Did you know about Celine Dion
With over 200 million records sold worldwide, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, the best-selling French-language artist, and one of the best-selling musical artists of all time.
Famous Birthdays on March 30
March 30 has 209 recorded notable births across history, from 892 to 2001. This page lists every one of them, with the best-known people first.
What happened on the day you were born?
1968 — Celine Dion
Canadian singer-songwriter
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia · Report an error
Famous Birthdays
209 source records
892 – 2001
Aries
Aquamarine birthstone
Daffodil birth flower
Today in history
Major events on March 30
See what else happened on this day in history.
Did you know about Kalyn Ponga
Kalyn Jay Ponga is a professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a fullback for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League, Queensland in the State of Origin series and New Zealand at international level.
Did you know about Tracy Chapman
The album received six Grammy Award nominations, including one for Album of the Year, three of which she won: Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her single "Fast Car", and Best Contemporary Folk Album.
Did you know about Sergio Ramos
Widely regarded as one of the greatest centre-backs of all time, he is known for his aerial abilities, physicality, leadership, and goalscoring abilities, having scored more than 100 goals for Real Madrid.
Did you know about Cha Eun-woo
Cha Eun-woo has since starred in Island (2022–2023), A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023–2024), and Wonderful World (2024), and the film The First Ride (2025).
More major people born on March 30
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1998
Kalyn Ponga
Australian rugby league player
Kalyn Jay Ponga is a professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a fullback for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League, Queensland in the State of Origin series and New Zealand at international level. He is the recipient of the 2023 Dally M Medal.
1964
Tracy Chapman
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter. She was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released her self-titled debut album, which became a commercial success, boosted by her appearance at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert, and was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album received six Grammy Award nominations, including one for Album of the Year, three of which she won: Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her single "Fast Car", and Best Contemporary Folk Album. In 2025, the album was preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.
1986
Sergio Ramos
Spanish footballer
Sergio Ramos García is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back. Widely regarded as one of the greatest centre-backs of all time, he is known for his aerial abilities, physicality, leadership, and goalscoring abilities, having scored more than 100 goals for Real Madrid. In addition, he is one of the few players to have made over 1,050 career appearances.
1997
Cha Eun-woo
South Korean singer, actor, and model
Lee Dong-min, known professionally as Cha Eun-woo (Korean: 차은우, Korean pronunciation: [t͡ɕʰa ɯn u]), is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Astro, and debuted as a solo artist with the extended play (EP) Entity in 2024. Cha made his acting debut in the film My Brilliant Life (2014) and gained widespread recognition through his lead roles in television series such as Gangnam Beauty (2018), Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019), and True Beauty (2020–2021), the latter contributing to his international recognition as a figure of the Korean Wave. He has since starred in Island (2022–2023), A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023–2024), and Wonderful World (2024), and the film The First Ride (2025). He has received several accolades throughout his career and has been included in various notable lists, including Forbes Korea Power Celebrity, Forbes 30 Under 30, and Gallup Korea's actor rankings.
1965
Piers Morgan
English journalist and talk show host
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan is an English broadcaster, journalist, television personality, and writer. He began his career in 1988 at the tabloid The Sun. In 1994, at the age of 29, he was appointed editor of the News of the World by Rupert Murdoch, which made him the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in more than half a century. From 1995 Morgan edited the Daily Mirror, until he was sacked in 2004, for publishing faked photographs of British soldiers inflicting brutality on Iraqi prisoners of war. He was the editorial director of First News from 2006 to 2007. In 2014, he became the first editor-at-large of the MailOnline website's American operation.
1979
Norah Jones
American singer-songwriter and pianist
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, as of 2023, has sold more than 53 million albums worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000s decade. She has won ten Grammy Awards and was ranked 60th on Billboard magazine's Artists of the 2000s Decade chart.
1988
Richard Sherman
American football player
Richard Kevin Sherman is an American former professional football cornerback who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, beginning his career as a wide receiver before moving to cornerback as a junior. Sherman was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He was selected to the Pro Bowl five times and voted All-Pro five times, including three first-team selections. In 2013, Sherman led the NFL in interceptions. Sherman is considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks of all time.
1989
Chris Sale
American baseball player
Christopher Allen Sale is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. He throws left-handed and is 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall.
1971
Mark Consuelos
American actor and television personality
Mark Andrew Consuelos is an American actor and talk show host. He rose to prominence as a television actor on the ABC soap opera All My Children for his portrayal of Mateo Santos, and subsequently as Hiram Lodge on The CW drama Riverdale (2017–2023). Consuelos currently co-hosts the daytime talk show Live with Kelly and Mark with his wife Kelly Ripa.
1995
Simone Ashley
English actress
Simone Ashwini Pillai, known professionally as Simone Ashley, is an English actress. On television, she is known for her roles as Kate Bridgerton in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton (2022–present) and Olivia Hanan in the comedy-drama Sex Education (2019–2021). Her films include Picture This, This Tempting Madness, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026).
1992
Palak Muchhal
Indian playback singer
Palak Michal Sharma is an Indian playback singer and lyricist. Muchhal performs as a playback singer across Hindi films and other Indian film industries. She has rendered her voice in Hindi films such as Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Aashiqui 2 (2013), Kick (2014) and Action Jackson (2014) Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) Kaabil (2017), Baaghi 2 (2018) and Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019). Her rendition of the song "Kaun Tujhe" from the film"M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story has earned her much praise from fans as well as prominent personalities in the music industry. On 6 November 2022, she married music composer Mithoon, with whom she had earlier worked on the soundtrack of Aashiqui 2. Alongside her brother Palash Muchhal, she has also done philanthropic work by raising funds through her stage shows for children who need financial assistance for treatment of heart diseases.
1973
Adam Goldstein
American keyboard player, DJ, and producer (died 2009)
Adam Michael Goldstein, known professionally as DJ AM, was an American DJ. Born in Philadelphia, Goldstein became interested in deejaying as a child after watching Herbie Hancock perform his 1983 single "Rockit". Goldstein developed a drug addiction as a teenager and was sent to the controversial rehabilitation center Straight, Incorporated. After he left the center, his drug problems became worse; he was addicted to crack cocaine for several years in his early twenties. After he attempted suicide in 1997, Goldstein became sober and later sponsored other addicts through Alcoholics Anonymous.
1991
NF
American rapper
Nathan John Feuerstein, known professionally as NF, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Rooted in Christian hip-hop, he has released three EPs, I'm Free (2012), a self-titled EP in 2014 with Capitol CMG, and Fear in 2025 with NF Real Music and Capitol Records. His second and first major-label studio album, Mansion, was released on March 31, 2015. His third studio album, Therapy Session, was released on April 22, 2016, and peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200. His albums have earned several accolades, some of which include the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year in 2016 and the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year in 2017.
2000
Colton Herta
American race car driver
Colton Thomas Herta is an American racing driver who competes in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Hitech with support from Cadillac. Herta competed in the IndyCar Series from 2018 to 2025.
1993
Anitta
Brazilian singer and entertainer
Larissa de Macedo Machado, known professionally as Anitta, is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and occasional television host. One of Brazil's most prominent artists, she became known for her versatile style and mixing genres such as pop, funk, reggaeton and electronic music. She has received numerous accolades, including one Brazilian Music Award, four Latin American Music Awards, three MTV Music Video Awards, nine MTV Europe Music Awards, two Guinness World Records, and nominations for two Grammy Award and ten Latin Grammy Awards, in addition to being the Brazilian female singer with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Brazilian Pop".
1982
Jason Dohring
American actor
Jason William Dohring is an American actor, known for his roles as Logan Echolls in Veronica Mars and its 2014 film continuation, Josef Kostan in Moonlight (2007), Adam Carpenter in Ringer (2011), Detective Will Kinney in The Originals (2013), Chase Graves in iZombie (2015), and Terra in the Kingdom Hearts series.
1962
Mark Begich
American politician
Mark Peter Begich is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States senator from Alaska from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as mayor of Anchorage from 2003 to 2009. As of 2026, he is the most recent Democrat to serve Alaska in the U.S. Senate.
1972
Mili Avital
Israeli-American actress
Mili Avital is an Israeli actress. Her career began in Israel, starring on stage, film and television. She won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1991, moved to New York in 1993 to study theatre in English, was discovered by an agent while working in a restaurant, and started acting in Hollywood almost immediately. She has maintained her career in both countries since.
1995
Zay Jones
American football player
Isaiah Avery "Zay" Jones is an American professional football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates. Jones is the all-time NCAA Division I career receptions leader with 399 as well as the all-time NCAA Division I single-season receptions leader with 158.
1994
Alex Bregman
American baseball player
Alexander David Bregman is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.
1972
Karel Poborský
Czech footballer
Karel Poborský is a Czech former professional association football player. Poborský played as a winger, and was most noted for his technical ability and pace.
1987
Marc-Édouard Vlasic
Canadian ice hockey player
Marc-Édouard Vlasic is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman. He most recently played for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL), for whom Vlasic holds the franchise record for most games played by a defenseman and the NHL record for blocked shots.
2001
Anastasia Potapova
Russian tennis player
Anastasia Sergeyevna Potapova is a Russian-born Austrian professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of No. 21 by the WTA, achieved on 19 June 2023, and a doubles ranking of No. 40, reached on 5 December 2022. Potapova has won three WTA Tour singles titles along with three doubles titles. She is a former junior world No. 1, and she was the 2016 Wimbledon girls' singles champion.
1987
Trent Barreta
American wrestler
Gregory Marasciulo, better known by the ring name Trent Beretta, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family and one-half of RPG Vice with Rocky Romero. He is also known for his tenures in WWE, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring of Honor (ROH). As part of Roppongi Vice, Beretta is a former four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion.
1984
Samantha Stosur
Australian tennis player
Samantha Jane Stosur is an Australian former professional tennis player. She was a world No. 1 in doubles, a ranking which she first achieved on 6 February 2006 and held for 61 consecutive weeks. Also a former top ten singles player, Stosur reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4 on 21 February 2011 and spent a total of 165 weeks ranked inside the top ten, between March 2010 and June 2013. Stosur was also the top-ranked Australian singles player for 452 consecutive weeks, from October 2008 to June 2017, and was ranked inside the top 25 for a period of nine straight years. She won a combined total of 40 career titles, including eight major titles, and amassed more than $20 million in prize money.
1979
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk
Ukrainian footballer
Anatoliy Oleksandrovych Tymoshchuk is a Ukrainian football coach and former midfielder. Since 2017, he has served as an assistant coach of the Russian Premier League club Zenit Saint Petersburg. Tymoshchuk is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit Saint Petersburg, and is also a former captain of the Ukraine national team.
1982
Philippe Mexès
French footballer
Philippe Mexès is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He represented Auxerre, Roma and AC Milan at club level during a career that spanned between 1999 and 2016. A full international between 2002 and 2012, he won 29 caps and scored one goal for the France national team and represented them at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup as well as UEFA Euro 2012.
1969
Troy Bayliss
Australian motorcycle racer
Troy Andrew Bayliss is an Australian motorcycle racer. During his career Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship three times and a MotoGP race, all with Ducati. He finished his career after winning the 2008 World Superbike title. His 52 World Superbike victories ranks fifth all time in the history of the championship behind Jonathan Rea, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Álvaro Bautista and Carl Fogarty. His son with Kim Bayliss is named Oli Bayliss, he competes in the World Supersport Championship.
1963
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
Mongolian journalist and politician, 4th President of Mongolia
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, known internationally as Elbegdorj Tsakhia, is a Mongolian politician and journalist who served as the president of Mongolia from 2009 to 2017. He previously served as prime minister in 1998 and again from 2004 to 2006.
1793
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Argentinian soldier and politician, 13th Governor of Buenos Aires Province (died 1877)
Juan Manuel José Domingo Ortiz de Rozas y López de Osornio, nicknamed "Restorer of the Laws", was an Argentine politician and army officer who ruled Buenos Aires Province and briefly the Argentine Confederation. Born into a wealthy family, Rosas independently amassed a personal fortune, acquiring large tracts of land in the process. Rosas enlisted his workers in a private militia, as was common for rural proprietors, and took part in the disputes that led to numerous civil wars in his country. Victorious in warfare, personally influential, and with vast landholdings and a loyal private army, Rosas became a caudillo, as provincial warlords in the region were known. He eventually reached the rank of brigadier general, the highest in the Argentine Army, and became the undisputed leader of the Federalist Party.
1863
Mary Calkins
American philosopher and psychologist (died 1930)
Mary Whiton Calkins was an American philosopher and psychologist, whose work informed theory and research of memory, dreams and the self. She developed the paired-associate learning technique and the theory of self-psychology. In 1903, Calkins was the twelfth in a listing of fifty psychologists with the most merit, chosen by her peers. In 1895 Calkins was refused a Ph.D. by Harvard University because of her gender even though she completed all the requirements. Calkins' experience at Harvard reflected the limited status of women in graduate education at the time, as they were often permitted to attend lectures informally but were excluded from official enrollment and degree recognition. She was given honorary membership of the British Psychology Association in 1928.
1982
Mark Hudson
English footballer
Mark Alexander Hudson is an English football manager and former professional footballer who is first team coach at Ipswich Town. A centre-back, he began his professional career with Fulham after progressing through the club's youth academy. He made his senior debut in a League Cup match in 2000 but made just two further first team appearances for Fulham. He spent two spells on loan with Oldham Athletic in 2003 before joining Crystal Palace on loan after Oldham manager Iain Dowie moved between the two clubs. He joined Palace on a permanent basis soon after as they spent one season in the Premier League before establishing himself in the first team following their return to the Championship.
1984
Mario Ančić
Croatian tennis player
Mario Ančić is a Croatian former professional tennis player who currently works as a private equity vice president in New York City. He won three singles titles and five doubles titles on the ATP Tour. Ančić's career-high singles ranking came in 2006, when he reached world No. 7. Ančić helped Croatia to win the 2005 Davis Cup and claimed a bronze medal for the country at the 2004 Athens Olympics, in men's doubles partnering Ivan Ljubičić.
1820
Anna Sewell
English author (died 1878)
Anna Sewell was an English novelist who is known for her only book, Black Beauty, a novel about a horse. She was born into a Quaker family in Norfolk and moved to London as a baby. Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was the author of popular children's books. Sewell never married and always lived with her parents, in Sussex, Gloucestershire and Norfolk. A chronic illness left her leading a life of invalidism, with trips to spa resorts in England and continental Europe. She joined her mother in carrying out charitable work and also edited her mother's books. Black Beauty was written between 1871 and 1877 and published a few months before Sewell's death.
1882
Melanie Klein
Austrian-English psychologist and author (died 1960)
Melanie Klein was an Austrian-British author and psychoanalyst known for her work in child analysis. She was the primary figure in the development of object relations theory. Klein's work primarily focused on the role of ambivalence and moral ambiguity in human development. Klein suggested that pre-verbal existential anxiety in infancy catalyzed the formation of the unconscious, which resulted in the unconscious splitting of the world into good and bad idealizations. In her theory, how the child resolves that split depends on the constitution of the child and the character of nurturing the child experiences. The quality of resolution can inform the presence, absence, and/or type of distresses a person experiences later in life.
1938
John Barnhill
American basketball player and coach (died 2013)
John Anthony "Rabbit" Barnhill was an American professional basketball player. He played for the St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets and San Diego Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA); and the Indianapolis Pacers and Denver Rockets in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Barnhill attended Tennessee A & I State College where he was the starting point guard on three consecutive NAIA national men's basketball championship teams from 1956 to 1959, playing under Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach John McClendon. These three teams were collectively inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. He was named to the first or second all-tournament teams in each of those seasons.
1978
Chris Paterson
Scottish rugby player and coach
Christopher Douglas Paterson MBE is a Scottish former professional rugby union player. Today, he is an ambassador and specialist coach for the Scotland and Edinburgh rugby union teams; Paterson represented the latter for the vast majority of his career. He is Scotland's record points scorer with 809 points and second most-capped male player with 109 caps. He was capable of playing in a range of positions, including fullback, wing and fly-half.
1879
Coen de Koning
Dutch speed skater (died 1954)
Coen de Koning was a speed skater and cyclist. He started his sports career as a cyclist, but switched to speed skating and became the second Dutch speed skater to win a world title, in 1905. He finished second in 500 m, and won the 1500, 5000 and 10,000 m events. De Koning won the national all-around title in 1903, 1905 and 1912, and set national records in the 500 m and 10,000 m in 1905; these records stood until 1926 and 1929. De Koning also set a world record in one-hour skating, at 32,370 m in 1906, and won the Elfstedentocht in 1912 and 1917.
1971
Mari Holden
American cyclist
Mari Kim Holden is an American Olympic medalist and World Champion in the sport of cycling. She won a silver medal in the 2000 Olympic Games time trial in Sydney, Australia and the world time trial championship later that year. She also won six U.S. championships, becoming the first American woman to win three consecutive U.S. time trial championships (1998–2000) and scoring a double by winning the U.S. time trial and road championships in 1999. In 2016 she was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame as a Modern Road and Track Competitor and presently works as a community director at USA Cycling.
1941
Ron Johnston
English geographer and academic (died 2020)
Ronald John Johnston, OBE, FAcSS, FBA was a British geographer, known for elaborating his discipline's foundations, particularly its history and nature, and for his contributions to urban social geography and electoral geography. His broad scope is illustrated by the fact that he made extensive use of quantitative methods, while critically dealing with subjects of social and political relevance. Johnston authored or co-authored more than 50 books and 800 papers, and edited or co-edited a further more than 40 books. He edited The Dictionary of Human Geography and for the first four editions was its main editor.
1976
Troels Lund Poulsen
Danish politician, Minister for Education of Denmark
Troels Lund Poulsen is a Danish politician who has served as leader of Venstre since November 2023. He has been a member of the Folketing since 2001 and has held several ministerial offices in Danish governments.
1914
Sonny Boy Williamson I
American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (died 1948)
John Lee Curtis "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player and singer-songwriter. He is often regarded as the pioneer of the blues harp as a solo instrument. He played on hundreds of recordings by many pre–World War II blues artists. Under his own name, he was one of the most recorded blues musicians of the 1930s and 1940s and is closely associated with Chicago producer Lester Melrose and Bluebird Records. His popular songs, original or adapted, include "Good Morning, School Girl", "Sugar Mama", "Early in the Morning", and "Stop Breaking Down".
1853
Vincent van Gogh
Dutch-French painter and illustrator (died 1890)
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of them in the last two years of his life. They include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits, and are characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art. His suicide at age 37 followed years of mental illness and poverty.
1922
Turhan Bey
American actor (died 2012)
Turhan Bey was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans. After his return to Austria, he pursued careers as a photographer and stage director. Returning to Hollywood after a 40-year hiatus, he made several guest appearances in 1990s television series including SeaQuest DSV, Murder, She Wrote and Babylon 5 as well as a number of films. After retiring, he appeared in a number of documentaries, including a German-language documentary on his life.
1913
Frankie Laine
American singer-songwriter (died 2007)
Frankie Laine was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005. Often billed as "America's Number One Song Stylist", Laine's other nicknames include "Mr. Rhythm", "Old Leather Lungs", and "Mr. Steel Tonsils". His hits included "That's My Desire", "That Lucky Old Sun", "Mule Train", "Jezebel", "High Noon", "I Believe", "Hey Joe!", "The Kid's Last Fight", "Cool Water", "Rawhide", and "You Gave Me a Mountain".
1956
Juanito Oiarzabal
Spanish mountaineer
Juan Eusebio Oiarzabal Urteaga, commonly known as Juanito Oiarzabal, is a noted Spanish Basque mountaineer. He has written four books on the subject. He was the 6th man to reach all 14 eight-thousander summits, and the third to do so without supplemental oxygen. He was the first person to climb the top three summits twice and the oldest climber to summit Kangchenjunga, at almost 53, until Carlos Fontan did so in 2014, at 75 years old. In 2004, he lost all his toes to frostbite after summiting K2.
1912
Alvin Hamilton
Canadian lieutenant and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Agriculture (died 2004)
Francis Alvin George Hamilton was a Canadian politician. Hamilton led the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan from 1949 until he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1957 general election. That election brought the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to power under John Diefenbaker. He served as Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources, 1957 to 1960. He promoted a new vision of northern development. He was Minister of Agriculture, 1960 to 1963, where he promoted wheat sales to China.
1962
MC Hammer
American rapper and actor
Stanley Kirk Burrell, better known by his stage name MC Hammer, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and dancer. He is known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "Pray", "2 Legit 2 Quit" and "Pumps and a Bump", as well as flashy dance movements, extravagant choreography and his namesake Hammer pants. Remembered for a rapid rise to fame, Hammer has also become an entrepreneur and celebrity spokesperson. A multi-award winner, he is considered a "forefather" and pioneering innovator of pop rap.
1921
André Fontaine
French historian and journalist (died 2013)
André Fontaine was a French historian and journalist. He started working at Temps Présent, and then was director at Le Monde in 1947, at the official beginning of the Cold War. He became the newspaper's editor from 1969 to 1985, and director from 1985 to 1991. As of February 2007 he was still contributing articles to the paper. André Fontaine is famous for his historical thesis, according to which the Cold War in fact started as soon as 1917 with the cordon sanitaire policy.
1976
Obadele Thompson
Barbadian sprinter
Obadele "Oba" Thompson BSS is a Barbados-born former sprinter, lawyer, author, and speaker. He won Barbados's first and only Olympic medal as an independent country by placing third in the 100 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He is a three-time Olympian, and a finalist at each Olympics. His personal best performances are 9.87 seconds for the 100 m, 19.97 seconds for the 200 metres, and 45.38 seconds for the 400 metres. He has held the indoor 55 metres world record since 1997.
1899
Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay
Indian author, playwright, and screenwriter (died 1970)
Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay was an Indian Bengali-language writer. He was actively involved with Bengali cinema as well as Bollywood. The creator of the Bengali detective Byomkesh Bakshi, Sharadindu composed stories of a wide array of varieties including: novels, short stories, crime and detective stories, plays and screenplays. He wrote historical fiction like Kaler Mandira, Gourmollar, Tumi Sandhyar Megh, Tungabhadrar Teere, Chuya-Chandan, Maru O Sangha, Sadashib series and stories of the unnatural with the recurring character Baroda. Besides, he composed many songs and poems.
1904
Ripper Collins
American baseball player and coach (died 1970)
James Anthony "Ripper" Collins was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. A switch hitter who threw left-handed, Collins was listed as 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighed 165 pounds (75 kg), during his playing days. Despite his stature, he was a power hitter who in 1934 co-led the National League (NL) with 35 home runs (HR).
1941
Graeme Edge
English singer-songwriter and drummer (died 2021)
Graeme Charles Edge was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder, drummer, and only constant member of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as the bandleader of his own outfit, the Graeme Edge Band. He contributed his talents to a variety of other projects throughout his career. In 2018, Edge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues.
1746
Francisco Goya
Spanish-French painter and sculptor (died 1828)
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and engravings reflected contemporary historical upheavals and influenced important 19th- and 20th-century painters. Goya is often referred to as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art.
1958
Maurice LaMarche
Canadian voice actor and stand-up comedian
Maurice LaMarche is a Canadian voice actor and comedian. Across a career spanning more than four decades, he has voiced Father on Codename: Kids Next Door, Chief Quimby on Inspector Gadget, Egon Spengler on The Real Ghostbusters, The Brain on Animaniacs and its spin-off Pinky and the Brain, Big Bob on Hey Arnold!, Alec Baldwin in Team America: World Police, Kif Kroker and Calculon on Futurama and dozens of other characters in roles across film, television, and video games.
1949
Dana Gillespie
English singer-songwriter and actress
Richenda Antoinette de Winterstein Gillespie, known professionally as Dana Gillespie, is an English actress, singer and songwriter. Originally performing and recording in her teens, over the years Gillespie has been involved in the recording of over 70 albums, and appeared in stage productions, such as Jesus Christ Superstar, and several films. Her musical output has progressed from teen pop and folk in the early part of her career, to rock in the 1970s and, more recently, the blues.
1961
Mike Thackwell
New Zealand racing driver
Michael Christopher Thackwell is a former racing driver from New Zealand, who participated in a number of prominent racing categories, including Formula 1. The seventh youngest driver ever to qualify for a Grand Prix, he participated in five of them, making his first start on 28 September 1980 at the Canadian Grand Prix. He scored no championship points. He had previously attempted unsuccessfully to qualify for the Dutch Grand Prix which was held on 31 August 1980.
1981
Jammal Brown
American football player
Jammal Filbert Brown is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, receiving unanimous All-American recognition. Brown was chosen by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. He was selected for the Pro Bowl twice and won Super Bowl XLIV with the team. He also played for the Washington Redskins.
1956
Paul Reiser
American actor and comedian
Paul Reiser is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He played the roles of Michael Taylor in the 1980s sitcom My Two Dads, Paul Buchman in the NBC sitcom Mad About You, Modell in the 1982 film Diner, and Detective Jeffrey Friedman in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. He has gained recognition for his roles as Jim Neiman in the 2014 film Whiplash and Dr. Sam Owens in the Netflix series Stranger Things.
1981
Andrea Masi
Italian rugby player
Andrea Masi is a retired Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position was in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. His last club before retirement was the English Premiership club Wasps. In a 16-year international career lasting from 1999 to 2015, Masi won 95 caps for the Italy national team, and was a part of their squad at four World Cups in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.
1929
Richard Dysart
American actor (died 2015)
Richard Allen Dysart was an American actor. He is best known for his role as senior partner Leland McKenzie in the television series L.A. Law (1986–1994), for which he won a 1992 Primetime Emmy Award as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series after four consecutive nominations. In film, he held supporting roles in The Hospital (1971), Being There (1979), The Thing (1982), Mask (1985), Pale Rider (1985) and Wall Street (1987).
1945
Eric Clapton
English guitarist and singer-songwriter
Eric Patrick Clapton is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". He was named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.
1907
Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte
German general (died 1994)
Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte was a German paratroop officer during World War II who later served in the armed forces of West Germany, achieving the rank of General. Following the war, Heydte pursued academic, political and military careers, as a Catholic-conservative professor of political science, a member of the Christian Social Union political party, and as a Bundeswehr reservist. In 1962, Heydte was involved in the Spiegel affair.
1947
Dick Roche
Irish politician, Minister of State for European Affairs
Richard Roche is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister of State for European Affairs from 2002 to 2004 and 2007 to 2011 and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2004 to 2007. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency from 1987 to 1992 and 1997 to 2011. He was a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 1992 to 1997.
1888
J. R. Williams
Canadian-born cartoonist (died 1957)
James Robert Williams was a Canadian cartoonist who signed his work J. R. Williams. He was best known for his long-run daily syndicated panel Out Our Way. As noted by Coulton Waugh in his 1947 book The Comics, anecdotal evidence indicated that more Williams' cartoons were clipped and saved than were other newspaper comics. A newspaper promotion of 1930 compared him to poets Eugene Field and James Whitcomb Riley.
1929
Ray Musto
American soldier and politician (died 2014)
Raphael John Musto was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic Party member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district from 1980 to 1981. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 118th district from 1971 to 1980 and of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 14th district from 1982 until his retirement in 2010.
1934
Paul Crouch
American broadcaster, co-founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network (died 2013)
Paul Franklin Crouch (; was an American televangelist and the co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Founded in 1973 with his wife, Jan Crouch, TBN grew to become the world's largest religious television network. Crouch was a prominent figure in the prosperity gospel movement, a theology that drew both a massive global following and significant criticism regarding the network's fundraising tactics and the family's lavish lifestyle.
1937
Warren Beatty
American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Henry Warren Beatty is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Award in 1999, the BAFTA Fellowship in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2007, and the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award in 2008.
1935
Willie Galimore
American football player (died 1964)
Willie Galimore, nicknamed "the Wisp", was an American professional football player who played halfback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1963. He was selected by the Bears in the fifth round of the 1956 NFL draft. His NFL career was cut short with his death at age 29 in a traffic accident just ahead of the 1964 season.
1970
Sylvain Charlebois
Canadian food/agriculture researcher and author
Sylvain Charlebois is a Canadian professor and researcher of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a former dean of the university's Faculty of Management. Charlebois, who goes by the moniker "The Food Professor," is the director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie. Since December 2010, he has been the lead author of Canada's Food Price Report.
1980
Kristine Lunde-Borgersen
Norwegian handball player
Kristine Lunde-Borgersen is a retired Norwegian handballer who played for the Norwegian national team. She is Olympic champion, World Champion and three times European champion. She is the twin sister of fellow handball player Katrine Lunde. On 13 June 2017, she announced her return to playing handball for the 2017–2018 season, to replace Marta Tomac, who is out of play following a severe injury.
1912
Jack Cowie
New Zealand cricketer (died 1994)
John Cowie was a New Zealand cricketer who played in nine Tests from 1937 to 1949. His Test opportunities were restricted by New Zealand's limited programme, and his cricket career was interrupted by World War II from 1939 to 1945. Following the 1937 tour of England, Wisden commented: "Had he been an Australian, he might have been termed a wonder of the age."
1930
John Astin
American actor
John Allen Astin is an American actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles, primarily in character roles. He is widely known for his role as patriarch Gomez Addams in TV series The Addams Family (1964–1966), reprising the role in the television film Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) and the animated series The Addams Family (1992–1993).
1935
Karl Berger
German pianist and composer (died 2023)
Karl Hans Berger was a German-American jazz pianist, vibraphonist, composer, and educator. He was a leading figure in jazz improvisation from the 1960s when he settled in the United States for life. He founded the educational Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York, in 1972 with his wife and Ornette Coleman, to encourage international students to pursue their own ideas about music.
1892
Stefan Banach
Polish mathematician and academic (died 1945)
Stefan Banach was a Polish mathematician who is generally considered one of the 20th century's most important and influential mathematicians. He was one of the founders of modern functional analysis, and an original member of the Lwów School of Mathematics. His major work was the 1932 book, Théorie des opérations linéaires, the first monograph on the general theory of functional analysis.
1880
Seán O'Casey
Irish dramatist, playwright, and memoirist (died 1964)
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the struggles and experiences of the working class in Dublin. He is best known for his "Dublin Trilogy", which includes The Shadow of a Gunman (1923), Juno and the Paycock (1924) and The Plough and the Stars (1926).
1933
Joe Ruby
American animator (died 2020)
Joseph Clemens Ruby was an American animator, writer, television producer, and music editor. He was best known as a co-creator of the animated Scooby-Doo franchise, together with Ken Spears. In 1977, they co-founded the television animation production company Ruby-Spears Productions. Ruby would work with Spears and would co-create several other shows including Fangface, Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, and Jabberjaw among others.
1942
Tane Norton
New Zealand rugby player (died 2023)
Rangitane Will Norton, commonly known as Tane Norton, was a New Zealand rugby union player. He played at the hooker position. He played for Linwood before he first represented Canterbury in 1969. In 1977, he captained the All Blacks to a series win over the British Lions and played three games for the World Invitation XV in South Africa.
1919
McGeorge Bundy
American intelligence officer and diplomat, 6th United States National Security Advisor (died 1996)
McGeorge "Mac" Bundy was an American academic who served as the U.S. National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 through 1966. He is primarily remembered as one of the chief architects of the United States' escalation of the Vietnam War. He was president of the Ford Foundation from 1966 through 1979.
1925
Hans Reichelt
German politician (died 2025)
Hans Reichelt was a German politician of the Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany (DBD), a GDR-Bloc party. He was Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in 1953 and from 1955 to 1963, and from 1972 to January 1990, Minister of Environmental Protection and Water Management, as well as Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the GDR.
1892
Erhard Milch
German field marshal (died 1972)
Erhard Milch was a German Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe who oversaw its founding and development during the rearmament of Germany and most of World War II. Milch served as State Secretary in the Reich Ministry of Aviation from May 1933 to June 1944 and as Inspector General of the Luftwaffe from February 1939 to January 1945.
1820
James Whyte
Scottish-Australian politician, 6th Premier of Tasmania (died 1882)
James Whyte was a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as the sixth Premier of Tasmania, from 20 January 1863 to 24 November 1866. Before moving to Tasmania, Whyte was a pioneering sheep-farmer in western Victoria. He and his brothers perpetrated the Fighting Hills massacre of 40–80 Aboriginal people in Victoria while recovering stolen sheep.
1913
Marc Davis
American animator (died 2000)
Marc Fraser Davis was an American artist and animator who was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, the core animators of Disney animated films. After his work on One Hundred and One Dalmatians he moved to Walt Disney Imagineering to work on rides for Disneyland and Walt Disney World before retiring in 1978.
1955
Randy VanWarmer
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2004)
Randy VanWarmer was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His biggest hit song was "Just When I Needed You Most". It reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1979 after peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks earlier that year.
1960
Bill Johnson
American skier (died 2016)
William Dean Johnson was an American World Cup alpine ski racer. By winning the downhill at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, Johnson became the first American male to win an Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing and the first racer not from an Alpine country to win an Olympic downhill race.
1948
Jim "Dandy" Mangrum
American rock singer
Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s, charting ten albums. Their style is notable for multiple guitar players and the raspy voice and on-stage antics of vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum.
1948
Mervyn King
English economist and academic
Mervyn Allister King, Baron King of Lothbury, is a British economist and public servant who was governor of the Bank of England from 2003 to 2013. Emeritus Professor of the London School of Economics and chairman of the Philharmonia since 2020, Lord King served as president of Marylebone Cricket Club for 2024/25.
1950
Janet Browne
English-American historian and academic
Elizabeth Janet Browne is a British historian of science, known especially for her work on the history of 19th-century biology. She taught at the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College, London, before returning to Harvard. She is currently Aramont Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University.
1989
João Sousa
Portuguese tennis player
João Pedro Coelho Marinho de Sousa, known as João Sousa, is a Portuguese former professional tennis player. He achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 28 on 16 May 2016, making him the highest-ranked Portuguese player in history. He has a best doubles ranking of No. 26 achieved in May 2019.
1326
Ivan II of Moscow (died 1359)
Ivan II Ivanovich the Fair was Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1353 to 1359. Until that date, he had ruled the towns of Ruza and Zvenigorod. He was the second son of Ivan Kalita, and succeeded his brother Simeon the Proud, who died of the Black Death.
1895
Carl Lutz
Swiss vice-consul to Hungary during WWII, credited with saving over 62,000 Jews (died 1975)
Carl Robert Lutz was a Swiss diplomat who most notably served as the Swiss Vice Consul to Hungary in Budapest from 1942 until the end of World War II. He is credited with saving over 62,000 Jews during the Second World War in possibly the largest rescue operation of the Holocaust.
1910
Józef Marcinkiewicz
Polish soldier, mathematician, and academic (died 1940)
Józef Marcinkiewicz was a Polish mathematician who worked at the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius. He is considered one of the most prominent Polish mathematicians of the Interwar period. Despite his short career, he made substantial contributions to real analysis, Fourier analysis, interpolation theory, orthogonal series, complex analysis, and probability theory.
1930
Rolf Harris
Australian singer-songwriter (died 2023)
Rolf Harris was an Australian musician, television personality, painter, and actor. He used a variety of instruments in his performances, notably the didgeridoo and the Stylophone, and is credited with the invention of the wobble board. He was convicted in England in 2014 of the sexual assault of four underage girls.
1990
Michal Březina
Czech figure skater
Michal Březina is a retired Czech figure skater. He is the 2013 European bronze medalist, 2011 Skate America champion, 2009 World Junior silver medalist and four-time Czech national champion. He also won the 2014-15 ISU Challenger Series. He represented the Czech Republic at the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olympics.
1894
Sergey Ilyushin
Russian engineer, founded Ilyushin Design Bureau (died 1977)
Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin was a Soviet aircraft designer who founded the Ilyushin aircraft design bureau. He designed the Il-2 Shturmovik, which made its maiden flight in 1939. It is the most produced warplane, and remains the second most-produced aircraft in history, with some 36,000+ built, behind the US Cessna 172.
1892
Johannes Pääsuke
Estonian photographer and director (died 1918)
Johannes Pääsuke was an Estonian photographer and filmmaker. He worked as a photographer for the Estonian National Museum and was dedicated to recording the everyday life of Estonians in the early 20th century. In 1914, he directed one of the first Estonian feature films, Bear Hunt in Pärnu County.
1902
Brooke Astor
American socialite and philanthropist (died 2007)
Roberta Brooke Astor was an American philanthropist, socialite, and writer. She served as the chairwoman of the Vincent Astor Foundation, established by her third husband, Vincent Astor, who was a member of the Astor family. Brooke Astor was the author of two novels and two volumes of personal memoirs.
1928
Robert Badinter
French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Justice (died 2024)
Robert Badinter was a French lawyer, politician, and author who enacted the abolition of capital punishment in France in 1981, while serving as Minister of Justice under François Mitterrand. He also served in high-level appointed positions with national and international bodies working for justice and the rule of law.
1551
Salomon Schweigger
German theologian (died 1622)
Salomon Schweigger was a German Lutheran theologian, minister, anthropologist and orientalist of the 16th century. He provided insights during his travels in the Balkans, Constantinople and the Middle East, and published a travel book of his exploits. He also published the first German language translation of the Qur'an.
1948
Nigel Jones
Baron Jones of Cheltenham, English computer programmer and politician (died 2022)
Nigel David Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham was a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the 1992 general election until the 2005 general election, and as a member of the House of Lords from 2005 until his death in 2022.
1510
Antonio de Cabezón
Spanish composer and organist (died 1566)
Antonio de Cabezón was a Spanish Renaissance composer and organist. Blind from childhood, he quickly rose to prominence as a performer and was eventually employed by the royal family. He was among the most important composers of his time and the first major Iberian keyboard composer.
1940
Jerry Lucas
American basketball player and educator
Jerry Ray Lucas is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State University, and 1960 gold medal Olympian and international player before later starring as a professional player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
1727
Tommaso Traetta
Italian composer and educator (died 1779)
Tommaso Michele Francesco Saverio Traetta, was an Italian composer of the Neapolitan School. Along with other composers mainly in the Holy Roman Empire and France, he was responsible for certain operatic reforms including reducing the ornateness of style and the primacy of star singers.
1941
Bob Smith
American soldier and politician
Robert Clinton Smith is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district from 1985 to 1990 and the state of New Hampshire in the United States Senate from 1990 to 2003.
1950
Robbie Coltrane
Scottish actor (died 2022)
Anthony Robin McMillan, known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor, comedian, and author. He is best known for his role as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011) and as Dr. Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald in the crime drama series Cracker.
1853
Arnoldo Sartorio
German composer, pianist, and teacher (died 1936)
Arnold Gabriel Holland Sartorio was a German composer, choral conductor, and piano teacher of the Romantic period. His musical output lay almost entirely in the genre of salon music pioneered by Sigismond Thalberg among others and transcended by Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt.
1976
Ty Conklin
American ice hockey player
Ty Curtis Conklin is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. Throughout his National Hockey League (NHL) career, he played for the Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and two stints with the Detroit Red Wings.
892
Shi Jingtang
founder of the Later Jin Dynasty (died 942)
Shi Jingtang, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Gaozu of Later Jin (後晉高祖), was the founding emperor of the Later Jin dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 936 until his death.
1811
Robert Bunsen
German chemist and academic (died 1899)
Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen was a German chemist. He investigated emission spectra of heated elements, and discovered caesium in 1860 and rubidium in 1861 with the physicist Gustav Kirchhoff. The Bunsen–Kirchhoff Award for spectroscopy is named after Bunsen and Kirchhoff.
1947
Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin
American activist, writer, and black anarchist
Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin is an American writer, activist, and Black anarchist. He is a former member of the Black Panther Party and Concerned Citizens for Justice. He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has lived in Memphis, Tennessee, since 2010.
1967
Christopher Bowman
American figure skater and coach (died 2008)
Christopher Nicol Bowman was an American figure skater. He was a two-time World medalist, the 1983 World Junior champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion. He competed in two Olympic Winter Games, placing 7th in 1988 and 4th in 1992.
1135
Maimonides
Spanish rabbi and philosopher (April 6 also proposed, d. 1204)
Moses ben Maimon, commonly known as Maimonides and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam, was a Sephardic Jewish rabbi who is widely acknowledged as one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages.
1874
Charles Lightoller
English 2nd officer on the RMS Titanic (died 1952)
Commander Charles Herbert Lightoller was a British merchant mariner and naval officer who was the second officer on board the ocean liner RMS Titanic during its ill-fated maiden voyage, and was the most senior crewmember to survive the disaster.
1949
Naomi Sims
American model and author (died 2009)
Naomi Ruth Sims was an American model, businesswoman and author. She is widely credited as being one of the first African-American supermodels. Sims was the first African-American model to appear on the covers of Ladies' Home Journal and Life.
1750
John Stafford Smith
English organist and composer (died 1836)
John Stafford Smith was an English composer, church organist, and early musicologist. He was one of the first serious collectors of manuscripts of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and a friend of his son Johann Christian Bach.
1844
Paul Verlaine
French poet (died 1896)
Paul Marie Verlaine was a French poet, writer and critic associated with the Symbolist, Parnassianist and Decadent movements. He is considered one of the paramount exponents of the fin de siècle in French and international poetry.
1913
Richard Helms
American soldier and diplomat, 8th Director of Central Intelligence (died 2002)
Richard McGarrah Helms was an American government official, intelligence officer, and diplomat who served as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from 1966 to 1973 as well as United States Ambassador to Iran from 1973 to 1976.
1934
Hans Hollein
Austrian architect and academic, designed Haas House (died 2014)
Hans Hollein was an Austrian architect and designer and key figure of postmodern architecture. Some of his most notable works are the Haas House and the Albertina extension in the inner city of Vienna.
1987
Kwok Kin Pong
Hong Kong footballer
Kwok Kin Pong is a former Hong Kong professional footballer who played as a defender or a midfielder. As he resembles Hong Kong artist and singer Edison Chen, he was given the nickname 'Edison'.
1941
Wasim Sajjad
Pakistani lawyer and politician, President of Pakistan
Wasim Sajjad Jan is a Pakistani conservative politician and lawyer who briefly served as the acting president of Pakistan on two occasions and as the Chairman of the Senate in 1988 and 1999.
1956
Bill Butler
Scottish educator and politician
Bill Butler is a Scottish Labour Co-operative Councillor. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Anniesland from a by-election in 2000 until losing his seat in the 2011 election.
1905
Albert Pierrepoint
English hangman (died 1992)
Albert Pierrepoint was an English hangman who executed between 435 and 600 people in a 25-year career that ended in 1956. His father Henry and uncle Thomas were official hangmen before him.
1917
Els Aarne
Ukrainian-Estonian pianist, composer, and educator (died 1995)
Elze Janovna Paemurru, pseudonymously known as Els Aarne, was an Estonian composer, pianist and pedagogue, primarily during the Soviet Union. She taught at Tallinn Conservatory, her alma mater, from 1944 to 1974.
1928
Tom Sharpe
English-Spanish author and educator (died 2013)
Thomas Ridley Sharpe was an English satirical novelist, best known for his Wilt series, as well as Porterhouse Blue and Blott on the Landscape, all three of which were adapted for television.
1996
Ryan Noda
American baseball player
Ryan Anthony Noda is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox.
1938
Klaus Schwab
German economist and engineer, founded the World Economic Forum
Klaus Martin Schwab is a German mechanical engineer, economist, and founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He was the WEF's chairman from January 1971 until his resignation in April 2025.
1432
Mehmed the Conqueror
Ottoman sultan (died 1481)
Mehmed II, commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror, was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire twice, from August 1444 to September 1446 and again from February 1451 to May 1481.
1926
Ingvar Kamprad
Swedish businessman, founded IKEA (died 2018)
Feodor Ingvar Kamprad was a Swedish billionaire businessman who founded IKEA in 1943 and grew it into a multinational retail company that became the world's largest furniture seller in 2008.
1874
Nicolae Rădescu
Romanian general and politician, Prime Minister of Romania (died 1953)
Nicolae Rădescu was a Romanian army officer and political figure. He was the last pre-communist rule Prime Minister of Romania, serving from 7 December 1944 to 1 March 1945.
1915
Pietro Ingrao
Italian journalist and politician (died 2015)
Pietro Ingrao was an Italian politician and journalist who participated in the Italian resistance movement. For many years, he was a senior figure in the Italian Communist Party (PCI).
1948
Eddie Jordan
Irish racing driver and team owner, founded Jordan Grand Prix (died 2025)
Edmund Patrick Jordan was an Irish motorsport executive, broadcaster, racing driver and businessman. From 1991 to 2005, Jordan served as founder and team principal of Jordan in Formula One.
1962
Gary Stevens
English international footballer and manager
Gary Andrew Stevens is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth. He won seven caps for England.
1975
Paul Griffen
New Zealand-Italian rugby player
Paul Richard Griffen is a former New Zealand-born rugby union player who represented Italy at scrum half in 42 full internationals. He played for Calvisano from 2000 to 2014.
1892
Erwin Panofsky
German historian and academic (died 1968)
Erwin Panofsky was a German art historian whose work helped establish modern iconography and iconology. His publications include Renaissance and Renascences in Western Art and Early Netherlandish Painting.
1875
Thomas Xenakis
Greek-American gymnast (died 1942)
Thomas Xenakis was a Greek gymnast. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. He was born in Naxos and died in Orange, California, United States.
1891
Chunseong
Korean monk, writer and philosopher (died 1977)
Chunseong was the Dharma name of Lee Chang-rim, a Korean Buddhist monk, scholar, poet, writer, and philosopher who was also known by the art name Muaedoin.
1967
Richard Hutten
Dutch furniture designer
Richard G. J. Hutten is a Dutch industrial designer, art director, and artist who is active in furniture design, product design, interior design, and exhibition design.
1858
Siegfried Alkan
German composer (died 1941)
Siegfried Alkan was a German composer from Saarland in the Kingdom of Prussia. He was assaulted and his musical business was looted during the Kristallnacht.
1894
Tommy Green
English race walker (died 1975)
Thomas William Green was a British racewalker who won a gold medal in the men's 50 km walk at the 1932 Summer Olympics. The son of a police constable, Green could not walk until the age of five, owing to his affliction with rickets. He lied about his age and joined the British Army in 1906 and served during the First World War, where he was wounded on three occasions and gassed while fighting in France. Returning to Britain, he eventually settled in Eastleigh where he worked at a railway works before being encouraged by a blind friend to take up racewalking.
1959
Martina Cole
English television host and author
Eilidh Martina Cole is a British crime writer. As of 2021 she has released twenty-six crime novels, most of which examine London's gangster underworld. Four of her novels, Dangerous Lady, The Jump, The Take and The Runaway have been adapted into high-rating television dramas. She has achieved sales of over fourteen million in the UK alone and her tenth novel, The Know, spent seven weeks on The Sunday Times hardback best-sellers list.
1919
Robin Williams
New Zealand mathematician, university administrator and public servant (died 2013)
Robert Martin Williams, generally known as Robin Williams, was a New Zealand mathematician, academic administrator and public servant. He served as vice chancellor of the University of Otago from 1967 to 1972, and of the Australian National University from 1973 to 1975. Between 1975 and 1981, he was chair of the State Services Commission.
1937
Ian MacLaurin
Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth, English businessman
Ian Charter MacLaurin, Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth is a British businessman, who has been chairman of Vodafone and chairman and chief executive of Tesco. He is a former chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, a former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club and a former Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire.
1922
Arthur Wightman
American physicist and academic (died 2013)
Arthur Strong Wightman was an American mathematical physicist. He was one of the founders of the axiomatic approach to quantum field theory, and originated the set of Wightman axioms. With his rigorous treatment of quantum field theories, he promoted research on various aspects of modern mathematical physics.
1949
Liza Frulla
Canadian talk show host and politician, 3rd Minister of Canadian Heritage
Liza Frulla, formerly known as Liza Frulla-Hébert, is a former Canadian politician. She was a Liberal Member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1989 to 1998, a Liberal Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2006, and a member of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Paul Martin.
1950
Grady Little
American baseball player, coach, and manager
William Grady Little is an American former player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007. He recently served in the front office for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1952
Peter Knights
Australian footballer and coach
Peter Knights is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL). After retiring as a player, he was appointed the inaugural coach of the Brisbane Bears and later returned to coach Hawthorn during the 1990s.
1940
Norman Gifford
English cricketer (died 2026)
Norman Gifford was an English cricketer, who played primarily as a left-arm spinner. Gifford played county cricket for Worcestershire, and Warwickshire County Cricket Clubs, and represented England in fifteen Test matches and two One Day International between 1964 and 1985.
1911
Ekrem Akurgal
Turkish archaeologist and academic (died 2002)
Ekrem Akurgal was a Turkish archaeologist. During a career that spanned more than fifty years, he conducted definitive research in several sites along the western coast of Anatolia such as Phokaia (Foça), Pitane (Çandarlı), Erythrai (Ildırı) and old Smyrna.
1944
Brian Wilshire
Australian radio host (died 2026)
Brian Wilshire was an Australian radio broadcaster for 2GB in Sydney. He hosted the Australia Overnight program until 11 December 2015. The signature tune of the program show was "Hanky Panky" by Pete Fountain.
1940
David Earle Bailey
American Episcopal priest (died 2024)
David Earle Bailey was an American Episcopalian clergyman who was bishop of the Missionary Diocese of Navajoland, a missionary diocese of the Episcopal Church. He was consecrated bishop on August 7, 2010.
1958
Joey Sindelar
American golfer
Joseph Paul Sindelar is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He previously played on the PGA Tour, winning seven tournaments between 1985 and 2004.
1978
Bok van Blerk
South African singer-songwriter and actor
Bok van Blerk is a South African singer-songwriter who sings in Afrikaans. He became famous in 2006 for his rendition of "De la Rey" by Sean Else and Johan Vorster.
1956
Shahla Sherkat
Iranian journalist and author
Shahla Sherkat is an Iranian journalist, publisher, author, feminist, and women's rights activist. She is a Persian and one of the pioneers of the women's rights movement in Iran.
1963
Panagiotis Tsalouchidis
Greek footballer
Panagiotis Tsalouchidis is a Greek former football player and coach who played professionally from 1983 to 1999 for Veria, Olympiacos and PAOK, making 500 league appearances in Greek football.
1935
Gordon Mumma
American composer
Gordon Mumma is an American composer. He is known most for his work with electronics, many devices of which he builds himself, and for his performances on horn.
1957
Marie-Christine Koundja
Chadian author and diplomat
Marie-Christine Koundja is a Chadian writer and diplomat, who has worked in various departments, ministries and embassies of her country. The first published female Chadian author, she has written two novels: Al-Istifakh, ou, L'idylle de mes amis (2001) and Kam-Ndjaha, la dévoreuse (2009).
1606
Vincentio Reinieri
Italian mathematician and astronomer (died 1647)
Vincentio Reinieri was an Italian mathematician and astronomer. He was a friend and disciple of Galileo Galilei.
1640
John Trenchard
English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (died 1695)
Sir John Trenchard was an English politician and landowner.
1805
Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann
German-Swedish linguist and botanist (died 1887)
Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann was a linguist who researched Uralic languages, mostly Estonian. Wiedemann was also a botanist.
1857
Léon Charles Thévenin
French engineer (died 1926)
Léon Charles Thévenin was a French telegraph engineer who extended Ohm's law to the analysis of complex electrical circuits.
1864
Franz Oppenheimer
German-American sociologist and economist (died 1943)
Franz Oppenheimer was a German-American sociologist and political economist, who published also in the area of the fundamental sociology of the state.
1874
Josiah McCracken
American hammer thrower, shot putter, and football player (died 1962)
Josiah Calvin McCracken was an American football player and track and field athlete.
1892
Fortunato Depero
Italian painter and sculptor (died 1960)
Fortunato Depero was an Italian futurist painter, writer, sculptor, and graphic designer.
1895
Charlie Wilson
English footballer (died 1971)
Charles Wilson was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Tottenham Hotspur, Huddersfield Town and Stoke City.
1895
Jean Giono
French author and poet (died 1970)
Jean Giono was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France.
1902
Ted Heath
English trombonist and composer (died 1969)
George Edward Heath was a British musician and big band leader.
1903
Joy Ridderhof
American missionary (died 1984)
Joy F. Ridderhof was an American missionary.
1905
Archie Birkin
English motorcycle racer (died 1927)
Charles Archibald Cecil Birkin was an English motorcycle racer, brother of Tim Birkin, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s.
1905
Mikio Oda
Japanese triple jumper and academic (died 1998)
Mikio Oda was a Japanese athlete and the first Japanese Olympic gold medalist. He was the first Asian Olympic champion in an individual event.
1907
Shigeru Morita
Japanese painter (died 2009)
Shigeru Morita was a Japanese oil painter. His works were mainly centered on western-style paintings, and were exhibited multiple times across his career.
1913
Ċensu Tabone
Maltese general, physician, and politician, 4th President of Malta (died 2012)
Vincent "Ċensu" Tabone, was the fourth president of Malta who also served as Minister and Nationalist MP.
1923
Milton Acorn
Canadian poet and playwright (died 1986)
Milton James Rhode Acorn, nicknamed The People's Poet by his peers, was a Canadian poet, writer, and playwright.
1927
Wally Grout
Australian cricketer (died 1968)
Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout, known as Wally Grout, was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.
1928
Colin Egar
Australian cricket umpire (died 2008)
Colin John "Col" Egar was an Australian Test cricket umpire.
1929
István Rózsavölgyi
Hungarian runner (died 2012)
István Rózsavölgyi was a Hungarian athlete who competed mainly in the 1500 metres.
1933
Jean-Claude Brialy
French actor and director (died 2007)
Jean-Claude Brialy was a French actor and film director.
1940
Hans Ragnemalm
Swedish lawyer and judge (died 2016)
Hans Olof Ragnemalm was a Swedish lawyer, judge, and professor emeritus of public law.
1942
Kenneth Welsh
Canadian actor (died 2022)
Kenneth Clifford Welsh was a Canadian actor, who made over 300 stage, film and television appearances over a nearly 60-year career.
1942
Ruben Kun
Nauruan lawyer and politician, 14th President of Nauru (died 2014)
Ruben James Kun was a political figure from the Pacific nation of Nauru and was president of the Republic of Nauru.
1943
Jay Traynor
American pop and doo-wop singer (died 2014)
John "Jay" Traynor was an American singer.
1944
Mark Wylea Erwin
American businessman and diplomat
Mark Wylea Erwin is a former U.S. ambassador and the president of Erwin Capital, Inc., a family-owned investment company in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1947
Terje Venaas
Norwegian bassist (died 2025)
Terje Venaas was a Norwegian jazz musician, known from dozens of recordings and a number of international collaborations.
1952
Stuart Dryburgh
English-New Zealand cinematographer
Stuart Dryburgh is an English-born New Zealand cinematographer.
1960
1961
Doug Wickenheiser
Canadian-American ice hockey player (died 1999)
Douglas Peter Wickenheiser was a Canadian ice hockey player, who was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL entry draft.
1964
Vlado Bozinovski
Macedonian-Australian footballer and manager
Vlado Bozinovski is a retired professional soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder. Born in Yugoslavia, he played for the Australia national team.
1966
Dmitry Volkov
Russian swimmer (died 2025)
Dmitry Arkadyevich Volkov was a Russian two-time Olympic breaststroke swimmer. He swam at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics.
1966
Efstratios Grivas
Greek chess player and author
Efstratios Grivas is a Greek chess player who holds the titles of Grandmaster, FIDE Senior Trainer, International Arbiter, and FIDE International Organizer.
1966
Leonid Voloshin
Russian triple jumper
Leonid Anatolyevich Voloshin is a retired triple jumper from Russia. He competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics.
1967
Julie Richardson
New Zealand tennis player
Julie Richardson is a former professional tennis player from New Zealand. She won seven doubles titles during her career.
1970
Tobias Hill
English poet and author (died 2023)
Tobias Fleet Hill was a British poet, essayist, writer of short stories and novelist.
1972
Emerson Thome
Brazilian footballer and scout
Emerson Augusto Thome, also known as Paredão, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a central defender.
1973
Jan Koller
Czech footballer
Jan Koller is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was noted for his height, strong physique and heading ability.
1973
Kareem Streete-Thompson
Caymanian-American long jumper
Kareem Streete-Thompson is a Caymanian-American athlete specializing in the long jump and the 100 metres. He was born in Ithaca, New York.
1974
Martin Love
Australian cricketer
Martin Lloyd Love is a former Australian cricketer who played in five Test matches from 2002 to 2003. He was a right-handed batsman.
1977
Abhishek Chaubey
Indian director and screenwriter
Abhishek Chaubey is an Indian director, screenwriter and film producer known for his works in Hindi cinema.
1978
Paweł Czapiewski
Polish runner
Paweł Czapiewski is a former Polish middle-distance runner. He was born in Stargard.
1980
Katrine Lunde
Norwegian handball goalkeeper
Katrine Lunde is a retired Norwegian handball player, who last played for the Norwegian national team and Randesund IL.
1980
Ricardo Osorio
Mexican footballer
Ricardo Osorio Mendoza is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a defender.
1982
Javier Portillo
Spanish footballer
Javier García Portillo is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a forward.
1983
Jérémie Aliadière
French footballer
Jérémie Aliadière is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker.
1985
Giacomo Ricci
Italian racing driver
Giacomo Ricci is a former Italian racing driver.
1987
Calum Elliot
Scottish footballer
Calum Elliot is a Scottish former professional footballer who is manager of East of Scotland League club Edinburgh University.
1988
Larisa Yurkiw
Canadian alpine skier
Larisa Yurkiw is a Canadian retired World Cup alpine ski racer, specializing in the speed events of downhill and super-G.
1988
Thanasis Papazoglou
Greek footballer
Thanasis Papazoglou, commonly known also as Sakis Papazoglou, is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a striker.
1988
Will Matthews
Australian rugby league player
Will Matthews is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer.
1990
Thomas Rhett
American country music singer and songwriter
Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. is an American singer-songwriter. He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins.
1994
Jetro Willems
Dutch footballer
Jetro Danovich Sexer Willems is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left wing-back or left-back.