Did you know
He also won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for the West End production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1991)
Famous Birthdays on January 27
200 people
1365 – 2003
January 27 has seen 200 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1365 – 2003. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1965 — Alan Cumming
Scottish-American actor
Did you know
Cumming won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for reprising his role as the Emcee on Broadway in Cabaret (1998)
Did you know
His other Olivier-nominated roles are in The Conquest of the South Pole (1988), La Bête (1992), and Cabaret (1994)
Did you know
His other performances on Broadway include Design for Living (2001), and Macbeth (2013).
Did you know
Alan Cumming is a Scottish actor, filmmaker and presenter
English noble (died 1370)
Edward of Angoulême was second in line to the throne of the Kingdom of England before his death. Born in Angoulême, he was the eldest child of Edward, Prince of Wales, commonly called "the Black Prince", and Joan,…
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1365
Duke of Saxony (died 1500)
Albert III was Duke of Saxony from 1464 to 1500. Known as Albert the Bold or Albert the Courageous, he founded the Albertine line of the House of Wettin. Initially, he ruled jointly with his older brother Ernest,…
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1443
Elector of Brandenburg (died 1608)
Joachim Frederick, of the House of Hohenzollern, was Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1598 until his death.
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1546
Abbas I, commonly known as Abbas the Great, was the fifth Safavid shah of Iran from 1588 to 1629. The third son of Shah Mohammad Khodabanda, he is generally considered one of the most important rulers in Iranian history…
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1571
Dutch painter (died 1634)
Hendrick Avercamp was a Dutch painter during the Dutch Golden Age of painting. He was one of the earliest landscape painters of the 17th-century Dutch school, he specialized in painting the Netherlands in winter. His…
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1585
2nd Baronet, English lawyer and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (died 1685)
Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Baronet was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1685 and was Speaker in 1660. During the English Civil War he remained a…
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1603
English politician, lawyer and judge (died 1654)
Humphrey Mackworth was an English lawyer, judge, and politician of Shropshire landed gentry origins who rose to prominence in the Midlands, the Welsh Marches and Wales during the English Civil War. He was the…
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1603
English physician and anatomist (died 1675)
Thomas Willis FRS was an English physician who played an important part in the history of anatomy, neurology, and psychiatry, and was a founding member of the Royal Society.
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1621
English scholar and theologian (died 1742)
Richard Bentley FRS was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. Considered the "founder of historical philology", Bentley is widely credited with establishing the English school of Hellenism. In 1892, A.…
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1662
1st Viscount Torrington, Royal Navy admiral (died 1733)
Admiral of the Fleet George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, was a Royal Navy officer and politician who represented Plymouth in the English and British House of Commons from 1705 to 1721. While still a lieutenant, he…
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1663
German engineer and architect, designed Würzburg Residence and Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (died 1753)
Johann Balthasar Neumann, usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military engineer and one of the most important designers of late Baroque architecture in Central Europe. He developed a…
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1687
German historian and theologian (died 1790)
Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim was a German Catholic priest and coadjutor bishop of Trier, and a
historian/theologian. He is remembered as Febronius, the pseudonym under which he wrote his 1763 treatise On the State of…
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1701
Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia was the eldest daughter of Emperor Peter I of Russia and Empress Catherine I. Her younger sister, Empress Elizabeth, ruled between 1741 and 1762. While a potential heir in the reign…
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1708
Welsh author (died 1821)
Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi was a Welsh writer and socialite who was an important source on Samuel Johnson and 18th-century British life. She belonged to the prominent Salusbury family of Anglo-Welsh landowners, and…
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1741
Austrian pianist and composer (died 1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a Classical composer and musician. He completed more than 800 works in his life—including outstanding examples of most of the genres of his time: symphonies, concertos, chamber music, opera,…
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1756
German-Swiss philosopher and academic (died 1854)
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling was a German philosopher. Standard histories of philosophy make him the midpoint in the development of German idealism, situating him between Johann Gottlieb Fichte, his mentor in his…
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1775
1782
Mexican general and president (1855) (died 1867)
Juan Nepomuceno Álvarez Hurtado de Luna, generally known as Juan Álvarez, was a general, long-time caudillo in southern Mexico, and president of Mexico for two months in 1855, following the liberals' ouster of Antonio…
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1790
American engineer, invented the Mortise lock (died 1886)
Eli Whitney Blake, Sr. was an American inventor, best known for his mortise lock and stone-crushing machine, the latter of which earned him a place into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
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1795
American writer, public speaker, and activist (died 1880)
Eunice Hale Cobb was an American writer, public speaker, and activist. She wrote hymns, and occasional poems, and obituary lines; her poetry had a religious focus. As a public speaker, she was persuasive and convincing.…
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1803
Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria, known as 'Marie' was Queen of Saxony from 1836 to 1854 as the second wife of King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony.
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1805
English painter and etcher (died 1881)
Samuel Palmer Hon.RE was a British landscape painter, etcher and printmaker. He was also a prolific writer. Palmer was a key figure in Romanticism in Britain and produced visionary pastoral paintings.
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1805
Spanish composer and educator (died 1826)
Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y Balzola was a Spanish Basque composer. He was nicknamed "the Spanish Mozart" after he died, because, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, he was both a child prodigy and an…
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1806
German theologian and author (died 1874)
David Friedrich Strauss was a German liberal Protestant theologian and writer who influenced Christian Europe with his portrayal of the "historical Jesus", whose divine nature he explored via myth.
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1808
French architect, designed the Lausanne Cathedral (died 1879)
Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was a French architect and author, famous for his restoration of the most prominent medieval landmarks in France. His major restoration projects included Notre-Dame de Paris, the Basilica…
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1814
American colonel and pastor (died 1892)
John Milton Chivington was a Methodist pastor and Mason who served as a colonel in the United States Volunteers during the New Mexico Campaign of the American Civil War. He led a rear action against a Confederate supply…
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1821
French violinist and composer (died 1892)
Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo was a French composer, violist, violinist, and academic teacher. His most celebrated piece is the Symphonie Espagnole, a five-movement concerto for violin and orchestra that remains a…
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1823
Canadian farmer and political figure (died 1917)
Urbain Johnson was a farmer and political figure in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. He represented Kent County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1869 to 1870, from 1874 to 1882 and from 1895 to…
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1824
Russian journalist and author (died 1889)
Mikhail Yevgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin, born Mikhail Yevgrafovich Saltykov and known during his lifetime by the pen name Nikolai Shchedrin, was a major Russian writer and satirist of the 19th century. He spent most of…
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1826
American general, historian, and politician (died 1879)
Richard "Dick" Taylor was an American planter, politician, military historian, and Confederate general. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, Taylor joined the Confederate States Army, serving first as a…
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1826
English novelist, poet, and mathematician (died 1898)
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglican deacon. His most notable works are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland…
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1832
Estonian-Russian geologist and botanist (died 1908)
Carl Friedrich Schmidt was a Baltic German geologist and botanist in the Russian Empire. He is acknowledged as the founder of Estonian geology. In the mid-19th century, he researched Estonian oil shale, kukersite, and…
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1832
Austrian journalist and author (died 1895)
Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch was an Austrian nobleman, writer and journalist, who gained renown for his romantic stories of Galician life. The term masochism is derived from his name, invented by his contemporary,…
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1836
Ukrainian-Russian painter (died 1910)
Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi was a Russian landscape painter of Urum origin.
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1842
Japanese admiral (died 1934)
Tōgō Heihachirō , served as a gensui or admiral of the fleet in the Imperial Japanese Navy and became one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. As Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War of…
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1848
English painter and author (died 1934)
John Maler Collier was an English painter and writer. He was one of the most prominent portrait painters of his generation. Both of his marriages were to daughters of Thomas Henry Huxley. He was educated at Eton…
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1850
English-American labor leader (died 1924)
Samuel Gompers was a British-born American cigar maker and labor union leader. A key figure in American labor history, Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as the organization's president…
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1850
English captain (died 1912)
Commander Edward John Smith was a British merchant sea captain and naval officer, who became best known as the captain of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic.
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1850
1858
German Emperor during World War I (died 1941)
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor from 1888 until his abdication in 1918. His fall from power marked the end of the German Empire as well as the Hohenzollern dynasty's 500-year rule over Brandenburg and 400-year…
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1859
American violinist and composer (died 1944)
William Mercer Cook, better known as Will Marion Cook, was an African-American composer, pianist, orchestrator, lyricist, violinist, and choral director. Cook was a student of Antonín Dvořák. In 1919 he took his New…
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1869
American author (died 1935)
Emily Dorothy Scarborough was born to Judge John B. Scarborough and his wife, Mary Adelaide. She was a famous American writer who wrote about Texas, folk culture, cotton farming, ghost stories and women's life in the…
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1878
American composer and songwriter (died 1945)
Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage…
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1885
Japanese painter (died 1977)
Seison Maeda was the art-name of a nihonga painter in the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. His legal name was Maeda Renzō. He is considered one of the greatest contemporary Japanese painters, and one of the leaders…
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1885
Indian academic and jurist (died 1967)
Radhabinod Pal was an Indian jurist who was a member of the United Nations' International Law Commission from 1952 to 1966. Pal was one of three Asian judges appointed to the International Military Tribunal for the Far…
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1886
Dutch physicist and academic (died 1959)
Balthasar van der Pol (1889–1959) was a Dutch physicist known for the van der Pol oscillator.
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1889
Chinese politician, Honorary President of the People's Republic of China (died 1981)
Soong Ch'ing-ling was a Chinese politician. She was the wife of Sun Yat-sen, therefore known by Madame Sun Yat-sen and the "Mother of Modern China". A member of the Soong family, she and her family played a significant…
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1893
Polish-American conductor and manager (died 1985)
Joseph Rosenstock was an American conductor.
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1895
American composer and screenwriter (died 1974)
Harry Rubenstein, known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was married to silent film actress…
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1895
American admiral, leader in the development of nuclear propulsion in the US Navy (died 1986)
Hyman George Rickover was an admiral in the United States Navy. He directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of the U.S. Naval Reactors…
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1900
German actor (died 1973)
Willy Fritsch was a German Silesian theatre and film actor, a popular leading man and character actor from the silent-film era to the early 1960s.
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1901
American football player, coach and owner (died 1988)
Arthur Joseph Rooney Sr., often referred to as "the Chief", was an American professional football executive. He was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football franchise in the National Football…
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1901
Australian-Swiss neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1997)
Sir John Carew Eccles was an Australian neurophysiologist and philosopher who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the synapse. He shared the prize with Andrew Huxley and Alan Lloyd Hodgkin.
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1903
American psychologist and academic (died 1979)
James Jerome Gibson was an American psychologist and is considered to be one of the most important contributors to the field of visual perception. Gibson challenged the idea that the nervous system actively constructs…
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1904
American actor (died 1969)
Howard Terbell McNear was an American stage, screen, and radio character actor. He is best remembered as the original voice of Doc Adams in the radio version of Gunsmoke and as Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show…
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1905
Jr., American journalist and publisher (died 1993)
William Randolph Hearst Jr. was an American businessman, newspaper publisher and member of the wealthy Hearst family.
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1908
Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (died 1979)
Edvard Kardelj, also known by the pseudonyms Bevc, Sperans, and Krištof, was a Yugoslav politician and economist. He was one of the leading members of the Communist Party of Slovenia before World War II. During the war,…
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1910
1912
American engineer, invented the Rogallo wing (died 2009)
Francis Melvin Rogallo was an American aeronautical engineer inventor born in Sanger, California, U.S. Together with his wife, he is credited with the invention of the Rogallo wing, or "flexible wing", a precursor to…
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1912
English actor (died 2000)
Michael George Ripper was an English character actor who appeared in many British horror, comedy and science fiction films.
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1913
American historian and author (died 2008)
Jules Archer was an American author who wrote many volumes of non-fiction history for a general audience and for young adults.
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1915
Ukrainian-American painter, sculptor, and illustrator (died 1985)
Jacques Hnizdovsky was a Ukrainian-born American painter, printmaker, graphic designer, illustrator and sculptor.
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1915
American pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2005)
Lyle Russel "Skitch" Henderson was an American pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname "Skitch" came from his ability to "re-sketch" a song in a different key. Bing Crosby suggested that he should use the name…
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1918
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1963)
Elmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. His slide…
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1918
American general (died 2005)
William Thomas Seawell was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and former head of Pan Am.
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1918
Sr., American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor, created Alvin and the Chipmunks (died 1972)
Ross S. Bagdasarian, also known by his stage name David Seville, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor best known for creating the cartoon band Alvin and the Chipmunks. Initially a stage and…
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1919
Japanese lieutenant and pilot (died 1944)
Lieutenant Junior Grade Hiroyoshi Nishizawa was a Japanese naval aviator and an ace of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during World War II. Nishizawa was known to his colleagues as 'the Devil' for his…
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1920
German violinist and composer (died 2002)
Helmut Zacharias was a German violinist and composer who created over 400 works and sold 14 million records. He also appeared in a number of films, usually playing musicians.
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1920
American actress (died 1986)
Donna Reed was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years and included appearances in over 40 films. She is best known for playing Mary Hatch Bailey in Frank Capra's Christmas classic It's a Wonderful…
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1921
Cypriot lawyer and politician, 1st President of Northern Cyprus (died 2012)
Rauf Raif Denktaş was a Turkish Cypriot politician, barrister and jurist who served as the founding president of Northern Cyprus. He occupied this position as the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus…
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1924
1924
American poet (died 2013)
Harvey Shapiro was an American poet and editor of The New York Times. He wrote a dozen books of poetry from 1953 to 2006, writing in epigrammatic style about things in his everyday life. As an editor, he was always…
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1924
Austrian flute player and journalist (died 2003)
Fritz Spiegl was an Austrian-born English musician, journalist, broadcaster, humorist and collector who lived in Britain from 1939. His works include compiling the Radio 4 UK Theme in 1978.
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1926
Swedish actress (died 2004)
Ingrid Lilian Thulin was a Swedish actress and director who collaborated with filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. She was often cast as harrowing and desperate characters, and earned acclaim from both Swedish and international…
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1926
Polish-German lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of East Germany (died 2023)
Hans Modrow was a German politician best known as the last communist premier of East Germany.
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1928
Egyptian-Swiss businessman (died 2023)
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed was an Egyptian businessman. His residence and primary business interests were in the United Kingdom from the mid-1960s, and his business interests included ownership of the Hôtel Ritz…
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1929
Indian-English actor and screenwriter
Michael Francis Gregson, known professionally as Michael Craig, is a British retired actor and screenwriter, known for his work in theatre, film and television both in the United Kingdom and in Australia.
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1929
Bolivian author and playwright (died 1984)
Gastón Suárez was a Bolivian novelist and dramatist. Suárez was born in the town of Tupiza, in the southern part of Potosí, Bolivia in 1929.
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1929
American blues singer-songwriter (died 2013)
Robert Calvin Bland, known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was described as "among the great storytellers of blues…
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1930
Canadian author and screenwriter (died 2001)
Mordecai Richler was a Canadian writer from Montreal, Quebec. He is best known for his novels set in Montreal's Jewish community; including The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959) and Barney's Version (1997). His…
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1931
Baron Vinson, English lieutenant and businessman
Nigel Vinson, Baron Vinson, LVO, is a British entrepreneur, inventor, philanthropist, and former Conservative member of the House of Lords.
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1931
Russian-Ukrainian gymnast (died 2008)
Boris Anfiyanovich Shakhlin was a Soviet gymnast who was the 1960 Olympic all-around champion and the 1958 all-around World Champion. He won a total of 13 medals including seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics, and…
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1932
American chemist and businessman (died 2013)
Gerald Hatten Buss was an American businessman, investor, chemist, and philanthropist. He was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning 10 league championships…
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1933
French politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of France
Édith Jeanne Thérèse Cresson is a French politician of the Socialist Party. She served as Prime Minister of France from 1991 to 1992, the first woman to do so and only woman until Élisabeth Borne's appointment in 2022.…
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1934
American race car driver
George Richard Follmer is an American former auto racing driver, and one of the most successful road racers of the 1970s. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona. His family moved to California when he was just an infant.
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1934
American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 2013)
Stephen Demeter was an American professional baseball player, manager, coach and scout. He played in Major League Baseball for parts of two seasons, appearing in 15 games as a third baseman and pinch hitter in 1959 and…
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1935
American actor (died 2001)
Troy Donahue was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Johnny Hunter in the film A Summer Place. He was a popular sex symbol in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
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1936
American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Chao Chung Ting, also known by his English name Samuel, is a Taiwanese-American particle physicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1976 with Burton Richter for discovering the subatomic J/ψ particle. He is…
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1936
Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1985)
Fred Bo Gunnar Åkerström was a Swedish singer, activist, and theatre actor. Regarded as one of the greatest interpreters of Carl Michael Bellman, he is noted for his resonant bass-baritone voice and emotional…
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1937
Turkish engineer and politician, 35th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ahmet Kurtcebe Alptemoçin is a Turkish mechanical engineer, industrialist and politician belonging to the Motherland Party. He served as minister of finance and customs between 1984 and 1985 and minister of foreign…
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1940
American actor
James Oliver Cromwell is an American actor. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Babe (1995). Other film roles include Star Trek: First…
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1940
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Terrance Victor Harper is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Harper played in the National Hockey League from 1962 to 1981. During this time, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings,…
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1940
Romanian activist and politician, 2nd President of Moldova
Petru Lucinschi is a former Moldovan politician who was Moldova's second President from 1997 to 2001. He currently serves as the founder and head of the Lucinschi Foundation of Strategic Studies and International…
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1940
American actor and screenwriter (died 2015)
Reynaldo Rey was an American actor, comedian and television personality.
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1940
New Zealand astronomer and cosmologist (died 1981)
Beatrice Muriel Hill Tinsley was a British-born New Zealand astronomer and cosmologist, and the first female professor of astronomy at Yale University, whose research made fundamental contributions to the astronomical…
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1941
Japanese singer-songwriter and producer (died 2010)
Maki Asakawa was a Japanese jazz and blues singer, lyricist and composer. Known as the "Queen of the Underground" , she was an important voice of Japan's urban counterculture.
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1942
Japanese immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine
Tasuku Honjo is a Japanese physician-scientist and immunologist. He won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and is best known for his identification of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). He is also…
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1942
American actor and comedian (died 2019)
John Witherspoon was an American actor and comedian who performed in various television shows and films. He played Willie Jones in the Friday series, and starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Boomerang…
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1942
1942
Baroness Cumberlege, English businesswoman and politician
Julia Frances Cumberlege, Baroness Cumberlege, is a former British Conservative Party politician and businesswoman. She was created a life peer on 18 May 1990 as Baroness Cumberlege, of Newick in the County of East…
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1943
Nigerian archbishop
Peter Jasper Akinola is the former Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria. He is also the former bishop of Abuja and Archbishop of Province III, which covered the northern and central parts of the country. When the…
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1944
Northern Irish activist, Nobel Prize laureate
Mairead Maguire, also known as Mairead Corrigan Maguire and formerly as Mairéad Corrigan, is a peace activist from Northern Ireland. She co-founded, with Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown, the Women for Peace, which…
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1944
English drummer, songwriter, and producer
Nicholas Berkeley Mason is an English drummer and a founder member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member since the band's formation in 1965, and the only member to appear on every Pink Floyd…
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1944
Canadian lawyer and politician (died 2005)
Harold Cardinal was a Cree writer, political leader, teacher, negotiator, and lawyer. Throughout his career he advocated, on behalf of all First Nation peoples, for the right to be "the red tile in the Canadian mosaic."
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1945
English academic and diplomat, British Ambassador to China
Sir Christopher Owen Hum is the former UK Ambassador to the People's Republic of China and Master of a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
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1946
American singer
Nedra Yvonne Talley-Ross was an American singer. She was best known as a member of the girl group the Ronettes, in which she performed with her cousins Ronnie and Estelle Bennett.
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1946
Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1999)
Björn Svante Afzelius was a Swedish singer-songwriter and guitar player. He was an outspoken socialist, known for his support for Olof Palme. His songs are about love, politics and joys and sadness in life.
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1947
Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister for Public Order
Vyron Polydoras is a Greek politician who was the Minister for Public Order and Justice of Greece from 2006 to 2007 in the first Cabinet of Kostas Karamanlis.
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1947
American painter and illustrator
Calvin "Cal" Schenkel is an American illustrator, graphic designer, animator and comics artist, specializing in album cover design.
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1947
English historian and author (died 2014)
Philip Sugden was an English historian, best known for his comprehensive study of Jack the Ripper case, including the books The Complete History of Jack the Ripper, first published in 1994, and The Life and Times of…
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1947
Filipino lawyer and Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines (died 2020)
Perfecto Rivas Yasay Jr. was a Philippine government official who served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines under the Duterte administration in an ad interim basis from June 30, 2016, until March 8,…
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1947
Russian-American dancer, choreographer, and actor
Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov is a Latvian and American dancer, choreographer, and actor. He was the preeminent male classical ballet dancer of the 1970s and 1980s. He subsequently became a noted dance director.
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1948
French pianist
Jean-Philippe Henri Collard is a French pianist known for his interpretations of the works of Gabriel Fauré and Camille Saint-Saëns.
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1948
1950
American keyboard player and songwriter
Seth Justman is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He played keyboards on all albums and tours of the J. Geils Band, in addition to writing or co-writing most of their songs and also singing lead after…
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1951
Dutch soldier and politician
Cornelis (Cees) van der Knaap is a Dutch politician. He was State Secretary for Defence for the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
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1951
American tennis player
Brian Edward Gottfried is an American retired tennis player who won 25 singles titles and 54 doubles titles during his professional career. He was the runner-up in singles at the 1977 French Open, won the 1975 and 1977…
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1952
American football player and coach
William Arthur Johnson, better known as Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974…
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1952
American tennis player, psychologist, and academic
Tam Elizabeth O'Shaughnessy is an American children's science writer, associate professor emeritus of school psychology, and former professional tennis player. She co-founded the science education company Sally Ride…
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1952
American guitarist and songwriter
George Edward Smith is an American guitarist. Smith was the lead guitarist for the duo Hall & Oates during the band's heyday from 1979 to 1985, playing on several albums and five number one singles. When Hall & Oates…
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1952
American author and illustrator
Peter Alan Laird is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with writer and artist Kevin Eastman.
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1954
American talk show host and sportscaster (died 2018)
Edward Andrew Schultz was an American television and radio host, political commentator, news anchor and sports broadcaster.
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1954
Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
Brian Paul Engblom is a Canadian ice hockey broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a former professional hockey defenceman. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens.
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1955
American lawyer and judge, 17th Chief Justice of the United States
John Glover Roberts Jr. is an American jurist who has served since 2005 as the 17th chief justice of the United States. Though primarily an institutionalist, he has been described as having a moderate conservative…
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1955
1956
English guitarist and songwriter
Janick Robert Gers is an English musician who is best known as one of the three guitarists in heavy metal band Iron Maiden since 1990. He initially joined to replace Adrian Smith, but remained in the band after Smith…
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1957
American illustrator, director, producer, and screenwriter
Frank Miller is an American comic book creator, screenwriter, and director known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil, for which he created the character Elektra, and subsequent…
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1957
American lawyer and author
James Grippando is an American novelist and lawyer best known as the 2017 winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
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1958
English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Alan Milburn is a British politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Darlington from 1992 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he served for five years in the Cabinet, first as Chief Secretary to the Treasury…
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1958
American actress
Susanna Thompson is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films Little Giants (1994), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Random Hearts (1999) and Dragonfly (2002). On television, she played Dr. Lenara Kahn in…
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1958
American football player and sportscaster
Anthony Cris Collinsworth is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981–1988) with the Cincinnati…
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1959
Swedish lawyer and politician, 28th Swedish Minister for Social Affairs
Bo Göran Hägglund is a Swedish politician of the Christian Democrats. He was the leader of the Christian Democrats from 2004 to 2015, Member of the Riksdag from 1991 to 2015, and served as Minister for Social Affairs…
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1959
American journalist and author
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American sports and political commentator and writer. Olbermann spent the first 20 years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and…
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1959
Canadian-Scottish politician
Fiona O'Donnell is a Scottish Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Lothian from 2010 to 2015.
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1960
English musician, songwriter, and singer
Gillian Lesley Gilbert is an English musician. She is the keyboardist and guitarist of the band New Order. In 2026, Gilbert was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of New Order after two previous…
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1961
American fashion designer
Narciso Jesus Rodriguez III is an American fashion designer known for minimalist, body-conscious silhouettes. He gained widespread attention in 1996 when he designed the wedding dress of Carolyn Bessette for her…
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1961
Canadian singer-songwriter
Margo Timmins is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist of the alternative country and folk rock band Cowboy Junkies. Her brothers Michael Timmins and Peter Timmins are the band's lead guitarist and…
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1961
Italian director and composer
Roberto Paci Dalò is an Italian author, composer and musician, film maker and theatre director, sound and visual artist, radio-maker. He is the co-founder and director of the performing arts ensemble Giardini Pensili…
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1962
English-Welsh author and activist
George Joshua Richard Monbiot is an English journalist, author, and environmental and political activist. He writes a regular column for The Guardian and has written several books.
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1963
American actress
Bridget Jane Fonda is a retired American actress known for her roles in films such as The Godfather Part III (1990), Single White Female (1992), Singles (1992), Point of No Return (1993), It Could Happen to You (1994),…
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1964
American basketball player (died 2015)
Jack Kevin Haley was an American professional basketball player.
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1964
1964
English footballer and manager
Michael Colin Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer.
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1965
Argentinian author and illustrator
Ignacio Noé, usually known simply as Noé, is an artist in a wide range of graphic genres, working in comics, children's books, magazine illustration and erotic comics, in a highly rendered style that utilizes both…
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1965
Austrian footballer and manager
Attila Sekerlioglu is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. After retiring, he moved into management. He has most recently been manager of Austrian club SV Stockerau. He is now a scout…
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1965
Japanese-American actress and singer
Tamlyn Naomi Tomita is an American actress. She made her screen debut as Kumiko in The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and reprised the character for the streaming series Cobra Kai (2021). She is also well known for her role…
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1966
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
David Michael Manson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with several teams. He was an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey…
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1967
American country singer
Tracy Lee Lawrence is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Atlanta, Texas, and raised in Foreman, Arkansas, Lawrence began performing at age 15 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in…
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1968
American singer, composer, and voice artist
Michael Allan Patton is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The…
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1968
American football player
John Matthew Stover is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the…
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1968
1968
Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
Michael Wade Kulas is a Canadian singer and songwriter who was a member of the English rock band James between 1997 and 2001.
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1969
American comedian and actor
Patton Peter Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His acting roles include Spence Olchin in the sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007) and narrating the sitcom The Goldbergs (2013–2023) as adult Adam F.…
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1969
New Zealand cricketer
Shane Alexander Thomson is a former New Zealand international cricketer. He played as a genuine all-rounder, making 19 Test and 56 One Day International appearances for New Zealand.
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1969
Australian rugby league player
Bradley Clyde is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s who, at the peak of his playing career was widely acknowledged as the best lock in the game. He…
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1970
English cricketer and coach
Dean Warren Headley is a former English professional cricketer who played as a right-arm fast bowler for the England cricket team. Domestically he played for Middlesex and Kent County Cricket Clubs. Headley is now an…
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1970
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Joseph Patrice Brisebois is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche, playing nearly 900 games with the former and 1,009 games overall. Brisebois was…
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1971
Mexican singer and actress
Silvia "Bibi" Gaytán Barragán is a Mexican singer and actress. Since she was born, she has lived in Villahermosa, Tabasco and she considers herself "Tabasqueña".
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1972
American actor
Joshua Reeve Randall is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Dr. Mike Burton on the NBC comedy-drama series Ed (2000–2004) and Sean Beckett on the ABC drama series Station 19 (2021–2024).
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1972
American football player and coach
Bryant Colby Young is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting…
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1972
Belarusian footballer and manager (died 2014)
Valyantsin Byalkevich, also referred to as Valiantsin Bialkevich, was a Belarusian professional footballer who played as a midfielder for the Belarus national team. He spent the majority of his career with Ukrainian…
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1973
Norwegian skier and biathlete
Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a retired Norwegian professional biathlete and coach, often referred to by the nickname, the "King of Biathlon". With 14 Winter Olympic Games medals, he is second on the list of multiple…
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1974
Romanian tennis player and coach
Andrei Pavel is a Romanian tennis coach and former professional tennis player.
He achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 13 and won three titles, including the 2001 Canada Masters. He also reached a…
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1974
Sri Lankan cricketer and coach
Deshabandu Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer who represented the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a fast medium pace bowler and regarded as…
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1974
American screenwriter and voice actor
Clint Ford is an American screenwriter, actor, voice-over artist, and novelist. He is best known for his portrayal as the Klingon M'ven, of the Great House of Martok, in the video game, Star Trek Online. Ford is also…
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1976
American professor
Danielle Amanda George is a Professor of Radio frequency engineering in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) and Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning at the University of Manchester in the…
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1976
South Korean footballer
Ahn Jung-hwan is a South Korean television personality and former professional footballer. A versatile forward known for his technical skills and clutch goalscoring, Ahn represented South Korea at three FIFA World Cups,…
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1976
American football player
Frederick Antwon Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons from 1998 to 2010. He played college football for the Florida Gators…
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1976
Finnish ice hockey player
Tomi Kristian Kallio is a Finnish former professional ice hockey right winger who last played for HC TPS in the Finnish Liiga. After retiring from TPS in 2018, Kallio remained with the team and assumed the role of…
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1977
American basketball player
Lonny Leroy Baxter is an American former professional basketball player. He is 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) in height, and played the power forward and center positions.
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1979
New Zealand cricketer and coach
Daniel Luca Vettori is a New Zealand cricket coach and former cricketer who played for the New Zealand national cricket team. He was the 200th player to win their Test cricket cap for New Zealand and an inductee in the…
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1979
American ice hockey player and coach
Chanda Leigh Gunn is a retired American ice hockey goaltender. She won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. At the games in Turin, she played close to 250 minutes and had 50 saves with a save percentage of 89.3%.
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1980
Russian tennis player and politician
Marat Mubinovich Safin is a Russian former professional tennis player and current coach. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for nine weeks. Safin won 15…
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1980
Czech basketball player
Jiří Welsch is a Czech former professional basketball player for BK Pardubice of the Czech Republic National Basketball League. He has also represented the senior Czech Republic national basketball team. Welsch has…
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1980
Australian tennis player and sportscaster
Alicia Molik is an Australian former professional tennis player. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 8 and a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 6.
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1981
New Zealand rugby player
Tony Dale Woodcock is a New Zealand former rugby union player. His position was loosehead prop, and he played 118
tests for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Woodcock played for the All Blacks from 2002 to…
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1981
Greek tennis umpire
Eva Asderaki, also known by her married name Eva Asderaki-Moore, is a Greek tennis umpire, who has umpired international tennis matches since 2001. She has umpired at all four Grand Slam tournaments, and in 2015, she…
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1982
Canadian ice hockey player
Carlo Colaiacovo is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently co-hosting a show on Canada’s TSN 1050 radio station, First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo. He most recently played for Adler…
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1983
Canadian ice hockey player
Paulo Colaiacovo is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He is the identical twin brother of National Hockey League defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo. He was born in Toronto, Ontario.
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1983
American baseball player
Gavin Christopher Floyd is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto…
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1983
1983
Portuguese footballer and manager
Ruben Filipe Marques Amorim is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who was most recently manager of Premier League club Manchester United.
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1985
French basketball player
Johan Petro is a French former professional basketball player of Guadeloupean descent. He was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 25th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft.
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1986
1987
Russian footballer
Anton Vladimirovich Shunin is a Russian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1987
1988
Spanish footballer
Alberto Botía is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Super League Greece club A.E. Kifisia.
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1989
American baseball player
Timothy Lamar Beckham is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins. Beckham was the…
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1990
German footballer
Christian Bickel is a German professional footballer who plays for amateur club BW 91 Bad Frankenhausen as a midfielder.
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1991
Colombian baseball player
Julio Alberto Teherán Pinto is a Colombian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Mets.…
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1991
Italian footballer
Stefano Pettinari is an Italian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or striker for Serie C Group B club Ternana.
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1992
German politician
Desiree Becker is a German politician and member of the Bundestag. A member of The Left, she has represented Hesse since 2025.
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1994
English footballer
Jack Stephens is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains EFL Championship club Southampton.
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1994
English footballer
Harrison James Reed is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Fulham.
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1995
American actor, musician, and singer
Braeden Matthew Lemasters is an American musician and actor. He began his career as a child actor, receiving recognition for his role as Albert Tranelli in the TNT comedy-drama series Men of a Certain Age (2009–2011).…
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1996
American actor
Devin McKenzie Druid is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tyler Down in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, based on the 2007 novel by Jay Asher.
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1998
English footballer
Morgan Anthony Gibbs-White is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Nottingham Forest and the England national team.
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2000
French footballer
Aurélien Djani Tchouaméni is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a centre-back for La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team.
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2000
South Korean footballer
Park Seong-hoon is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a central defender for K League 1 club FC Seoul. He trained in the club's youth system, serving as captain for its U-18 youth team. He made his…
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2003
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Famous birthdays
Who was born on January 27?
Alan Cumming — Scottish actor, producer, director, writer and presenter (born 1965)
FeaturedAlan Cumming
Birth year1965
Known forKnown for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, five Emmy Awards, and two Tony Awards
Birthdays on this date200 (1365 – 2003)
Explore January 27
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Also on January 27 in History
2023
Protests and public outrage spark across the U.S. after the release of multiple videos by the Memphis Police Department showing officers punching, kicking, and pepper spraying Tyre Nichols as a result of running away from a traffic stop, which resulted him dying in the hospital three days later after the incident. Wikipedia →
2023
A shooting at a synagogue in Neve Yaakov, East Jerusalem, kills seven people and injures three others. Wikipedia →
2023
See all events on January 27
An attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Pasdaran, Tehran, kills one person and injures three others. Wikipedia →
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