Famous Birthdays on May 8

Q: Who was born on May 8?

Famous people born on May 8 include: Joan I, John Tiptoft, Frederick I, Andrea Alciato, Charles Wriothesley.

Q: What is Bob Clampett known for?

Bob Clampett, American animator, director, and producer (died 1984)

168 people 1326 – 2005

May 8 has seen 168 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1326 – 2005. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · May 8 — Wikipedia

1913 — Bob Clampett

American animator, director, and producer (died 1984)

Did you know

During his 15 years at the studio, he directed 84 cartoons later deemed classic, and designed some of the studio's most famous characters, including Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and Tweety

Did you know

Among his most acclaimed films are Porky in Wackyland (1938) and The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)

Did you know

After dropping out of high school in 1931, he joined the team at Harman-Ising Productions and began working on the studio's newest short subjects, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

Did you know

Cartoons in 1946 and turned his attention to television, creating the puppet show Time for Beany in 1949

Did you know

A later animated version of the series, Beany and Cecil, was initially broadcast on ABC in 1962 and rerun until 1967

Joan I

Countess of Auvergne (died 1360)

Joan I was ruling Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne from 1332 to 1360 and Queen of France by her marriage to King John II.

1326

John Tiptoft

1st Earl of Worcester, Lord High Treasurer (died 1470)

John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester KG, was an English nobleman and scholar who served as Lord High Treasurer, Lord High Constable of England and Lord Deputy of Ireland. He was known as "the Butcher of England" to his…

1427

Frederick I

Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (died 1536)

Frederick I of Ansbach and Bayreuth was born at Ansbach as the eldest son of Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg, and his second wife Anna, daughter of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. His elder half-brother was Elector…

1460

Andrea Alciato

Italian jurist and writer (died 1550)

Andrea Alciato, commonly known as Alciati, was an Italian jurist and writer. He is regarded as the founder of the French school of legal humanists.

1492

Charles Wriothesley

English Officer of Arms (died 1562)

Charles Wriothesley was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the last member of a dynasty of heralds that started with his grandfather—Garter Principal King of Arms John Writhe.

1508

Peter Canisius

Dutch-Swiss priest and saint (died 1597)

Peter Canisius was a Dutch Jesuit priest known for his strong support for the Catholic faith during the Protestant Reformation in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Switzerland and the British Isles. The restoration of…

1521

Thomas Drury

English government informer and swindler (died 1603)

Thomas Drury was an English government informer, messenger and swindler, who is noted for having been one of the main people responsible for accusations of heresy, blasphemy, and seditious atheism on the part of the…

1551

Victor Amadeus I

Duke of Savoy (died 1637)

Victor Amadeus I was the Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 26 July 1630 until his death in 1637. He was also known as the Lion of Susa.

1587

Claes Rålamb

Swedish politician (died 1698)

Claes Rålamb was a Swedish statesman. In 1660 he was appointed Governor of Uppland County and in 1664 he served in the Privy Council. Between 1673 and 1678, he served as the Governor of Stockholm.

1622

Angelo Italia

Sicilian Jesuit and architect (died 1700)

Angelo Italia was an Italian Jesuit and Baroque architect, who was born in Licata and died in Palermo. He designed a number of churches in Sicily, and later worked to reconstruct three cities following the 1693 Sicily…

1628

Niels Juel

Norwegian-Danish admiral (died 1697)

Admiral Niels Juel was a Danish naval officer who served as supreme commander of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy during the late 17th century and oversaw its development into a blue-water navy. His victory against Sweden…

1629

Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming

German field marshal and politician (died 1706)

Heino Heinrich Reichsgraf von Flemming was a Saxon, later Brandenburger army leader and field marshal and Governor of Berlin.

1632

Giovanni Battista Gaulli

Italian artist (died 1709)

Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as Baciccio or Baciccia, was an Italian Baroque painter working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand illusionistic vault frescos in the Church…

1639

Nicolaes Witsen

Mayor of Amsterdam, Netherlands (died 1717)

Nicolaes Witsen was a Dutch statesman who was mayor of Amsterdam thirteen times, between 1682 and 1706. In 1693, he became administrator of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). In 1689, he was extraordinary-ambassador to…

1641

Claude Louis Hector de Villars

French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (died 1734)

Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince of Martigues, Marquis then (1st) Duke of Villars, Viscount of Melun was a French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV. He was one of only six Marshals to have…

1653

Charles Beauclerk

1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire (died 1726)

Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St. Albans, KG was an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England by his mistress Nell Gwyn.

1670

Henry Baker

English naturalist (died 1774)

Henry Baker was a British naturalist.

1698

William Cavendish

4th Duke of Devonshire, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1764)

William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, styled Lord Cavendish before 1729, and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British Whig statesman and nobleman who was briefly nominal Prime Minister of Great…

1720

Nathaniel Dance-Holland

English painter and politician (died 1811)

Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, 1st Baronet was a British painter and politician.

1735

Edward Gibbon

English historian and politician (died 1794)

Edward Gibbon was a British essayist, historian and minor politician. His most important and influential work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789,…

1737

Carl Stamitz

German violinist and composer (died 1801)

Carl Philipp Stamitz, was a German composer of partial Czech ancestry of the Classical era. He was the most prominent representative of the second generation of the Mannheim School.

1745

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Mexican priest and rebel leader (died 1811)

Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor, commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo, was a Mexican Catholic priest and prominent leader of the…

1753

John Vianney

French priest and saint (died 1859)

John Vianney was a French Catholic priest and member of the Third Order of Mary who is often referred to as the Curé d'Ars. Canonized a saint in 1925, he is known for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish in Ars,…

1786

Edward Tompkins

American lawyer and politician (died 1872)

Edward Tompkins (1815–1872) was an American lawyer. He is best known for endowing a chair at the University of California where he had been elected to the board of regents.

1815

Samuel Leonard Tilley

Canadian pharmacist and politician, 3rd Premier of New Brunswick (died 1896)

Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley was a Canadian politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation. Tilley was descended from United Empire Loyalists on both sides of his family. As a pharmacist, he went into business as a…

1818

William Henry Vanderbilt

American businessman and philanthropist (died 1885)

William Henry Vanderbilt was an American businessman and railroad magnate. Known as "Billy", he was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt…

1821

William Walker

American physician, lawyer, journalist and mercenary (died 1860)

William Walker was an American journalist and mercenary. In the era of the expansion of the United States, driven by the doctrine of manifest destiny, Walker organized unauthorized military expeditions into Mexico and…

1824

George Bruce Malleson

English-Indian colonel and author (died 1898)

Colonel George Bruce Malleson was a Bengal Army officer and historian.

1825

Henry Dunant

Swiss businessman and activist, co-founded the Red Cross, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1910)

Henry Dunant, also known as Henri Dunant, was a Swiss humanitarian, businessman, social activist, and co-founder of the Red Cross. His humanitarian efforts won him the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

1828

Charbel Makhluf

Lebanese monk and saint (died 1898)

Charbel Makhlouf, O.L.M. was a Lebanese Maronite monk and priest. During his life, he obtained a wide reputation for holiness, and for his ability to unite Christians, Muslims and Druze. He was a member of the Baladites.

1828

Louis Moreau Gottschalk

American pianist and composer (died 1869)

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was a Louisiana Creole and Jewish-American composer, pianist, and virtuoso performer of his own romantic piano works. He spent most of his working career outside the United States.

1829

Bertalan Székely

Hungarian painter and academic (died 1910)

Bertalan Székely was a Hungarian history and portrait painter who worked in the Romantic and Academic styles.

1835

Adolphe-Basile Routhier

Canadian judge, author, and songwriter (died 1920)

Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier was a Canadian judge, author, and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics of the original French version of the Canadian national anthem "O Canada". He was born in Saint-Placide, Quebec, to Charles…

1839

Emil Christian Hansen

Danish physiologist and mycologist (died 1909)

Emil Christian Hansen was a Danish mycologist and fermentation physiologist.

1842

Oscar Hammerstein I

American businessman and composer (died 1919)

Oscar Hammerstein I was a German-born businessman, theater impresario, and composer in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses, and he rekindled opera's popularity in America. He was…

1846

Ross Barnes

American baseball player and manager (died 1915)

Charles Roscoe Barnes was one of the stars of baseball's National Association (1871–1875) and the early National League (1876–1881), playing second base and shortstop. He played for the dominant Boston Red Stockings…

1850

Dan Brouthers

American baseball player and manager (died 1932)

Dennis Joseph "Dan" Brouthers was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned the period from 1879 to 1896, with a brief return in 1904. Nicknamed "Big Dan" for his size, he was 6 feet 2…

1853

Pedro Lascuráin

Mexican politician (died 1952)

Pedro José Domingo de la Calzada Manuel María Lascuráin Paredes was a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 38th president of Mexico for 45 minutes on 19 February 1913, the shortest presidency in history. The…

1856

Heinrich Berté

Slovak-Austrian composer (died 1924)

Heinrich Berté, born Heinrich Bettelheim was an Austrian-Hungarian composer of operas and operettas.

1858

J. Meade Falkner

English author and poet (died 1932)

John Meade Falkner was an English novelist and poet, best known for his 1898 novel Moonfleet. An extremely successful businessman, he became chairman of the arms manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth during World War I.

1858

Johan Jensen

Danish mathematician and engineer (died 1925)

Johan Ludwig William Valdemar Jensen, mostly known as Johan Jensen, was a Danish mathematician and engineer. He was the president of the Danish Mathematical Society from 1892 to 1903.

1859

Margarete Böhme

German novelist (died 1939)

Margarete Böhme was, arguably, one of the most widely read German writers of the early 20th century. Böhme authored 40 novels – as well as short stories, autobiographical sketches, and articles. The Diary of a Lost…

1867

Ludvig Karsten

Norwegian painter (died 1926)

Ludvig Karsten was a Norwegian painter. He was a neo-impressionist influenced by Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse and contemporary French painting. He first participated at the Autumn exhibition in Kristiania in 1901, and…

1876

Wesley Coe

American shot putter, discus thrower, and tug of war competitor (died 1926)

Wesley William Coe Jr., sometimes listed as William Wesley Coe Jr., was an American track and field athlete who competed principally in the shot put and also in the hammer throw, discus throw, and tug of war.

1879

Harry S. Truman

American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States (died 1972)

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequently,…

1884

Thomas B. Costain

Canadian journalist and author (died 1965)

Thomas Bertram Costain was a Canadian-American journalist who became a best-selling author of historical novels at the age of 57.

1885

Adriaan Pelt

Dutch journalist and diplomat (died 1981)

Adriaan Pelt was a Dutch journalist, international civil servant and diplomat, most famous for drafting the post war constitution of Libya.

1892

Francis Ouimet

American golfer (died 1967)

Francis DeSales Ouimet was an American amateur golfer who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the U.S. Open in 1913 and was the first non-Briton elected Captain of the…

1893

Edd Roush

American baseball player and coach (died 1988)

Edd J. Roush was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1913 to 1931, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he was a two-time…

1893

Teddy Wakelam

English rugby player and sportscaster (died 1963)

Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Blythe Thornhill Wakelam, known as Teddy Wakelam, was an English sports broadcaster and rugby union player who captained Harlequin F.C.

1893

James H. Kindelberger

American businessman (died 1962)

James Howard "Dutch" Kindelberger was an American aviation pioneer. He led North American Aviation from 1934 until 1960. An extroverted character, Kindelberger was famed for his emphasis on hard work, orderliness and…

1895

Fulton J. Sheen

American archbishop (died 1979)

Fulton John Sheen was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969. He was known for his preaching, especially on television and radio.

1895

Edmund Wilson

American critic, essayist, and editor (died 1972)

Edmund Wilson Jr. was an American writer, literary critic, and journalist. He is widely regarded as one of the most important literary critics of the 20th century. Wilson began his career as a journalist, writing for…

1895

Aloysius Stepinac

Croatian cardinal (died 1960)

Aloysius Viktor Stepinac was a Croatian prelate of the Catholic Church. Made a cardinal in 1953, Stepinac served as Archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 until his death.

1898

Arthur Q. Bryan

American actor, voice actor, comedian and radio personality (died 1959)

Arthur Quirk Bryan was an American actor and radio personality. He is best remembered for his longtime recurring role as well-spoken, wisecracking Dr. Gamble on the radio comedy Fibber McGee and Molly and for voicing…

1899

Friedrich Hayek

Austrian economist and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1992)

Friedrich August von Hayek was an Austrian economist and philosopher. He is known for his contributions to political economy, political philosophy and intellectual history. Hayek shared the 1974 Nobel Memorial Prize in…

1899

Jacques Heim

French fashion designer (died 1967)

Jacques Heim was a French fashion designer and costume designer for theater and film, and was a manufacturer of women's furs. From 1930 to his death in 1967, he ran the fashion house Jacques Heim, which closed in 1969.…

1899

Turkey Stearnes

American baseball player (died 1979)

Norman Thomas "Turkey" Stearnes was an American baseball center fielder. He played 18 years in the Negro leagues, including nine years with the Detroit Stars (1923–1931), six years with the Chicago American Giants, and…

1901

André Michel Lwoff

French microbiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1994)

André Michel Lwoff was a French microbiologist and Nobel laureate.

1902

Fernandel

French actor and singer (died 1971)

Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin, better known as Fernandel, was a French comic actor. Born in Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, a town located in the province of…

1903

John Snagge

English journalist (died 1996)

John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge was a British newsreader and commentator on BBC Radio.

1904

Red Nichols

American cornet player, composer, and bandleader (died 1965)

Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols was an American jazz cornetist, composer, and jazz bandleader. He was one of the most prolific and influential jazz musicians in the late 1920s and early 1930s, appearing on over 4,000…

1905

Roberto Rossellini

Italian director and screenwriter (died 1977)

Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such as…

1906

Mary Lou Williams

American pianist and composer (died 1981)

Mary Lou Williams was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records. Williams wrote and arranged for Duke Ellington and…

1910

Wilhelm Friedrich de Gaay Fortman

Dutch jurist and politician, Dutch Minister of The Interior (died 1997)

Wilhelm Friedrich "Gaius" de Gaay Fortman was a Dutch jurist and politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP).

1911

Robert Johnson

American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1938)

Robert Leroy Johnson was an American blues musician and songwriter. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 and 1937 recordings have influenced later generations of musicians. Although his…

1911

George Woodcock

Canadian author and poet (died 1995)

George Woodcock was a Canadian writer of political biography and history, an anarchist thinker, a philosopher, an essayist and literary critic. He was also a poet and published several volumes of travel writing. In 1959…

1912

Sid James

South African-English actor and singer (died 1976)

Sidney James was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive laugh, he was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series.

1913

João Havelange

Brazilian water polo player, lawyer, and businessman (died 2016)

Jean-Marie Faustin Godefroid "João" de Havelange was a Brazilian lawyer, businessman, and athlete who was the seventh president of FIFA from 1974 to 1998. His tenure as president is the second longest in FIFA's history,…

1916

Chinmayananda Saraswati

Indian spiritual leader and educator (died 1993)

Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, also known as Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher. In 1953, he founded Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, in order to…

1916

Lex Barker

American actor (died 1973)

Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. was an American film and television actor. He played Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953 and portrayed leading characters from Karl May's novels, including Old Shatterhand in a…

1919

Saul Bass

American graphic designer and director (died 1996)

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos.

1920

Barbara Howard

Canadian sprinter and educator (died 2017)

Barbara Howard was a Canadian sprinter and educator. Growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Howard gained national media attention as a sprinter in high school when she completed a time trial that broke the standing…

1920

Tom of Finland

Finnish illustrator (died 1991)

Touko Valio Laaksonen, known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland, was a Finnish artist who made stylized erotic art featuring suggestively hypermasculine male characters. He worked primarily in pencil, producing drawings on…

1920

Gordon McClymont

Australian ecologist and academic (died 2000)

Gordon Lee McClymont AO was an Australian agricultural scientist, ecologist, and educationist. The originator of the term "sustainable agriculture", McClymont is known for his multidisciplinary approach to farm ecology.…

1920

Ali Hassan Mwinyi

Tanzanian politician, 2nd President of Tanzania (died 2024)

Ali Hassan Mwinyi was a Tanzanian politician who served as the second president of the United Republic of Tanzania from 1985 to 1995. Previous posts included Minister for Home Affairs and Vice President. He also was…

1925

David Attenborough

English environmentalist and television host

Sir David Frederick Attenborough is an English broadcaster, natural historian and writer. His presenting career began as host of Zoo Quest in 1954, and has spanned eight decades; it includes the nine documentary series…

1926

David Hurst

German actor (died 2019)

David Hurst was a German actor, best known for his role in the film Hello, Dolly as Rudolph the headwaiter.

1926

Don Rickles

American comedian and actor (died 2017)

Donald Jay Rickles was an American actor and stand-up comedian known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include Run Silent, Run Deep (1958), Enter Laughing (1967), Kelly's Heroes (1970), and Casino (1995).…

1926

Ted Sorensen

American lawyer, 8th White House Counsel (died 2010)

Theodore Chaikin Sorensen was an American lawyer, writer, and presidential adviser. He was the primary speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy, as well as one of his closest advisers. President Kennedy once called…

1928

John C. Bogle

American businessman, investor, and philanthropist (died 2019)

John Clifton "Jack" Bogle was an American investor, business magnate and philanthropist and founder. He was the founder and chief executive of The Vanguard Group and is credited with popularizing the index fund. An avid…

1929

Miyoshi Umeki

Japanese-American actress and singer (died 2007)

Miyoshi Umeki was a Japanese American singer and actress. She was nominated for the Tony Award and Golden Globe Award and was the first East Asia-born woman to win an Academy Award for acting.

1929

Heather Harper

Northern Irish soprano (died 2019)

Heather Mary Harper was a Northern Irish operatic soprano. She was active internationally in both opera and concert. She performed roles such as Helena in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Royal Opera…

1930

Doug Atkins

American football player (died 2015)

Douglas Leon Atkins was an American professional football defensive end who played for the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for…

1930

Gary Snyder

American poet, essayist, and translator

Gary Sherman Snyder is an American poet, essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist. His early poetry has been associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance and he has been described as the…

1930

Leonard Hoffmann

Baron Hoffmann, South African-English lawyer and judge

Leonard Hubert "Lennie" Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann is a senior South African–British judge. Currently, he serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong; he formerly served as a Lord of Appeal…

1934

Jack Charlton

English footballer and manager (died 2020)

John Charlton was an English professional footballer and manager who played as a centre-back for Leeds United. He was part of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup and managed the Republic of Ireland…

1935

Mike Cuellar

Cuban-American baseball player (died 2010)

Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher in 1959 and from 1964 through 1977, most prominently as a member of the…

1937

Thomas Pynchon

American novelist

Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. is an American novelist. He is known for his dense, complex works of postmodern fiction, which are distinguished by their paranoid tone, absurd humor, and references to history, art, science,…

1937

Jean Giraud

French author and illustrator (died 2012)

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer who worked in the Franco-Belgian bandes dessinées (BD) tradition. Giraud garnered worldwide acclaim predominantly under the pseudonym Mœbius for his…

1938

Peter Benchley

American author and screenwriter (died 2006)

Peter Bradford Benchley was an American author. He is best known for his bestselling novel Jaws and co-wrote its movie adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works were also adapted for both cinema and…

1940

Irwin Cotler

Canadian lawyer and politician, 47th Canadian Minister of Justice

Irwin Cotler is a retired Canadian politician who was Member of Parliament for Mount Royal from 1999 to 2015. He served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal government of…

1940

Emilio Delgado

Mexican-American actor (died 2022)

Emilio Ernest Delgado was an American actor best known for his role as Luis, the Fix-it Shop owner, on the children's television series Sesame Street. He joined the cast of Sesame Street in 1971 and remained until his…

1940

Ricky Nelson

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (died 1985)

Eric Hilliard "Ricky" or “Rick” Nelson was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957, he began a long…

1940

Toni Tennille

American singer-songwriter and keyboard player

Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist. A contralto, she is best known as one-half of the 1970s duo Captain & Tennille with her former husband Daryl Dragon; their signature…

1940

William B. Jordan

American art historian (died 2018)

William Bryan Jordan Jr. was an American art historian who facilitated acquisitions, curated exhibitions, and authored publications on Spanish artists and still life paintings, particularly from the Golden Age.

1940

Bill Lockyer

American academic and politician, 30th Attorney General of California

William Westwood Lockyer is an American politician and lawyer from the state of California. A Democrat, he served in both houses of the state legislature, having been a member of the California State Assembly from 1973…

1941

James Traficant

American lawyer and politician (died 2014)

James Anthony Traficant Jr. was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. A staunch economic populist known for his flamboyant personality, he…

1941

Norman Lamont

Scottish banker and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Norman Stewart Hughson Lamont, Baron Lamont of Lerwick, is a British politician and former Conservative MP for Kingston-upon-Thames. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1990 until 1993. He was created a life…

1942

Terry Neill

Irish footballer and manager (died 2022)

William John Terence Neill was a Northern Irish football player and manager. A centre-back, he captained and later managed Arsenal, guiding the club to a European final in 1980 and three consecutive FA Cup finals…

1942

Pat Barker

English author

Dame Patricia Mary W. Barker, is an English writer and novelist. She has won many awards for her fiction, which centres on themes of memory, trauma, survival and recovery. She is known for her Regeneration Trilogy,…

1943

Gamini Lokuge

Sri Lankan politician (died 2025)

Gamini Kulawansa Lokuge was a Sri Lankan politician. He was a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka for the Colombo Electoral District between 1989 and 2024, and had previously represented Kesbewa in the National State…

1943

Gary Glitter

English singer-songwriter

Paul Francis Gadd, better known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is a British former singer who achieved fame and success during the 1970s and 1980s. His career ended after his 1999 conviction of downloading child sexual…

1944

Keith Jarrett

American pianist and composer

Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a group leader and…

1945

H. Robert Horvitz

American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Howard Robert Horvitz ForMemRS NAS AAA&S APS NAM is an American biologist whose research on the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans was awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with Sydney…

1947

John Reid

Baron Reid of Cardowan, Scottish historian and politician, Secretary of State for Defence

John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, is a Scottish politician. A member of the Labour Party, he held various Cabinet positions under prime minister Tony Blair from 1999 to 2007, lastly as Home Secretary from 2006 to 2007.…

1947

Philip Bailey

American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor

Philip James Bailey is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his four-octave vocal range and…

1951

Mike D'Antoni

American basketball player and coach

Michael Andrew D'Antoni is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

1951

Chris Frantz

American drummer and producer

Charton Christopher Frantz is an American musician and record producer. He is the drummer for both Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, both of which he co-founded with wife and Talking Heads bassist, Tina Weymouth. In 2002,…

1951

Peter McNab

Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster (died 2022)

Peter Maxwell McNab was a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey player. He played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1973 to 1987, with the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, and…

1952

Alex Van Halen

Dutch-American drummer

Alexander Arthur Van Halen is an American musician who was the drummer and a co-founder of the rock band Van Halen, which was formed in 1972 by Van Halen and his younger brother Eddie under the name "Mammoth" before…

1953

David Keith

American actor and director

David Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. His breakout role was as aspiring Navy pilot Sid Worley in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), earning Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star…

1954

Patrick Hanrahan

American computer graphics researcher

Patrick M. Hanrahan is an American computer graphics researcher, the Canon USA Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering in the Computer Graphics Laboratory at Stanford University. His research focuses on…

1955

Mladen Markač

Croatian general

Mladen Markač is a Croatian retired general. He was a Commander of Croatian Special Police during Operation Storm during the Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995), and afterwards held the rank of Colonel General.…

1955

Jeff Wincott

Canadian actor and martial artist

Jeffrey Wincott is a Canadian actor and martial artist best known for his lead role in the television series Night Heat.

1956

Bill Cowher

American football player, coach, and analyst

William Laird Cowher is an American former professional football linebacker and coach who served as the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He began his coaching…

1957

Roddy Doyle

Irish novelist, playwright, and screenwriter

Roderick Doyle is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, eight books for children, seven plays and screenplays, and dozens of short stories. Several of his books…

1958

Brooks Newmark

American-English businessman and politician, Lord of the Treasury

Brooks Phillip Victor Newmark is a former British Conservative politician, who served as a Member of Parliament and minister. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Braintree in the 2005 general election and…

1958

Ronnie Lott

American football player and sportscaster

Ronald Mandel Lott is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons from 1981 to 1994.

1959

Franco Baresi

Italian footballer and coach

Franchino Baresi is an Italian football youth team coach and a former player and manager. He mainly played as a sweeper or as a central defender, and spent his entire 20-year career with Serie A club AC Milan,…

1960

Bill de Blasio

American politician, 109th Mayor of New York City

Bill de Blasio is an American former politician who served as the 110th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New York City Public Advocate from 2010 to 2013.

1961

David Winning

Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter

David Winning is a Canadian-American film and television director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and occasional actor. Although Winning has worked in numerous film and TV genres, his name is most commonly associated…

1961

Anthony Field

Australian guitarist, songwriter, producer, and actor

Anthony Donald Joseph Field is an Australian musician, actor, songwriter and producer. He is best known as the leader of the children's group the Wiggles and a member of the 1980s and 1990s pop band the Cockroaches.…

1963

Michel Gondry

French director and screenwriter

Michel Gondry is a French filmmaker and producer. He is known for directing the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which he co-wrote with Charlie Kaufman, winning an Academy Award for Best Original…

1963

Melissa Gilbert

American actress and director

Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress. Gilbert began her career as a child actress in the late 1960s, appearing in numerous commercials and guest-starring roles on television. From 1974 to 1983, she starred as…

1964

Eileen Bowman

American actress

Eileen Josephine Bowman Sylwestrzak is an American actress who performed as Snow White at the 61st Academy Awards and Beach Blanket Babylon. Bowman starred in productions of End of the Rainbow (2015), Hairspray (2018),…

1966

Cláudio Taffarel

Brazilian footballer and coach

Cláudio André Mergen Taffarel is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who is the goalkeeping coach of the Brazil national team.

1966

Viviana Durante

Italian ballerina and actress

Viviana Durante is an Italian ballet dancer, considered one of the great dramatic ballerinas of recent times. She was a principal dancer of The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Teatro alla Scala and K-Ballet. She…

1967

Akebono Tarō

American-Japanese sumo wrestler, the 64th Yokozuna (died 2024)

Akebono Tarō was an American-born Japanese professional sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining sumo in Japan in 1988, he was trained by the pioneering Hawaiian wrestler Takamiyama and…

1969

Michael Bevan

Australian cricketer and coach

Michael Gwyl Bevan is an Australian former international cricketer. He played as a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm wrist spin bowler. Bevan is widely considered as one of the greatest One Day International (ODI)…

1970

Naomi Klein

Canadian author and activist

Naomi Klein is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses, support of ecofeminism and organized labour, and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism and capitalism.

1970

Luis Enrique

Spanish footballer and manager

Luis Enrique Martínez García, known as Luis Enrique, is a Spanish football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.

1970

Candice Night

American singer-songwriter

Candice Night is an American singer and musician. She has been the vocalist/lyricist and multi-instrumentalist for the traditional folk rock project Blackmore's Night since its origins in 1997 with her husband,…

1971

Darren Hayes

Australian singer-songwriter

Darren Stanley Hayes is an Australian singer, songwriter, music producer and composer. He was the singer of the pop duo Savage Garden from their 1993 establishment until their disbandment in 2001. Their 1997 album…

1972

Ray Whitney

Canadian ice hockey player

Raymond D. Whitney is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was given the nickname "The Wizard" for his passing and playmaking skills.

1972

Jesús Arellano

Mexican footballer

José de Jesús Arellano Alcocer is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a winger, and a wanted fugitive.

1973

Marcus Brigstocke

English comedian, actor, and screenwriter

Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is a British comedian and actor. He has worked in stand-up comedy, television, radio and musical theatre. He has appeared on many BBC television and radio shows.

1973

Korey Stringer

American football player (died 2001)

Korey Damont Stringer was an American professional football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was recognized as…

1974

Enrique Iglesias

Spanish-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor

Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums: Enrique Iglesias, Vivir and…

1975

Martha Wainwright

Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Martha Wainwright is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. She has released seven critically acclaimed studio albums.

1976

Joe Bonamassa

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Joseph Leonard Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his…

1977

Bad News Brown

Canadian rapper, harmonica player, and actor (died 2011)

Paul Frappier, better known by his stage name Bad News Brown, was a Canadian entertainer, musician, and hip hop MC of Haitian origin. He was known for pairing the sound of his chief instrument, the harmonica, with…

1977

Theodoros Papaloukas

Greek basketball player

Theodoros Papaloukas, commonly known as Theo Papaloukas, is a retired Greek professional basketball player. He was selected to the All-EuroLeague Team four times, was a member of the EuroLeague 2000–2010 All-Decade…

1977

Lúcio

Brazilian footballer

Lucimar Ferreira da Silva, commonly known as Lúcio, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. A tall and physically strong defender who excelled in the air, he is regarded as one of the…

1978

Evgeny Lebedev

Russian-English publisher and philanthropist

Evgeny Alexandrovich Lebedev, Baron Lebedev, is a Russian-British businessman, who owns Lebedev Holdings Ltd, which in turn owns the Evening Standard and the now-defunct ESTV. He is also an investor in The Independent.

1980

Michelle McManus

Scottish singer-songwriter and actress

Michelle McManus is a Scottish singer, columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter who won the second and final series of the UK talent show Pop Idol in 2003. She currently presents the Afternoon radio show…

1980

Stephen Amell

Canadian actor

Stephen Adam Amell is a Canadian actor. He came to prominence for playing the lead role of Oliver Queen on the CW superhero series Arrow (2012–2020), based on DC Comics. Amell also appeared in subsequent Arrowverse…

1981

Andrea Barzagli

Italian footballer

Andrea Barzagli is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He was selected to the Serie A Team of the Year four times.

1981

Buakaw Banchamek

Thai kick-boxer

Sombat Banchamek, also known by his ring name Buakaw Banchamek and mononymously as Buakaw is a Thai professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer. Known for his fierce fighting style, he is regarded as one of the…

1982

Adrián González

American baseball player

Adrián González Savín, also known by his nicknames "A-Gon" and "Titán", is a Mexican-American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres,…

1982

Tommaso Ciampa

American wrestler

Tommaso Whitney, better known by the ring name Tommaso Ciampa, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former AEW TNT Champion.

1985

Galen Rupp

American runner

Galen Rupp is an American long-distance runner. He competed in the Summer Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and 2021 in Tokyo. He won the silver medal in the men's 10,000 meters in…

1986

Felix Jones

American football player

Felix Jones Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Arkansas…

1987

Mark Noble

English footballer

Mark James Noble is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the sporting director of Premier League club West Ham United. A fan of the club since childhood, Noble spent eighteen years…

1987

Kurt Tippett

Australian footballer

Kurt Anthony Tippett is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).

1987

Trisha Paytas

American media personality

Trisha Paytas is an American media personality, actress, singer, and YouTuber. She is known for her multifaceted career on YouTube, marked by numerous online controversies and feuds. Her content spans numerous genres,…

1988

Lars Eller

Danish ice hockey player

Lars Fosgaard Eller is a Danish professional ice hockey player who is a centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Tiger", he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first…

1989

Lane Johnson

American football player

David Lane Johnson is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Eagles fourth overall in the 2013 NFL draft. He played…

1990

Iyo Sky

Japanese wrestler

Masami Odate is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Iyo Sky . She is a former Women's Money in the Bank contract holder, former WWE Women's…

1990

Kemba Walker

American basketball player

Kemba Hudley Walker is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a player enhancement coach for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was picked ninth overall by…

1990

Olivia Culpo

American model and actress

Olivia Frances Culpo is an American model, actress, and media personality. Culpo has won Miss Rhode Island USA, Miss USA 2012, and Miss Universe 2012.

1992

Kevin Hayes

American ice hockey player

Kevin Patrick Hayes is an American professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

1992

Pat Cummins

Australian cricketer

Patrick James Cummins is an Australian international cricketer who plays for the Australian men's cricket team in all three formats, captaining the team in both Test and One Day International cricket. A right-armed pace…

1993

6ix9ine

American rapper

Daniel Hernandez, known professionally as 6ix9ine, Tekashi69, or Tekashi 6ix9ine, is an American rapper. His music has been marked by an aggressive style of rapping, while his controversial public persona is…

1996

Jordyn Huitema

Canadian soccer player

Jordyn Pamela Huitema is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Canada national team.

2001

Moulay Hassan

Crown Prince of Morocco

Moulay Hassan is the Crown Prince of Morocco. He is the elder child of King Mohammed VI and Princess Lalla Salma. He has a younger sister, Princess Khadija. He is named after his grandfather Hassan II. In 2013, he began…

2003

Oliver Bearman

English racing driver

Oliver James Bearman is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Haas.

2005

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Who was born on May 8?

Bob Clampett — American animator (1913–1984)

FeaturedBob Clampett

Birth year1913

Known forwas an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated series from Warner Bros

Birthdays on this date168 (1326 – 2005)

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2025

The 2025 papal conclave elects Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, taking the name Leo XIV as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church. Wikipedia →

2021

A car bomb explodes in front of a school in Kabul, capital city of Afghanistan killing at least 55 people and wounding over 150. Wikipedia →

2019

British 17-year-old Isabelle Holdaway is reported to be the first patient ever to receive a genetically modified phage therapy to treat a drug-resistant infection. Wikipedia →

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