• 1483 - Raphael Sanzio, Italian painter/master builder (Madonna Sistina)
• 1631 - Vincenzo De Grandis, composer
• 1660 - Johann Kuhnau, composer
• 1671 - Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French playwright/poet (Sacred Odes & Songs)
• 1672 - Andre Cardinal Destouches, composer
• 1708 - George Reuter, composer
• 1741 - S‚bastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort, French playwright (Maximes)
• 1752 - Johann Friedrich Kranz, composer
• 1757 - Alessandro Rolla, composer
• 1773 - James Mill, Scotland, philosopher/historian (Hist of British India)
• 1778 - Joseph Funk, composer
• 1806 - Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, poet
• 1810 - Philip Gosse, intentor of institutional aquarium, writer (Omphalos)
• 1812 - Aaron Bernstein, writer
• 1812 - Gavril Yakimovich Lomakin, composer
• 1815 - Friedrich Robert Volkmann, composer
• 1818 - Francis Henry Brown, composer
• 1819 - Johann A H Scheler, Belgian librarian
• 1823 - Joseph Medill, St John NB Canada, newspaper editor (Chicago Tribune)
• 1826 - Gustave Moreau, French painter
• 1828 - Charles William Field, Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1892
• 1830 - James Augustine Healy, Macon Ga, 1st black Roman Catholic bishop
• 1833 - Johan H C Kern, Dutch linguist (Sanskrit, Old Javan)
• 1835 - Jose Marraco y Ferrer, composer
• 1844 - Joseph Ludwig, composer
• 1860 - Ren‚ Lalique, French jewel designer
• 1866 - Butch Cassidy, [Robert Parker], US desperado (Wild Bunch Passage)
• 1866 - Joseph Lincoln Steffens, muckraker/journalist (Shame of the Cities)
• 1869 - Louis Raemakers, Dutch draftsman/painter
• 1871 - Alexander, grandson of England's Queen Victoria
• 1874 - Harry Houdini, [Erich Weiss], Hungary, famous magician/escape artist
• 1878 - Carl Emil Theodor Ehrenberg, composer
• 1878 - Erich M�hsam, writer
• 1883 - Mien Labberton, Dutch poetress
• 1884 - Walter Huston, Tor, actor (Maltese Falcon, Treasure of Sierra Madre)
• 1885 - Carlos Leon Salzedo, composer
• 1888 - Daniel Andersson, Swedish poet/writer (Svarta Ballader)
• 1889 - Barry Macollum, Northern Ireland
• 1889 - Gabriela Mistral, writer
• 1890 - Andr‚ L Danjon, French astronomer
• 1890 - Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker, Holland, aircraft pioneer (Spider)
• 1892 - Donald Wills Douglas, US, aircraft pioneer (McConnell Douglas)
• 1892 - Lowell Thomas, Woodington Ohio, newscaster (High Adventure)
• 1892 - Mateusz Glinski, composer
• 1896 - Juan Tomas Perez, composer
• 1898 - Bobby Gilbert, PA
• 1900 - Andres Sas, composer
• 1900 - Leo Robin, US writer (Thanks For the Memory)
• 1901 - Willem Pelemans, Flemish composer/music reviewer
• 1902 - Gertrude Short, Cincinnati OH, actress (Stella Dallas, Blonde Venus)
• 1903 - Harold Edgerton, foremost high-speed photographer
• 1903 - Mickey Cochrane, baseball hall of fame catcher (.320 avg)
• 1904 - Kurt G Kiesinger, German chancellor (Wherever They May Be)
• 1906 - John Betjeman, English Poet Laureate 1972-1984 (Mount Zion)
• 1908 - Vano Il'ich Muradeli, composer
• 1910 - Desmond Dreyer, British admiral
• 1911 - Phyllis Margaret Duncan Tate, composer
• 1912 - Endre Szekely, composer
• 1912 - Wilhelmus H L "Willem" Tollenaar, actor/director (Don Carlos)
• 1914 - George Reeves, Ashland Ky, actor (Superman, Gone With the Wind)
• 1917 - Julian Faber, CEO (Willis Faber)
• 1917 - Shakey, [Walter Horton], Miss, harmonicist (Everybody's Fishin')
• 1918 - Joan Bernard, Principal (Trevelyan College, Durham)
• 1918 - Karen Verne, Berlin Germany, actress (Madame X)
• 1920 - Bernard Carter, British painter/etcher
• 1921 - Andrew Welsh Imbrie, composer
• 1921 - Franta Belsky, British sculptor
• 1921 - Lord Moore of Wolvercote
• 1922 - Barry Levinson, director (Rain Man)
• 1925 - Arthur D Larsen, tennis champ (US Open-1950)
• 1925 - John Knox, British supreme court justice
• 1925 - Marcus Worsley, Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire
• 1926 - Ian Paisley, North Ireland, clergyman/MP
• 1927 - David Ingram, Vice-Chancellor (University of Kent at Canterbury)
• 1927 - Gerry Mulligan, British saxophonist/orch leader (Jazz on a Summer Day)
• 1928 - James Dewey Watson, chemist (co-discovered structure of DNA)
• 1928 - Joi Lansing, Salt Lake City Utah, actress (Bob Cummings Show)
• 1929 - "Crazy" Joe Gallo, mobster
• 1929 - Andr‚ Previn, Berlin Germany, conductor (London Symphony)/pianist
• 1929 - Arthur S Taylor Jr, US drummer/band leader (Taylor's Wailers)
• 1929 - Edison Vasalievich Denisov, composer
• 1929 - Li Yuan-chia, artist
• 1929 - Willis Hall, British writer
• 1931 - Ivan Dixon, NYC, actor (Car Wash, Hogan's Heroes)
• 1931 - Joan Carlyle, British soprano
• 1933 - Dudley Sutton, British actor (Leather Boys, Brimstone & Treacle)
• 1934 - Antonius Geesink, Holland, judo (Olympic-gold-1964)
• 1934 - Reijo Jyrkiainen, composer
• 1935 - Duke of Montrose
• 1935 - John Pepper Clark, Nigeria, writer (Horn, Song of a Goat)
• 1936 - Manfred Schoof, composer
• 1937 - Billy Dee Williams, Harlem NYC, actor (Chiefs, Empire Strikes Back)
• 1937 - Merle Haggard, Bakersfield Calif, country singer (Death Valley Days)
• 1937 - Tom Veivers, cricketer (Australian off-spinner in the 60's)
• 1938 - Paul Daniels, British magician
• 1938 - Roy Thinnes, Chicago Ill, actor (Invaders, Falcon Crest, Gen Hospital)
• 1940 - Anne Campbell, MP
• 1940 - Homero Aridjis, Mexican poet (La Tumba de Filidor)
• 1941 - Hans W Geissendorfer, Augsburg Germany, director (Sternsteinhof)
• 1942 - Phil Austin, comedian (Firesign Theater)
• 1943 - Harry Conroy, trade unionist
• 1943 - Joaquin Agostinho, Portuguese cyclist
• 1943 - Roger Cook, investigative journalist/broadcaster
• 1943 - Susan Tolsky, Houston, actress (Madame's Place, Here Comes the Brides)
• 1944 - Felicity Palmer, British mezzo-soprano
• 1944 - John Stax, rocker (Pretty Things-Don't Bring Me Down)
• 1944 - Michelle Phillips, rocker (Mamas & The Papas)
• 1945 - Bob Marley, reggae musician/singer (Whalers-No Woman)
• 1945 - Rodney Bickerstaffe, trade unionist
• 1946 - Paul Beresford, MP
• 1947 - Jan Kees Wiebenga, Dutch MP (VVD)
• 1947 - John Ratzenberger, Bridgeport Ct, actor (Cliff Clavin-Cheers)
• 1947 - Tony Cooner, Essex, drummer (Hot Chocolate-You Sexy Thing)
• 1949 - Jane Actman, NYC, actress (Barbara-Paul Lynde Show)
• 1949 - Mary Maples Dunn, college president (Smith College)
• 1950 - Dennis E Eckart, (Rep-D-OH, 1981- )
• 1951 - Ralph Cooper, Australia, drummer (Air Supply-All Out of Love)
• 1952 - Judith McConnell, actress (Sophia Capwell-Santa Barbara)
• 1952 - Marilu Henner, Chicago, actress (Taxi, Man Who Loved Women, Eve Shade)
• 1952 - Udo Dirkshneider, heavy metal rocker (Accept-Balls to the Wall, Udo)
• 1953 - Janet Lynn, ice skater (Olympics-bronze-1972)
• 1954 - Judi Bowker, Shawford England, actress (Clash of the Titans)
• 1956 - Dilip Vengsarkar, cricketer (prolific Indian batsman 1976-92)
• 1956 - Mudassar Nazar, cricketer (son of Nazar Mohammad Pakistani bat)
• 1957 - Maurizio Damilano, Italian speed walker (30K World Record)
• 1959 - Dianne Brill, Tampa, fashion designer/party girl (Queen of the Night)
• 1961 - Mike Schuchart, Omaha NE, Nike golfer (1994 NIKE Tour Championship)
• 1961 - Rory Bremner, impressionist
• 1962 - Stan Cullimore, bassist (Housemartins-Happy Hour, Over There)
• 1963 - Lorenzo Lynch, NFL safety (Az Cardinals, Oakland Raiders)
• 1964 - Bill Brooks, NFL wide receiver (Buffalo Bills)
• 1964 - Johnny Dee, heavy metal drummer (Britny Fox-Boys in Heat, King Kobra)
• 1965 - Gerald Diduck, Edmonton, NHL defenseman (Hartford Whalers)
• 1965 - Rica Reinisch, German DR, 100m/200m backstroke (Olympic-gold-1980)
• 1965 - Virginia Lee, Australian rower (Olympics-96)
• 1966 - Kymberly Paige, Newport Beach Ca, playmate (May, 1987)
• 1967 - Derrick Fenner, NFL running back (Oakland Raiders)
• 1968 - Chris Anderson, Australian high jumper (Olympics-96)
• 1969 - Andy Harmon, NFL defensive tackle (Phila Eagles)
• 1969 - Ari Meyers, San Juan PR, actress (Emma McArdle-Kate & Allie)
• 1969 - Bret Boone, El Cajon CA, infielder (Cin Reds)
• 1969 - Brian Williams, NBA center/forward (Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers)
• 1970 - Olaf Kolzig, Johannesbourg Saf, NHL goalie (Washington Capitals)
• 1970 - Oliver Miller, NBA forward/center (Toronto Raptors)
• 1971 - Anthony Redmon, guard (Arizona Cardinals)
• 1971 - Tamara Henry, Miss USA-Arkansas (1997)
• 1971 - Tom Sorensen, Racine Wisc, volleyball middle blocker (Olympics-96)
• 1971 - Vivian Y Herding, Albuquerque NM, Miss America-NM (1996)
• 1972 - Dickey Simpkins, NBA forward (SF Warriors, Chicago Bulls)
• 1972 - Donald Blair, CFL slot back (Edmonton Eskimos)
• 1972 - Hurvin McCormack, NFL defensive tackle (Dallas Cowboys)
• 1972 - Jason Hervey, actor (Wayne Arnold-Wonder Years)
• 1973 - Donnie Edwards, linebacker (KC Chiefs)
• 1973 - Randall Godfrey, linebacker (Dallas Cowboys)
• 1975 - Dannon Phillip Pampolina, rapper/drummer (Party)
• 1976 - Candace H Cameron Bure, actress (DJ Tanner-Full House)
• 1976 - Simon Coombes, Melbourne VIC Australia, swimmer (Olympics-96)
• 1979 - Ali Burr, Miss North Carolina Teen USA (1997)
• 1979 - Frederick MGDL Windsor, son of English prince Michael
• 1980 - Matthew Thomas Carey, actor (Once You Meet a Stranger)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 0885 - Methodius, Greek apostle of the slaves/archbishop of Sirmium, dies
• 0912 - Nottker "the Stamelaar", benedictine monk/poet, dies at about 71
• 1199 - Richard I, the Lion-hearted, King of England (1189-99), dies at 41
• 1252 - Peter of Verona, [Peter Martyr], Italian inquisitor/st, dies at 45
• 1348 - Petrarch's Laura, dies of plague
• 1362 - Jacques de Bourbon, count of Marche, killed in battle
• 1472 - Pieter Bladelin, Belgium, land owner (Middelburg castle), dies
• 1489 - Hans Waldmann, Swiss military/mayor (Zurich), beheaded
• 1490 - Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary, dies
• 1520 - Raphael [Sanzio], artist (Sistine Madonna), dies on his 37th birthday
• 1528 - Albrecht D�rer, German painter/graphic artist, dies in Germany at 56
• 1551 - Joachim Vadianus, Swiss physician/mayor of Sankt Gallen, dies at 66
• 1590 - Francis Walsingham, English secretary of state, dies at about 57
• 1593 - Henry Barrow, English puritian/Congressionalist, hanged
• 1593 - John Greenwood, English Congressionalist, hanged
• 1605 - John Stow, British historian, dies
• 1674 - Charles de M‚an, Belgian lawyer (Observations), dies at 69
• 1707 - Willem Van de Velde, the Young, Dutch seascape painter, dies a 73
• 1779 - Tommaso MFS Traetta, Italian opera composer (Farnace), dies at 52
• 1782 - Rynoldus Popma van Oevering, composer, dies at 90
• 1805 - Lorenz Justinian Ott, composer, dies at 56
• 1817 - Bonaventura Furlanetto, composer, dies at 78
• 1822 - Franz Xaver Partsch, composer, dies at 62
• 1829 - Niels H Able, Norwegian mathematician (infinite series), dies at 26
• 1838 - Jos‚ B de Andrada e Silva, premier of Brazil (1822-23), dies at 74
• 1854 - William Strickland, US architect, dies
• 1862 - Adley Hogan Gladden, Confederate brig-general, dies in battle at 51
• 1862 - Albert Sidney Johnston, US Confederate general, dies in battle at 59
• 1865 - John Austin Wharton, US Confederate general-major, dies at 36
• 1865 - Reuben B Boston, US Confederate cavalery colonel, dies in battle
• 1884 - Emanuel Geibel, writer, dies at 68
• 1906 - Alexander L Kielland, Norwegian writer (Working People), dies at 57
• 1913 - Jose Marraco y Ferrer, composer, dies on 78th birthday
• 1919 - Stefan Surzynski, composer, dies at 63
• 1926 - Giovanni Amendola, antifascist/editor-in-chief (Il Mondo), dies at 43
• 1931 - Giuseppi Radiciotti, composer, dies at 73
• 1935 - Edward Arlington Robinson, US poet, dies
• 1939 - Robert Courtneidge, British theater producer, dies
• 1940 - Andres Isasi, composer, dies at 49
• 1945 - Benjamin M Telders, president (Dutch Liberal States Party), dies at 42
• 1947 - Vaclav Kapral, composer, dies at 58
• 1949 - Stanley Christopherson, cricketer (1884, MCC Pres during WWII), dies
• 1951 - Halfdan Cleve, composer, dies at 71
• 1961 - Jules J B V Bordet, Belgian bacteriologist (Nobel 1919), dies at 90
• 1962 - J C Heldring, Dutch businessman, dies at 74
• 1966 - Julia Faye, actress (10 Commandments. Samson & Delilah), dies at 73
• 1968 - Bobby Hutton, US Black Panther leader, shot to death
• 1971 - Igor F Strawinsky, Russ composer (Le Sacre du Printemps), dies at 88
• 1972 - Heinrich L�bke, West Germany president (1959-69), dies at 77
• 1974 - Willem Dudok, Dutch architect (Hilversum Town Hall), dies at 89
• 1975 - Chiang Kai-Shek, Nationalist Chinese leader, dies at 87
• 1976 - Ruth P Thomson, writer, dies
• 1978 - Nicolas Nabokov, composer (Holy Devil), dies at 74
• 1978 - Reinoud Anders, Dutch actor (Unrest of Grave), dies at 65
• 1979 - M Marie Widlow, softball pitcher (Hall of Fame 1957), dies at 61
• 1979 - Milton Ager, US composer, dies at 85
• 1981 - Bob "The Bear" Hite, singer (Canned Heat-Goin' up the Country), dies
• 1983 - Ana Maria, Salvador guerilla leader, murdered
• 1984 - Jimmy Kenndy, British songwriter (South of the Border), dies
• 1984 - Ral Donner, singer/narrator, dies at 41
• 1990 - Nancy Hawkes, (1946 best dress woman), dies at 73
• 1990 - Ronald E Evans, astronaut (Apollo 17), dies of a heart attack at 57
• 1991 - Bill Ponsford, cricketer (Test avg 48 22, 1st-class avg 65 18), dies
• 1992 - Isaac Asimov, Sci-Fi author (I Robot), dies from kidney failure at 72
• 1992 - Molly Picon, Yiddish actress (Milk & Honey), dies of Alzheimers at 94
• 1993 - Divya Bharati, "Baby Doll" Indies actress (Diwana), dies in car at 19
• 1993 - Hedi Amira Nouira, PM of Tunisia (1970-80), dies
• 1994 - Agatha Uwilingiyimana, Rwanda/1st female PM in Africa, assassinated
• 1994 - Cyprian Niayamira, president of Burundi (1993-94), assassinated
• 1994 - Dick Cary, jazz musician, dies at 77
• 1994 - Juv‚nal Habayarimana, president of Rwanda (1973), assassinated
• 1994 - Patricia Louise Dalton, chair (Sherlock Holmes Society), dies at 75
• 1994 - Theo Bosch, humanist/architect (Amsterdam), dies at 54
• 1995 - Vieno J Sukselainen, PM of Finland (1959-61), dies
• 1996 - Greer Garson, actress (Goodbye Mr Chips), dies at 92
• 1997 - Jack Kent Cooke, NFL owner (Wash Redskins), dies at 84