• 1484 - Joachim Vadianus, [von Watt], Swiss physician/mayor of Sankt Gallen
• 1631 - Ludolf Backhuysen, Dutch seascape painter/cartoonist
• 1694 - Ceslav Vanura, composer
• 1731 - Christian Cannabich, German composer/royal chaplain master
• 1738 - Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky, composer
• 1751 - Josef Blazej Smrcek, composer
• 1753 - Johan Wikmanson, composer
• 1763 - John Molson, founded Montr‚al brewery (Molsons)
• 1783 - Robert Gallenberg, composer
• 1787 - Hermanus J Abbring, Dutch writer/engineer on Cura‡ao
• 1801 - James Barnes, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1869
• 1805 - Tomas Genoves y Lapetra, composer
• 1812 - Julius Reitz, composer
• 1822 - William Booth Taliaferro, Brig Gen (Confederate Army), died in 1898
• 1823 - Thomas Alexander Scott, Asst Secy War (Union), died in 1881
• 1826 - Conrad Busken Huet, Dutch vicar/literary (Country of Rubens)
• 1827 - Robert Latimer McCook, volunteers Brig General (Union), died in 1862
• 1828 - Karl L Kahlbaum, German psychiatrist (katatonie)
• 1833 - Charles Miller Shelley, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1907
• 1835 - Archibald Geikie, British geologist
• 1837 - Benjamin Johnson Lang, composer
• 1842 - Calixa Lavallee, composer
• 1845 - Homer Newton Bartlett, composer
• 1849 - Herbert von Bismarck, German politician/son of Otto of Bismarck
• 1855 - Juan Zorrilla de San Martin, Uruguay's diplomat/poet (Tabar‚)
• 1856 - [Thomas] Woodrow Wilson, Staunton Va, (28 pres-D-1912-21, Nobel 1919)
• 1859 - Gerard Brucken Fock, composer
• 1859 - John W Fortescue, military historian
• 1860 - Alexander von Fielitz, composer
• 1865 - F‚lix E Vallotton, Switz/French painter/writer (Chaste Suzanna)
• 1868 - Marie van Regteren Altena, Dutch painter (Amsterdam's Joffers)
• 1872 - Pio Baroja Y Nessa, San Sebastion Spain, writer (Caminode Parfecci¢n)
• 1880 - Christian DFL Leipoldt, South african physician/writer/poet
• 1882 - Arthur Eddington, England, astrophysicist/cosmologist/mathematician
• 1883 - A Wolfenstein, writer
• 1884 - Joseph Pholien, Belgian premier (1950-52)/communist hunter
• 1887 - Charles Dingle
• 1888 - Gabriel von Wayditch, composer
• 1889 - Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
• 1890 - Frank Butler, Oxford England, actor/sreenwriter (Road to Bali, China)
• 1894 - Andr‚ de Meulemeester, Belgian WW I pilot (Eagle of Flanders)
• 1894 - Ed Healey, NFL tackle (Rock Island Independents, Chicago Bears)
• 1895 - Auguste Lumiere, twin brothers who opened 1st commercial cinema
• 1895 - Louis Lumiere, twin brothers who opened 1st commercial cinema
• 1896 - Roger Huntington Sessions, Brooklyn NY, composer (Black Masks)
• 1902 - Mortimer J Adler, NYC, author (Encyclopedia Brittanica)
• 1902 - Shen Congwen, writer
• 1903 - John von Neumann, mathematician/astronomer (Bocher Award 1938)
• 1904 - Clabon W Allen, Australian/British astronomer
• 1904 - Sergei Yutkevich, St Petersburg Russia, director (Otello, Banya)
• 1905 - Cliff Arquette, Toledo Oh, comedian (Charlie Weaver)
• 1905 - Earl "Fatha" Hines, Duquesne Pa, jazz pianist (Deep Forest)
• 1905 - Gajapatairaj Vijaya Ananda the Rajkumar of Vizianagram (Ind)
• 1907 - Roman Palester, Polish composer: The Weichsel
• 1908 - Lew Ayres, Minn, actor (All Quiet on Western Front, Dr Kildare)
• 1909 - Billy Williams, Waco Tx, singer (Your Show of Shows)
• 1909 - Nikola J Vaptsarov, Bulgaria poet (Subrani Sutsjinenija)
• 1910 - John Kerr, NZ, cricketer (opening batsman in 1930's)
• 1911 - Phani Majumdar, film maker
• 1911 - Sam Levenson, NYC, humorist (Sam Levenson Show, Masquerade Party)
• 1913 - Lou Jacobi, Toronto Ontario, comedian (Dean Martin Show, Melba)
• 1914 - Bernard Youens, British actor (Coronation Street)
• 1914 - Lee Bowman, Cincinnati Ohio, actor (Ellery Queen, Miami Undercover)
• 1915 - Roebuck "Pops" Staples, US gospel/singer (Staple Singers)
• 1916 - Noel Johnson, British actor (Frenzy, Frightmare, Royal Flash)
• 1917 - Ellis Clarke, president Trinidad & Tobago (1976-87)
• 1919 - Inocenti Carreno, composer
• 1920 - Steve Van Buren, NFL halfback (Philadelphia Eagles)
• 1921 - Eddy Doorenbos, Dutch vocalist/pianist/guitarist
• 1921 - Johnny Otis, R&B singer
• 1922 - Nyron Sultan Asgarali, cricketer (West Indian opening bat 1957)
• 1922 - Stan Lee, comics artist/creator (Spiderman, Incredible Hulk)
• 1923 - Andrew Duggan, actor (Secret War of Harry Frigg, Winds of War)
• 1924 - Johnny Otis, [Veliotes], composer (Every Beat of My Heart)
• 1924 - Rod Serling, Syracuse NY, writer/host (Twilight Zone, Night Gallery)
• 1925 - Bill [William] Westwood, British bishop of Peterborough
• 1925 - Hildegarde Neff, Ulm Germany, actress (Touch of Class, Mozambique)
• 1926 - Donald Carr, cricketer (England player in 50's, later MCC honcho)
• 1927 - Anne Legendre Armstrong, ambassador (to UK)
• 1927 - Martin Milner, Detroit Mich, actor (Route 66, Adam 12, Life of Riley)
• 1927 - Simon Raven, English playwright/critic (Alms for Oblivion)
• 1928 - Kamillo Lendvay, composer
• 1929 - Maarten Schmidt, Neth/US astronomer (quasars)
• 1929 - Owen Bieber, United Auto Workers president
• 1929 - Terry Sawchuk, NHL goaltender (Redwings, Bruins, Maple Leaf, Rangers)
• 1931 - Georg "Org" Marais, South African economist/underminister of Finance
• 1931 - Guy Debord, situationist
• 1931 - John de Mol, Dutch vocalist/composer/producer
• 1932 - Clem Schouwenaars, Flemish poet/writer
• 1932 - Dorsey Burnette, Memphis, rocker (Tall Oak Tree, Hey Little One)
• 1932 - Manuel Puig, Argentina, writer (Blood of Requited Love)
• 1932 - Roy Hattersley, British journalist/Labour-parliament leader
• 1933 - Jack Perkins, Cleve Ohio, newscaster (Prime Time Sunday, NBC Magazine)
• 1934 - David Warrilow, actor (Simon, Radio Days, Dakota Road, Barton Fink)
• 1934 - John Akers, business executive
• 1934 - Maggie Smith, Ilford Eng, actress (Death on Nile, Clash of Titans)
• 1934 - Peggy Wilson, golfer
• 1935 - Fernando Lopes, Portugal, director (Encoberto, Matar Saudades)
• 1936 - Nichelle Nichols, Robbins Ill, actress (Uhura-Star Trek)
• 1938 - Bruce Yarnell, LA Calif, actor (Outlaws)
• 1938 - Charles Neville, US rock vocalist/saxophonist (Neville Brothers)
• 1938 - Janet Hough Bryant, author/performing artist/educator
• 1938 - Richard Sudhalter, British(?) writer/jazz musician
• 1940 - Alvin Elliot Singleton, composer
• 1940 - Lonnie Liston Smith, US jazz performer (Cosmic Echoes, Magic Lady)
• 1941 - Don Francisco, Spanish variety show host (Sabado Gigante)
• 1941 - Intikhab Alam, Pakistan cricket leg-spinner (1959-77)
• 1942 - Paul Horowitz, NYC, physicist, META project (Sloan Award 1971-3)
• 1943 - Bobby Comstock, rocker
• 1943 - David Peterson, Toronto, premier of Ontario Canada (L) (1982- )
• 1943 - Oscar D Dhlomo, South African sect-gen of Inkatha (1978-90)
• 1945 - Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva, King of Nepal (1972- )
• 1945 - Dwight Bement, rocker (Gary Puckett & Union Gap-Young Girl)
• 1945 - Max Hastings, British editor-in-chief (Daily Telegraph)
• 1946 - Edgar Winter, Beaumont Tx, rocker (They Only Come Out at Night)
• 1946 - Hubie Green, golfer (US Open-1977, PGA-1985)
• 1946 - Jorge Velasquez, sportsman
• 1947 - Andrew Olle, broadcaster
• 1947 - Aurelio Rodriguez, baseball player
• 1947 - Dick Diamonde, [Van Der Sluys], Hilversum, rock bassist (Easybeats)
• 1947 - Robert Gilliot, father of Gerda Havertongs daughter ZulŠma
• 1948 - Jorge Velasquez, jockey (Kentucky Derby-1981, Preakness-1981)
• 1950 - Alex Chilton, Memphis Tenn, rock guitarist/vocalist (Box Tops)
• 1951 - Kenneth Pope, NFLer
• 1952 - Ray Knight, 3rd baseman (NY Mets, Balt Orioles)
• 1952 - S Epatha Merkerson, Saginaw MI, actress (Lt Van Buren-Law and Order)
• 1953 - Richard Clayderman, pianist (Amour, Romantic America)
• 1953 - Robert Pittman, TV executive/developer (MTV)
• 1954 - Denzel Washington, Mount Vernon NY, actor (Dr Chandler-St Elsewhere)
• 1954 - Rosie Vela, British singer (Zazu, Fools Paradise)
• 1954 - Tony Rosato, Naples Italy, comedian (SCTV, SNL, Amanda's)
• 1956 - Kenneth Grant, bass/vocalist (Midnight Star-No Parking, Operator)
• 1956 - Michael Gibbons, rocker (Bo Donaldson & Heywoods-Billy Dont be a Hero)
• 1956 - Nigel Kennedy, English violinist
• 1958 - Carl Marsden, bodyguard
• 1958 - Carlos Carson, football player
• 1958 - Joe Diffie, Tulsa Ok, country singer/guitarist (Home)
• 1958 - Mike McGuire, Haleyville Ala, singer (Shenandoah-Sunday in the South)
• 1958 - Terry Butcher, British soccer player
• 1959 - Everson Walls, NFL cornerback (Dallas Cowboys, NY Giants)
• 1960 - Chad McQueen, actor (Nightforce)
• 1960 - John Fitzgerald, Australia, tennis star
• 1960 - Marty Roe, Lebanon Ohio, singer (Diamond Rio-Meet in the Middle)
• 1960 - Raymond Bourque, Montreal, NHL defenseman (Team Canada, Boston)
• 1960 - Terri Garber, Miami FL, actress (Leslie Carrington-Dynasty)
• 1960 - Zane Smith, Madison WI, pitcher (Pitts Pirates)
• 1961 - Heather Hafner, Santa Barbara Ca, WPVA volleyballer (National-7th-90)
• 1962 - Keith Lee, basketball player (Memphis State)
• 1963 - Malcolm Gets, actor (Richard Karinsky-Caroline In the City)
• 1963 - Mel Stottlemyre Jr, pitcher (Toronto Blues Jays)
• 1963 - Willow Bay, TV host (Good Morning America)
• 1964 - Charles Sinek, dance skater (& Beata Handra-1997 Pac Coast Sr 3rd)
• 1965 - Colleen Dion, actress (Brett Gardner-Another World)
• 1965 - Martine Robine, newspaper writer/Miss Junior Miss-France (1984)
• 1965 - Mary Waddell Gainey, Hartsville SC, Miss SC-America (1991-2nd)
• 1966 - Joe Wolf, NFL guard (Arizona Cardinals)
• 1967 - Paul Lynch, Sydney NSW Australia, canoeist (Olympics-96)
• 1968 - Darrick Brownlow, NFL linebacker (Washington Redskins)
• 1968 - Jennifer Palmquest, Wilmot SD, Miss SD-America (1991)
• 1968 - Jozef Dano, Skalica CZE, hockey forward (Team Slovakia 1998)
• 1968 - Kurt Schulz, NFL safety (Buffalo Bills)
• 1969 - James Trapp, NFL cornerback (Oakland Raiders)
• 1970 - Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, Haarlem Neth, tennis star (95, 96 Okla City)
• 1970 - Elizabeth McIntyre, Dunbar WV, Miss America-WV (1996)
• 1970 - James Jett, NFL wide receiver (Oakland Raiders)
• 1971 - Melvin Nieves, San Juan Puerto Rico, outfielder (Detroit Tigers)
• 1971 - Michael Watkins, NFL wide receiver (SD Chargers)
• 1971 - Steve Morrison, NFL linebacker (Indianapolis Colts)
• 1972 - Adam Clawson, Salt Lake City UT, slalom single canoe (Olympic-19th-96)
• 1972 - Adam Vinatieri, WLAF punter/kicker (Amsterdam Admirals, NE Patriots)
• 1972 - Jean-Francois Jomphe, Havre St-pierre Ca, NHL right wing (Anaheim)
• 1972 - Jim Kitts, WLAF running back (Frankfurt Galaxy, Miami Dolphins)
• 1972 - Patrick Rafter, Queensland Aust, tennis star (1993 USTA/Aptos Calif)
• 1973 - Bobby Taylor, NFL cornerback (Phila Eagles)
• 1973 - Garth John Da Silva, Auckland NZ, heavyweight boxer (Olympics-96)
• 1974 - Rob Niedermayer, Cassiar, NHL center (Florida Panthers)
• 1975 - Kesley Perrin, CFL defensive back (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
• 1975 - Tannis Vallely, NYC, actress (Janice Lazorotto-Head of the Class)
• 1981 - Elizabeth Jordan Carr, 1st American test tube baby

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 1446 - Clemens VIII, [Aegyd Mu¤oz], Spanish anti-pope (1423-29), dies
• 1542 - Albert Pigge, [Pighius], Dutch theologist/astronomer, dies at about 52
• 1622 - Fran‡ois de Sales, French bishop of GenŠva/writer/saint, dies at 55
• 1673 - Joan Blaeu, Dutch cartographer/publisher (Atlas Major), dies at 77
• 1694 - Mary II, Queen of England, dies after 5 years of rule at 32 [NS=Jan 7]
• 1706 - Pierre Bayle, French theologist (History of Criticism), dies at 59
• 1772 - Ernst J earl van/of Biron, Russian duke of Courland, dies at 82
• 1775 - Peter A van de Parra, gov-gen of (Neth Indies), dies at 61
• 1779 - Gennaro Manna, composer, dies at 64
• 1793 - Louis earl of Bylandt, Dutch admiral, dies at about 75
• 1830 - Adrien-Joseph van Helmont, composer, dies at 83
• 1859 - Thomas Babington Macaulay, English essayist/historian, dies
• 1860 - Cornelius Broere, Dutch RC clergyman/poet, dies at 57
• 1862 - Joaquim Casimiro Junior, composer, dies at 54
• 1870 - Alexey Fyodorovich L'vov, composer, dies at 72
• 1870 - Peter van Schendel, Dutch painter, dies at 64
• 1876 - Frederik Paludan-M�ller, Danish poet (Abels díd), dies at 67
• 1878 - Jose Bernardo Alcedo, composer, dies at 90
• 1884 - Gerben Colmjon, Frisian linguist/publisher, dies at 56
• 1891 - Alfred Cellier, composer, dies at 47
• 1903 - George [Robert] Gissing, English novelist, dies at 46
• 1915 - Gerrit Jan van Heek, Dutch textile manufacturer/politician, dies at 78
• 1916 - Eduard Strauss, Austrian composer (318 dances), dies at 81
• 1918 - George H White, last post Reconstruction congressman (Penn), dies
• 1923 - Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, engineer (Eiffel Tower), dies at 91
• 1932 - John Blackham, cricketer (35 Tests as Aust WK, caught 37), dies
• 1935 - Clarence Day, writer (Life with Father), dies
• 1937 - Maurice J Ravel, Swiss/French composer (Bolero), dies in Paris at 62
• 1938 - Florence Lawrence, silent screen actress (Confidence), dies at 48
• 1945 - Theodore Dreiser, novelist (An American Tragedy), dies at 74
• 1946 - Carrie Jacobs Bond, American composer (I Love You Truly), dies at 85
• 1947 - Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy (1900-46)/Ethiopia, dies at 78
• 1948 - Mahmud Nokrashy Pasha, PM of Egypt (19..-48), assassinated
• 1949 - Jack Lovelock, NZ/US surgeon/athlete (Olympic-gold-1936), dies at 39
• 1949 - W Hervey Allen, US writer/poet (Anthony Adverse), dies at 60
• 1956 - Roelof Kranenburg, Dutch social democratic party-chairman, dies at 76
• 1961 - Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, 1st lady (1915-21), dies at 89
• 1963 - Abbott Joseph Liebling, American journalist/writer, dies
• 1963 - Paul Hindemith, German composer (Composer's World), dies at 68
• 1967 - B‚la Schick, Hung/US children's physician (Scarlet Fever), dies at 90
• 1969 - Henry Oscar, actor (Saint in London), dies at 78
• 1970 - Charles "Sonny" Liston, heavyweight boxer champ (1962-64), dies
• 1970 - L Mendel Rivers, (Rep-D-SC), dies at 65
• 1971 - Maximilian Raoul Walter Steiner, composer, dies at 83
• 1976 - Freddie King, rocker, dies at 42
• 1978 - Harry Winston, US jeweler for the "rich & famous", dies at 82
• 1980 - Amir Elahi, cricketer, 1st Pakistani Test cricketer to die
• 1980 - Jersey calf, lived 222 days with an artificial heart
• 1982 - Frederick Douglass Hall, composer, dies at 84
• 1983 - Dennis Wilson, drummer/singer (Beach Boys), drowns at 39
• 1983 - William Demarest, actor (My 3 Sons), dies in Palm Springs at 91
• 1984 - Sam Peckinpah, director, dies of cardiac arrest at 59
• 1986 - Andrei Tarkovsky, dies
• 1986 - Louis van Lint, Belgian painter, dies at 77
• 1987 - Charles Malik, Lebanon's 1st delegate to UN, dies at 81
• 1988 - Hal Ashby, academy-award winning director, dies of cancer at 59
• 1989 - Robert Wickler, dies
• 1990 - Ed van der Elsken, Dutch photographer (Sweet Life), dies at 65
• 1990 - Kiel Martin, actor (Det LaRue-Hill Street Blues), dies of cancer at 46
• 1990 - Lucas Polhaupessy, Moluccan leader, dies
• 1991 - Cassandra Harris, actress (For Your Eyes Only), dies of cancer at 39
• 1991 - Jacques Aubuchon, actor (Hoax, Thunder Road), dies of heart failure
• 1992 - Mort Greene, US songwriter (My Grandfather's Clock), dies at 80
• 1993 - Howard Caine, dies
• 1993 - Joop Vervoort, Dutch soccer referee, dies at 61
• 1993 - William L Shirer, writer (Rise & Fall of 3rd Reich), dies at 89
• 1994 - Julian Belfrage, theatre agent, dies at 60
• 1995 - Harold Francis Collison, trade unionist, dies at 84
• 1997 - George Fleming, cyclist, dies at 80
• 1997 - James Lees-Milne, architecural historian, dies at 89
• 1997 - Ronald Clive Williams, actor/comedian, dies at 68