 1952)

Sven Anders Hedin, KNO1kl RVO, was a Swedish geographer, topographer, explorer, photographer, travel writer and illustrator of his own works. During four expeditions to Central Asia, he made the Transhimalaya known in…

1865

Hovhannes Tumanyan

Armenian-Russian poet and author (died 1923)

Hovhannes Tumanyan was an Armenian poet, writer, translator, and literary and public activist. He is the national poet of Armenia.

1869

Johan Pitka

Estonian admiral (died 1944)

Johan Pitka, VR I/1, was an Estonian entrepreneur and sea captain who served as the Commander of the Estonian Navy during the Estonian War of Independence.

1872

Constantin Brâncuși

Romanian-French sculptor, painter, and photographer (died 1957)

Constantin Brâncuși was a Romanian sculptor, painter, and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and a pioneer of modernism, Brâncuși is called…

1876

Gabriele Münter

German painter (died 1962)

Gabriele Münter was a German expressionist painter who was at the forefront of the Munich avant-garde in the early 20th century. She studied and lived with the painter Wassily Kandinsky and was a founding member of the…

1877

Harriet Bosse

Swedish–Norwegian actress (died 1961)

Harriet Sofie Bosse was a Swedish–Norwegian actress. A celebrity in her day, Bosse is now most commonly remembered as the third wife of the playwright August Strindberg. Bosse began her career in a minor company run by…

1878

Álvaro Obregón

Mexican general and politician, 39th President of Mexico (died 1928)

Álvaro Obregón Salido was a Mexican general, inventor and politician who served as the 46th President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. Obregón was re-elected to the presidency in 1928 but was assassinated before he could…

1880

José Abad Santos

Filipino lawyer and jurist, 5th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (died 1942)

José Abad Santos y Basco was the fifth chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He briefly served as the acting president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and acting commander-in-chief of the Armed…

1886

José Eustasio Rivera

Colombian lawyer and poet (died 1928)

José Eustasio Rivera Salas was a Colombian lawyer and author primarily known for his national epic The Vortex.

1888

Cedric Hardwicke

English actor and director (died 1964)

Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned over 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and his film work…

1893

Louis Calhern

American actor (died 1956)

Carl Henry Vogt, known by his stage name Louis Calhern, was an American actor. Described as a “star leading man of the theater and a star character actor of the screen,” he appeared in over 100 roles on the Broadway…

1895

André Breton

French poet and author (died 1966)

André Robert Breton was a French writer and poet, known as a principal theorist and co-founder of surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic…

1896

Alma Rubens

American actress (died 1931)

Alma Rubens was an American film actress and stage performer.

1897

Lucio Fontana

Argentinian-Italian painter and sculptor (died 1968)

Lucio Fontana was an Argentine-Italian sculptor, painter, and theorist. He is known as the founder of Spatialism and exponent of abstraction. Some of these ideas can be seen in his slashed canvases and his use of neon…

1899

Kay Boyle

American novelist, short story writer, and educator (died 1992)

Kay Boyle was an American novelist, short story writer, educator, and political activist. Boyle is best known for her fiction, which often explored the intersections of personal and political themes. Her work…

1902

Havank

Dutch journalist and author (died 1964)

Havank, pseudonym of Hendrikus Frederikus (Hans) van der Kallen, was a Dutch writer, journalist and translator. He published over 30 crime novels and is considered one of the founding fathers of the Dutch detective…

1904

Merle Oberon

Indian-American actress (died 1979)

Merle Oberon was a British actress of Sri Lankan Burgher origin. Her career spanned the 1920s to the 1970s, and she was a major leading lady during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

1911

Saul Chaplin

American composer (died 1997)

Saul Chaplin was an American composer and musical director.

1912

Dorothy Janis

American actress (died 2010)

Dorothy Janis was an American actress.

1912

Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (died 2007)

Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza was a Brazilian prince and dynastic claimant who served as head of the Petrópolis branch of the House of Orléans-Braganza. From 1940 until his death, he claimed the symbolic headship of…

1913

Frank Tashlin

American animator and screenwriter (died 1972)

Frank Tashlin, also known as Tish Tash and Frank Tash, was an American animator and filmmaker. He was best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated shorts for Warner Bros., as well…

1913

Thelma Kench

New Zealand Olympic sprinter (died 1985)

Thelma Kench later Irion was a New Zealand sprinter who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

1914

Dick Emery

English actor and comedian (died 1983)

Richard Gilbert Emery was an English comedian and comic actor. Best known for this catchphrase, "Ooh You Are Awful... But I Like You!", his broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television…

1915

John Freeman

English lawyer, politician, and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States (died 2014)

Major John Horace Freeman was a British politician, diplomat, broadcaster, and British Army officer. He was the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford from 1945 to 1955.

1915

Carson McCullers

American novelist, short story writer, playwright, and essayist (died 1967)

Carson McCullers was an American novelist, short-story writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Her first novel, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940), explores the spiritual isolation of misfits and outcasts in a small…

1917

Fay McKenzie

American actress (died 2019)

Eunice Fay McKenzie was an American actress and singer. She starred in silent films as a child, and then sound films as an adult, but perhaps she is best known for her leading roles opposite Gene Autry in the early…

1918

C. Z. Guest

American actress, fashion designer, and author (died 2003)

Lucy Douglas "C.Z." Guest was an American actress, author, columnist, horsewoman, fashion designer, and socialite who achieved a degree of fame as a fashion icon. She was frequently seen wearing elegant designs by…

1920

Jaan Kross

Estonian author and poet (died 2007)

Jaan Kross was an Estonian writer. He won the 1995 International Nonino Prize in Italy.

1920

George Rose

English actor and singer (died 1988)

George Walter Rose was an English actor and singer in theatre and film. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for roles in My Fair Lady and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

1920

Władysław Bartoszewski

Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2015)

Władysław Bartoszewski was a Polish professor of History, politician, social activist, journalist, writer, historian and insurgent. A former Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner, he was a World War II resistance…

1922

David Bronstein

Ukrainian chess player and theoretician (died 2006)

David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet and Russian chess player. Awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE in 1950, he narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was one of the world's…

1924

Lee Marvin

American actor (died 1987)

Lamont Warren Marvin Jr., known as Lee Marvin, was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. He…

1924

György Kurtág

Hungarian composer and academic

György Kurtág is a Hungarian composer of contemporary classical music and pianist. According to Grove Music Online, his style draws on "Bartók, Webern and, to a lesser extent, Stravinsky", and "his work is characterized…

1926

Philippe Boiry

French journalist (died 2014)

Philippe Paul Alexandre Henri Boiry was a journalist and a pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia from October 26, 1952, to January 5, 2014.

1927

Jacques Deray

French director and screenwriter (died 2003)

Jacques Deray was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime and thriller films.

1929

John Frankenheimer

American director and producer (died 2002)

John Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director, known both for his social dramas and his action/suspense pictures. Among his best-known theatrical film credits are Birdman of Alcatraz, The…

1930

K. Viswanath

Indian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2023)

Kasinadhuni Viswanath was an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist and actor who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. One of the greatest auteurs of Indian cinema, he received international recognition for his…

1930

Joseph P. Kerwin

American captain, physician, and astronaut

Joseph Peter Kerwin is an American physician and former NASA astronaut. He served as the science pilot for the Skylab 2 mission from May 25, 1973, to June 22, 1973. He was the first physician to be selected for…

1932

Chung-Yun Hse

Taiwanese-American wood scientist (died 2021)

Chung-Yun Hse was a Taiwanese American research scientist in wood utilization, who was an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science. He served at the USDA Forest Service Southern Research…

1935

Dave Niehaus

American sportscaster (died 2010)

David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008,…

1935

Russ Nixon

American MLB catcher and coach (died 2016)

Russell Eugene Nixon was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1957 to 1968. A veteran of 55 years in professional baseball, Nixon…

1935

Sam Myers

American singer-songwriter (died 2006)

Samuel Joseph Myers was an American blues musician and songwriter. He was an accompanist on dozens of recordings by blues artists over five decades. He began his career as a drummer for Elmore James but was most famous…

1936

Frederick Seidel

American poet

Frederick Seidel is an American poet.

1936

Terry Carr

American author and educator (died 1987)

Terry Gene Carr was an American science fiction fan, author, editor, and writing instructor.

1937

Norm O'Neill

Australian cricketer and sportscaster (died 2008)

Norman Clifford Louis O'Neill was a cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test…

1937

Choekyi Gyaltsen

10th Panchen Lama (died 1989)

Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chöekyi Gyaltsen was the tenth Panchen Lama, officially the 10th Panchen Erdeni, of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism, Panchen Lamas are living emanations of…

1938

Erin Pizzey

English activist and author, founded Refuge

Erin Patria Margaret Pizzey is a British men's rights activist and novelist known for her advocacy on behalf of both men's and women's rights and for her work against domestic violence. She is recognized for founding…

1939

Saparmyrat Nyýazow

Turkmen engineer and politician, 1st President of Turkmenistan (died 2006)

Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov was a Turkmen politician and dictator who led Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was the first secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan from 1985 until 1991 and…

1940

Smokey Robinson

American singer-songwriter and producer

William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief…

1940

Bobby Rogers

American singer-songwriter (died 2013)

Robert Edward Rogers was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a founding member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Miracles to the…

1940

David Gross

American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

David Jonathan Gross is an American theoretical physicist and string theorist. He shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics with Frank Wilczek and Hugh David Politzer "for the discovery of asymptotic freedom in the theory…

1941

Jenny Tonge

Baroness Tonge, English politician

Jennifer Louise Tonge, Baroness Tonge is a British politician. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park from 1997 to 2005. In June 2005 she was made a life peer as Baroness Tonge, of Kew in the London Borough…

1941

Cyrus Chothia

English biochemist and emeritus scientist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (died 2019)

Cyrus Homi Chothia was an English biochemist who was an emeritus scientist at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) at the University of Cambridge and emeritus fellow of Wolfson…

1942

Paul Krause

American football player and politician

Paul James Krause is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins. Krause established himself as a…

1942

Will Provine

American biologist, historian, and academic (died 2015)

William Ball Provine was an American historian of science and of evolutionary biology and population genetics. He was the Andrew H. and James S. Tisch Distinguished University Professor at Cornell University and was a…

1942

Howard Stringer

Welsh businessman

Sir Howard Stringer is a Welsh-American businessman. He had a 30-year career at CBS, culminating in him serving as the president of CBS News from 1986 to 1988, then president of CBS from 1988 to 1995. He served as…

1942

Lou Christie

American singer-songwriter (died 2025)

Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, known professionally by his stage name Lou Christie, was an American pop and soft rock singer-songwriter widely known for hits in the 1960s, including his 1966 U.S. chart-topper "Lightnin'…

1943

Homer Hickam

American author and engineer

Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. is an American author, Vietnam War veteran, and a former NASA engineer who trained the first Japanese astronauts. His 1998 memoir Rocket Boys was a New York Times Best Seller and was the basis…

1943

Tim Hunt

English biochemist and academic, Nobel laureate

Sir Richard Timothy Hunt is a British biochemist and molecular physiologist. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Nurse and Leland H. Hartwell for their discoveries of protein…

1943

Les Hinton

English-American journalist and businessman

Leslie Frank Hinton is a British-American journalist, writer and business executive whose career with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation spanned more than fifty years. Hinton worked in newspapers, magazines and…

1944

Yuri Antonov

Uzbek-Russian singer-songwriter

Yuri Mikhailovich Antonov is a Soviet and Russian composer, singer and musician, People's Artist of Russia (1997).

1945

Paul Dean

Canadian guitarist

Paul Warren Dean is a Canadian musician and the lead guitarist of the Canadian rock band Loverboy which reached huge fame in the early 1980s.

1946

Peter Hudson

Australian footballer and coach

Peter John Hudson AM is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the New Norfolk Football Club and Glenorchy Football Club in the…

1946

Karen Silkwood

American technician and activist (died 1974)

Karen Gay Silkwood was an American laboratory technician and labor union activist known for reporting concerns about corporate practices related to health and safety in a nuclear facility.

1946

Jackie Curtis

American actress and playwright (died 1985)

Jackie Curtis was an American underground actor, singer, and playwright best known as a Warhol superstar. Primarily a stage actor in New York City, Curtis performed as a man and also performed in drag.

1947

Tim Shadbolt

New Zealand businessman and politician, 42nd Mayor of Invercargill

Sir Timothy Richard Shadbolt was a New Zealand politician. Having been an activist in his youth, he went on to serve as mayor of Waitemata City from 1983 to 1989 and then to serve as mayor of Invercargill from 1993 to…

1947

Mark Andes

American singer-songwriter and bass player

Mark Andes is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Canned Heat, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Robert Mirabal.

1948

Pim Fortuyn

Dutch sociologist, academic, and politician (died 2002)

Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, author, civil servant, businessman, sociologist, and academic who founded the party Pim Fortuyn List in 2002.

1948

Raúl Grijalva

United States representative from Arizona (died 2025)

Raúl Manuel Grijalva was an American politician and activist who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona from 2003 until his death in 2025. As member of the Democratic Party,…

1948

Tony Iommi

English guitarist and songwriter

Anthony Frank Iommi Jr. is an English musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath in 1968, and was the guitarist, leader, main composer, and only constant member during the band's existence for…

1948

Danielle Bunten Berry

American game designer and programmer (died 1998)

Danielle Bunten Berry, was an American game designer and programmer, known for the 1983 game M.U.L.E., one of the first influential multiplayer video games, and 1984's The Seven Cities of Gold.

1949

Eddie Hardin

English singer-songwriter and pianist (died 2015)

Eddie Hardin was an English rock pianist and singer-songwriter. Born Edward Harding, he was best known for his associations with the Spencer Davis Group, Axis Point, and Hardin & York. Hardin, along with the drummer,…

1949

Barry Lloyd

English footballer and manager (died 2024)

Barry David Lloyd was an English professional footballer and manager. As a player, he most notably played as a midfielder in the Football League for Fulham, for whom he was captain and made over 280 appearances for the…

1949

William Messner-Loebs

American author and illustrator

William Francis Messner-Loebs is an American comics artist and writer from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs. His hyphenated surname is a combination of his and his wife Nadine's unmarried…

1949

Juice Leskinen

Finnish singer-songwriter (died 2006)

Juhani Juice Leskinen, better known as Juice Leskinen was one of the most important and successful Finnish singer-songwriters of the late 20th century. From the early 1970s onward he released nearly 30 full-length…

1950

Andy Powell

English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Andrew Powell is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is a founding member of the British band Wishbone Ash, whose use of twin lead guitars was influential. He was voted in the top 100 greatest guitarists by…

1950

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

Pakistani scholar and politician, founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is a Pakistani–Canadian Islamic scholar and former politician. He is the founder and chief patron of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) since 1980. He also founded the Pakistan Awami Tehreek…

1951

Ryū Murakami

Japanese novelist and filmmaker

Ryū Murakami is a Japanese novelist, essayist and filmmaker. His novels explore human nature through themes of disillusion, drug use, surrealism, murder and war, set against the dark backdrop of Japan. His best known…

1952

Rodolfo Neri Vela

Mexican engineer and astronaut

Rodolfo Neri Vela is a Mexican scientist and astronaut who flew aboard a NASA Space Shuttle mission in the year 1985. He is the second Latin American to have traveled to space after Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez…

1952

Amy Tan

American novelist, essayist, and short story writer

Amy Ruth Tan is an American author best known for her novel The Joy Luck Club (1989), which was adapted into a 1993 film. She is also known for other novels, short story collections, children's books, and a memoir.

1952

Danilo Türk

Slovene academic and politician, 3rd President of Slovenia

Danilo Türk is a Slovenian diplomat, professor of international law, human rights expert, and political figure who served as President of Slovenia from 2007 to 2012. He was the first Slovene ambassador to the United…

1952

Corrado Barazzutti

Italian tennis player

Corrado Barazzutti is a former tennis player from Italy. His career-high singles ranking was world No. 7, achieved in August 1978.

1953

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

Argentine lawyer and politician, President of Argentina and Vice President of Argentina

Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner is an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the 55th President of Argentina from 2007 to 2015, and later as the 37th Vice President of Argentina under President Alberto…

1953

Massimo Troisi

Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1994)

Massimo Troisi was an Italian actor, cabaret performer, comedian, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his works in the films I'm Starting back from Three (1981) and Il Postino: The Postman (1994), for…

1953

Francis Buchholz

German bass player (died 2026)

Francis Buchholz was a German musician best known as the bass guitarist of the German rock band Scorpions from 1973 until 1992, a group that was successful internationally; his bass riffs for hits such as "Rock You Like…

1954

Michael Gira

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Michael Rolfe Gira is an American singer-songwriter, composer, author and artist. Now based in New Mexico, he founded the band Swans, in which he sings and plays guitar, in New York City in the 1980s at the height of…

1954

Sócrates

Brazilian footballer and manager (died 2011)

Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, simply known as Sócrates, was a Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. His medical degree and his political awareness, combined with style and quality…

1954

Jeff Daniels

American actor and playwright

Jeffrey Warren Daniels is an American actor. He is known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime…

1955

Peter Holsapple

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Peter Livingston Holsapple is an American musician who, along with Chris Stamey, formed the dB's, a jangle-pop band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He became the band's principal songwriter and singer after Stamey's…

1956

Roderick MacKinnon

American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Roderick MacKinnon is an American biophysicist, neuroscientist, and businessman. He is a professor of molecular neurobiology and biophysics at Rockefeller University who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with…

1956

Dave Wakeling

English singer-songwriter and guitarist

David Wakeling is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known for his work with the band the Beat and General Public. After he split with Ranking Roger, he formed the English Beat, and continued touring.

1956

Falco

Austrian singer-songwriter, rapper, and musician (died 1998)

Johann "Hans" Hölzel, better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian musician. He had several international hits, including "Der Kommissar" (1981), "Rock Me Amadeus", which reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot…

1957

Dave Stewart

American baseball player, coach, and executive

David Keith Stewart, nicknamed "Smoke", is an American professional baseball executive, pitching coach, sports agent, and former starting pitcher. The Los Angeles Dodgers' 16th-round selection in the 1975 MLB draft,…

1957

Ray Winstone

English actor

Raymond Andrew Winstone is an English actor. With a career spanning five decades, he is known for his "hard man" roles, usually delivered in his distinctive London accent.

1957

Leslie David Baker

American actor

Leslie David Baker is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Stanley Hudson on the NBC sitcom The Office (2005–2013), which earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

1958

Helen Fielding

English author and screenwriter

Helen Fielding is a British journalist, novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the fictional character Bridget Jones. Fielding’s first novel was set in a refugee camp in East Africa and she started…

1958

Steve Nieve

English keyboard player and composer

Steve Nieve is an English musician and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Nieve has been a member of Elvis Costello's backing bands the Attractions and the Imposters, as well as Madness. He has also…

1958

Roger Goodell

American businessman, 6th National Football League Commissioner

Roger Stokoe Goodell is an American businessman who has been the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since 2006.

1959

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

second son of Elizabeth II

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a younger brother of King…

1960

John Paul Jr.

American race car driver (died 2020)

John Lee Paul Jr. was an American racing driver. He competed in CART and the Indy Racing League competitions, but primarily in IMSA GT Championship, winning the title in 1982.

1960

Justin Fashanu

English footballer (died 1998)

Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu was an English footballer who played for a variety of clubs between 1978 and 1997. He was known by his early clubs to be gay, and came out publicly later in his career, becoming the first…

1961

Ernie Gonzalez

American golfer (died 2020)

Ernie Gonzalez was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1980s. He won the only title of his career in 1986. By doing so, he became only the third left-handed golfer to win a Tour event.

1961

Hana Mandlíková

Czech-Australian tennis player and coach

Hana Mandlíková is a Czech–Australian former professional tennis player. She was ranked world No. 3 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in the mid-1980s. Mandíková won 27 WTA Tour-level singles…

1962

Seal

English singer-songwriter

Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel (; born 19 February 1963), better known by his stage name Seal, is a British singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the recipient of three Brit Awards, four Grammy…

1963

Jessica Tuck

American actress

Jessica Tuck is an American actress, best known for her performances on television as Megan Gordon Harrison on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, Gillian Gray in the CBS drama series Judging Amy, and as Nan Flanagan…

1963

Doug Aldrich

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Doug Aldrich is an American hard rock guitarist. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St. John in 1998 and has played with Whitesnake, Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, Bad Moon Rising and Revolution Saints.…

1964

Jennifer Doudna

American biochemist

Dr Jennifer Anne Doudna is an American biochemist who has pioneered work in CRISPR gene editing, and made other fundamental contributions in biochemistry and genetics. She received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry,…

1964

Jonathan Lethem

American novelist, essayist, and short story writer

Jonathan Allen Lethem is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was published in…

1964

Jon Fishman

American drummer

Jon Fishman is an American drummer and co-founder of the band Phish, which was, in part, named after him. He is credited with co-writing nineteen Phish songs, eight with a solo credit.

1965

Clark Hunt

American businessman

Clark Knobel Hunt is an American billionaire, businessman and scion of the Hunt family. He currently serves as chairman and CEO of the National Football League (NFL)'s Kansas City Chiefs, Major League Soccer (MLS)‘s FC…

1965

Leroy

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Kirk Leroy Miller professionally known as Leroy Miller is an American musician from Spokane, Washington.

1965

Justine Bateman

American actress and producer

Justine Bateman is an American filmmaker, author and actress. Her acting work has included Family Ties, Satisfaction, Men Behaving Badly, The TV Set, Desperate Housewives, and Californication. Her feature film…

1966

Paul Haarhuis

Dutch tennis player and coach

Paul Vincent Nicholas Haarhuis is a Dutch tennis coach and a former professional player. He is a former world No. 1 doubles player, having reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 18 in November 1995. He has…

1966

Eduardo Xol

American designer and author (died 2024)

Eduardo Torres Xol was an American television personality, designer, entertainer, social activist and businessman. He was most known to U.S. television audiences for his work as a designer on Extreme Makeover: Home…

1966

Benicio del Toro

Puerto Rican actor, director, and producer

Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez is a Puerto Rican actor. His accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Goya Award, and the Best Actor awards at the Berlin International Film…

1967

Prince Markie Dee

American rapper and actor (died 2021)

Mark Anthony Morales, better known by the stage name Prince Markie Dee, was an American rapper and music producer. He was a member of the Fat Boys, a pioneering hip hop group that gained fame during the 1980s. Morales…

1968

Frank Watkins

American bass player (died 2015)

Frank Watkins was an American heavy metal musician best known as a former, long-time bass player for the death metal band Obituary; he played with them from 1989 to 1997 and then from 2003 until 2010. He had been the…

1968

Burton C. Bell

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Burton Christopher Bell is an American musician. He is best known as the co-founder and former frontman of the industrial metal band Fear Factory. Until 2021 he was the only member to perform on all of the band's…

1969

Helena Guergis

Canadian businesswoman and politician

Helena C. Guergis, is a Canadian politician. She represented the Ontario riding of Simcoe—Grey in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2011, and was appointed Minister of State on October 30, 2008, following the…

1969

Joacim Cans

Swedish singer-songwriter

Joacim Cans is a Swedish singer, best known as the lead vocalist of power metal band HammerFall. He is the only member aside from founder and guitarist Oscar Dronjak to appear on all of the band's albums.

1970

Verena Nussbaum

Austrian politician

Verena Nussbaum is an Austrian politician and member of the National Council. A member of the Social Democratic Party, she has represented Greater Graz since November 2017.

1970

Bellamy Young

American actress

Bellamy Young is an American actress, producer and singer best known as Melody "Mellie" Grant on Scandal (2012–18), for which she won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in…

1970

Miguel Batista

Dominican baseball player and poet

Miguel Descartes Batista Jerez is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for 12 teams, spending multiple seasons with the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Arizona…

1971

Richard Green

Australian golfer

Richard George Green is an Australian professional golfer.

1971

Jeff Kinney

American author and illustrator

Jeffrey Patrick Kinney is an American author and illustrator. He is best known for creating, writing and illustrating the children's book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He also created the child-oriented website…

1971

Francine Fournier

American wrestler and manager

Francine Meeks, known by the mononym Francine, is an American professional wrestling valet and professional wrestler. She is best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1995 to 2001 and with…

1972

Sunset Thomas

American pornographic actress

Diane Thomas, known professionally as Sunset Thomas, is an American artist and former pornographic film actress. She was runner-up for Penthouse Pet of the Year in 1998 and is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame, Porn…

1972

Eric Lange

American actor

Eric Lange is an American character actor. He is known for his extensive work on television, where he has appeared in a wide variety of both supporting and leading roles.

1973

Daniel Adair

Canadian drummer and producer

Daniel Patrick Adair is a Canadian drummer. He has been a member of the rock band Nickelback since 2005 and was with 3 Doors Down from 2002 until 2005. On the side, he works with the band Suspect and the instrumental…

1975

Daewon Song

South Korean-American skateboarder, co-founded Almost Skateboards

David Daewon Song is a Korean-American professional skateboarder. He is the co-founder and co-owner of Almost Skateboards and Thank You Skateboards, and continues to skate for the latter company. Song was named the 2006…

1975

Ola Salo

Swedish singer-songwriter and keyboard player

Ola Salo is a Swedish rock musician, lead vocalist of Swedish glam rock band The Ark.

1977

Andrew Ross Sorkin

American journalist and author

Andrew Ross Sorkin is an American journalist and author. He is a financial columnist for The New York Times and a co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box. He is also the founder and editor of DealBook, a financial news service…

1977

Gianluca Zambrotta

Italian footballer and manager

Gianluca Zambrotta is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a full-back or as a wide midfielder, on both the left and right wings.

1977

Ben Gummer

English scholar and politician

Benedict Michael Gummer is a British businessman and former politician. He is a partner of Gummer Leathes, a property developer. He is a senior adviser to McKinsey & Company, the management consultancy, and a visiting…

1978

Immortal Technique

Peruvian-American rapper

Felipe Andres Coronel, better known by his stage name Immortal Technique, is a Peruvian-American rapper, songwriter, and activist. His lyrics largely feature commentary on issues such as politics, religion,…

1978

Steve Cherundolo

American soccer player and manager

Steven Emil Cherundolo is an American soccer coach and former player who recently was the head coach of Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC. A right-back, he was the captain of Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga,…

1979

Dwight Freeney

American football player

Dwight Jason Freeney is an American former professional football player who currently serves as the Director of player development for Syracuse University. Freeney played as a defensive end and linebacker for 16 seasons…

1980

Ma Lin

Chinese table tennis player

Ma Lin is a retired Chinese table tennis player, Olympic champion, and the current Chinese Women's Team Head Coach.

1980

Mike Miller

American basketball player

Michael Lloyd Miller is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after being selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the…

1980

Beth Ditto

American singer

Mary Beth Patterson, known by her stage name Beth Ditto, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and radio presenter most notable for her work with the indie rock band Gossip. Her voice has been compared to Etta…

1981

Shawn Spears

Canadian wrestler

Ronnie William Arneill, better known by his ring name Shawn Spears, is a Canadian professional wrestler and trainer. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand and is the leader of The Culling. He is a…

1981

Kotoōshū Katsunori

Bulgarian sumo wrestler

Karoyan Andō, known professionally as Kotoōshū Katsunori and in his coaching career as Naruto Katsunori, is a Bulgarian-Japanese former sumo wrestler. He made his debut in 2002, reaching the top division just two years…

1983

Mika Nakashima

Japanese singer and actress

Mika Nakashima is a Japanese singer and actress. Five of her studio albums, one of her mini-albums and one of her compilation albums have reached number one in Japan's Oricon album chart. She also embarked on an acting…

1983

Reynhard Sinaga

Indonesian sex offender

Reynhard "Rey" Tambos Maruli Tua Sinaga is an Indonesian serial rapist who was convicted of 159 sex offences, including 136 rapes of young men, committed in Manchester, England, between 2015 and 2017, where he was…

1983

Ryan Whitney

American ice hockey player

Ryan Whitney is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the co-host of two Barstool Sports podcasts, Spittin' Chiclets with former NHL enforcer Paul Bissonnette and The Unnamed Show with…

1983

Jawad Williams

American basketball player

Jawad Hason Williams is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays as a small…

1983

Chris Richardson

American singer-songwriter

Christopher Michael Richardson is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.

1984

Haylie Duff

American actress and singer

Haylie Katherine Duff is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Sandy Jameson in the television series 7th Heaven, Amy Sanders in Lizzie McGuire and Summer Wheatly in Napoleon Dynamite. An…

1985

Arielle Kebbel

American actress and model

Arielle Kebbel is an American actress and model. She has starred on several television series, including Gilmore Girls (2003–2004), The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017), Life Unexpected (2010), 90210 (2011–2013), Ballers,…

1985

Kosta Perović

Serbian basketball player

Kosta Perović is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He represented the Serbian national basketball team internationally. In the 2006 NBA draft he was a second-round selection of the NBA's Golden State…

1985

Kyle Chipchura

Canadian ice hockey player

Kyle Douglas Glen Chipchura is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was selected in the first round, 18th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2004 NHL entry draft. Chipchura also played for the…

1986

Linus Klasen

Swedish ice hockey player

Robert Linus Alexander Klasen is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

1986

Marta

Brazilian footballer

Marta Vieira da Silva, known mononymously as Marta, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League club Orlando Pride and captains the Brazil women's national team.…

1986

Maria Mena

Norwegian singer-songwriter

Maria Viktoria Mena is a Norwegian pop singer, best known for her singles such as "You're the Only One", "Just Hold Me", and "All This Time" which charted in multiple countries.

1986

Anna Cappellini

Italian ice dancer

Anna Cappellini is an Italian ice dancer. With partner Luca Lanotte, she is the 2014 World champion, the 2014 European champion, the 2015 Cup of China champion and a thirteen-time medalist on the Grand Prix series, and…

1987

Josh Reddick

American baseball player

William Joshua Reddick is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and Arizona…

1987

Shawn Matthias

Canadian ice hockey player

Shawn Matthias is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Matthias played in the NHL, making appearances with the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg…

1988

Seth Morrison

American guitarist

Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife John Cooper and Korey Cooper along with Jen Ledger and Seth Morrison. The band has…

1988

Sone Aluko

English-Nigerian footballer

Omatsone Folarin Aluko is a professional football coach and former player who played as a forward or winger. He is currently a first team coach at Ipswich Town.

1989

Trevor Bayne

American race car driver

Trevor Mitchell Bayne is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, dirt racing driver, team owner, and businessman. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, competing in the No. 24…

1991

Christoph Kramer

German footballer

Christoph Kramer is a German former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

1991

Adreian Payne

American basketball player (died 2022)

Adreian DeAngleo Payne was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic as well as for several…

1991

Camille Kostek

American model

Camille Veronica Kostek is an American model, host, and actress. She appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and was featured on the cover of the magazine's 2019 edition. Kostek is the on-field host of the…

1992

Cody Parkey

American football player

Cody Parkey is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an…

1992

Mauro Icardi

Argentine footballer

Mauro Emanuel Icardi Rivero is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains Süper Lig club Galatasaray.

1993

Victoria Justice

American actress and singer

Victoria Justice is an American actress and singer. She rose to fame on Nickelodeon, playing Lola Martinez on the comedy drama series Zoey 101 (2005–2008) and Tori Vega on the sitcom Victorious (2010–2013). For these…

1993

Tiina Trutsi

Estonian footballer

Tiina Trutsi is an Estonian footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Cypriot team Barcelona FA and the Estonian national team.

1994

Nikola Jokić

Serbian basketball player

Nikola Jokić is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a center for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Joker", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and…

1995

Mabel

British-Swedish singer

Mabel Alabama-Pearl McVey is a Swedish and British singer. She rose to prominence in 2017 with her single "Finders Keepers" which peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart.

1996

D. J. Wilson

American basketball player

DeVante Jaylen Wilson is an American professional basketball player for the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and completed his…

1996

Katharina Gerlach

German tennis player

Katharina Gerlach is a German inactive tennis player.

1998

Chappell Roan

American singer and songwriter

Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, known professionally as Chappell Roan, is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her camp and drag queen-influenced style.

1998

Jungwoo

South Korean singer

Kim Jung-woo, known mononymously as Jungwoo, is a South Korean singer. He is a member of the SM Entertainment South Korean boy group NCT and its sub-units NCT 127 and NCT DoJaeJung.

1998

Lee Kang-in

South Korean footballer

Lee Kang-in is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the South Korea national team.

2001

David Mazouz

American actor

David Albert Mazouz is an American actor, best known for his leading role as Bruce Wayne in Fox's Batman-prequel TV drama Gotham (2014–2019). Mazouz started his acting career with several guest roles before joining the…

2001

Millie Bobby Brown

English actress, model and producer

Millie Bonnie Bongiovi, known professionally as Millie Bobby Brown, is a British actress and film producer. She gained international recognition for playing Eleven in the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things…

2004

Famous birthdays

Who was born on February 19?

Eddie Arcaro — American jockey (1916–1997)

FeaturedEddie Arcaro

Birth year1916

Known forTriple Crown twice

Birthdays on this date199 (1461 – 2004)

Explore February 19

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

Events on February 19 Birthdays on February 19 Deaths on February 19 February 19 quiz

Also on February 19 in History

2021

Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a 19-year-old protester, becomes the first known casualty of anti-coup protests that formed in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Wikipedia →

2020

Nine people are killed in two domestic terrorist shootings in Hanau, Hesse, Germany. Wikipedia →

2012

Forty-four people are killed in a prison brawl in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico. Wikipedia →

See all events on February 19

February 18 February 20

Explore famous birthdays on the interactive calendar.

Open the Calendar All Blog Posts

Famous Birthdays on February 19

1916 — Eddie Arcaro

Who was born on February 19?

Explore February 19

Also on February 19 in History

History runs on facts, and this project runs on coffee!