Famous Birthdays on March 29

Q: Who was born on March 29?

Famous people born on March 29 include: Arthur I, Santorio Santorio, Ferdinando Fairfax, John Lightfoot, John Ponsonby.

Q: What is Sam Loxton known for?

Sam Loxton, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (died 2011)

1921 — Sam Loxton

Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (died 2011)

March 29 has seen 189 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1187 – 2004. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · March 29 — Wikipedia

Famous Birthdays 189 people 1187 – 2004

Did you know

A right-handed all-rounder, Loxton was part of the Invincibles, who went through the 1948 tour of England undefeated, an unprecedented achievement that has never been matched

Did you know

After being dropped from the national team, Loxton represented Victoria for seven more seasons before retiring from first-class cricket

Did you know

As a cricket player he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951

Did you know

He served as an administrator after his playing days were over and spent 24 years as a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Did you know

Up until 1946, Loxton also played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) for St Kilda as a forward

Arthur I

Duke of Brittany, grandson of King Henry II of England (died 1203)

Arthur I was 4th Earl of Richmond and Duke of Brittany between 1196 and 1203. He was the son of Duchess Constance of Brittany, born posthumously to Constance's first husband, Duke Geoffrey II. Through Geoffrey, Arthur…

1187

Santorio Santorio

Italian biologist (died 1636)

Santorio Santorio whose real name was Santorio Santori better known in English as Sanctorius of Padua was an Italian physiologist, physician, and professor, who introduced the quantitative approach into the life…

1561

Ferdinando Fairfax

2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, English general and politician (died 1648)

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was an English politician and army officer who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1648. He was a commander in the Parliamentarian army in the…

1584

John Lightfoot

English priest, scholar, and academic (died 1675)

John Lightfoot was an English churchman, rabbinical scholar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge.

1602

John Ponsonby

Irish politician (died 1789)

John Ponsonby, PC (Ire) was an Anglo-Irish politician. He was Speaker of the Irish House of Commons between 1756 and 1771, a period in which the legislative independence of the Kingdom of Ireland was increasingly…

1713

Johann Karl August Musäus

German author (died 1787)

Johann Karl August Musäus was a German author. He was one of the first collectors of German folk stories, most celebrated for his Volksmärchen der Deutschen (1782–1787), a collection of German fairy tales retold as…

1735

Johann Wilhelm Hässler

German pianist and composer (died 1822)

Johann Wilhelm Hässler, was a German composer, organist and pianist.

1747

Jean-de-Dieu Soult

French general and politician, 12th Prime Minister of France (died 1851)

Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia was a French military commander and statesman. He was a Marshal of the Empire during the Napoleonic Wars, and served three times as President of the Council of…

1769

Jørgen Jørgensen

Danish adventurer (died 1841)

Jørgen Jørgensen was a Danish adventurer during the Age of Revolution. During the action of 2 March 1808, his ship was captured by the British. In 1809 he sailed to Iceland, declared the country independent from…

1780

John Tyler

American lawyer and politician, 10th President of the United States (died 1862)

John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig ticket with William…

1790

Edward Smith-Stanley

14th Earl of Derby, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1869)

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, known as Lord Stanley from 1834 to 1851, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served three times as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. To…

1799

Johann Moritz Rugendas

German landscape painter (died 1858)

Johann Moritz Rugendas was a German painter, famous in the first half of the 19th century for his works depicting landscapes and ethnographic subjects in several countries in the Americas. Rugendas is considered "by far…

1802

Ludwig Büchner

German physiologist, physician, and philosopher (died 1899)

Friedrich Karl Christian Ludwig Büchner was a German philosopher, physiologist and physician who became one of the exponents of 19th-century scientific materialism.

1824

Wilhelm Liebknecht

German journalist and politician (died 1900)

Wilhelm Martin Philipp Christian Ludwig Liebknecht was a German social democratic politician and journalist. A principal founder of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), his political career was a pioneering…

1826

Elihu Thomson

English-American engineer and inventor (died 1937)

Elihu Thomson was an English-American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

1853

William Benham

New Zealand zoologist (died 1950)

Sir William Blaxland Benham was a New Zealand zoologist.

1860

Adolfo Müller-Ury

Swiss-American painter (died 1947)

Adolfo Müller-Ury, KSG was a Swiss-born American portrait painter and impressionistic painter of roses and still life.

1862

Walter James

Australian politician, 5th Premier of Western Australia (died 1943)

Sir Walter Hartwell James, was the fifth Premier of Western Australia and an ardent supporter of the federation movement.

1863

Cy Young

American baseball player and manager (died 1955)

Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered the major…

1867

Edwin Lutyens

British architect (died 1944)

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memorials and public…

1869

Tom Hayward

English cricketer (died 1939)

Thomas Walter Hayward was an English first-class cricketer who played for Surrey and England between the 1890s and the outbreak of World War I. He was primarily an opening batsman, noted especially for the quality of…

1871

Hal Colebatch

English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Western Australia (died 1953)

Sir Harry Pateshall Colebatch was a long-serving figure in Western Australian politics. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council for nearly 20 years, the twelfth Premier of Western Australia for a…

1872

Tullio Levi-Civita

Italian mathematician and academic (died 1941)

Tullio Levi-Civita, was an Italian mathematician, most famous for his work on absolute differential calculus and its applications to the theory of relativity, but who also made significant contributions in other areas.…

1873

Lou Henry Hoover

American philanthropist and geologist, 33rd First Lady of the United States (died 1944)

Lou Henry Hoover was an American philanthropist, geologist, and the first lady of the United States from 1929 to 1933 as the wife of President Herbert Hoover. She was active in community organizations and volunteer…

1874

Donald Van Slyke

Dutch-American biochemist (died 1971)

Donald Dexter Van Slyke, nicknamed Van, was a Dutch American biochemist. His achievements included the publication of 317 journal articles and 5 books, as well as numerous awards, among them the National Medal of…

1883

Dezső Kosztolányi

Hungarian author and poet (died 1936)

Dezső Kosztolányi was a Hungarian writer, journalist, translator, and also a speaker of Esperanto. He wrote in all literary genres, from poetry to essays to theatre plays. Building his own style, he used French…

1885

Warner Baxter

American actor (died 1951)

Warner Leroy Baxter was an American film actor from the 1910s to the 1940s. Baxter is known for his role as the Cisco Kid in the 1928 film In Old Arizona, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 2nd…

1889

Howard Lindsay

American producer, playwright, librettist, director and actor (died 1968)

Howard Lindsay, born Herman Nelke, was an American playwright, librettist, director, actor and theatrical producer. He is best known for his writing work as part of the collaboration of Lindsay and Crouse, and for his…

1889

Harold Spencer Jones

English astronomer (died 1960)

Sir Harold Spencer Jones KBE FRS FRSE PRAS was an English astronomer. He became renowned as an authority on positional astronomy and served as the tenth Astronomer Royal for 23 years. Although born "Jones", his surname…

1890

Yvan Goll

French-German poet and playwright (died 1950)

Yvan Goll was a French-German poet who was bilingual and wrote in both French and German. He had close ties to both German expressionism and to French surrealism.

1891

József Mindszenty

Hungarian cardinal (died 1975)

József Mindszenty was a Hungarian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Esztergom and leader of the Catholic Church in Hungary from 1945 to 1973. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, for five…

1892

Ernst Jünger

German philosopher and author (died 1998)

Ernst Jünger was a German author, soldier, philosopher, and entomologist who became publicly known for his World War I memoir Storm of Steel. A prolific writer of over forty books, Jünger wrote particularly in the…

1895

Wilhelm Ackermann

German mathematician (died 1962)

Wilhelm Friedrich Ackermann was a German mathematician and logician best known for his work in mathematical logic and the Ackermann function, an important example in the theory of computation.

1896

Lavrentiy Beria

Georgian-Russian general and politician (died 1953)

Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria was a Soviet politician and one of the longest-serving and most influential of Joseph Stalin's secret police chiefs, serving as head of the NKVD from 1938 to 1945 during the country's…

1899

John McEwen

Australian farmer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1980)

Sir John McEwen was an Australian politician and farmer who served as the 18th prime minister of Australia from 1967 to 1968, in a caretaker capacity following the disappearance of prime minister Harold Holt. He was the…

1900

Charles Sutherland Elton

English zoologist and animal ecologist (died 1991)

Charles Sutherland Elton was an English zoologist and animal ecologist. He is associated with the development of population and community ecology, including studies of invasive organisms.

1900

Marcel Aymé

French author, playwright, and screenwriter (died 1967)

Marcel Aymé was a French novelist and playwright, who also wrote screenplays and works for children.

1902

William Walton

English composer (died 1983)

Sir William Turner Walton was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include Façade, the cantata…

1902

Douglas Harkness

Canadian colonel and politician, Canadian Minister of National Defence (died 1999)

Douglas Scott Harkness was a Canadian politician.

1903

Braguinha

Brazilian singer-songwriter and producer (died 2006)

Carlos Alberto Ferreira Braga, commonly known as Braguinha or João de Barro, was a Brazilian songwriter and occasional singer.

1907

Arthur O'Connell

American actor (died 1981)

Arthur Joseph O'Connell was an American stage, film and television actor, who achieved prominence in character roles in the 1950s. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both Picnic (1955)…

1908

Dennis O'Keefe

American actor and screenwriter (died 1968)

Dennis O'Keefe was an American actor.

1908

Moon Mullican

American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1967)

Aubrey Wilson Mullican, known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with the…

1909

Hanna Reitsch

German soldier and pilot (died 1979)

Hanna Reitsch was a German aviator and test pilot. Reitsch was among the very last people to meet Adolf Hitler before his suicide in the Führerbunker in April 1945. Following her capture, she provided information about…

1912

Phil Foster

American actor (died 1985)

Phil Foster was an American actor and performer, best known for his portrayal of Frank DeFazio in Laverne & Shirley.

1913

Jack Jones

British trade union leader, General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union (died 2009)

James Larkin Jones, known as Jack Jones, was a British trade union leader and General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union 1968-1978.

1913

Chapman Pincher

Indian-English historian, journalist, and author (died 2014)

Henry Chapman Pincher was an English journalist, historian and novelist whose writing mainly focused on espionage and related matters, after some early books on scientific subjects.

1914

Peter Geach

English philosopher and academic (died 2013)

Peter Thomas Geach was a British philosopher who was Professor of Logic at the University of Leeds. His areas of interest were philosophical logic, ethics, history of philosophy, philosophy of religion and the theory of…

1916

Eugene McCarthy

American poet and politician (died 2005)

Eugene Joseph McCarthy was an American politician, writer, and academic who represented Minnesota in both houses of the United States Congress for over 22 years, first in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to…

1916

Tommy Holmes

American baseball player (died 2008)

Thomas Francis Holmes was an American right and center fielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career for the Boston Braves. He hit over .300 lifetime (.302) and every year from 1944…

1917

Ieuan Maddock

Welsh scientist and nuclear researcher (died 1988)

Sir Ieuan Maddock was a Welsh scientist and nuclear researcher. He played a role in the nuclear weapons tests in Australia in the 1950s and the 1973 Partial Test-Ban treaty.

1917

Pearl Bailey

American actress and singer (died 1990)

Pearl Mae Bailey was an American actress, singer, comedian and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in the…

1918

Lê Văn Thiêm

Vietnamese mathematician and academic (died 1991)

Lê Văn Thiêm was a Vietnamese scientist. Together with Hoàng Tụy, he is considered the father of Vietnam Mathematics society. He was the first director of the Vietnam Institute of Mathematics, and the first Headmaster…

1918

Sam Walton

American businessman, founded Walmart and Sam's Club (died 1992)

Samuel Moore Walton was an American business magnate best known for co-founding the retailers Walmart and Sam's Club, which he started in Rogers, Arkansas, and Midwest City, Oklahoma, in 1962 and 1983 respectively.…

1918

Eileen Heckart

American actress (died 2001)

Anna Eileen Heckart was an American stage and screen actress whose career spanned nearly 60 years. Heckart won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Emmy Awards, as well as was nominated for three Tony Awards.…

1919

John M. Belk

American businessman and politician (died 2007)

John Montgomery Belk was an American businessman. He was head of the Belk, Inc. department store chain and member of the Democratic Party, he served as the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina for four terms (1969–1977).…

1920

Clarke Fraser

American-Canadian geneticist and academic (died 2014)

Frank Clarke Fraser was a Canadian medical geneticist. Spanning the fields of science and medicine, he was Canada's first medical geneticist, one of the creators of the discipline of medical genetics in North America,…

1920

Pierre Moinot

French author (died 2007)

Pierre Moinot was a French novelist. He was elected to the Académie française on 21 January 1982.

1920

Theodore Trautwein

American lawyer and judge (died 2000)

Theodore Walter Trautwein was an American judge from New Jersey who presided over issues related to release of reporter's notes that arose from the 1978 murder trial of "Dr. X" physician Mario Jascalevich, in which…

1920

Geoff Duke

English-Manx motorcycle racer (died 2015)

Geoffrey Ernest Duke, born in St. Helens, Lancashire, was a British multiple motorcycle Grand Prix road racing world champion. He raced several brands of motorcycle: Norton, Gilera, BMW, NSU and Benelli. After…

1923

Betty Binns Fletcher

American lawyer and judge (died 2012)

Betty Binns Fletcher was an American lawyer and judge. She served as a United States circuit judge of the San Francisco-based United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit between 1979 and 2012. Fletcher was one…

1923

Vladimir Bolotin

Russian physicist (died 2008)

Vladimir Vasilyevich Bolotin was a Soviet and Russian physicist in the field of solid mechanics, Doctor of Sciences, Distinguished Professor at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, Academician of the Russian Academy…

1926

Martin Fleischmann

British chemist (died 2012)

Martin Fleischmann FRS was a British chemist who worked in electrochemistry. The premature announcement of his cold fusion research with Stanley Pons, regarding excess heat in heavy water, caused a media sensation and…

1927

John McLaughlin

American journalist and producer (died 2016)

John Joseph McLaughlin was an American television personality and political commentator. He created, produced, and hosted the political commentary series The McLaughlin Group from 1982 to 2016, and hosted and produced…

1927

John Vane

English pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2004)

Sir John Robert Vane was a British pharmacologist who was instrumental in the understanding of how aspirin produces pain-relief and anti-inflammatory effects and his work led to new treatments for heart and blood vessel…

1927

Romesh Bhandari

Pakistani-Indian politician, 13th Foreign Secretary of India (died 2013)

Romesh Bhandari was an Indian diplomat and administrator. Bhandari, during his career, served in various positions, including as the Foreign Secretary, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,…

1928

Keith Botsford

Belgian-American journalist, author, and academic (died 2018)

Keith Botsford was an American/European writer, professor emeritus at Boston University and editor of News from the Republic of Letters.

1928

Vincent Gigante

American boxer and mobster (died 2005)

Vincent Louis Gigante, also known as "Chin", was an American mobster who was boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City between 1981 and 2005.

1928

Sheila Kitzinger

English activist, author, and academic (died 2015)

Sheila Helena Elizabeth Kitzinger was a British social anthropologist, natural childbirth activist, and author on childbirth and pregnancy. With over thirty books, her work is considered influential in changing the…

1929

Richard Lewontin

American biologist, geneticist, and academic (died 2021)

Richard Charles Lewontin was an American evolutionary biologist, mathematician, geneticist, and social commentator. A leader in developing the mathematical basis of population genetics and evolutionary theory, he…

1929

Lennart Meri

Estonian director and politician, 2nd President of Estonia (died 2006)

Lennart Georg Meri was an Estonian writer, film director, and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister from 1990 to 1992 and President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001.

1929

Utpal Dutt

Indian actor, director and playwright (died 1993)

Utpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the "Little Theatre Group" in…

1929

Anerood Jugnauth

Mauritian lawyer and politician, 4th President of Mauritius (died 2021)

Sir Anerood Jugnauth was a Mauritian statesman, barrister, and politician. He served six terms as Prime Minister, two terms as President and one term as Leader of Opposition. Often called the father of the Mauritian…

1930

Aleksei Gubarev

Russian general, pilot and cosmonaut (died 2015)

Aleksei Aleksandrovich Gubarev was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on two space flights: Soyuz 17 and Soyuz 28.

1931

Norman Tebbit

English journalist and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (died 2025)

Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet from 1981 to 1987 as Secretary of State for Employment (1981–1983), Secretary…

1931

Ruby Murray

Northern Irish singer (died 1996)

Ruby Florence Murray was a Northern Irish singer from Belfast. One of the most popular performers in Britain and Ireland in the 1950s, she scored ten hits in the UK Singles Chart between 1954 and 1959, including a no. 1…

1935

Richard Rodney Bennett

English-American composer and educator (died 2012)

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett was an English composer and pianist. He was noted for his musical versatility, drawing from such sources as jazz, romanticism, and avant-garde; and for his use of twelve-tone technique and…

1936

John A. Durkin

American lawyer and politician (died 2012)

John Anthony Durkin was an American politician who served as a Democratic U.S. Senator from New Hampshire from 1975 until 1980.

1936

Joseph P. Teasdale

American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Missouri (died 2014)

Joseph Patrick Teasdale was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 48th governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. Teasdale was formerly a prosecutor for Jackson County, Missouri. In 1972, he made his first…

1936

Roberto Chabet

Filipino painter and sculptor (died 2013)

Roberto "Bobby" Rodríguez Chabet was an artist from the Philippines and widely acknowledged as the father of Philippine conceptual art.

1937

Smarck Michel

Haitian businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Haiti (died 2012)

Georges Jean-Jacques Smarck Michel or Smarck Michel was appointed prime minister of Haiti on October 27, 1994, occupying the post from November 8, 1994 to October 16, 1995. Smarck was President Aristide's third prime…

1937

Gordon Milne

English footballer

Gordon Milne is an English former football player and manager.

1937

Roland Arnall

French-American businessman and diplomat, 63rd United States Ambassador to the Netherlands (died 2008)

Roland E. Arnall was an American businessman and diplomat. As the owner of ACC Capital Holdings, he became a billionaire with Ameriquest Mortgage. Additionally he funded, financed and was the visionary and co-founder of…

1939

Hanumant Singh

Indian cricketer (died 2006)

Hanumant Singh was an Indian cricketer. He played in 14 Test matches for the Indian cricket team from 1964 to 1969. He was later an International Cricket Council match referee in 9 Tests and 54 One Day Internationals…

1939

Ray Davis

American bass singer (died 2005)

Raymond Davis was the original bass singer and one of the founding members of The Parliaments, and subsequently the bands Parliament, and Funkadelic, collectively known as P-Funk. His regular nickname while he was with…

1940

Scott Wilson

American actor (died 2018)

William Delano Wilson, known professionally as Scott Wilson, was an American film and television actor.

1942

John Major

English banker and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Sir John Major is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. He previously held various Cabinet positions under Margaret Thatcher.…

1943

Vangelis

Greek keyboard player and songwriter (died 2022)

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, mainly known professionally as Vangelis, was a Greek composer, arranger, performer and producer of music. He released material of wide musical genres such as electronic music,…

1943

Eric Idle

English actor, comedian, musician and writer

Eric Idle is an English actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright. He was a member of the British comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band the Rutles. Idle studied English at Pembroke…

1943

Speedy Keen

English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (died 2002)

John David Percy "Speedy" Keen was an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known for being the singer and drummer of the rock band Thunderclap Newman. He wrote "Something in the Air" (1969) for the band,…

1945

Billy Thorpe

English-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 2007)

William Richard Thorpe AM was an English-born Australian singer-songwriter, and record producer. As lead singer of his band Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, he had success in the 1960s with "Blue Day", "Poison Ivy", "Over the…

1946

Frank Bowe

American academic (died 2007)

Frank G. Bowe was a deaf American disability studies academic, activist, author, and the Dr. Mervin Livingston Schloss Distinguished Professor for the Study of Disabilities at Hofstra University. As a disability rights…

1947

Robert Gordon

American singer and actor (died 2022)

Robert Gordon was an American rockabilly singer.

1947

Barbara Clare Foley

American author and educator

Barbara Clare Foley is an American literary scholar and a retired Professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark. She has focused her research and teaching on U.S. literary radicalism, African American literature,…

1948

Michael Brecker

American saxophonist and composer (died 2007)

Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Over a four‑decade career, he recorded widely in jazz and popular music and appeared on more than 900 albums as a leader and sideman. He received 15…

1949

Joe Ehrmann

American football player and writer

Joseph Charles Ehrmann is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) from 1973 through 1982. He played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen…

1949

Israel Finkelstein

Israeli archaeologist and professor

Israel Finkelstein is an Israeli archaeologist, professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University and the head of the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa. Finkelstein is active in the…

1949

Dave Greenfield

English musician (died 2020)

David Paul Greenfield was an English keyboardist, singer and songwriter who was a member of rock band the Stranglers. He joined the band in 1975, within a year of its formation, and played with them for 45 years until…

1949

Pauline Marois

Canadian social worker and politician, 30th Premier of Quebec

Pauline Marois is a retired Canadian politician who served as the 30th premier of Quebec from 2012 to 2014. Marois had been a member of the National Assembly in various ridings since 1981 as a member of the Parti…

1949

John Spenkelink

American murderer (died 1979)

John Arthur Spenkelink was an American convicted murderer. He was executed in 1979, the first convicted criminal to be executed in Florida after capital punishment was reinstated in 1976, and the second in the United…

1949

Mory Kanté

Guinean vocalist (died 2020)

Mory Kanté was a Guinean vocalist and player of the kora harp. He was best known internationally for his 1987 hit song "Yé ké yé ké", which reached number-one in Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, and Spain. The album…

1950

David Cheriton

Canadian computer scientist, mathematician and businessman

David Ross Cheriton is a Canadian computer scientist, businessman, philanthropist, and venture capitalist. He is a computer science professor at Stanford University, where he founded and leads the Distributed Systems…

1951

William Clarke

American harmonica player (died 1996)

William Clarke was an American blues harmonica player and singer. He was chiefly associated with the Chicago blues style of amplified harmonica, but also incorporated elements of jump blues, swing, and soul jazz into…

1951

Roger Myerson

American economist and professor

Roger Bruce Myerson is an American economist and a Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. In 2007, he was the winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic…

1951

Nick Ut

Vietnamese-American photographer

Huỳnh Công Út, known professionally as Nick Ut, is a Vietnamese-American photographer who worked for the Associated Press in Los Angeles. He won both the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and the 1973 World…

1951

Jo-Ann Mapson

American author

Jo-Ann Mapson is an American author. She is the author of twelve works of fiction, set mainly in the American Southwest.

1952

Teófilo Stevenson

Cuban boxer and engineer (died 2012)

Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence was a Cuban amateur boxer who competed from 1966 to 1986.

1952

Bola Tinubu

Nigerian politician, President-elect of Nigeria

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu is a Nigerian politician serving as the 16th and current president of Nigeria since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and senator for Lagos…

1952

Alec Wilkinson

American writer

Alec Wilkinson is an American writer who has been on the staff of The New Yorker since 1980.

1952

Mario Clark

American football player

Mario Sean Clark is an American former professional football player who played as a cornerback for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the…

1954

Martha A. Sandweiss

American historian

Martha Ann Sandweiss is an American historian, with particular interests in the history of the American West, visual culture, and public history. She is a professor of History at Princeton University, and the author of…

1954

Suzanna Sherry

American legal scholar

Suzanna Sherry is an American legal scholar in the area of constitutional law with particular emphasis in the subject of federal courts. She is the Herman O. Loewenstein Chair Emerita at the Vanderbilt University Law…

1954

Evelyn C. White

American writer and editor

Evelyn Corliss White is an American writer and editor. Her books include the collection Black Women's Health Book: Speaking for Ourselves and the biography Alice Walker: A Life.

1954

Earl Campbell

American football player

Earl Christian Campbell, nicknamed "the Tyler Rose", is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the Houston Oilers. Known…

1955

Gillian Conoley

American poet

Gillian Conoley is an American poet. Conoley serves as a professor and poet-in-residence at Sonoma State University.

1955

Brendan Gleeson

Irish actor

Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. He has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, two British Independent Film Awards and three IFTA Awards, along with nominations for an Academy Award, three BAFTA…

1955

Marina Sirtis

British-American actress

Marina Sirtis is a British-American actress. She is best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four Star Trek feature films, as well as other appearances…

1955

Patty Donahue

American singer (died 1996)

Patricia Jean Donahue was an American singer. She was the lead vocalist of the American new wave band the Waitresses, known for the singles "I Know What Boys Like" and "Christmas Wrapping".

1956

Mary Gentle

English author

Mary Rosalyn Gentle is a British science fiction and fantasy author.

1956

William Gurstelle

American writer and inventor

William Gurstelle is an American academic, nonfiction author, magazine writer, and inventor. He has been part of the History of Technology, Science, and Medicine program at the University of Minnesota since 2019. He is…

1956

Ted Staunton

Canadian author

Ted Staunton is a Canadian author and teacher, best known for his children's books and numerous series. He has published nearly sixty titles.

1956

Kurt Thomas

American gymnast (died 2020)

Kurt Bilteaux Thomas was an American Olympic gymnast and part-time actor. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and in 1978 he became the first American male gymnast to win a gold…

1956

Elizabeth Hand

American author

Elizabeth Hand is an American writer.

1957

Mark Hudson

British writer, journalist and art critic

Mark Hudson is a British writer, journalist and art critic. Since 2021 he has been chief art critic of The Independent. He has won multiple awards.

1957

Christopher Lambert

American-French actor

Christophe Guy Denis Lambert, often credited as Christopher Lambert, is a French–American actor, producer, and writer. He started his career playing supporting parts in several French films, and became internationally…

1957

Kathryn Tanner

American theologian

Kathryn Eileen Tanner is an Episcopal theologian who serves as the Frederick Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School.

1957

Travis Childers

American businessman and politician

Travis Wayne Childers is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 1st congressional district from 2008 to 2011. The district included much of the northern portion of the state…

1958

Nouriel Roubini

Iranian-American economic consultant, economist and writer

Nouriel Roubini is a Turkish-born American economic consultant, economist, speaker, and writer. He is a professor emeritus since 2021 at the Stern School of Business of New York University. Roubini earned a BA in…

1958

Brad McCrimmon

Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 2011)

Byron Brad McCrimmon was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. A defenceman, he played over 1,200 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames,…

1959

Jo Nesbø

Norwegian writer, musician and football player

Jon "Jo" Nesbø is a Norwegian novelist and musician. His books had sold over 50 million copies worldwide by 2021, making him the most successful Norwegian author to date. He first came to prominence as the singer,…

1960

Todd G. Buchholz

American economist and author

Todd G. Buchholz is an American economist, author, inventor, and business consultant. He served as Director of Economic Policy under George H. W. Bush and as managing director of Tiger Management. Buchholz regularly…

1961

Helen Humphreys

Canadian poet and novelist

Helen Humphreys is a Canadian poet and novelist.

1961

Amy Sedaris

American actress and comedian

Amy Louise Sedaris is an American actress, comedienne, and writer. She played Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central comedy series Strangers with Candy (1999–2000) and the prequel film Strangers with Candy (2005), which she…

1961

Michael Winterbottom

English director and producer

Michael Winterbottom is an English film director. He began his career working in British television before moving into features. Three of his films—Welcome to Sarajevo, Wonderland and 24 Hour Party People—have competed…

1961

Billy Beane

American baseball player and manager

William Lamar Beane III is an American former professional baseball player and current front office executive. He is currently senior advisor to owner John Fisher and minority owner of the Athletics of Major League…

1962

Igor Klebanov

Ukrainian-American theoretical physicist

Igor R. Klebanov is an American theoretical physicist. Since 1989, he has been a faculty member at Princeton University, where he is currently a Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics and the director of the Princeton…

1962

Kirk Triplett

American golfer

Kirk Alan Triplett is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and PGA Tour Champions.

1962

Padraic Kenney

American writer, historian and educator

Padraic Jeremiah Kenney is an American writer, historian, and educator. He was dean of the University of Kentucky's graduate school until May 2025. Previously Kenney was professor of history and International Studies at…

1963

Catherine Cortez Masto

American attorney and politician

Catherine Marie Cortez Masto is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nevada, a seat she has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Cortez Masto served as the…

1964

Elle Macpherson

Australian model and actress

Eleanor Nancy Macpherson is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress.

1964

Todd F. Davis

American poet and critic

Todd F. Davis is a prize-winning American poet and critic.

1965

Ayun Halliday

American writer and actor

Ayun Halliday is an American writer and actor.

1965

Brooks Hansen

American novelist, screenwriter and illustrator

Brooks Hansen is an American novelist, screenwriter, and illustrator best known for his 1995 book The Chess Garden. He was the recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 2005. Since 2010, Hansen has lived and…

1965

Maia Szalavitz

American journalist and author

Maia Pearl Szalavitz is an American reporter and author who focuses on science, public policy and addiction treatment.

1965

Bradford Tatum

American actor

Bradford Steven Tatum is an American actor and author, known for his role as Michael Hubbs in the cult favorite stoner film The Stoned Age (1994). He also played the bully, John Box in Powder (1995). In 1999, Bradford…

1965

Dwayne Harper

American football player

Dwayne Anthony Harper is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina State Bulldogs and…

1966

Michel Hazanavicius

French director, producer, and screenwriter

Michel Hazanavicius is a French film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. He is best known for his 2011 film, The Artist, that won the Best Picture and the Best Director at the 84th Academy Awards. He also…

1967

Brian Jordan

American baseball player and sportscaster

Brian O'Neal Jordan is an American former professional baseball and football player. Jordan played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons as a safety from 1989 to 1991, and played in Major League…

1967

Edmundo Paz Soldán

Bolivian writer

José Edmundo Paz-Soldán Ávila is a Bolivian writer. His work is a prominent example of the Latin American literary movement known as McOndo, in which the magical realism of previous Latin American authors is supplanted…

1967

Chris Calloway

American football player

Christopher Fitzpatrick Calloway is an American former professional football player.

1968

Lucy Lawless

New Zealand actress

Lucille Frances Lawless is a New Zealand actress, singer, and director. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, as D'Anna Biers on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica…

1968

Ted Lieu

American politician and AFRC colonel

Ted Win-Ping Lieu is an American lawyer and politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party and has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023. He…

1969

Jimmy Spencer

American football player and coach

James Arthur Spencer, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s and early 2000s. Spencer played college football…

1969

J. A. Konrath

American author

Joseph Andrew Konrath is an American fiction writer working in the mystery, thriller, and horror genres. He writes as J. A. Konrath and Jack Kilborn.

1970

Robert Gibbs

American political adviser, 28th White House Press Secretary

Robert Lane Gibbs is an American communication professional who served as executive vice president and global chief communications officer of McDonald's from 2015 to 2019 and as the 27th White House press secretary from…

1971

Lara Logan

South African television and radio journalist and war correspondent

Lara Logan is a South African television and radio journalist and war correspondent. Her career began with various South African news organizations in the 1990s. Her public profile rose due to her reports on the…

1971

Hidetoshi Nishijima

Japanese actor

Hidetoshi Nishijima is a Japanese actor and model. He is widely regarded as one of Japan's leading actors, having appeared in a wide range of films from science fiction films such as Shin Ultraman (2022) to small-scale…

1971

Ernest Cline

American novelist, poet and screenwriter

Ernest Christy Cline is an American science fiction novelist, slam poet and screenwriter. He wrote the novels Ready Player One, Armada, and Ready Player Two, and co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Ready…

1972

Stina Leicht

American author

Stina Leicht is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction author living in central Texas. She was nominated for the Campbell Award in 2012 and 2013, and was shortlisted for the Crawford Award in 2012. Leicht was…

1972

Priti Patel

British Indian politician, Secretary of State for the Home Department

Dame Priti Sushil Patel is a British politician who has served as Shadow Foreign Secretary since November 2024, having previously served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she was…

1972

Marc Overmars

Dutch footballer and coach

Marc Overmars is a Dutch former professional footballer and former director of football at Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp. He was previously director of football at Ajax. During his football career, he played as…

1973

Alex Cuba

Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter

Alexis Puentes, better known by his stage name Alex Cuba, is a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who sings in Spanish and English. He has won three Juno Awards in his career, with two wins for World Music Album of the…

1974

Jennifer Capriati

American tennis player

Jennifer Maria Capriati is an American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 17 weeks. Capriati won 14 WTA Tour-level singles…

1976

Nina Riggs

American writer and poet (died 2017)

Nina Ellen Riggs was an American writer and poet. Her best known work is her memoir, The Bright Hour, detailing her journey as a mother with incurable breast cancer. It was published shortly after her death. The book…

1977

Ian Holding

Zimbabwean writer

Ian Holding, is a Caucasian Zimbabwean writer. His first novel, Unfeeling was critically acclaimed on publication in the United Kingdom in 2005, and was one of the first fictional attempts dealing with the complex…

1978

Luis Ortiz

Cuban boxer

Luis Ortiz is a Cuban professional boxer. He held the WBA interim heavyweight title from 2015 to 2016, and challenged twice for the WBC heavyweight title in 2018 and 2019. As an amateur, he won a silver medal at the…

1979

Hamzah bin Hussein

Jordanian prince

Hamzah bin Al Hussein is the fourth son of King Hussein of Jordan overall and the first by his American-born fourth wife, Queen Noor. He was named Crown Prince of Jordan on 7 February 1999, a position he held until his…

1980

Molly Brodak

American poet and writer (died 2020)

Molly Brodak was an American poet, writer, and baker. She was the author of the poetry collection A Little Middle of the Night and the memoir Bandit. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described Bandit as: "a book about…

1980

Chris D'Elia

American stand-up comedian, actor and writer

Christopher William D'Elia is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host. He is known for playing Alex Miller on the NBC sitcom Whitney (2011–2013), Danny Burton on the NBC sitcom Undateable…

1980

Bill Demong

American skier

William Demong is an American former Nordic combined skier and Olympic gold medalist. Demong is a five-time Olympian, having competed in Nagano, Salt Lake City, Torino, Vancouver and Sochi.

1980

Jasmine Crockett

American attorney and politician

Jasmine Felicia Crockett is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 30th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented the 100th district in the Texas…

1981

Megan Hilty

American actress and singer

Megan Hilty is an American actress and singer. She rose to prominence for her roles in Broadway musicals, including her performance as Glinda in Wicked, Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical, and her Tony…

1981

PJ Morton

American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer

Paul Sylvester "P.J." Morton Jr.(born March 29, 1981) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. In 2010, he joined pop rock band Maroon 5, as a touring member and became an official member after…

1981

Jlloyd Samuel

Trinidadian footballer (died 2018)

Jlloyd Tafari Samuel was a professional footballer who played as a defender and midfielder. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, he was raised in England and played for England up to under-21 level. He played two full…

1981

Efstathios Aloneftis

Greek-Cypriot footballer

Stathis Aloneftis is a Cypriot international footballer. He is a winger who tends to play on the left wing, highly regarded for his speed and technique.

1983

Chokwe Antar Lumumba

American attorney, activist and politician

Chokwe Antar Lumumba is an American attorney, activist, and politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, from 2017 to 2025. He was the 7th consecutive African-American to hold the position. In 2024,…

1983

Fernando Amorebieta

Venezuelan footballer

Fernando Gabriel Amorebieta Mardaras is a Venezuelan former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

1985

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

English footballer

Sylvan Augustus Ebanks-Blake is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.

1986

Lucas Elliot Eberl

American actor and director

Luke Eberl is an American actor, director, and pianist best known for his role as Birn in the 2001 film Planet of the Apes and for his film Choose Connor. In 2008, Eberl was described by MovieMaker Magazine as one of…

1986

James Tomkins

English footballer

James Oliver Charles Tomkins is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He represented England at all levels up to the under-21 team and represented Great Britain at the 2012 London…

1989

Lyle Taylor

English footballer

Lyle James Alfred Taylor is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for National League South club Chelmsford City. Born in England, he plays for the Montserrat national team.

1990

Irene

South Korean idol, actress and television host

Bae Joo-hyun, better known by her stage name Irene (아이린), is a South Korean singer and actress. She is best known as the member and leader of the South Korean girl group Red Velvet, and its sub-unit Red Velvet – Irene &…

1991

N'Golo Kanté

French footballer

N'Golo Kanté is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the France national team. Regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of his generation,…

1991

Thorgan Hazard

Belgian footballer

Thorgan Ganael Francis Hazard is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht.

1993

Jung Jae-won

South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor

Jung Jae-won, better known by stage name One, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor. He debuted in 2015 as a member of the former hip-hop duo 1Punch with Kim Samuel. The following year he moved to YG…

1994

Matt Olson

American baseball player

Matthew Kent Olson is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics.

1994

Wade Baldwin IV

American basketball player

Wade Manson Baldwin IV is an American professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague. He primarily plays as combo guard, but he can also play as small forward…

1996

Kim Ju-chan

South Korean footballer

Kim Ju-chan is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a winger for K League 1 club Gimcheon Sangmu. He made his debut professional appearance in the 2023 K League 1 season with Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

2004

March 29 in the Blog

Treaty of Paris — March 29, 1856

30 nations gather in 1856 Paris, France, as the Treaty of Paris ends the Crimean War, reshaping European alliances and power dynamics completely.

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Who was born on March 29?

Sam Loxton — Australian sportsman and politician (1921–2011)

FeaturedSam Loxton

Birth year1921

Known forAs a cricket player he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951

Birthdays on this date189 (1187 – 2004)

Explore March 29

Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.

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Also on March 29 in History

2021

The ship Ever Given is dislodged from the Suez Canal. Wikipedia →

2017

Prime Minister Theresa May invokes Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, formally beginning the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. Wikipedia →

2015

Air Canada Flight 624 skids off the runway at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, after arriving from Toronto shortly past midnight. All 133 passengers and five crews on board survive, with 23 treated for minor injuries. Wikipedia →

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1921 — Sam Loxton

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