Famous Birthdays on February 23

Q: Who was born on February 23?

Famous people born on February 23 include: Al-Zafir, Pope Paul II (died 1471), Louis IX, Matthias Corvinus, Onofrio Panvinio.

Q: What is Marc Garneau known for?

Marc Garneau, Canadian engineer, astronaut, and politician (died 2025)

1949 — Marc Garneau

Canadian engineer, astronaut, and politician (died 2025)

February 23 has seen 149 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1133 – 2002. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · February 23 — Wikipedia

Famous Birthdays 149 people 1133 – 2002

Did you know

He became the first Canadian in space on October 5, 1984, and flew on three Space Shuttle missions

Did you know

Garneau served as a naval officer before being selected as an astronaut as part of the 1983 NRC Group

Did you know

From 2001 to 2005, Garneau was president of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

Did you know

Garneau entered politics and was elected to the House of Commons in 2008, serving as a Montreal-area member of Parliament (MP) until 2023

Did you know

A member of the Liberal Party, Garneau served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from January to October in 2021 and as Minister of Transport from 2015 to 2021.

Al-Zafir

Fatimid caliph (died 1154)

Abū Manṣūr Ismāʿīl ibn al-Ḥāfiẓ, better known by his regnal name al-Ẓāfir bi-Amr Allāh or al-Ẓāfir bi-Aʿdāʾ Allāh, was the twelfth Fatimid caliph, reigning in Egypt from 1149 to 1154, and the 22nd imam of the Hafizi…

1133

Pope Paul II (died 1471)

Pope Paul II, born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 August 1464 to his death in 1471. When his maternal uncle became Pope Eugene IV, Barbo switched from training to be…

1417

Louis IX

Duke of Bavaria (died 1479)

Louis IX was Duke of Bavaria-Landshut from 1450. He was a son of Henry XVI the Rich and Margaret of Austria. Louis was the founder of the University of Ingolstadt.

1417

Matthias Corvinus

Hungarian king (died 1490)

Matthias Corvinus was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and…

1443

Onofrio Panvinio

Italian historian (died 1568)

Onofrio Panvinio was an Italian Augustinian friar, historian and antiquary who was the librarian to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese.

1529

Henry XI of Legnica

thrice Duke of Legnica (died 1588)

Henry XI of Legnica, was thrice Duke of Legnica: 1551–1556, 1559–1576 and 1580–1581.

1539

Salima Sultan Begum

Empress of the Mughal Empire (died 1612)

Salima Sultan Begum was the third wife and chief consort of the Mughal emperor Akbar, and a granddaughter of Babur.

1539

Jean-Baptiste Morin

French mathematician, astrologer, and astronomer (died 1656)

Jean-Baptiste Morin, also known by the Latinized name as Morinus, was a French mathematician, astrologer, and astronomer.

1583

Balthazar Gerbier

Dutch painter (died 1663)

Sir Balthazar Gerbier was an Anglo-Dutch courtier, diplomat, art advisor, miniaturist and architectural designer, in his own words fluent in "several languages" with "a good hand in writing, skill in sciences as…

1592

George Frederick of Nassau-Siegen

officer in the Dutch Army (died 1674)

Prince George Frederick of Nassau-Siegen, German: Georg Friedrich Prinz von Nassau-Siegen, official titles: Prinz von Nassau, Graf zu Katzenelnbogen, Vianden und Diez, Herr zu Beilstein, was a count from the House of…

1606

Samuel Pepys

English diarist and politician (died 1703)

Samuel Pepys was an English writer and Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament, but is now most renowned for the diary he kept for almost a decade, first published in the…

1633

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi

Japanese shōgun (died 1709)

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the fifth shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada,…

1646

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne

Sieur de Bienville, Canadian politician, 2nd Colonial Governor of Louisiana (died 1767)

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, also known as Sieur de Bienville, was a French-Canadian colonial administrator in New France. Born in Montreal, he was an early governor of French Louisiana, appointed four separate…

1680

George Frideric Handel

German-English organist and composer (died 1759)

George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti.

1685

Richard Price

Welsh-English minister and philosopher (died 1791)

Richard Price was a British moral philosopher, Nonconformist minister and mathematician. He was also a political reformer and pamphleteer, active in radical, republican, and liberal causes such as the French and…

1723

Mayer Amschel Rothschild

German banker and businessman (died 1812)

Mayer Amschel Rothschild was a German Jewish banker and the founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty, which dominated international finance in Europe between the 1820s and the 1870s. Referred to as a "founding father…

1744

José Joaquín de Herrera

Mexican politician and general (died 1854)

José Joaquín Antonio Florencio de Herrera y Ricardos was a Mexican statesman who served as president of Mexico three times, and as a general in the Mexican Army during the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848.

1792

Johan Jakob Nervander

Finnish poet, physicist and meteorologist (died 1848)

Johan Jakob Nervander was a Finnish poet, physicist, and meteorologist.

1805

Magdalene Osenbroch

Norwegian actress (died 1854)

Magdalene Henrikke Dedichen Osenbroch was a Norwegian actress who mainly performed at the Det norske Theater in Bergen.

1830

Hendrik Willem Mesdag

Dutch painter (died 1915)

Hendrik Willem Mesdag was a Dutch marine painter.

1831

Karl Robert Eduard von Hartmann

German philosopher and author (died 1906)

Karl Robert Eduard von Hartmann was a German philosopher, independent scholar and writer. He was the author of the influential Philosophy of the Unconscious (1869). von Hartmann's notable ideas include the theory of the…

1842

César Ritz

Swiss businessman, founded The Ritz Hotel, London and Hôtel Ritz Paris (died 1918)

César Ritz was a Swiss businessman, hotelier and pioneer of the travel industry. He most notably founded several hotels most famously the Hôtel Ritz in Paris and the Ritz and Carlton Hotels in London.

1850

W. E. B. Du Bois

American sociologist, historian, and activist (died 1963)

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American sociologist, writer, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated…

1868

Anna Hofman-Uddgren

Swedish actress, singer, and director (died 1947)

Anna Maria Viktoria Hofman-Uddgren née Hammarström; also known as Hoffman and Hofmann, was a Swedish actress, cabaret singer, music hall and revue artist, theatre director, and film director. Until 2016, she was…

1868

Liang Qichao

Chinese journalist, philosopher, and scholar (died 1929)

Liang Qichao was a Chinese politician, social and political activist, journalist, and intellectual. His thought had a significant influence on the political reformation of modern China. He inspired Chinese scholars and…

1873

Konstantin Päts

Estonian lawyer and politician, 1st President of Estonia (died 1956)

Konstantin Päts was an Estonian statesman and the country's president from 1938 to 1940. Päts was one of the most influential politicians of the independent democratic Republic of Estonia, and during the two decades…

1874

Kazimir Malevich

Ukrainian painter and theorist (died 1935)

Kazimir Severinovich Malevich was a Russian avant-garde artist and art theorist, whose work and writings pioneered the development of abstract painting in the 20th century. He is best known as the founder of…

1878

Karl Jaspers

German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher (died 1969)

Karl Theodor Jaspers was a German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher who had a strong influence on modern theology, psychiatry, and philosophy. His 1913 work General Psychopathology influenced many later diagnostic…

1883

Guy C. Wiggins

American painter (died 1962)

Guy Carleton Wiggins NA was an American impressionist painter. He was the president of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, and a member of the Old Lyme Art Colony. He did many paintings of New York City's snowy…

1883

Casimir Funk

Polish biochemist (died 1967)

Casimir Funk was a Polish biochemist generally credited with being among the first to formulate the concept of vitamins after publishing a landmark medical writing in 1912. He highlighted these "vital amines" as…

1884

Musidora

French actress and director (died 1957)

Jeanne Roques, known professionally as Musidora, was a French actress, film director, screenwriter, playwright and novelist. A major figure of French silent cinema, she became internationally known for portraying Irma…

1889

Cyril Delevanti

English-American actor (died 1975)

Harry Cyril Delevanti was an English character actor, with a long career in American films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He appeared in some 170 productions, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best…

1889

Victor Fleming

American director, cinematographer, and producer (died 1949)

Victor Lonzo Fleming was an American film director, cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were the historical drama Gone with the Wind, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director, and the…

1889

John Gilbert Winant

American captain, pilot, and politician, 60th Governor of New Hampshire (died 1947)

John Gilbert Winant was an American diplomat and politician with the Republican party after a brief career as a teacher in Concord, New Hampshire. John Winant held positions in New Hampshire, national, and international…

1889

Kathleen Harrison

English actress (died 1995)

Kathleen Harrison was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs. Huggett in a trio of British post-war comedies about a working-class family's misadventures, The Huggetts. She later played…

1892

Agnes Smedley

American journalist and writer (died 1950)

Agnes Smedley was an American journalist, writer and activist who supported the Indian Independence Movement and the Chinese Communist Revolution. Raised in a poverty-stricken miner's family in Missouri and Colorado,…

1892

Harold Horder

Australian rugby league player and coach (died 1978)

Harold Norman Horder was an Australian rugby league footballer. He was a national and state representative player whose club career was with South Sydney and North Sydney between 1912 and 1924. Regarded as one of the…

1894

Erich Kästner

German author and poet (died 1974)

Emil Erich Kästner was a German writer, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known primarily for his humorous, socially astute poems and for children's books including Emil and the Detectives and Lisa and Lottie. He…

1899

Norman Taurog

American director and screenwriter (died 1981)

Norman Rae Taurog was an American film director and screenwriter. From 1920 to 1968, Taurog directed 180 films. At the age of 32, he received the Academy Award for Best Director for Skippy (1931), becoming the youngest…

1899

Terence Fisher

English director and screenwriter (died 1980)

Terence Fisher was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Films.

1904

William McMahon

Australian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1988)

Sir William McMahon was an Australian politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, and previously held various…

1908

Jon Hall

American actor and director (died 1979)

Jon Hall was an American film actor known for playing a variety of adventurous roles, as in 1937's The Hurricane, and later when contracted to Universal Pictures, including Invisible Agent, The Invisible Man's Revenge,…

1915

Johnny Carey

Irish footballer and manager (died 1995)

John Joseph Carey was an Irish professional footballer and manager. As a player, Carey spent most of his career at Manchester United, where he was team captain from 1946 until he retired as a player in 1953. He was also…

1919

Paul Gérin-Lajoie

Canadian lawyer and politician (died 2018)

Paul Gérin-Lajoie, was a Canadian lawyer, philanthropist, and a former member of the National Assembly of Quebec and Cabinet Minister.

1920

Johnny Franz

English record producer (died 1977)

John Charles Franz was an English record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. He was one of Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s. While his recordings encompassed several forms of mainstream…

1922

Rafael Addiego Bruno

Uruguayan jurist and politician, President of Uruguay (died 2014)

Rafael Addiego Bruno was a Uruguayan jurist and political figure.

1923

Harry Clarke

English footballer (died 2000)

Henry Alfred Clarke was a professional footballer who spent his entire senior career at Tottenham Hotspur. He also represented England on one occasion.

1923

Ioannis Grivas

Greek judge and politician, 176th Prime Minister of Greece (died 2016)

Ioannis Grivas was a Greek judge, who served as President of the Court of Cassation and served as the Prime Minister of Greece at the head of a non-party caretaker government in 1989.

1923

Dante Lavelli

American football player (died 2009)

Dante Bert Joseph Lavelli, nicknamed "Gluefingers", was an American professional football player. An end, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League…

1923

Clarence D. Lester

American fighter pilot (died 1986)

Clarence D. "Lucky" Lester was an American fighter pilot who served in the 332nd Fighter Group, commonly known as the Tuskegee Airmen, during World War II. He was one of the first African-American military aviators in…

1923

Mary Francis Shura

American author (died 1991)

Mary Francis Shura Craig was an American writer of over 50 novels from 1960 to 1990. She wrote children's adventures and young adult romances as Mary Francis Shura, M. F. Craig, and Meredith Hill; gothic novels as Mary…

1923

Allan McLeod Cormack

South-African-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1998)

Allan MacLeod Cormack was a South African and American physicist, academic, and Nobel Laureate. He was Professor of Physics at Tufts University and won the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on…

1924

Louis Stokes

American lawyer and politician (died 2015)

Louis Stokes was an American attorney, civil rights pioneer and politician. He served 15 terms in the United States House of Representatives – representing the east side of Cleveland – and was the first African American…

1925

Régine Crespin

French soprano and actress (died 2007)

Régine Crespin was a French soprano who had a major international career in opera and on the concert stage between 1950 and 1989. She started her career singing roles in the dramatic soprano and spinto soprano…

1927

Jessica Huntley

Guyanese activist and publisher (died 2013)

Jessica Elleisse Huntley was a Guyanese-British political reformer and prominent race equality campaigner. She was a publisher of black and Asian literature, and a women's and community rights activist. She is notable…

1927

Mirtha Legrand

Argentine actress and television presenter

Rosa María Juana Martínez Suárez, known by her stage name Mirtha Legrand, is an Argentine actress and television presenter. With an 80-year career, Legrand is one of the most recognized entertainment figures in…

1927

Hans Herrmann

German racing driver (died 2026)

Hans Herrmann was a German Formula One and sports car racing driver from Stuttgart.

1928

Vasily Lazarev

Russian colonel, physician, and astronaut (died 1990)

Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 12 spaceflight as well as the abortive Soyuz 18a launch on 5 April 1975.

1928

Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow (died 2008)

Patriarch Alexy II was the 15th Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

1929

Elston Howard

American baseball player and coach (died 1980)

Elston Gene Howard was an American professional baseball player who was a catcher and a left fielder. During a 14-year baseball career, he played in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1948 through…

1929

Paul West

English-American author, poet, and academic (died 2015)

Paul Noden West was a British-born American novelist, poet, and essayist. He was born in Eckington, Derbyshire in England to Alfred and Mildred (Noden) West. Before his death, he resided in Ithaca, New York, with his…

1930

Tom Wesselmann

American painter and sculptor (died 2004)

Thomas K. Wesselmann was an American artist associated with the pop art movement who worked in painting, collage and sculpture.

1931

Majel Barrett

American actress and producer (died 2008)

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as various characters in the Star Trek franchise: Nurse Christine Chapel, Number One, Lwaxana Troi, and the voice of most onboard…

1932

Sylvia Chase

American broadcast journalist (died 2019)

Sylvia Belle Chase was an American broadcast journalist. She was a correspondent for ABC's 20/20 from its inception until 1985, when she left to become a news anchor at KRON-TV in San Francisco; in 1990 she returned to…

1938

Paul Morrissey

American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2024)

Paul Joseph Morrissey was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was best known for his long association with Andy Warhol and the Factory scene during the 1960s and early 1970s.

1938

Diane Varsi

American actress (died 1992)

Diane Marie Antonia Varsi was an American film actress best known for her performances in Peyton Place – her film debut, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award – and the cult film Wild in the Streets. She left…

1938

Lee Shaffer

American basketball player

Lee Philip Shaffer II is an American former professional basketball player.

1939

Jackie Smith

American football player

Jackie Larue Smith is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the…

1940

Ron Hunt

American baseball player

Ronald Kenneth (Ron) Hunt is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1974 for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants,…

1941

Bobby Mitchell

American golfer (died 2018)

Bobby Wayne Mitchell was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.

1943

Bernard Cornwell

English author and educator

Bernard Cornwell is an English author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo campaign. He is best known for his long-running series of novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also…

1944

Florian Fricke

German keyboard player and composer (died 2001)

Florian Fricke was a German musician who started his professional career with electronic music, using the Moog synthesizer, and was a founding member of the Krautrock band Popol Vuh.

1944

Johnny Winter

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 2014)

John Dawson Winter III was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums, live performances, and slide guitar playing from the late 1960s into the…

1944

Allan Boesak

South African cleric and politician

Allan Aubrey Boesak is a South African Dutch Reformed Church cleric, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He was sentenced to prison for fraud in 1999 but was subsequently granted an official pardon and reinstated as…

1945

Rusty Young

American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2021)

Norman Russell Young was an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, best known as one of the frontmen in the influential country rock and Americana band Poco.

1946

Pia Kjærsgaard

Danish politician, Speaker of the Danish Parliament

Pia Merete Kjærsgaard is a Danish politician who was Speaker of the Danish Parliament from 2015 to 2019, and former leader of the Danish People's Party.

1947

Anton Mosimann

Swiss chef and author

Anton Mosimann is a Swiss chef and restaurateur who was Maitre Chef des Cuisines at the Dorchester Hotel for thirteen years, during which time its restaurant achieved a rating of two stars in the Michelin Guide. After…

1947

Bill Alexander

English director and producer

William Alexander Paterson known professionally as Bill Alexander is a British theatre director who is best known for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and as artistic director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre.…

1948

Trevor Cherry

English footballer (died 2020)

Trevor John Cherry was an English footballer who notably captained both England and Leeds United. A defender, Cherry also played for Huddersfield Town and Bradford City, and managed the latter club.

1948

Steve Priest

English singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2020)

Stephen Norman Priest was an English musician who was the bassist of the glam rock band The Sweet.

1948

César Aira

Argentine author and translator

César Aira is an Argentine writer and translator, and an exponent of contemporary Argentine literature. He has published over a hundred short books of stories, novels and essays. He has lectured at the University of…

1949

Rebecca Goldstein

American philosopher and author

Rebecca Goldstein is an American philosopher and novelist. She has written ten books, both fiction and nonfiction. She holds a Ph.D. in philosophy of science from Princeton University, and is sometimes grouped with…

1950

John Greaves

Welsh bass guitarist and composer

John Greaves is a Welsh bass guitarist, pianist and composer who was a member of Henry Cow and has collaborated with Peter Blegvad. He was also a member of progressive rock band National Health and jazz-rock supergroup…

1950

Eddie Dibbs

American tennis player

Eddie Dibbs is a retired American tennis player also nicknamed "Fast Eddie". He attained a career-high singles ranking of world No. 5 in July 1978, winning 22 titles and being a runner-up another 20 times.

1951

Debbie Friedman

American singer-songwriter of Jewish melodies (died 2011)

Deborah Lynn Friedman was an American singer-songwriter of religious Jewish music. She was an early pioneer of gender-sensitive language: using the feminine forms of the Divine or altering masculine-only text references…

1951

Kenny Bee

Hong Kong singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

Chung Chun-to, also known as Kenny Bee, is a Hong Kong singer and actor. He rose to fame as the frontman of the Wynners, with whom he won the Golden Needle Award, the highest honor in Hong Kong music, in 1989. He…

1953

Satoru Nakajima

Japanese racing driver

Satoru Nakajima is a Japanese former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1987 to 1991.

1953

Rajini Thiranagama

Sri Lankan physician and academic (died 1989)

Rajani Thiranagama was a Sri Lankan Tamil human rights activist and feminist who was assassinated by the LTTE cadres after she had criticised them for their atrocities. At the time of her assassination, she was the head…

1954

Flip Saunders

American basketball player and coach (died 2015)

Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards.

1955

Francesca Simon

American-British author

Francesca Isabella Simon is an American-born British author. She is most famous for writing the Horrid Henry series of children's books.

1955

Sandra Osborne

Scottish politician

Sandra Currie Osborne is a Scottish Labour politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock from the 2005 to 2015 general elections. She was first elected as MP for the Ayr constituency in 1997,…

1956

Charlie Brandt

American serial killer (died 2004)

Carl Eric "Charlie" Brandt was an American serial killer who murdered at least four women: his mother in Indiana and a homeless woman, his wife, and his niece in Florida. Growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Brandt shot…

1957

David Sylvian

English singer-songwriter

David Sylvian is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan.

1958

Clayton Anderson

American engineer and astronaut

Clayton Conrad Anderson is a retired NASA astronaut. Launched on STS-117, he replaced Sunita Williams on June 10, 2007 as a member of the ISS Expedition 15 crew. He is currently an author, a motivational speaker, and a…

1959

Nick de Bois

English politician

Geoffrey Nicholas de Bois is a British broadcaster and former Conservative Party politician, who served as special adviser and chief of staff to Dominic Raab during his brief tenure as Secretary of State for Exiting the…

1959

Ian Liddell-Grainger

Scottish soldier and politician

Ian Richard Peregrine Liddell-Grainger is a British former Conservative Party politician and former property developer. He was MP for Bridgwater from 2001 until 2010, and until 2024, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset.…

1959

Linda Nolan

Irish singer and actress (died 2025)

Linda Mary Hudson was an Irish singer, actress, and television personality.

1959

Bobby Bonilla

American baseball player

Roberto Martin Antonio Bonilla is an American former professional baseball third baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001.

1963

Radosław Sikorski

Polish journalist and politician, 11th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland

Radosław Tomasz "Radek" Sikorski is a Polish politician, journalist and statesman who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2023, previously holding the office between 2007 and 2014, since 2025 also serving as…

1963

John Norum

Norwegian guitarist and songwriter

John Terry Norum is a Norwegian-born Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist.

1964

Michael Dell

American businessman

Michael Saul Dell is an American billionaire businessman and investor. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world's largest technology infrastructure companies.

1965

Helena Suková

Czech-Monacan tennis player

Helena Suková is a Czech former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's doubles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and No. 4 in singles. Suková won 14 major titles: nine in women's…

1965

Steve Stricker

American golfer

Steven Charles Stricker is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. He has twelve victories on the PGA Tour, including the WGC-Match Play title in 2001 and two FedEx Cup…

1967

Chris Vrenna

American drummer, songwriter, and producer

Chris Vrenna is an American musician, producer, engineer, remixer, programmer, and founder of the electronic band Tweaker. Vrenna played drums for the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from 1988 until 1996, and was…

1967

Michael Campbell

New Zealand golfer

Michael Shane Campbell is a New Zealand professional golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and, at the time, the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same…

1969

Martine Croxall

English journalist and television news presenter

Martine Sarah Croxall is a British television journalist. She is one of the main news presenters on BBC News. She began her career working for the BBC in 1991 and joined the BBC News team in 2001. Croxall has presented…

1969

Bhagyashree

Indian actress

Bhagyashree Dassani, known mononymously as Bhagyashree, is an Indian actress. Her breakthrough came with starring in Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), earning national recognition and the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.…

1969

Carin Koch

Swedish golfer

Anna Carin Pernilla Hjalmarsson Koch is a Swedish professional golfer who previously played on the Ladies European Tour and on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She was captain of the 2015 European Solheim Cup team.

1971

Melinda Messenger

English model and television host

Melinda Jane Messenger is an English television presenter and former glamour model and Page Three girl. She presented the magazine programme Live from Studio Five and was formerly the co-presenter of the reality show…

1971

Joe-Max Moore

American soccer player

Joe-Max Moore is a former American professional soccer player who played as a forward for various clubs in Germany and England in addition to two separate tenures at Major League Soccer side New England Revolution,…

1971

Alessandro Sturba

Italian footballer

Alessandro Sturba is a former Italian footballer.

1972

Rondell White

American baseball player

Rondell Bernard White is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and designated hitter. In addition to being a solid defensive player, White also had a…

1972

Jeff Nordgaard

American-Polish basketball player

Jeff Wallace Nordgaard is an American-born naturalized Polish former professional basketball player who played briefly in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well several top-level European leagues, during…

1973

Herschelle Gibbs

South African cricketer

Herschelle Herman Gibbs is a South African cricket coach and former cricketer, who played all formats of the game for fourteen years. A right-handed batsman, who mostly opened the batting, Gibbs became the first player…

1974

Robbi Kempson

South African rugby player

Robert Bruce Kempson is a South African former rugby union footballer, and the Director of High Performance and interim head coach of the Southern Kings in Pro14.

1974

Michael Cornacchia

American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Michael Cornacchia is an American actor.

1975

Kelly Macdonald

Scottish actress

Kelly Macdonald is a Scottish actress. Known for her performances on film and television, she has received various accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

1976

Kristina Šmigun-Vähi

Estonian skier

Kristina Šmigun-Vähi is a former Estonian female cross-country skier and politician. She is the most successful Estonian female cross-country skier with two Olympic gold medals. Since 2019, Šmigun-Vähi, a member of the…

1977

Dan Snyder

Canadian ice hockey player (died 2003)

Daniel Joseph Snyder was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Thrashers. Following a single-vehicle accident in which he was a passenger,…

1978

Gareth Barry

English footballer

Gareth Barry is an English former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He made a total of 653 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton, and West Bromwich Albion, the…

1981

Charles Tillman

American football player

Charles Anthony Tillman, nicknamed "Peanut", is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin'…

1981

Jia Perkins

American basketball player and coach

Jia Dorene Perkins is an American retired professional basketball player currently working as an assistant coach for the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. She announced her retirement after the 2017 season when…

1982

Karan Singh Grover

Indian actor

Karan Singh Grover is an Indian model and actor known for his work in television series such as Dill Mill Gayye and Qubool Hai. He has also starred in Hindi films like Alone and Hate Story 3.

1982

Mido

Egyptian footballer, manager and sportscaster

Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdel Hamid Wasfi, publicly known as Mido, is an Egyptian football manager and former player who played as a striker.

1983

Dijon Thompson

American basketball player

Dijon Lynn Thompson is an American former professional basketball player who played briefly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). While he played mainly at the shooting guard position in his early career, he…

1983

Emerson Conceição

Brazilian footballer

Emerson da Conceição, known as Emerson, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a left back.

1986

Skylar Grey

American singer-songwriter

Holly Brook Hafermann, known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2004, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group and a recording contract…

1986

Kazuya Kamenashi

Japanese singer-songwriter and actor

Kazuya Kamenashi is a Japanese singer, actor, host, producer and magazine model. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo. He joined the Japanese talent agency, Johnny & Associates at the age of 12. Former member of KAT-TUN…

1986

Jerod Mayo

American football player and coach

Jerod Andrew Mayo Sr. is an American former professional football coach and former linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the New England Patriots. He served as the head coach…

1986

Ola Svensson

Swedish singer-songwriter

Ola Nils Håkan Svensson is a Swedish artist and songwriter, known professionally by the mononym Ola until 2014, and as Brother Leo from 2018 to present. Born in Lund, Skåne, his career began in 2005, when he finished…

1986

Ab-Soul

American rapper

Herbert Anthony Stevens IV, better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper. Raised in Carson, California, he signed with the indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where he formed the…

1987

Malik Hairston

American basketball player

Malik Samory Hairston is an American former professional basketball player. A shooting guard-small forward from the University of Oregon's Ducks, he was chosen in the 2008 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, who then traded…

1987

Theophilus London

Trinidadian-American singer-songwriter and producer

Theophilus Musa London is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. He is best known for his guest appearance alongside Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney on Kanye West's 2015 single "All Day", which peaked at…

1987

Nicolás Gaitán

Argentine footballer

Osvaldo Nicolás Fabián "Nico" Gaitán is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger.

1988

Evan Bates

American ice dancer

Evan Bates is an American ice dancer. With his wife and skating partner, Madison Chock, he is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the team event, the 2026 Winter Olympics silver medalist, a three-time World champion,…

1989

Jérémy Pied

French footballer

Jérémy Victor Pied is a French former professional footballer who played as a right-back.

1989

Wilin Rosario

Dominican baseball player

Wilin Arismendy Rosario Hernández is a Dominican former professional baseball catcher and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, the KBO League for the Hanwha Eagles, Nippon…

1989

Kevin Connauton

Canadian ice hockey player

Kevin Connauton is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Utah Mammoth of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was…

1990

Marco Scandella

Canadian ice hockey player

Marco Scandella is an Italian-Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues.…

1990

Casemiro

Brazilian footballer

Carlos Henrique Casimiro, also known mononymously as Casemiro, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for the Brazil national team and is currently a free agent.

1992

Kyriakos Papadopoulos

Greek footballer

Kyriakos Papadopoulos is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for non-league club Svoronos Katerinis. He last played, at a professional level, for Greek Super League club Levadiakos.

1992

Triptii Dimri

Indian actress

Triptii Dimri is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she is known for portraying emotionally nuanced and resilient women in both mainstream and independent films. Her…

1994

Neviana Vladinova

Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast

Neviana Stanimirova Vladinova is a retired Bulgarian individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2017 World bronze medalist with ball, and was seventh in the all-around at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

1994

Andrew Wiggins

Canadian basketball player

Andrew Christian Wiggins is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland…

1995

D'Angelo Russell

American basketball player

D'Angelo Russell, nicknamed "DLo", is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2014 and played…

1996

Jamal Murray

Canadian basketball player

Jamal Murray is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Murray was selected by…

1997

Femke Bol

Dutch hurdler and sprinter

Femke Bol is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in sprinting, middle-distance running, and hurdling. Up to 2025, she specialized in the 400 metres hurdles, where she is the 2023 and 2025 World Champion, and in…

2000

Alice Litman

English transgender woman

Alice Litman was an English transgender woman. Her suicide, following 1,023 days on the waiting list for her first appointment with the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), led to an inquest, which found numerous…

2002

February 23 in the Blog

Baltic Campaign - February 23, 1918

130,000 German troops seized Riga, Latvia in 1918, altering the Baltic Campaign's course completely

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Who was born on February 23?

Marc Garneau — Canadian astronaut and politician (1949–2025)

FeaturedMarc Garneau

Birth year1949

Known forGarneau served as a naval officer before being selected as an astronaut as part of the 1983 NRC Group

Birthdays on this date149 (1133 – 2002)

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

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2025

A snap election is held in Germany. Wikipedia →

2021

Four simultaneous prison riots leave at least 62 people dead in Ecuador. Wikipedia →

2020

Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American citizen, is shot and murdered by three white men after visiting a house under construction while jogging at a neighborhood in Satilla Shores near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia. Wikipedia →

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1949 — Marc Garneau

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