Did you know
Famous Birthdays on January 15
227 people
1432 – 2004
January 15 has seen 227 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1432 – 2004. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1989 — Alexei Cherepanov
Russian ice hockey player (died 2008)
Did you know
He won a gold medal at the 2007 World Under-18 Championships
Did you know
While playing at the Under-20 level, Cherepanov won silver and bronze medals in 2007 and 2008.
Did you know
Alexei Andreyevich Cherepanov was a Russian professional ice hockey player
Did you know
Previously, Cherepanov had played for Avangard's lower-level teams, and then for the senior men's team in the Russian Super League
Afonso V, also known as the African, was King of Portugal from 1438 until he died in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. The son of Edward, King of Portugal, and Eleanor of Aragon, Afonso acceded to the throne when…
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1432
1462
Japanese shōgun (died 1511)[citation needed]
Ashikaga Yoshizumi was the 11th shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1494 to 1508 during the Muromachi period of Japan. He was the son of Ashikaga Masatomo and grandson of the sixth shōgun Ashikaga…
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1481
Japanese general (died 1599)
Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari, and Matazaemon (又左衛門) was his…
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1538
2nd Earl of Monmouth, English politician (died 1661)
Sir Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth, KB was an English nobleman and translator.
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1595
1622
British philosopher (probable) (died 1683)
Algernon Sidney or Sydney was an English politician, republican political theorist and colonel. A member of the middle part of the Long Parliament and commissioner of the trial of King Charles I of England, he opposed…
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1623
English archaeologist and historian (died 1704)
Abraham de la Pryme was an English antiquary.
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1671
American merchant and politician (died 1778)
Philip Livingston was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and slave trader from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic…
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1716
English surgeon and author (died 1822)
John Aikin was an English medical doctor and surgeon. Later in life he devoted himself wholly to biography and writing in periodicals.
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1747
Irish activist and politician, co-founded the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (died 1834)
Colonel Richard Martin, was an Irish politician and campaigner against cruelty to animals. He was known as Humanity Dick, a nickname bestowed on him by King George IV. He succeeded in getting the pioneering Cruel…
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1754
Austrian author, poet, and playwright (died 1872)
Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer was an Austrian writer who was considered to be the leading Austrian dramatist of the 19th century. His plays were and are frequently performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna. He also wrote…
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1791
Russian playwright, composer, and poet (died 1829)
Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov was a Russian diplomat, playwright, poet, and composer. His one notable work is the 1823 verse comedy Woe from Wit. He was Russia's ambassador to Qajar Persia, where he and all the…
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1795
Scottish poet and author (died 1811)
Marjorie Fleming was a Scottish child writer and poet. She gained appreciation from Robert Louis Stevenson, Leslie Stephen, and possibly Walter Scott.
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1803
French economist and politician (died 1865)
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was a French anarchist, socialist, philosopher, and economist who founded mutualist philosophy and is considered by many to be the "father of anarchism". He was the first person to call himself an…
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1809
English-American religious leader, third President of the Church of Jesus Christ (died 1905)
William Bickerton was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. In 1862, Bickerton became the founding president of the church now known as The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite),…
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1815
American lawyer and politician (died 1911)
Samuel Arza Davenport was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
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1834
1840
16th Earl of Derby, English captain and politician, sixth Governor General of Canada (died 1908)
Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. An avid…
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1841
Austrian physician and psychiatrist (died 1925)
Josef Breuer was an Austrian physician who made discoveries in neurophysiology, and whose work during the 1880s with his patient Bertha Pappenheim, known as Anna O., led to the development of the "cathartic method" for…
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1842
Australian nun and saint, co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (died 1909)
Mary Helen MacKillop RSJ was an Australian religious sister. She was born in Melbourne but is best known for her activities in South Australia. Together with Fr Julian Tenison-Woods, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph…
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1842
English soldier, eugenicist, and politician (died 1943)
Leonard Darwin was an English politician, economist and eugenicist. He was a son of the naturalist Charles Darwin, and also a mentor to Ronald Fisher, a statistician and evolutionary biologist.
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1850
Romanian journalist, author, and poet (died 1889)
Mihai Eminescu was a Romanian Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and…
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1850
Russian-Swedish mathematician and physicist (died 1891)
Sofya Vasilyevna Kovalevskaya was a Russian mathematician who made noteworthy contributions to analysis, partial differential equations and mechanics. She was a pioneer of equality for women in mathematics. Kovalevskaya…
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1850
Greek-French soldier and actor (died 1889)
Aristides Damalas, known in France by the stage name Jacques Damala, was a Greek military officer-turned-actor, and husband of Sarah Bernhardt in his last years. Damala's characterisation by modern researchers is far…
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1855
Italian painter (died 1899)
Giovanni Segantini was an Italian painter known for his large pastoral landscapes of the Alps. He was one of the most famous artists in Europe in the late 19th century, and his paintings were collected by major museums.…
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1858
English-Australian politician, 25th Premier of South Australia (died 1920)
Archibald Henry Peake was an Australian politician. He was Premier of South Australia on three occasions: from 1909 to 1910 for the Liberal and Democratic Union, and from 1912 to 1915 and 1917 to 1920 for its successor,…
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1859
German lawyer and politician, 17th Chancellor of Germany (died 1946)
Wilhelm Marx was a German judge, lawyer, and politician who twice served as chancellor of Germany during the Weimar Republic, from 1923 to 1925 and again from 1926 to 1928. He also briefly held the position of…
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1863
Swedish archbishop, historian, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1931)
Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom was a Swedish bishop. He was the Church of Sweden Archbishop of Uppsala from 1914 to 1931, and recipient of the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the…
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1866
American lawyer and politician, 43rd Governor of Kentucky (died 1941)
Ruby Laffoon was an American attorney and politician who served as the 43rd governor of Kentucky from 1931 to 1935. A Kentucky native, at age 17, Laffoon moved to Washington, D.C., to live with his uncle, U.S.…
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1869
Polish poet, playwright, and painter (died 1907)
Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański was a Polish playwright, painter, poet, and interior and furniture designer. A patriotic writer, he created symbolic national dramas accordant with the artistic premises of the Young…
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1869
American businessman and philanthropist (died 1954)
Pierre Samuel du Pont was an American entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist and member of the prominent du Pont family.
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1870
Russian author and translator (died 1944)
Arsen Kotsoyev was one of the founders of Ossetic prose, who had a large influence on the formation of the modern Ossetic language and its functional styles. He participated in all of the first Ossetic periodicals, and…
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1872
American sprinter, coach, and journalist (died 1929)
Thomas Edmund Burke was an American sprinter. He was the first Olympic champion in the 100 and 400 meter sprint races.
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1875
American psychologist, eugenicist, and academic (died 1956)
Lewis Madison Terman was an American psychologist, academic, and proponent of eugenics. He was noted as a pioneer in educational psychology in the early 20th century at the Stanford School of Education. Terman is best…
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1877
Austrian composer (died 1941)
Johanna Müller-Hermann was an Austrian composer and pedagogue.
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1878
Canadian author and playwright (died 1961)
Mazo de la Roche was a Canadian writer who was the author of the Jalna novels, one of the most popular series of books of her time.
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1879
English actor (died 1961)
Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger was an English stage and film actor. He is noted for his performance as Doctor Septimus Pretorius in James Whale's film Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
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1879
Canadian singer, radio performer, and producer (died 1941)
Henry Burr was a Canadian singer, radio performer and producer. He was born Harry Haley McClaskey and used Henry Burr as one of his many pseudonyms, in addition to Irving Gillette, Henry Gillette, Alfred Alexander,…
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1882
Princess Margaret of Connaught was Crown Princess of Sweden as the first wife of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf. Known in Sweden as Margareta, she was the elder daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son…
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1882
Austrian physician and author (died 1973)
Lorenz Böhler was an Austrian physician and surgeon.
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1885
American baseball player (died 1968)
Grover Cleveland "Slim" Lowdermilk was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox between 1909 and…
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1885
Japanese admiral (died 1947)
Michiaki Kamada was a vice-admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy who saw service in the Pacific Theatre of World War II.
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1890
American baseball player (died 1920)
Raymond Johnson Chapman was an American baseball player. He spent his entire career as a shortstop for the Cleveland Indians of the American League.
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1891
Irish film director, producer, writer, and actor (died 1950)
Rex Ingram was an Irish film director, producer, writer, and actor. Director Erich von Stroheim once called him "the world's greatest director".
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1893
Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (died 1951)
Ivor Novello was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century.
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1893
Finnish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1973)
Artturi Ilmari Virtanen was a Finnish chemist and recipient of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research and inventions in agricultural and nutrition chemistry, especially for his fodder preservation method".
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1895
Australian-American actress (died 1982)
Marjorie Bennett was an Australian actress who worked mainly in the United States. She began her acting career during the silent film era.
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1896
Greek-Turkish author, poet, and playwright (died 1963)
Mehmed Nâzım Ran, commonly known as Nâzım Hikmet, was a Turkish poet, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director, and memoirist. He was acclaimed for the "lyrical flow of his statements". Described as a "romantic…
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1902
Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 9 November 1953 until his abdication on 2 November 1964. During his reign, he served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 1953 to 1954 and from 1960 to 1962.…
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1902
American lieutenant and politician, 58th Governor of Massachusetts (died 1958)
Paul Andrew Dever was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served as the 58th Governor of Massachusetts and was its youngest-ever Attorney General.
Among his notable accomplishments was the…
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1903
British actor (died 1981)
Torin Herbert Erskine Thatcher was a British actor who was noted for his flashy portrayals of screen villains.
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1905
Polish runner and soldier (died 1940)
Janusz Tadeusz Kusociński was a Polish athlete, winner in the 10,000 meters event at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
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1907
Hungarian-American physicist and academic (died 2003)
Edward Teller was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist and chemical engineer who is known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb" and one of the creators of the Teller–Ulam design inspired by Stanisław…
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1908
German-French engineer (died 1939)
Jean Bugatti was a French automotive designer and test engineer for Bugatti. He was the son of Bugatti's founder Ettore Bugatti.
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1909
American drummer, composer, and actor (died 1973)
Eugene Bertram Krupa was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937…
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1909
French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (died 1996)
Michel Jean-Pierre Debré was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France. He served under President Charles de Gaulle from 1959 to 1962. In…
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1912
Dutch painter (died 2002)
Eugène Brands was a Dutch painter, an early member of the COBRA avant-garde art movement.
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1913
American actor (died 1998)
Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. He was the father of four children, including the…
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1913
Australian pianist and composer (died 2005)
Miriam Beatrice Hyde was an Australian composer, classical pianist, music educator, and poet.
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1913
Ukrainian-Russian lieutenant (died 1963)
Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko was a Soviet career naval officer. During the last year of World War II, he became known as the captain of the submarine S-13, which sank the German military transport ship Wilhelm Gustloff…
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1913
1914
English historian and academic (died 2003)
Hugh Redwald Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton, was an English historian. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford.
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1914
Indian film actor and comedian (died 1994)
Karaikal Arunachalam Thangavelu popularly known as "Danaal Thangavelu", was an Indian actor and comedian popular in the 1950s to 1970s. Not known for physical, acrobatic comedy like his contemporaries J. P. Chandrababu…
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1917
Brazilian general and politician, 30th President of Brazil (died 1999)
João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo was a Brazilian military officer who served as the 30th president of Brazil from 1979 to 1985, and the last of the military regime that ruled the country following the 1964 Brazilian…
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1918
Canadian cardinal (died 2007)
Édouard Gagnon, PSS, OC was a Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal and President of the Pontifical Council for the Family for 7 years, from 1983 to 1990. He became a cardinal on 25 May 1985.
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1918
Egyptian colonel and politician, second President of Egypt (died 1970)
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced…
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1918
French mountaineer and politician, French Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (died 2012)
Maurice André Raymond Herzog was a French mountaineer and administrator who was born in Lyon, France. He led the 1950 French Annapurna expedition that first climbed a peak over 8000m, Annapurna, in 1950, and reached the…
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1919
Belizean politician, first Prime Minister of Belize (died 2011)
George Cadle Price was a Belizean statesman who served as the head of government of Belize from 1961 to 1984 and 1989 to 1993. He was the first minister and premier under British rule until independence in 1981 and was…
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1919
American basketball player and coach (died 1990)
Robert Edris Davies was an American professional basketball player. Davies and Bobby Wanzer formed one of the best backcourt duos in the National Basketball Association's (NBA) early years. Davies and Wanzer led the…
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1920
American baseball player (died 2002)
Stephen Joseph Gromek was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. In 447 career games, Gromek pitched…
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1920
American cardinal (died 2000)
John Joseph O'Connor was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of New York from 1984 until his death in 2000, and was made a cardinal in 1985. O'Connor's tenure was marred by his handling of the AIDS…
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1920
American basketball player (died 1998)
Clifford Eugene Barker was an American basketball player who won the gold medal with the USA national basketball team at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and two national championships at the University of Kentucky.
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1921
Indian lawyer and politician, eighth Chief Minister of Maharashtra (died 2007)
Babasaheb Anantrao Bhosale was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from January 1982 until February 1983.
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1921
English actor (died 2013)
Frank Thornton Ball, professionally known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor. He was best known for playing Captain Peacock in the television sitcom Are You Being Served? and its sequel Grace & Favour and as…
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1921
English geneticist (died 1996)
Sylvia Dorothy Lawler was an English geneticist who worked in the field of human genetics.
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1922
Australian sergeant and politician, 34th Premier of New South Wales (died 1999)
Sir Eric Archibald Willis was the 34th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976. Born in Murwillumbah in 1922, Willis was educated at Murwillumbah High School and the University of Sydney,…
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1922
Scottish pianist, songwriter, and poet (died 2006)
Ivor Cutler was a Scottish poet, singer, musician, songwriter, artist and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential…
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1923
Taiwanese economist and politician, fourth President of the Republic of China (died 2020)
Lee Teng-hui was a Taiwanese statesman, economist, and agronomist who served as the fourth president of the Republic of China and chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He was the first president to be born in…
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1923
New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (died 2013)
Wallace George Lowe, known as George Lowe, was a New Zealand-born mountaineer, explorer, film director and educator. He was the last surviving member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition, during which his friend…
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1924
American pianist and composer (died 2026)
Ruth Slenczynska was an American classical pianist and the last piano student of Sergei Rachmaninoff.
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1925
Mexican actor (died 2023)
Ignacio López Tarso was a Mexican actor of stage, film and television. He acted in about 50 films and appeared in documentaries and in one short feature. In 1973 he was given the Ariel Award for Best Actor for Rosa…
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1925
Austrian-Swiss actress (died 2005)
Maria Margarethe Anna Schell was an Austrian-Swiss actress. She was one of the leading stars of German cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, she was awarded the Cannes Best Actress Award for her performance in Helmut…
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1926
American actress (died 2023)
Phyllis Coates was an American actress with a career spanning over fifty years. She was best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men and in the first season of the…
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1927
American actress (died 2021)
Joanne Linville was an American actress. She later taught at the Stella Adler Academy, Los Angeles.
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1928
English journalist and author (died 2015)
William Reginald Mitchell was a British writer who was the editor of Dalesman magazine for twenty years and over a sixty-year period wrote over 200 books, hundreds of articles, and delivered many talks on the history…
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1928
American guitarist (died 1970)
Earl Zebedee Hooker was a Chicago blues guitarist known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", he performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee…
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1929
American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1968)
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. He advanced civil rights for people of…
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1929
American professional wrestler and promoter (died 1985)
Edward F. Gossett, better known by his ring name Eddie Graham, was an American professional wrestler, promoter, booker, and trainer.
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1930
American painter and sculptor (died 2022)
Lee Bontecou was an American sculptor and printmaker and a pioneer figure in the New York art world. She kept her work consistently in a recognizable style, and received broad recognition in the 1960s. Bontecou made…
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1931
British special effects designer (died 1995)
Derek Meddings was a British film and television special effects designer. He was initially noted for his work on the "Supermarionation" TV puppet series produced by Gerry Anderson, and later for the 1970s and 1980s…
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1931
1932
English journalist and radio host (died 2020)
Francis Joseph Bough was an English television presenter. He was best known as the host of BBC sports and current affairs shows including Grandstand, Nationwide and Breakfast Time, which he launched alongside Selina…
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1933
American author and academic (died 2019)
Ernest James Gaines was an American author. Four of his works were made into television movies.
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1933
English chemist and academic (died 2022)
Peter Michael Maitlis, FRS was a British organometallic chemist.
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1933
Indian civil servant and politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (died 2013)
V. S. Ramadevi was an Indian politician who was the first lady to become the 8th Governor of Karnataka and 9th Chief Election Commissioner of India from 26 November 1990 to 11 December 1990. She was the first woman to…
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1934
American author and editor
Robert Silverberg is a prolific American science fiction author and editor. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand Master of SF…
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1935
English actor, writer, director and political activist (died 2023)
Richard Kimber Franklin was an English actor, writer, director and political activist. Principally a stage actor, he also appeared as a regular character in several high-profile British television programmes, including…
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1936
American actress and singer
Angela Maxine O'Brien, known professionally as Margaret O'Brien, is an American actress. Beginning a career in feature films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at age four, O'Brien became a child star and received a Juvenile…
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1937
Pakistani engineer and mountaineer
Ashraf Aman is a Pakistani mountaineer, adventurer, and engineer. In 1977, he became the first Pakistani to reach the summit of K2. He operates the travel and tourism-based company "Adventure Tours Pakistan". He is also…
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1938
Mexican wrestler (died 2021)
Estrella Blanca was a Mexican professional wrestler. Estrella Blanca was most known for his claim to have won more Luchas de Apuestas "bet matches" than anyone, winning more masks and hair than any other wrestler.…
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1938
Indian footballer and cricketer (died 2020)
Subimal "Chuni" Goswami was an Indian professional footballer and first-class cricketer. As footballer, he played as a striker or winger, captained both the Mohun Bagan club and the India national team. He is widely…
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1938
Swedish journalist and politician, first Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden (died 2018)
Per Axel Ahlmark was a Swedish politician and writer. He was the leader of the Liberal People's Party from 1975 to 1978, and Minister for Employment and Deputy Prime Minister in the Swedish government from 1976 to 1978.…
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1939
English sailor (died 2018)
Tony Bullimore was a British businessman and international yachtsman. During the 1996–97 Vendée Globe solo round-the-world yacht race, his vessel lost its keel and capsized in the Southern Ocean. He survived for four…
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1939
American singer-songwriter, musician, and artist (died 2010)
Don Van Vliet, known by his stage name Captain Beefheart, was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the Magic Band, he recorded 13 studio…
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1941
American academic and judge (died 2013)
Frank Joseph Polozola was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.
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1942
Australian rugby league player (died 1986)
George Ambrum (1943–1986) was a retired Australian rugby league player who used to play in the 1960s and 1970s.
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1943
English metallurgist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Margaret Mary Beckett, Baroness Beckett, is a British politician who was the United Kingdom's first female Foreign Secretary and a member of Parliament (MP) for more than 45 years, first from 1974 to 1979 and then from…
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1943
American lawyer and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the European Union
Stuart Elliott Eizenstat is an American diplomat and attorney. He served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 1993 to 1996 and as the United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to…
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1943
American baseball player (died 2021)
Michael Grant Marshall was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1967 and from 1969 through 1981 for nine different teams. Marshall won the National League Cy Young Award…
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1943
English author
Jenny Nimmo is a British author of children's books, including fantasy and adventure novels, chapter books, and picture books. Born in England, she has lived mostly in Wales for 40 years. She is probably best known for…
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1944
Taiwanese actor, director, and politician (died 2015)
Ko Chun-hsiung was a Taiwanese actor, director and politician. He had been acting since the 1960s and had appeared in more than 200 films.
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1945
American lawyer and political figure (died 1993)
Vincent Walker Foster Jr. was an American attorney who served as deputy White House counsel during the first six months of the Clinton administration.
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1945
American colonel (died 1990)
William Richard Higgins was a United States Marine Corps colonel who was captured in Lebanon in 1988 while serving on a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission. He was held hostage, tortured, and, 17 months later, he…
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1945
Princess Michael of Kent is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, a grandson of King George V. Marie-Christine worked as an interior designer and later became an author,…
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1945
English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager, and sports commentator. Pleat made 185 Football League appearances for five clubs, scoring 26 goals. He had two spells as manager of Luton Town, and four as…
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1945
American actor (died 2004)
Charles Brown was an American actor and a member of New York City, New York, theater troupe the Negro Ensemble Company. He was best known for his performances in Off-Broadway and Broadway plays by Samm-Art Williams and…
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1946
1947
American-Canadian actress, singer, and screenwriter
Andrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedian, best known for her work in the television series SCTV and Great News. She has appeared in films such as Black Christmas (1974) and its 2006 remake,…
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1947
American singer-songwriter (died 1977)
Ronald Wayne Van Zant was an American singer, best known as the founding lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the older brother of Johnny Van Zant, the current lead…
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1948
Puerto Rican-American baseball player (died 2001)
Luis César Alvarado Martínez was a Puerto Rican infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). From 1968 through 1977, he played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, New York…
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1949
English businessman (died 2012)
Alasdair Donald MacDuff Liddell was one of the architects of Britain's health strategy in the 1990s. As Director of Planning at the Department of Health (1994–2000), he led the process of setting national priorities for…
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1949
Scottish runner
Ian Stewart MBE is a Scottish former long-distance running athlete. Stewart was one of the world's leading distance runners between the late 1960s and mid-1970s. Stewart won the bronze medal in the Men's 5000 metres at…
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1949
American golfer
Howard Allen Twitty is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.
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1949
French footballer and coach
Marius Paul Trésor is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.
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1950
American basketball player
Ernest DiGregorio, also known as "Ernie D.", is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Buffalo Braves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics…
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1951
Swiss singer-songwriter
Boris Blank is a Swiss artist and musician. He forms the musical duo Yello with Dieter Meier.
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1952
Polish footballer (died 2018)
Andrzej Lucjan Fischer was a Polish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1952
Bangladeshi teacher and parliamentarian (died 2021)
Muhammad Wakkas was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, teacher, former Member of Parliament and State Minister. He was the founder of Jamia Imdadia Madaninagar Madrasa, the largest madrasa in South Bengal, accommodating…
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1952
American football player
Randall Lee White, nicknamed "the Manster", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 to 1988. He played college…
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1953
Jr., Filipino poet, author, and screenwriter
Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. is a Filipino writer. He has won numerous awards and prizes for fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, and screenwriting, including 16 Palanca Awards.
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1954
1955
German photographer
Andreas Gursky is a German artist best known for his photography. He is a former professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany.
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1955
Egyptian lieutenant (died 1982)
Khalid al-Islambuli was an Egyptian military officer who participated in the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, during the annual 6th October victory parade on 6 October 1981. Al-Islambuli stated that his…
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1955
Russian architect
Vitaly Konstantinovich Kaloyev is a Russian former architect and convicted murderer who was found guilty of the premeditated killing of an air traffic controller after his family died aboard BAL Bashkirian Airlines…
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1956
Indian educator and politician, 23rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
Kumari Mayawati is an Indian politician who served as the 18th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1995 to 1995, 1997 to 1997, 2002 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2012. She is the national president of the Bahujan Samaj…
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1956
American football player and coach
Marc Marlyn Trestman is an American professional football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coach of the…
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1956
1957
American football player and sportscaster
Martin Anthony Lyons is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle and defensive end for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and 1980s. Lyons played college…
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1957
English journalist and politician
Andrew Guy Tyrie, Baron Tyrie, is a British politician and former chair of the Competition and Markets Authority. A member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Chichester from 1997 to 2017.…
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1957
Mexican-American actor and director
Mario Cain Van Peebles is a Mexican-born American actor and director. He is the son of Melvin Van Peebles, whom he played in the 2003 biopic Baadasssss!, which he also co-wrote, produced, and directed. He also starred…
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1957
1958
Serbian psychologist and politician, 16th President of Serbia
Boris Tadić is a Serbian politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2004 to 2012. He led the Democratic Party (DS) from 2004 to 2012 as well, and previously served as minister of defence from 2003 to 2004.
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1958
Australian rugby league player
Greg Ian Dowling is an Australian former politician and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative prop forward, he…
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1959
Slovenian mountaineer and photographer (died 2008)
Pavle Kozjek was a Slovenian mountaineering pioneer and a photographer.
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1959
Ukrainian footballer and coach
Serhiy N. Morozov is a former professional footballer from Ukraine who played as a forward. He became topscorer of the Meistriliiga 1994–95 by scoring 25 goals for Lantana Marlekor. He also played as a professional in…
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1961
Canadian actor and director
Yves P. Pelletier is a Canadian film director, actor, and comedian. He was part of comedy troupe Rock et Belles Oreilles from 1981 to 1995. He appeared in a number of films and on television. He made his debut as a…
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1961
English actor, producer, and screenwriter
Craig John Fairbrass is an English actor, producer, and screenwriter. He has made appearances in For Queen and Country (1988), London's Burning (1990), Cliffhanger (1993), Killing Time (1998), EastEnders (1999–2001),…
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1963
Finnish composer
Osmo Tapio Everton Räihälä is a Finnish composer of contemporary music. He has written chamber music, vocal and electronic music, as well as several concertos and a few works for symphony orchestra.
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1964
Italian cyclist
Maurizio Fondriest is a retired Italian professional road racing cyclist. He won the road race at the 1988 World Cycling Championships, and the UCI Road World Cup in 1991 and 1993.
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1965
American boxer and coach
Bernard Hopkins Jr. is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2016. He is one of the most successful boxers of the past three decades, having held multiple world championships in two weight…
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1965
American musician and songwriter
Adam Thomas Jones is an American musician, songwriter, visual artist, and music video director, best known as the guitarist of Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th-greatest guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and…
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1965
Northern Irish actor
William James Nesbitt is an actor from Northern Ireland. From 1987, Nesbitt spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical Up on the Roof to the political drama Paddywack (1994). He made his feature…
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1965
1967
1968
American baseball player and manager
Delino Lamont DeShields, also nicknamed "Bop", is an American former professional baseball second baseman and current baseball coach. He played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos, Los…
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1969
American softball player
Michele Marie Granger is an American, former collegiate four-time NCAA Division I First Team All-American and 1996 gold medal-winning Olympian softball pitcher. She played college softball for four seasons, over five…
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1970
American wrestler and businessman
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American businessman and professional wrestler. He is best known for his various roles with WWE between 1988 and 2024.
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1970
American actress
Regina Rene King is an American actress, director and producer. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, Time magazine named her one…
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1971
American heptathlete
Shelia Burrell is an American athletics coach and former heptathlete who is the head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs women's cross country and women's track & field teams at San Diego State University (SDSU). She…
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1972
Greek footballer
Christos Kostis is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a forward. Kostis is widely regarded to be one of the most technical players Greece has ever produced, but his great injury in 1997 stopped his…
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1972
English journalist and critic
Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman is an English broadcaster and writer. She co-presented the BBC One dance competition Strictly Come Dancing (2010–2025) and hosts the BBC One reality series The Traitors (2022–present), the…
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1972
Egyptian footballer
Essam Kamal Tawfiq El Hadary is an Egyptian goalkeeping coach and former professional football goalkeeper.
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1973
international development academic
Séverine Marie Paule Deneulin is a Belgian senior lecturer in International Development at the Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, and a fellow of the Human Development and Capability…
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1974
Canadian-American tennis player and coach
Mary Caroline Pierce is a French former professional tennis player. She was ranked world No. 3 in singles and in doubles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Pierce won 18 singles titles on the WTA Tour, including…
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1975
Slovak ice hockey player
Martin Štrbák is a Slovak former ice hockey defenceman, who last played for HC Košice.
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1975
American basketball player and sportscaster
Douglas Mitchell Gottlieb is an American men's college basketball coach, former media personality and player. Doug is the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. He played NCAA…
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1976
Russian ice hockey player
Alexander Ivanovich Korolyuk is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks before playing the remainder of his career in the Kontinental…
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1976
Ukrainian runner
Iryna Lishchynska, née Nedelenko (Неделенко) is a Ukrainian middle-distance athlete who specializes in the 1500 metres.
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1976
American actor
Dorian Crossmond Missick is an American actor known for his role as Damian Henry in the television series Six Degrees (2006–2007) and for voicing Victor Vance in the 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.…
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1976
Scottish rugby player
Scott Murray is a former rugby union player who played lock for Scotland. He was at one time the record caps holder for Scotland having represented them on 87 occasions, five of which as captain and playing at three…
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1976
Romanian footballer and manager
Florentin Petre is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, currently assistant coach at Liga I club Dinamo București.
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1976
American actor
Edmund Patrick Cahill is an American actor known for portraying "Miracle on Ice" goalie Jim Craig in the 2004 film Miracle, and for playing the roles of Tag Jones in Friends and Detective Don Flack in CSI: NY. He has…
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1978
Italian cyclist
Franco Pellizotti is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2018 for the Alessio, Liquigas–Doimo, Androni Giocattoli–Sidermec and Bahrain–Merida teams. Pellizotti now…
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1978
English cricketer
Ryan Jay Sidebottom is a former England international cricketer who played domestic cricket for Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and retired in 2017, after taking more than 1,000 career wickets. He is the only player in…
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1978
American football player
Drew Christopher Brees is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, he is second…
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1979
Cypriot footballer
Michalis Morfis is a former Cypriot former football goalkeeper who last played for Doxa Katokopias in Cypriot First Division.
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1979
Bulgarian footballer
Martin Petyov Petrov is a Bulgarian former professional footballer who played as a winger, most notably for VFL Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, and Bolton Wanderers. He also played 90 times for Bulgaria.
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1979
American baseball player
Matthew Thomas Holliday is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York…
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1980
Canadian shot putter and hammer thrower
Dylan Armstrong is a Canadian athletics coach and retired competitive shot putter. He is the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, a two-time World Athletics Championships medallist, a two-time Pan American Games champion, and…
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1981
German tennis player
Vanessa Henke, also known as Vanessa Paffrath, is a German former professional tennis player.
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1981
1981
Senegalese footballer
El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf is a Senegalese former professional footballer who played as a winger or a forward.
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1981
Venezuelan baseball player
Armando Antonio Galarraga Barreto is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. Galarraga made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Texas Rangers on September 15, 2007. He was traded to the Detroit…
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1982
1982
Portuguese footballer
Hugo Miguel Ferreira Gomes Viana is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is the current director of football of Premier League club Manchester City.
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1983
English footballer
Jermaine Lloyd Pennant is an English retired professional footballer who played as a winger. Pennant made over 350 league appearances for 15 clubs, and scored 25 league goals.
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1983
American author and commentator
Benjamin Aaron Shapiro is an American conservative political commentator, media host, attorney, and movie director. He writes columns for Creators Syndicate, Newsweek, and Ami Magazine, and is editor emeritus for The…
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1984
1984
German footballer
René Adler is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, mainly for Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg.
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1985
Danish footballer
Kenneth Emil Petersen, also known as KEP, is a Danish football pundit and former player. He played as a centre back.
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1985
Russian basketball player
Pavel Nikolaevitch Podkolzin is a Russian footballer and former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a 2.26 m tall center.
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1985
American actress and model
Jessy Schram is an American actress, model and singer. Her most notable roles include Hannah Griffith in Veronica Mars, Rachel Seybolt in Life, Karen Nadler in Falling Skies, Cinderella/Ashley Boyd in Once Upon a Time…
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1986
Australian rugby league player
Gregory Paul Inglis, also known by the nickname of "G.I.", is a retired Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer, who regularly played as a centre, fullback, five-eighth and wing.
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1987
Ethiopian runner
Tsegaye Kebede Wordofa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running events, including marathons. He quickly rose to become a prominent distance runner after his international debut at the Amsterdam…
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1987
American wrestler and model
Barbara Jean Coba, known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American model and former professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, as an ambassador.
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1987
English footballer
David Sean Knight is an English footballer who last played for Spennymoor Town as a goalkeeper.
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1987
1987
German footballer
Daniel Caligiuri is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
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1988
1988
American basketball player
Donald Wayne Sloan is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies. Sloan played parts of five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the…
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1988
1988
American Olympic foil fencer
Nicole Ross is an American foil fencer. Fencing for the Columbia Lions fencing team, she won the 2010 NCAA individual women's foil title, and was a three time All-American. At the 2012 Summer Olympics she competed in…
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1989
Slovak footballer
Martin Dúbravka is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Burnley and the Slovakia national team.
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1989
American actor and tap dancer
Sidney Franklin Buehner is an American actor, tap dancer, and film director who appeared in the series Watch Over Me (2006–2007), the film Excision (2012), a production of Legally Blonde (2025), and multiple productions…
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1990
Polish footballer
Robert Trznadel is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a right-back.
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1990
Russian ice hockey player
Vyacheslav "Slava" Leonidovich Voynov is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was previously suspended by the National Hockey League (NHL) resulting…
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1990
American actor
Christopher Warren Jr. is an American actor. He is best known as Zeke Baylor in the High School Musical franchise, Ty in The Fosters and Jason Parker in Grand Hotel. Since 2020 he has played Hayden in BET TV series…
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1990
Spanish footballer
Marc Bartra Aregall is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Real Betis.
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1991
American baseball player
Matthew Michael Duffy, nicknamed "Duffman", is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays,…
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1991
American baseball player
Mitchell Lynn Garver is an American professional baseball catcher and designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.…
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1991
Danish footballer
Nicolai Mick Jørgensen is a Danish former professional footballer who plays as a forward.
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1991
1991
Australian basketball player
James Robert Mitchell is an Australian professional basketball player for the Cairns Marlins of the NBL1 North. Between 2010 and 2016, he was based in his hometown of Cairns playing for the Marlins in the QBL and the…
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1991
Dutch footballer
Joël Ivo Veltman is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right-back or centre-back for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
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1992
Norwegian footballer
Joshua Christian Kojo King is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a forward or left winger for Saudi club Al-Khaleej.
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1992
American basketball player
Kadeem Frank Allen is an American professional basketball player for Juvi Cremona of the Lega Serie A2. He played college basketball for Hutchinson Community College and Arizona.
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1993
1994
American actress and singer
Dove Olivia Cameron is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame for her dual role of the eponymous characters in Disney Channel's comedy series Liv and Maddie (2013–2017) and her leading role in the network's…
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1996
American football player
Tyshun Raequan "Deebo" Samuel Sr. is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the…
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1996
1998
English footballer
Benjamin Matthew Godfrey is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Danish Superliga club Brøndby, on loan from Serie A side Atalanta. He has represented England from youth to senior level.
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1998
English footballer
Chloe Maggie Kelly is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the England national team. Kelly started her senior career at Arsenal, prior to going on loan to…
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1998
American baseball player
Triston Ray Casas is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Red Sox selected him in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft and he made his MLB debut in…
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2000
German ice hockey player
Tim Stützle is a German professional ice hockey player who is a centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Rated one of the top prospects available for the 2020 NHL entry draft, he was selected…
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2002
American singer-songwriter
Grace Avery VanderWaal is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is known for her distinctive voice and has often accompanied herself on the ukulele.
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2004
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Famous birthdays
Who was born on January 15?
Alexei Cherepanov — Russian ice hockey player (1989–2008)
FeaturedAlexei Cherepanov
Birth year1989
Known forHe was a winger for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)
Birthdays on this date227 (1432 – 2004)
Explore January 15
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on January 15 in History
2023
Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashes near Pokhara International Airport, killing all 72 people on board. Wikipedia →
2022
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupts, cutting off communications with Tonga and causing a tsunami across the Pacific. Wikipedia →
2021
See all events on January 15
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia's Sulawesi island killing at least 105 and injuring 3,369 people. Wikipedia →
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