• 1573 - Inigo Jones, London, architect (restored St Paul's Cathedral)
• 1606 - Rembrandt van Rijn, Leiden Netherlands, painter (Night Watch)
• 1638 - Giovanni Buonaventura Viviani, composer
• 1700 - Johann Christoph Richter, composer
• 1701 - Pierre Joubert, became oldest known Canadian (113 y 124 d at death)
• 1704 - August Gottlieb Spangenberg, founder of Moravian Church in N America
• 1779 - Clement Clarke Moore, US, author ('Twas the Night Before Xmas)
• 1796 - Thomas Bulfinch, mythologist (Bulfinch's Mythology)
• 1798 - Charles H Bell, Comm (Union Navy), died in 1875
• 1802 - John Barnett, composer
• 1808 - Henry Cole, promotor (Great Exhibition of 1851)
• 1808 - Henry Edward Manning, cardinal/archbishop (Westminster)
• 1812 - Benno Adam, animal painter
• 1817 - John Fowler, English engineer (London Metropolitan Railway)
• 1818 - Heinrich Esser, composer
• 1848 - Vilfredo F D Pareto, Italian economist/sociologist
• 1849 - Moritz Heuzenroeder, composer
• 1850 - Francesca Xavier Cabrini, [Mother Cabrini], 1st US saint
• 1856 - Owen Dunell, cricketer (South Africa's 1st Test captain)
• 1864 - Marie Tempest, [Marie Susan Etherington], actress (Yellow Sands)
• 1865 - Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, 1st viscount Northcliffe
• 1867 - Maggie Mitchell Walker, 1st woman bank director/philanthropist
• 1870 - Ernest Walker, composer
• 1872 - Jos‚ Enrique Rod¢, Montevideo Uruguay, writer (Motivos the Proteo)
• 1875 - Frank "Pop" Morgenweck, basketball hall of famer (elected 1962)
• 1875 - Jean van den Eeckhoudt, Belgian painter
• 1878 - Willem Paerels, Neth/Belgian painter/graphic artist
• 1884 - Enrique Soro Barriga, composer
• 1889 - Marjorie Rambeau, SF Calif, actress (Primrose Path, Torch Song)
• 1892 - Walter Benjamin, German literature critic/writer
• 1893 - Enid Bennett, Australia, silent film actress (Skippy, Hairpins)
• 1898 - Noel Gay, [Richard Moxon Armitage], composer
• 1898 - Norman Demuth, composer
• 1901 - Pyke F C Koch, Dutch surrealistic painter (Dolores' Breakfast)
• 1902 - Jean Rey, Belgium, pres of European Commission (1967-70)
• 1902 - Raymond Hackett, NYC, husband of Blanche Sweet/actor (Faithless Lover)
• 1905 - Dorothy Fields, lyricist (I'm in the Mood for Love)
• 1906 - Edmund Davies, British lord of appeal
• 1907 - Paterson Fraser, British air marshal
• 1909 - Enid Kathleen Hutchinson, adult educationalist
• 1909 - Isabel Jewell, Shoshone WY, actress (Ceiling Zero, Arousers)
• 1909 - John Cochrane, South African cricket pace bowler (one Test 1931)
• 1910 - Ronald Binge, composer
• 1911 - Juliet Pannett, English portrait painter
• 1911 - Lord Shackelton, explorer/govt minister
• 1913 - Murvyn Vye, Quincy Mass, actor (Bob Cummings Show)
• 1913 - Ralph Hammond Innes, English author
• 1915 - Alexander Durie, vice president (British AA)
• 1915 - Ron Smith, union leader (British Postal Workers)
• 1916 - George Maduro, Antillian resistance fighter (Willemsorde/Madurodam)
• 1917 - Robert Conquest, English author (Back to Life)
• 1918 - Lord Buxton of Alsa, CEO (ITV)
• 1919 - Iris Murdoch, Dublin Ireland, novelist (Severed Head, Unicorn)
• 1920 - Eldon Rudd, (Rep-R-AZ, 1977- )
• 1920 - Ruthven Wade, British Air Chief marshal
• 1921 - Jack Hamilton Beeson, composer
• 1922 - Jef Houthuys, chairman Belgian labor union (ACV 1968-87)
• 1922 - Jeffrey Benson, CEO (600 group)
• 1922 - Jiri Lederer, Czechoslovakia, journalist/dissident
• 1924 - David Cox, warden (Nuffield College, Oxford)
• 1924 - Jeremiah A Denton, (Sen-R-AL, 1981-86)
• 1925 - Phil Carey, Hackensack NJ, actor (Asa Buchanan-One Life to Live)
• 1926 - John Arthur Neill Lambert, composer
• 1926 - John Graham, British ambassador to NATO
• 1927 - Ann Jellicoe, theater director/playwright (Knack)
• 1927 - Carmen Zapata, NYC, actress (Hagen, Viva Valdez, Man & the City)
• 1929 - Larry Lamb, newspaper editor
• 1930 - Charles Kelly, chief constable (Staffordshire England)
• 1931 - Clive Cussler, writer (Raise The Titantic, Sahara)
• 1931 - Eugene Louw, South African minister of Internal affairs
• 1932 - Nina Van Pallandt, Copenhagen Denmark, actress (American Gigolo)
• 1933 - Frederico Davia, opera singer
• 1933 - James Ball, economist
• 1933 - Julian Bream, guitarist
• 1934 - Harrison Birtwhistle, Accringto Lancashire, composer (Trombeau)
• 1934 - Simon Gournlay, president (British National Farmer's Union)
• 1935 - Alex Karras, Gary Ind, NFLer (Detroit Lions)/actor (George-Webster)
• 1935 - Ken Kercheval, Wolcottville Ind, actor (Cliff Barnes-Dallas)
• 1936 - Marion Roe, MP (C)
• 1938 - Carmen Callil, publisher
• 1938 - Enrique Figuerola Camue, Cuba, 100m runner (Olympic-silver-1964)
• 1939 - Haseeb Ahsan, Pakistani cricket off-spinner (12 Tests 1958-62)
• 1939 - Patrick Wayne, LA Calif, actor (Rounder, Shirley, Beyond Atlantis)
• 1939 - Ronald Hadfield, chief constable (West Midlands England)
• 1939 - William David Hellerman, composer
• 1941 - Geoffrey Burgon, composer
• 1942 - Henry McCubbin, MEP (Labour)
• 1942 - Philip R Sharp, (Rep-D-Indiana, 1975- )
• 1943 - Diligenti quintuplets, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 1943 - Jocelyn Burnell, astronomer
• 1944 - Jan-Michael Vincent, Denver, actor (Hooper, Tribes, Buster & Billie)
• 1944 - Millie Jackson, Thompson Ga, model/singer (Get it out 'cha system)
• 1945 - Gene Upshaw, NFL offensive tackle (Oakland Raider)
• 1945 - Peter Lewis, LA Calif, rock guitarist/vocalist (Moby Grape)
• 1946 - Hassabal Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah, sultan of Brunei
• 1946 - Linda Ronstadt, Tucson Az, singer (Dif Drum)/actress (Pir of Penzance)
• 1948 - Enrique Basilio, hurler, 1st lady to light Olympic flame (Mexico-1968)
• 1949 - John Arthur Casken, composer
• 1949 - Kerry Short, Vineland Ont, Canad Tour golfer (Highland Amat-1981, 84)
• 1949 - Trevor Horn, rock producer (Buggles-Video Killed, Yes, Frankie)
• 1949 - WiIlliam Faure, producer
• 1950 - Alan Hurst, cricketer (Australian pace bowler 1974-79)
• 1951 - Jesse "The Body" Ventura, wrestler/actor (Predator, Running Man)
• 1952 - David Bell, horse trainer
• 1952 - David Pack, rocker (Ambrosia)
• 1952 - Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (Rep-R-Florida)
• 1952 - Jeff Carlisi, rock guitarist (38 Special)
• 1952 - Jesse Ventura, [James Janos], wrestler/actor (mayor-Brooklyn Pk-MN)
• 1952 - Jill Long, (Rep-D-Indiana)
• 1952 - Larken Collins, rocker (Rossington-Collins Band)
• 1953 - Cathy Larmouth Torrance Calif, playmate (Jun, 1981)
• 1953 - Franklyn Seales, St Vincent, actor (Dexter-Silver Spoons)
• 1953 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide, president of Ha‹ti (1991, 1994- )
• 1953 - John Denham, MP (Labour)
• 1954 - Boris Polak, Israel, Men's 50M Free Rifle 3 Positions (Oly-20-1996)
• 1956 - Joe Satriani, rocker
• 1956 - Kathy Kreiner, Canada, giant slalom (Olympic-gold-1976)
• 1956 - Toshihiko Seko, Japanese runner (world record 25/30 km)
• 1957 - Kate Kellaway, critic
• 1958 - Daniel Bruce Forsman, Rhinelander WI, PGA golfer (1992 Buick Open)
• 1960 - Alexander W Dunlap, Honolulu Hawaii, astronaut
• 1960 - Kim Alexis, Lockport NY, model (Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover)
• 1960 - Willie Aames, Newport Beach Ca, actor (8 is Enough, Paradise, Zapped)
• 1961 - Forest Whitaker, Longview TX, actor (Bloodsport, Platoon, Stakeout)
• 1961 - Lolita Davidovich, actress (Blaze, Jungle2Jungle)
• 1962 - Brigitte Nielsen, Eisinore Denmark, actress (Red Sonja, Rocky IV)
• 1963 - Joe Phillips, NFL defensive tackle (KC Chiefs)
• 1963 - Shari Headley, Brooklyn NY, actress (Mimi Reed-All My Children)
• 1963 - Steve Thomas, Stockport Eng, NHL left wing (NJ Devils)
• 1964 - Leonard Stabb, actor (Hunter Guthrie-One Life to Live, Guiding Light)
• 1965 - Kirt Manwaring, Elmira NY, catcher (SF Giants)
• 1965 - Scott Livingstone, Dallas TX, infielder (SD Padres, Det Tigers)
• 1966 - Irene Jacob, actress (Red, Othello)
• 1966 - Kristoff St John, NYC, actor (Adam-Generations, Young & Restless)
• 1966 - Rickey Foggie, CFL quarterback (Hamilton Tiger Cats)
• 1967 - Carnell Lake, NFL strong safety (Pitts Steelers)
• 1969 - Christina Novak, Miss Arizona USA (1996)
• 1969 - John Crotty, NBA guard (Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trailblazers)
• 1969 - Johnny Scott, CFL defensive tackle (BC Lions)
• 1969 - Lorenzo Williams, NBA center (Wash Wizards, Dallas Mavericks)
• 1969 - Peter Ciavaglia, Albany NY, US hockey forward (Olympics-1994)
• 1969 - Richard Fletcher Pride III, Tuscaloosa AL, PGA golfer (1994 Fed Exp)
• 1970 - Julian Paynter, Australian 5k runner (Olympics-96)
• 1970 - Stephen Howard, NBA forward (Seattle Supersonics)
• 1971 - Dean Panaro, Knoxville Tenn, diver (Olympics-96)
• 1971 - Eric Lacroix, Montreal, NHL left wing (LA Kings)
• 1971 - Ernest Dye, NFL tackle (Arizona Cardinals)
• 1971 - James Baldwin Jr, Southern Pines NC, pitcher (Chic White Sox)
• 1972 - Khalid Reeves, NBA guard (Dallas Mavericks, NJ Nets)
• 1973 - Brian Austin Green, Van Nuys Cal, actor (David-Beverly Hills 90210)
• 1973 - Donald Willis, WLAF corner (Amsterdam Admirals)
• 1974 - Janice Bremner, Burlington Ontario, synchro swimmer (Olymp-silver-96)
• 1976 - Rebecca Snyder, Grand Junction Colo, air pistol (Olympics-1996)
• 1981 - Alecia Ingram, Knoxville Tenn, gymnast (alt-Olympics-96)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 0668 - Constantius II, emperor of Byzantium, dies at 37
• 1085 - Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia & Calabria, dies at 70
• 1274 - John F Bonaventura, Ital/French theologist/dominican/saint, dies
• 1291 - Rudolf I, King of Germany & Holy Roman Empire, dies
• 1381 - John Ball, English priest/ideologist of Boer uprising, hanged
• 1411 - Johannes Parvus, [Jean Petit], French theologist, dies
• 1416 - John, Duke of Berry, captain of Paris, dies
• 1417 - Willem J Eggert, financier (W E Center, Purmerend), dies
• 1609 - Annibale Carracci, painter, dies
• 1685 - James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son of Charles 2, executed
• 1738 - Alexander Voznitsyn, Rus Naval officer converted to Judaism, executed
• 1738 - Antonio Maria Pacchioni, composer, dies at 84
• 1738 - Baruch Leibov, converted Russian Naval officer to Judaism, executed
• 1751 - John Wilson, botanist, dies
• 1765 - Charles Andrew Vanloo, painter, dies
• 1782 - Farinelli, Italian singer, dies at 77
• 1782 - Robert Wainwright, composer, dies at 33
• 1784 - Johan B Straub, South German sculptor, dies
• 1789 - Jacques Duphly, composer, dies at 74
• 1798 - Gaetano Pugnani, composer, dies at 66
• 1810 - Jean-Baptiste Rey, composer, dies at 75
• 1839 - Winthrop Mackworth Praed, politician/poet, dies
• 1854 - Wincenty Studzinski, composer, dies at 39
• 1856 - Margaretha J de Neufville, author (The Kidnap), dies at 81
• 1857 - Carl Czerny, Austrian pianist/composer, dies at 66
• 1862 - David Emanuel Twiggs, US Confederate gen-mjr (Monterrey), dies at 72
• 1865 - Reinier C Bakhuizen van de Brink, Dutch historian, dies at 55
• 1868 - William Thomas Morton, dentist (1st to use ether), dies
• 1869 - A J Hayne, black captain of Arkansas militia, assassinated
• 1876 - Aleksander Fredro, Polish comedy writer (Zemstra), dies at 82
• 1881 - William "Billy the Kid" Bonney, shot by sheriff Pat Garrett at 21
• 1883 - Tom Thumb, famous small person (40"), dies of a stroke at 44
• 1885 - Rosal¡a de Castro, Spanish writer, dies at 48
• 1890 - Gottfried Keller, writer, dies at 70
• 1904 - Anton Pavlovich Chechov, Russian writer (Uncle Vanya), dies at 44
• 1910 - Dani‰l Kinet, auto racer/1st Belgian flyer, dies
• 1912 - Francisco Lazaro, Portuguese marathon runner (Olympics), dies at 21
• 1915 - Ludwik Grossman, composer, dies at 80
• 1929 - Hugo Von Hofmannsthal, playwright/poet, dies
• 1930 - Leopold von Auer, Hungarian/US violinist, dies
• 1933 - Irving Babbitt, US writer (Democracy & Leadership), dies at 67
• 1934 - Jules Renkin, Belgian PM (1931-32), dies
• 1935 - Alfred Archer, cricketer (England batsman in one Test 1899), dies
• 1935 - Pieter WA Cort van de Linden, Dutch premier (1913-18), dies at 89
• 1937 - Walter Gay, artist, dies
• 1939 - Johon Mellanby, physiologist, dies
• 1939 - Percy Scott Worthington, architect, dies
• 1940 - Donald Calthrop, dies at 52
• 1940 - Robert Wadlow, world's tallest man (8'11.1"), dies at 32
• 1942 - Denis Moloney, cricketer (during WW II 3 Tests for NZ 1937), dies
• 1947 - Henry Kolker, dies at 76
• 1948 - John J Pershing, [Black Jack], US general (Mexico, WW I), dies at 87
• 1952 - Julia Lennon, John Lennon's mother dies in a car accident
• 1957 - George Cleveland, actor (Grampa-Lassie), dies at 74
• 1957 - Marie C of Zeggelen, author (Dessajongen), dies at 87
• 1958 - Julia Lennon, mother of Beatle John, dies in an auto accident
• 1958 - Nuries-Said, Iraqi soldier/statesman, assassinated, dies
• 1959 - Ernest Bloch, Swiss/US composer (Macbeth), dies at 78
• 1959 - Peter A Egge, Norwegian writer (The Dream), dies
• 1960 - Lawrence Mervil Tibbett, baritone, dies after surgery at 63
• 1968 - Lura Anson, dies in Woodland at 76
• 1969 - Peter Van Eyck, dies after long illness at 56
• 1971 - Guy Wilkerson, dies of cancer at 71
• 1975 - Charles Weidman, US dancer/choreographer (Fables for Our Time), dies
• 1976 - Paul William Gallico, writer, dies at 78
• 1977 - Konstantin Fedin, writer, dies
• 1980 - Eddie Jackson, comedian (Jimmy Durante Show), dies at 84
• 1980 - Henri Martelli, composer, dies at 85
• 1982 - Donald Beard, cricketer (4 Tests for NZ 1952-56), dies
• 1982 - Wendy Caulfield, 1st Green River victim, found near Seattle
• 1983 - Eddie Foy Jr, actor (Eddie-Fair Exchange), dies of cancer at 78
• 1986 - Benny Rubin, actor/comedian (Benny Rubin Show), dies at 87
• 1986 - Florence Halop, actress (Florence-Night Court), dies at 63
• 1987 - Alfie Bass, actor (Moonraker, Are You Being Served), dies at 66
• 1987 - Jack O'Hagan, cricketer/composer (Our Don Bradman), dies
• 1988 - Eleanor Estes, author (Ginger Pye, Moffats), dies at 82
• 1990 - Alison Leggatt, actress (Day of Triffids, Cows), dies at 86
• 1990 - Margaret Mary Lockwood, actress (Man in Grey, Wicked Lady), dies at 73
• 1990 - Troy Dixon, rapper (Trouble T-Roy of Heavy D), dies at 22 of a fall
• 1991 - Bert Convy, actor (Snoop Sisters, Win Lose or Draw), dies at 57
• 1992 - Henk van der Molen, guitarist/composer/writer (Martine Bijl), dies
• 1993 - David Brian, US actor (Damned Don't Cry, Fort Worth), dies at 78
• 1994 - Jeanne Bieruma Oosting, Dutch painter/illustrator, dies
• 1995 - Eddie J Bush, golf professional, dies at 83
• 1995 - Willie George "Bill" Woodruff Sr, vocalist, dies at 66
• 1996 - Dana Hill, actress (Vacation), dies at 32
• 1997 - Alan Chaig, paleontologist (Carl Sagan of BBC), dies at 70
• 1997 - Gianni Versace, designer, shot to death by Andrew Cunanan at 50