Did you know
Famous Birthdays on July 31
210 people
1143 – 2003
July 31 has seen 210 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1143 – 2003. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1982 — DeMarcus Ware
American football player
Did you know
Ware then played three seasons for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers
Did you know
He switched positions from defensive end to linebacker in the Dallas Cowboy 3-4 defense
Did you know
After spending nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware departed in 2013 as the franchise's all-time leader in quarterback sacks with 117
Did you know
After the 2016 season with the Broncos, he announced his retirement from the NFL
Emperor Nijō was the 78th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1158 through 1165.
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1143
Duke of Burgundy (died 1467)
Philip III, also known as Philip the Good, was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death in 1467. He was a member of a cadet line of the House of Valois, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonged. During his…
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1396
1526
Holy Roman Emperor (died 1576)
Maximilian II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1564 until his death in 1576. A member of the Austrian House of Habsburg, he was crowned King of Bohemia in Prague on 14 May 1562 and elected King of Germany on 24 November…
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1527
Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (died 1641)
Philipp Wolfgang was a count of Hanau-Lichtenberg. He ruled the county from 1625 until his death.
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1595
Italian sculptor (died 1654)
Alessandro Algardi was an Italian high-Baroque sculptor active almost exclusively in Rome. In the latter decades of his life, he was, along with Francesco Borromini and Pietro da Cortona, one of the major rivals of Gian…
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1598
Duke of Berry (died 1714)
Charles of France, Duke of Berry, was a grandson of Louis XIV of France. Although he was only a grandson of Louis XIV, Berry held the rank of fils de France, rather than petit-fils de France, as the son of the Dauphin,…
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1686
French missionary and painter (died 1768)
Jean Denis Attiret was a French Jesuit painter and missionary to Qing China.
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1702
1704
English physicist and academic (died 1772)
John Canton was a British physicist. He was born in Middle Street Stroud, Gloucestershire, to a weaver, John Canton and Esther. As a schoolboy, he became the first person to determine the latitude of Stroud, while…
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1718
French lexicographer and author (died 1801)
Noël François de Wailly was a French grammarian and lexicographer.
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1724
Austrian nobleman and government official (died 1796)
Ignaz Alois Anton von Indermauer zu Strelburg und Freifeld was an Austrian nobleman from Tyrol who served as the Landvögte and Kreishauptmann of Vorarlberg from 1791 until his death in 1796.
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1759
Argentine priest and politician (died 1849)
Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros was an Argentine statesman and priest. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán which on 9 July 1816 declared the Independence of Argentina.
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1777
Czech-French actor and mime (died 1846)
Jean-Gaspard Deburau, sometimes erroneously called Debureau, was a Czech-French mime. He performed from 1816 to the year of his death at the Théâtre des Funambules, which was immortalized in Marcel Carné's…
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1796
German chemist and academic (died 1882)
Friedrich Wöhler FRS(For) HonFRSE was a German chemist known for his work in both organic and inorganic chemistry, being the first to isolate the chemical elements beryllium and yttrium in pure metallic form. He was the…
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1800
Swedish-American engineer, co-designed the USS Princeton and the Novelty Locomotive (died 1889)
John Ericsson was a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He was active in England and the United States.
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1803
American general (died 1870)
George Henry Thomas was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Thomas served in the Mexican–American War, and despite being a…
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1816
Finnish serial killer (died 1854)
Juhani Aataminpoika alias Kerpeikkari, was a Finnish serial killer. He killed 12 people in southern Finland between October and November of 1849. He has been characterized as the first serial killer in Finland.
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1826
American colonel and politician (died 1886)
William Smith Clark was an American professor of chemistry, botany, and zoology; a colonel during the American Civil War; and a leader in agricultural education. Raised and schooled in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Clark…
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1826
French lawyer and politician, 50th Prime Minister of France (died 1912)
Eugène Henri Brisson was a French statesman, who was twice Prime Minister of France, between 1885–1886 and in 1898.
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1835
French-American anthropologist and explorer (died 1903)
Paul Belloni Du Chaillu was a French-American traveler, zoologist, and anthropologist. He became famous in the 1860s as the first modern European outsider to confirm the existence of gorillas, and later the Pygmy people…
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1835
Russian author and activist (died 1878)
Vasily Alekseyevich Sleptsov, was a Russian writer, playwright, journalist and social reformer.
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1836
American captain (died 1865)
William Clarke Quantrill was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War.
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1837
Venezuelan general and politician, 25th President of Venezuela (died 1925)
Ignacio Andrade Troconis was a military man and politician. He was known as a member of the Liberal yellow party, and served as the president of Venezuela from 1898 until 1899 – his election was declaredly clouded by…
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1839
Austrian poet and author (died 1918)
Peter Rosegger was an Austrian writer and poet from Krieglach in the province of Styria. He was a son of a mountain farmer and grew up in the woodlands and mountains of Alpl. Rosegger went on to become a most prolific…
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1843
Cuban pianist and composer (died 1905)
Ignacio Cervantes Kawanagh was a Cuban pianist and composer. He was influential in the creolization of Cuban music.
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1847
Spanish academic and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (died 1912)
José Canalejas y Méndez was a Spanish politician, born in Ferrol, who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 1910 until his assassination in 1912.
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1854
15th president of Liberia (died 1938)
Arthur Barclay was the 15th president of Liberia from 1904 to 1912.
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1854
English seismologist and geologist (died 1936)
Richard Dixon Oldham FRS was a British geologist who made the first clear identification of the separate arrivals of P-waves, S-waves and surface waves on seismograms and the first clear evidence that the Earth has a…
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1858
influential American educator (died 1948)
Marion Talbot was an American educator who served as Dean of Women at the University of Chicago from 1895 to 1925, and an influential leader in the higher education of women in the United States during the early 20th…
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1858
American painter and illustrator (died 1940)
Mary Morris Vaux Walcott was an American artist and naturalist known for her watercolor paintings of wildflowers. She has been called the "Audubon of Botany."
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1860
American businessman, founded Kmart (died 1966)
Sebastian Spering Kresge was an American merchant and businessman. He created and owned two chains of department stores: the S. S. Kresge Company, one of the 20th century's largest discount retail organizations, and the…
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1867
French painter (died 1963)
Jacques Villon, also known as Gaston Duchamp, was a French Cubist and abstract painter and printmaker.
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1875
South African botanist and taxonomist (died 1970)
Harriet Margaret Louisa Bolus née Kensit was a South African botanist and taxonomist, and the longtime curator of the Bolus Herbarium, from 1903. Bolus also has the legacy of authoring more land plant species than any…
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1877
1880
Cuban fencer (died 1959)
Ramón Fonst Segundo was a Cuban fencer who competed in the early 20th century. He was one of the greatest world fencers, individual and by team; he was born and died in Havana. He became the first non-European and the…
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1883
Polish-German economist and politician (died 1945)
Carl Friedrich Goerdeler was a German conservative politician, monarchist, executive, economist, civil servant and opponent of the Nazi regime. He opposed anti-Jewish policies while he held office and was opposed to the…
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1884
Italian-American mob boss (died 1931)
Salvatore Maranzano, nicknamed Little Caesar, was an Italian-American mobster from the town of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, and an early Cosa Nostra boss who led what later would become the Bonanno crime family in…
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1886
American animation producer (died 1965)
Frederick Clinton Quimby was an American animation producer best known for producing the Tom and Jerry cartoon series, for which he won seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Films. He was the executive in charge…
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1886
German sociologist and philosopher (died 1969)
Johannes "Hans" Freyer was a German sociologist and philosopher of the conservative revolutionary movement.
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1887
American evangelist and publisher, founded Worldwide Church of God (died 1986)
Herbert W. Armstrong was an American evangelist who founded the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). An early pioneer of radio and television evangelism, Armstrong preached what he claimed was the comprehensive combination of…
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1892
Canadian archbishop (died 1959)
Joseph Charbonneau was a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Montreal from 1940 to 1950.
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1892
Welsh footballer (died 1972)
Frederick Charles Keenor was a Welsh professional footballer. He began his career at his hometown side Cardiff City after impressing the club's coaching staff in a trial match in 1912 organised by his former…
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1894
French painter and sculptor (died 1985)
Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet was a French painter and sculptor of the École de Paris. His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called "low art" and eschewed traditional standards of beauty in favor of what he…
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1901
Australian-English cricketer and soldier (died 1989)
Sir George Oswald Browning "Gubby" Allen CBE was a cricketer who captained England in eleven Test matches. In first-class matches, he played for Middlesex and Cambridge University. A fast bowler and hard-hitting…
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1902
American engineer, surveyor, and author (died 1977)
Brett Halliday is the primary pen name of Davis Dresser, an American mystery and western writer. Halliday is best known for the long-lived series of Michael Shayne mysteries he wrote, and later commissioned others to…
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1904
Austrian theorist and author (died 1999)
Erik Maria Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn was an Austrian-American nobleman and polymath, whose areas of interest included philosophy, history, political science, economics, linguistics, art and theology. He opposed the…
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1909
American violinist (died 1983)
George Liberace was an American musician and television performer.
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1911
Australian cricketer (died 2008)
William Alfred Brown, was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Test matches between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is…
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1912
American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2006)
Milton Friedman was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of…
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1912
American football player and journalist (died 2003)
Irving Kupcinet was an American newspaper columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, television talk-show host, and radio personality based in Chicago, Illinois. He was popularly known by the nickname "Kup".
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1912
Canadian ice hockey player (died 1984)
Bryan Aldwyn Hextall was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered one of the top wingers of the 1940s, he led the NHL in goal scoring…
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1913
American conductor and composer (died 1997)
Paul Joseph Christiansen was an American choral conductor and composer. As the youngest son of F. Melius Christiansen, he was brought up into the Lutheran Choral Tradition and quickly developed his own style of…
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1914
Italian director and screenwriter (died 1980)
Mario Bava was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter. His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish…
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1914
French actor and screenwriter (died 1983)
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza was a French actor and comedian. According to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, he is France's favourite actor, having played over 150 roles in film and over 100…
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1914
Pakistani journalist, scholar, and activist (died 1986)
Syed Sibt-e-Hasan was an eminent scholar, journalist and political activist of Pakistan. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of Socialism and Marxism in Pakistan, as well as the moving spirit behind the Progressive…
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1916
American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 2006)
William Clyde Hitchcock was an American professional baseball infielder, coach, manager and scout. In Major League Baseball (MLB), he was primarily a third baseman, second baseman and shortstop who appeared in 703 games…
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1916
American screenwriter and producer (died 1979)
William Selden Todman was an American television producer and personality born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest-running shows with business partner Mark Goodson, with whom he created…
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1916
American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)
Paul Delos Boyer was an American biochemist, analytical chemist, and a professor of chemistry at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for research on the "enzymatic…
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1918
American pianist, composer, and bandleader (died 2010)
Henry Jones Jr. was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians have described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored him…
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1918
New Zealand businessman and financier (died 1998)
Sir Francis Henry Renouf was a New Zealand stockbroker and financier.
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1918
Indian cricketer (died 2003)
Colonel Hemchandra "Hemu" Ramachandra Adhikari was an Indian cricketer, representing his country both as a player and a coach in a career that spanned three decades. He received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement…
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1919
American sportscaster and actor (died 2006)
Curtis Edward Gowdy was an American sportscaster. He called Boston Red Sox games on radio and TV for 15 years, and then covered many nationally televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports and ABC Sports in the…
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1919
Italian chemist and author (died 1987)
Primo Michele Levi was a Jewish Italian chemist, partisan, Holocaust survivor and writer. He was the author of several books, collections of short stories, essays, poems and one novel. His best-known works include: If…
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1919
American religious leader, lawyer, and politician (died 2007)
James Esdras Faust was an American religious leader, lawyer, and politician. Faust was Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 until his death, an LDS Church…
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1920
English lawyer and activist, founded Amnesty International (died 2005)
Peter Benenson was a British barrister, human rights activist and the founder of the human rights group Amnesty International (AI); a global movement of more than 10 million people, currently, and in over 150 countries…
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1921
American sergeant and author (died 2017)
Donald George Malarkey was an American politician and soldier who served as a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United…
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1921
American activist (died 1971)
Whitney Moore Young Jr. was an American civil rights leader. Trained as a social worker, he spent most of his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States and turning the National Urban League…
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1921
American baseball player and manager (died 2007)
Henry Albert Bauer was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees (1948–1959) and Kansas City Athletics (1960–1961); he batted and threw right-handed. He served…
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1922
Turkish-American songwriter and producer, founded Atlantic Records (died 2006)
Ahmet Ertegun was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist.
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1923
American chemist and engineer, invented Kevlar (died 2014)
Stephanie Louise Kwolek was an American chemist known for inventing Kevlar. Her career at the DuPont company spanned more than 40 years.
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1923
American tennis player and coach (died 2015)
James Andrew "Jimmy" Evert was an American tennis coach and player. He was the father of Chris Evert, who was one of the world's top women tennis players in the 1970s and 1980s.
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1924
Irish singer, actress and writer (died 2021)
Carmel Quinn was an Irish-American entertainer who appeared on Broadway, television and radio after immigrating to the United States in 1954.
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1925
Canadian-American jurist and politician, 42nd Governor of Michigan (died 1994)
John Burley Swainson was a Canadian-American politician and jurist who served as the 42nd governor of Michigan from 1961 to 1963.
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1925
American physician and activist (died 2011)
Bernard N. Nathanson was an American physician, abortion rights advocate turned anti-abortion activist, and a prominent figure in the abortion debate in the United States. He was originally a co-founder in 1969 of the…
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1926
American mathematician, computer scientist, and philosopher (died 2016)
Hilary Whitehall Putnam was an American philosopher, mathematician, computer scientist, and figure in analytic philosophy in the second half of the 20th century. He contributed to the studies of philosophy of mind,…
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1926
English author and playwright (died 2019)
Peter Richard Nichols was an English playwright, screenwriter, director and journalist.
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1927
American lieutenant and politician (died 2014)
William Eldridge Frenzel was an American politician and businessman who represented Minnesota's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1991. A member of the Republican…
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1928
English author (died 2024)
Lynne Reid Banks was a British author of books for children and adults, including The Indian in the Cupboard, which has sold over 15 million copies and has been successfully adapted to film. Her first novel, The…
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1929
Canadian director and screenwriter (died 2009)
Gilles Carle, was a Canadian filmmaker and painter, who was a key figure in the development of a commercial Quebec cinema.
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1929
American actor (died 2024)
Donald Patrick Murray was an American actor, screenwriter, and film director. His debut film role as Bo Decker in Bus Stop (1956), opposite Marilyn Monroe, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting…
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1929
Uruguayan footballer and manager (died 2026)
José Emilio Santamaría Iglesias was a professional football player and manager. A central defender, he spent his 18-year club career with Nacional and Real Madrid, winning 12 titles with the latter including four…
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1929
American tennis player and coach (died 2022)
Nicholas James Bollettieri was an American tennis coach. He pioneered the concept of a tennis boarding school, and helped develop many leading tennis players during the past decades, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier,…
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1931
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Kenneth Earl Burrell is an American jazz guitarist, singer and composer known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were…
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1931
American actor and screenwriter (died 1979)
Theodore Crawford Cassidy was an American actor. He tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction works, such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie, and he played Lurch on The Addams Family TV series of…
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1932
American philosopher and academic (died 2025)
John Rogers Searle was an American philosopher widely noted for contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and social philosophy. He began teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, in…
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1932
Dutch journalist, author, and poet (died 2026)
Cornelis Johannes Jacobus Maria "Cees" Nooteboom was a Dutch novelist, poet and journalist. After the attention received by his novel Rituals, which won the Pegasus Prize, it was the first of his novels to be translated…
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1933
Canadian comedian, actor, and producer
Yvon Deschamps is a Québécois author, actor, comedian and producer best known for his monologues. His social-commentary-tinged humour propelled him to prominence in Quebec popular culture in the 1970s and 1980s. A long…
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1935
American actor and screenwriter (died 2015)
Geoffrey Bond Lewis was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films and television shows, and was principally known for his film roles alongside Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford. He often portrayed villains…
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1935
English pianist and conductor (died 2021)
Steuart John Rudolf Bedford was an English orchestral and opera conductor and pianist.
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1939
American actress
Susan Flannery is an American actress and director. She made her screen debut appearing in the 1965 Western film Guns of Diablo and later appeared in some television series. From 1966 to 1975, Flannery starred as Laura…
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1939
Vietnamese-French actress
France Nuyen is a French-American actress, model, and psychological counselor. She is known to film audiences for playing romantic leads in South Pacific (1958), Satan Never Sleeps (1962), and A Girl Named Tamiko, and…
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1939
American film producer and director (died 2025)
Stanley Richard Jaffe was an American film producer. His producing credits included Fatal Attraction, The Accused and Kramer vs. Kramer, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture.
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1940
Indian politician, 8th Chief Minister of Gujarat (died 2004)
Amarsinh Bhilabhai Chaudhary was an Indian politician. He became the first adivasi to serve as the Chief Minister of Gujarat when he took office in 1985.
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1941
American journalist and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Education
William John Bennett is an American conservative politician and political commentator who served as the third United States secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 under President Ronald Reagan. He also held the post…
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1943
1943
American actress and screenwriter
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an American-born English actress whose long career has included multilingual roles in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German films.
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1944
English journalist and author
Jonathan Dimbleby is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, author and historian. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of television presenter David…
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1944
American film producer
Sherry Lansing is an American former film studio executive serving as chairwoman of Universal Music Group's board of directors and as a director on the board of Paramount Skydance Corporation. She previously served as…
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1944
American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Robert Cox Merton is an American economist, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate, and professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to continuous-time…
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1944
Irish scholar and politician
David Patrick Bernard Norris is an Irish scholar, former independent Senator, and civil rights activist. Internationally, Norris is credited with having "managed, almost single-handedly, to overthrow the…
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1944
American lawyer and politician, 68th Governor of Massachusetts
William Floyd Weld is an American attorney, businessman, author, and politician who served as the 68th governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. Weld was Gary Johnson’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election…
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1945
American pop-rock musician
Gary Lewis is an American musician who was the leader of Gary Lewis & the Playboys.
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1946
English bass player and songwriter
Herman's Hermits are an English pop rock group formed in 1963 in Manchester and fronted by singer Peter Noone. Known for their jaunty beat sound and Noone's often tongue-in-cheek vocal style, the Hermits charted with…
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1947
English actor (died 2013)
Richard Thomas Griffiths was an English actor. He was known for his portrayals of Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films (2001–2011), Uncle Monty in Withnail and I (1987), and Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky…
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1947
1947
French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hubert Yves Pierre Védrine is a French retired senior civil servant and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2002. A member of the Socialist Party (PS), he was an advisor and later secretary…
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1947
1947
Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)…
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1948
American basketball player
Michael Jackson is an American former professional basketball player. After a collegiate career at the Cal State University Los Angeles where he was an All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association second-team selection in…
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1949
English journalist and politician
Sir Joseph Alan Meale is a former British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mansfield from 1987 to 2017. He was the longest-standing MP in Mansfield's history.
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1949
French actor, director, and screenwriter
Richard Berry is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 100 films since 1972. He starred in The Violin Player, which was entered into the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.
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1950
Australian tennis player
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley is an Australian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and was one of the world's leading players in…
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1951
American ice hockey player
Christopher Alfred Ahrens is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars, and four games in the WHA with the Edmonton Oilers.
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1952
American football player, actor, and politician, 23rd Mayor of Fresno, California
Carlos Alan Autry Jr. is an American actor, politician, and former football player. During his brief career in the National Football League, he played as a quarterback and was known as Carlos Brown.
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1952
Latvian ice hockey player and coach
Helmuts Balderis-Sildedzis is a former Soviet and Latvian professional ice hockey player. He played on the right wing and participated at the 1980 Winter Olympics, where the Soviet team unexpectedly lost to the United…
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1952
Portuguese author and critic
João Manuel Rosado Barreiros, also known by the pseudonym José de Barros, is a Portuguese science fiction writer, editor, translator and critic.
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1952
American author
Faye Marder Kellerman is an American writer of mystery novels, in particular the "Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus" series, as well as three nonseries books, The Quality of Mercy, Moon Music, and Straight into Darkness.
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1952
Australian architect and politician, 46th Premier of Victoria
Edward Norman Baillieu is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013. He was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2014, representing the electorate…
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1953
South African cricketer and coach
Stephen James Cook is a former South African association footballer and cricketer who played in three cricket Test matches and four One Day Internationals from 1991 to 1993. His son Stephen Cook played for Gauteng and…
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1953
English cellist (died 2018)
Hugh Alexander McDowell was an English cellist and member of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and related acts.
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1953
Canadian ice hockey player
Derek Robert Smith is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings between 1975 and 1983. He was selected by the Sabres in the…
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1954
American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Michael Connell Biehn is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in The Terminator (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in Aliens (1986), and Lt.…
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1956
American football player and coach
William E. Callahan is an American football coach who is the offensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Callahan was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2002 and 2003,…
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1956
1956
American lawyer and politician, 71st Governor of Massachusetts
Deval Laurdine Patrick is an American politician who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was the first African-American governor of Massachusetts and the first Democratic governor of the…
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1956
American author and illustrator
Lynne Rae Perkins is an American writer and illustrator of children's books.
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1956
American online celebrity chef (died 2024)
Lynn Yamada Davis, mononymously better known by her online alias Lynja, was an American online celebrity chef known for her viral TikTok and YouTube Shorts videos from 2020 until her death in 2024. Praised for her…
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1956
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Daniel Gaston Ash is an English musician, songwriter and singer. Daniel Ash was born from a French mother and English father. He was born in England and spent his childhood in Northampton. He became prominent in the…
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1957
English business executive
Sir Mark John Thompson is a British–American media executive who is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ancestry, the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, and CEO of CNN. He is the former president and…
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1957
American drummer and songwriter
William Thomas Berry is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass…
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1958
American businessman and television personality
Mark Cuban is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is the former principal owner and current minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and…
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1958
French music editor and composer
Suzanne Giraud is a French music educator and composer of contemporary music. Her works are marked by a predilection for percussion, voices and strings; they resonate with her artistic, poetic and architectural…
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1958
American guitarist, pianist, and songwriter
Stanley Jordan is an American jazz guitarist noted for his playing technique, which involves tapping his fingers on the fretboard of the guitar with both hands.
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1959
Scottish journalist and author
Andrew William Stevenson Marr is a Scottish journalist, author, broadcaster and presenter. Beginning his career as a political commentator at The Scotsman, he subsequently edited The Independent newspaper from 1996 to…
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1959
English journalist and author
Kim James Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. He focuses on film history and horror fiction – both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's Dracula at the age of eleven – and…
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1959
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Dale Robert Hunter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and current co-owner, president, and head coach of the London…
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1960
Scottish guitarist and songwriter
Malcolm Ross is a Scottish guitarist. His career started when he played guitar in the Scottish band Josef K. They released a string of singles and an album, The Only Fun in Town, on Postcard Records in the early 1980s.
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1960
English captain and journalist
Francis Rolleston Gardner is a British journalist, author and retired British Army Reserve officer. He is currently the BBC's Security Correspondent, and since the September 11 attacks on New York has specialised in…
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1961
Nigerian banker, royal
Muhammadu Sanusi II, ; born 31 July 1961), known by the religious title Khalifa Sanusi II, is the spiritual leader (khalifa) of the Tijanniyah Sufi order in Nigeria and the emir of the ancient city-state of Kano. He is…
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1961
American lawyer and politician, 31st California State Controller
John Chiang is an American politician who served as the 33rd Treasurer of California from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 31st Controller of California from 2007 to 2015 and…
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1962
American football player and coach (died 2020)
Kevin Darwin Greene was an American professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football…
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1962
American actor and producer
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, martial artist, author, and film producer. In a film career spanning more than thirty years, Snipes has appeared in a variety of genres, such as numerous thrillers, dramatic…
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1962
English DJ and musician
Norman Quentin Cook, known professionally as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of samples from eclectic genres, combined with…
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1963
English chef and author
Fergus Henderson is an English chef who founded the restaurant St. John on St John Street in London. He is known for his use of offal and other neglected cuts of meat as a consequence of his philosophy of nose to tail…
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1963
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Brian Norman Skrudland is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Dallas Stars.
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1963
1964
Estonian footballer and coach
Urmas Hepner is an Estonian former footballer, who is currently coaching Levadia Tallinn's reserves, as well as working in the club's youth system. In 1992 Hepner was named Estonian Footballer of the Year.
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1964
American basketball player and coach
Scott William Brooks is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won an NBA…
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1965
American wrestler and producer
John Hodger Laurinaitis, also known by his former ring name Johnny Ace, is an American retired professional wrestler and business executive.
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1965
English-Australian rugby league player and actor
Ian Roberts is a British-born Australian actor and former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative forward, he…
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1965
English author and film producer
Joanne Rowling, better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author, philanthropist, producer, and screenwriter. She is best known for writing Harry Potter, a seven-volume series about a young wizard.…
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1965
1966
American basketball player
Tony Arnel Massenburg is an American former professional basketball player. Massenburg was on the active roster of 12 different teams, which was an NBA record shared with Joe Smith, Jim Jackson, Chucky Brown, and Ish…
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1967
Welsh composer
Tim Wright, known professionally as CoLD SToRAGE, is a Welsh video game music composer best known for his work on Wipeout 2097. His compositions for the game drew on 1990s UK big beat and electronic music trends,…
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1967
Emirati cricketer
Saeed-al-Saffar is an Emirati former cricketer who has represented the UAE at the international level, most notably in the One Day International the Emirates side played against the Netherlands in Lahore in the 1996…
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1968
Welsh director and producer
Julian Richards is a Welsh film director. He is associated with the Cool Cymru era of culture and arts in Wales.
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1968
Italian footballer and manager
Antonio Conte is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Napoli. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the world.
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1969
American actor
Loren Dean is an American actor who has appeared on stage and in feature films, including as the title character in Billy Bathgate, as well as Apollo 13, Rosewood, Space Cowboys, and Ad Astra. He appeared in a recurring…
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1969
American lawyer and politician
Kenneth D. Schisler is a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates and former chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission.
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1969
Iranian author and poet
Ahmad Akbarpour Ahmad Akbarpūr Persian pronunciation: [æhˈmæd(-e) ækbærpuːr], born July 31, 1970, in Chah Varz, Lamerd, Fars province, is a novelist and author of short stories and children's books.
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1970
English actor
Benedict John Greenwood, better known as Ben Chaplin, is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in films, including Feast of July (1995), The Thin Red Line (1998), Lost Souls (2000), Birthday Girl (2001),…
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1970
Polish footballer and manager
Andrzej Kobylański born 31 July 1970) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker or midfielder. In 2012, he was the assistant manager for Cracovia, and held the role of sporting director for…
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1970
Greek basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
Giorgos Sigalas is a Greek retired professional basketball player and is the current head coach for Iraklis of the Greek Basketball League.
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1970
American football player and coach
Gustave Joseph Frerotte is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL…
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1971
Australian rugby league player and coach
Nathan Brown is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the assistant coach of the Parramatta Eels in the NRL and former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s.
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1973
English actress
Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox is an English actress and presenter whose career is primarily in British television. Her feature film debut was in Roman Polanski's film The Pianist (2002). Her other motion pictures include…
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1974
American-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Leona Kristina Naess is an English singer and songwriter. She released her debut album, Comatised, in March 2000, which produced the single "Charm Attack".
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1974
American football player
Jonathan Phillip Ogden is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as an offensive tackle with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football…
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1974
American baseball player and coach
Randy Alan Flores is an American professional baseball executive and former pitcher who is the assistant general manager and director of scouting for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in…
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1975
South African cricketer
Andrew James Hall is a former South African first-class cricketer who played from 1999 until 2011. He played as an all-rounder who bowled fast-medium pace and has been used as both an opening batsman and in the lower…
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1975
American baseball player and manager
Gabriel Stefan Kapler, nicknamed "Kap", is an American professional baseball executive and former outfielder and manager who serves as the general manager of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB).
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1975
American guitarist and producer
Joshua Allen Cain, is a guitarist and record producer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the co-founder and lead guitarist of American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack. Cain is also a music producer with multiple…
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1976
Costa Rican footballer and manager
Paulo César Wanchope Watson, more commonly known as Paulo Wanchope, is a Costa Rican football coach and former professional footballer who last coached Deportivo Saprissa.
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1976
1978
English drummer (Coldplay)
William Champion is an English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the drummer and percussionist of the rock band Coldplay. Raised in Southampton, he learned to play numerous instruments during his youth, being…
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1978
American football player and sportscaster
Nicholas Carl Sorensen is an American professional football coach and former safety who is currently the special teams coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football…
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1978
English race car driver (died 2015)
Justin Boyd Wilson was a British professional open-wheel racing driver who competed in Formula One (F1) in 2003, the Champ Car World Series (CCWS) from 2004 to 2007 and the IndyCar Series from 2008 to 2015. He won the…
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1978
South African-Italian rugby player
Jaco Erasmus is a South African-born Italian rugby union naturalized player. He plays as a flanker.
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1979
American baseball player
Jason Joseph "J. J." Furmaniak is an American former professional baseball infielder, who played in the major leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Oakland Athletics.
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1979
Danish footballer
Per Billeskov Krøldrup is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a defender.
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1979
Spanish footballer
Carlos Marchena López is a Spanish former professional footballer. Mainly a central defender with an aggressive approach, he also played as a defensive midfielder.
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1979
American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, author, and producer. He gained traction as a comedian during the early 2000s before becoming an actor for the MTV reality prank show Punk'd…
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1979
Finnish race car driver
Mikko Hirvonen is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in…
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1980
New Zealand rugby player
Junior Malili "Mils" Muliaina is a former professional rugby union player who most recently played for San Francisco Rush in the US PRO Rugby competition. He played primarily as a fullback, though he has also played as…
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1980
English footballer
Titus Malachi Bramble is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
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1981
American football player
Vernon A. Carey Sr. is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for eight seasons with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Dolphins with…
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1981
New Zealand rugby league player
Paul Whatuira is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL in 2011. A New Zealand international centre, he won National Rugby League premierships with…
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1981
Spanish tennis player
Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues is a Spanish tennis coach and former professional player.
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1982
Italian footballer
Daniel Ciofani is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
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1985
French cyclist
Rémy Di Gregorio is a French road bicycle racer, who is currently suspended from the sport following a positive in-competition doping test for darbepoetin alfa, a re-engineered form of erythropoietin (EPO). He has…
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1985
Russian ice hockey player
Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is a centre and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Geno", Malkin began his career…
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1986
American football player
Brian Ndubisi Orakpo is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, was recognized…
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1986
American soccer player
Michael Sheehan Bradley is an American former professional soccer player who is currently the head coach of the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.
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1987
New Zealand rugby league player
Alex Glenn is a former professional rugby league footballer who captained and played as a second-row and centre for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. He played for both the Cook Islands and New Zealand at international…
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1988
American football player
Adriel Jeremiah "AJ" Green is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football…
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1988
Belarusian tennis player
Victoria Fiodaraŭna Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player. She has been ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), having held the position for a total of 51…
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1989
1991
Cuban-American baseball player (died 2016)
José Delfín Fernández Gómez was a Cuban-born American professional baseball right-handed pitcher who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a member of the Miami Marlins from 2013 until his death in…
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1992
Canadian ice hockey player
Ryan Johansen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A centre, he played minor hockey in the Greater Vancouver area until joining the junior ranks with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey…
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1992
American race car driver
Kyle Miyata Larson is an American professional racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports and part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto…
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1992
Swedish professional hockey player
Sven Linus Ullmark is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
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1993
American hip hop artist
Symere Bysil Woods ( sy-MEER BY-səl;, known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Known for their eclectic fashion style and genre-blending music, they are considered an…
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1995
American podcaster and influencer
Bobbi Althoff is an American podcaster and influencer known for her viral interviews with Drake, Lil Yachty, Offset, and other celebrities.
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1997
American actor
Rico Rodriguez is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Manny Delgado on the ABC sitcom Modern Family (2009–2020). He received several Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance. He has also appeared…
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1998
South Korean actress (died 2025)
Kim Sae-ron was a South Korean actress. Kim began her career in 2001 as a child model and transitioned to acting in 2009 with the film A Brand New Life (2009). She gained recognition through The Man from Nowhere (2010),…
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2000
Brazilian singer
João Fernando Gomes Valério is a Brazilian singer and songwriter who came to national prominence with his debut album Eu tenho a senha. One song from the album, "Meu Pedaço de Pecado", was the most played song among…
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2002
Australian-Tongan rugby league player
Viliami Penisini is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.
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2002
Scottish footballer
Calvin William Ramsay is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Premier League club Liverpool.
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2003
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Famous birthdays
Who was born on July 31?
DeMarcus Ware — American football player (born 1982)
FeaturedDeMarcus Ware
Birth year1982
Known forHe played college football for the Troy State Trojans as a defensive end
Birthdays on this date210 (1143 – 2003)
Explore July 31
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on July 31 in History
2014
Gas explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung kill at least 20 people and injure more than 270. Wikipedia →
2012
Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics. Wikipedia →
2008
See all events on July 31
East Coast Jets Flight 81 crashes near Owatonna Degner Regional Airport in Owatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight people on board. Wikipedia →
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