Did you know
He became the leader of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in 1975, replacing Bruce Eastick
Famous Birthdays on July 20
228 people
682 – 2001
July 20 has seen 228 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 682 – 2001. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1929 — David Tonkin
Australian politician, 38th Premier of South Australia (died 2000)
Did you know
Initially leading the party to defeat at the 1977 election against the Don Dunstan Labor government, his party won the 1979 election against the Des Corcoran Labor government
Did you know
David Oliver Tonkin was an Australian politician who served as the 38th Premier of South Australia from 18 September 1979 to 10 November 1982
Did you know
He was elected to the House of Assembly seat of Bragg at the 1970 election, serving until 1983
Did you know
Following the 1980 Norwood by-election the Tonkin government was reduced to a one-seat majority
682
1304
2nd Baron Tibetot (died 1367)
John Tiptoft, 2nd Baron Tibetot, English nobleman, was the son of Pain Tiptoft, 1st Baron Tibetot and Agnes de Ros.
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1313
1346
1st Earl of Bath, English noble (died 1539)
John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath was created Earl of Bath in 1536. He was the feudal baron of Bampton in Devon.
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1470
Pope Innocent IX, born Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 October to 30 December 1591.
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1519
French cardinal (died 1604)
Arnaud d'Ossat was a French diplomat, writer and a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, whose personal tact and diplomatic skill steered the perilous course of French diplomacy with the papacy in the reign of Henry IV…
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1537
1583
English Puritan preacher (died 1643)
Anne Hutchinson was an English-born religious figure who was an important participant in the Antinomian Controversy which shook the nascent Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1636 to 1638. Her strong religious formal…
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1591
governor of New Sweden (died 1663)
Johan Björnsson Printz was a Swedish military officer and colonial official. He served as the 3rd governor of New Sweden, the Swedish colony in North America, from 1643 until 1653.
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1592
English politician (died 1667)
Robert Wallop was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times from 1621 to 1660. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War and was one of the regicides of King Charles I…
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1601
Dutch poet and scholar (died 1681)
Nicolaas Heinsius the Elder was a Dutch classical scholar, poet and diplomat. He travelled all over Europe to visit the major libraries and over time collected Europe's largest private library in the field of classical…
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1620
1st Earl of Portland (died 1709)
William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland was a Dutch-born British courtier and diplomat who became in an early stage the favourite of William, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder in the Netherlands, and future King of England.…
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1649
French philosopher and academic (died 1836)
Antoine Louis Claude Destutt, comte de Tracy was a French Enlightenment aristocrat and philosopher who coined the term "ideology" and was the leading theorist of the idéologues.
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1754
Georgian politician and diplomat (died 1811)
Prince Garsevan Chavchavadze was a Georgian nobleman (tavadi), politician and diplomat primarily known as the Georgian ambassador to Imperial Russia.
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1757
Austrian tenor and composer (died 1826)
Jakob Haibel was an Austrian composer, operatic tenor and choirmaster.
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1762
French general (died 1852)
Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont, duc de Raguse was a French general and nobleman who rose to the rank of Marshal of the Empire and was awarded the title Duke of Ragusa. In the Peninsular War, Marmont succeeded…
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1774
1789
English biologist, anatomist, and paleontologist (died 1892)
Sir Richard Owen was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist. Owen is generally considered to have been an outstanding naturalist with a remarkable gift for interpreting fossils.
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1804
English surgeon, histologist and anatomist. (died 1892)
Sir William Bowman, 1st Baronet was an English surgeon, histologist and anatomist. He is best known for his research using microscopes to study various human organs, though during his lifetime he pursued a successful…
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1816
Austro-German monk, geneticist and botanist (died 1884)
Gregor Johann Mendel was an Austrian biologist, meteorologist, mathematician, Augustinian friar and abbot of St. Thomas' Abbey in Brno (Brünn), Margraviate of Moravia. Mendel was born in a German-speaking family in the…
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1822
English explorer (died 1916)
Sir Clements Robert Markham was an English geographer, explorer and writer. He was secretary of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) between 1863 and 1888, and later served as the Society's president for a further 12…
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1830
American playwright and manager (died 1899)
John Augustin Daly was one of the most influential men in American theatre during his lifetime. Drama critic, theatre manager, playwright, and adapter, he became the first recognized stage director in America. He…
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1838
American lawyer and politician, 9th Governor of Oregon (died 1911)
William Paine Lord was an American Republican politician who served as the ninth governor of Oregon from 1895 to 1899. The Delaware native previously served as the 27th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, including…
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1838
2nd Baronet, English civil servant and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (died 1928)
Sir George Otto Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet, was a British statesman and author. In a ministerial career stretching almost 30 years, he was most notably twice Secretary for Scotland under William Ewart Gladstone and the Earl…
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1838
German painter and academic (died 1935)
Max Liebermann was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important…
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1847
American lawyer and politician, 91st Mayor of New York City (died 1918)
Robert Anderson Van Wyck was an American politician who was the first mayor of New York City after the consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of Greater New York in 1898.
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1849
Dutch lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (died 1932)
Theodorus Heemskerk was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 12 February 1908 until 29 August 1913.
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1852
1854
Swedish poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1931)
Erik Axel Karlfeldt was a Swedish poet whose highly symbolist poetry masquerading as regionalism was popular and won him the 1931 Nobel Prize in Literature posthumously after he had been nominated by Nathan Söderblom,…
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1864
Italian physiologist and anatomist (died 1913)
Ruggero Oddi was an Italian physiologist and anatomist who was a native of Perugia. He is most well known for the sphincter of Oddi, which was named after him.
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1864
Romanian cleric and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Romania (died 1939)
Miron Cristea was a Romanian cleric and politician.
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1868
Brazilian pilot (died 1932)
Alberto Santos-Dumont was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air aircraft. The heir…
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1873
German mathematician and academic (died 1944)
Ludwig Otto Blumenthal was a German mathematician and professor at RWTH Aachen University.
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1876
1877
Austrian mathematician and philosopher (died 1937)
Olga Hahn-Neurath was an Austrian mathematician and philosopher. She is best known for being a member of the Vienna Circle. She was sister of the mathematician Hans Hahn.
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1882
1st Baron Reith, Scottish broadcaster, co-founded BBC (died 1971)
John Charles Walsham Reith, 1st Baron Reith was a Scottish broadcasting executive who established the tradition of independent public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom. In 1922, he was employed by the BBC, then…
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1889
American actress (died 1966)
Verna Arline Felton was an American actress known for voicing characters in several classic Disney animated films, including the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (1950), the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland (1951),…
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1890
Danish-Swiss astronomer and academic (died 1960)
Julie Marie Vinter Hansen was a Danish astronomer. She was the first woman in Denmark to earn an academic degree in astronomy.
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1890
Italian painter (died 1964)
Giorgio Morandi was an Italian painter and printmaker widely known for his subtly muted still-life paintings of ceramic vessels, flowers, and landscapes.
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1890
English soldier (died 1915)
George Llewelyn Davies was the eldest son of Arthur and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies. Along with his four younger brothers, George was the inspiration for playwright J. M. Barrie's characters of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.…
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1893
Hungarian painter, photographer, and sculptor (died 1946)
László Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as a professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism and a strong advocate of the integration of technology and industry…
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1895
Polish-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1996)
Tadeusz Reichstein, also known as Tadeus Reichstein, was a Polish-Swiss chemist and a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (1950), which was awarded for his work on the isolation of cortisone.
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1897
English cricketer and coach (died 1967)
Maurice Leyland was an English international cricketer who played 41 Test matches between 1928 and 1938. In first-class cricket, he represented Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1920 and 1946, scoring over 1,000…
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1900
Turkish businessman and philanthropist, founded Koç Holding (died 1996)
Ahmet Vehbi Koç was a Turkish billionaire, businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Koç Group, one of Turkey's largest groups of companies. During his lifetime, he came to be one of Turkey's…
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1901
Filipino businessman and founder of the Lopez Group of Companies (died 1975)
Eugenio "Eñing" Hofileña López Sr. was a leading business figure in the Philippines. He was the founder of López Group of Companies. He belonged to the prominent López family of Iloilo, one of the leading political…
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1901
American baseball player and manager (died 1971)
Henry Emmett Manush, nicknamed "Heinie", was an American baseball outfielder. He played professional baseball for 20 years from 1920 to 1939, including 17 years in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers…
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1901
1901
American gastroenterologist (died 1995)
Leonidas Harris Berry was an American and pioneer in gastroscopy and endoscopy. He served as the president of the National Medical Association from 1965 to 1966.
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1902
American foil fencer (died 2005)
Joseph Levis was an American foil fencer. He won nine national fencing championships, and participated in three Olympic Games representing the United States. The Roll of Honor at the US Fencing Hall of Fame (USFA)…
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1905
South African cricketer (died 1993)
Eric Alfred Burchell Rowan was a South African cricketer who played for Transvaal, Eastern Province and South Africa.
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1909
Czech-English conductor and composer (died 2004)
Vilém Tauský CBE was a Czech conductor and composer. From the advent of the Second World War, he lived and worked in the United Kingdom, and was one of a significant group of émigré composers and musicians who settled…
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1910
Indian cricketer (died 1941)
Mohammad Baqa Khan Jilani was a bowler who represented India in Test cricket.
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1911
Filipino author and illustrator (died 1985)
José Zabala-Santos, nicknamed as "Mang Pepe" by hometown neighbors and as "Zabala" by colleagues in the cartooning profession, was a successful cartoonist in the Philippines and was one of the pioneers of Philippine…
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1911
Polish dancer and actress (died 1996)
Loda Halama was a Polish dancer and actress. She was the Principal dancer of Grand Theatre, Warsaw (1934–1936). She appeared in eleven films between 1927 and 1950.
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1911
Australian journalist and author (died 1970)
George Henry Johnston OBE was an Australian journalist, war correspondent and novelist, best known for My Brother Jack. He was the husband and literary collaborator of Charmian Clift.
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1912
Bulgarian philanthropist (died 2018)
Dobri Dimitrov Dobrev, better known as Grandpa Dobri, Elder Dobri or The Saint of Bailovo, was a Bulgarian ascetic who walked over 20 kilometres (12 mi) each day to sit or stand in front of the Cathedral of Alexander…
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1914
Greek politician (died 2005)
Charilaos Florakis was a leader of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).
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1914
Italian cardinal (died 2013)
Ersilio Tonini was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia from 1975 to 1990, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1994. When Cardinal Paul Augustin Mayer died on 30 April…
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1914
American singer-songwriter and dancer (died 2006)
Cindy Walker was an American songwriter, country music singer, and dancer. She wrote many popular and enduring songs recorded by many artists.
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1918
New Zealand mountaineer and explorer (died 2008)
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of…
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1919
English writer (died 2012)
Jacquemine Francesca Anastasia Charrott Lodwidge (born Jacqueline Lodwidge) (20 July 1919 – 20 February 2012) was an English writer on crime and magic who also worked as an art director in British-made films and as a…
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1919
American lieutenant and politician, 11th United States Secretary of Defense (died 1999)
Elliot Lee Richardson was an American lawyer and politician who was a member of the cabinets of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1970 and 1977. A member of the Republican Party, Richardson is one of two persons to…
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1920
English-French journalist and author (died 2013)
Henri Alleg, born as Harry John Salem, was a French-Algerian journalist, director of the Alger républicain newspaper, and a member of the French Communist Party. After Editions de Minuit, a French publishing house,…
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1921
American lawyer and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Transportation (died 2020)
Alan Stephenson Boyd was an American attorney and transportation executive who led several large corporations and also served the U.S. Government in various transportation-related positions. He was the first United…
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1922
Polish economist and journalist (died 2005)
Stanisław Józef Albinowski was a Polish economist, columnist and journalist on economics.
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1923
American actress and singer (died 2017)
Lola Jean Albright was an American singer and actress, best known for playing the sultry singer Edie Hart, the girlfriend of private eye Peter Gunn, on all three seasons of the TV series Peter Gunn.
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1924
American author and playwright (died 2014)
Thomas Louis Berger was an American novelist. Probably best known for his picaresque novel Little Big Man and the subsequent film by Arthur Penn, Berger explored and manipulated many genres of fiction throughout his…
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1924
Canadian-American songwriter and composer (died 2008)
Morton Sanford Garson was a Canadian composer, arranger, songwriter, and pioneer of electronic music. He is best known for his albums in the 1960s and 1970s, such as Mother Earth's Plantasia (1976). He also co-wrote…
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1924
French economist and politician, 8th President of the European Commission (died 2023)
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors was a French politician who served as president of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995. Delors played a key role in the creation of the European single market, the euro and the evolution…
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1925
French–Algerian psychiatrist and philosopher (died 1961)
Frantz Omar Fanon was a French West Indian psychiatrist and political philosopher from the French colony of Martinique. His works have become influential in the fields of post-colonial studies and critical theory. As…
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1925
American economist and academic (died 2015)
Barbara Rose Bergmann was a feminist economist. Her work covers many topics from childcare and gender issues to poverty and Social Security. Bergmann was a co-founder and president of the International Association for…
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1927
English actress (died 2020)
Heather Jean Chasen was an English actress, known for her roles in soap operas; playing Valerie Pollard in the ITV soap opera, Crossroads, from 1982 to 1986 and guest roles in Doctors, Holby City and Family Affairs.…
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1927
Austrian conductor and composer (died 2019)
Michael Andreas Gielen was an Austrian conductor and composer known for promoting contemporary music in opera and concert. Principally active in Europe, his performances are characterized by precision and vivacity,…
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1927
English-Canadian psychologist and academic (died 2013)
Ian Porteus Howard was a Canadian psychologist and researcher in visual perception at York University in Toronto.
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1927
Polish economist and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2013)
Józef Czyrek was a Polish politician who served as the minister of foreign affairs of the People's Republic of Poland from 1980 to 1982.
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1928
Prime Minister of Algeria (died 2020)
Belaid Abdessalam was an Algerian politician, who served as Prime Minister from 1992 to 1993.
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1928
Australian social worker and pianist, 23rd Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia (died 2013)
Hazel Susan Hawke AO was the first wife of Bob Hawke, the 23rd prime minister of Australia. She married him in 1956, and supported him throughout his prime ministership (1983–1991); they divorced in 1994. She worked in…
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1929
American businessman, founded Little Caesars (died 2017)
Michael Ilitch Sr., also known as "Mr. I", was an American entrepreneur and restaurateur. He founded Little Caesars in 1959 and later owned two Detroit professional sports franchises: the Detroit Red Wings (1982–2017)…
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1929
Pakistani-Indian actor and producer (died 1999)
Rajendra Kumar was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he worked in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. Kumar is considered as one of the greatest and most…
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1929
American basketball player and coach (died 2009)
Charles Jerome Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1989 and 1990—during the team's "Bad Boys" era—and the 1992…
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1930
American historian and author (died 2010)
William Harry Goetzmann was an American historian and emeritus professor in the American Studies and American Civilization Programs at the University of Texas at Austin. He attended Yale University as a graduate student…
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1930
English-American singer and actress (died 2021)
Sally Ann Howes was an English and American actress and singer. Her career on screen, stage and television spanned six decades. She is best known for the role of Truly Scrumptious in the 1968 musical film Chitty Chitty…
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1930
Indian biographer, essayist and philanthropist (died 2018)
Shakuntala Bhupendra Karandikar was an Indian biographer and philanthropist, best remembered for writing Vishwasta (1992), a biography of her father in Marathi, and for her advocacy and philanthropy towards women's…
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1931
English race car driver (died 2009)
Anthony Ernest Marsh was a British racing driver from England. His Formula One career was short and unsuccessful, but he enjoyed great success in hillclimbing, winning the British Hill Climb Championship on a record six…
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1931
American artist (died 2006)
Nam June Paik was a South Korean artist. He worked with a variety of media and is considered to be the founder of video art. He is credited with the first use (1974) of the term "electronic super highway" to describe…
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1932
German lawyer and politician, German Minister of the Interior
Otto Georg Schily is a former Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany, his tenure was from 1998 to 2005, in the cabinet of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)…
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1932
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1999)
Buddy Wayne Knox was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1957 rock and roll hit song, "Party Doll".
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1933
American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter (died 2023)
Cormac McCarthy was an American author who wrote twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories, spanning the Western, post-apocalyptic, and Southern Gothic genres. His works often include graphic…
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1933
English snooker player
Desmond Rex Williams is an English retired professional billiards and snooker player. He was the second player to make an official maximum break in snooker, achieving this in an exhibition match in December 1965.…
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1933
Baron Palumbo, English businessman and art collector
Peter Garth Palumbo, Baron Palumbo, is a British property developer, devotee of architecture, and art collector, who served as the last Chairman of the unified Arts Council of Great Britain, before it was divided into…
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1935
Canadian novelist and short story writer (died 2014)
Alistair MacLeod was a Canadian novelist, short story writer and academic. His powerful and moving stories vividly evoke the beauty of Cape Breton Island's rugged landscape and the resilient character of many of its…
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1936
American social worker and politician
Barbara Ann Mikulski is an American politician and social worker who served as a United States senator from Maryland from 1987 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she also served in the United States House of…
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1936
Turkish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey (died 2023)
Deniz Baykal was a Turkish politician, as well as a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996. Having served in numerous…
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1938
English footballer (died 2021)
Roger Hunt was an English professional footballer who played as a forward.
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1938
Cuban-American baseball player and coach
Tony Pedro Oliva Lopez is a Cuban-American former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right fielder and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins from 1962…
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1938
English actress (died 2020)
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in On Her Majesty's…
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1938
American actress (died 1981)
Natalie Wood was an American actress. She began acting at age four and co-starred at age eight in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her…
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1938
American feminist artist
Judy Chicago is an American feminist artist, art educator, and writer known for her large collaborative art installation pieces about birth and creation images, which examine the role of women in history and culture.…
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1939
1941
Greek author and journalist (died 2020)
Periklis Korovesis, also published as Pericles Korovessis, was a Greek author and journalist and a member of the Hellenic Parliament.
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1941
German actor, screenwriter, and production designer (died 1988)
Kurt Raab was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, with whom he collaborated on 31 film…
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1941
American race car driver (died 2017)
Peter Goodwill Hamilton was an American professional stock car racing driver. He competed in NASCAR for six years, where he won four times in his career, three times driving for Petty Enterprises.
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1942
New Zealand race car driver (died 2016)
Christopher Arthur Amon was a New Zealand racing driver and motorsport executive who competed in Formula One from 1963 to 1976. Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win a Formula One Grand Prix, Amon…
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1943
English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (died 2025)
John Charles Lodge was an English musician who was the bass guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and a songwriter for the longstanding progressive rock band the Moody Blues. Joining the group in 1966, he contributed to many of…
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1943
1943
Romanian poet, journalist, and politician (died 2010)
Adrian Păunescu was a Romanian writer, publisher, cultural promoter, translator, and politician. A profoundly charismatic personality, a controversial and complex figure, the artist and the man are almost impossible to…
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1943
English actress (died 2009)
Wendy Richard was an English actress, best known for her television roles as Miss Shirley Brahms on the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985, and Pauline Fowler on the soap opera EastEnders from 1985 to…
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1943
American basketball player and coach (died 2015)
Melvin Joe Daniels was an American professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Minnesota Muskies, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Sounds, and in the National Basketball…
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1944
American politician (died 2010)
William Cary Edwards was a New Jersey politician who served as the Attorney General of New Jersey from 1986 to 1989.
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1944
French sailor
Olivier de Kersauson de Pennendreff is a French sailor and sailing champion.
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1944
American country music singer-songwriter
William Neal Browder is an American country music singer, known professionally as T. G. Sheppard. He had 22 number-one hits on the US country charts between 1974 and 1986, including 14 consecutive number ones between…
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1944
American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist (died 2014)
Charles Clyde Bowden was an American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist based in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was best known for his work documenting violence on the Mexico-United States border, especially in and…
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1945
American singer-songwriter
Kim Carnes is an American singer and songwriter best known for her smash 1981 hit single, "Bette Davis Eyes". She embarked on a solo career as a songwriter and performer in the early 1970s and also worked for several…
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1945
American soldier and politician
Lawrence Edwin Craig is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A member of the Republican Party, Craig represented Idaho in the United States Senate from 1991 to 2009 and represented Idaho's 1st…
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1945
1945
American actor, director, and producer
John Randal Kleiser is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known for directing the films Grease (1978), The Blue Lagoon (1980), Flight of the Navigator (1986) and White…
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1946
German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Gerd Karl Binnig is a German physicist. He is most famous for having won the Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Heinrich Rohrer in 1986 for the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope.
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1947
Mexican-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán is a Mexican-American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the rock band Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he rose to fame in the…
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1947
American actor and producer
Muse Watson Gravel, commonly known as Muse Watson, is an American actor. He is notable for his recurring roles of Mike Franks on NCIS and Charles Westmoreland / D.B. Cooper in Prison Break, and film roles as Hank…
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1948
Solomon Islands politician (died 2025)
Sir Francis Billy Hilly was a Solomon Islands politician who was the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands from 18 June 1993 to 7 November 1994. He represented the Ranogga/Simbo Constituency in the National Parliament from…
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1948
English lawyer and politician
Sir Edward Julian Egerton Leigh is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gainsborough, previously Gainsborough and Horncastle, since 1983. Parliament's longest-serving MP…
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1950
1950
English actor and screenwriter
Jeffrey Alan Rawle is a British actor. He is known for playing Billy in Billy Liar (1973–1974), and for portraying George Dent in the news-gathering sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998), and Silas Blissett in…
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1951
Welsh-Australian singer-songwriter
Dave Evans is an Australian singer. He was the original lead singer for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC in 1973–1974 and sang on their debut single shortly before being replaced by Bon Scott. Evans then went on to…
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1953
American journalist and author
Thomas Loren Friedman is an American political commentator and author. He is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and a weekly columnist for The New York Times. He has written extensively on foreign affairs, global trade,…
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1953
American-Australian singer and actress
Marcia Elaine Hines AM is an American-born Australian singer and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary…
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1953
American actress
Moira Jane Sinise is a former American actress. She appeared in several films and television shows. She is married to actor-filmmaker Gary Sinise.
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1954
American guitarist and producer
Jay Jay French is an American guitarist, manager, record producer and founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He is a columnist, author and motivational speaker who oversees licensing and intellectual…
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1954
Jamaican-English table tennis player
Desmond Douglas MBE is a British table tennis player. He lived and was brought up in the area of Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands. He was an attacking, left-handed, player, notable for his scissor jump smash. He…
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1955
1955
1955
1956
Cameroonian footballer
Thomas "Tommy" N'Kono is a Cameroonian former professional footballer. One of the greatest goalkeepers from the continent of Africa, he was mainly associated with Espanyol, whom he represented for almost a decade…
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1956
Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Premier of Alberta (died 2016)
Peter Eric James Prentice was a Canadian politician who served as the 16th premier of Alberta from 2014 to 2015. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a candidate of the…
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1956
Scottish keyboard player and songwriter
Michael Joseph MacNeil is a Scottish songwriter and keyboardist. He is best known as a former member of the group Simple Minds.
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1958
American salesman (died 2009)
William Darrell Mays Jr. was an American television direct-response advertisement salesperson. Throughout his career, he promoted a wide variety of products, including OxiClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom, Zorbeez, and Mighty…
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1958
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Radney Muckleroy Foster is an American country music singer-songwriter, musician, and music producer. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his recording debut as part of the Foster & Lloyd duo,…
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1959
1960
Serbian-Canadian poet and philosopher
Prvoslav Vujcic is a Serbian Canadian writer, poet, translator, columnist and aphorist. He has been described as one of the most prominent writers of Serbian origin.
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1960
Indian actor
Sudesh Berry is an Indian actor and personality known for his works in Hindi cinema and Indian television.
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1960
1960
Cuban physician and activist, founded the Lawton Foundation
Óscar Elías Biscet González is a Cuban physician and an advocate for human rights and democratic freedoms in Cuba. He is also the founder of the Lawton Foundation.
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1961
American actor, producer, and screenwriter
Carlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, producer, screenwriter and director. His voice acting roles include the original voice of Spyro from Spyro the Dragon, the Taco Bell…
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1962
Italian race car driver
Giovanna Amati is an Italian former professional racing driver. She is the most recent female driver to have entered the Formula One World Championship.
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1962
English journalist, author, and academic
Julie Bindel is an English radical feminist writer. She co-founded Justice for Women, which helps women who have been prosecuted for assaulting or killing violent male partners.
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1962
American actor, director, and screenwriter
Frank Joseph Whaley is an American actor, film director and screenwriter. His roles include Brett in Pulp Fiction, Robby Krieger in The Doors, Jim Dodge in Career Opportunities, young Archie "Moonlight" Graham in Field…
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1963
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2017)
Christopher John Cornell was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a solo career and contributed to…
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1964
American-Australian zoologist and author
Terri Raines Irwin is an American and Australian conservationist, naturalist, and television personality. The widow of conservationist Steve Irwin, she is the sole owner and chairwoman of Australia Zoo in Beerwah,…
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1964
Italian footballer
Sebastiano Rossi is an Italian retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1964
German race car driver
Bernd Robert Schneider is a German racing driver. He is a five-time Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters champion, and a Mercedes Brand Ambassador.
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1964
American journalist and author
Jess Walter is an American author of fiction and non-fiction. He has won the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2006.
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1965
English dancer and presenter
Anthony Paul Beke, known professionally as Anton Du Beke, is a British ballroom and Latin dancer, author, singer and television presenter, best known for being a professional dancer and a judge on the BBC One celebrity…
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1966
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician and songwriter who serves as the rhythm guitarist for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of…
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1966
Mexican lawyer and politician, 57th President of Mexico
Enrique Peña Nieto, commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican former politician and lawyer who served as the 64th president of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party…
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1966
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Courtney A. Taylor, known as Courtney Taylor-Taylor, is an American singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon. He is the lead singer and guitarist of alternative rock band the Dandy Warhols, a band he co-founded.…
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1967
American ice hockey player
James Charles Carson is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League with five different teams. In 1988, he set the record for most goals scored in a season by a…
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1968
Turkish footballer and manager
Hami Mandıralı is a Turkish football manager and former footballer. He played for Trabzonspor nearly all of his career.
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1968
American hip-hop artist
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson, better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is…
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1968
American actor
Joshua Lee Holloway is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James "Sawyer" Ford on the ABC television show Lost (2004–2010), as Will Bowman on the USA Network science fiction drama Colony (2016–2018),…
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1969
Croatian-German footballer
Kreso Kovacec is a German retired professional footballer who played as a forward. He spent three seasons in the Bundesliga with Hansa Rostock.
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1969
Italian cyclist
Giovanni Lombardi is an Italian former professional road bicycling racer who raced from 1992 to 2006. He started his career as a sprinter, winning multiple stages in the Giro d'Italia. He went on to ride as an important…
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1969
1969
1969
1969
American baseball player
Charles Edward Johnson Jr. is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998), the Baltimore Orioles (1999–2000),…
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1971
1971
American hip hop DJ, creator of the chopped and screwed genre (died 2000)
Robert Earl Davis Jr., better known by his stage name DJ Screw, was an American hip hop DJ based in Houston, Texas, and best known as the creator of the chopped and screwed DJ technique. He was a central and influential…
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1971
Australian rugby league player
Jamie Ainscough is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. An Australia international and New South Wales State of Origin representative three-quarter back, he played…
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1972
Slovak ice hockey player
Jozef Stümpel is a Slovak former professional ice hockey centre. He played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, and Florida Panthers between 1992 and 2008. Internationally Stümpel…
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1972
Swedish jurist and politician
Erik Jörgen Carl Ullenhag is a Swedish politician and diplomat who is currently serving as Consul General of Sweden to New York City since 2024.
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1972
1973
1973
Swedish ice hockey player and manager
Peter Mattias Forsberg is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and former assistant general manager of Modo Hockey. Nicknamed "Peter the Great" and "Foppa", Forsberg was known for his on-ice vision and…
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1973
Caribbean cricketer
Nixon Alexei McNamara McLean is a West Indian cricketer from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He featured in the role of a right-arm fast-medium bowler who played both Tests and ODIs for the West Indies. McLean also…
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1973
Mexican-American screenwriter and producer (died 2025)
Roberto Gaston Orcí was a Mexican film and television screenwriter and producer. He is best known for co-writing the scripts to Transformers (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Star Trek (2009), Star…
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1973
American soccer player
Claudio Alejandro Reyna is an American former professional soccer player and former executive. He most recently served as sporting director of Austin FC.
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1973
Norwegian politician
Monica Nielsen is a Norwegian politician and deputy member of the Storting. A member of the Labour Party, she has represented Finnmark since October 2025.
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1974
1975
American actress and producer
Judith Therese Evans, known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for her supporting…
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1975
Norwegian footballer
Erik Bjørnstad Hagen is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a centre-back in Norway and Russia, as well as for the Norwegian national team, earning 28 caps.
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1975
Swedish journalist and politician, 5th Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs
Eva Birgitta Ohlsson Klamberg is a Swedish politician who was Minister for European Union Affairs in the Swedish government from 2010 to 2014. She is a member of the Liberals, formerly the Liberal People's Party.…
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1975
American singer and actor (died 2004)
Jason Raize Rothenberg, known professionally as Jason Raize, was an American actor, singer, and former Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme. He was best known for his roles as the adult Simba…
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1975
Turkish footballer and manager
Yusuf Şimşek is a Turkish football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of TFF 2. Lig club Altınordu.
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1975
American journalist
Erica Ruth Hill-Yount is an American journalist who, as of 2024, worked for CNN. She served as a primary substitute anchor and a correspondent. She co-anchored Weekend Today from 2012 to 2016, following work at CBS…
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1976
Indian cricketer and coach
Debasish Sarbeswar Mohanty is a former Indian cricketer who played in two Test matches and 45 One Day Internationals between 1997 and 2001. He was a right-arm medium-fast bowler who coupled pace to his naturally lanky…
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1976
Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Andrew James Stockdale is an Australian singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and only continuous member of the rock band Wolfmother.
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1976
Malaysian race car driver
Alexander Charles Yoong Loong is a Malaysian racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One at 18 Grands Prix from 2001 to 2002. Yoong remains the only Malaysian driver to compete in Formula One.
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1976
Congolese footballer
Kizito Musampa is a former professional footballer who played as a left winger.
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1977
1977
Brazilian-Japanese footballer
Alessandro Santos , often known as Alex, is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Brazil, he became a Japanese citizen and made 82 appearances for the Japan national team.
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1977
Russian ice hockey player
Pavel Valeryevich Datsyuk is a Russian former professional ice hockey player, who played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 2001 to 2016. Nicknamed the "Magic Man", Datsyuk was named one…
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1978
American basketball player
William James Solomon is an American former professional basketball player. Standing at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), he plays at the point guard and shooting guard positions. He played parts of two seasons in the National…
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1978
American singer-songwriter
Ephraim Elliott Yamin is an American singer known for his hit single "Wait for You" and for placing third on the fifth season of American Idol.
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1978
Latvian runner and hurdler
Ieva Zunda is a Latvian athlete. Her main event is the 400 metres hurdles, but she also competes in the 400 and 800 metres.
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1978
Hungarian footballer (died 2004)
Miklós "Miki" Fehér was a Hungarian professional footballer who played as a striker.
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1979
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Charlotte Franklin Hatherley is an English singer, guitarist and songwriter. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash. Since leaving Ash in 2006, she has worked as…
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1979
Spanish swimmer
David Ortega Pitarch is a freestyle and backstroke swimmer from Spain. He swam for Spain at the 2000 Summer Olympics; the World Championships in 1998, 2003, 2005, and 2007; the Mediterranean Games in 2001 and 2005; and…
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1979
English-Montserratian footballer
Tesfaye Walda Simeon "Tes" Bramble is a former professional footballer and convicted rapist. He made over 200 appearances in the Football League, scoring 43 goals, between 2001 and 2007. Born in England, he made one…
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1980
Brazilian model, fashionista, and businesswoman
Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian model and activist. Since 2001, she has been one of the highest-paid models in the world. In 2007, Bündchen was the 16th-richest woman in the entertainment industry and earned the…
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1980
Estonian journalist and politician
Viktoria Ladõnskaja-Kubits is an Estonian politician and a member of its parliament, or Riigikogu. She represents the Tallinn constituency of Kesklinn, Lasnamäe and Pirita as a member of the Isamaa party. Ladõnskaja was…
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1981
Canadian ice hockey player
Antoine Vermette is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played for 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
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1982
Dominican baseball player
Alexi Casilla Lora is a Dominican former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles.
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1984
American ice hockey player
Matthew J. Gilroy is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who last played for the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League (NL). Gilroy played in National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York…
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1984
American actor and screenwriter
John Francis Daley is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for playing high school freshman Sam Weir on the NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks and FBI criminal profiler Dr. Lance Sweets on the crime drama…
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1985
Canadian actor and YouTube personality
Harley Morenstein is a Canadian YouTuber. He co-created, produces, and hosts the web show Epic Meal Time and its FYI television spin-off series, Epic Meal Empire. He is one of the two remaining original members of the…
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1985
Australian footballer
David Mundy is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played as a half back flanker or midfielder and was the captain of Fremantle…
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1985
Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Osric Chau is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Kevin Tran in the CW series Supernatural, Vogel in the BBC America series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and Ryan Choi in the TV shows set in the…
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1986
Scottish violinist
Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti is a Scottish classical violinist and festival director. Her ability was recognised when she was a child, including the award of BBC Young Musician of the Year when she was 16. She works with…
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1987
Irish footballer
Niall McGinn is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish League One club Peterhead. McGinn has also played for Dungannon Swifts, Derry City, Celtic, Brentford, Aberdeen, Gwangju,…
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1987
American singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer
Julianne Alexandra Hough is an American dancer, singer, actress and television personality. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity…
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1988
American baseball player
Stephen James Strasburg is an American former professional baseball pitcher who is currently an assistant with the San Diego State Aztecs baseball program. He spent his entire 13-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career…
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1988
Iranian volleyball player
Shahram Mahmoudi Khatounabadi is an Iranian volleyball player who plays for the Iran men's national volleyball team. He competed at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.
Mahmoudi debuted national games in 2013 Grand…
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1988
Mexican footballer
Javier Cortés Granados is a former Mexican professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
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1989
Italian footballer
Cristian Pasquato is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie D Group C club Campodarsego.
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1989
German footballer
Lars Unnerstall is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Eredivisie club Twente.
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1990
Mongolian sumo wrestler
Chiyoshōma Fujio is a professional sumo wrestler from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He made his debut in July 2009 and reached the top makuuchi division in September 2016. He wrestles for Kokonoe stable. His highest rank is…
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1991
Australian rugby league player
Ryan James is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a prop and second-row forward for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League (NRL).
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1991
Miss America 2015
Kira Dixon is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss America 2015 on September 14, 2014. She is the third consecutive Miss America winner from New York and had won the title of Miss New York on May 24,…
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1991
German mountaineer and runner
Philipp Reiter is a German ski mountaineer, mountain runner and sports photographer. He is member of the German national selection of ski mountaineering.
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1991
Thai actor, host, and model
Tawan Vihokratana, nicknamed Tay, is a Thai actor, television host, and model based in Bangkok. A graduate of Chulalongkorn University, Tawan began his career in entertainment as a host on Bang Channel’s Five Live Fresh…
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1991
New Zealand basketball player
Steven Funaki Paea He Ofa Ki Loa Adams is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, Adams has played for four NBA teams since making his…
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1993
Canadian ice hockey player
Brian Nicholas Cousins is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 68th overall, by the Philadelphia…
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1993
New Zealand rugby league player
Moses Leota is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. He has played for both Samoa and New Zealand at international level. He won the 2021,…
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1995
Australian basketball player
Benjamin David Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU…
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1996
1999
Spanish footballer
Alejandro "Álex" Baena Rodríguez is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Spain national team.
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2001
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Who was born on July 20?
David Tonkin — Australian politician (1929 – 2000)
FeaturedDavid Tonkin
Birth year1929
Known forHe was elected to the House of Assembly seat of Bragg at the 1970 election, serving until 1983
Birthdays on this date228 (682 – 2001)
Explore July 20
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Also on July 20 in History
2021
American businessman Jeff Bezos flies to space aboard New Shepard NS-16 operated by his private spaceflight company Blue Origin. Wikipedia →
2019
Soyuz MS-13 is launched to the International Space Station on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Wikipedia →
2017
See all events on July 20
O. J. Simpson is granted parole to be released from prison after serving nine years of a 33-year sentence after being convicted of armed robbery in Las Vegas. Wikipedia →
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