• 0274 - Constantine I, Great Roman emperor (306-337), adopted Christianity
• 1539 - Franciscus Raphelengius, Dutch book publisher
• 1622 - Rembrandt Carel Fabritius, Dutch painter
• 1649 - Johann Philipp Krieger, composer
• 1702 - Johann Valentin Gorner, composer
• 1745 - Silverius Muller, composer
• 1746 - Gian Francesco Fortunati, composer
• 1759 - Johann Carl Friedrich Rellstab, composer
• 1784 - Elias Annes Borger, Dutch theologist/poet (To the Rhine)
• 1784 - Job Plimpton, composer
• 1792 - Don Joaquin B F Espartero, Spanish adventurer/fieldmarshal
• 1802 - William George Frederick Cavendish Bentinck, Lord George Bentinck
• 1807 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Portland Maine, poet (Hiawatha)
• 1811 - [Catherine] Mildred Lee, daughter of US general Robert E Lee
• 1822 - Eugene Gautier, composer
• 1823 - Ferdinand Van Derveer, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1892
• 1823 - William Buel Franklin, Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1903
• 1827 - Richard W Johnson, Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1897
• 1832 - Alfred Pollard Edward, Civil War journalist, died in 1872
• 1835 - Charles Cartuyvels, Belgian pulprit orator
• 1835 - Richard Garnett, English author (Ananda the Miracle Worker)
• 1841 - [Eleanor] Agnes Lee, daughter of US general Robert E Lee
• 1846 - Joaquin Valverde, composer
• 1847 - Ellen Alice Terry, Coventry Engl, actress/director (Imperial Theatre)
• 1848 - Charles Hubert H Parry, England, musicologist/composer (Jerusalem)
• 1850 - Henry Edwards Huntington, US, railroad exec
• 1861 - Rudolph Steiner, Kraljevic Aust, founder (doctrine of anthroposophy
• 1867 - Irving Fisher, US economist (compensating dollar)
• 1867 - Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, composer
• 1869 - Alice Hamilton, physician/writer (workmen's compensation laws)
• 1870 - Louis Coerne, composer
• 1874 - Max Ettinger, composer
• 1879 - Jose Sancho Marraco, composer
• 1881 - Luitzen [Bertus] Brouwers, Dutch mathematician
• 1881 - Sveinn Bj”rnsson, 1st president of Iceland (1944-52)/poet (Figur ild)
• 1886 - Hugo L Black, Ala, (Sen-D-Ala)/78th Supreme Court justice (1937-71)
• 1887 - James D Innes, English painter
• 1888 - Lotte Lehmann, Perleberg Germany, soprano (Fidello)
• 1891 - David Sarnoff, US, radio/TV pioneer/CEO (RCA)
• 1891 - Georges E Migot, French composer
• 1892 - William Demarest, St Paul Minn, actor (Uncle Charlie-My 3 Sons)
• 1893 - Joseph Messner, composer
• 1893 - Ralph Linton, US cultural anthropologist (Tree of Culture)
• 1894 - Robert-Lucien Siohan, composer
• 1895 - Edward Brophy, actor (Champ, Dumbo, Great Guy, Cameraman, Doughboys)
• 1897 - Bernard F Lyot, French astronomer (Lyot filter)
• 1897 - G Paul H Schuitema, graphic designer/photographer (System-O-Color)
• 1898 - Allison Danzig, sports writer (Tennis Pictorial History)
• 1898 - Rutkowski Bronislaw, composer
• 1899 - Charles H Best, Maine, physiologist/co-discoverer (Insulin)
• 1899 - Ian Keith, Boston MA, actor (Rochefort-3 Musketeers)
• 1899 - Sulo Nikolai Salonen, composer
• 1901 - Marino Marini, Italian sculptor/painter
• 1902 - Ethelda Bleibtrey, 100m/300m US swimmer (Olympics-3 gold-1920)
• 1902 - Gene Sarazen, Harrison NY, PGA golfer (Masters 1935, US Open 1922, 32)
• 1902 - John Steinbeck, Salinas Calif, author (Grapes of Wrath-Nobel 1962)
• 1903 - Reginald Gardiner, Wimbledon England, actor (Great Dictator)
• 1904 - James Thomas Farrell, US, author (Studs Lonigan trilogy)
• 1904 - Renaat Verheijen, Flemish actor/director (Innocent Heart)
• 1905 - Charles de Keukeleire, Belgian director (Evil Eye)
• 1905 - Franchot Tone, Niagara Falls NY, actor (Dr Freeland-Ben Casey)
• 1906 - Alexander Matheson, NZ cricket pace bowler (2 Tests 1930-31)
• 1906 - H Algernon F "Algy" Rumbold, English diplomat (S Africa/Tibet)
• 1907 - Gerhard Alexander, [Veldheer], Dutch actor (Prince Willem of Orange)
• 1909 - Elisabeth Welch, singer (Song of Freedom, Over the Moon)
• 1910 - Joan Bennett, Palasades NJ, actress (Little Women, Disraeli)
• 1910 - Peter De Vries, Chicago, author (Reuben Reuben, Prick of Noon)
• 1912 - Hugues Panassi‚, French jazz saxophonist/author (Hot Club of France)
• 1912 - Lawrence Durrell, Darjeeling India, writer (Alexandria Quartet)
• 1913 - Frank Allaun, British MP (L)
• 1913 - Irwin Shaw, US, novelist (Rich Man Poor Man)
• 1915 - Arthur Gilson, Belgian attorney/minister of Defense (1958-..)
• 1917 - John Connally, (Gov-D/R-Texas), shot in Kennedy motorcade
• 1919 - Lawrence Durrell, writer
• 1919 - Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, composer
• 1920 - David Vere Bendall, former diplomat
• 1920 - Jose Melis, Havana Cuba, orch leader (Jack Paar Program)
• 1920 - Reg Simpson, cricketer (prolific England opener 1948-55)
• 1921 - Andras Szollosy, composer
• 1921 - Michael Fox, US, actor (Quincy, Dallas, Bold & the Beautiful)
• 1922 - Mervyn Jones, author (Nobody's Fault, 5 Hungarian Writers)
• 1923 - Dexter Gordon, US, tenor saxophonist/actor (Connection)
• 1923 - Viktor Kalabis, composer
• 1924 - M M Shearer, former Lord Lieutenant of Shetland
• 1924 - Norman Marshall, cricketer (brother of Roy, one Test for WI 1955)
• 1925 - Hugh Leggatt, art dealer
• 1925 - Michael Kaye, director (City of London Festival)
• 1925 - Richard AFM Auwerda, Dutch journalist/writer
• 1926 - Peter Emery, British MP
• 1927 - Guy Mitchell, [Al Cernick], Detroit Mich, rocker/actor (Red Garters)
• 1927 - Lord Belhaven & Stenton
• 1927 - Michael Butler, Pro-Provost/chairman (Royal College of Art)
• 1930 - Joanne Woodward, Thomasville Ga, actress (3 Faces of Eve, Rachel)
• 1930 - Lieux Dressler, actress (Alice Grant-General Hospital)
• 1931 - Andrew Sloan, Chief Constable (Strathcourt)
• 1932 - Dolf Zwerver, Dutch painter
• 1932 - Elizabeth Taylor, London, actress (Cleopatra) violet eyes
• 1932 - Lord Young of Graffham, CEO (Cables & Wireless)
• 1933 - 6th marquess of Bute, Scottish large landowner/bibliophile
• 1933 - Edward Lucie-Smith, poetry critic
• 1933 - Geoffrey Maitland Smith, CEO (Sears)
• 1933 - Malcolm Wallop, (Sen-R-WY, 1977- )
• 1933 - Raymond Berry, Texas, NFL hall of famer (Baltimore Colts)
• 1934 - Ralph Nader, Winsted Conn, consumer advocate (Unsafe at Any Speed)
• 1934 - Van Williams, Fort Worth Tx, actor (Green Hornet, Tycoon)
• 1934 - [Navarre] Scott Momaday, US author (House Made of Dawn, Pulitzer 1969)
• 1935 - Alberto Remedios, opera/concert singer
• 1935 - Mirella Freni, Modena Italy, lyric soprano (Madame Butterfly)
• 1936 - Chuck Glaser, Spalding Neb, singer (Glaser Bros-Getting to Me Again)
• 1936 - Roger M Mahoney, Hollywood Ca, archbishop of Los Angeles (1985- )
• 1936 - Timothy Spall, actor (1871, Life is Sweet, Crusoe, Remembrance)
• 1936 - Virginia Maskell, actress (Suspect, Doctor in Love, Man Upstairs)
• 1937 - Barbara Babcock, Pasadena CA, actr (Dr Quinn, Dallas, Hill St Blues)
• 1937 - Donald MacKay, CEO (Scottish Enterprise)
• 1937 - L Jay Silvester, US, discus thrower (Olympic-silver-1972)
• 1937 - Viscount Head
• 1938 - Pascale Petit, PAris, actor (Code Name: Jaguar, End of Desire)
• 1939 - Antoinette Sibley, ballerina (Turning Point)
• 1939 - Kenzo Takada, Japanese director (Dream After Dream)
• 1939 - Lester King, cricketer (WI fast bowler, 2 Tests 1962-68, 9 wkts)
• 1939 - Peter Revson, auto racer (1971 Indianapolis pole winner)
• 1940 - Barbara Kelly, CEO (Scottish Consumer Council)
• 1940 - Howard Hesseman, Salem Or, actor (Dr Johnny Fever-WKRP, Head of Class)
• 1941 - Ian McGarry, general secretary (British Actors' Equity Association)
• 1941 - Paddy Ashton, New Delhi India, British MP (Soc/Lib Democrat)
• 1941 - Sandy Wilson
• 1942 - Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Due West SC, news reporter (McNeil-Lehrer)
• 1943 - Mary Frann, St Louis Mo, actress (Joanna-Newhart, Days of Our Live)
• 1944 - Alan Fudge, Wichita Ks, actor (Man From Atlantis, Paper Dolls)
• 1944 - Graeme Pollock, cricketer (South African batting prodigy)
• 1944 - Roger Scruton, philosopher
• 1945 - Daniel Olbrychski, Poland, actor (La Truite)
• 1947 - Ashley Woodcock, cricketer (one Test Aust v NZ 1974, only knock 27)
• 1947 - Gidon Kremer, Riga Latvia, violinist (Tchaikovsky Prize 1970)
• 1947 - Marian G Klaren, Dutch mime/actress (Red Cabbage)
• 1948 - Eddie Gray, rock guitarist (Tommy James & Shondells-Crystal Blue)
• 1948 - Stephen Curtis, CEO (DVLA)
• 1950 - Franco Moschino, fashion Designer
• 1950 - Julia Neuberger, British Rabbi
• 1951 - Lee Atwater, Republican National Committee Chairman (1989-91)
• 1951 - Steve Harley, rocker (Come Up & See Me)
• 1952 - Dwight Elmo Jones, Houston Tx, basketball player (Olymp-silver-1972)
• 1952 - Henk Westbroek, Dutch singer (Good Cause)
• 1952 - Kevin Raleigh, rock vocalist/keyboardist (Michael Stanley Band)
• 1954 - Neal Schon, rock guitarist (Journey-Open Arms, Bad English)
• 1955 - Garry Christian, rocker
• 1955 - Sally Spencer, actress (M J McKinnon-Another World)
• 1957 - Adrian Smith, heavy metal guitarist (Iron Maiden-Aces High)
• 1960 - Andres Gomez, Ecuador, tennis pro (Madrid Grand Prix-1990)
• 1960 - Bolik Dahan, Suriname singer/radio host (Radio KBC)
• 1960 - John van Grinsven, soccer player (MVV)
• 1960 - Paul Humphreys, rock synthesizer (OMD-Crush, Pacific Age)
• 1960 - Stoney Jackson, Richmond Va, actor (White Shadow, Insiders)
• 1961 - Grant Shaud, actor (Miles Silverburg-Murphy Brown)
• 1961 - James Worthy, NBA forward (LA Lakers, 1988 Playoff MVP)
• 1962 - Adam Baldwin, actor (Full Metal Jacket, My Bodyguard)
• 1962 - Grant Show, Detroit Mich, actor (Jack Hanson-Melrose Place)
• 1962 - Kory Tarpenning, Portland Oregon, pole vaulter
• 1962 - Veronica Ribot-Canales, Buenos Aires Argentina, US diver (Olympics-96)
• 1963 - Francesco Cancellotti, Italy, tennis star
• 1964 - April Heinrichs, Littleton Colo, US women's soccer coach (Olympic-96)
• 1964 - Ewen Vernal, British pop bassist (Deacon Blue-Your Town)
• 1964 - Richard de Vries, soccer player (De Graafschap)
• 1965 - Sandra Cecchini, Bologna Italy, tennis star (1995 Warsaw doubles)
• 1966 - Chris Howard, US baseball catcher (Seattle Mariners)
• 1966 - Gregg Rainwater, actor (Buck Cross-Young Riders)
• 1966 - Pete Smith, US baseball player (Atlanta Braves, NY Mets)
• 1967 - Dallas Eakins, Dade City, NHL defenseman (Winnipeg Jets)
• 1967 - Frantisek Kaberle, Brno CZE, hockey forward (Team Czech Rep)
• 1967 - Robert Kron, Brno Cze, NHL right wing (Hartford Whalers)
• 1968 - Loy Vaught, NBA forward (LA Clippers)
• 1968 - Mike Sullivan, Marshfield, NHL center (Calgary Flames)
• 1968 - Ron Cox, NFL linebacker (Chic Bears)
• 1969 - Greg Stevenson, Sherbrooke Quebec, rower (Olympics-11-92, 96)
• 1969 - Robert Massey, NFL cornerback (NY Giants)
• 1969 - Robert Molenaar, Dutch soccer player (FC Volendam)
• 1969 - Victoria Fair, Jackson Michigan, Miss Michigan-America (1991)
• 1969 - Willie Banks, US baseball pitcher (Chicago Cubs)
• 1970 - David White, NFL linebacker (Buffalo Bills)
• 1971 - Ivan Robinson, Phila Pa, US boxer (Olympic-92)
• 1971 - Jaroslav Modry, Ceske-budejovice C, NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators)
• 1971 - Rich Tylski, guard/center (Jacksonville Jaguars)
• 1973 - "Pooh" Clark, rocker (High-5)
• 1973 - Terence Davis, WLAF wide receiver (London Monarchs)
• 1974 - Chris Dishman, guard (Arizona Cardinals)
• 1974 - Jim Maher, cricketer (Queensland lefty batsman victorious 1995 side)
• 1975 - Christina Nigra, actress (Out of This World)
• 1975 - Dana Marie Lane, Cheyenne Wyoming, Miss America-Wyoming (1996)
• 1975 - Duce Staley, running back (Philadelphia Eagles)
• 1975 - Marcus Robinson, wide receiver (Chicago Bears)
• 1976 - Tony Gonzalez, tight end (KC Chiefs)
• 1980 - Chelsea Clinton, daughter of President Clinton (1993-2001)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 1167 - Robert of Melun, English philosopher/bishop of Hereford, dies
• 1656 - Johan van Heemskerk, Dutch lawyer/writer/interpreter, dies
• 1706 - John Evelyn, diarist, dies
• 1731 - Angelo Predieri, composer, dies at 76
• 1733 - Johann Adam Birkenstock, composer, dies at 46
• 1735 - John Arbuthnot, physician/mathematician, dies
• 1779 - Jan Nepveu, Dutch gov-gen of Suriname (1769-79), dies at 59
• 1797 - Benvenuto Robbio San Rafaele, composer, dies at 61
• 1805 - Stefan Paluselli, composer, dies at 57
• 1844 - Nicholas Biddle, US lawyer/diplomat/statesman/financier, dies at 85
• 1852 - Joseph Drechsler, composer, dies at 69
• 1862 - Gabriele dell' Addolorata, patron of Ital Catholic youth, dies at 23
• 1881 - George Colley, British governor of Natal/general, dies in battle at 46
• 1887 - Alexander Porfir'yevich Borodin, Russian composer, dies at 53
• 1913 - Adam Sedgwick, English zoologist (Peripatus), dies at 58
• 1920 - Alexandru D Xenopol, Romanian historian, dies at 72
• 1921 - Schofield Haigh, cricketer (Eng all-rounder 11 Tests 1898-1912), dies
• 1923 - Charles Francis Abdy Williams, composer, dies at 67
• 1929 - Manuel Manrique de Lara y Berry, composer, dies at 65
• 1936 - Ivan P Pavlov, Russian physiologist (reflexes, Nobel 1904), dies at 86
• 1939 - Nadezjda K Krupskaya, Russian revolutionary/wife of Lenin, dies at 70
• 1940 - Peter Behrens, German architect, dies
• 1942 - Karel WFM Doorman, Dutch rear-admiral (Java Sea), KIA at 52
• 1943 - Kost¡s Palamis, Greek poet/scholar (Flogera tou Bas¡lia), dies at 84
• 1945 - HJ Lochtman, Dutch chaplain/resistance fighter, dies in Bergen-Belsen
• 1947 - Mackinnon of Mackinnon, cricketer (Tests Eng v Aust 1879), dies at 89
• 1950 - Ivan Goll, writer, dies at 58
• 1952 - Theodorus Pangalos, Greek general/dictator 1926, dies at 74
• 1955 - Tom Howard, comedian (It Pays to be Ignorant), dies at 66
• 1956 - Frank Dailey, orch leader (Music at Meadowbrook), dies at 54
• 1956 - G�nther Ramin, German organist/composer/choir conductor, dies at 57
• 1958 - Harry Cohn, CEO (Columbia Pictures), dies of a heart attack
• 1960 - Adriano Olivetti, Italian engineer/manufacturer, dies at 58
• 1961 - Platt Adams, high jumper (Olympic-gold-1912), dies
• 1962 - Willie Best, actor (Charlie-My Little Margie), dies at 45
• 1966 - Minerva Urecal, actress (Apache Rose, Ghost Crazy), dies at 81
• 1968 - Johannes Tralow, writer, dies at 85
• 1968 - Ludvik Podest, composer, dies at 46
• 1969 - John Boles, actor (Stella Dallas, Curly Top), dies at 73
• 1970 - Robert Bruce Lockhart, diplomat/writer, dies
• 1973 - Lucijan Marija Skerjanc, Yugoslav composer/conductor, dies at 72
• 1974 - Pat Brady, Toledo Ohio, actor (Roy Rodgers Show), dies at 59
• 1975 - Neville Cardus, writer/cricketer, dies
• 1977 - Allison Hayes, actress (Attack of 50 Foot Woman), dies at 47
• 1978 - Vadim Nikolayevich Salmanov, composer, dies at 65
• 1980 - George Tobias, actor (Abner Kravitz-Bewitched), dies at 78
• 1982 - Malika A Sabirova, Russian dancer, dies at 39
• 1985 - David Huffman, actor (FIST, Jane Doe, Firefox, Onion Field), dies
• 1985 - Henry Cabot Lodge, (Sen-R)/diplomat, dies at 82
• 1985 - Pat J O'Malley, actor (My Favorite Martian, Maude), dies at 83
• 1987 - Joan Greenwood, English actress (Gentle Sex, Bad Sister), dies at 65
• 1989 - Conrad Lorenz, Austria zoologist (Nobel 1973), dies
• 1989 - Joe Silver, actor (Rage, Rapid, Deathtrap, Shivers), dies at 66
• 1989 - Konrad Lorenz, Austria zoologist (Nobel 1973), dies at 85
• 1991 - H J of Royen, manager Dutch (Concertgebouw Orch), dies at 52
• 1991 - Robert-Jan Akkerman, Dutch diplomat (to Tunis), murdered
• 1992 - Marinus Ruppert, Dutch trade union leader (CNV), dies at 80
• 1992 - S I Hayakawa, (Sen-Calif, 1977-83), dies at 85
• 1993 - Jos‚ Duval, actor (Juan Valdez), dies at 72
• 1993 - Lillian Gish, US actress (Birth of a Nation), dies at 96
• 1993 - Ruby Keeler, actress (42nd Street), dies of cancer at 83
• 1994 - Harold Acton, English/Italian historian/art collector, dies at 84
• 1994 - Karl I Pelgrom, Dutch sculptor, dies at 66
• 1994 - Laurence "Bill" Craigie, jet pioneer, dies at 92
• 1994 - Leopold "Hans" Kohr, Austria social philosopher/economist, dies at 84
• 1995 - Bernard Cornfield, financier, dies at 67
• 1995 - Philip Sherrington, opus Dei Priest, dies at 51
• 1996 - Fran‡ois Chaumette, actor (They Never Slept, Christine), dies at 72
• 1996 - George Ian Murray, 10th Duke of Atholl, dies at 64
• 1996 - Pat Smythe, show jumper, dies at 67
• 1996 - Sylvia Williams, museum director/curator, dies at 60