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Famous Birthdays on May 2
178 people
1360 – 2015
May 2 has seen 178 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1360 – 2015. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1971 — Musashimaru Kōyō
Samoan-American sumo wrestler, the 67th Yokozuna
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After reaching the rank of ōzeki in 1994 his progress seemed to stall, but in 1999 he became only the second foreign-born wrestler in history to reach the sport's highest rank of yokozuna
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Musashimaru won over 700 top division bouts and took twelve top division tournament championships during his career
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His sheer 235 kg (518 lb) bulk combined with 1.92 m of height made him a formidable opponent, and he was remarkably consistent and injury-free for most of his career
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He was born in American Samoa, before moving to Hawaii at the age of 10
The Yongle Emperor, personal name Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424. He was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the dynasty.
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1360
Queen of Portugal (died 1445)
Eleanor of Aragon was Queen of Portugal from 1433 to 1438 as the spouse of King Edward. After Edward's death, she served as regent in 1438-1440 for her son Afonso V. She was the daughter of Ferdinand I of Aragon and…
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1402
1451
Dona Eleanor of Avis, also known as Leonor de Lencastre or Eleanor of Viseu, was a Portuguese infanta (princess) and queen consort of Portugal. She was the wife of King John II of Portugal and the sister of King Manuel…
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1458
Duke of Münsterberg-Oels, Count of Kladsko, Governor of Bohemia and Silesia (died 1536)
Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels was a member of the House of Poděbrady. He was Duke of Münsterberg and Duke of Oels as well as Count of Kladsko. From 1519 to 1523 he held the office of the bailiff of Upper Lusatia,…
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1476
1533
English historian and topographer (died 1623)
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of Britannia, the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland that relates landscape,…
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1551
Dutch captain, vice-admiral of the Dutch East India Company (died 1603)
Sebald or Sebald de Weert was a Flemish captain and vice-admiral of the Dutch East India Company. He is most widely remembered for accurately plotting the Falkland Islands in 1600.
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1567
Japanese shōgun (died 1632)
Tokugawa Hidetada was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the second shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Through his daughter Tokugawa…
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1579
German priest and scholar (died 1680)
Athanasius Kircher was a German Jesuit scholar and polymath who published around 40 major works of comparative religion, geology, and medicine. Kircher has been compared to fellow Jesuit Roger Joseph Boscovich and to…
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1601
Italian composer (died 1725)
Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan School of opera.
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1660
Italian-French painter and architect (died 1766)
Jean-Nicolas Servan, also known as Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni, was an Italian decorator, architect, painter, firework designer and trompe-l'œil specialist.
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1695
German theologian and theosopher (died 1782)
Friedrich Christoph Oetinger was a German Lutheran theologian and theosopher.
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1702
French cellist and composer (died 1747)
Jean-Baptiste Barrière was a French cellist and composer. He was born in Bordeaux, Gascony and died in Paris, at 40 years of age.
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1707
Catherine II, commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after a coup d'etat against her husband, Peter III. Her long reign helped Russia thrive under a golden…
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1729
2nd Earl of Shelburne, Irish-English politician, Prime Minister of Great Britain (died 1805)
William Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, known as the Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784, by which title he is generally known to history, was an Anglo-Irish Whig statesman who was the first home…
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1737
American lawyer and politician, 10th President of the Continental Congress (died 1821)
Elias Boudinot was an American Founding Father, lawyer, statesman, and early abolitionist and women's rights advocate. During the Revolutionary War, Boudinot was an intelligence officer and prisoner-of-war commissary…
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1740
English soldier and spy (died 1780)
Major John André was a British Army officer who served as the head of Britain's intelligence operations during the American War for Independence. In September 1780, André negotiated with Continental Army general…
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1750
German oboe player and composer (died 1790)
Ludwig August Lebrun was a German oboist and composer.
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1752
Spanish composer (died 1806)
Anastasio Martín Ignacio Vicente Tadeo Francisco Pellegrin Martín y Soler was a Spanish composer of opera and ballet. Although relatively obscure now, in his own day he was compared favorably with his contemporary and…
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1754
1772
Norwegian philosopher and poet (died 1845)
Henrik Steffens, was a Norwegian philosopher, scientist, and poet.
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1773
Canadian physician and geologist (died 1864)
Abraham Pineo Gesner was a Nova Scotian and New Brunswickan physician and geologist who invented kerosene. Gesner was born in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia and lived much of his life in Saint John, New Brunswick. He died in…
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1797
German chemist and physicist (died 1870)
Heinrich Gustav Magnus was a German experimental scientist. His training was mostly in chemistry but his later research was mostly in physics. He spent the great bulk of his career at the University of Berlin, where he…
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1802
French nun and saint (died 1876)
Catherine Labouré, DC was a French member of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and a Marian visionary. She is believed to have relayed the request from the Blessed Virgin Mary to create the Miraculous…
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1806
Danish composer and conductor (died 1874)
Hans Christian Lumbye was a Danish composer of waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and galops, among other things.
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1810
English novelist and poet (died 1883)
Caroline Leigh Gascoigne was a 19th-century English poet and novelist from London. The daughter of a wealthy banker, she began writing at an early age and went on to publish several works in both prose and verse,…
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1813
Canadian lawyer and judge, 1st Chief Justice of Canada (died 1889)
Sir William Buell Richards was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and judge, and served as the first Chief Justice of Canada.
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1815
Scottish-Swedish governess and educator (died 1902)
Jane Miller Thengberg was a Swedish-Scottish teacher. She founded and managed the girls' school Klosterskolan in Uppsala from 1855 to 1863 and was the principal of the Högre lärarinneseminariet in Stockholm from 1863 to…
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1822
French archaeologist and photographer (died 1915)
Claude-Joseph Désiré Charnay was a French traveller and archaeologist notable both for his explorations of Mexico and Central America, and for the pioneering use of photography to document his discoveries.
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1828
German entomologist and author (died 1900)
Otto Staudinger was a German entomologist and a natural history dealer considered one of the largest in the world specialising in the collection and sale of insects to museums, scientific institutions, and individuals.
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1830
Canadian-American engineer (died 1929)
Elijah J. McCoy was a Canadian-American engineer of African-American descent who invented lubrication systems for steam engines. Born free on the Ontario shore of Lake Erie to parents who fled enslavement in Kentucky,…
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1844
English author and playwright (died 1927)
Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the comic travelogue Three Men in a Boat (1889). Other works include the essay collections Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow (1886) and Second…
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1859
Scottish physiologist, physician, and academic (died 1936)
John Scott Haldane was a Scottish physician physiologist and philosopher famous for his often-dangerous self-experimentation that led to many important discoveries about the human body and the nature of gases. He also…
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1860
Austro-Hungarian Zionist philosopher, journalist and author (died 1904)
Theodor Herzl was a Hungarian Jewish journalist and lawyer who was the father of modern political Zionism. Herzl formed the Zionist Organization and promoted Jewish immigration to Palestine, which, in the late 19th…
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1860
American playwright (died 1909)
William Clyde Fitch was an American dramatist, the most popular writer for the Broadway stage of his time.
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1865
Italian-American mobster (died 1930)
Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello, also known as "the Old Fox", was the first boss of the Morello crime family and later top adviser to Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria. He was known as Piddu and his rivals the…
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1867
Japanese writer (died 1896)
Natsuko Higuchi , known by her pen name Higuchi Ichiyō , was a Japanese writer during the Meiji era. She was Japan's first professional woman writer of modern literature, specializing in short stories and poetry, and…
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1872
Lithuanian poet, critic, and translator (died 1944)
Jurgis Baltrušaitis was a Lithuanian Symbolist poet and translator who wrote in Lithuanian and Russian, and was an exponent of iconology. He was the father of art historian and critic Jurgis Baltrušaitis Jr.
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1873
American stenographer and politician, 49th United States Secretary of State (died 1972)
James Francis Byrnes was an American judge and politician from South Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. Congress and on the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as in the executive branch, most…
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1879
1880
American lawyer, politician, and businessperson (died 1955)
Harry Jheopart Capehart Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, and businessperson in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Capehart served as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing McDowell County…
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1881
Puerto Rican activist who helped pave the way for Puerto Ricans' American citizenship (died 1971)
Isabel González was a Puerto Rican activist who helped pave the way for Puerto Ricans to be given United States citizenship. As a young unwed pregnant woman, González had her plans to find and marry the father of her…
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1882
American politician (died 1958)
John Abram Boland Sr. was an American politician and businessman from South Dakota. He was an early supporter of Mount Rushmore and served as treasurer for its construction costs between 1929 and 1938. He served as…
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1884
American actress and gossip columnist (died 1966)
Elda Furry, known professionally as Hedda Hopper, was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, more than 35 million people read her columns. A strong supporter of the House…
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1885
German author and poet (died 1956)
Gottfried Benn was a German poet, essayist, and physician. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. He was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize in 1951.
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1886
English-American dancer (died 1918)
Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. They are credited with reviving the popularity of…
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1887
American baseball player and manager (died 1951)
Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr., nicknamed "Cocky", was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1930 for the Philadelphia…
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1887
Indonesian philosopher, academic, and politician (died 1959)
Raden Mas Soewardi Soerjaningrat, better known by the name Ki Hajar Dewantara since 1922, was a leading Indonesian independence movement activist, writer, columnist, politician, and pioneer of education for native…
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1889
American engineer and author (died 1965)
Edward Elmer Smith was an American food engineer and science-fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera.
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1890
German captain and pilot (died 1918)
Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces…
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1892
American actress of the silent era (died 1957)
Norma Marie Talmadge was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most popular…
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1894
English biologist, philosopher, and academic (died 1981)
Joseph Henry Woodger was a British theoretical biologist and philosopher of biology whose attempts to make biological sciences more rigorous and empirical was significantly influential to the philosophy of biology in…
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1894
American playwright and lyricist (died 1943)
Lorenz Milton Hart was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include "Blue Moon"; "The Lady Is a Tramp"; "Manhattan"; "Bewitched, Bothered and…
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1895
American songwriter (died 1985)
John Frederick Coots, better known as J. Fred Coots or Fred Coots, was an American songwriter. He composed more than 700 popular songs and more than a dozen Broadway shows. In 1934, Coots wrote the melody with his then…
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1897
English bandleader, composer, and actor (died 1989)
Henry Robert Hall was an English bandleader who performed regularly on BBC Radio during the British dance band era of the 1920s and 1930s, through to the 1960s.
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1898
English actor (died 1986)
William Brian de Lacy Aherne was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States.
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1902
American pediatrician, activist, and author (died 1998)
Benjamin McLane Spock, widely known as Dr. Spock, was an American pediatrician, Olympic athlete, and left-wing political activist. His book Baby and Child Care (1946) is one of the best-selling books of the 20th…
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1903
American author (died 1969)
Charlotte Armstrong Lewi was an American writer. Under the names Charlotte Armstrong and Jo Valentine she wrote 29 novels, as well as short stories, plays, and screenplays. She also worked for The New York Times'…
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1905
1907
American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (died 1943)
Alexander "Sandy" Bonnyman Jr. was a United States Marine Corps officer who was killed in action on Betio Atoll in the Gilbert Islands during World War II.
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1910
American urban planner, architect, educator, and author (died 2005)
Edmund Norwood Bacon was an American urban planner, architect, educator, and author. During his tenure as the executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission from 1949 to 1970, his visions shaped today's…
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1910
German journalist and publisher, founded Axel Springer AG (died 1985)
Axel Cäsar Springer was a German publisher and founder of what is now Axel Springer SE, the largest media publishing firm in Europe. By the early 1960s his print titles dominated the West German daily press market. His…
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1912
Dutch comic strip creator (died 2005)
Marten Toonder was a Dutch comic strip creator. He was probably the most successful comic artist in the Netherlands and had a great influence on the Dutch language by introducing new words and expressions. He is most…
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1912
English actor and director (died 1981)
Nigel Dennis Patrick Wemyss-Gorman was an English actor and stage director born into a theatrical family.
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1912
American singer-songwriter (died 2003)
Doris Fisher was an American singer and songwriter, collaborating both as lyricist and composer. She co-wrote many popular songs in the 1940s, including "Whispering Grass", "You Always Hurt the One You Love", "Into Each…
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1915
English actress (died 2001)
Margaret Rose Mount was an English actress. As a child, she found acting an escape from an unhappy home life. After playing in amateur productions, she was taken on by a repertory company and spent nine years in various…
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1915
Vietnamese general and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for Vietnam (died 2002)
Văn Tiến Dũng was a Vietnamese general in the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), PAVN chief of staff (1954–1974); PAVN commander in chief (1975–1980); member of the Central Military–Party Committee (CMPC) (1984–1986) and…
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1917
Scottish pianist and composer
Joseph Turner Henderson, known as Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson, was a Scottish pianist, composer and recording artist who became well-known in Britain in the 1950s, with his entertainment career continuing into the 1960s…
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1920
1921
Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1992)
Satyajit Ray was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential film directors…
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1921
American actor and director (died 2007)
Roscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director. He is perhaps best known for his many guest appearances on TV series from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as movies like The Cowboys (1972) with John Wayne, and The…
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1922
Canadian-born American journalist and author (died 2006)
Abraham Michael "Abe" Rosenthal was a Canadian-born American journalist who served as The New York Times executive editor from 1977 to 1986. Previously he was the newspaper's metropolitan editor and managing editor.…
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1922
Irish physician and politician, 6th President of Ireland (died 2008)
Patrick John Hillery was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the president of Ireland from December 1976 to December 1990. He also served as vice-president of the European Commission and European Commissioner…
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1923
Austrian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (died 2015)
Theodore Meir Bikel was an Austrian-American actor, singer, and political activist.
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1924
English soldier, historian, and diplomat, British Ambassador to Japan (died 2018)
Sir Arthur Henry Hugh Cortazzi, was a British diplomat. He was also a distinguished international businessman, academic, author and prominent Japanologist. He was Ambassador from the United Kingdom to Japan (1980–84),…
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1924
English-Canadian actor (died 2011)
John Reginald Neville CM OBE was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned more than sixty years. He was renowned for his roles on both stage and screen in genres ranging from classical theatre to…
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1925
Australian actor and singer (died 2009)
Raymond Charles Barrett was an Australian actor. During the 1960s, he was a leading actor on British television, where he was best known for his appearances in The Troubleshooters (1965–1971). From the 1970s, he…
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1927
British wine critic and writer (died 2020)
John Michael Broadbent, MW, was a British wine critic, writer and auctioneer in a capacity as a Master of Wine. He was an authority on wine tasting and old wines.
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1927
Turkish-French economist and politician, 162nd Prime Minister of France
Édouard Balladur is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France under François Mitterrand from 29 March 1993 to 17 May 1995. He unsuccessfully ran for president in the 1995 French presidential election,…
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1929
1929
Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan (died 1972)
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was King of Bhutan from 30 March 1952 until his death in 1972.
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1929
Israeli painter and critic (died 2013)
Yoram Kaniuk was an Israeli writer, painter, journalist, and theatre critic.
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1930
Italian journalist and politician (died 2016)
Marco Pannella was an Italian politician, journalist and activist. He was well known in his country for his nonviolence and civil rights' campaigns, like the right to divorce, the right to abortion, the legalization of…
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1930
American actor and stuntman (died 2012)
Philip Bruns was an American television and movie actor and writer. He portrayed George Shumway, the father of Mary Hartman on the 1970s comedic series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and Morty Seinfeld, the father of Jerry…
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1931
Baron Woolf, English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Harry Kenneth Woolf, Baron Woolf is a British life peer and retired barrister and judge. He was Master of the Rolls from 1996 until 2000 and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 2000 until 2005. The…
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1933
Spanish footballer and manager (died 2023)
Luis Suárez Miramontes was a Spanish professional footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, España Industrial, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria; he also represented the Spain…
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1935
the last King of Iraq (died 1958)
Faisal II was the last King of Iraq. He reigned from 4 April 1939 until July 1958, when he was killed during the 14 July Revolution. This regicide marked the end of the thirty-seven-year-old Hashemite monarchy in Iraq,…
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1935
Argentinian actress, director, and screenwriter
Norma Aleandro is an Argentine actress. She is considered one of the most celebrated and prolific Argentine actresses of all time and is recognized as a cultural icon in her home country.
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1936
English singer and pianist
Arnold George Dorsey, MBE, known professionally as Engelbert Humperdinck, is a British singer described by AllMusic as "one of the finest middle-of-the-road balladeers around". He achieved international prominence in…
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1936
American actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 2001)
Gerald David "Lorenzo" Music was an American actor, composer, musician, performer, writer and producer. Music began his career in the 1960s with his wife, Henrietta, forming the comedy duo Gerald and His Hen. He then…
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1937
Moshoeshoe II, previously known as Constantine Bereng Seeiso, was the Paramount Chief of Basutoland, succeeding paramount chief Seeiso from 1960 until the country gained full independence from Britain in 1966. He was…
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1938
American baseball player
Clay Palmer Carroll is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1964 through 1978, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that…
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1941
Belgian businessman (died 2021)
Jacques Jean Marie, Count Rogge was a Belgian sports administrator, former athlete, and physician, who served as the eighth president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2013. In 2013, Rogge became…
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1942
Bosnian actor and film director (died 2020)
Mustafa Nadarević was a Bosnian and Croatian actor. Widely considered one of the greatest actors from the former Yugoslavia, he starred in over 70 films, including The Smell of Quinces (1982), When Father Was Away on…
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1943
English chemist, historian, and curator
Robert Geoffrey William Anderson, is a British museum curator and historian of chemistry. He has interests in the history of chemistry, including the history of scientific instrumentation, the work of Joseph Black and…
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1944
English singer-songwriter (died 1998)
Alexander Minto Hughes, better known as Judge Dread, was an English reggae and ska musician. He was the first white recording artist to have a reggae hit in Jamaica, and the BBC has banned more of his songs from radio…
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1945
Nicaraguan-American model, actress, and activist
Bianca Jagger is a Nicaraguan social activist, human rights advocate, and a former actress. She gained international prominence in the 1970s through her marriage to Mick Jagger, the frontman of the Rolling Stones.…
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1945
American singer-songwriter (died 2015)
Lesley Gore was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song "It's My Party", a U.S. number one in 1963. She followed it up with ten further U.S. Billboard top 40 hits…
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1946
English actor
Sir David Courtney Suchet is an English actor. He is known for his work on stage and in television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial Oppenheimer (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his…
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1946
English businessman, founded the Dyson Company
Sir James Dyson is an English inventor, industrial designer, farmer, and business magnate who founded the Dyson company. He is best known as the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, which works on the principle of…
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1947
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers are an American country music vocal group. The group consists of lead singer Larry Gatlin and his brothers, Rudy and Steve Gatlin. The group achieved considerable success within the…
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1948
English gardener and author
Alan Fred Titchmarsh is an English gardener, author and broadcaster. After working as a professional gardener and a horticultural journalist, he became a radio and television presenter and a novelist.
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1949
German celebrity chef, author and businessman
Alfons Schuhbeck is one of Germany's top chefs, as well as being a restaurateur, celebrity chef, author and businessman.
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1949
Australian rugby league player and coach (died 2022)
Frank Curry Jr. was an Australian rugby league player and coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs club.
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1950
Australian businessman and politician
Duncan John Gay is a former Australian politician who served as the Vice-President of the Executive Council of New South Wales and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council from May 2014 to January 2017;…
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1950
1950
English singer and bass player (died 1979)
John Glascock was a British musician. He was the bassist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Carmen from 1972 to 1975; and the bass guitarist for progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1976 until his death in…
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1951
Australian rugby league player and coach
Christopher Anderson is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian Kangaroos and New South Wales Blues representative…
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1952
American actress and singer
Christine Jane Baranski is an American actress. She received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom Cybill (1995–1998). Baranski is…
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1952
Russian conductor and director
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is currently general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre and of the Bolshoi Theatre and artistic director of the White…
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1953
American basketball player
Jamaal Abdul-Lateef, better known as Jamaal Wilkes, is an American former basketball player who was a small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star, he won four NBA championships…
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1953
American composer and conductor
Elliot Goldenthal is an American composer of contemporary classical music and film and theatrical scores. A student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, he is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend…
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1954
English politician
Dawn Primarolo, Baroness Primarolo, is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Bristol South from 1987 until 2015, when she stood down. She was Minister of State for Children, Young People…
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1954
Scottish footballer
William Ferguson Miller MBE is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, who made a club record 560 league appearances for Aberdeen. Sir Alex Ferguson described Miller as "the best penalty box defender…
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1955
Italian fashion designer
Donatella Francesca Versace, is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion company Versace, with whom she worked closely on the…
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1955
Canadian businessman and politician, 41st Mayor of Quebec City
Régis Labeaume is a Canadian businessman, writer and politician. He served as mayor of Quebec City from 2007 to 2021. He was first elected on December 2, 2007, after the death of former mayor Andrée Boucher. He was…
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1956
Japanese songwriter and producer
Yasushi Akimoto is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he…
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1958
English-Irish footballer and manager
David Anthony O'Leary is a football manager and former player. The majority of his 20-year playing career was spent as a central defender at Arsenal, where his tally of 722 appearances stands as a club record. He played…
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1958
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Anthony Charles Wakeford is a British neofolk musician, who primarily records under the name Sol Invictus. He is also a member of the punk rock band Crisis and a co-founder of Death in June.
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1959
English director and producer
Stephen David Daldry CBE is an English director and producer of film, theatre, and television. He has won three Tony Awards for his work on Broadway and an Olivier Award for his work in the West End. He has received…
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1960
Australian rugby league player and coach
Royce Michael Simmons is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. A one-club man, he played as a hooker for the Penrith Panthers in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) from 1980 to 1991,…
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1960
English director and producer
Michael Grandage CBE is a British theatre director and producer. He is currently artistic director of the Michael Grandage Company. From 2002 to 2012 he was artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse in London and from…
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1962
English snooker player
James Warren White is an English professional snooker player who has won ten ranking events. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his swift and attacking style of play, White has reached six World Snooker Championship…
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1962
Indonesian army general and diplomat
Gina Yoginda is an Indonesian military officer and diplomat who is currently serving as ambassador of Indonesia to North Korea since 2025. Prior to his ambassadorship, Gina served within intelligence units at the…
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1963
Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist, and politician
Belinda Caroline Stronach is a Canadian businesswoman and former politician. She served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2004 to 2008, initially as a Conservative and later as a Liberal. During her political career,…
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1966
American journalist and author
Mika Emilie Leonia Brzezinski Scarborough is an American talk show host who co-hosts MS NOW's weekday morning broadcast show Morning Joe alongside her husband Joe Scarborough. She was formerly a CBS News correspondent,…
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1967
English footballer (died 2001)
David Carlyle Rocastle was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the roles of a playmaker and a winger.
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1967
American footballer
Jeffrey Alan Agoos is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender. He is one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team. Agoos won a record five MLS championships:…
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1968
Malaysian singer-songwriter and actress
Siti Roziana Zain is a Malaysian pop singer and actress. Her music career began in the early '90s with her signature single, "Madah Berhelah" followed by hits like "Terlerai Kasih", "Setia Ku Di Sini" and "Puncak…
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1968
Trinidadian cricketer
Brian Charles Lara, is a Trinidadian former international cricketer, widely renowned as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He holds several cricketing records, including the record for the highest individual score…
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1969
American actor and wrestler
Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his ring name "The Rock", is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest…
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1972
German director and screenwriter
Florian Maria Georg Christian Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck is a German-Austrian film director. He is best known for writing and directing the 2006 dramatic thriller Das Leben der Anderen , which won the Academy Award…
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1973
English footballer, coach, and model
Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City F.C.. Primarily a right midfielder and known for his range of…
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1975
English comedian, actor and writer
Joseph Roland Wilkinson is an English comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He began his comedy career in 2004 and has supported Alan Carr and Russell Howard on tour. In 2006, Wilkinson won the Hackney Empire New Act of…
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1975
1976
Pakistani-American actor, stand-up comedian, and screenwriter
Kumail Ali Nanjiani is a Pakistani and American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter. His accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe…
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1978
1980
American actress, comedian and writer
Elizabeth Claire Kemper is an American actress and comedian, best known for her roles of Erin Hannon in the sitcom The Office (2009–2013) and Kimmy Schmidt in the sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2019). She has…
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1980
English footballer
Zatyiah Knight is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
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1980
American basketball player
Troy Brandon Murphy is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township.…
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1980
Canadian ice hockey player
Bradley Ray Richards is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. Richards was drafted in the third round, 64th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL entry draft and played for the Lightning, New…
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1980
American actor
Robert Earl Buckley is an American actor, known for his roles as Kirby Atwood on the NBC dramedy series Lipstick Jungle, Clay Evans on The CW drama series One Tree Hill, Brian Leonard on the ABC horror-drama series 666…
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1981
English footballer
Christopher Edmund Kirkland is an English football coach and former professional goalkeeper. As a player, he made 321 league and cup appearances in an 18-year professional career from 1998 to 2016 and won one cap for…
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1981
Portuguese footballer
Tiago Cardoso Mendes, known simply as Tiago, is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
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1981
South African cricketer
Johan Botha is a South African-Australian cricket coach, cricketer, and long-distance runner who played for the South African national team between 2005 and 2012. He moved to Australia in 2012 to play in the country's…
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1982
Italian footballer
Alessandro Diamanti is an Italian professional football coach and former midfielder who is the manager for Melbourne City Youth.
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1983
Honduran footballer
Maynor Alexis Figueroa Róchez is a Honduran former professional footballer who played as a left-back or centre-back. He is best known for his time at Wigan Athletic, where he made 179 Premier League appearances and won…
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1983
1983
Spanish race car driver
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
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1983
Lithuanian footballer
Saulius Mikoliūnas is a Lithuanian former professional footballer who played as a right winger. He has previously played for Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian and Ukrainian Premier League club Arsenal…
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1984
Swiss basketball player
Thabo Patrick Sefolosha is a Swiss former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Turkish Basketball League, LNB Pro A, and Lega Basket Serie A. In 2006, Sefolosha…
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1984
English singer-songwriter and actress
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her accolades include a Brit Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award and a Laurence Olivier Award.
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1985
American race car driver
Kyle Thomas Busch is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time in the NASCAR…
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1985
American tennis player
Ashley Harkleroad Adams is an American former professional tennis player. She reached a career-high ranking in singles of 39 in June 2003.
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1985
American figure skater
Sarah Elizabeth Hughes is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2002 Olympic Champion and the 2001 World bronze medalist in ladies' singles.
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1985
Pakistani cricketer
Yasir Shah SI is an international cricketer from Pakistan. He plays as a bowler, and is the joint-second fastest bowler in the history of Test cricket to take 100 wickets, as well as the fastest to pick up 200 wickets,…
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1986
Finnish singer and actress
Saara Sofia Aalto is a Finnish singer, songwriter and voice actress. In 2012, she came second in the first season of The Voice of Finland.
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1987
Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
Nana Kitade is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to being the lead singer of the rock band The Teenage Kissers, she has success as a solo artist, model, actress, and fashion designer. Kitade is…
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1987
American sports analyst and football player
Patrick Justin McAfee is an American sports analyst, color commentator, former professional wrestler, and former professional football punter and kickoff specialist. He is an analyst on College GameDay and the host of…
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1987
Canadian ice hockey player
Kris Russell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played in the 2021–22 season, for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He…
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1987
Dominican baseball player
Neftalí Feliz Antonio is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee…
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1988
American actress
Stephanie Kay Panabaker is an American zookeeper and former actress. She is best known for her work with the Disney Channel, starring in popular productions like Phil of the Future (2004–2006) and Read It and Weep…
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1990
American basketball player
Paul Clifton Anthony George Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time…
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1990
South Korean actor and singer
Jeong Jin-woon (Korean: 정진운), most often credited as Jinwoon, is a South Korean singer and actor. Debuting as a member of the group 2AM in July 2008, he began his acting career in 2012 with the KBS series Dream High 2,…
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1991
Dominican baseball player
Jonathan Rafael Villar Roque is a Dominican professional baseball second baseman for the Caliente de Durango of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros,…
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1991
1992
Spanish tennis player
María Teresa Torró Flor is a Spanish former professional tennis player.
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1992
Welsh track cyclist
Owain Daniel Doull is a Welsh road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Visma–Lease a Bike. Doull specialises in the team pursuit on the track, and won a gold medal in the discipline at the 2016…
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1993
Indonesian singer
Isyana Sarasvati is an Indonesian singer-songwriter and the founder of Redrose Records. She is a graduate of Singapore's Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and London's Royal College of Music. Known for her original…
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1993
Chinese singer and rapper
Huang Zitao, also known by his stage name Tao, is a Chinese rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is a former member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo and its Chinese sub-unit, Exo-M. After…
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1993
American singer-songwriter
Lucy Elizabeth Dacus is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dacus first gained fame following the release of her debut album, No Burden (2016), which led to…
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1995
Thai singer
Cherprang Areekul is a former member of the Thai idol girl group BNK48, an international sister group of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48.
She is one of the first-generation members of the group, and is also the…
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1996
German footballer
Julian Brandt is a German professional footballer who plays as a left winger or attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team.
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1996
American swimmer
Schuyler Miwon Hong Bailar is an American swimmer, author, educator, and advocate for LGBTQ rights. He is the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer, and also the first publicly documented NCAA D1 transgender…
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1996
1997
British royal, and third in line to the British throne
Princess Charlotte of Wales is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and a granddaughter of King Charles III and…
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2015
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Who was born on May 2?
Musashimaru Kōyō — American sumo wrestler
FeaturedMusashimaru Kōyō
Birth year1971
Known forHe was born in American Samoa, before moving to Hawaii at the age of 10
Birthdays on this date178 (1360 – 2015)
Explore May 2
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on May 2 in History
2014
Two mudslides in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, leave up to 2,500 people missing. Wikipedia →
2012
A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for $120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for a work of art at auction. Wikipedia →
2011
See all events on May 2
Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI's most wanted fugitive, is killed by the United States Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Wikipedia →
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