Famous People Born Today

Nelson Mandela

Listed In: Leaders

Birth Year: 1918

Birthplace: Mvezo, South Africa

Died: 2013

Revered as the Father of the Nation by the South Africans, Nelson Mandela was a statesman who rose to become the country’s first black head of state. He reconciled a nation divided along racial lines and dismantled the legacy of apartheid.

Vin Diesel

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1967

Birthplace: Alameda County, California, United States

The internationally recognised action hero Vin Diesel is known for his work in The Fast and the Furious film series and The Chronicles of Riddick trilogy. Before this the actor, who made his stage debut at the age of seven, was recognised for his work in Saving Private Ryan. Vin is also a director, producer, voice over artist and screenwriter.

Kristen Bell

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1980

Birthplace: Huntington Woods, Michigan, United States

Kristen Bell started her career by acting in stage productions and gained recognition when she starred in the 2004 film Spartan. She’s starred in popular television series like Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, House of Lies and The Good Place and films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couples Retreat, When in Rome and The Boss. She’s had issues with depression and anxiety.

Canelo Álvarez

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1990

Birthplace: Guadalajara, Mexico

Named the world’s best active boxer by BoxRec and other sports organizations, Mexican welterweight Canelo Álvarez is a skilled counterpuncher. He won a silver at the Mexican National Championship at 15 and has earned the WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine light middleweight titles. He is known for his knockout wins.

John Glenn

Listed In: Miscellaneous

Birth Year: 1921

Birthplace: Cambridge, Ohio, United States

Died: 2016

The first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn was an astronaut, aviator, politician, and businessman. Beginning his career as an army man, he was a fighter pilot in World War II. He later joined NASA and was one of the Mercury Seven. Following his retirement from NASA, he became a politician and served in the US Senate.

Kelly Reilly

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1977

Birthplace: Surrey, England

Kelly Reilly began her career as a stage artist and then graduated to acting in television series, some of which became very popular. Considered a natural actress, she has worked in acclaimed projects like The London Cuckolds, Above Suspicion, True Detective, Britannia and Yellowstone. She did some notable films too like A Single Shot, Sherlock Holmes, Orson Welles and Calvary.

Elsa Pataky

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1976

Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Elsa Pataky is one of the most famous Spanish models and actresses to make it big in the American film industry. She is best known for playing Officer Elena Neves alongside Dwayne Johnson in The Fast and the Furious film franchise. A polyglot, Elsa Pataky can speak Spanish, English, Romanian, Portuguese, French, and Italian fluently.

Richard Branson

Listed In: Business People

Birth Year: 1950

Birthplace: Blackheath, London, Engand

Richard Branson is an English business magnate. The founder of Virgin Group Ltd., which controls over 400 companies, Branson was named on Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People in The World. Branson has also had a major impact as a philanthropist; he set up a charitable organization called Branson School of Entrepreneurship to provide entrepreneurial training to youngsters.

Hunter S. Thompson

Listed In: Media Personalities

Birth Year: 1937

Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Died: 2005

Hunter S. Thompson was an American author and journalist. He is credited with creating his own subgenre of New Journalism called the gonzo journalism. The author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was later adapted into a film, Thompson was famous for his lifelong use of drugs and alcohol. His books have had a major impact on counterculture.

Elizabeth McGovern

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1961

Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois, United States

James Brolin

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1940

Birthplace: Westwood, California, United States

James Brolin is best known for his Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning performance as Steven Kiley in Marcus Welby, MD. Also known as Barbara Streisand’s husband and Josh Brolin’s father, he portrayed Ronald Reagan in the miniseries The Reagans. Fans also loved him in the movie Traffic and the series Hotel.

Chace Crawford

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Lubbock, Texas, United States

Chace Crawford's journey from working as a car valet to becoming an actor in the film and TV industry has been quite inspirational. He also serves as an inspiration to college dropouts and to those who suffer from attention deficit disorder as he established a successful career after being diagnosed with ADHD and dropping out of Pepperdine University.

Priyanka Chopra

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1982

Birthplace: Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India

The Winner of Miss World 2000; a successful actress in Hindi films; the owner of production house that promotes regional Indian cinema and the first Indian actor to play the lead character in an American television show – Priyanka Chopra’s list of achievements is long. The popular star is also a singer, a tech investor and the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Molly Brown

Listed In: Miscellaneous

Birth Year: 1867

Birthplace: Hannibal, Missouri, United States

Died: 1932

Molly Brown was an American philanthropist and socialite. She is often referred to as the Unsinkable Molly Brown for surviving the 1912 sinking of Titanic and for unsuccessfully encouraging the crew members of Lifeboat No. 6 to look for survivors by returning to the debris field. Her life and work inspired the 1960 musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Penny Hardaway

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1971

Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Penny Hardaway is a college basketball coach who is currently serving as the head coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. A former player, Hardaway played for teams like Miami Heat and New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association where he was a two-time All-NBA First Team member and a four-time NBA All-Star.

Red Skelton

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1913

Birthplace: Vincennes

Died: 1997

Red Skelton is best remembered as the host of The Red Skelton Show. Apart from films and TV, he had also performed in vaudeville, casinos, and nightclubs. He was also a skilled painter and specialized in paintings of clowns, which earned him more than his acting projects.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1992

Birthplace: Athens, Greece

Greek basketball player Thanasis Antetokounmpo, older brother of NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo, plays for the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks. Known as “The Greek Streak” and “The Elevator,” he was chosen to play for the Nigerian team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but he chose to play for Greece instead.

James Norton

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: London, England

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

Michiel Huisman

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1981

Birthplace: Amstelveen, Netherlands

Michiel Huisman is a Dutch musician and actor who achieved international fame after taking over the role of Daario Naharis in the popular HBO series Game of Thrones in 2014. Michiel Huisman is also known for his association with the band Fontane, which was later renamed Michiel Huisman.

Dion DiMucci

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1939

Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States

Anne-Marie Johnson

Listed In: Artists & Painters

Birth Year: 1960

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

Taylor Russell

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1994

Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada

Canadian actress, Taylor Russell, is best known for starring in the TV show Lost in Space. She began acting when she was in her late teens. At the beginning of her career, she appeared in small roles in TV shows. With time, she started getting more substantial roles and gradually ventured into films as well.

Hopsin

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Panorama City, Los Angeles, California

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

Virgil Earp

Listed In: Miscellaneous

Birth Year: 1843

Birthplace: Hartford, Kentucky, United States

Died: 1905

Hume Cronyn

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1911

Birthplace: London, Canada

Died: 2003

Born to a politician father and a brewery heiress mother, actor Hume Cronyn, initially showed promise as a boxer. He teamed up with Alfred Hitchcock for films such as Shadow of a Doubt. The film The Seventh Cross, set in Nazi Germany, earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Patrick Beverley

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1988

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

Joe Torre

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1940

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Initially MLB’s chief baseball officer, Joe Torre has won 4 World Series championships for the New York Yankees, as a manager. He has authored books such as The Yankee Years. He and his wife have launched the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, which helps prevent domestic violence.

Lee Tae-min

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1993

Birthplace: Seoul

South Korean singer/actor Lee Tae-min gained fame as part of the group Shinee. He came to be known as the “Idol’s Idol” and soon launched his solo career, delivering hits such as Danger. He also starred in the comedy Tae-Hee, Hye-Kyo, Ji-Hyun and later joined the K-pop supergroup SuperM.

Yung Lean

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1996

Birthplace: Stockholm

Swedish rapper Yung Lean is best known for his track Ginseng Strip 2002 and for albums such as Unknown Memory. His music is known as sad rap, emo rap, and soundcloud rap, and he also performs with the band Död Mark. He has struggled with bipolar disorder and drug issues.

Margo Martindale

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1951

Birthplace: Jacksonville, Texas, USA

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

Ricky Skaggs

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1954

Birthplace: Cordell, Kentucky, United States

Lil Bibby

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1994

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois

Height: 5'0" (152 cm)

Paul Verhoeven

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1938

Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Paul Verhoeven is a Dutch screenwriter and director whose illustrious career has spanned more than 60 years. Over the years, Verhoeven has won prestigious awards such as a Golden Globe Award, César Award, and Saturn Award. Paul Verhoeven is regarded as one of the most popular filmmakers in the Netherlands.

Bam Adebayo

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1997

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States

Height: 6'9" (206 cm)

Chill Wills

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1902

Birthplace: Seagoville, Texas, United States

Died: 1978

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

Ryan Cabrera

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1982

Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, United States

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

Daron Malakian

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1975

Birthplace: Hollywood

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

Steve Forbes

Listed In: Media Personalities

Birth Year: 1947

Birthplace: Morristown

The grandson of Forbes founder B.C. Forbes, Steve Forbes now heads the business publication as its editor-in-chief. A record 4-time Crystal Owl Award winner, he is known for his impeccable financial journalism and has also penned several books. He has unsuccessfully run for the Republican nomination for presidency, too.