Famous Birthdays on May 1

Q: Who was born on May 1?

Famous people born on May 1 include: John I, Rudolf I of Germany, Edmund FitzAlan, Johannes Stadius, Franciscus Junius.

Q: What is Kate Smith known for?

Kate Smith, American singer and actress (died 1986)

1907 — Kate Smith

American singer and actress (died 1986)

May 1 has seen 179 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1218 – 2006. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · May 1 — Wikipedia

Famous Birthdays 179 people 1218 – 2006

Did you know

Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith became well known for her renditions of "God Bless America" and "When the Moon Comes over the Mountain"

Did you know

But as Smith became nationally known, she became more identified with the term

Did you know

She began to use the descriptor The Songbird of the South in the late 1920s, while performing on the stage

Did you know

By early 1929, she was being referred to that way on a regular basis: a version of the term, using "from" rather than "of," was seen in newspaper advertisements that promoted her stage performances

Did you know

Sunday Star noted, Smith was not really southern—born in Virginia, she had spent nearly all of her life in the D.C

John I

Count of Hainaut, Flemish nobleman (died 1257)

John of Avesnes was the count of Hainaut from 1246 to his death.

1218

Rudolf I of Germany

King of Germany 1273–1291 (died 1291)

Rudolf of Habsburg (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was a German nobleman and the first member of the House of Habsburg to become King of the Romans, reigning from 1273 until his death. Born into a relatively minor noble…

1218

Edmund FitzAlan

2nd Earl of Arundel, English nobleman (died 1326)

Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel, was an English nobleman prominent in the conflict between King Edward II and his barons. His father, Richard Fitzalan, 1st Earl of Arundel, died in 1302, while Edmund was still a…

1285

Johannes Stadius

German astronomer, astrologer, mathematician (died 1579)

Johannes Stadius or Estadius, was a Flemish astronomer, astrologer, and mathematician. He was one of the important late 16th-century makers of ephemerides, which gave the positions of astronomical objects in the sky at…

1527

Franciscus Junius

French theologian (died 1602)

Franciscus Junius the Elder was a Reformed scholar, Protestant reformer and theologian. Born in Bourges in central France, he initially studied law, but later decided to study theology in Geneva under John Calvin and…

1545

Wolphert Gerretse

Dutch-American farmer, co-founded New Netherland (died 1662)

Wolfert Gerritse Van Couwenhoven, also known as Wolphert Gerretse van Kouwenhoven and Wolphert Gerretsen, was an original patentee, director of bouweries (farms), and founder of the New Netherland colony.

1579

Marco da Gagliano

Italian composer (died 1643)

Marco da Gagliano was an Italian composer of the early Baroque era. He was important in the early history of opera and the development of the solo and concerted madrigal.

1582

Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill

Belarusian saint (died 1612)

Zofia Radziwiłł, also Zofia of Słuck is a Polish-Lithuanian Orthodox Christian saint. She was the last descendant of the Olelkowicz–Słucki family – princes of Slutsk and Kopyl – who were descended from Lithuanian Grand…

1585

Johann Adam Schall von Bell

German missionary and astronomer (died 1666)

Johann Adam Schall von Bell was a German Jesuit, astronomer and instrument-maker. He spent most of his life as a missionary in China and became an adviser to the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty.

1591

John Haynes

English-American politician, 1st Governor of the Colony of Connecticut (died 1653)

John Haynes, also sometimes spelled Haines, was a colonial magistrate and one of the founders of the Connecticut Colony. He served one term as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was the first governor of…

1594

William Lilly

English astrologer (died 1681)

William Lilly was a seventeenth century English astrologer. He is described as having been a genius at something "that modern mainstream opinion has since decided cannot be done at all" having developed his stature as…

1602

Joseph Addison

English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician (died 1719)

Joseph Addison was a British writer and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator…

1672

Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen

Dutch admiral and philanthropist (died 1819)

Lieutenant-Admiral Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen, Count of Doggerbank was a Dutch naval officer who served in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War and French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Having had a good scientific education,…

1735

Judith Sargent Murray

American poet and playwright (died 1820)

Judith Sargent Stevens Murray was an early American advocate for women's rights, an essay writer, playwright, poet, and letter writer. She was one of the first American proponents of the idea of the equality of the…

1751

Benjamin Henry Latrobe

English-American architect, designed the United States Capitol (died 1820)

Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-American neoclassical architect who immigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects arriving in the newly independent…

1764

Arthur Wellesley

1st Duke of Wellington, Irish-English field marshal and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1852)

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington was a British Army officer and statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures in Britain during the early 19th century, twice serving as Prime…

1769

Tabitha Moffatt Brown

officially designated as the “Mother of Oregon” (died 1858)

Tabitha Moffatt Brown was an American pioneer colonist who traveled the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. There she assisted in the founding of Tualatin Academy, which would grow to become Pacific University in Forest…

1780

Phoebe Hinsdale Brown

American hymnwriter (died 1861)

Phoebe Hinsdale Brown was one of the first notable American woman hymnwriters. She was a frequent contributor to the periodical press. Brown was the first American woman to write a hymn of wide popularity, "I love to…

1783

James Clarence Mangan

Irish poet and author (died 1849)

James Clarence Mangan, born James Mangan, was an Irish poet. He freely translated works from German, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Irish, with his translations of Goethe gaining special interest. Starting around 1840,…

1803

Andreas Laskaratos

Greek satirical poet and writer (died 1901)

Andreas Laskaratos was a satirical poet and writer from the Ionian island of Cefalonia, representative of the Heptanese school. He was excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church because his satire targeted many of the…

1811

Henry Ayers

English-Australian politician, 8th Premier of South Australia (died 1897)

Sir Henry Ayers was the eighth Premier of South Australia, serving a record five times between 1863 and 1873.

1821

Alexander William Williamson

English chemist and academic (died 1904)

Alexander William Williamson FRS FRSE PCS MRIA was an English chemist. He is best known today for the Williamson ether synthesis.

1824

Johann Jakob Balmer

Swiss mathematician and physicist (died 1898)

Johann Jakob Balmer was a Swiss mathematician best known for his work in physics, the Balmer series of the hydrogen atom.

1825

George Inness

American painter and educator (died 1894)

George Inness was an American landscape painter.

1825

Jules Breton

French painter (died 1906)

Jules Adolphe Aimé Louis Breton was a 19th-century French naturalist painter. His paintings are heavily influenced by the French countryside and his absorption of traditional methods of painting helped make him one of…

1827

José de Alencar

Brazilian author and playwright (died 1877)

José Martiniano de Alencar was a Brazilian novelist, lawyer, politician, orator, and dramatist. He is considered to be one of the most famous and influential Brazilian Romantic novelists of the 19th century, and a major…

1829

Frederick Sandys

English painter and illustrator (died 1904)

Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys, 1 May 1829 – 25 June 1904, usually known as Frederick Sandys, was a British painter, illustrator, and draughtsman, associated with the Pre-Raphaelites. He was also associated with the…

1829

Guido Gezelle

Belgian priest and poet (died 1899)

Guido Pieter Theodorus Josephus Gezelle was an influential writer and poet and a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium. He is famous for the use of the West Flemish dialect, but he also wrote in other languages like Dutch,…

1830

Emily Stowe

Canadian physician and activist (died 1903)

Emily Howard Stowe was a Canadian physician who was the first female physician to practise in Canada, the second licensed female physician in Canada and an activist for women's rights and suffrage. Stowe helped found…

1831

James C. Corrigan

Canadian-American businessman (died 1908)

James C. Corrigan was a Canadian-American businessman active in the shipping, petroleum refining, iron ore mining and selling, and steel manufacturing industries. He made and lost fortunes in the shipping and refining…

1846

Henry Demarest Lloyd

American journalist and politician (died 1903)

Henry Demarest Lloyd was an American journalist and political activist who was a prominent muckraker during the Progressive Era. He is best known for his exposés of Standard Oil which were written before Ida Tarbell's…

1847

Adelsteen Normann

Norwegian painter (died 1919)

Eilert Adelsteen Normann was a Norwegian painter who worked in Berlin. He was a noted painter of landscapes of Norway. Normann was the artist who invited Edvard Munch to Berlin, where he painted The Scream. Normann's…

1848

Prince Arthur

Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (died 1942)

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He served as Governor General of Canada, the tenth…

1850

Calamity Jane

American frontierswoman and professional scout (died 1903)

Martha Jane Canary, better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter and storyteller. In addition to many exploits, she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late in her…

1852

Santiago Ramón y Cajal

Spanish neuroscientist and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1934)

Santiago Ramón y Cajal was a Spanish neuroscientist, pathologist, and histologist specialising in neuroanatomy, and the central nervous system. He and Camillo Golgi received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in…

1852

Jacob Mikhailovich Gordin

Ukrainian-American journalist, actor, and playwright (died 1909)

Jacob Michailovitch Gordin was a Russian-American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism and naturalism into Yiddish theater.

1853

Cecilia Beaux

American painter and academic (died 1942)

Eliza Cecilia Beaux was an American artist and the first woman to teach art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Known for her elegant and sensitive portraits of friends, relatives, and Gilded Age patrons,…

1855

Theo van Gogh

Dutch art dealer (died 1891)

Theodorus van Gogh was a Dutch art dealer and a younger brother of Vincent van Gogh. His support of his older brother's artistic ambitions and well-being allowed Vincent to devote himself entirely to painting. As an art…

1857

Jacqueline Comerre-Paton

French painter and sculptor (died 1955)

Jacqueline Comerre, née Paton was a French painter and sculptor, and the wife of the painter Léon-François Comerre (1850–1916).

1859

Marcel Prévost

French novelist and playwright (died 1941)

Marcel Prévost was a French novelist and dramatist. He was a member of the Académie Française and a recipient of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor.

1862

Anna Jarvis

American founder of Mother's Day (died 1948)

Anna Maria Jarvis was the founder of Mother's Day in the United States. Her mother had frequently expressed a desire to establish such a holiday, and after her mother's death, Jarvis led the movement for the…

1864

Seakle Greijdanus

Dutch theologian and scholar (died 1948)

Seakle Greijdanus was a Reformed theologian in the Netherlands, who first served in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and later in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated).

1871

Hugo Alfvén

Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter (died 1960)

Hugo Emil Alfvén was a Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter. Alfvén was one of Sweden's principal composers. His "Swedish Rhapsody”, written when he was 31, is still one of the best-known pieces of…

1872

Sidónio Pais

Portuguese soldier and politician, 4th President of Portugal (died 1918)

Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais nicknamed "the President-King", was the president of Portugal, serving in 1918. A Portuguese politician, military officer, and diplomat he served as prime minister, minister of…

1872

Romaine Brooks

American-French painter and illustrator (died 1970)

Romaine Brooks was an American painter who worked mostly in Paris and Capri. She specialized in portraiture and used a subdued tonal palette keyed to the color gray. Brooks ignored contemporary artistic trends such as…

1874

Paul Van Asbroeck

Belgian sport shooter (died 1959)

Paul Van Asbroeck was a Belgian sport shooter who competed in the early 20th century in rifle and pistol shooting. He competed at the 1900 Olympics in Paris and won a bronze medal in the military rifle 3 positions…

1874

Dave Hall

American runner, coach, and professor (died 1972)

David Connolly Hall was an American track athlete, track and basketball coach, and university professor. He served as the head basketball coach at University of Oklahoma from 1907 to 1908 and at University of Washington…

1875

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

French priest, palaeontologist, and philosopher (died 1955)

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. was a French Jesuit priest, scientist, paleontologist, philosopher, mystic, and teacher. Teilhard de Chardin investigated the theory of evolution from a perspective influenced by Henri…

1881

Francis Curzon

5th Earl Howe, English race car driver and politician (died 1964)

Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, styled Viscount Curzon from 1900 to 1929, was a British naval officer, Member of Parliament, and racing driver and promoter. In the 1918 UK general election he won the…

1884

Clément Pansaers

Belgian poet (died 1922)

Clément Pansaers was a Belgian poet and artist known for being the main proponent of the Dada movement in Belgium.

1885

Alan Cunningham

Anglo-Irish general and diplomat, High Commissioners for Palestine and Transjordan (died 1983)

Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham,, was a senior officer of the British Army noted for his victories over Italian forces in the East African Campaign during the Second World War. He then commanded Eighth Army in the desert…

1887

Clelia Lollini

Italian physician (died 1963 or 1964)

Clelia Lollini was an Italian medical doctor. She helped to found the Medical Women's International Federation and the Italian Women's Medical Association.

1890

Lillian Estelle Fisher

American historian of Spanish America (died 1988)

Lillian Estelle Fisher was one of the first women to earn a doctorate in Latin American history in the U.S. She published important works on Spanish colonial administration; a biography of Manuel Abad y Queipo, reform…

1891

May Hollinworth

Australian theatre producer and director (died 1968)

May Hollinworth was an Australian theatre producer and director, former radio actress, and founder of the Metropolitan Theatre in Sydney. The daughter of a theatrical producer, she was introduced to the theatre at a…

1895

Nikolai Yezhov

Soviet secret police official, head of the NKVD (died 1940)

Nikolai Ivanovich Yezhov, also spelt Ezhov, was a Soviet secret police official under Joseph Stalin who was head of the NKVD from 1936 to 1938, at the height of the Great Purge. Yezhov organized mass arrests, torture,…

1895

Herbert Backe

German agronomist and politician (died 1947)

Herbert Friedrich Wilhelm Backe was a German politician and SS-Obergruppenführer who served as State Secretary and Reichsminister in the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture. He was a doctrinaire racial ideologue, a…

1896

Mark W. Clark

American general (died 1984)

Mark Wayne Clark was a United States Army officer who fought in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He was the youngest four-star general in the U.S. Army during World War II.

1896

J. Lawton Collins

American general (died 1987)

Joseph Lawton Collins was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he served in both the Pacific and European Theaters of Operations, one of a few senior American commanders to do so. He was Chief of…

1896

Alfred Schmidt

Estonian weightlifter (died 1972)

Alfred Schmidt was an Estonian featherweight weightlifter who won a silver medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

1898

Ignazio Silone

Italian journalist and politician (died 1978)

Secondino Tranquilli, best known by the pseudonym Ignazio Silone, was an Italian politician and writer. He became famous during World War II for his anti-fascist novels. Considered among the most well-known and read…

1900

Aleksander Wat

Polish poet and writer (died 1967)

Aleksander Wat was the pen name of Aleksander Chwat, a Polish poet, writer, art theoretician, and memoirist. He was one of the precursors of the Polish futurism movement in the early 1920s and is considered one of the…

1900

Sterling Allen Brown

American poet, academic, and critic (died 1989)

Sterling Allen Brown was an American professor, folklorist, poet, and literary critic. He chiefly studied black culture of the southern United States and was a professor at Howard University for most of his career.…

1901

Antal Szerb

Hungarian scholar and author (died 1945)

Antal Szerb was a noted Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century.

1901

Henry Koster

German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1988)

Henry Koster was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran.

1905

Giovannino Guareschi

Italian journalist and author (died 1968)

Giovannino Oliviero Giuseppe Guareschi was an Italian journalist, cartoonist and humorist whose best known creation is the priest Don Camillo.

1908

Morris Kline

American mathematician and academic (died 1992)

Morris Kline was a professor of mathematics who wrote extensively on the history, philosophy, and teaching of that subject. He was also a popularizer of mathematics.

1908

Yiannis Ritsos

Greek poet and playwright (died 1990)

Yiannis Ritsos was a Greek poet and communist and an active member of the Greek Resistance during World War II. While he disliked being regarded as a political poet, he has been called "the great poet of the Greek left".

1909

Raya Dunayevskaya

Ukrainian-American philosopher and activist (died 1987)

Raya Dunayevskaya, later Rae Spiegel, also known by the pseudonym Freddie Forest, was the American founder of the philosophy of Marxist humanism in the United States. At one time Leon Trotsky's secretary, she later…

1910

J. Allen Hynek

American astronomer and ufologist (died 1986)

Josef Allen Hynek was an American astronomer, professor, and ufologist. He is perhaps best remembered for his UFO research. Hynek acted as scientific advisor to UFO studies undertaken by the U.S. Air Force under three…

1910

Otto Kretschmer

German admiral (died 1998)

Otto Kretschmer was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War.

1912

Louis Nye

American actor (died 2005)

Louis Nye was an American comedic actor. He is best known for his work on multiple television, film and radio programs.

1913

Hanns Martin Schleyer

German business executive (died 1977)

Hans "Hanns" Martin Schleyer was a German business executive, employer and industry representative, Nazi SS officer, and lobbyist. He served as president of two powerful commercial organizations: the Confederation of…

1915

Glenn Ford

Canadian-American actor and producer (died 2006)

Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford, known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-born American actor. He was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and had a…

1916

John Beradino

American baseball player and actor (died 1996)

John Beradino was an American Major League Baseball infielder and actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Berardino, John Baradino, John…

1917

Ulric Cross

Trinidadian navigator, judge, and diplomat (died 2013)

Philip Louis Ulric Cross was a Trinidadian jurist, diplomat and Royal Air Force (RAF) navigator, recognised as possibly the most decorated West Indian of World War II. He is credited with helping to prevent some two…

1917

Danielle Darrieux

French actress and singer (died 2017)

Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux was a French actress of stage, television and film, as well as a singer and dancer.

1917

Jack Paar

American comedian, author and talk show host (died 2004)

Jack Harold Paar was an American talk show host, writer, radio and television comedian, and film actor. He was the second host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962. Time magazine's obituary of Paar reported wryly, "His…

1918

Manna Dey

Indian singer and composer (died 2013)

Prabodh Chandra Dey, known professionally as Manna Dey, was an Indian playback singer, music director, and musician. With a strong foundation in classical music, he is widely regarded as one of the most versatile and…

1919

Mohammed Karim Lamrani

Moroccan businessman and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Morocco (died 2018)

Mohammed Karim Lamrani was a Moroccan politician who was the Prime Minister of Morocco for three separate terms.

1919

Dan O'Herlihy

Irish actor (died 2005)

Daniel Peter O'Herlihy was an Irish actor. His best-known roles included his Oscar-nominated portrayal of the title character in Luis Buñuel's Robinson Crusoe (1954), Brigadier General Warren A. Black in Fail Safe…

1919

Vladimir Colin

Romanian journalist and author (died 1991)

Vladimir Colin was a Romanian short story writer and novelist. One of the most important fantasy and science fiction authors in Romanian literature, whose main works are known on several continents, he was also a noted…

1921

Joseph Heller

American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (died 1999)

Joseph Heller was an American author of novels, short stories, plays, and screenplays. His best-known work is his debut novel Catch-22 (1961), a satire on war and bureaucracy, whose title has become a synonym for an…

1923

Marcel Rayman

Polish militant (died 1944)

Marcel Rajman was a Polish Jew and volunteer fighter in the FTP-MOI group of French Resistance fighters during World War II. He was also the head of "Stalingrad", a highly active militant group.

1923

Evelyn Boyd Granville

American mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (died 2023)

Evelyn Boyd Granville was an American mathematician and computer scientist. She was the second African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from an American university; she earned it in 1949 from Yale…

1924

Terry Southern

American novelist, essayist, and screenwriter (died 1995)

Terry Southern was an American novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and university lecturer, noted for his distinctive satirical style. Part of the Paris postwar literary movement in the 1950s and a companion to Beat…

1924

Chuck Bednarik

American lieutenant and football player (died 2015)

Charles Philip Bednarik, Jr., nicknamed "Concrete Charlie", was an American professional football linebacker and center who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn Quakers,…

1925

Scott Carpenter

American commander, pilot, and astronaut (died 2013)

Malcolm Scott Carpenter was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut, and aquanaut. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury in April…

1925

Peter Lax

Hungarian-American mathematician and academic (died 2025)

Peter David Lax was a Hungarian-born American mathematician and Abel Prize laureate working in the areas of pure and applied mathematics.

1926

Greta Andersen

Danish swimmer (died 2023)

Greta Marie Andersen was a Danish swimmer who won a gold and a silver medal in 100 m freestyle events at the 1948 Summer Olympics. In the mid-1950s she moved to the United States, where she set several world records in…

1927

Bernard Vukas

Yugoslav-Croatian footballer (died 1983)

Bernard Vukas was a Croatian footballer who played for Yugoslavia.

1927

Albert Zafy

Malagasy politician, 3rd President of Madagascar (died 2017)

Albert Zafy was a Malagasy politician and educator who served as the fourth president of Madagascar from 1993 to 1996. In 1988, he founded the National Union for Democracy and Development (UNDD).

1927

Sonny James

American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2016)

James Hugh Loden, known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love", topping both the Billboard Hot Country and Disk Jockey singles…

1928

Ralf Dahrendorf

German-English sociologist and politician (died 2009)

Ralf Gustav Dahrendorf, Baron Dahrendorf, was a German-British sociologist, philosopher, political scientist and liberal politician. A class conflict theorist, Dahrendorf was a leading expert on explaining and analysing…

1929

Sonny Ramadhin

Trinidadian cricketer (died 2022)

Sonny Ramadhin, CM was a West Indian cricketer, and was a dominant bowler of the 1950s. He was the first of many West Indian cricketers of Indian origin, and was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1951. He…

1929

Ollie Matson

American sprinter and football player (died 2011)

Ollie Genoa Matson II was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional football player. He played as a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1966 primarily for…

1930

Richard Riordan

American lieutenant and politician, 39th Mayor of Los Angeles and publisher (died 2023)

Richard Joseph Riordan was an American businessman, investor, military commander, philanthropist, and politician. A decorated Korean War veteran and a member of the Republican Party, Riordan served as the 39th mayor of…

1930

Little Walter Jacobs

American blues harp player and singer (died 1968)

Marion Walter Jacobs, known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter. His revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on the succeeding generations, earning him…

1930

S. M. Krishna

Indian politician and statesman, Minister of External Affairs, 10th Chief Minister of Karnataka, 19th Governor of Maharashtra (died 2024)

Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna was an Indian politician who served as Minister of External Affairs of India from 2009 to October 2012. He was the 10th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and the 19th Governor of…

1932

Sandy Woodward

English admiral (died 2013)

Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward was a senior Royal Navy officer who commanded the Task Force of the Falklands War.

1932

Laura Betti

Italian actress (died 2004)

Laura Betti was an Italian actress known particularly for her work with directors Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Bernardo Bertolucci. She had a long friendship with Pasolini and made a documentary about him…

1934

Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas

Mexican politician

Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano is a Mexican politician and civil engineer. A prominent social-democrat and the son of 51st president of Mexico Lázaro Cárdenas, he is a former Head of Government of Mexico City and a…

1934

Shirley Horn

American singer and pianist (died 2005)

Shirley Valerie Horn was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and others. She…

1934

Una Stubbs

English actress and dancer (died 2021)

Una Stubbs was an English actress, television personality, and dancer who appeared on British television, in the theatre, and occasionally in films. She became known after appearing in the film Summer Holiday (1963) and…

1937

Judy Collins

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Judith Marjorie Collins is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning nearly seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is…

1939

Rita Coolidge

American singer-songwriter

Rita Coolidge is an American singer and recording artist. During the 1970s and 1980s, her songs were on Billboard magazine's pop, country, adult contemporary, and jazz charts, and she won two Grammy Awards with fellow…

1945

Joanna Lumley

English actress, voice-over artist, author, and activist

Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley is a British actress, presenter, author, television producer, activist and former model. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous…

1946

John Woo

Hong Kong director, producer, and screenwriter

John Woo Yu-sen is a Hong Kong filmmaker, known as a highly influential figure in the action film genre. The recipient of various accolades, including a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best…

1946

Patricia Hill Collins

American sociologist and scholar

Patricia Hill Collins is an American academic specializing in race, class, and gender. She is a distinguished university professor of sociology emerita at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is also the former…

1948

Tim Hodgkinson

English saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer

Timothy George Hodgkinson is an English experimental music composer and performer, principally on reeds, lap steel guitar, and keyboards. He first became known as one of the core members of the British avant-rock group…

1949

Danny McGrain

Scottish footballer and coach

Daniel Fergus McGrain is a Scottish former professional footballer, who played for Celtic, Hamilton Academical and the Scotland national team as a right back. McGrain is regarded as one of Scotland's greatest players…

1950

Gordon Greenidge

Barbadian cricketer and coach

Sir Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge is a Barbadian retired cricketer who represented the West Indies in Test and One Day International (ODI) teams for 17 years, as well as Barbados and Hampshire in first-class cricket.…

1951

Sally Mann

American photographer

Sally Mann is an American photographer known for making large format black and white photographs of people and places in her immediate surroundings: her children, husband, and rural landscapes, as well as self-portraits.

1951

Richard Blundell

English economist and academic

Sir Richard William Blundell CBE FBA is a British economist and econometrician.

1952

Ray Parker Jr.

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Ray Erskine Parker Jr. is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song for the 1984 film Ghostbusters and also sounds from the animated…

1954

Joel Rosenberg

Canadian-American author and activist (died 2011)

Joel Rosenberg was a Canadian American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his long-running Guardians of the Flame series. Rosenberg was also a gun rights activist.

1954

Martin O'Donnell

American composer

Martin O'Donnell is an American composer, audio director, and sound designer best known for his work on video game developer Bungie's titles, such as the Myth series, Oni, the Halo series, and Destiny. O'Donnell…

1955

Rick Darling

Australian cricketer

Warrick Maxwell Darling, known as Rick Darling, is a former Australian Test cricketer.

1957

Yasmina Reza

French actress and playwright

Yasmina Reza is a French playwright, actress, novelist and screenwriter best known for her plays 'Art' and God of Carnage. Many of her brief satiric plays have reflected on contemporary middle-class issues. The 2011…

1959

Clint Malarchuk

Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Clint Malarchuk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1981 and 1992. He has been a coach for four NHL teams and two minor league teams, most…

1961

Marilyn Milian

American judge

Marilyn Milian, known professionally as Judge Milian, is an American television personality, lecturer, retired Florida Circuit Court judge and court-show arbitrator. For 22 seasons from March 12, 2001 to July 21, 2023,…

1961

Maia Morgenstern

Romanian actress

Maia Emilia Ninel Morgenstern is a Romanian film and stage actress. Internationally, she is best known for portraying the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she has been…

1962

Yvonne van Gennip

Dutch speed skater

Yvonne Maria Therèse van Gennip is one of the most successful female Dutch all-round speed skaters. Her main success dates from the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, where she unexpectedly won three gold medals. She was…

1964

Olaf Thon

German footballer

Olaf Thon is a German former professional football player and coach.

1966

Tim McGraw

American singer-songwriter and actor

Samuel Timothy McGraw is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums. 10 of those albums have reached number one on the Top Country Albums charts, with his 1994 breakthrough album Not a Moment…

1967

Oliver Bierhoff

German footballer

Oliver Bierhoff is a German association football official and former player who played as a striker. He has previously served as the technical director of the Germany national team. A tall, strong and prolific…

1968

D'arcy Wretzky

American bass player and singer

D'arcy Wretzky is an American musician. She was the original bassist of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins and is credited on their first six studio albums. She left the band in 1999. She has also been a…

1968

Wes Anderson

American director, producer, and screenwriter

Wesley Wales Anderson is an American filmmaker. His films are known for themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Due to his films' eccentricity, distinctive visual and narrative styles, and…

1969

Mary Lou McDonald

Irish politician

Mary Louise McDonald is an Irish politician who has served as Leader of the Opposition in Ireland since June 2020, as President of Sinn Féin since February 2018, and as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Central…

1969

Billy Owens

American basketball player

Billy Eugene Owens is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Syracuse, where he was an All-American…

1969

Bernard Butler

English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Bernard Joseph Butler is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for being the guitarist for the band Suede from 1989 to 1994, appearing on the albums Suede (1993) and Dog Man Star (1994).…

1970

Ethan Albright

American football player

Lawrence Ethan Albright is an American former professional football long snapper who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. Nicknamed "the Red Snapper", he spent the majority of his career with the…

1971

Stuart Appleby

Australian golfer

Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He was a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour.

1971

Ajith Kumar

Indian actor and race car driver

Ajith Kumar Subramaniam is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 63 films, and won four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three…

1971

Ramzi bin al-Shibh

Yemeni terrorist

Ramzi Mohammed Abdullah bin al-Shibh is a Yemeni terrorist who served as al-Qaeda's communications officer. He has been detained by the United States in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp (NSGB) since 2006. He was a "key…

1972

Julie Benz

American actress

Julie Benz is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (1997–2004), and as Rita Bennett on Dexter (2006–2010), for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best…

1972

Curtis Martin

American football player

Curtis James Martin Jr. is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots and New York Jets. He spent his first three…

1973

Oliver Neuville

German footballer

Oliver Patric Neuville is a German former footballer who played as a striker.

1973

Alexey Smertin

Russian international footballer

Aleksey Gennadyevich Smertin is a Russian football official and a former player. He was a fairly versatile player and was able to play in defence as well as midfield. He works in the Russian Football Union in two…

1975

James Murray

American comedian

James Stephen "Murr" Murray, is an American improvisational comedian, author, and actor. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe also consisting of Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, and formerly Joe Gatto. Along with…

1976

James Badge Dale

American actor

James Badge Dale is an American actor. Frequently cast as law enforcement and military characters, he is known for his roles as Chase Edmunds in 24, Robert Leckie in The Pacific, Trooper Barrigan in The Departed, Luke…

1978

Michael Russell

American tennis player

Michael Craig Russell is an American former professional tennis player, and tennis coach. He reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 60 in August 2007. His 23 United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro…

1978

Mauro Bergamasco

Italian rugby player

Mauro Bergamasco is an Italian former rugby union player who last played for Zebre. He predominantly played as an open-side flanker, although his versatility meant that he had also played a number of international games…

1979

Jan Heylen

Belgian race car driver

Jan Heylen is a Belgian racing driver, based out of Tampa, Florida.

1980

Jay Reatard

American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2010)

James Lee Lindsey Jr., known professionally as Jay Reatard, was an American rock musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was signed to Matador Records. He released recordings as a solo artist and as a member of the…

1980

Alexander Hleb

Belarusian footballer

Aliaksandr Paulavich Hleb, commonly referred to in English as Alexander Hleb, is a Belarusian former professional footballer.

1981

Wes Welker

American football player and coach

Wesley Carter Welker is an American professional football coach and former wide receiver who is an offensive assistant for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for 12…

1981

Beto

Portuguese footballer

António Alberto Bastos Pimparel, known as Beto, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

1982

Jamie Dornan

Northern Irish model and actor

James Peter Maxwell Dornan is an actor, model, and musician from Northern Ireland. His accolades include two Irish Film and Television Awards, in addition to nominations for a BAFTA Television Award and a Golden Globe…

1982

Tommy Robredo

Spanish tennis player

Tomás Robredo Garcés is a Spanish former professional tennis player. His career-high singles ranking was world No. 5, which he reached in August 2006 as a result of winning the Hamburg Masters earlier in the year.…

1982

Darijo Srna

Croatian footballer

Darijo Srna is a Croatian former professional footballer and current director of football of Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. During most of his career he played as a right wing-back.

1982

Katya Zamolodchikova

American drag queen

Brian Joseph McCook, known by his drag persona Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova or Katya, is an American drag queen, actor, author, recording artist, podcaster, and comedian. Katya is best known for placing fifth on…

1982

Alain Bernard

French swimmer

Alain Bernard is a French former swimmer from Aubagne, Bouches-du-Rhône.

1983

Park Hae-jin

South Korean actor

Park Hae-jin is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in dramas My Love from the Star (2013) and Doctor Stranger (2014), and his leading roles in Bad Guys (2014), Cheese in the Trap (2016), Man…

1983

Craig Williams

American wrestler

Craig Williams, better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. His character was that of a 1970s blaxploitation street pimp.

1983

David Backes

American ice hockey player

David Anthony Backes is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played for fifteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks. Backes…

1984

Christian Benítez

Ecuadorian footballer (died 2013)

Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt was an Ecuadorian professional footballer who played as a striker.

1986

Jesse Klaver

Dutch politician

Jesse Feras Klaver is a Dutch politician who has served as leader of GroenLinks–PvdA in the House of Representatives since 2025, a member of the House of Representatives since 2010 and Leader of GroenLinks since 2015.…

1986

Leonardo Bonucci

Italian footballer

Leonardo Bonucci is an Italian professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He is assistant coach of the Italy national under-20 team and technical assistant of the Italy national team.…

1987

Amir Johnson

American basketball player

Amir Jalla Johnson is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a player development coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously played for…

1987

Shahar Pe'er

Israeli tennis player

Shahar Pe'er is an Israeli retired tennis player.

1987

Anushka Sharma

Indian actress and film producer

Anushka Sharma is an Indian film actress and producer who works in Hindi films. She has won many awards including Filmfare Awards and IIFA Awards. Sharma has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 in the 2010s and was…

1988

Victoria Monét

American singer-songwriter

Victoria Monét McCants is an American singer-songwriter. First gaining recognition for her songwriting work, Monét pursued a recording career with the release of a series of extended plays (EPs); her fifth, Jaguar…

1989

Scooter Gennett

American baseball player

Ryan Joseph "Scooter" Gennett is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. On June 6, 2017,…

1990

Caitlin Stasey

Australian actress

Caitlin Jean Stasey is an Australian actress and singer. She is known for her role as Rachel Kinski in Neighbours. Previously she played Francesca Thomas in The Sleepover Club, although her breakthrough film role came…

1990

Marcus Stroman

American baseball player

Marcus Earl Stroman is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees.…

1991

Madeline Brewer

American actress

Madeline Kathryn Brewer is an American actress. She is known for recurring roles in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Hemlock Grove (2014–2015), and for her starring roles as Janine Lindo in the Hulu…

1992

Hani

South Korean singer and actress

Ahn Hee-yeon, known professionally as Hani (하니), is a South Korean singer and actress. She is known as a member of the South Korean girl group EXID and its subgroup, SoljiHani. She has appeared on television as a host…

1992

Bradley Roby

American football player

Bradley Roby is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played…

1992

William Nylander

Canadian-Swedish ice hockey player

William Andrew Michael Junior Nylander Altelius is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Willy Styles", he is known for his…

1996

Miles Sanders

American football player

Miles Adam Sanders, nicknamed "Boobie Miles", is an American professional football running back and kick returner. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft after playing…

1997

YNW Melly

American rapper

Jamell Maurice Demons, known professionally by his stage name YNW Melly, is an American rapper and singer. He rose to fame in 2018 following the release of his single "Murder on My Mind", a trap song that explores…

1999

Tiffany Stratton

American wrestler

Jessica Lynn Woynilko is an American professional wrestler and former gymnast. As of August 2021, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Tiffany Stratton and is the current…

1999

Rema

Nigerian singer-songwriter and rapper

Divine Joshua Ikubor, known professionally as Rema, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and rapper. He gained recognition with his 2019 song "Dumebi". That same year, he signed with D'Prince's record label, Jonzing World.…

2000

Chet Holmgren

American basketball player

Chet Thomas Holmgren is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A consensus five-star recruit and the top-ranked player of the 2021 class,…

2002

Lizzy Greene

American actress

Elizabeth Anne Greene is an American actress, known for her titular role as Dawn Harper in the Nickelodeon sitcom Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn from 2014 to 2018. She has starred as Sophie Dixon in the ABC family drama A…

2003

Charli D'Amelio

American social media influencer and dancer

Charli Grace D'Amelio is an American social media personality and dancer. She was a competitive dancer for over a decade before she came to prominence in late 2019, when she began posting dance videos on the…

2004

Linda Fruhvirtová

Czech tennis player

Linda Fruhvirtová is a Czech professional tennis player. On 26 June 2023, she reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 49. She peaked at No. 187 in the WTA doubles rankings in October 2023. She won her first…

2005

Lewis Miley

English footballer

Lewis Miley is an English professional footballer who plays mainly as a midfielder for Premier League club Newcastle United and the England under-21 national team. Mainly a central midfielder, he can also be deployed as…

2006

May 1 in the Blog

Amtrak — May 1, 1971

40 million passengers relied on 20 private railroads until Washington D.C. saw Amtrak's birth on May 1, 1971, changing US transportation forever.

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Kate Smith — American contralto (1907–1986)

FeaturedKate Smith

Birth year1907

Known forReferred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith became well known for her renditions of "God Bless America" and "When the Moon Comes over the Mountain"

Birthdays on this date179 (1218 – 2006)

Explore May 1

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

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2026

After a ransomware attack by the group ShinyHunters, the education platform Canvas operated by private company Instructure, goes offline, affecting thousands of educational institutions. Wikipedia →

2024

The 2024 Loblaw boycott, a Canadian boycott against retail corporation and grocer Loblaw Companies, begins. Wikipedia →

2019

Naxalite attack in Gadchiroli district of India: Sixteen army soldiers, including a driver, killed in an IED blast. Naxals targeted an anti-Naxal operations team. Wikipedia →

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1907 — Kate Smith

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