Famous Birthdays on May 26

Q: Who was born on May 26?

Famous people born on May 26 include: Koreyasu, Clement VII, James III, Mehmed III, Philippe de Champaigne.

Q: What is Dayle Haddon known for?

Dayle Haddon, Canadian model and actress (died 2024)

1948 — Dayle Haddon

Canadian model and actress (died 2024)

May 26 has seen 178 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1264 – 2000. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · May 26 — Wikipedia

Famous Birthdays 178 people 1264 – 2000

Did you know

During the earlier part of her career as a model, Haddon appeared on the covers of many top fashion and beauty magazines, as well as the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1973

Did you know

Haddon also served as a wellness contributor to CBS News where she appeared regularly on The Early Show at the turn of the 21st century

Did you know

Haddon died at her daughter's property due to carbon monoxide poisoning in December 2024.

Did you know

Dayle Haddon was a Canadian model and actress, known for promoting anti-aging products manufactured by L'Oréal

Did you know

Additionally, she was credited as the author of Ageless Beauty: A Woman's Guide to Lifelong Beauty and Well-Being

Koreyasu

Japanese prince and shōgun (died 1326)

Prince Koreyasu , also known as Minamoto no Koreyasu , was the seventh shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate of medieval Japan. He was the nominal ruler virtually controlled by the Hōjō clan regents.

1264

Clement VII

pope of the Catholic Church (died 1534)

Pope Clement VII was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the most unfortunate of the popes", Clement VII's reign was marked by a…

1478

James III

margrave of Baden-Hachberg (died 1590)

Margrave James III of Baden-Hachberg was margrave of Baden-Hachberg from 1584 to 1590 and resided at Emmendingen. He converted, in 1590, from Lutheranism to the Roman Catholic confession, causing some political turmoil.

1562

Mehmed III

Ottoman sultan (died 1603)

Mehmed III was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1595 until his death in 1603. Mehmed was known for ordering the execution of his brothers and leading the army in the Long Turkish War, during which the Ottoman army…

1566

Philippe de Champaigne

Dutch-French painter (died 1674)

Philippe de Champaigne was a Brabant-born French Baroque era painter, a major exponent of French Baroque painting. He was a founding member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in Paris, the premier art…

1602

William Petty

English economist and philosopher (died 1687)

Sir William Petty was an English economist, physician, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that…

1623

John Churchill

1st Duke of Marlborough, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire (died 1722)

General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire was a British army officer and statesman. From a gentry family, he served as a page at…

1650

Abraham de Moivre

French-English mathematician and theorist (died 1754)

Abraham de Moivre was a French mathematician known for de Moivre's formula, a formula that links complex numbers and trigonometry, and for his work on the normal distribution and probability theory.

1667

Sébastien Vaillant

French botanist and mycologist (died 1722)

Sébastien Vaillant was a French botanist who was born at Vigny in present-day Val d'Oise.

1669

Nicolaus Zinzendorf

German bishop and saint (died 1760)

Nikolaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf was a German religious and social reformer, bishop of the Moravian Church, founder of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, Christian mission pioneer and a major figure…

1700

William Morgan

British actuary (died 1833)

William Morgan, FRS was a British physician, physicist and statistician, who is considered the father of modern actuarial science. He is also credited with being the first to record the "invisible light" produced when a…

1750

August Kopisch

German poet and painter (died 1853)

August Kopisch was a German poet and painter.

1799

Edmond de Goncourt

French author and critic, founded the Académie Goncourt (died 1896)

Edmond Louis Antoine Huot de Goncourt was a French writer, literary critic, art critic, book publisher and the founder of the Académie Goncourt.

1822

Bob Fitzsimmons

English-New Zealand boxer (died 1917)

Robert James Fitzsimmons was a Cornish-New Zealand professional boxer who was the sport's first three-division world champion. He achieved fame for beating "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, and he is in The Guinness Book of…

1863

Robert W. Chambers

American author and illustrator (died 1933)

Robert William Chambers was an American artist and fiction writer, best known for his book of short stories titled The King in Yellow, published in 1895.

1865

Mary of Teck

English-born queen consort of the United Kingdom (died 1953)

Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King George V.

1867

Olaf Gulbransson

Norwegian painter and illustrator (died 1958)

Olaf Leonhard Gulbransson was a Norwegian artist, painter and designer. He is probably best known for his caricatures and illustrations.

1873

Percy Perrin

English cricketer (died 1945)

Percival Albert Perrin, known as either "Percy" or "Peter", was an English cricketer, who played for Essex as a right-handed middle-order batsman for more than thirty years from 1896.

1876

W. Otto Miessner

American composer and educator (died 1967)

William Otto Miessner was an American composer and music educator. Most of his life was spent in the midwest, particularly Indiana and Wisconsin.

1880

Adolfo de la Huerta

Mexican politician and provisional president, 1920 (died 1955)

Felipe Adolfo de la Huerta Marcor was a Mexican politician, the 45th President of Mexico from 1 June to 30 November 1920, following the assassination of President Venustiano Carranza, with Sonoran generals Álvaro…

1881

Peter Kürten

German serial killer (died 1931)

Peter Kürten was a German serial killer, known as The Vampire of Düsseldorf and the Düsseldorf Monster, who committed a series of murders and sexual assaults between February and November 1929 in the city of Düsseldorf.…

1883

Mamie Smith

American singer, actress, dancer, and pianist (died 1946)

Mamie Smith was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American artist to make vocal blues…

1883

Al Jolson

American singer and actor (died 1950)

Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian.

1886

Ba U

2nd President of Burma (died 1963)

Sir Ba U, was an Anglo-Burmese politician and lawyer. He served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Burma from 1948 to 1952, and the second president of Burma from 16 March 1952 to 13 March 1957.

1887

Eugene Aynsley Goossens

English conductor and composer (died 1962)

Sir Eugene Aynsley Goossens was an English conductor and composer.

1893

Paul Lukas

Hungarian-American actor and singer (died 1971)

Paul Lukas was a Hungarian actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, as well as a Photoplay Award and a New York Film Critics Circle Award…

1894

Dorothea Lange

American photographer and journalist (died 1965)

Dorothea Lange was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange's photographs influenced the development of…

1895

Ernst Bacon

American pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1990)

Ernst Lecher Bacon was an American composer, pianist, and conductor. A prolific composer, Bacon wrote over 250 songs over his career. He was awarded three Guggenheim Fellowships and a Pulitzer Scholarship in 1932 for…

1898

Christfried Burmeister

Estonian speed skater (died 1965)

Christfried Burmeister was an Estonian speed skater and bandy player who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics.

1898

Antonio Barrette

Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Premier of Quebec (died 1968)

Antonio J. Barrette was a Canadian politician born in Joliette, Quebec, Canada, who served as the 18th premier of Quebec.

1899

Muriel McQueen Fergusson

Canadian lawyer and politician, Canadian Speaker of the Senate (died 1997)

Muriel McQueen Fergusson, was a Canadian activist, judge and politician. Fergusson served in the Senate of Canada and as the first woman Speaker of the Senate. She is known for a long career of advocating for the less…

1899

Karin Juel

Swedish singer, actress, and writer (died 1976)

Karin Juel was a Swedish singer, actor and writer, born in Kungsholmen, Stockholm. She originally wrote novels under the pseudonym Katherind van Goeben. She died in Stockholm.

1900

Tamurbek Dawletschin

Tatar author and prisoner of war (died 1983)

Tamurbek Dawletschin was a Soviet writer and intellectual, best known for publishing one of the few memoirs by a Soviet prisoner of war held by Germany during World War II.

1904

George Formby

English singer-songwriter and actor (died 1961)

George Formby was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he sang light, comic songs, usually…

1904

Necip Fazıl Kısakürek

Turkish author, poet, and playwright (died 1983)

Ahmet Necip Fazıl Kısakürek was a Turkish poet, novelist, playwright, Islamist ideologue, and conspiracy theorist. He is also known simply by his initials NFK. He was noticed by the French philosopher Henri Bergson, who…

1904

Vlado Perlemuter

Lithuanian-French pianist and educator (died 2002)

Vladislas "Vlado" Perlemuter was a Lithuanian-born French pianist and teacher.

1904

Jean Bernard

French physician and haematologist (died 2006)

Jean Bernard was a French physician and haematologist. During his life, he served as president of the French Academy of Sciences and the French National Academy of Medicine. He was also the first president of the…

1907

John Wayne

American actor, director, and producer (died 1979)

Marion Robert Morrison, known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood's Golden Age,…

1907

Robert Morley

English actor (died 1992)

Robert Adolph Wilton Morley was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, often in…

1908

Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ

Vietnamese politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam (died 1976)

Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ was a South Vietnamese politician who was the first vice president of South Vietnam, serving under President Ngô Đình Diệm from 1956 until Diệm's overthrow and assassination in 1963. He also served as…

1908

Matt Busby

Scottish footballer and manager (died 1994)

Sir Alexander Matthew Busby was a Scottish football player and manager, who managed Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–71 season. He was the first manager of an English…

1909

Adolfo López Mateos

Mexican politician, 48th President of Mexico (died 1969)

Adolfo López Mateos was a centre-left Mexican politician and lawyer who served as President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964. Previously, he served as Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare from 1952 to 1957 and a Senator…

1909

Imi Lichtenfeld

Hungarian-Israeli martial artist, boxer, and gymnast (died 1998)

Imre "Imi" Lichtenfeld, also known as Imi Sde-Or, was a Hungarian-born Israeli martial artist. He is widely recognized for developing Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art.

1910

Maurice Baquet

French actor and cellist (died 2005)

Maurice Louis Baquet was a French actor and cellist.

1911

Henry Ephron

American playwright, screenwriter, and producer (died 1992)

Henry Ephron was an American playwright, screenwriter and film producer. He often worked with his wife, Phoebe and was active as a writer from the early 1940s through the early 1960s.

1911

János Kádár

Hungarian mechanic and politician, 46th Prime Minister of Hungary (died 1989)

János József Kádár was a Hungarian Communist leader and the General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, a position he held for 32 years. Declining health led to his retirement in 1988, and he died in…

1912

Jay Silverheels

Canadian-American actor (died 1980)

Jay Silverheels was a First Nations and Mohawk actor and athlete, descended from three Iroquois nations. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the Native American companion of the Lone Ranger in the American Western…

1912

Peter Cushing

English actor (died 1994)

Peter Wilton Cushing was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles. He achieved recognition for his…

1913

Pierre Daninos

French author (died 2005)

Pierre Daninos was a French writer and humorist.

1913

Karin Ekelund

Swedish actress (died 1976)

Karin Ekelund was a Swedish actress. She appeared in 29 films between 1933 and 1976. She was the first female radio producer in Sweden, producing, and later directing, for Sveriges Radio's Radio Theatre. She performed…

1913

Josef Manger

German weightlifter (died 1991)

Josef Manger was a German heavyweight weightlifter who won a European title in 1935, an Olympic gold medal in 1936, and two world titles in 1937 and 1938. Between 1935 and 1941 he set 11 ratified world records, ten in…

1913

Frankie Manning

American dancer and choreographer (died 2009)

Frank Manning was an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Manning is considered one of the founders of Lindy Hop, an energetic form of the jazz dance style known as swing.

1914

Vernon Alley

American bassist (died 2004)

Vernon Alley was an American jazz bassist.

1915

Henriette Roosenburg

Dutch journalist and author (died 1972)

Henriette Roosenburg was a Dutch journalist and political prisoner. Her memoir The Walls Came Tumbling Down described her attempts to return to the Netherlands from Germany after being released from prison at the end of…

1916

Rubén González

Cuban pianist (died 2003)

Rubén González Fontanills was a Cuban pianist. Together with Lilí Martínez and Peruchín he is said to have "forged the style of modern Cuban piano playing in the 1940s".

1919

Jack Cheetham

South African cricketer (died 1980)

John Erskine Cheetham was a South African cricketer who played in 24 Test matches between 1949 and 1955, captaining South Africa in his last 15 Test matches. He later served as president of the South African Cricket…

1920

Peggy Lee

American singer-songwriter and actress (died 2002)

Norma Deloris Egstrom, known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to…

1920

Inge Borkh

German soprano (died 2018)

Inge Borkh was a German operatic dramatic soprano. She was first based in Switzerland, where she received international attention when she appeared in the first performance in German of Menotti's The Consul, in Basel,…

1921

James Arness

American actor (died 2011)

James King Arness was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke. He has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in five decades: 1955 to 1975 in the…

1923

Roy Dotrice

English actor (died 2017)

Roy Dotrice was a British stage and screen actor. He played the antiquarian John Aubrey in the solo play Brief Lives. He won a Tony Award for his performance in the 2000 Broadway revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten,…

1923

Carmen Montejo

Cuban-Mexican actress (died 2013)

Carmen Montejo was a Cuban and Mexican actress.

1925

Alec McCowen

English actor (died 2017)

Alexander Duncan McCowen, was an English actor. He was known for his work in numerous film and stage productions.

1925

Miles Davis

American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (died 1991)

Miles Dewey Davis III was an American trumpeter, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. In a career spanning nearly five decades,…

1926

Jacques Bergerac

French actor and businessman (died 2014)

Jacques Bergerac was a French actor and businessman.

1927

Jack Kevorkian

American pathologist, author, and assisted suicide activist (died 2011)

Murad Jacob Kevorkian, also known by the nickname "Dr. Death", was an American pathologist and euthanasia proponent. He publicly championed a terminal patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide, embodied in…

1928

J. F. Ade Ajayi

Nigerian historian and academic (died 2014)

Jacob Festus Adeniyi Ajayi, commonly known as J. F. Ade Ajayi, was a Nigerian historian and a member of the Ibadan school, a group of scholars interested in introducing African perspectives to African history and…

1929

Ernie Carroll

Australian television personality and producer (died 2022)

Ernest Carroll was an Australian puppeteer, entertainer, radio and television personality, comic writer, television producer and comic strip writer, most recognised for his role as the sidekick opposite Daryl Somers, as…

1929

Hans Freeman

Australian bioinorganic chemist and protein crystallographer (died 2008)

Hans Charles Freeman AM, FAA was a German-born Australian bioinorganic chemist, protein crystallographer, and professor of inorganic chemistry who spent most of his academic career at the University of Sydney. His best…

1929

Catherine Sauvage

French singer and actress (died 1998)

Catherine Sauvage was a French singer and actress.

1929

Karim Emami

Indian-Iranian lexicographer and critic (died 2005)

Karim Emami was an Iranian translator, editor, lexicographer, and literary critic.

1930

Eero Loone

Estonian philosopher and academic

Eero Loone is an Estonian philosopher.

1935

Natalya Gorbanevskaya

Russian-Polish poet and activist (died 2013)

Natalya Yevgenyevna Gorbanevskaya was a Russian poet, a translator of Polish literature and a civil-rights activist. She was one of the founders and the first editor of A Chronicle of Current Events (1968–1982). On 25…

1936

Manorama

Indian actress and singer (died 2015)

Gopishantha, better known by her stage name Manorama, also called Aachi, was an Indian actress, comedian and playback singer who had appeared in more than 1500 films and 5000 stage performances predominantly in the…

1937

Paul E. Patton

American politician, 59th Governor of Kentucky

Paul Edward Patton is an American politician who served as the 59th governor of Kentucky from 1995 to 2003. Because of a 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, he was the first governor eligible to run for a…

1937

William Bolcom

American pianist and composer

William Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award, and the Detroit Music Award, and was named Composer of the Year by Musical…

1938

Andrew Clennel Palmer

British engineer (died 2019)

Andrew Clennel Palmer was a British engineer who worked on offshore geotechnical problems of submarine pipeline design and the study of the properties of ice. He spent much of his career as a teacher and academic…

1938

Lyudmila Petrushevskaya

Russian author and playwright

Lyudmila Stefanovna Petrushevskaya is a Russian writer, novelist and playwright. She began her career writing short stories and plays, which the Soviet government often censored and published several well-respected…

1938

K. Bikram Singh

Indian director and producer (died 2013)

K. Bikram Singh was an Indian politician and filmmaker, most known for his documentary film, Satyajit Ray Introspections (1991) and feature film, Tarpan (1994). After a short stint as a lecturer in history, he joined…

1938

Teresa Stratas

Canadian soprano and actress

Teresa Stratas is a retired Canadian operatic soprano and actress of Greek descent. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu.

1938

Monique Gagnon-Tremblay

Canadian academic and politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec

Monique Gagnon-Tremblay is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She was the MNA for the riding of Saint-François in the Estrie region from 1985 to 2012. She served as Liberal leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly…

1940

Levon Helm

American singer-songwriter, drummer, producer, and actor (died 2012)

Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Helm was known…

1940

Aldrich Ames

American CIA officer and criminal (died 2026)

Aldrich Hazen Ames was an American counterintelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who was convicted of espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia in 1994.

1941

Jim Dobbin

Scottish microbiologist and politician (died 2014)

James Dobbin was a British politician and microbiologist who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Heywood and Middleton from 1997 until his death in 2014.

1941

Cliff Drysdale

South African tennis player and sportscaster

Eric Clifford Drysdale is a South African former tennis player. After a career as a highly ranked professional player in the 1960s and early 1970s, he became a tennis commentator.

1941

Imants Kalniņš

Latvian composer

Imants Kalniņš is a Latvian composer, musician and politician. Having studied classical and choral music, he has written seven symphonies, several operas, oratorios, cantatas, choir songs, a lot of movie and theater…

1941

Erica Terpstra

Dutch swimmer, journalist, and politician

Erica Georgina Terpstra is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).

1943

Phil Edmonston

American-Canadian journalist and politician (died 2022)

Louis-Phillip Edmonston was a Canadian consumer advocate, writer, journalist, and politician. Along with Andrew Scheer, he was one of the few politicians with dual American and Canadian citizenship to be elected to the…

1944

Jan Kinder

Norwegian ice hockey player (died 2013)

Jan Runar Kinder was a Norwegian ice hockey player. He was born in Oslo, Norway and represented the club Hasle/Løren IL. He played for the Norwegian national ice hockey team, and participated at the Winter Olympics in…

1944

Sam Posey

American race car driver and journalist

Samuel Felton Posey is an American former racing driver and sports broadcast journalist.

1944

Vilasrao Deshmukh

Indian lawyer and politician, 17th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (died 2012)

Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh was an Indian politician who served as the 14th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, first term from 18 October 1999 to 16 January 2003 and second term, from 1 November 2004 to 5 December 2008.…

1945

Neshka Robeva

Bulgarian gymnast and coach

Neshka Stefanova Robeva is a Bulgarian former rhythmic gymnast and coach.

1946

Mick Ronson

English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (died 1993)

Michael Ronson was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musician who…

1946

Glenn Turner

New Zealand cricketer

Glenn Maitland Turner played cricket for New Zealand and was one of the country's most prolific batsmen. He played domestically for Otago for most of his career and played in England for Worcestershire County Cricket…

1947

Stevie Nicks

American singer-songwriter

Stephanie Lynn Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.

1948

Jeremy Corbyn

British journalist and politician

Jeremy Bernard Corbyn is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North since 1983. He is the parliamentary leader of Your Party, which he co-founded with Zarah Sultana in July 2025.…

1949

Ward Cunningham

American computer programmer, developed the first wiki

Howard G. Cunningham is an American computer programmer, who developed the first wiki and co-authored the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Called a pioneer, and innovator, he also helped create both software…

1949

Pam Grier

American actress

Pamela Suzette Grier is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. Described by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s…

1949

Anne McGuire

Scottish educator and politician

Dame Anne Catherine McGuire is a Scottish Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stirling from 1997 to 2015. She was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 2002 to…

1949

Philip Michael Thomas

American actor

Philip Michael Thomas is an American retired actor and musician and composer best known for his role as detective Ricardo Tubbs on the hit 1980s TV series Miami Vice. His first notable roles were in Coonskin (1975) and…

1949

Hank Williams Jr.

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Randall Hank Williams, known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style has been described as a blend of rock, blues, and country. He is the son of…

1949

Ramón Calderón

Spanish lawyer and businessman

José Ramón Calderón Ramos is a Spanish lawyer who is the former President of Real Madrid. He got his Law Degree in the University of Navarra, Spain in 1974 and he worked in London, England, as a lawyer, in 1975 and…

1951

Lou van den Dries

Dutch mathematician

Laurentius Petrus Dignus "Lou" van den Dries is a Dutch mathematician working in model theory. He is a professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

1951

Muhammed Faris

Syrian military aviator and cosmonaut (died 2024)

Muhammed Ahmed Faris was a Syrian military aviator and astronaut. He was the first Syrian and the second Arab in space.

1951

Sally Ride

American physicist and astronaut, founded Sally Ride Science (died 2012)

Sally Kristen Ride was an American astronaut and physicist. Born in Southern California, she joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983, became the first American woman and the third woman to fly in space. She was the youngest…

1951

Kay Hagan

American lawyer and politician (died 2019)

Janet Kay Hagan was an American lawyer, banking executive, and politician who served as a United States senator from North Carolina from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the North…

1953

Don McAllister

English footballer and manager

Donald McAllister is an English former professional footballer who played as a central defender for Bolton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic, Tampa Bay Rowdies and Rochdale.

1953

Michael Portillo

English journalist, politician and TV presenter

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and retired politician. His broadcast series include railway documentaries such as Great British Railway Journeys and Great Continental Railway…

1953

Michael Devine

Irish Republican hunger strike, died on hunger strike (died 1981)

Michael James Devine was an Irish militant and Republican activist. He was a volunteer in the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), and the last hunger striker to die during the 1981 Irish hunger strike.

1954

Alan Hollinghurst

English novelist, poet, short story writer, and translator

Sir Alan James Hollinghurst is an English novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. He won the 1989 Somerset Maugham Award and the 1994 James Tait Black Memorial Prize. In 2004, he won the Booker Prize for his…

1954

Denis Lebel

Canadian businessman and politician, 29th Canadian Minister of Transport

Denis Lebel is a Canadian politician who served as mayor of Roberval, Quebec, and deputy leader of the Official Opposition.

1954

Fiona Shackleton

English lawyer

Fiona Sara Shackleton, Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia, is an English solicitor and Conservative politician, who has represented members of the British royal family and celebrities, including Paul McCartney, Charles…

1956

Jyoti Gogte

Indian academician

Jyoti Jayant Gogte is an Indian entrepreneur and academic, most notable for her reference textbooks on entrepreneurship titled Startup & New Venture Management (2014) and Roadmap for an Entrepreneur (2024).

1956

Diomedes Díaz

Colombian singer-songwriter (died 2013)

Diomedes Díaz Maestre was a Colombian vallenato singer and composer. He has been named the "King of Vallenato" and is nicknamed El Cacique de La Junta, which was given to him by another vallenato singer, Rafael Orozco…

1957

François Legault

Canadian businessman and politician

François Legault is a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 32nd premier of Quebec from 2018 to 2026. A founding member of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), he led the party from its inception in 2011…

1957

Roberto Ravaglia

Italian racing driver

Roberto Ravaglia is an Italian former racing driver, who currently runs ROAL Motorsport, who operate a Chevrolet operation in the World Touring Car Championship. Before retiring in 1997, he was one of the most…

1957

Arto Bryggare

Finnish hurdler and politician

Arto Kalervo Bryggare is a Finnish former hurdling athlete. He was a member of the Parliament of Finland, representing the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 1995 to 1999 and 2003 to 2007. His personal best time…

1958

Margaret Colin

American actress

Margaret Colin is an American actress. She is known for her roles as White House Communications Director Constance Spano in the sci-fi film Independence Day (1996), the originating performer of character Margo Hughes on…

1958

Ole Bornedal

Danish actor, director, and producer

Ole Bornedal is a Danish film director, actor and producer.

1959

Dean Lukin

Australian weightlifter

Dinko "Dean" Lukin, OAM is an Australian retired weightlifter. Lukin won the gold medal in the Super Heavyweight category at the 1984 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles. He carried the Australian flag during the…

1960

Romas Ubartas

Lithuanian discus thrower

Romas Ubartas is a retired male discus thrower from Lithuania who won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics for the USSR and a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics for Lithuania, the nation's first gold. His…

1960

Tarsem Singh

Indian-American director, producer, and screenwriter

Tarsem Singh Dhandwar, known professionally as Tarsem, is an Indian director who has worked on films, music videos, and commercials. He directed The Cell (2000), The Fall (2006), Immortals (2011), Mirror Mirror (2012),…

1961

Black

English singer-songwriter (died 2016)

Colin Vearncombe, known by his stage name Black, was an English singer-songwriter. He emerged from the punk rock music scene and achieved mainstream pop success in the late 1980s, most notably with the 1986 single…

1962

Genie Francis

Canadian-American actress

Genie Francis is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Laura Spencer on the television soap opera General Hospital since 1977, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2007.

1962

Simon Armitage

English poet, playwright and novelist

Simon Robert Armitage is an English poet, playwright, musician and novelist. He was appointed Poet Laureate on 10 May 2019. He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds.

1963

Claude Legault

Canadian actor and screenwriter

Claude Legault is a Canadian actor and television writer from Quebec.

1963

Caitlín R. Kiernan

Irish-American paleontologist and author

Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan is an Irish-born American paleontologist and writer of science fiction and dark fantasy works, including 10 novels, series of comic books, and more than 250 published short stories, novellas, and…

1964

Lenny Kravitz

American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor

Leonard Albert Kravitz is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His debut album Let Love Rule (1989) was characterized by a blend of rock, funk, reggae, hard rock, soul, and R&B, along…

1964

Argiris Pedoulakis

Greek basketball player and coach

Argyris Pedoulakis is a former Greek professional basketball player and basketball coach, who is currently acting as the head coach for Sporting B.C.

1964

Helena Bonham Carter

English actress

Helena Bonham Carter is a British actress. She is known for her character roles as eccentric women in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas. Bonham Carter rose to prominence by playing Lucy…

1966

Zola Budd

South African runner

Zola Budd is a South African middle-distance and long-distance runner. She competed at the 1984 Olympic Games for Great Britain and the 1992 Olympic Games for South Africa, both times in the 3000 metres. In 1984…

1966

Philip Treacy

Irish milliner, hat designer

Philip Anthony Treacy is an Irish haute couture milliner, or hat designer, who has been mostly based in London for his career, and who was described by Vogue magazine as "perhaps the greatest living milliner". In 2000,…

1967

Mika Yamamoto

Japanese journalist (died 2012)

Mika Yamamoto was a Japanese video and photojournalist for the news agency Japan Press. Yamamoto was killed on 20 August 2012 while covering the ongoing Syrian Civil War in Aleppo, Syria. She was the first Japanese and…

1967

Fernando León de Aranoa

Spanish director, producer, and screenwriter

Fernando León de Aranoa is a Spanish screenwriter and film director.

1968

Frederik X

King of Denmark

Frederik X is King of Denmark, reigning since the abdication of his mother, Margrethe II, in January 2024.

1968

John Baird

Canadian politician, 10th Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs

John Russell Baird is a retired Canadian politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2015 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He had been a member of the federal cabinet, in various…

1969

Siri Lindley

American triathlete and coach

Siri Lindley is an American triathlon coach and former professional triathlete. She is the 2001 ITU Triathlon World Champion as well as the winner of the 2001 and 2002 ITU Triathlon World Cup series and 2001 ITU…

1969

Nobuhiro Watsuki

Japanese illustrator

Nobuhiro Nishiwaki , better known by his pen name Nobuhiro Watsuki , is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (1994–1999), which has over…

1970

Zaher Andary

Lebanese footballer

Zaher Toufic Al Indari is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as a striker.

1971

Matt Stone

American actor, animator, screenwriter, producer, and composer

Matthew Richard Stone is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and songwriter. He is best known for co-creating the animated television series South Park and the stage musical The Book of Mormon (2011) with his…

1971

Naomi Harris

Canadian-American photographer

Naomi Harris is a Canadian photographer living in Toronto. She is known for her portraits of people from sub-cultures such as retirement communities and nudist beaches.

1973

Lars Frölander

Swedish swimmer

Lars Arne Frölander is a Swedish swimmer. He has competed in six consecutive Olympic Games.

1974

Lauryn Hill

American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress

Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer, rapper, actress and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential musicians of her time. A pioneer of rap-singing and a key figure in the neo soul movement, The…

1975

Paul Collingwood

English cricketer and coach

Paul David Collingwood is an English cricket coach and former player, who played in all three formats of the game internationally for England. He played for Durham County Cricket Club. Collingwood was a regular member…

1976

Stephen Curry

Australian comedian and actor

Stephen Curry is an Australian comedian and actor who has appeared in many television drama and comedy series, and feature films. He first became known as Dale Kerrigan in the 1997 hit comedy The Castle.

1976

Kenny Florian

American mixed martial artist and sportscaster

Kenneth Alan "Kenny" Florian is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011 to…

1976

Nikos Chatzivrettas

Greek basketball player

Nikolaos (Nikos) Chatzivrettas is a retired Greek professional basketball player. At a height of 1.97 m tall, he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions. He was inducted into the Greek Basket League…

1977

Raina Telgemeier

American author and cartoonist

Raina Telgemeier is an American cartoonist. Her works include the autobiographical webcomic Smile, which was published as a full-color middle grade graphic novel in February 2010, and the follow-up Sisters and the…

1977

Luca Toni

Italian footballer

Luca Toni is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker. A prolific goalscorer, Toni scored over 300 goals throughout his career, and is one of the top-five highest scoring Italians in all…

1977

Misaki Ito

Japanese actress and model

Misaki Ito is a former Japanese actress and model. Her maiden name is Tomoko Anzai .

1977

Fabio Firmani

Italian footballer

Fabio Firmani is an Italian retired footballer who played as a midfielder.

1978

Dan Parks

Australian-Scottish rugby player

Daniel Arthur Parks is a professional rugby union coach and former player who played as a fly-half.

1978

Ashley Massaro

American wrestler and model (died 2019)

Ashley Marie Massaro was an American professional wrestler. She was best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where she performed under her real name.

1979

Natalya Nazarova

Russian sprinter

Natalya Viktorovna Nazarova is a track and field sprinter.

1979

Mehmet Okur

Turkish basketball player

Mehmet Murat Okur is a Turkish former professional basketball player. Listed at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), he played as a power forward and center.

1979

Louis-Jean Cormier

Canadian singer and songwriter

Louis-Jean Cormier is a Canadian indie rock singer and songwriter. Formerly associated with the band Karkwa, since that band went on hiatus in 2012 he has recorded and performed as a solo artist and was a judge on the…

1980

Anthony Ervin

American swimmer

Anthony Lee Ervin is an American competitive swimmer who has won four Olympic medals and two World Championship golds. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle, and earned a…

1981

Jason Manford

English actor, screenwriter, and television host

Jason John Manford is an English comedian, singer, presenter and actor.

1981

Ben Zobrist

American baseball player

Benjamin Thomas Zobrist is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and…

1981

Hasan Kabze

Turkish footballer

Hasan Salih Kabze is a Turkish former professional footballer who played as a striker. Formerly, he played for Bucaspor, Çanakkale Dardanelspor, Galatasaray SK, Rubin Kazan, Montpellier HSC, Orduspor, Konyaspor, Akhisar…

1982

Demy de Zeeuw

Dutch footballer

Demy Patrick René de Zeeuw is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He previously played for AGOVV, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ and AFC Ajax. While at AZ he was a key player in the squad…

1983

Nathan Merritt

Australian rugby league player

Nathan Merritt is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, he played in the National Rugby League for the…

1983

Monika Christodoulou

Greek singer-songwriter and guitarist

Monika Christodoulou also known by her stage name Monika, is a Greek singer-songwriter. Her debut album Avatar was released in 2008 and her second album Exit followed in 2010. Both albums achieved platinum status in her…

1985

Ashley Vincent

English footballer

Ashley Derek Vincent is an English former football player and manager who is a first-team coach at EFL League Two club Cheltenham Town.

1985

Michel Tornéus

Swedish long jumper

Michel Tresor Komesha Tornéus is a Swedish former long jumper.

1986

Olcay Şahan

Turkish footballer

Olcay Şahan is a Turkish professional football manager and a former player who played as a winger or as an attacking midfielder. Born in Germany, he played for the Turkey national team internationally.

1987

Andrea Catellani

Italian footballer

Andrea Catellani is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

1988

Dani Samuels

Australian discus thrower

Dani Stevens is an Australian retired discus thrower who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event. She is the current national and Oceanian record holder.

1988

Paula Findlay

Canadian triathlete

Paula Findlay is a Canadian triathlete from Edmonton, Alberta.

1989

Park Ye-eun

South Korean singer

Park Ye-eun, professionally known as Yeeun, Yenny, or Ha:tfelt (핫펠트), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and composer known for her work as a former member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls. In July 2014, she…

1989

Ah Young

South Korean singer and actress

Cho Ah-young, better known by her stage name Ah Young (아영), is a South Korean singer and actress, as well known as a member of the South Korean girl group Dal Shabet.

1991

Jason Adesanya

Belgian footballer

Jason Adesanya is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for K Lyra-Lierse Berlaar.

1993

Gong Myung

South Korean actor

Kim Dong-hyun, known professionally as Gong Myung (Korean: 공명), is a South Korean actor. He is a member of 5urprise. He is known for his roles in the television series Be Melodramatic (2019), and Lovers of the Red Sky…

1994

Lara Goodall

South African cricketer

Lara Goodall is a South African cricketer who represents South Africa in Women's One Day Internationals and Women's Twenty20 Internationals. In February 2019, Cricket South Africa named her as one of the players in the…

1996

Mathew Barzal

Canadian ice hockey player

Mathew Michael Paul Barzal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Barzal was selected by the Islanders in the first round, 16th…

1997

Micah Parsons

American football player

Micah Aaron Parsons is an American professional football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Parsons played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, where he earned…

1999

Georgia Wareham

Australian cricketer

Georgia Wareham is an Australian cricketer who plays for the national cricket team as a leg spin bowler. At the domestic level, she plays for Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades. In April 2018, she played six matches…

1999

Yeji

South Korean singer

Hwang Ye-ji, known mononymously as Yeji, is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is the leader of the South Korean girl group Itzy, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2019. Yeji released her debut solo extended play (EP),…

2000

May 26 in the Blog

Ten people are killed in a shooting at a VTA rail yard in San Jose — May 26, 2021

10 killed by Samuel Cassidy in a shocking VTA rail yard shooting on May 26, 2021, in San Jose, California, leaving a community in mourning that year

Read the full story

Famous birthdays

Who was born on May 26?

Dayle Haddon — Canadian dancer, model, actress (1948–2024)

FeaturedDayle Haddon

Birth year1948

Known forAdditionally, she was credited as the author of Ageless Beauty: A Woman's Guide to Lifelong Beauty and Well-Being

Birthdays on this date178 (1264 – 2000)

Explore May 26

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

Events on May 26 Birthdays on May 26 Deaths on May 26 May 26 quiz

Also on May 26 in History

2025

65 people are injured when a car rams into a crowd on Water Street, near Liverpool F.C.'s Premier League trophy parade. Wikipedia →

2021

Ten people are killed in a shooting at a VTA rail yard in San Jose, California, United States. Wikipedia →

2020

Protests triggered by the murder of George Floyd erupt in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, later becoming widespread across the United States and around the world. Wikipedia →

See all events on May 26

May 25 May 27

Explore famous birthdays on the interactive calendar.

Open the Calendar All Blog Posts

Famous Birthdays on May 26

1948 — Dayle Haddon

May 26 in the Blog

Who was born on May 26?

Explore May 26

Also on May 26 in History

History runs on facts, and this project runs on coffee!