Famous People Born Today

James Brown

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1933

Birthplace: Barnwell, South Carolina, United States

Died: 2006

Referred to by honorific nicknames, such as Godfather of Soul, James Brown was a prominent figure of 20th century music. A progenitor of funk music, Brown influenced the development of many music genres. An inductee of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame, Brown is ranked seventh in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.

Bing Crosby

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1903

Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States

Died: 1977

Bing Crosby was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Widely regarded as the first multimedia star, Bing was a leader in motion picture grosses, radio ratings, and record sales from 1930 to 1954. His intimate singing style influenced several popular singers, such as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, John Lennon, and Elvis Presley among others.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Listed In: Intellectuals & Academics

Birth Year: 1469

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

Died: 1527

Italian Renaissance philosopher, diplomat, and author Niccolò Machiavelli is remembered for his work The Prince. He believed that the end or the intention behind any action justifies the action. He gave rise to the term Machiavellianism, which signifies the use of deceit and treachery to achieve one’s goals. 

Christina Hendricks

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1975

Birthplace: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

Christina Hendricks is an actress and producer. She began her career as a model and enjoyed international success for several years before transitioning into acting. As an actress, she was able to replicate her success and appeared in films like Drive and Lost River. She is the recipient of several awards, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

Bobby Cannavale

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1970

Birthplace: Union City, New Jersey, United States

Bobby Cannavale is known for his Emmy-winning performances as Vince D'Angelo in Will & Grace and Gyp Rosetti in Boardwalk Empire. Fans also loved him in his Tony-nominated and Drama Desk-winning role in the Broadway play The Motherfucker with the Hat. His other notable projects include Third Watch and Homecoming.

Frankie Valli

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1934

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States

Frankie Valli is an American singer who became famous as the lead singer of the band The Four Seasons, thanks to his powerful falsetto voice. Also known for his humanitarian efforts, Frankie Valli was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2012.

Rebecca Hall

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1982

Birthplace: London, England, UK

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Sugar Ray Robinson

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1921

Birthplace: Ailey, Georgia, United States

Died: 1989

Sugar Ray Robinson was an American boxer. Considered one of the greatest boxers ever, Robinson held a 91-fight unbeaten streak from 1943 to 1951, the third-longest in the history of professional boxing. Also known for his flamboyant and classy lifestyle outside the ring, Sugar Ray Robinson unsuccessfully tried his hand at a career as an entertainer after retiring from boxing.

Pom Klementieff

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1986

Birthplace: Quebec City, Canada

French actress and model Pom Klementieff is internationally known for her role as Mantis in Marvel Cinematic Universe films. She had a difficult childhood and struggled a lot in her youth. She started acting when she was 19 and appeared in many French films. After establishing herself in French cinema, she made her Hollywood debut in 2013. 

Amy Ryan

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1969

Birthplace: Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Height: 5'3" (160 cm)

Dulé Hill

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1975

Birthplace: Orange, New Jersey, USA

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Golda Meir

Listed In: Leaders

Birth Year: 1898

Birthplace: Kyiv, Ukraine

Died: 1978

Born in present-day Ukraine and brought up in the United States, the phenomenal rise of Golda Meir to become the prime minister of Israel was driven by her sheer leadership qualities. She steered her country amid hostilities from its neighbourhood during her eventful term as premier which also saw the Yom Kippur War. She is remembered as a strong-willed woman.

Domantas Sabonis

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1996

Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States

Height: 6'11" (211 cm)

Alex Iwobi

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1996

Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria

Ann B. Davis

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1926

Birthplace: Schenectady, New York, United States

Died: 2014

Height: 5'4" (163 cm)

Tyronn Lue

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1977

Birthplace: Mexico, Missouri, United States

Tyronn Lue is an American basketball coach currently serving as the head coach for the popular team Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. Previously, he coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, which won the 2016 NBA Finals under his guidance. During his playing career, Tyronn Lue helped the Los Angeles Lakers win two NBA championships.

Sandi Toksvig

Listed In: Writers

Birth Year: 1958

Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark

Sandi Toksvig is best known as the host of shows such as News Quiz, QI, and The Great British Bake Off. The Women's Equality Party co-founder is also a lesbian icon and has written several children’s and adult books and plays. She hosted a motivational podcast during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

Pete Seeger

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1919

Birthplace: New York City, United States

Died: 2014

Pete Seeger was an American social activist and folk singer. Seeger believed that the power of music could bring about a social change, an ideology that reflected on his works. Through his music, Seeger expressed his support towards counterculture, civil rights, environmental rights, international disarmament, and workers rights.

Brooks Koepka

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1990

Birthplace: West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

Brooks Koepka is an American golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. A former world number one, Koepka won two consecutive U.S. Open titles in 2017 and 2018. In 2018 and 2019, he won the PGA Championship, becoming the first player to hold consecutive titles in two majors concurrently. He also won the 2018 CJ Cup.

Eric Church

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1977

Birthplace: Granite Falls, North Carolina, United States

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

Cheryl Burke

Listed In: Dancers

Birth Year: 1984

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States

Cheryl Burke is an American dancer, TV host, and model. Best known for appearing as a professional dancer on the popular dance competition TV series Dancing with the Stars, Burke became the first professional to win two consecutive seasons. In 2008, she set up her dance studio and created her own line of sportswear in 2009.

Mary Astor

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1906

Birthplace: Quincy, Illinois, United States

Died: 1987

Mary Astor was an American actress best remembered for her portrayal of Brigid O'Shaughnessy in the 1941 film noir The Maltese Falcon. During an illustrious career that spanned several decades, Mary Astor overcame personal difficulties and achieved great success, eventually winning an Oscar under the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the 1941 drama film The Great Lie.

Damon Dash

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1971

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Record executive and producer/director Damon Dash co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records, with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke. He also invested in the clothing brand Rocawear and the nightclub DD172. He later worked on the fingerprint payment app Blind Debit. He was dating Aaliyah at the time of her death in a plane crash.

Rachel Zegler

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 2001

Birthplace: Hackensack, New Jersey, United States

Lena Meyer-Landrut

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1991

Birthplace: Hanover, Germany

Lena Meyer-Landrut is a German singer-songwriter who rose to fame after participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. Her debut album peaked at No.1 in Germany and was accredited Platinum. She has since released many hit albums and singles. Besides singing, she has also served as a coach on five seasons of the reality TV series The Voice Kids.  

Dwayne Haskins

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1997

Birthplace: Highland Park, New Jersey, United States

Died: 2022

Height: 6'3" (190 cm)

Christopher Cross

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1951

Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

Noah Munck

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1996

Birthplace: Mission Viejo, California, United States

Noah Munck is best known as Gibby from the Nickelodeon series iCarly and as "Naked Rob" Smith from The Goldbergs. He also appeared as Bobby Sinclair in the TruGreen Lawn Care commercials. He is also an avid YouTuber and posts his music on the platform, as Noxik.

Poppy Delevingne

Listed In: Fashion

Birth Year: 1986

Birthplace: London

Model Poppy Delevingne has campaigned for brands such as Louis Vuitton and has graced the covers of top-notch fashion magazines such as Vogue. She has been named a Young Ambassador of the British Fashion Council. She has appeared in films such as Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The Aspern Papers.

Robert Osborne

Listed In: Writers

Birth Year: 1932

Birthplace: Colfax

Died: 2017

Best known for his over two-decade-long stint as a Turner Classic Movies host, Robert Osborne also gained fame for his penning The Official History of the Academy Awards and the National Film Book Award-winning 50 Golden Years of Oscar. A qualified journalist, he also wrote columns for The Hollywood Reporter.

Rob Brydon

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1965

Birthplace: Baglan, Neath Port Talbot

Best known for his roles in Supernova and Gavin & Stacey, actor/comedian Rob Brydon dropped out of drama school to work with Radio Wales. As an impressionist, he has mimicked stars such as Sean Connery and Al Pacino. He was made an MBE for both his comedy and his charitable efforts.

Demetress Bell

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1984

Birthplace: Summerfield, Louisiana, United States

Height: 6'5" (196 cm)

Jeff Hornacek

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1963

Birthplace: Elmhurst, Illinois, United States

Height: 6'3" (190 cm)

Jacob Riis

Listed In: Activists

Birth Year: 1849

Birthplace: Ribe

Died: 1914

Anna Roosevelt Halsted

Listed In: Writers

Birth Year: 1906

Birthplace: New York City

Died: 1975

Anna Roosevelt Halsted was an American writer and newspaper editor. The daughter of Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Anna played an important role during World War II, serving as her father's key advisor. After her marriage, Anna moved into the White House and served as First Lady of the USA as per her parents' request.

Greg Gumbel

Listed In: Media Personalities

Birth Year: 1946

Birthplace: New Orleans

Died: 2024

Jessica Sula

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1994

Birthplace: Gorseinon, Swansea, Wales

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

Robert De Niro Sr.

Listed In: Artists & Painters

Birth Year: 1922

Birthplace: Syracuse, New York, United States

Died: 1993

Robert De Niro Sr. was an American abstract expressionist artist best known as the father of the famous actor Robert De Niro. De Niro Sr. exhibited his paintings in museums and galleries across the United States of America. He also taught at several art schools including the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.  

Danila Kozlovsky

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Danila Kozlovsky is a Russian actor best known for his portrayal of Max Andreev in the 2012 black comedy-drama film Soulless, for which he won the Golden Eagle Award in 2012. Also known for his good looks, Kozlovsky was named Man of the Year by GQ Russia in 2013. He was also regarded as a sex symbol for many years.

Willie Geist

Listed In: Media Personalities

Birth Year: 1975

Birthplace: Evanston

Height: 6'4" (193 cm)

Genevieve Nnaji

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1979

Birthplace: Mbaise

Doug Henning

Listed In: Miscellaneous

Birth Year: 1947

Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada

Died: 2000

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Mary Hopkin

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1950

Birthplace: Pontardawe

Farrah Franklin

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1981

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Suzi Perry

Listed In: Media Personalities

Birth Year: 1970

Birthplace: Cosford, Shropshire, England

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Nina García

Listed In: Media Personalities

Birth Year: 1965

Birthplace: Barranquilla

Nina García is a Colombian-American fashion journalist. She is the current editor-in-chief of Elle and has been a judge on the Bravo/Lifetime reality TV program Project Runway. She has a degree in fashion merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and has worked with the prominent fashion designer Marc Jacobs. She is the author of four books. 

Katinka Hosszu

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1989

Birthplace: Pécs, Hungary

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

Jaron Lanier

Listed In: Scientists

Birth Year: 1960

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Henry Cooper

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1934

Birthplace: Lambeth, London, England, United Kingdom

Died: 2011

One of Britain’s greatest heavyweight boxers, Henry Cooper was known for his signature move, the left hook known as Enry's 'Ammer. Known for his warm personality, he was liked even by his opponents. He almost won against Muhammad Ali in 1963 and 1966. He remains the only boxer to be knighted.

Stu Hart

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1915

Birthplace: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Died: 2003

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)