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A page from the first edition of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, published in 1563 -
Third Volume of a 1727 edition of Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans printed by Jacob Tonson -
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Cover of the first English publication, J. Parson's, London, 1793
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curriculum vitae (résumé), a biography presents a subject's life story, highlighting various aspects of their life, including intimate details of experience, and may include an analysis of the subject's personality. (Full article...)
Featured biographies
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Frank Pick Hon. RIBA (23 November 1878 – 7 November 1941) was a British transport administrator. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1902, he worked at the North Eastern Railway, before moving to the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) in 1906. He was chief executive officer and vice-chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board from its creation in 1933 until 1940.
Pick had a strong interest in design and its use in public life. He steered the development of the London Underground's corporate identity by commissioning eye-catching commercial art, graphic design and modern architecture, establishing a highly recognisable brand, including the first versions of the roundel and typeface still used today. (Full article...) -
Henrik Lars Sedin (born 26 September 1980) is a Swedish ice hockey executive and former centre who played his entire 17-season National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Vancouver Canucks from 2000 to 2018. He additionally served as the Canucks' captain from 2010 until his retirement. Born and raised in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, Sedin and his identical twin brother Daniel played together throughout their careers; the pair were renowned for their effectiveness as a tandem. Henrik, a skilled passer, was known as a playmaker (150+ more career NHL assists than Daniel) while Daniel was known as a goal-scorer (150+ more career NHL goals than Henrik). Sedin tallied 240 goals and 830 assists, for 1,070 points, in 1,330 NHL games, ranking him as the Canucks' all-time leading points scorer.
Sedin began his career in the Swedish Hockey League with Modo Hockey in 1997 and was co-recipient, with brother Daniel, of the 1999 Guldpucken as Swedish player of the year. Selected third overall—one pick after brother Daniel—by the Canucks in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Sedin spent his entire NHL career in Vancouver. After four seasons with the club, he became the Canucks' top-scoring centre in 2005–06. He has since won three Cyrus H. McLean Trophies as the team's leading point-scorer (from 2007–08 to 2009–10) and one Cyclone Taylor Award as the team's most valuable player (2010). In 2009–10, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as well as the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player and leading point-scorer, respectively. He was also named to the NHL first All-Star team that year and again in 2010–11, a season that included an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, where Vancouver lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games. That summer, Henrik and Daniel were named co-recipients of the Victoria Scholarship as Swedish athletes of the year. Alongside his brother, Henrik was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022. (Full article...) -
Raymond III (1140 – September/October 1187) was count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187. He was a minor when Nizari Assassins murdered his father, Count Raymond II of Tripoli. His cousin, King Baldwin III of Jerusalem, who was staying in Tripoli, made Raymond's mother, Hodierna of Jerusalem, regent. Raymond spent the following years at the royal court in Jerusalem. He reached the age of majority in 1155, after which he participated in a series of military campaigns against Nur ad-Din, the Zengid ruler of Damascus. In 1161 he hired pirates to pillage the Byzantine coastline and islands to take vengeance on Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos, who had refused to marry his sister Melisende. He was captured in the Battle of Harim by Nur ad-Din's troops on 10 August 1164, and imprisoned in Aleppo for almost ten years. During his captivity, his cousin King Amalric of Jerusalem administered the county of Tripoli on his behalf.
Raymond was released for a large ransom which he had to borrow from the Knights Hospitaller. He married Eschiva of Bures, making him prince of Galilee and one of the wealthiest noblemen in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Amalric died in 1174, leaving a minor son, Baldwin IV, as his successor. As the child-king's closest male relative, Raymond was elected bailiff (or regent). Raymond remained neutral during the conflicts between Nur ad-Din's successors and his former commander, Saladin, which facilitated the unification of Egypt and a significant part of Syria under Saladin. When Baldwin reached the age of majority in 1176, Raymond's regency ended and he returned to Tripoli. Baldwin was ailing, and Raymond and Bohemond III of Antioch sought to diminish the influence of his mother, Agnes of Courtenay, and her brother, Joscelin III of Edessa, over the government. Before Easter 1180, they marched to Jerusalem, but their arrival had the opposite effect: Baldwin promptly arranged for his sister and heir Sibylla to be married to Guy of Lusignan, a supporter of the Courtenays, and Raymond had to leave the kingdom. In the following years, relations between Baldwin IV and Guy became tense, and the dying king disinherited his sister in favour of her son Baldwin V. On his deathbed In 1185, the king made Raymond bailiff for Baldwin V. Raymond's authority would be limited, because Joscelin III of Edessa was made the child's guardian, and all royal fortresses were placed into the custody of the military orders. (Full article...) -
Donald Tallon (17 February 1916 – 7 September 1984) was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953. He was widely regarded by his contemporaries as Australia's finest ever wicket-keeper and one of the best in Test history, with an understated style, an ability to anticipate the flight, length and spin of the ball and an efficient stumping technique. Tallon toured England as part of Don Bradman's Invincibles of 1948 and was recognised as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1949 for his performances during that season. During his Test career, Tallon made 58 dismissals comprising 50 catches and 8 stumpings.
His early cricket was played in Bundaberg where he was selected to represent Queensland Country against the England cricket team during the infamous Bodyline tour. Aged 17, he made his first-class cricket debut for Queensland against Victoria in December 1933. By the 1935–36 season, Tallon was an established player and he topped the Queensland batting averages for the season, however he was a surprise non-inclusion for the 1938 Australian team to tour England. Following the Second World War and the retirement or unavailability of other candidates, he was finally given an opportunity to play Test cricket, making his debut against New Zealand in 1946 aged 30. (Full article...) -
Stanley Anthony Coveleski (born Stanislaus Kowalewski, July 13, 1889 – March 20, 1984) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four American League (AL) teams between 1912 and 1928, primarily the Cleveland Indians. The star of the Indians pitching staff, he won over 20 games each year from the war-shortened 1918 season through 1921, leading the AL in shutouts twice and in strikeouts and earned run average (ERA) once each during his nine years with the club. The star of the 1920 World Series, he led the Indians to their first title with three complete-game victories, including a 3–0 shutout in the Game 7 finale. Traded to the Washington Senators after the 1924 season, he helped that club to its second AL pennant in a row with 20 victories against only 5 losses, including a 13-game winning streak, while again leading the league in ERA.
Coveleski followed in the footsteps of his brother Harry as a major league pitcher. But after making his debut with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1912, he was sidetracked by three more seasons in the minor leagues before joining the Indians in 1916, and won only 13 major league games before turning 27. Coveleski specialized in throwing the spitball, where the pitcher alters the ball with a foreign substance such as chewing tobacco. It was legal when his career began but prohibited in 1920, with Coveleski being one of 17 pitchers permitted to continue throwing the pitch. In 450 career games, Coveleski pitched 3,082 innings and posted a record of 215–142, with 224 complete games, 38 shutouts, and a 2.89 ERA. He set Cleveland records of 172 wins, 2,502+1⁄3 innings and 305 starts, which were later broken by Mel Harder and Willis Hudlin. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. (Full article...) -
Sir Thomas Erpingham (c. 1357 – 27 June 1428) was an English soldier and administrator who loyally served three generations of the House of Lancaster, including Henry IV and Henry V, and whose military career spanned four decades. After the Lancastrian usurpation of the English throne in 1399, his career in their service was transformed as he rose to national prominence, and through his access to royal patronage he acquired great wealth and influence.
Erpingham was born in the English county of Norfolk, and knighted when a young man. During the reign of Richard II he served under the King's uncle John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, in Spain and Scotland, and was with Gaunt's son Henry Bolingbroke on crusades in Lithuania, Prussia and the Holy Land. Erpingham accompanied Bolingbroke into exile in October 1398, and was with him when he landed at Ravenspur in July 1399 to reclaim his inheritance as Duke of Lancaster, after his lands had been forfeited by Richard. Bolingbroke rewarded Erpingham by appointing him as constable of Dover Castle and warden of the Cinque Ports, and after ascending the throne as Henry IV he made him chamberlain of the royal household. Erpingham later helped to suppress the Epiphany Rising and was appointed guardian of Henry's second son Thomas. He was a member of the Privy Council, acting at one point as marshal of England. He attempted to have Henry le Despenser, the anti-Lancastrian bishop of Norwich, impeached as a rebel. (Full article...) -
Thomas the Slav (Greek: Θωμᾶς, romanized: Thōmas, c. 760 – October 823) was a 9th-century Byzantine military commander, most notable for leading a wide-scale revolt in 821–23 against Emperor Michael II the Amorian (r. 820–829).
An army officer of Slavic origin from the Pontus region (now north-eastern Turkey), Thomas rose to prominence, along with the future emperors Michael II and Leo V the Armenian (r. 813–820), under the protection of general Bardanes Tourkos. After Bardanes' failed rebellion in 803, Thomas fell into obscurity until Leo V's rise to the throne, when Thomas was raised to a senior military command in central Asia Minor. After the murder of Leo and usurpation of the throne by Michael the Amorian, Thomas revolted, claiming the throne for himself. Thomas quickly secured support from most of the themes (provinces) and troops in Asia Minor, defeated Michael's initial counter-attack and concluded an alliance with the Abbasid Caliphate. After winning over the maritime themes and their ships as well, he crossed with his army to Europe and laid siege to Constantinople. The imperial capital withstood Thomas's attacks by land and sea, while Michael II called for help from the Bulgarian Khan Omurtag. Omurtag attacked Thomas's army, but although repelled, the Bulgarians inflicted heavy casualties on Thomas's men, who broke and fled when Michael took to the field a few months later. Thomas and his supporters sought refuge in Arcadiopolis, where he was soon blockaded by Michael's troops. In the end, Thomas's supporters surrendered him in exchange for a pardon, and he was executed. (Full article...) -
William Daniel Leahy (/ˈleɪhiˌ ˈleɪ.i/) (6 May 1875 – 20 July 1959) was an American naval officer. The most senior United States military officer on active duty during World War II, he held several titles and exercised considerable influence over foreign and military policy. As a fleet admiral, he was the first flag officer ever to hold a five-star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces.
An 1897 graduate of Annapolis, Leahy saw active service in the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Banana Wars in Central America, and World War I. He was the first member of his cadet class to reach flag rank, as the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance from 1927 to 1931. He subsequently served as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation from 1933 to 1936, and commanded the Battle Fleet from 1936 to 1937. As Chief of Naval Operations from 1937 to 1939, he was the senior officer in the United States Navy, overseeing the expansion of the fleet and preparations for war. (Full article...) -
Paterson Clarence Hughes, DFC (19 September 1917 – 7 September 1940) was an Australian fighter ace of World War II. Serving with the Royal Air Force (RAF), he was credited with as many as seventeen aerial victories during the Battle of Britain, before being killed in action in September 1940. His tally made him the highest-scoring Australian of the battle, and among the three highest-scoring Australians of the war.
Born in Cooma, New South Wales, Hughes joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a cadet in 1936. After graduating as a pilot, he chose to take a commission with the RAF. In July 1937, he was assigned to No. 64 Squadron, which operated Hawker Demon and, later, Bristol Blenheim fighters. Posted to No. 234 Squadron following the outbreak of World War II, Hughes began flying Supermarine Spitfires as a flight commander. He shared in his unit's first aerial victory on 8 July 1940, and began scoring heavily against the Luftwaffe the following month. Known for his practice of attacking his targets at extremely close range, Hughes is generally thought to have died after his Spitfire was struck by flying debris from a German bomber that he had just shot down. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and was buried in England. (Full article...) -
Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of Edward VII.
Alexandra's family had been relatively obscure until 1852, when her father, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was chosen with the consent of the major European powers to succeed his second cousin Frederick VII as King of Denmark. At the age of sixteen, Alexandra was chosen as the future wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the son and heir apparent of Queen Victoria. The couple married eighteen months later in 1863, the year in which her father became king of Denmark as Christian IX and her brother William was appointed king of Greece as George I. (Full article...) -
Three yūjo (courtesans) posing on an engawa, c. 1885. Hand-coloured albumen silver print.
Adolfo Farsari (Italian pronunciation: [aˈdolfo farˈsaːri]; 11 February 1841 – 7 February 1898) was an Italian photographer based in Yokohama, Japan. His studio, the last notable foreign-owned studio in Japan, was one of the country's largest and most prolific commercial photographic firms. Largely due to Farsari's exacting technical standards and his entrepreneurial abilities, it had a significant influence on the development of photography in Japan.
Following a brief military career, including service in the American Civil War, he became a successful entrepreneur and commercial photographer. His photographic work was highly regarded, particularly his hand-coloured portraits and landscapes, which he sold mostly to foreign residents and visitors to the country. (Full article...) -
Thomas Nigel Kneale (18 April 1922 – 29 October 2006) was a Manx screenwriter who wrote professionally for more than 50 years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, and was twice nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Screenplay.
Predominantly a writer of thrillers that used science-fiction and horror elements, he was best known for the creation of the character Professor Bernard Quatermass. Quatermass was an heroic scientist who appeared in various television, film and radio productions written by Kneale for the BBC, Hammer Film Productions and Thames Television between 1953 and 1996. Kneale wrote original scripts and successfully adapted works by writers such as George Orwell, John Osborne, H. G. Wells and Susan Hill. (Full article...) -
Wrought-iron village sign erected in Biddenden in the 1920s
Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst (or Chalkhurst), commonly known as the Biddenden Maids (1100–1134), were a pair of conjoined twins supposedly born in Biddenden, Kent, England, in the year 1100. They are said to have been joined at both the shoulder and the hip, and to have lived for 34 years. It is claimed that on their death they bequeathed five plots of land to the village, known as the Bread and Cheese Lands. The income from these lands was used to pay for an annual dole of food and drink to the poor every Easter. Since at least 1775, the dole has included Biddenden cakes, hard biscuits imprinted with an image of two conjoined women.
Although the annual distribution of food and drink is known to have taken place since at least 1605, no records exist of the story of the sisters prior to 1770. Records of that time say that the names of the sisters were not known, and early drawings of Biddenden cakes do not give names for the sisters; it is not until the early 19th century that the names "Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst" were first used. (Full article...) -
Brigadier General Sir Raymond Lionel Leane, CB, CMG, DSO & Bar, MC, VD, JP (12 July 1878 – 25 June 1962) was an Australian Army officer who rose to command the 48th Battalion then 12th Brigade during World War I. For his performance during the war, Leane was described by the Australian Official War Historian Charles Bean as "the foremost fighting leader" in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), and "the head of the most famous family of soldiers in Australian history", among other accolades. After the war, he served as Commissioner of the South Australia Police from 1920 to 1944, for which he was knighted.
A businessman and part-time Citizen Forces officer before the war, Leane was commissioned into the AIF and led a company of the 11th Infantry Battalion at the landing at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915. He rose to temporarily command his battalion, and was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), awarded the Military Cross, twice mentioned in despatches and wounded three times during the Gallipoli campaign. After returning to Egypt, the AIF was re-organised, and Leane was appointed as the commanding officer of the newly formed 48th Battalion, which soon after was transported to the Western Front in France and Belgium. Important battles that the 48th were involved in under his command included the Battle of Pozières in 1916, and the First Battle of Bullecourt and First Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. During the latter battle, he was severely wounded. During 1916–1917, he was mentioned in despatches three more times, was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George and awarded a bar to his DSO. (Full article...) -
Elizabeth Willing Powel (February 21, 1743 – January 17, 1830) was an American socialite and a prominent member of the Philadelphia upper class of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The daughter, later sister and then wife of mayors of Philadelphia, she was a salonnière who hosted frequent gatherings that became a staple of political life in the city. During the First Continental Congress in 1774, Powel opened her home to the delegates and their families, hosting dinner parties and other events. After the American Revolutionary War, she again took her place among the most prominent Philadelphian socialites, establishing a salon of the Republican Court of leading intellectuals and political figures.
Powel corresponded widely, including with the political elite of the time. She was a close friend and confidante to George Washington and was among those who convinced him to continue for a second term as president. She wrote extensively, but privately, on a wide range of subjects, including politics, the role of women, medicine, education, and philosophy. Powel is said to be the person who asked Benjamin Franklin, "What have we got, a republic or a monarchy?", to which he reportedly replied, "A republic ... if you can keep it", an often quoted statement about the Constitution of the United States. The exchange was first recorded by James McHenry, a delegate of the Constitutional Convention, in his journal entry dated September 18, 1787. Powel's exchange with Franklin was adapted over time, with the role played by Powel all but removed in 20th-century versions and replaced with an anonymous "lady", "woman", or "concerned citizen". The setting of the conversation was also revised from her home at the Powel House to the steps of Independence Hall. (Full article...)
Today anniversaries
Pre-1600
- 1340 – John of Gaunt (probable; d. 1399)
- 1405 – John II of Castile (d. 1454)
- 1459 – Jakob Fugger, German merchant and banker (d. 1525)
- 1475 – Michelangelo, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1564)
- 1483 – Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian and politician (d. 1540)
- 1493 – Juan Luis Vives, Spanish scholar and humanist (d. 1540)
- 1495 – Luigi Alamanni, Italian poet and diplomat (d. 1556)
- 1536 – Santi di Tito, Italian painter (d. 1603)
1601–1900
- 1619 – Cyrano de Bergerac, French author and playwright (d. 1655)
- 1663 – Francis Atterbury, English bishop and poet (d. 1732)
- 1706 – George Pocock, English admiral (d. 1792)
- 1716 – Pehr Kalm, Swedish-Finnish botanist and explorer (d. 1779)
- 1724 – Henry Laurens, English-American merchant and politician, 5th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1792)
- 1761 – Antoine-François Andréossy, French general and diplomat (d. 1828)
- 1779 – Antoine-Henri Jomini, Swiss-French general (d. 1869)
- 1780 – Lucy Barnes, American writer (d. 1809)
- 1785 – Karol Kurpiński, Polish composer and conductor (d. 1857)
- 1787 – Joseph von Fraunhofer, German physicist and astronomer (d. 1826)
- 1806 – Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English-Italian poet and translator (d. 1861)
- 1812 – Aaron Lufkin Dennison, American businessman, co-founded the Waltham Watch Company (d. 1895)
- 1817 – Princess Clémentine of Orléans (d. 1907)
- 1818 – William Claflin, American businessman and politician, 27th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1905)
- 1823 – Charles I of Württemberg (d. 1891)
- 1826 – Annie Feray Mutrie, British painter (d. 1893)
- 1831 – Philip Sheridan, Irish-American general (d. 1888)
- 1834 – George du Maurier, French-English author and illustrator (d. 1896)
- 1841 – Viktor Burenin, Russian author, poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1926)
- 1849 – Georg Luger, Austrian gun designer, designed the Luger pistol (d. 1923)
- 1864 – Richard Rushall, British businessman (d. 1953)
- 1865 – Duan Qirui, Chinese warlord and politician (d. 1936)
- 1870 – Oscar Straus, Viennese composer and conductor (d. 1954)
- 1871 – Afonso Costa, Portuguese lawyer and politician, 59th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1937)
- 1872 – Ben Harney, American pianist and composer (d. 1938)
- 1876 – A. A. Kannisto, Finnish politician (d. 1930)
- 1877 – Rose Fyleman, English writer and poet (d. 1957)
- 1879 – Jimmy Hunter, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1962)
- 1882 – F. Burrall Hoffman, American architect, co-designed Villa Vizcaya (d. 1980)
- 1882 – Guy Kibbee, American actor and singer (d. 1956)
- 1884 – Molla Mallory, Norwegian-American tennis player (d. 1959)
- 1884 – María Collazo, Uruguayan journalist and activist (d. 1942)
- 1885 – Ring Lardner, American journalist and author (d. 1933)
- 1892 – Bert Smith, English international footballer (d. 1969)
- 1893 – Furry Lewis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
- 1893 – Ella P. Stewart, pioneering Black American pharmacist (d. 1987)
- 1895 – Albert Tessier, Canadian priest and historian (d. 1976)
- 1898 – Gus Sonnenberg, American football player and wrestler (d. 1944)
- 1900 – Gina Cigna, French-Italian soprano and actress (d. 2001)
- 1900 – Lefty Grove, American baseball player (d. 1975)
- 1900 – Henri Jeanson, French journalist and author (d. 1970)
1901–present
- 1903 – Empress Kōjun (d. 2000)
- 1904 – José Antonio Aguirre, Spanish lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Basque Country (d. 1960)
- 1905 – Bob Wills, American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1975)
- 1906 – Lou Costello, American actor and comedian (d. 1959)
- 1909 – Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 1987)
- 1909 – Stanisław Jerzy Lec, Polish poet and author (d. 1966)
- 1910 – Emma Bailey, American auctioneer and author (d. 1999)
- 1912 – Mohammed Burhanuddin, Indian spiritual leader, 52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq (d. 2014)
- 1913 – Ella Logan, Scottish-American singer and actress (d. 1969)
- 1917 – Donald Davidson, American philosopher and academic (d. 2003)
- 1917 – Will Eisner, American illustrator and publisher (d. 2005)
- 1917 – Frankie Howerd, English comedian (d. 1992)
- 1918 – Howard McGhee, American trumpeter (d. 1987)
- 1920 – Lewis Gilbert, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
- 1921 – Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American holocaust survivor and author (d. 2014)
- 1923 – Ed McMahon, American comedian, game show host, and announcer (d. 2009)
- 1923 – Wes Montgomery, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1968)
- 1924 – Sarah Caldwell, American opera director, impresario, and stage director (d. 2006)
- 1924 – Ottmar Walter, German footballer (d. 2013)
- 1924 – William H. Webster, American lawyer and jurist, 14th Director of Central Intelligence
- 1926 – Ann Curtis, American swimmer (d. 2012)
- 1926 – Alan Greenspan, American economist and politician
- 1926 – Ray O'Connor, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Western Australia (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Andrzej Wajda, Polish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
- 1927 – William J. Bell, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2005)
- 1927 – Gordon Cooper, American engineer, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2004)
- 1927 – Gabriel García Márquez, Colombian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)
- 1929 – Tom Foley, American lawyer and politician, 57th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 2013)
- 1929 – David Sheppard, English cricketer and bishop (d. 2005)
- 1930 – Lorin Maazel, French-American violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 2014)
- 1932 – Marc Bazin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 49th President of Haiti (d. 2010)
- 1932 – Jean Boht, actress, (d. 2023)
- 1932 – Bronisław Geremek, Polish historian and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2008)
- 1932 – Timofei Moșneaga, Moldovan physician and politician, Moldovan Minister of Health (d. 2014)
- 1933 – Ted Abernathy, American baseball player (d. 2004)
- 1933 – William Davis, German-English journalist and economist (d. 2019)
- 1933 – Augusto Odone, Italian economist and inventor of Lorenzo's oil (d. 2013)
- 1934 – Red Simpson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
- 1935 – Ron Delany, Irish runner and coach
- 1935 – Derek Kevan, English footballer (d. 2013)
- 1936 – Bob Akin, American race car driver and journalist (d. 2002)
- 1936 – Marion Barry, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Mayor of the District of Columbia (d. 2014)
- 1936 – Choummaly Sayasone, Laotian politician, 5th President of Laos
- 1937 – Ivan Boesky, American businessman (d. 2024)
- 1937 – Norman Coburn, Australian actor
- 1937 – Valentina Tereshkova, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut
- 1938 – Keishu Tanaka, Japanese politician, 17th Japanese Minister of Justice (d. 2022)
- 1939 – Kit Bond, American lawyer and politician, 47th Governor of Missouri
- 1939 – Adam Osborne, Thai-Indian engineer and businessman, founded the Osborne Computer Corporation (d. 2003)
- 1940 – Ken Danby, Canadian painter (d. 2007)
- 1940 – Joanna Miles, French-American actress
- 1940 – R. H. Sikes, American golfer (d. 2023)
- 1940 – Willie Stargell, American baseball player and coach (d. 2001)
- 1940 – Jeff Wooller, English accountant and banker
- 1941 – Peter Brötzmann, German saxophonist and clarinet player (d. 2023)
- 1941 – Marilyn Strathern, Welsh anthropologist and academic
- 1942 – Ben Murphy, American actor
- 1944 – Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (d. 2015)
- 1944 – Kiri Te Kanawa, New Zealand soprano and actress
- 1944 – Mary Wilson, American singer (d. 2021)
- 1945 – Angelo Castro Jr., Filipino actor and journalist (d. 2012)
- 1946 – Patrick Baudry, French military officer and astronaut
- 1946 – David Gilmour, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1946 – Martin Kove, American actor
- 1946 – Richard Noble, Scottish race car driver and businessman
- 1947 – Kiki Dee, English singer-songwriter
- 1947 – Dick Fosbury, American high jumper (d. 2023)
- 1947 – Anna Maria Horsford, American actress
- 1947 – Rob Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and activist
- 1947 – Jean Seaton, English historian and academic
- 1947 – John Stossel, American journalist and author
- 1948 – Stephen Schwartz, American composer and producer
- 1949 – Shaukat Aziz, Pakistani economist and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Pakistan
- 1949 – Martin Buchan, Scottish footballer and manager
- 1950 – Arthur Roche, English archbishop
- 1951 – Gerrie Knetemann, Dutch cyclist (d. 2004)
- 1952 – Denis Napthine, Australian politician, 47th Premier of Victoria
- 1953 – Phil Alvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1953 – Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepali banker and politician, 34th Prime Minister of Nepal
- 1953 – Carolyn Porco, American astronomer and academic
- 1954 – Jeff Greenwald, American author, photographer, and monologist
- 1954 – Harald Schumacher, German footballer and manager
- 1955 – Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician, 5th President of Burundi (d. 1994)
- 1955 – Alberta Watson, Canadian actress (d. 2015)
- 1956 – Peter Roebuck, English cricketer, journalist, and sportcaster (d. 2011)
- 1956 – Steve Vizard, Australian television host, actor, and producer
- 1959 – Tom Arnold, American actor, comedian, and television host
- 1960 – Sleepy Floyd, American basketball player and coach
- 1962 – Alison Nicholas, British golfer
- 1963 – D. L. Hughley, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1964 – Linda Pearson, Scottish sport shooter
- 1965 – Allan Bateman, Welsh rugby player
- 1965 – Jim Knight, English politician
- 1966 – Alan Davies, English comedian, actor and screenwriter
- 1967 – Julio Bocca, Argentine ballet dancer and director
- 1967 – Connie Britton, American actress
- 1967 – Glenn Greenwald, American journalist and author
- 1967 – Shuler Hensley, American actor and singer
- 1968 – Moira Kelly, American actress and director
- 1968 – Carla McGhee, American basketball player and coach
- 1969 – Amy Pietz, American actress
- 1970 – Chris Broderick, American musician and songwriter
- 1971 – Darrick Martin, American basketball player and coach
- 1972 – Shaquille O'Neal, American basketball player, actor, businessman, sportscaster, and rapper
- 1972 – Jaret Reddick, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1973 – Michael Finley, American basketball player
- 1973 – Peter Lindgren, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
- 1973 – Greg Ostertag, American basketball player
- 1973 – Trent Willmon, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1974 – Guy Garvey, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1974 – Matthew Guy, Australian politician
- 1974 – Brad Schumacher, American swimmer
- 1974 – Beanie Sigel, American rapper
- 1975 – Aracely Arámbula, Mexican actress and singer
- 1975 – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Canadian pianist and conductor
- 1976 – Ken Anderson, American wrestler and actor
- 1977 – Nantie Hayward, South African cricketer
- 1977 – Giorgos Karagounis, Greek footballer
- 1977 – Shabani Nonda, Congolese footballer
- 1977 – Bubba Sparxxx, American rapper and songwriter
- 1977 – Marcus Thames, American baseball player and coach
- 1978 – Sage Rosenfels, American football player
- 1978 – Chad Wicks, American wrestler
- 1979 – Clint Barmes, American baseball player
- 1979 – David Flair, American wrestler
- 1979 – Tim Howard, American soccer player
- 1979 – Garry Monk, English footballer and manager
- 1980 – Emílson Cribari, Brazilian footballer
- 1980 – Shaun Evans, English actor and director
- 1981 – Ellen Muth, American actress
- 1983 – Andranik Teymourian, Armenian-Iranian footballer
- 1984 – Daniël de Ridder, Dutch footballer
- 1984 – Eskil Pedersen, Norwegian politician
- 1984 – Chris Tomson, American drummer
- 1985 – Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, French ice hockey player
- 1985 – Bakaye Traoré, French-Malian footballer
- 1985 – Daniel Winnik, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Jake Arrieta, American baseball player
- 1986 – Francisco Cervelli, Venezuelan-Italian baseball player
- 1986 – Timothy DeLaGhetto, American Internet personality
- 1986 – Ross Detwiler, American baseball player
- 1986 – Eli Marienthal, American actor
- 1986 – Charlie Mulgrew, Scottish footballer
- 1987 – Mário Bližňák, Slovak ice hockey player
- 1987 – Kevin-Prince Boateng, Ghanaian-German footballer
- 1987 – Chico Flores, Spanish footballer
- 1988 – Agnes, Swedish singer
- 1988 – Marina Erakovic, New Zealand tennis player
- 1988 – Leonys Martín, Cuban-American baseball player
- 1988 – Simon Mignolet, Belgian footballer
- 1989 – Dwight Buycks, American basketball player
- 1989 – Agnieszka Radwańska, Polish tennis player
- 1990 – Derek Drouin, Canadian athlete
- 1991 – John Jenkins, American basketball player
- 1991 – Lex Luger, American keyboard player and producer
- 1991 – Emma McDougall, English footballer (d. 2013)
- 1991 – Tyler, the Creator, American rapper, songwriter, producer, and actor
- 1993 – Nicklas Jensen, Danish ice hockey player
- 1993 – Andrés Rentería, Colombian footballer
- 1994 – Marcus Smart, American basketball player
- 1995 – Josh Hart, American basketball player
- 1995 – Georgi Kitanov, Bulgarian footballer
- 1996 – Christian Coleman, American sprinter
- 1996 – Mohamed Magdy, Egyptian footballer
- 1996 – Timo Werner, German footballer
- 1997 – Alisha Boe, Norwegian-American actress
- 1998 – Kyle Trask, American football player
- 1999 – Ylena In-Albon, Swiss tennis player
- 2000 – Armando Bacot, American basketball player
- 2000 – Jacob Bertrand, American actor
- 2001 – Milo Manheim, American actor
- 2003 – Millicent Simmonds, American actress (Full article...)
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