Did you know about Aileen Wuornos
Between 1989 and 1990, while engaging in street prostitution along highways in Florida, Wuornos shot, killed, and robbed seven of her male clients.
Famous Birthdays on February 29
February 29 has 133 recorded notable births across history, from 1468 to 2008. This page lists every one of them, with the best-known people first.
What happened on the day you were born?
1956 — Aileen Wuornos
American serial killer (died 2002)
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia · Report an error
Famous Birthdays
133 source records
1468 – 2008
Pisces
Amethyst birthstone
Violet birth flower
Today in history
Major events on February 29
See what else happened on this day in history.
Did you know about Dennis Farina
After supporting parts in Mann's films Thief (1981) and Manhunter (1986), he was cast in the lead role of Lieutenant Mike Torello on the NBC television series Crime Story, produced by Mann.
Did you know about Ja Rule
Ja Rule signed with Irv Gotti's Murder Inc Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings to release his debut studio album Venni Vetti Vecci (1999), which spawned his first hit single, "Holla Holla".
Did you know about Antonio Sabàto Jr.
By the early 2000s, most of his acting credits were guest appearances, reality television, and low budget films.
Did you know about Ann Lee
Ann Lee, commonly known as Mother Ann Lee, was the founding leader of the Shakers, later changed to United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing following her death.
More major people born on February 29
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1944
Dennis Farina
American police officer and actor (died 2013)
Donaldo Gugliermo "Dennis" Farina was an American actor and Chicago police detective. Known for his roles as mobsters or police officers, his involvement in the entertainment industry began through his association with filmmaker Michael Mann, who employed Farina as an actor and technical advisor. After supporting parts in Mann's films Thief (1981) and Manhunter (1986), he was cast in the lead role of Lieutenant Mike Torello on the NBC television series Crime Story, produced by Mann.
1976
Ja Rule
American rapper and actor
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in Queens, New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop and R&B sensibilities. He signed with Irv Gotti's Murder Inc Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings to release his debut studio album Venni Vetti Vecci (1999), which spawned his first hit single, "Holla Holla". In 2001, he peaked the Billboard Hot 100 on several occasions with his singles "Put It on Me", "Always on Time", and his guest appearances on Jennifer Lopez's songs "I'm Real " and "Ain't It Funny".
1936
Alex Rocco
American actor (died 2015)
Alex Rocco was an American actor. Known for his distinctive, gravelly voice, he was often cast as villains, including Moe Greene in The Godfather (1972) and his Primetime Emmy Award–winning role in The Famous Teddy Z. Rocco did a significant amount of voice-over work later in his career.
1972
Antonio Sabàto Jr.
Italian-American model and actor
Antonio Sabàto Jr. is an American model and actor. Born in Italy, he rose to fame in the 1990s as an underwear model for Calvin Klein and playing Jagger Cates on the soap opera General Hospital from 1992 to 1995, and as Jack Parezi on Melrose Place from 1995‒1996. By the early 2000s, most of his acting credits were guest appearances, reality television, and low budget films. Sabàto ran unsuccessfully as the Republican candidate for U.S. Congress against incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Julia Brownley for California's 26th district in the 2018 elections.
1736
Ann Lee
English-American religious leader, founder of the Shakers (died 1784)
Ann Lee, commonly known as Mother Ann Lee, was the founding leader of the Shakers, later changed to United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing following her death. She was born during the Evangelical revival in England and greatly influenced religion of that time, especially in the Americas.
1940
Bartholomew I
current Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is the current ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, serving as the 270th successor of the Apostolic See of St. Andrew. Since his election on 22 October 1991, he has become the longest-serving Ecumenical Patriarch in history. As the primus inter pares, he occupies the First See of the Eastern Orthodox Church, acting as the highest-ranking primate and the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christianity worldwide.
2004
Abdukodir Khusanov
Uzbek footballer
Abdukodir Khikmatzhon ugli Khusanov is an Uzbek professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or right-back for Premier League club Manchester City and the Uzbekistan national team.
1992
Jessie T. Usher
American actor
Jessie Tacoma Usher Jr. is an American actor. He is known for playing Lyle on the series Level Up, Cam Calloway on the series Survivor's Remorse, and Reggie Franklin / A-Train in the superhero series The Boys (2019–2026). His film appearances include When the Game Stands Tall (2014), Teenage (2013), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), Shaft (2019), and Smile (2022).
1992
Eric Kendricks
American football player
Eric-Nathan M. Kendricks is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, winning the Butkus Award as the nation's top collegiate linebacker as a senior in 2014. Kendricks was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft and also played for the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers.
1984
Lena Raine
American video game composer and producer
Lena Raine, also known as Lena Chappelle or Kuraine, is an American composer, producer, and video game developer. Raine is best known for her work on the soundtracks of Minecraft, Celeste, and Guild Wars 2. She has composed music for various other video games, including Deltarune and Chicory: A Colorful Tale.
1792
Gioachino Rossini
Italian composer (died 1868)
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer and conductor of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. While he gained most of his fame for his 39 operas, he also wrote many pieces of chamber music, piano, and some sacred music. He set new standards for both comic and serious opera before retiring from large-scale composition while still in his thirties, at the height of his popularity.
1468
Pope Paul III (died 1549)
Pope Paul III was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549.
1916
James B. Donovan
American lawyer (died 1970)
James Britt Donovan was an American lawyer and United States Navy officer in the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Strategic Services, ultimately becoming General Counsel of the OSS, and an international diplomatic negotiator.
1964
Dave Brailsford
English cyclist and coach
Sir David John Brailsford is a British sports director and former cycling coach. He is currently team principal of UCI WorldTeam Netcompany–Ineos, and was performance director of British Cycling from 1997 to 2014. He is also currently working with French football club Nice and English football club Manchester United as part of his role as Director of Sport at Ineos.
1960
Khaled
Algerian singer-songwriter
Khaled Hadj Ibrahim, better known by his mononym Khaled, is an Algerian raï musician. He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled.
1936
Henri Richard
Canadian ice hockey player (died 2020)
Joseph Henri Richard was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1955 to 1975. He was nicknamed "Pocket Rocket" after his older brother, Canadiens' legend and fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Henri played his entire professional career with the Canadiens and won the Stanley Cup 11 times as a player, the most in NHL history. Richard and Bill Russell of the National Basketball Association are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. In 2017, Richard was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
1988
Coco Khan
British writer
Coco Khan is a British freelance writer, podcaster and presenter, based in London. Her work covers issues of social justice, housing and diversity. Since 2023, she has co-hosted the podcast Pod Save the UK with Nish Kumar, for which she won the UK Audio Network (UKAN) Award for Podcast Host of the Year.
1908
Balthus
French-Swiss painter and illustrator (died 2001)
Balthasar Klossowski, also known as Balthus, was a Polish-French modern artist. He is known for his erotically charged images of young girls, and the dreamlike quality of his imagery.
1860
Herman Hollerith
American statistician and businessman, co-founder of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (died 1929)
Herman Hollerith was a German-American statistician, inventor, and businessman who developed an electromechanical tabulating machine for punched cards to assist in summarizing information and, later, in accounting. His invention of the punched card tabulating machine, patented in 1884, marks the beginning of the era of mechanized binary code and semiautomatic data processing systems, and his concept dominated that landscape for nearly a century.
1904
Jimmy Dorsey
American saxophonist, composer and bandleader (died 1957)
James Francis Dorsey was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You " and "It's the Dreamer in Me". His other major recordings were "Tailspin", "John Silver", "So Many Times", "Amapola", "Brazil", "Pennies from Heaven", "Grand Central Getaway", and "So Rare". He played clarinet on the seminal jazz standards "Singin' the Blues" in 1927 and the original 1930 recording of "Georgia on My Mind", which were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
2000
Jesper Lindstrøm
Danish footballer
Jesper Grænge Lindstrøm is a Danish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg, on loan from Serie A club Napoli. He also plays for the Denmark national team.
1968
Eugene Volokh
Ukrainian-American lawyer and educator
Eugene Volokh is an American legal scholar known for his scholarship in American constitutional law and libertarianism as well as his legal blog, The Volokh Conspiracy. Volokh specializes in First Amendment and Second Amendment issues.
1988
Benedikt Höwedes
German footballer
Benedikt Höwedes is a German former professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent the majority of his playing career for Schalke 04, which he captained for six seasons, and represented the Germany national football team from 2011 to 2017. At international level, Höwedes won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, and was one of only three players to play every single minute of the tournament. Höwedes described himself as a 'multi-functional player' in the defence, who can play in the centre or as both a left or right-sided full back.
1992
Jessica Long
American paralympic swimmer
Jessica Tatiana Long is a Russian-born American Paralympic swimmer from Baltimore, Maryland, who competes in the S8, SB7 and SM8 category events. She has held many world records and competed at six Paralympic Games, winning 31 medals. She has won over 50 world championship medals.
1920
James Mitchell
American actor and dancer (died 2010)
James Mitchell was an American actor and dancer. Although he is best known to television audiences as Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera All My Children (1979–2010), theatre and dance historians remember him as one of Agnes de Mille's leading dancers. Mitchell's skill at combining dance and acting was considered something of a novelty; in 1959, the critic Olga Maynard singled him out as "an important example of the new dancer-actor-singer in American ballet", pointing to his interpretive abilities and masculine technique.
1908
Dee Brown
American historian and author (died 2002)
Dorris Alexander "Dee" Brown was an American novelist, historian, and librarian. His most famous work, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1970), details the history of the United States' westward colonization of the continent between 1860 and 1890 from the point of view of Native Americans.
1920
Arthur Franz
American actor (died 2006)
Arthur Sofield Franz was an American actor whose most notable feature film role was as Lieutenant Junior Grade H. Paynter Jr. in The Caine Mutiny (1954).
1924
Al Rosen
American baseball player and manager (died 2015)
Albert Leonard Rosen, nicknamed "Flip" and "the Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and executive. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Cleveland Indians from 1947 to 1956.
1988
Lena Gercke
German model and television host
Lena Johanna Gercke is a German fashion model and television host. She won the first season of Germany's Next Topmodel and was the host of Austria's Next Topmodel.
1892
Augusta Savage
American sculptor (died 1962)
Augusta Savage was an American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance. She was also a teacher whose studio was important to the careers of a generation of artists who would become nationally known. She worked for equal rights for African Americans in the arts.
1984
Cam Ward
Canadian ice hockey player
Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played the majority of his 15-year professional career for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played his final season for the Chicago Blackhawks before retiring in 2019.
1936
Jack R. Lousma
American colonel, astronaut and politician
Jack Robert Lousma is an American astronaut, aeronautical engineer, retired United States Marine Corps officer, former naval aviator, NASA astronaut, and politician. He was a member of the second crew, Skylab-3, on the Skylab space station in 1973. In 1982, he commanded STS-3, the third Space Shuttle mission. Lousma was inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997. He is the last living crew member of both of his spaceflights.
1852
Prince George Maximilianovich
6th Duke of Leuchtenberg (died 1912)
Prince George Maximilianovich Romanowsky, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg, also known as Prince Georgii Romanovsky or Georges de Beauharnais, was the youngest son of Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg, and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia.
1952
Tim Powers
American author and educator
Timothy Thomas Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. His first major novel was The Drawing of the Dark (1979), but the novel that earned him wide praise was The Anubis Gates (1983), which won the Philip K. Dick Award, and has since been published in many other languages. His other written work include Dinner at Deviant's Palace (1985), Last Call (1992), Expiration Date (1996), Earthquake Weather (1997), Declare (2000), and Three Days to Never (2006). Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare. His 1987 novel On Stranger Tides served as inspiration for the Monkey Island franchise of video games and was partly adapted into the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film.
1964
Lyndon Byers
Canadian ice hockey player and radio host (died 2025)
Lyndon Svi Byers was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and radio personality. Byers played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for parts of ten seasons with the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks, earning a reputation as one of the league's toughest enforcers. He was the cousin of former NHL forward Dane Byers.
1836
Dickey Pearce
American baseball player and manager (died 1908)
Richard J. Pearce, known as Dickey Pearce, was an American professional baseball player and one of the sport's most famous early figures. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and began playing with the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1857. He continued his career in the National Association and the early years of Major League Baseball. It is possible Pearce was one of the first baseball players to earn money for playing the game professionally. Pearce is given credit for pioneering the shortstop position. Pearce introduced his "tricky hit" to baseball, known today as the bunt. For much of his career, the rules permitted the ball to roll foul and still be a hit.
1956
Jonathan Coleman
English-Australian radio and television host (died 2021)
Jonathan "Jono" Henry Coleman was an English-born Australian television presenter, radio announcer, writer, comedian, and advertorial spokesperson. He was known for his career in his native country and Australia.
1980
Simon Gagné
Canadian ice hockey player
Simon Gagné is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent the first ten seasons of his NHL career with the Flyers (1999–2010), followed by one season with Tampa Bay (2010–11) and two with Los Angeles (2011–13), winning the Stanley Cup in 2012, before returning to Philadelphia via trade for the end of the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season. After not playing in 2013–14, Gagné signed with Boston, briefly playing for them before retiring in 2015.
1948
Hermione Lee
English author, critic and academic
Dame Hermione Lee is a British biographer, literary critic and academic. She is a former president of Wolfson College, Oxford, and a former Goldsmiths' Professor of English Literature in the University of Oxford and professorial fellow of New College. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and of the Royal Society of Literature.
1980
Clinton Toopi
New Zealand rugby league player
Clinton James Te-Whata Toopi is a New Zealand former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New Zealand international representative centre, he played his club football in the National Rugby League for the New Zealand Warriors and the Gold Coast Titans, and in the Super League for the Leeds Rhinos. Clinton began coaching the Helensvale Hornets in 2021 and guided them to victory in the 2022 Gold Coast A Grade Competition. Toopi won the 2007 Super League grand final with Leeds Rhinos over Saints 33-6.
1960
Richard Ramirez
American serial killer and sex offender (died 2013)
Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez, better known as Richard Ramirez, was an American serial killer, sex offender, and burglar whose killing spree occurred in Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area in the state of California. From April 1984 to August 1985, Ramirez murdered at least fifteen people during various break-ins. With his crimes usually taking place after dark, Ramirez was dubbed the Night Stalker, the Walk-In Killer, and the Valley Intruder. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1989 and died while awaiting execution in 2013.
1828
Emmeline B. Wells
American journalist, poet and activist (died 1921)
Emmeline Blanche Woodward Harris Whitney Wells was an American journalist, editor, poet, women's rights advocate, and diarist. She served as the fifth Relief Society General President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1910 until her death. She represented the state of Utah at both the National and American Women's Suffrage conventions and was president of the Utah Woman's Suffrage Association. She was the editor of the Woman's Exponent for 37 years. She was a plural wife to Newel K. Whitney, then Daniel H. Wells.
1984
Mark Foster
American singer, songwriter and musician
Mark Derek Foster is an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Foster the People. After struggling to create a successful band in his early twenties, Foster finally had his big break as the founder and frontman of Foster the People in 2009, which he formed alongside his two friends Mark Pontius and Cubbie Fink. The band has since released four studio albums: Torches in 2011, Supermodel in 2014, Sacred Hearts Club in 2017 and Paradise State of Mind in 2024.
1964
Mervyn Warren
American tenor, composer and producer
Mervyn Edwin Warren is an American film composer, record producer, conductor, arranger, lyricist, songwriter, pianist, and vocalist. Warren is a five-time Grammy Award winner and a 10-time Grammy Award nominee. Warren has written the underscore and songs for many feature and television films. He has also written arrangements in a variety of musical styles for producers Quincy Jones, David Foster, Arif Mardin, and dozens of popular recording artists, including extensive work on Jones' Back on the Block, Q's Jook Joint, and Q: Soul Bossa Nostra.
1912
Kamil Tolon
Turkish industrialist (died 1978)
Kamil Özdemir Tolon was a Turkish businessperson, industrialist and inventor, known for the first manufacture of an electric engine in Turkey. Tolon was born in 1912 in Istanbul. He had his secondary and university education in Ankara. He wanted to become an engineer, but went to the Ankara University Faculty of Law instead due to the lack of engineering schools. He graduated in 1935, and started working as a Posta ve Telgraf Teşkilatı inspector after university, but left the job not long after.
1920
Rolland W. Redlin
American lawyer and politician (died 2011)
Rolland William Redlin was a U.S. Representative from North Dakota, who served between 1965 and 1967. He also served in the North Dakota Senate from 1959 to 1963 and later returned to serve again from 1973 until his retirement in 2000, as Senate President Pro Tempore 1987–9, and Minority Leadership later during his final 27 years' service. A member of the Democratic-NPL, he lived near Minot, North Dakota until 2009, when he moved to Rapid City, SD, to be closer to family members.
1940
Sonja Barend
Dutch talk show host
Sonja Maria Barend was a Dutch television personality. She hosted one of the nation’s first talk shows, Sonja, in 1974–1975. From 1977, she developed her style and became the Dutch "talk show queen", attracting millions of viewers. She was noted for her combination of emotional warmth and sharp questioning – until then unheard of on Dutch tv. Her shows broke taboos and allowed ordinary people a voice in public dialog. She retired from television in 2006, after four decades of television making.
2004
Lydia Jacoby
American swimmer
Lydia Alice Jacoby is an American professional swimmer. She was the first Alaskan to qualify for an Olympic Games in swimming, competing at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, where she won the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:04.95, which was the fastest time ever achieved by a female American swimmer in the event in the 17–18 age group. Later in the year, she was the overall highest scoring female American competitor at the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup. In 2022, she became the fastest female American swimmer in history in the 100-yard breaststroke for the 17–18 age group with a national age group record time of 57.54 seconds. In 2023, she further lowered the record to a time of 57.45 seconds, then 57.29 seconds, and set a national age group record of 2:04.32 for the girls 17–18 age group in the 200-yard breaststroke. She is the 2023 NCAA Division I champion in the women's 100-yard breaststroke.
1904
Pepper Martin
American baseball player and manager (died 1965)
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin was an American professional baseball outfielder, third baseman, and minor league manager. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1928 to 1944. He was best known for his heroics during the 1931 World Series, in which he was the catalyst in a Cardinals' upset victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. Martin was known as the "Wild Horse of the Osage" because of his daring, aggressive baserunning.
1968
Bryce Paup
American football player and coach
Bryce Eric Paup is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Minnesota Vikings.
1972
Saul Williams
American singer-songwriter
Saul Stacey Williams is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip-hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film Slam and the 2013 jukebox musical Holler If Ya Hear Me. His album Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople was nominated in the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
1988
Hannah Mills
Welsh sports sailor
Hannah Louise Mills is a British competitive sailor and two-time world champion in the 470 class, having won in 2012 and 2019. Mills won a silver medal for Team GB with her crew Saskia Clark in the 2012 Olympics, she followed this up with a gold in the same event at both the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and, partnered by Eilidh McIntyre, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
1928
Terry Lewis (police officer)
corrupt Australian police commissioner (died 2023)
Terence Murray Lewis was an Australian police officer who, as Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, was convicted and jailed for corruption and forgery as a result of the Fitzgerald Inquiry. He was stripped of his knighthood and two other awards in consequence. Lewis continued to protest his innocence and sued his former lawyers and pursued appeals. The last of his appeals failed in August 2005.
1984
Cullen Jones
American swimmer
Cullen Andrew Jones is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specialized in freestyle sprint events. As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won silver medals in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay and the 50-meter freestyle, as well as the gold in the 4 x 100-metre medley.
1920
Michèle Morgan
French-American actress and singer (died 2016)
Michèle Morgan was a French film actress, who was a leading lady for three decades in both French cinema and Hollywood features. She is considered one of the greatest French actresses of the 20th century. Morgan was the inaugural winner of the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1992, she was given an honorary César Award for her contributions to French cinema.
1896
William A. Wellman
American actor, director, producer and screenwriter (died 1975)
William Augustus Wellman was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and military pilot. He was known for his work in crime, adventure, and action genre films, often focusing on aviation themes, a particular passion. He also directed several well-regarded satirical comedies. His 1927 film, Wings, was the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture at the 1st Academy Awards ceremony.
1928
Tempest Storm
born Annie Banks, "The Queen Of Exotic Dancers", American burlesque performer and actress (died 2021)
Tempest Storm, also dubbed "The Queen Of Exotic Dancers," was an American burlesque star, stripper and motion picture actress. Along with Lili St. Cyr, Sally Rand and Blaze Starr, she was one of the best-known burlesque performers of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Her career as an exotic dancer spanned more than 60 years and she was still performing in the early 21st century.
1896
Morarji Desai
Indian civil servant and politician, fourth Prime Minister of India (died 1995)
Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian politician and independence activist who served as the prime minister of India between 1977 and 1979 leading the government formed by the Janata Party. During his long career in politics, he held many important posts in government such as the chief minister of Bombay State, the home minister, the finance minister, and the deputy prime minister.
1968
Gareth Farr
New Zealand composer and percussionist
Gareth Vincent Farr is a New Zealand composer and percussionist. He has released a number of classical CDs and composed a number of works performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and Royal New Zealand Ballet. He has also performed in drag under the name Lilith LaCroix in a show called Drumdrag and has also released a CD under that name.
1928
Seymour Papert
South African mathematician and computer scientist, co-creator of the Logo programming language (died 2016)
Seymour Aubrey Papert was a South African-born American mathematician, computer scientist, and educator, who spent most of his career teaching and researching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence, and of the constructionist movement in education. He was co-inventor, with Wally Feurzeig and Cynthia Solomon, of the Logo programming language.
1692
John Byrom
English poet and educator (died 1763)
John Byrom, John Byrom of Kersal, or John Byrom of Manchester was an English poet, the inventor of a revolutionary system of shorthand and later a significant landowner. He is most remembered as the writer of the lyrics of Anglican hymn "Christians, awake, salute the happy morn", which was supposedly a Christmas gift for his daughter.
1980
Rubén Plaza
Spanish cyclist
Rubén Plaza Molina is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2019 for the Comunidad Valenciana–Kelme, Benfica, Liberty Seguros, Movistar Team, Lampre–Merida, Orica–Scott and Israel Cycling Academy teams. During his career, he recorded a top 5 overall placing in the 2005 Vuelta a España, and won three Grand Tour stages.
1972
Pedro Sánchez
Prime Minister of Spain
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón is a Spanish politician who has been the prime minister of Spain since 2018. A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), he is also Secretary-General of the party since 2017, having previously held that office from 2014 to 2016, and is the ninth president of Socialist International since 2022.
1984
Rakhee Thakrar
English actress
Rakhee Thakrar is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Shabnam Masood in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders (2014–2016) and Emily Sands in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education (2019–2023). She also voices the Eighth Doctor's companion Bliss in Big Finish's Doctor Who: The Time War audio dramas.
1852
Frank Gavan Duffy
Irish-Australian lawyer and judge, fourth Chief Justice of Australia (died 1936)
Sir Frank Gavan Duffy was an Australian judge who served as the fourth Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1931 to 1935. His total service on the High Court of Australia was from 1913 to 1935. Prior to his judicial career, he was one of Victoria's most prominent barristers.
1952
Bart Stupak
American police officer and politician
Bartholomew Thomas Stupak is an American politician and lobbyist. A member of the Democratic Party, Stupak served as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 1st congressional district from 1993 to 2011.
1972
Pedro Zamora
Cuban-American activist and educator (died 1994)
Pedro Pablo Zamora was a Cuban-American AIDS educator, activist, and television personality. As one of the first openly gay men with HIV/AIDS to be portrayed in popular media, Zamora brought international attention to HIV/AIDS issues and prejudice through his role on MTV's reality television series The Real World: San Francisco.
1948
Patricia A. McKillip
American author (died 2022)
Patricia Anne McKillip was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. She wrote predominantly standalone fantasy novels and has been called "one of the most accomplished prose stylists in the fantasy genre". Her work won many awards, including the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008.
1924
Carlos Humberto Romero
Salvadoran politician, President of El Salvador (died 2017)
Carlos Humberto Romero Mena was a Salvadoran general and politician who served as the 34th President of El Salvador from 1 July 1977 until his overthrow on 15 October 1979. Romero was the final president of the El Salvador's military dictatorship that had ruled since 1931.
1944
Lennart Svedberg
Swedish ice hockey player (died 1972).
Jan Lennart "Lill-Strimma" Svedberg was a Swedish ice hockey defenceman. He played for Timrå IK and Brynäs IF. He also played on the Swedish national team during six IIHF World Championships and the 1968 Winter Olympics. Svedberg was named best defenceman at the 1970 World Championships.
1996
Reece Prescod
British sprinter
Reece Noel Prescod is a retired British sprinter. He represented his country at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics. Prescod won the silver medal in the 100 metres at the 2018 European Championships and bronze for the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2022 World Championships.
1528
Domingo Báñez
Spanish theologian (died 1604)
Domingo Báñez was a Spanish Dominican and Scholastic theologian and a member of the later School of Salamanca. The qualifier Mondragonensis is sometimes attached to his name and seems to refer to the birthplace of his father, Juan Báñez, at Mondragón in Guipúzcoa.
1944
Saeed Poursamimi
Iranian actor
Saeed Poursamimi is an Iranian actor. He has received various accolades, including three Crystal Simorgh for Best Supporting Actor, making him the only actor to have three wins in that category. Poursamimi is best known as the master of supporting roles in Iran.
1928
Joss Ackland
English actor (died 2023)
Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland was an English actor who appeared in more than 130 film, radio and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Jock Delves Broughton in White Mischief (1987).
1944
Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri
Italian author and illustrator
Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri is an Italian comic book writer and illustrator, noted for his works of highly detailed renderings of the human form, particularly erotic images of women. He is best known for his work on the Druuna erotic science fiction series.
1992
Sean Abbott
Australian cricketer
Sean Anthony Abbott is an Australian international cricketer who represents the Australia national cricket team in ODI and T20I cricket as a bowling all-rounder who bats right-handed. He was a part of the Australian squad which won the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
1976
Vonteego Cummings
American basketball player
Vonteego Marfeek Cummings is an American former professional basketball player. A 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) combo guard, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and also had a successful career in Europe, where he played in several countries.
1924
David Beattie
New Zealand judge and politician, 14th Governor-General of New Zealand (died 2001)
Sir David Stuart Beattie, was an Australian-born New Zealand judge who served as the 14th governor-general of New Zealand from 1980 to 1985. During the 1984 constitutional crisis, Beattie was nearly forced to dismiss the sitting prime minister, Robert Muldoon.
1968
Howard Tayler
American author and illustrator
Howard V. Tayler is the creator of the webcomic Schlock Mercenary. He worked as a volunteer missionary for the LDS Church, then graduated from Brigham Young University. Using his degree in music composition, he started an independent record label.
1976
Terrence Long
American baseball player
Terrence Deon Long is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 to 2006 for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, and New York Yankees.
1952
Raisa Smetanina
Russian cross-country skier
Raisa Petrovna Smetanina is a Komi cross-country skiing champion, representing the Soviet Union and later the Unified Team at the Winter Olympic games. She is the first woman in history to win ten Winter Olympic medals.
2000
Tyrese Haliburton
American basketball player
Tyrese John Haliburton is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Hali" and "the Haliban", he is a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Third Team selection.
1884
Richard S. Aldrich
American lawyer and politician (died 1941)
Richard Steere Aldrich was an American politician. He was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and served in the Rhode Island State Senate and the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
1932
Masten Gregory
American race car driver (died 1985)
Masten Gregory was an American racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1957 to 1965. Nicknamed "the Kansas City Flash", Gregory won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965 with NART.
1996
Nelson Asofa-Solomona
New Zealand rugby league player
Nelson Asofa-Solomona is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who last played as a prop for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL) and New Zealand at international level.
1960
Tony Robbins
American author and motivational activist
Anthony Jay Robbins is an American author, coach and motivational speaker. He is known for his seminars and self-help books, including the books Unlimited Power (1986) and Awaken the Giant Within (1991).
1980
Taylor Twellman
American soccer player and sportscaster
Taylor Timothy Twellman is an American former soccer player who played professionally from 1999 to 2010. He now works in the media as a soccer television commentator for MLS on Apple TV.
1576
Antonio Neri
Florentine priest and glassmaker (died 1614)
Antonio Neri was a Florentine priest who published the book L’Arte Vetraria or The Art of Glass in 1612. This book was the first general treatise on the systematics of glassmaking.
1932
Gene H. Golub
American mathematician and academic (died 2007)
Gene Howard Golub, was an American numerical analyst who taught at Stanford University as Fletcher Jones Professor of Computer Science and held a courtesy appointment in electrical engineering.
1572
Edward Cecil
1st Viscount Wimbledon (died 1638)
Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon was an English military commander and a politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1624.
1976
Katalin Kovács
Hungarian sprint kayaker
Katalin Kovács is a Hungarian canoe sprinter. She competed in the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics and won eight medals, with three golds and five silvers.
1944
Steve Mingori
American baseball player (died 2008)
Steven Bernard Mingori was an American left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians (1970–1973) and Kansas City Royals (1973–1979).
1992
Saphir Taïder
Algerian footballer
Saphir Sliti Taïder is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for TFC. Born in France, he played for the Algeria national team.
1928
Vance Haynes
American archaeologist, geologist and author
Caleb Vance Haynes Jr. is an American archaeologist, geologist and author who specializes in the archaeology of the American Southwest. Haynes "revolutionized the fields of geoarchaeology and archaeological geology." He is known for unearthing and studying artifacts of Paleo-Indians including ones from Sandia Cave in the 1960s, work which helped to establish the timeline of human migration through North America. Haynes coined the term "black mat" for a layer of 10,000-year-old swamp soil seen in many North American archaeological studies.
1932
Jaguar
Brazilian cartoonist (died 2025)
Sérgio de Magalhães Gomes Jaguaribe, known by the pseudonym Jaguar, was a Brazilian cartoonist and comics artist. He achieved notoriety as one of the founders of the satirical newspaper O Pasquim in 1969, which became a symbol of opposition to the military dictatorship in Brazil. Jaguar is famous for creating the character Sig, the newspaper's mascot mouse, and for his humorous and ironic style that circumvented censorship, inspiring other journalists and cartoonists.
1968
Frank Woodley
Australian actor, producer and screenwriter
Frank Woodley is an Australian comedian, author and musician who is best known for his work alongside Colin Lane as part of the comedic duo Lano and Woodley. The two performed together for almost 20 years in live shows, a television series and an album of comedic songs, before deciding to pursue individual careers in 2006. They announced their reformation in November 2017.
1968
Pete Fenson
American curler
Peter Fenson is an American curler. He was the skip of the men's rink that represented the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where they won the bronze medal, the first Olympic medal for the United States in curling. He has won eight national championships, the most recent in Philadelphia in March 2014, and six as skip.
1916
Leonard Shoen
founder of U-Haul Corp. (died 1999)
Leonard Samuel Shoen was an American entrepreneur who founded the U-Haul truck and trailer organization in Ridgefield, Washington. After growing up in the farm belt during the Great Depression, he envisioned the market for rental vehicles for families who wished to avoid the expense of professional transfer and storage companies and move around the country.
1936
Nh. Dini
Indonesian writer (died 2018)
Nurhayati Srihardini Siti Nukatin Coffin, better known by her pen name Nh. Dini, was an Indonesian novelist and feminist. She was the mother of Pierre Coffin, a French director and animator known for the Despicable Me franchise. She was one of the recipients of the literature award from the SEA Write Award in 2003.
1928
Jean Adamson
British writer and illustrator (Topsy and Tim) (died 2024)
Jean Adamson,, was a British writer and illustrator of children's books. She was best known for the Topsy and Tim books, the first of which was published in 1960 and which have sold 27 million copies. Adamson's creations were also featured widely on television in 84 episodes of Topsy and Tim.
1908
Alf Gover
English cricketer and coach (died 2001)
Alfred Richard Gover was an English Test cricketer. He was the mainstay of the Surrey bowling attack during the 1930s and played four Tests before and after the Second World War. He also founded and ran a cricket school in Wandsworth that coached many notable players.
1920
Fyodor Abramov
Russian author and critic (died 1983)
Fyodor Aleksandrovich Abramov was a Russian novelist and literary critic. His work focused on the challenging lives of the Russian peasant class, often depicting their struggles and hardships. Although his writing was critically acclaimed, he frequently faced reprimands for deviating from Soviet policy on writing.
1996
Norberto Briasco
Argentine-Armenian footballer
Norberto Alejandro Briasco Balekian is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Argentine Primera División club Barracas Central, on loan from Boca Juniors and the Armenia national team. Born in Argentina to an Armenian Argentine mother, he has represented Armenia internationally since 2018.
1956
Bob Speller
Canadian businessman and politician, 30th Canadian Minister of Agriculture (died 2021)
Robert Speller, was a Canadian politician. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Speller was elected to the House of Commons of Canada four times from 1988 to 2000. He was defeated in 2004 by a 20,938 to 19,277 margin.
1948
Manoel Maria
Brazilian footballer
Manoel Maria Evangelista Barbosa dos Santos, known as Manoel Maria, is a Brazilian retired footballer and football manager. He played mainly as a right winger, and competed in the men's tournament at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
1980
Peter Scanavino
American actor (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Peter Muller Scanavino is an American actor. He stars as detective turned ADA Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr. in the long-running NBC crime/legal drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
1988
Brent Macaffer
Australian Rules footballer
Brent Macaffer is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited in the 2006 AFL draft.
1932
Gavin Stevens
Australian cricketer
Gavin Byron Stevens is a former Australian cricketer who played in four Tests in the 1959–60 season. He played first-class cricket for South Australia from 1952–53 to 1958–59.
1948
Sonny M'Pokomandji
Central African basketball player and politician, Minister of Equipment and Transport (2003–2005)
Sonny M'Pokomandji, nicknamed M'Pokson, is a retired Central African basketball player, air transport expert, and politician. He represented Central African Republic in the FIBA Africa Championship in 1968, 1970, and 1974. Later, he served as Minister of Equipment and Transport (2003–2005).
1528
Albert V
Duke of Bavaria (died 1579)
Albert V was Duke of Bavaria from 1550 until his death. He was born in Munich to William IV and Maria Jacobäa of Baden.
1640
Benjamin Keach
Particular Baptist preacher and author whose name is given to Keach's Catechism (died 1704)
Benjamin Keach was an English Baptist minister and author whose name was given to Keach's Catechism.
1724
Eva Marie Veigel
Austrian-English dancer (died 1822)
Eva Marie Veigel was a dancer and the wife of actor David Garrick.
1812
James Milne Wilson
Scottish-Australian soldier and politician, eighth Premier of Tasmania (died 1880)
Sir James Milne Wilson was a colonial Australian politician who served as premier of Tasmania from 1869 to 1872.
1840
Theodor Leber
German ophthalmologist (died 1917)
Theodor Karl Gustav von Leber was a German ophthalmologist from Karlsruhe.
1908
Louie Myfanwy Thomas
Welsh writer (died 1968)
Louie Myfanwy Thomas was a Welsh author best known for her work under the pseudonym Jane Ann Jones.
1928
Michael Henshall
English Anglican suffragan bishop (died 2017)
Michael Henshall was a long serving Suffragan Bishop of Warrington.
1932
Reri Grist
American soprano and actress
Reri Grist is an American coloratura soprano, one of the pioneer African-American singers to enjoy a major international career in opera.
1944
Nicholas Frayling
English priest and academic
Nicholas Arthur Frayling KStJ is a British Church of England priest. From September 2002 to February 2014, he served as the Dean of Chichester.
1944
Phyllis Frelich
American actress (died 2014)
Phyllis Annetta Frelich was a deaf American actress. She was the first deaf actor to win a Tony Award.
1956
Knut Agnred
Swedish singer, actor and comedian
Knut Axel Lennart Agnred is a Swedish singer, actor, and comedian. He is known for being a member of Galenskaparna och After Shave.
1964
Carmel Busuttil
former Maltese footballer
Carmel Busuttil MQR, nicknamed "Il-Bużu", is a Maltese former professional footballer who played as a forward.
1968
Chucky Brown
American basketball player and coach
Clarence "Chucky" Brown Jr. is an American men's college basketball coach and former college and professional basketball player.
1972
Dave Williams
American singer (died 2002)
David Wayne Williams was an American singer best known as the original lead vocalist for the rock band Drowning Pool.
1972
Mike Pollitt
English footballer and coach
Michael Francis Pollitt is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
1972
Sylvie Lubamba
Italian showgirl
Sylvie Lubamba is an Italian model, showgirl and TV presenter.
1980
Çağdaş Atan
Turkish footballer and coach
Çağdaş Atan is a Turkish football coach and former player who played primarily as a central defender.
1984
Darren Ambrose
English footballer
Darren Paul Francis Ambrose is an English retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
1984
Nuria Martínez
Spanish basketball player
Nuria Martínez Prat is a Spanish professional basketball player for Spar CityLift Girona.
1984
Rica Imai
Japanese model and actress
Rica Imai is a Japanese model, entertainer, and actress.
1996
Claudia Williams
New Zealand tennis player
Claudia Williams is a New Zealand tennis player.
2000
Ferran Torres
Spanish footballer
Ferran Torres García is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national team.
2008
Rémi Himbert
French footballer
Rémi Stéphane Himbert is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Ligue 1 club Lyon.