• 1508 - Gemma Frisius, [Jemme Reinersz], Frisian geographer/astronomer
• 1626 - Christina, queen of Sweden who abdicated after becoming Catholic
• 1704 - Anton de Haen, medical expert (Ratio Medendi)
• 1708 - Francis I, Holy Roman emperor (1745-1765)
• 1715 - John Althuysen, Frisian vicar/poet (Frisianche rymlery)
• 1728 - Johann G von Zimmermann, Swiss author
• 1730 - John Ingen Housz, Dutch/English personal physician of Maria Theresia
• 1731 - Frantisek Xaver Dusek, composer
• 1737 - Robert Kimmerling, composer
• 1741 - Maximilian JLP Gardel, French dancer/choreographer (Menuet Reine)
• 1744 - Pierre Joseph Candielle, composer
• 1765 - Eli Whitney, inventor (Cotton Gin)
• 1789 - John Fawcett, composer
• 1795 - Jacques Fran‡ois Gallay, composer
• 1811 - Louis Alexander Balthasar Schindelmeisser, composer
• 1822 - Luther Prentice Bradley, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1910
• 1826 - Friedrich Siemens, German industrialist
• 1828 - Clinton Bowen Fisk, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1890
• 1828 - Robert Bullock, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1905
• 1832 - Bj”rnstjerne Bj”rnson, Norway, novelist (Pa Guds Veje, Nobel-1903)
• 1861 - Aristide Maillol, France, painter/sculptor (Seated Woman)
• 1861 - Georges M‚liŠs, Paris, magician; 1st to film a fictional story
• 1861 - William Crapo Durant, founded General Machine
• 1862 - Georges Feydeau, French playwright (La Dame de Chez Maxim's)
• 1865 - Jacques Hadamard, French mathematician (Taylor series)
• 1865 - Jean Sibelius, Tavastehus Finland, composer (Valse Triste, Finlandia)
• 1872 - J C Powys, writer
• 1877 - Paul Emile Ladmirault, composer
• 1879 - Paul Klee, Swiss/German painter/tutor (Bauhaus) [OS]
• 1881 - Padraic Colum, Irish poet/novelist/poet (Collected Poems)
• 1882 - Manuel Mar”a Ponce, Fresnillo M‚xico, composer (Estrellita)
• 1886 - Diego Rivera, [Lenin of Mexico], Mexico, painter/wife of Frida Kahlo
• 1887 - Vicente Emilio Sojo, composer
• 1888 - Fiske Kimball, US architect/art historian
• 1888 - Paul Cavanagh, Chislehurst England, actor (Tarzan & his Mate)
• 1888 - Vesey D'Davoren, character actor
• 1889 - W Hervey Allen, US writer/poet (Anthony Adverse)
• 1890 - Bohuslav Jan Martinu, Policka Czechoslovakia, composer (Hry o Marti)
• 1890 - Bohuslav Martinu, composer
• 1894 - James (Grover) Thurber, Columbus Ohio, humorist (Men, Women & Dogs)
• 1897 - Leslie Heward, composer
• 1899 - James "Pigmeat" Jarrett, pianist
• 1899 - John Qualen, Vancouver BC, actor (Grapes of Wrath, Searchers)
• 1899 - Sarah Williamson, US missionary in Liberia
• 1903 - Adele Simpson, NYC, fashion designer (Neiman-Marcus Award-1946)
• 1903 - Cleo Brown, pianist
• 1903 - Irene Eisinger, singer
• 1903 - Kathleen (Kitty) Rosalind Muggeridge, author
• 1903 - Zoltan Szekely, composer
• 1904 - Wilmer L Allison Jr, tennis champ (US Open-1935)
• 1905 - Charles Cushing, composer
• 1905 - Ernst Hermann Meyer, composer
• 1905 - Frank Faylen, St Louis Mo, actor (Herbert Gillis-Dobie Gillis)
• 1905 - Julius Silverman, politician
• 1906 - Richard Llewellyn, Wales, novelist (How Green Was My Valley)
• 1907 - Tony Aubin, composer
• 1908 - John Volpe, (Gov-Mass)/US Secretary of Treasury (1969-73)
• 1911 - Lee J Cobb, NYC, actor (Virginian, 12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront)
• 1912 - Jura Soyfer, writer
• 1913 - Delmore Schwartz, US, poet/short story writer/critic (Shenandoah)
• 1913 - Paul F‚lix, Flemish architect (Sun Song)
• 1915 - Denis Harding, soldier
• 1915 - George Scheuer, writer/journalist
• 1916 - Dorothy Mae Ballard, labor union rep
• 1917 - Rufo I Wever, Aruban pianist/composer (Ca'i Organ)
• 1918 - G‚rard Souzay, Angers France, baritone (Le Nozze di Figaro)
• 1918 - Ian Johnson, cricketer (Australian Test captbetween Hassett & Craig)
• 1919 - Hans-Dieter Hosalla, composer
• 1919 - Moyssey Samuilovich Vaynberg, composer
• 1920 - Emmanuel McDonald Bailey, Trinidad, 100m runner (Olympic-bronze-1952)
• 1920 - Ron Gulliford, educationalist
• 1921 - Johnny Otis, Calif, R&B talent scout (Cold Shot, Cuttin' Up)
• 1921 - Terence Morgan, London England, actor (Adv of Sir Francis Drake)
• 1921 - Terence Weil, cellist/teacher
• 1922 - George Fullerton, cricketer (South African keeper-batsman 1947-51)
• 1922 - Jean Ritchie, rocker
• 1922 - John B McKay, US test pilot (X-15)
• 1922 - Lucian Freud, Berlin German, artist (Boy With a Rat)
• 1925 - James E "Jimmy" Smith, US jazz/organist (Walk on the Wild Side)
• 1925 - Sammy Davis Jr, NYC, singer/dancer/actor (Ocean's 11, Candy Man)
• 1927 - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shatalov, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 4, 8, 10)
• 1929 - Goffredo Parise, writer
• 1930 - Alain Weber, composer
• 1930 - John Morressy, US, sci-fi author (Starbrat, Greymantle, Kingsbane)
• 1930 - Maximilian Schell, Austria, actor/director (Odessa File, Julia)
• 1931 - Rudolf Komorous, composer
• 1933 - Flip Wilson, [Clerow], Jersey City NJ, comedian (Flip Wilson Show)
• 1936 - David Carradine, Hollywood CA, actor (Kung Fu, Mean Streets)
• 1936 - Peter Parfitt, cricketer (fine England batsman of the 1960's)
• 1936 - W S "Buster" Farrer, cricketer (South African Test batsman 1962-64)
• 1937 - James MacArthur, LA Calif, actor (Danny Williams-Hawaii 5-0)
• 1937 - Jan van Houwelingen, Dutch undersecretary of Defense (CDA)
• 1939 - James Galway, Belfast Ireland, flutist (18k gold flute, Royal Phil)
• 1939 - Jerry Butler, Sunflower Miss, rock vocalist (Never Give You Up)
• 1939 - Lynn Wilson, contractor/multi-millionaire
• 1940 - Graham Knight, rocker
• 1940 - Jenny Linden, English actress (Hedda, Dr Who & the Daleks)
• 1940 - Nick Nolte, actor (Teachers, 48 Hours, North Dallas 40)
• 1941 - Albert J Evenhuis, Dutch undersecretary of Economic (VVD)
• 1941 - Geoff Hurst, cricketer (Essex 1962, better known as soccer immortal)
• 1942 - Bobby Elliot, rock drummer (Hollies)
• 1942 - Hemant Kanitkar, cricketer (batted in two Tests India v WI 1974)
• 1942 - Mario Savio, activist
• 1943 - Jim Morrison, Melbourne Fla, singer (Doors) is he really dead?
• 1943 - Mary Woronov, Brooklyn Hgts NY, actress (Eating Raoul, Terror Vision)
• 1943 - Michael Unger, English editor-in-chief (Evening News, Manchester)
• 1946 - Graham Knight, rocker (Marmalade)
• 1946 - John Rubinstein, LA Calif, actor/composer (Family, Boys from Brazil)
• 1947 - Belinda Balaski, Inglewood CA, actor (Cannonball, Proud Men, Howling)
• 1947 - Frans Leijnse, Dutch politician (PvdA 2nd Chamber)
• 1947 - Geoff Daking, rocker
• 1947 - Gregg Allman, Nashville, guitarist/vocalist (Allman Brothers Band)
• 1949 - Mary Gordon, US, author
• 1949 - Ray Shulman, rocker
• 1950 - Dan Hartman, rocker
• 1950 - Rick Baker, Binghamton NY, special effects makeup artist (Exorcist)
• 1952 - Richie Morales, drummer (Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance)
• 1952 - Sam Kinison, screaming comedian/actor (Back to School, Charlie Hoover)
• 1953 - Kim Basinger, Athens Ga, actress (9« Weeks, Batman)
• 1953 - Roy Firestone, sportscaster (Life's Most Embarrassing Moments)
• 1955 - Ian Greig, cricketer (brother of Tony Two Tests for England 1982)
• 1956 - Warren Cuccurullo, rock guitarist (Missing Persons)
• 1957 - Phll Collen, rocker
• 1958 - Billy Hufsey, actor (Christopher-Fame, Days of our Life)
• 1958 - Wayne Dickert, Chattanooga TN, slalom double canoe (Olympics-11th-96)
• 1959 - Mark Dickson, Tampa Fla, tennis star
• 1959 - Marty Raybon, Sanford Fla, singer (Shenandoah-Sunday in the South)
• 1959 - Paul Rutherford, vocalist (Frankie Goes to Hollywood-Relax)
• 1962 - Berry van Aerle, Dutch soccer star (PSV)
• 1962 - Stephen John Elkington, Inverell Australia, PGA golfer (1990 Kmart)
• 1964 - James Martinez, Santa Fe NM, rower (Olympics-1996)
• 1964 - Teri Hatcher, Sunnyvale CA, actress (Lois Lane-Lois & Clark)
• 1965 - Greg Truitt, NFL safety/linebacker (Cincinnati Bengals)
• 1965 - Teresa Weatherspoon, WNBA guard (NY Liberty)
• 1965 - Troy Sadowski, NFL tight end (Cin Bengals)
• 1966 - Douglas Allan Martin, Bluffton OH, PGA golfer (1995 Buick-2nd)
• 1966 - Joe Staysniak, NFL guard (Indianapolis Colts)
• 1966 - Matthew Laborteaux, LA Calif, actor (Albert-Little House on Prairie)
• 1966 - Si¤ead O'Connor, Dublin Ireland, singer (Nothing Compares 2 U)
• 1967 - Jeff George, NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders)
• 1967 - Marina Augusta Baker, Windsor England, playmate (Mar, 1987)
• 1967 - Ron George, linebacker (Minnesota Vikings)
• 1967 - Tony Mayberry, NFL center (Tampa Bay Bucs)
• 1968 - Bill Johnson, defensive tackle (St Louis Rams)
• 1968 - Mike Mussina, Williamsport PA, pitcher (Baltimore Orioles)
• 1969 - Antoon Kuil, soccer player (Veendam, SC Heerenveen)
• 1969 - Bobby Phillips, WLAF running back (Minn Vikings, Frankfurt Galaxy)
• 1969 - Darrin Shannon, Barrie, NHL left wing (Winnipeg Jets)
• 1969 - Lisa Marie Munzert, New Castle Delaware, Miss Delaware-America (1991)
• 1969 - Victor Green, NFL cornerback/safety (NY Jets)
• 1971 - Garvin Alston, Mt Vernon NY, pitcher (Colorado Rockies)
• 1971 - James Stewart, NFL running back (Minn Vikings)
• 1973 - Mitch Jacoby, tight end (St Louis Rams)
• 1973 - Monty Montgomery, defensiveback (Indianapolis Colts)
• 1974 - Paul Staight, Victoria Australia, badminton player (Olympics-96)
• 1978 - Kate Robinson, Peoria Ill, dance skater (& Kate Robinson)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 0644 - Omar I, 2nd kalief of Islam, murdered
• 0899 - Arnulf of Carinthia, last emperor of Austria-France, dies
• 1292 - John Peckham, English archbishop of Canterbury, dies at 62
• 1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots (1560-1587), executed
• 1596 - Luis de Carabajal, 1st Jewish author in America, executed in Mexico
• 1643 - John Pym, English House of Commons member, dies at about 59
• 1652 - Adriaan W "Joris" van Geel, Flemish missionary, murdered at 35
• 1681 - Gerard Terborch, the Younger, Dutch painter/etcher, dies
• 1709 - Thomas Corneille, French dramatist, dies at 74
• 1722 - Elisabeth C "Liselotte" van Palts, German/French duchess, dies at 70
• 1751 - Jozef LD von K”nigsegg, minister of Austrian Netherlands, dies at 78
• 1785 - Antonio Maria Mazzoni, composer, dies at 68
• 1830 - H Benjamin Constant, French politician/writer, dies at 63
• 1831 - James Hoban, architect who designed White House, dies
• 1894 - Willem JF Nuyens, Dutch physician/RC historian, dies at 71
• 1896 - Earnest Angel, German statistician (Law of Angel), dies at 75
• 1900 - Henry Russell, composer, dies at 87
• 1903 - Herbert Spencer, British engineer/philosopher, dies at 83
• 1907 - Oscar II Frederick, King of Sweden (-1907)/Norway (-1905), dies
• 1923 - Dom Joseph Pothier, French Benedictine/musicologist, dies at 88
• 1924 - Franz X Scharwenka, German pianist/composer (Mataswintha), dies at 74
• 1926 - Jan Six, Dutch art historian/collector, dies
• 1934 - Bernhard Seklas, composer, dies at 62
• 1939 - Ernest Schelling, composer, dies at 63
• 1954 - Gladys George, actress (Roaring Twenties), dies at 50
• 1955 - Jacques Handschin, Swiss musicologist, dies at 69
• 1956 - Edgar Leslie Bainton, composer, dies at 76
• 1957 - Reginald Sheffield, actor (Second Chance), dies at 55
• 1961 - William Beatton Moonie, composer, dies at 78
• 1967 - Robert H Lawrence, USAF/astronaut, dies at 32
• 1969 - Vincenzo Davico, composer, dies at 80
• 1970 - Christopher K Ingold, English chemist, dies at 77
• 1972 - George Collins, (Rep-Ill), dies at 47, in airplane crash
• 1974 - Hugues Panassi‚, French jazz saxophonist/author, dies at 62
• 1978 - Golda Meir, Israel's PM (1969-74), dies in Jerusalem at 80
• 1980 - John Lennon, assassinated in NY by Mark David Chapman at 40
• 1981 - Shakey, [Walter Horton], harmonicist (Everybody's Fishin'), dies at 64
• 1982 - Andr‚ Kamperveen, Suriname minister, murdered
• 1982 - Bertus de Harder, Dutch soccer star (Bordeaux), dies
• 1982 - Bram Behr, Suriname revolutionary, murdered
• 1982 - Cyrill Daal, Suriname worker's union leader, murdered
• 1982 - Frank Wijngaarde, Suriname journalist, murdered
• 1982 - Harald Riedewald, Suriname attorney, murdered
• 1982 - John Baboeram, Suriname lawyer, murdered
• 1982 - Jozef Slagveer, Suriname journalist, murdered
• 1982 - Kenneth Goncalves, Deacon of Surinamese order of advocate, murdered
• 1982 - Leckie, Suriname scholar, murdered
• 1982 - Leslie Rahman, Suriname journalist, murdered
• 1982 - Marty Robbins, country singer, dies at 57
• 1982 - Shakey, [Walter Horton], rocker, dies at 72
• 1982 - Surendre Rambocus, Suriname army lieutenant, murdered
• 1983 - Slim Pickins, actor (Blazing Saddles), dies after brain surgery at 64
• 1984 - Luther Adler, actor (Dr Bernard Altman-The Psychiatrist), dies at 81
• 1988 - Anne Seymour, actress (Misty, Chevy Mystery Show), dies at 79
• 1988 - Herbert "Tubo" Rhoad, US singer (Persuasions-Good news), dies at 44
• 1989 - Hans Hartung, German/French painter, dies
• 1990 - Martin Ritt, US, director/actor (Norma Rae), dies at 70
• 1990 - Pony Sherrell Metcalf, NY, singer, dies of heart attack
• 1991 - Buck Clayton, US jazz trumpeter/orchestra leader, dies
• 1991 - Kimberly Bergalis, got AIDS from health care worker, dies at 23
• 1992 - William Shawn, US editor-in-chief (New Yorker, 1952-87), dies at 85
• 1993 - Andr‚ Cerf, French actor/producer (Nana), dies at 93
• 1993 - Carlotta Monti, lover of WC Fields, dies at 86
• 1994 - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Brazil composer (Girl From Ipanema), dies at 67
• 1994 - Israel Aaron Maisels, lawyer, dies at 89
• 1994 - Jes£s "Enrique" L”ster, Span/Russian general (Civil War), dies at 87
• 1995 - Carl Marsden, bodyguard, dies at 36
• 1995 - Ernest LeRoy Boyer, educator, dies at 67
• 1995 - John Gillett, film researcher, dies at 70
• 1995 - Mikki Doyle, journalist, dies at 79
• 1996 - Howard E Rollins Jr, actor (Ed Harding-Another World), dies at 46
• 1996 - Marin Sorescu, poet/dramatist, dies at 60
• 1997 - Bob Bell, clown (WGN's 1st Bozo), dies at 75
• 1997 - Leon Poliakov, historian, dies at 87