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"
Famous Birthdays on May 1
189 people
1218 – 2005
May 1 has seen 189 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1218 – 2005. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1907 — Kate Smith
American singer and actress (died 1986)
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
1218
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…
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1218
9th Earl of Arundel, English politician (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…
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1285
Mongolian emperor (died 1332)
Rinchinbal, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Ningzong of Yuan, was a son of Kuśala who was briefly installed to the throne of the Yuan dynasty of Mongol, but died soon after he was installed to the throne.…
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1326
eldest daughter of Duke Albrecht IV of Bavaria-Munich (died 1505)
Sidonie of Bavaria was a member of the House of Wittelsbach. She was the eldest daughter of Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich and his wife Kunigunde of Austria. She died later as a bride of the Elector Palatine Louis V.
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1488
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…
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1527
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…
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1545
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.
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1579
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.
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1582
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…
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1585
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.
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1591
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…
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1594
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…
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1602
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…
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1672
English admiral (died 1790)
Vice-Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley, 1st Baronet was a Royal Navy officer who was the fourth son of Admiral Sir William Rowley. Sir Joshua was from an ancient English family, originating in Staffordshire (England) and was…
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1730
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,…
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1735
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…
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1751
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…
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1764
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…
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1769
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…
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1783
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,…
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1803
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…
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1811
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.
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1821
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.
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1824
Swiss mathematician and physicist (died 1898)
Johann Jakob Balmer was a Swiss mathematician best known for his work in physics, the Balmer series of hydrogen atom.
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1825
American painter and educator (died 1894)
George Inness was an American landscape painter.
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1825
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…
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1827
Brazilian author and playwright (died 1877)
José Martiniano de Alencar was a Brazilian lawyer, politician, orator, novelist and dramatist. He is considered to be one of the most famous and influential Brazilian Romantic novelists of the 19th century, and a major…
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1829
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…
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1829
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,…
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1830
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…
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1831
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…
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1846
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…
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1847
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…
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1848
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…
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1850
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…
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1852
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…
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1852
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.
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1853
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,…
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1855
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…
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1857
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).
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1859
French novelist and playwright (died 1941)
Marcel Prévost was a French author and dramatist.
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1862
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…
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1864
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).
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1871
President of Nicaragua (died 1966)
Emiliano Chamorro Vargas was a Nicaraguan military figure and politician who served as President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1917 to 1 January 1921. He was a member of the Conservative Party.
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1871
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…
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1872
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…
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1872
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…
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1874
Belgian target 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…
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1874
1875
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…
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1881
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…
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1884
Belgian poet (died 1922)
Clément Pansaers was the main proponent of the Dada movement in Belgium.
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1885
American sculptor and painter (died 1973)
Ralph Ward Stackpole was an American sculptor, painter, muralist, etcher and art educator, San Francisco's leading artist during the 1920s and 1930s. Stackpole was involved in the art and causes of social realism,…
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1885
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…
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1887
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.
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1890
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…
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1891
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…
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1895
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,…
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1895
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…
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1896
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.
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1896
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…
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1896
Estonian weightlifter (died 1972)
Alfred Schmidt was an Estonian featherweight weightlifter who won a silver medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
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1898
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…
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1900
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…
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1900
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.…
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1901
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.
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1901
German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1988)
Henry Koster was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran.
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1905
German SS officer and physician (died 1983)
Horst Schumann was an SS-Sturmbannführer (major) and medical doctor who conducted sterilization and castration experiments at Auschwitz and was particularly interested in the mass sterilization of Jews by means of…
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1906
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.
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1908
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.
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1908
Estonian-Soviet military pilot and politician (died 1996)
Endel Karlovich Puusepp was a Soviet bomber pilot of Estonian origin who completed over 30 nighttime strategic bombing campaigns during World War II. He was a recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union award for flying a…
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1909
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".
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1909
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…
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1910
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…
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1910
German admiral (died 1998)
Otto Kretschmer was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War.
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1912
1913
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…
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1915
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…
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1916
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…
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1917
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…
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1917
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.
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1917
1918
1919
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.
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1919
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…
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1919
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…
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1921
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…
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1923
Polish soldier (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.
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1923
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…
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1924
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…
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1924
American lieutenant and football player (died 2015)
Charles Philip Bednarik, 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, and…
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1925
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…
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1925
1926
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…
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1927
Yugoslav-Croatian footballer (died 1983)
Bernard Vukas was a Croatian footballer who played for Yugoslavia.
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1927
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).
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1927
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…
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1928
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…
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1929
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…
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1929
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…
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1930
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…
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1930
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…
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1930
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…
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1932
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.
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1932
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…
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1934
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…
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1934
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…
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1934
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…
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1937
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…
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1939
American singer-songwriter
Rita Coolidge is an American 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 musician and…
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1945
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…
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1946
1946
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…
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1948
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…
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1949
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…
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1950
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.…
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1951
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.
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1951
English economist and academic
Sir Richard William Blundell CBE FBA is a British economist and econometrician.
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1952
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…
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1954
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. He was the oldest brother of Miami…
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1954
Scottish politician
Alexander Cunningham is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stockton North from 2010 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he was Shadow Minister for Courts and Sentencing.
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1955
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…
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1955
Australian cricketer
Warrick Maxwell Darling, known as Rick Darling, is a former Australian Test cricketer.
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1957
Italian banker, director, and producer
Count Uberto Pasolini Dall'Onda is an Italian film producer, director, and former investment banker known for producing the 1997 film The Full Monty and directing and producing the 2008 film Machan and the 2013 film…
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1957
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…
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1959
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…
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1961
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,…
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1961
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…
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1962
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…
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1964
1966
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…
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1967
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…
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1968
American bass player and singer
D'arcy Elizabeth 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…
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1968
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…
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1969
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…
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1969
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…
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1969
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).…
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1970
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…
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1971
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.
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1971
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…
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1971
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…
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1972
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…
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1972
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…
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1973
German footballer
Oliver Patric Neuville is a German former footballer who played as a striker.
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1973
Cameroonian footballer (died 2003)
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder.
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1975
English journalist
Nina Hossain is a British journalist and presenter employed by ITN as the lead presenter of the ITV Lunchtime News.
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1975
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…
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1975
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…
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1976
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…
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1978
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…
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1978
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…
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1979
Russian ice hockey player (died 2003)
Roman Yurievich Lyashenko was a Russian ice hockey player. He played professionally in North America for the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1999 to 2002, and also spent time…
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1979
Belgian race car driver
Jan Heylen is a Belgian racing driver, based out of Tampa, Florida.
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1980
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2010)
James Lee Lindsey Jr., known professionally as Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was signed to Matador Records. He released recordings as a solo artist and as a member of the Reatards and…
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1980
Belarusian footballer
Aliaksandr Paulavich Hleb, commonly referred to in English as Alexander Hleb, is a Belarusian former professional footballer.
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1981
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…
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1981
1982
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…
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1982
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.…
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1982
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.
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1982
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…
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1982
1983
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…
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1983
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.
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1983
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…
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1984
Ecuadorian footballer (died 2013)
Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt was an Ecuadorian professional footballer who played as a striker.
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1986
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.…
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1986
Italian footballer
Leonardo Bonucci is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, he was known for his technique, ball-playing skills, tackling and his…
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1987
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…
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1987
1987
Indian actress and film producer
Anushka Sharma is an Indian film producer and former actress 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…
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1988
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…
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1989
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,…
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1990
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…
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1990
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.…
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1991
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…
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1992
1992
American football player
Bradley Roby is an American former professional football cornerback. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He has also…
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1992
Canadian-Swedish ice hockey player
William Andrew Michael Junior Nylander Altelius is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a forward and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Willy…
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1996
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…
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1997
1999
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…
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1999
2000
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,…
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2002
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…
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2003
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…
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2004
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…
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2005
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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 date189 (1218 – 2005)
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Also on May 1 in History
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 →
2019
See all events on May 1
Naruhito ascends to the throne of Japan succeeding his father Akihito, beginning the Reiwa period. Wikipedia →
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