Did you know
Famous Birthdays on January 26
212 people
183 – 2009
January 26 has seen 212 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 183 – 2009. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1994 — Montrezl Harrell
American basketball player
Did you know
Harrell was selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets
Did you know
He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017 where he was awarded as the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2020
Did you know
Harrell spent the following three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers
Did you know
Harrell played for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in 2024–25.
183
French poet and translator (died 1596)
Florent Chrestien was a French satirist and Latin poet.
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1541
1549
Italian painter (died 1647)
Giovanni Lanfranco was an Italian Baroque painter. He was a distinguished artist of the Bolognese school, deeply influenced by Annibale Carracci's’ classicism.
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1582
Archbishop of Canterbury (died 1737)
William Wake was a minister in the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1716 to his death.
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1657
French sculptor and educator (died 1785)
Jean-Baptiste Pigalle was a French sculptor whose work was influenced by both baroque and neo-classical trends.
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1714
French philosopher (died 1771)
Claude Adrien Helvétius was a French philosopher, Freemason, and littérateur.
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1715
1st Viscount Sackville, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (died 1785)
Major-General George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, PC was a British Army officer and politician who served as Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1775 to 1782. Serving in the North ministry during the American…
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1716
Scottish minister and author (died 1805)
Alexander Carlyle was a Scottish church leader, and autobiographer. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1770/71.
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1722
Charles XIV John was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. In Norway, he is known as Charles III John ; before he became royalty in Sweden, his name…
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1763
German poet and author (died 1831)
Carl Joachim Friedrich Ludwig von Arnim, better known as Achim von Arnim, was a German poet, novelist, and together with Clemens Brentano and Joseph von Eichendorff, a leading figure of German Romanticism.
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1781
Dominican philosopher and poet, founding father of the Dominican Republic (died 1876)
Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez was a Dominican military leader, writer, activist, and nationalist politician who was the foremost of the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic and bears the title of Father of the Nation.…
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1813
Polish chemist (died 1888)
Emilian Czyrniański was a Polish chemist of Lemko descent, science writer, rector of the Jagiellonian University and co-founder of the Polish Academy of Learning. He is responsible for developing chemical nomenclature…
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1824
American lawyer and Supreme Court justice (died 1924)
George Shiras Jr. was an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1892 to 1903. At that time of his appointment, he had 37 years of private legal practice but had…
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1832
French poet and author (died 1908)
François Édouard Joachim Coppée was a French poet and novelist.
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1842
Italian-French explorer (died 1905)
Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza was an Italian-French explorer. With his family's financial help, he explored the Ogooué region of Central Africa, and later with the backing of the Société de Géographie…
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1852
1861
Australian politician, 17th Premier of New South Wales (died 1922)
Sir Charles Gregory Wade KCMG, KC, JP was Premier of New South Wales 2 October 1907 – 21 October 1910.
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1863
Slovene-Hungarian poet and journalist (died 1934)
József Pusztai was a Slovene writer, poet, journalist, teacher, and cantor in Hungary. He was also known under the pen name Tibor Andorhegyi.
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1864
Dutch painter (died 1968)
Cornelis Theodorus Maria "Kees" van Dongen was a Dutch-French painter who was one of the leading Fauves. Van Dongen's early work was influenced by the Hague School and symbolism and it evolved gradually into a rough…
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1877
American general, Medal of Honor recipient (died 1964)
Douglas MacArthur was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of staff of…
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1880
English engineer and academic (died 1974)
Sir Harry Ralph Ricardo was an English engineer who was one of the foremost engine designers and researchers in the early years of the development of the internal combustion engine.
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1885
Swedish figure skater (died 1962)
Per Ludvig Julius Thorén was a Swedish figure skater in the early 20th century who won a bronze medal at the 1908 Olympic Games. In Europe, the half loop jump, a variation of the loop jump, was often referred to as the…
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1885
French-Luxembourgish cyclist (died 1915)
François Faber was a Luxembourgish racing cyclist. He was born in France. He was the first foreigner to win the Tour de France in 1909, and his record of winning 5 consecutive stages still stands. He died in World War I…
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1887
American admiral and pilot (died 1947)
Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was a pioneer in naval aviation who became an admiral in the United States Navy, and served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific during World War II.
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1887
Italian-American mob boss (died 1973)
Frank Costello was an Italian-American crime boss of the Luciano crime family.
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1891
German priest and martyr (died 1942)
August Froehlich was an Upper Silesian Roman Catholic priest. In his pastoral activity he opposed National Socialism. He campaigned in the name of German Catholics and of Polish forced labourers. He died in Dachau…
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1891
American-Canadian neurosurgeon and academic (died 1976)
Wilder Graves Penfield was an American-Canadian neurosurgeon. He expanded brain surgery's methods and techniques, including mapping the functions of various regions of the brain such as the cortical homunculus. His…
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1891
American pilot (died 1926)
Elizabeth Coleman was an early American civil aviator. She was the first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license, and is the earliest known Black person to earn an international pilot's…
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1892
Italian mob boss (died 1976)
Giuseppe Genco Russo was a Sicilian Mafia boss from Mussomeli in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily. Genco Russo, also known as "Zi Peppi Jencu", was an uncouth, sly, semi-literate thug with excellent political…
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1893
Russian-Estonian graphic designer and illustrator (died 1974)
Günther-Friedrich Reindorff was an Estonian graphic designer, book illustrator, and educator. He designed many postage stamps series, a large number of military insignia and bookplates, diplomas, various advertising…
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1899
1900
Dutch author (died 1940)
Menno ter Braak was a Dutch modernist writer, critic, essayist, and journalist.
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1902
American physiologist and nutritionist (died 2004)
Ancel Benjamin Keys was an American physiologist who studied the influence of diet on health. In particular, he hypothesized that replacing dietary saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat reduced cardiovascular diseases.…
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1904
Irish lawyer and politician, Irish Minister for External Affairs Nobel Prize laureate (died 1988)
Seán MacBride was an Irish Republican activist, politician, and diplomat who served as Minister for External Affairs from 1948 to 1951, Leader of Clann na Poblachta from 1946 to 1965 and Chief of Staff of the IRA from…
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1904
American actor and singer (died 2007)
Charles Lane was an American character actor and centenarian whose career spanned 76 years.
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1905
Austrian-American singer (died 1987)
Maria Augusta von Trapp DHS, often styled as "Baroness", was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family. She wrote the memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, which was published in 1949 and was the…
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1905
Australian politician (died 1977)
Reginald Francis Xavier Connor was an Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1963 until he died in 1977, representing the Labor Party. He was the Minister for Minerals and…
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1907
Greek priest and philologist (died 2001)
Protopresbyter Dimitrios Holevas, more commonly known as Papa-Holevas, was a Greek Orthodox priest who was a notable member of the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS), set up by the National Liberation Front (EAM), a…
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1907
1908
German painter and sculptor (died 2009)
Rupprecht Geiger was a German abstract painter and sculptor. Throughout his career, he favored monochromicity and color-field paintings. For a time, he concentrated solely on the color red.
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1908
French violinist (died 1997)
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands. He has been…
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1908
American yachtsman (died 1985)
Robert Sherman "Bob" Halperin, nicknamed "Buck", was an American business executive, decorated WWII naval officer and Star class yacht racer, who became an Olympic bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist in…
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1908
Hungarian-French animator, director, and screenwriter (died 1989)
Imre Hajdú better known by his stage name Jean Image was a Hungarian-French director, script writer and producer of French animation films.
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1910
German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1993)
Polykarp Kusch was a German-American physicist who shared the 1955 Nobel Prize in Physics with Willis Eugene Lamb for his accurate determination that the electron magnetic moment was greater than its theoretical value,…
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1911
German composer and conductor (died 2002)
Norbert Arnold Wilhelm Richard Schultze was a prolific German composer of film music and a member of the NSDAP and of Joseph Goebbels' staff during World War II. He is best remembered for having written the melody of…
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1911
American pianist and composer (died 1990)
James Van Heusen was an American composer. He wrote songs for films, television, and theater, and won an Emmy and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song. Many of his compositions later went on to become jazz…
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1913
Imperial Princess of the Ottoman Empire (died 2006)
Hatice Hayriye Ayşe Dürrüşehvar Sultan, after marriage named Durru Shehvar Durdana Begum Sahiba, Princess of Berar; was an Ottoman princess by birth and Hyderabadi princess by marriage. She was the only daughter of the…
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1914
American actor (died 1970)
William DeWolf Hopper Jr. was an American stage, film, and television actor. The only child of actor DeWolf Hopper and actress and Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper, he appeared in more than 80 feature films in the 1930s…
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1915
American runner and captain (died 2014)
Louis Silvie Zamperini was an American World War II veteran, Olympic distance runner, and Christian evangelist. He began running in high school and qualified for the United States in the 5,000 m event at the 1936 Summer…
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1917
American author (died 2009)
Philip José Farmer was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.
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1918
Italian footballer (died 1949)
Valentino Mazzola was an Italian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward.
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1919
English footballer and manager (died 2004)
William Edward Nicholson was an English football player, coach, manager and scout who had a 55-year association with Tottenham Hotspur. He is considered one of the most important figures in the club's history, winning…
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1919
South Korean politician, 24th Prime Minister of South Korea (died 2020)
Hyun Soong-jong was a South Korean politician who served as the prime minister of South Korea from 8 October 1992 to 25 February 1993. Hyun died on 25 May 2020 at the age of 101.
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1919
Austrian-American paranormal researcher and author (died 2009)
Hans Holzer was an American writer and parapsychologist. He wrote more than 120 books on supernatural and occult subjects for the popular market as well as several plays, musicals, films, and documentaries, and hosted a…
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1920
French record producer, founded Barclay Records (died 2005)
Édouard Ruault, better known as Eddie Barclay, was a French record producer whose singers included Jacques Brel, Dalida and Charles Aznavour. He founded record label Barclay.
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1921
Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (died 1999)
Akio Morita was a Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony along with Masaru Ibuka.
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1921
Finnish actor and theater councilor (died 2008)
Veikko Johannes Uusimäki was a Finnish actor and theater councilor. During his life, he acted in a total of 25 films, in connection with which he also served as director of Yleisradio's theater services between 1973 and…
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1921
English actor and screenwriter (died 1996)
Michael Bentine was a British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goons.
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1922
Irish footballer and politician, 7th Irish Minister for Health (died 1993)
Seán Flanagan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and Gaelic footballer who served as Minister for Health from 1966 to 1969, Minister for Lands from 1969 to 1973 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry…
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1922
English footballer (died 2010)
Gilbert Harold Merrick was an English footballer and football manager. Considered one of the best goalkeepers in the UK during the mid-1950s, Merrick was one in a long line of great Birmingham City keepers which…
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1922
1923
American actress and singer (died 2017)
Anne Jeffreys was an American actress and singer. She was the female lead in the 1950s television series Topper.
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1923
Swedish singer and actress (died 2014)
Hildur Alice Nilson, known by her stage name Alice Babs, was a Swedish singer. She worked in a wide number of genres – Swedish folklore, Elizabethan songs and opera. While she was best known internationally as a jazz…
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1924
American violinist (died 2016)
Anahid Marguerite Ajemian was an American violinist of Armenian descent. Her career in contemporary music began from her desire to help young composers of her generation get their compositions performed. Additionally,…
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1924
American philanthropist and politician, Mayor of Dallas (died 1998)
Annette Louise Greenfield Strauss was an American philanthropist and politician who served as the 54th mayor of Dallas. The Annette Strauss Artist Square in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas is named in honor…
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1924
English bishop and theologian (died 2016)
David Edward Jenkins was a Church of England cleric and theologian. He was Bishop of Durham from 1984 until 1994. After his retirement, he continued to serve as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Ripon and…
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1925
American actress (died 2015)
Joan Leslie was an American actress and vaudevillian, who during the Hollywood Golden Age, appeared in films such as High Sierra (1941), Sergeant York (1941) and Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
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1925
American actor, activist, director, race car driver, and businessman, co-founded Newman's Own (died 2008)
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, filmmaker, racecar driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He has been described as "one of the last of the great 20th-century movie stars". He was the recipient of numerous…
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1925
1925
Canadian journalist and politician (died 2004)
Claude Ryan was a Canadian journalist and politician. He was the director of the newspaper Le Devoir from 1964 to 1978, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party from 1978 to 1982, National Assembly of Quebec member for…
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1925
Pakistani linguist and scholar (died 2013)
Farman Fatehpuri was an Urdu linguist, researcher, writer, critic and scholar of Pakistan.
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1926
American architect and businessman, co-founded the Sea Pines Company (died 2014)
Joseph Bacon Fraser Jr. was one of the founders of the Sea Pines Company, along with his brother Charles E. Fraser and father General Joseph B. Fraser who first developed Hilton Head Island into a popular destination.…
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1926
Honduran businessman and politician, President of Honduras (died 2005)
José Simón Azcona del Hoyo was President of Honduras from 27 January 1986 to 27 January 1990 for the Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH). He was born in La Ceiba in Honduras.
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1927
American baseball player and scout (died 1985)
Robert Charles Nieman was an American professional baseball player and scout. An outfielder, he spent all or parts of a dozen Major League Baseball seasons with the St. Louis Browns (1951–52), Detroit Tigers (1953–54),…
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1927
German footballer and manager (died 2013)
Hubert Schieth was a German football player and manager who played as a forward.
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1927
French actor and director (died 2000)
Roger Vadim Plemiannikov was a French screenwriter, film director, and producer, as well as an author, artist, and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, such as And God…
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1928
American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and educator (died 2025)
Jules Ralph Feiffer was an American cartoonist and author, who at one time was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for editorial cartooning and, in 2004, Feiffer…
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1929
American mathematician (died 2017)
Donald Erik Sarason was an American mathematician whose research topics included Hardy space theory and VMO. As a professor at the University of California, Berkeley he became the doctoral advisor of 39 graduate…
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1933
Canadian businessman and publisher (died 2020)
Roger D. Landry was a Canadian businessman who was president and publisher of La Presse.
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1934
American director, playwright, and critic (died 2014)
Charles Marowitz was an American critic, theatre director, and playwright, regular columnist on Swans Commentary. He collaborated with Peter Brook at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and later founded and directed The…
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1934
American pianist and songwriter (died 2023)
Huey Pierce "Piano" Smith was an American R&B pianist and session musician whose sound was influential in the development of rock and roll.
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1934
American baseball player, sportscaster and actor (died 2025)
Robert George Uecker was an American professional baseball catcher and sportscaster who served as the play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) for 54 seasons. He was also an…
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1934
Slovak actor and screenwriter (died 2025)
Oldo Hlaváček was a Slovak actor and screenwriter.
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1934
Italian journalist and politician
Corrado Augias is an Italian journalist, writer and TV host. He was also a member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999 for the Democratic Party of the Left.
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1935
American football player (died 1977)
Henry Wendell Jordan was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. He played college…
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1935
Portuguese-born British visual artist (died 2022)
Dame Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego was a Portuguese visual artist, widely considered the pre-eminent woman artist of the late 20th and early 21st century, known particularly for her paintings and prints based on…
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1935
American comics artist (died 2026)
Silvio Buscema was an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he had a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk and an eight-year run as artist of The Spectacular Spider-Man. He was the younger…
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1936
Sierra Leonean soldier and politician, 2nd President of Sierra Leone (died 2003)
Joseph Saidu Momoh was a Sierra Leonean politician and military officer who served as the second President of Sierra Leone from November 1985 to 29 April 1992.
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1937
English-American director and screenwriter (died 2025)
Henry David Jaglom was an American actor, film director and playwright.
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1938
Irish bishop (died 2019)
Séamus Hegarty, D.D. was an Irish Catholic prelate. He served as Bishop of Raphoe from 1982 to 1994, then as Bishop of Derry from 1994 to 2011.
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1940
English footballer and cricketer (died 2003)
Frank Large was an English footballer who played for many different clubs between 1958 and 1974, including three different spells at Northampton Town. He was part of the package deal that took Allan Clarke from Fulham…
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1940
Venezuelan baseball player and manager (died 2005)
César Dario Gutiérrez [goo-te-er'-rez], also nicknamed "Cocoa", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants in the 1967 and 1969 seasons,…
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1943
Trinidadian businessman and politician
Jack Austin Warner is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician, businessman, and former football executive. Warner was Vice President of FIFA and President of CONCACAF until his suspension and eventual resignation from…
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1943
American activist, academic, and author
Angela Yvonne Davis is an American Marxist and Radical feminist political activist, philosopher, academic, author and social theorist. She is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Feminist Studies and History of…
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1944
American football coach and criminal
Gerald Arthur Sandusky is an American convicted serial child molester and retired college football coach.
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1944
English cellist (died 1987)
Jacqueline Mary du Pré was a British cellist, widely regarded as one of the preeminent cellists of the 20th century. Born in Oxford, she began studying at the Guildhall School of Music in the mid-1950s with William…
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1945
English race car driver (died 1985)
David Charles Purley, GM was a British racing driver born in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, who participated in 11 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting at Monaco in 1973.
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1945
American mathematician
Susan Jean Friedlander is an American mathematician. Her research concerns mathematical fluid dynamics, the Euler equations and the Navier-Stokes equations.
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1946
Portuguese-English director, screenwriter, and playwright
Sir Christopher James Hampton is a British playwright, screenwriter, and translator. He is best known for his play Les Liaisons Dangereuses based on the novel of the same name, and for the film adaptation. He has thrice…
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1946
American journalist and film critic (died 1999)
Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert.
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1946
French actor and composer (died 1982)
Patrick Dewaere was a French film actor. Born in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, he was the son of French actress Mado Maurin. An actor from a young age, his career lasted more than 21 years until his suicide in Paris, in…
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1947
1947
4th Baron Killanin, Irish director, producer, and production manager
George Redmond Fitzpatrick Morris, 4th Baron Killanin, is an Irish film producer.
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1947
American actor
Richard Portnow is an American actor known for such films and television series as Good Morning, Vietnam, Barton Fink, Kindergarten Cop, Man of the House, Sister Act, Seven, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Bogus, The…
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1947
French singer-songwriter and actor
Michel Charles Sardou is a French singer and occasional actor.
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1947
Costa Rican jurist, writer and teacher
Alda Facio Montejo is a Costa Rican feminist jurist, writer, teacher and international expert in gender and human rights in Latin America. She is one of the founding members of the Women's Caucus for Gender Justice at…
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1948
Canadian rock drummer
Laurence Gordon "Corky" Laing is a Canadian rock drummer, best known as a longtime member of the pioneering American hard rock band Mountain. He and guitarist/vocalist Leslie West were the only members to appear on…
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1948
American theater, television and film costume designer
Jennifer von Mayrhauser is an American costume designer who has designed costumes for more than thirty Broadway productions, and is notable for her significant contributions in film, television, and theatre.
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1948
American author
Jonathan Samuel Carroll is an American fiction writer primarily known for novels that may be labelled magic realism, slipstream or contemporary fantasy. He has lived in Austria since 1974.
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1949
American actor
David Russell Strathairn is an American actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he has often portrayed historical figures including Edward R. Murrow, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William H. Seward, and John…
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1949
Austrian lawyer and politician, Governor of Carinthia (died 2008)
Jörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria, a breakaway…
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1950
Czech ice hockey player and coach (died 2004)
Ivan Hlinka was a Czech professional ice hockey player and coach. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in Czech ice hockey history. A big centre, his playing style was comparable to Phil Esposito,…
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1950
American football player
Herbert Jackson Youngblood III is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s.…
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1950
Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer
David John Briggs AM is an Australian musician, songwriter and record producer, best known as lead guitarist in the rock band Little River Band between 1976 and 1981, having joined the band when original lead guitarist…
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1951
American singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2010)
John Andrew Hummel was an American bassist and singer-songwriter best known as the bass player of Big Star.
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1951
English economist and academic
Dame Anne Jane Mills is a British authority on health economics. She is Emeritus Professor of Health Economics and Policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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1951
American basketball player
Thomas Edward Henderson is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born in Newberry, South Carolina.
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1952
Micronesian politician, 7th Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia
Alik L. Alik is a diplomat and politician from the Federated States of Micronesia who was the Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia from May 11, 2007 to May 11, 2015.
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1953
Danish politician and diplomat, 39th Prime Minister of Denmark
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician who was the prime minister of Denmark from November 2001 to April 2009 and the secretary general of NATO from August 2009 to October 2014. He became founder of political…
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1953
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Lucinda Gayl Williams is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, Ramblin' on My Mind (1979) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that…
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1953
Australian cricketer
Kimberley John Hughes is a former cricketer who played for Western Australia, Natal and Australia. He captained Australia in 28 Test matches between 1979 and 1984 before captaining a rebel Australian team in a tour of…
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1954
Dutch-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (died 2020)
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and one of the primary songwriters of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex Van Halen in…
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1955
American wrestler (died 2003)
Michael James "Mike" Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He was best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors, with Road Warrior Animal. Outside of the Road Warriors,…
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1957
American singer-songwriter
Anita Denise Baker is an American jazz and soul singer. She is known for her soulful ballads, particularly from the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s.
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1958
American comedian, actress, and talk show host
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American retired comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on The…
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1958
American musician
Charles Thomas Gillingham is an American keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his performance on the Hammond B-3 organ, accordion, piano, and keyboards for the band Counting Crows. He has also played…
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1960
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One", he…
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1961
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Carl Thomas Keifer is an American musician. He is the lead singer, primary songwriter, and one of the guitarists for the hard rock band Cinderella.
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1961
1962
1962
Argentine footballer and manager
Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as centre-back. Nicknamed El Cabezón, Ruggeri achieved success at the international level with the Argentina national team, being part of…
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1962
1963
Portuguese footballer and manager
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Primeira Liga club Benfica. Self Nicknamed "the Special One", he is one of the…
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1963
Australian footballer, cricketer, and sportscaster
Simon Patrick O'Donnell is an Australian former cricketer, VFL footballer, and horse racing and cricket commentator. He is currently a horse breeder and enabler. He is a former record holder for the fastest One Day…
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1963
English footballer and manager
Anthony Parks is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career spanning over 20 years, he was on the books of 15 different clubs, making more than 250 league…
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1963
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Andrew John Ridgeley is an English musician. He is best known for his work in the 1980s in the musical duo Wham!, which consisted of Ridgeley and George Michael. Wham! were one of the most successful pop acts during the…
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1963
Scottish businessman
Adam Alexander Crozier is a Scottish business executive and chairman of Whitbread and BT Group. He was formerly the chief executive of ITV plc. After a career at Saatchi & Saatchi culminating in the role of joint chief…
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1964
American-Canadian actor
Paul Johansson is a Canadian actor and director in film and television, best known for playing Dan Scott on the WB/CW series One Tree Hill, and for his role as Nick Wolfe on the short-lived series Highlander: The Raven,…
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1964
American politician, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Kevin Owen McCarthy is an American politician who served as the 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from January to October 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he represented California's 22nd…
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1965
Swedish businessman and politician
Thomas Östros is a Swedish economist and Social Democratic politician who has been serving as vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB) since 2020. Earlier in his career, he held positions as CEO of the…
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1965
Russian gymnast and coach
Natalia Vladimirovna Yurchenko is a retired Soviet artistic gymnast, who won the women's all-around gold medal at the 1983 World Championships. Renowned for her innovative and daring gymnastics, she is best known as the…
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1965
Japanese baseball player and sportscaster
Kazushige Nagashima is a Japanese tarento, sports commentator and former professional baseball player. His father is Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima.
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1966
American comedian, actor, and writer
Bryan Callen is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and podcaster. He studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Callen initiated his career as one of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series…
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1967
Russian chef and businessman
Anatoly Anatolyevich Komm ; is a Russian chef and restaurateur. He is the first Russian to have an establishment listed in the Michelin Guide.
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1967
English businessman, co-founded Internet Movie Database
Colin Needham is an English computer scientist who founded the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). He was its chief executive officer from its creation in 1990 until 2025, when he stepped down and instead took a role as its…
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1967
Brazilian singer-songwriter, film director, and actor (died 2015)
Flávio Basso, better known by his stage name Júpiter Maçã and by its English-language variation Jupiter Apple, was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and filmmaker. Before beginning a solo career in…
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1968
Greek-Romanian basketball player and coach
George Dikeoulakos is a Greek professional basketball coach.
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1969
American singer-songwriter and producer
Kirk Dewayne Franklin is an American gospel songwriter, composer, rapper, singer, and record producer. Franklin's accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. Variety has called Franklin a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel", and…
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1970
American actor
Nate Mooney is an American actor best known for his recurring role as Ryan McPoyle on the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
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1972
American actress
Jennifer Amie Crystal Foley is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Christie Parker in Once and Again and Rachel Taub on House. She is the daughter of Billy and Janice Crystal.
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1973
1973
French actor, director, and screenwriter
Melvil Matthias Julien Poupaud is a French actor.
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1973
Northern Irish footballer and manager
Brendan Rodgers is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah.
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1973
Japanese author and illustrator
Mayu Shinjo is a Japanese manga artist. She debuted in 1994 in Shogakukan's Shōjo Comic with "Anata no Iro ni Somaritai". She continued writing for Shogakukan until 2007, with her works appearing in both Shōjo Comic…
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1973
French actor
Gilles Marini is a French actor known for his roles in the film Sex and the City, and in the American television shows Brothers & Sisters, Switched at Birth and Devious Maids. He was also the runner-up in season 8 of…
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1976
American basketball player
Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played for 22 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions,…
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1977
American tennis player and coach
Justin Jeremy Gimelstob is an American retired tennis player. Gimelstob has been a resident of Morristown, New Jersey, and as of 2009 lived in Santa Monica, California.
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1977
Dominican baseball player
Esteban Germán Guridi is a Dominican former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Texas Rangers, and in Nippon Professional…
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1978
American tennis player and sportscaster
Corina Maria Morariu is an American former professional tennis player.
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1978
American baseball player
Andrés Yungo Torres Feliciano Jr. is an American former professional baseball center fielder who played as a switch hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, New York Mets,…
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1978
1979
Mexican footballer
José de Jesús Corona Rodríguez is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1981
Venezuelan violinist, composer, and conductor
Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez is a Venezuelan conductor. He is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is scheduled to become the Music and Artistic Director of…
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1981
Argentine cyclist
Juan José Haedo is an Argentine former professional road racing cyclist and track cyclist, who rode professionally between 2003 and 2014. He is the brother of Lucas Sebastián Haedo.
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1981
Irish actor
Colin O'Donoghue is an Irish actor and musician, best known for portraying Captain Killian "Hook" Jones on the ABC TV show Once Upon a Time. He appeared in the horror thriller film The Rite (2011) as a skeptical novice…
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1981
Finnish footballer
Petri Oravainen is a Finnish former footballer, who represented HJK Helsinki and KuPS in the Veikkausliiga and FC Zwolle in the Netherlands. Oravainen, who is 177 cm tall, played as a winger on both left and right side.…
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1983
American ice hockey player
Eric Werner is a retired American ice hockey defenseman. He is a 1-time EIHL champion with the Nottingham Panthers, and a 1-time SIHL champion with Jesenice.
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1983
Australian rugby league player
Ryan Hoffman is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for Melbourne Storm and the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League, and the Wigan…
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1984
Scottish footballer
Iain Ross Turner is a Scottish former professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper and who works as goalkeeping coach at Tranmere Rovers. He represented the Scotland under-21 team, the Scotland B team and been…
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1984
Chinese swimmer
Luo Xuejuan is a female Chinese swimmer, who competed mostly in the breaststroke. She is a former world record holder in the 50-meter breastroke.
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1984
English rower
Major Heather Mary Stanning is a retired British professional rower. As a member of the Great Britain rowing team, she is a double Olympic champion, double World champion, quadruple World Cup champion and double…
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1985
American basketball player
Gerald Green is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 18th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Known for his dunking skill, he has performed well in many slam…
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1986
South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, and director
Kim Jae-joong, also known mononymously as Jaejoong in South Korea and Jejung/J-Jun (ジェジュン) in Japan, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor and director. He is a member of the Korean duo JX, a former member of JYJ…
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1986
French-Malian footballer
Mustapha Yatabaré is a professional football coach and a former forward. He is an assistant coach for Süper Lig club Gençlerbirliği. Born in France, he played for the Mali national team.
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1986
Italian footballer
Sebastian Giovinco is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a forward. A quick and creative player on the ball, Giovinco was a versatile attacker capable of playing in multiple offensive positions but…
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1987
Dominican baseball player
Héctor Noesí is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and Miami Marlins and in the KBO…
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1987
American football player
Dan Bailey is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys and signed with the Dallas Cowboys as…
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1988
Greek high jumper
Dimítrios Chondrokoúkis is a Greek-Cypriot high jumper who competes internationally for Cyprus, since 2013. He won the gold medal at the 2012 Word Indoor Championships in Istanbul with a personal best of 2.33 meters…
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1988
American basketball player
MarShon Scitif Brooks is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Standing at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), he plays at shooting…
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1989
American figure skater
Emily Anne Hughes is an American former figure skater. She is the 2007 Four Continents silver medalist and 2007 U.S. national silver medalist. She competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, finishing 7th.
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1989
American football player
James Torrey Smith is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected by…
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1989
American football player
Brandon Bolden is an American former professional football running back. He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 by the New England Patriots, where he played…
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1990
Mexican race car driver
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza is a Mexican racing driver who competes in Formula One for Cadillac. Pérez was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2023 with Red Bull, and has won six Grands…
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1990
Slovak professional cyclist
Peter Sagan is a Slovak former professional cyclist who competed in road bicycle racing and mountain bicycle racing. Sagan had a successful junior cyclo-cross and mountain bike racing career, winning the junior…
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1990
Argentine footballer
Esteban Maximiliano Andrada is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Segunda División club Zaragoza, on loan from Liga MX club Monterrey.
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1991
Italian-American basketball player
Nicolò Melli is an Italian professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Italian national team. He mainly plays at the power…
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1991
Brazilian footballer
Alex Sandro Lobo da Silva, better known as Alex Sandro is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Flamengo and the Brazil national team.
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1991
American football player
Manti Malietau Louis Teʻo is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning unanimous…
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1991
American wrestler
Mercedes Justine Kaestner Varnado is an American professional wrestler. As of January 2024, she is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she performs under the ring name Mercedes Moné and is a former one-time AEW…
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1992
Colombian footballer
Miguel Ángel Borja Hernández is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the UAE Pro League club Al Wasl and the Colombia national team.
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1993
Scottish footballer
Lana Clelland is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Sassuolo in the Italian women's Serie A as well as the Scotland women's national team. She is the highest foreign goalscorer in the history of Italian…
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1993
Canadian-Slovenian basketball player
Kevin Joseph Pangos is a Canadian-Slovenian professional basketball player for Esenler Erokspor of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was named the 2015 WCC Player…
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1993
British racing driver
Alice Elizabeth Fraser Powell is a British racing driver and commentator. In 2010, she became the first woman to win a Formula Renault championship and in 2012 became the first woman to score points in the GP3 Series.…
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1993
French footballer
Florian Tristan Mariano Thauvin is a French professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Ligue 1 club Lens and the France national team.
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1993
Cameroonian footballer
Jean-Charles Victor Castelletto is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Qatar Stars League club Al Duhail. Born in France, he plays for the Cameroon national team.
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1995
New Zealand rugby league player
Sione Katoa is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who last played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL.
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1995
Belgian footballer
Zakaria Bakkali is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for IR Tanger.
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1996
South Korean football player
Hwang Hee-chan is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the South Korea national team.
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1996
German-born American soccer player
Gedion Zelalem is a professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club New Mexico United. Born in Germany, he has represented the United States at youth level.
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1997
1998
Argentine footballer
Leonardo Julián Balerdi Rosa is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Marseille and the Argentina national team.
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1999
American football player
Travis Etienne Jr. is an American professional football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the…
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1999
Spanish actress
Ester Expósito Gayoso is a Spanish actress. She is best known for her starring role as Carla Rosón Caleruega in the Netflix teen drama series Élite.
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2000
American basketball player
Darius Kinnard Garland is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Born in Gary,…
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2000
Welsh artistic gymnast
Latalia Rene Bevan is a Welsh retired artistic gymnast. She won a silver medal on the floor exercise at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is a six-time Northern European Championships gold medalist.
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2001
American basketball player
Isaac Nnamdi Okoro is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers. Listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m)…
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2001
2002
American actress
Felisita Leon "YaYa" Gosselin is an American actress. She began her career modelling for commercials and made her acting debut in After Omelas (2017). Following this, she made minor appearances in Peppermint (2018), The…
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2009
The Suleman octuplets are six males and two females, conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and subsequently born to Nadya Suleman on January 26, 2009, in Bellflower, California. Residing in Lancaster, California,…
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2009
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Famous birthdays
Who was born on January 26?
Montrezl Harrell — American basketball player (born 1994)
FeaturedMontrezl Harrell
Birth year1994
Known forHe played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the Karl Malone Award in 2015 as a junior for being the top power forward in the nation
Birthdays on this date212 (183 – 2009)
Explore January 26
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Also on January 26 in History
2021
Protesters and farmers storm the Red Fort near Delhi, clashing with police. One protester is killed and more than 80 police officers are injured. Wikipedia →
2020
A Sikorsky S-76B flying from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport crashes in Calabasas, 30 miles west of Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board, including five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant. Wikipedia →
2015
See all events on January 26
An aircraft crashes at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain, killing 11 people and injuring 21 others. Wikipedia →
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