• 1461 - Dzore Drzic, Croatian poet
• 1564 - Christopher Marlowe, English poet/dramatist (Dr Faustus)
• 1608 - Antonio Vieira, Portuguese Jesuit preacher
• 1612 - Antoine Arnauld, [Grand Arnauld], French lawyer/theologist
• 1637 - Toyotomi Hideyoshi, unified Japan
• 1665 - Anne Stuart, queen of England (1702-14)
• 1673 - Maximilian Dietrich Freisslich, composer
• 1695 - Andre Cheron, composer
• 1705 - Johann Matthias Leffloth, composer
• 1724 - Paul-Louis Cyffl‚, Flemish sculptor (Terre de Lorraine)
• 1753 - Evariste D‚sir‚ Desforges chevalier de Parny, French poet
• 1756 - Aaron Burr, Newark NJ, (D-R), 3rd US VP (1801-05), dueler
• 1778 - Ugo Foscolo, Italy, poet (Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis)
• 1793 - Pietro Rovelli, composer
• 1797 - Joseph Maria von Radowitz, Prussian minister of Foreign affairs
• 1798 - Th‚odore Caruelle d'Aligny, French painter/etcher
• 1802 - Charles Wheatstone, English physicist/musician [or Feb 7]
• 1804 - Ragnerus L van Andringa de Kempenaer, Dutch officer/swindler
• 1807 - Hans Matthison-Hansen, composer
• 1818 - William Maxwell Evarts, (Union), died in 1901
• 1830 - Marcellus Monroe Crocker, Brig gen (Union volunteers), died in 1865)
• 1832 - John Brown Gordon, Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1904
• 1833 - James Ewell Brown "JEB" Stuart, Major General (Confederate Army)
• 1833 - Jos‚ M de Pereda y S nchez the Porr£a, Spanish writer (Sotileza)
• 1834 - William Dorsey Pender, Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1863
• 1838 - Henry Irving, [John H Brodribb], Engld, knighted 1895/actor (Hamlet)
• 1848 - Luigi Mancinelli, composer
• 1860 - Johan [Eliza J] de Meester, Dutch journalist/writer (Geertje)
• 1864 - John Henry Mackay, Scottish/German author/poet (Anarchists)
• 1866 - Karl T Sapper, German geography/geologist (Vulkankunde)
• 1872 - Theodor Lessing, writer [or Feb 8]
• 1874 - Milton Bennett Medary, US, architect (Washington Chapel)
• 1876 - Wilhelm Schmidtbonn[-Schmidt], German playwright (Der Sprechende Eros)
• 1878 - Waclaw Gieburowski, composer
• 1879 - Carl Ramsauer
• 1881 - Karl Weigl, composer
• 1886 - Louis Pi‚rard, Belgian journalist/writer (Great Germany)
• 1888 - Ljudmil Stojanow, Bulgarian poet (Metsh i Slowo, Cholera)
• 1889 - Karel Wellens, Flemish painter
• 1889 - Siegfried Kracauer, writer
• 1890 - Anton Hermann Fokker, avation pioneer
• 1893 - Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, pres of UN General Assembly (1962-63)
• 1895 - George Herman (Babe) Ruth, Baltimore, baseball great (Yankees)
• 1897 - Alberto [de Almeida] Cavalcanti, Brazil, director (Nicholas Nickleby)
• 1899 - Ramon Novarro, [Jos‚ RG Samaniegos], Durango Mexico, actor (Ben Hur)
• 1900 - Roy Smeck, guitarist/banjoist
• 1900 - Rudolf V„rnlund, Swedish playwright (Heliga Familjen)
• 1901 - Ben Lyon, Atlanta GA, actor (I Cover the Waterfront, Night Nurse)
• 1902 - Louis Nizer, lawyer (defended blacklisted stars in '50s, Catspaw)
• 1903 - John Dunning, cricketer (NZ medium-fast bowler of 30's)
• 1903 - Pieter G Buckinx, Flemish writer (Temptation of Poverty)
• 1904 - Claudio Arrau, Chile, composer/pianist (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
• 1905 - Wladislaw Gomulka, premier of Poland
• 1907 - Sam Green, industrialist/inventor
• 1908 - Amintore Fanfani, premier of Italy
• 1908 - Edward Lansdale, general/model (Quiet American, Ugly American)
• 1908 - Thomas Dorrington Tomlinson, national Park Warden
• 1909 - Israel Citkowitz, composer
• 1910 - George H Poyser, English soccer player/manager (Brentford)
• 1910 - Irmgard Keun, West German writer (Das kunstseidene M„dchen)
• 1911 - A W "Dooley" Briscoe, cricketer (batted in 2 Tests for S Africa 30's)
• 1911 - Ronald Reagan, IL, actor (Bedtime for Bonzo)/40th pres (R) (1981-89)
• 1912 - Eva Braun, mistress (Adolph Hitler)
• 1913 - John Lund, Rochester NY, actor (Wackiest Ship in the Army)
• 1913 - Mary Nicol Leakey, palaeontologist
• 1915 - Derk Roemers, Dutch politician (Soc-Dem)
• 1916 - Bill Doggett, rocker
• 1917 - Arthur Gold, Toronto, Canada, pianist
• 1917 - Liberato Firmino Sifonia, composer
• 1919 - Lindsay Tuckett, cricketer (son of Len, 9 Tests for S Africa 1947-49)
• 1919 - Louis Heren, journalist/writer (China's Three Thousand Years)
• 1920 - James H Scheuer, (Rep-D-NY, 1965-73, 75- )
• 1922 - Patrick MacNee, London England, actor (Jonathan Steed-Avengers)
• 1923 - Maurice Le Roux, composer
• 1924 - Billy W William Ambrose right, soccer star
• 1924 - Billy Wright, English soccer player
• 1924 - Paolo Volponi, Italian communist/author (Road to Rome)
• 1927 - Smokey Burgess, baseball catcher (Pitts Pirates)
• 1929 - Keith Waterhouse, English writer (Billy Liar, Say Who Are You?)
• 1929 - Sixten Jernberg, Sweden, skier (Olympic-gold-1956/60/64)
• 1931 - Fred Trueman, [Fiery Fred], English cricket player
• 1931 - Freddie Trueman, cricketer ("Fiery Fred", 307 wickets for England)
• 1931 - Rip Torn, Tx, actor (Coma, Summer Rental, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof)
• 1932 - Fran‡ois Truffaut, Paris, director (Jules & Jim, Fahrenheit 451)
• 1933 - Leslie Crowther, English TV-comic/quizmaster
• 1933 - Mamie Van Doren, Rowena SD, actress (Navy vs Night Monsters) [or 2/2]
• 1933 - Walter E Fauntroy, (Rep-D-DC, 1971- )
• 1936 - Otis Williams, rocker (Charms)
• 1936 - Wies Andersen, [Alo‹s de Bois], Belgian actor/producer (Maigret)
• 1937 - Baldev Singh Chahal, campaigner
• 1938 - Ellsworth Milburn, composer
• 1939 - Mike Farrell, St Paul Minn, actor (BJ Honeycutt-M*A*S*H, Battered)
• 1940 - Jimmy Tarbuck, English comic/golfer
• 1940 - Tom Brokaw, Yankton SD, news anchor (NBC Nightly News 1982- )
• 1941 - Gigi Perreau, LA Calif, actress (Journey to Center of Time)
• 1941 - Stephen Albert, composer
• 1942 - John London, bassist (Michael Nesmith band)
• 1943 - Fabian Forte, Phila Pa, vocalist (Turn Me Loose, Tiger)
• 1943 - Gayle Hunnicutt, Ft Worth Tx, actress (Legend of Hell House, Dallas)
• 1944 - Michael Tucker, Balt MD, actor (Stuart Markowitz-LA Law)
• 1945 - Bob Marley, Jamacian reggae vocalist (& Wailers-Roots Rock Reggae)
• 1947 - Charles Hickcox, US, 200m/400m medley swimmer (Olympic-3 gold-1968)
• 1949 - Frank Rich, US politician (?)
• 1949 - Manuel Orantes, tennis champ (US Open-1975)
• 1949 - Richie Zisk, baseball player
• 1950 - Mike Batt, composer/arranger
• 1950 - Natalie Cole, LA Calif, vocalist (Pink Cadillac, Miss You Like Crazy)
• 1950 - Punky Meadows, Washington DC, rock guitarist (Angel)
• 1950 - Rich Glover, NFLer
• 1951 - Maria Christina, Belgian princess/daughter of Leopold III
• 1952 - Richard Charsworth, Australian women field hockey head coach (Oly-96)
• 1953 - Susie Hutchison, Flintridge Calif, equestrian show jumper (Olymp-96)
• 1954 - Scott Kempner, "Top Ten" rocker (Del Lords)
• 1955 - Eric Money, NBAer
• 1956 - Jon Walmsley, Lancashire England, actor (Jason-Waltons)
• 1956 - Linda Grovenor, Baltimore MD, actress (Die Laughing, Wheels of Fire)
• 1957 - Jerry Marotta, rocker (Orleans-Love Takes Time)
• 1957 - Kathy Najimy, actress (Sister Act, Veronica's Closet)
• 1957 - Robert Townsend, Chicago, comedian/actor (Hollywood Shuffle, Ratboy)
• 1958 - Barry Miller, LA Calif, actor (Fame, Peggy Sue Got Married)
• 1958 - Bill Dawley, baseball player
• 1958 - Cecily Adams, Queens NY, entertainment caster (American Heart)
• 1958 - Kelly Leadbetter, Phoenix AZ, LPGA golfer (1986 Hennessy French Open)
• 1958 - Mark Hamilton, Louisville KY, sprint kayak Olympics-96)
• 1958 - Simon Baker, Australian speed walker, (Olympics-84, 88, 96)
• 1960 - Megan Gallagher, Reading PA, actress (Slap Maxwell, Millennium)
• 1961 - Yuri Ivanovich Onufriyenko, Russian major/cosmonaut (Mir, Soyuz TM-23)
• 1962 - Axl Rose, [William Bailey], Lafayette In, vocalist (Guns & Roses)
• 1963 - David Capel, cricketer (England all-rounder in 15 Tests 1987-90)
• 1963 - Mike Hough, Montreal, NHL left wing (Florida Panthers)
• 1964 - Matt Hayes, Australian soling yachter (Olympics-96)
• 1964 - Skip Ewing, Redlands Calif, country vocalist (Coast of Colorado)
• 1965 - Jan Sver k, Zatec Czech, director (Kolya, Jizda, Ropaci)
• 1966 - Alex Antonitsch, Austria, tennis star
• 1966 - Rick Astley, rock vocalist (Never Gonna Give You Up)
• 1966 - Tom Tupa, NFL punter/quarterback (Cleve Browns, NE Patriots)
• 1967 - Bennie Dekker, Dutch soccer player (NEC/AZ/De Graafschap)
• 1967 - Mike Evans, WLAF defensive tackle (Amsterdam Admirals)
• 1967 - Randy Hilliard, NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
• 1968 - Imtiaz Abbasi, UAE cricket wicket-keeper (World Cup 1996)
• 1968 - Malika Mahfoud, Copenhagen Denmark, golfer (Gippsland Ladies Amateur)
• 1968 - Richard Newbill, WLAF linebacker (London Monarchs)
• 1969 - Anna Acker-Macosko, Marshfield WI, LPGA golfer (1995 Gold Coast Tour)
• 1969 - April Lerman, Chicago Ill, actress (Lila-Charles in Charge)
• 1969 - Bob Wickman, Green Bay WI, pitcher (Chic White Sox, NY Yankees)
• 1969 - Greg Patrick, WLAF safety (Frankfurt Galaxy)
• 1969 - James Jones, NFL defensive tackle (Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens)
• 1969 - Kurt Abbott, US baseball player (Florida Marlins)
• 1969 - Rajindra Dhanraj, Trinidad cricket leg-spinner (WI 1994-95)
• 1970 - Jeff Rouse, US, 50m/100m backstroke swimmer (Olymp-gold/silver-92, 96)
• 1970 - Mark Hutton, Adelaide Australia, pitcher (NY Yankees)
• 1971 - Brad Hogg, cricketer (WA chinaman all-rounder, Australia v India 1996)
• 1971 - Carlos Rogers, NBA forward/center (Toronto Raptors)
• 1971 - Lance Bade, Vancouver BC, US double trap (Olympics-bronze-1996)
• 1971 - Mana Endo, Hiroshima Japan, tennis star (1996 3rd round Aust Open)
• 1971 - Peter Tchernyshev, St Petersburg Russia, dance skater (& Naomi Lang)
• 1972 - David Binn, NFL safety (SD Chargers)
• 1972 - Mark Labbrook, Australian 200m/400m runner (Olympics-96)
• 1972 - Shawn Respert, NBA guard (Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors)
• 1973 - Arie Obdam, Dutch soccer player (FC Volendam)
• 1973 - Fred Miller, tackle (St Louis Rams)
• 1973 - Lulama Masikazana, cricket wicket-keeper (Kwazulu for E Province)
• 1974 - Nathan Davis, defensive tackle (Atlanta Falcons)
• 1974 - Olaf Lindenbergh, soccer player (Ajax, De Graafschap)
• 1975 - Chad Allen, Dallas Tx, baseball outfielder (Olympics-bronze-96)
• 1975 - Leo Insam, hockey defenseman (Team Italy 1998)
• 1976 - Elina Zisi, Miss Greece Universe (1997)
• 1976 - Kim Zmeskal, Houston TX, US gymnist (Olympic-92)
• 1984 - Brandon Hammond, actor (Grgory Hines Show)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 0743 - Hisham ibn 'Abd al-Malik, 10th Moslem caliph, dies at about 52
• 0891 - Photius, Byzantine theologist/patriarch of Constantinople/saint, dies
• 1140 - Thurstan, archbishop of York, dies
• 1497 - John Ockeghem, Flemish singer/composer, dies at 79
• 1612 - Christopher Clavius, calendar reformer, dies (birth date unknown)
• 1617 - Prosper Alpinus, Italian physician/botanist, dies at 63
• 1695 - Ahmed II, 21st sultan of Turkey (1691-95), dies
• 1699 - Jozef Ferdinand of Bavaria, heir of Spanish king Carlos II, dies
• 1725 - Johann Philipp Krieger, composer, dies at 75
• 1783 - Lancelot "Capability" Brown, English architect (Kew), dies at about 67
• 1785 - Iman Willem Falck, Dutch governor of Ceylon (1765-83), dies at 48
• 1793 - Carlo Goldoni, Italian author (L'avaro), dies at 85
• 1798 - Niels Schiorring, composer, dies at 54
• 1804 - Joseph Priestley, Engl/US theologist/philosopher/chemist, dies at 70
• 1807 - John Reid, composer, dies at 85
• 1812 - Carlo Goldoni, writer, dies at 104
• 1859 - Johannes Josephus Viotta, composer, dies at 45
• 1865 - John Pegram, US Confederate brig-gen, dies in battle at 33
• 1881 - Pieter Mijer, Gov-Gen of Neth Indies (1866-72), dies at 68
• 1896 - Abraham Czn van Stolk, Dutch art collector, dies at 82
• 1897 - Ebenezer C Brewer, British writer (Dictionary of Phrase & Fable), dies
• 1899 - Georg Leo earl von Caprivi, German chancellor, dies at 67
• 1914 - J Albert Neuhuys, Dutch painter (Hague School), dies at 69
• 1916 - Anne C A I van Diest, Belgian physician/feminist, dies at 73
• 1917 - Edouard A Drumont, French anti-semite journalist, dies at 72
• 1918 - Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter/cartoonist, dies at 55
• 1919 - Friedrich W Mengelberg, German sculptor/painter, dies at 81
• 1923 - Edward E Barnard, US astronomer (5th moon Jupiter), dies at 65
• 1927 - Dani‰l F Scheurleer, Dutch musicologist/banker, dies at 71
• 1930 - Eva Strittmatter, writer, dies at 17
• 1938 - Marianne V von Werefkin, Russ/German/Swiss house painter, dies at 77
• 1941 - Maximilien Luce, French painter, dies at 82
• 1942 - Wobbe de Vries, Dutch linguist, dies at 78
• 1943 - HA Seyffardt, Dutch lt-gen/NSB "minister", dies at 71
• 1945 - Jan Bos, Dutch resistance fighter, executed
• 1945 - Paul Bos, Dutch resistance fighter, executed
• 1947 - Albert JM Bakker, Dutch actor (Teun the night watch), dies at 82
• 1947 - Luigi Russolo, composer, dies at 61
• 1948 - Robert Brasillach, French author/nazi collaborator, dies at 38
• 1952 - George VI, King of Britain (1936-52), dies at 56
• 1958 - 7 soccer players of Manchester United, die in an aircrash at Munich
• 1960 - Jesse Belvin, rocker, dies at 26 in a car crash
• 1961 - Archibald T Davison, composer, dies at 77
• 1963 - Mohammed ibn al-Chattabi Abd el-Krim, Morocco opposition leader, dies
• 1963 - Werner Erich Josten, German composer (Jungle), dies at 77
• 1964 - Sophocles Venizelos, premier of Greece (1944, 50-51), dies at 69
• 1964 - W L Cornford, England cricket wicket-keeper (4 Tests v NZ 1930), dies
• 1965 - Jack Wagner, actor (Jive Junction), dies at 68
• 1966 - Johan Algot Haquinius, composer, dies at 79
• 1967 - Martine Carol, French actress (Nana), dies of heart attack at 46
• 1968 - C Montague Shaw, actor (Buck Rogers, Planet Outlaws), dies at 85
• 1970 - Roscoe Karns, actor (Capt Shafer-Hennesey), dies at 78
• 1972 - Julian H Steward, US anthropologist (South American), dies at 70
• 1973 - Ira S Bowen, US physicist/astronomer (Mt Wilson/Palomar), dies at 74
• 1976 - Vince Guaraldi, jazz pianist (Charlie Brown TV specials), dies at 43
• 1979 - Alain Teister, Dutch sculptor/writer, dies at 47
• 1979 - Arthur van Schendel, Dutch art historian, dies at 68
• 1982 - Ben Nicholson, England, painter/sculptor (Circle), dies at 87
• 1985 - Charles Briggs, actor (13 Frightened Girls, Capt Newman), dies at 53
• 1985 - Dandy Nichols, actress (Confessions of a Window Cleaner), dies at 78
• 1986 - William Collier, actor (Up the River, She's My Weakness), dies
• 1988 - Lee Goodman, actor (Imitation of Life), dies of TB at 64
• 1988 - Marghanita Laski, English author (Victorian chaise-lounge), dies
• 1989 - Andre Cayatte, dies
• 1989 - Barbara Tuchman, historian (Guns of August-Pulitzer), dies at 77
• 1990 - Jane Novak, silent screen actress (Ghost Town), dies of stroke at 94
• 1990 - John Merivale, actor (Caltiki), dies
• 1991 - Danny Thomas, comedian (Jazz Singer), dies of a heart attack at 79
• 1991 - Marten Levendig, Dutch TV correspondent to Moscow, dies
• 1992 - Frank Wilson, actor (Beware, Sunday Sinners, Club), dies at 37
• 1992 - Wade Preston, actor (Man Called Sledge), dies at 62
• 1993 - Frances Hunt, actress (You're a Sweetheart), dies of stroke at 77
• 1994 - Ignace Strasfogel, Polish/US pianist/conductor/composer, dies at 84
• 1994 - Jack Kirby, cartoonist (X-Men, Spiderman, Hulk), dies at 76
• 1994 - Joseph Cotten, actor (Citizen Kane), dies at 88
• 1994 - Norman Del Mar, conductor/writer (Conducting Brahms), dies at 74
• 1995 - Arthur S Taylor Jr, US drummer/author (Notes on notes), dies at 65
• 1995 - James Ingram Merrill, US poet (Braving the elements), dies at 68
• 1996 - Guy Madison, actor (Wild Bill Hickok), dies at 74
• 1996 - Ronald Fletcher, broadcaster, dies at 85
• 1996 - Rosemary Tsay, drama critic/SOE operator, dies at 76
• 1998 - Carl Wilson, rock vocalist (Beach Boy), dies of lung cancer at 51
• 1998 - Nazim al-Kudsi, Syrian PM (1949, 1950-51)/pres (1961-63), dies
• 1998 - [Johann Hoelzel] Falco, singer (Rock Me Amadeus), dies at 40