• 0742 - Charlemagne, 1st Holy Roman emperor (800-14)
• 1602 - Maria de Jesus de Agreda, [Maria Coronel], Spanish franciscan
• 1618 - Francesco M Grimaldi, mathematician/physicist (light defraction)
• 1628 - Constantin Christian Dedekind, composer
• 1632 - Georg Caspar Weckler, composer
• 1711 - Jan Punt, Dutch engraver/illustrator/actor (Gideonschool)
• 1713 - Onno Zwier van Haren, Frisian poet (Fatherland)
• 1725 - Casanova, writer
• 1728 - Franz Asplmayr, composer
• 1733 - Giacomo Tritto, composer
• 1735 - Christian Gotthilf Tag, composer
• 1735 - Franz Volrath Buttstett, composer
• 1740 - Armand-Gaston Camus, French CEO (Council of 500)
• 1763 - Giacomo Gotifredo Ferrari, composer
• 1798 - H v Fallersleben, writer
• 1803 - Franz Paul Lachner, composer
• 1805 - Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark, author of 150 fairy tales
• 1806 - Giacomo Antonelli, Italian cardinal/asst sec of state for Pius IX
• 1814 - Henry Lewis "Old Rock" Benning, Brig General (Confederate Army
• 1817 - Teodulo Mabellini, composer
• 1826 - Philip Dale Roddey, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1897
• 1827 - William Holdman Hunt, English painter (Light of the World)
• 1833 - Thomas Howard Ruger, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
• 1834 - Fr�d�ric-Auguste Bertholdi, France, sculptor (Statue of Liberty)
• 1840 - �mile Zola, France, novelist (Nana, J'Accuse)
• 1841 - Cl�ment Ader, French engineer
• 1862 - Nicholas Murray Butler, US, Columbia U pres/pacifist (Nobel 1931)
• 1863 - Henry C Van de Velde, Flemish painter/architect (Art Nouveau)
• 1868 - Eduard Jacobs, singer/pianist (Dutch cabaret)
• 1875 - Walter Chrysler, founded car company (Chrysler)
• 1877 - Arnold Schering, German musicologist (Humor, Heldentum, Tragik)
• 1891 - Max Ernst, Germany, painter/sculptor (founded surrealism)
• 1894 - Rudolph P Cleveringa, Dutch anti-nazi lawyer
• 1894 - Walter Mittelholzer, Swiss aviation pioneer (Swiss Air)
• 1900 - Heinrich Besseler, German musicologist
• 1901 - Anis Fuleihan, composer
• 1902 - Danilo Svara, composer
• 1905 - Edmond Jouhaud, general
• 1905 - Kurt Adler, therapist/writer
• 1905 - Serge Lifar, Kiev, dancer, choreographer (Paris Op�ra Ballet)
• 1908 - Buddy Ebsen, Belleville Il, actor (Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones)
• 1909 - Jean Kurt Forest, composer
• 1910 - Arnie Herber, NFL QB (Green Bay Packers, NY Giants)
• 1910 - Irene Mayer Selznick, producer (Street Car Named Desire)
• 1910 - Joeri German, Russian writer
• 1911 - Charles "Honi" Coles, tap dancer (Tap)
• 1914 - Alec Guinness, London England, British actor (Bridge on River Kwai)
• 1915 - Antony Dornhorst, professor of medicine
• 1915 - Arthur Ballard, artist
• 1917 - Dabbs Greer, Fairview Mo, actor (Gunsmoke, Little House on Prairie)
• 1917 - Lou Monte, NJ, singer (Peppino the Italian Mouse)
• 1919 - Antoon J Hubben, Dutch mayor (Maasbree)/trade union leader
• 1919 - Ian Hunter, impresario
• 1920 - Jack Webb, Santa Monica Calif, actor (Joe Friday-Dragnet)
• 1920 - Lambertus MJU van Straaten, geologist (Waddenzee, Rh�ne-delta)
• 1922 - Nikolaj G Bassov, Russia, atomic physicist (laser, Nobel 1964)
• 1923 - Hugh Overton, British diplomat
• 1923 - Jacob "Jaap" Firet, Dutch theologist (Agogisch Moment)
• 1924 - Denis Rooke, CEO (British Gas)
• 1925 - George MacDonald Fraser, poet/author (Flashman at the Charge)
• 1926 - Elena Verdugo, Hollywood Calif, actress (Consuelo-Marcus Welby MD)
• 1926 - Michael Rizzello, sculpter/coin designer
• 1927 - Billy Pierce, pitcher (Chicago White Sox) seven time all star
• 1928 - Joseph "Cardinal" Bernardin, of Chicago
• 1928 - Rita Gam, Pittsburgh, actress (Distortions, Hannibal, Sierra Baron)
• 1928 - Serge Gainsbourg, [Ginsburg], Russian/French singer (Ford Mustang)
• 1929 - Catherine Gaskin, romantic novelist (Fiona, Coporation Wife)
• 1929 - Frans H J J Andriessen, Dutch MP (KVP/CDA)
• 1930 - Girolamo Arriego, composer
• 1930 - W Hambleden Smith, English newspaper magnate
• 1931 - Imre Olsvai, composer
• 1932 - Mahmood Hussain, Pakistani cricket swing bowler (68 wkts in 27 Tests)
• 1934 - Brian Glover, actor (McGuffin)
• 1934 - Christopher France, British permanent secretary (Dept of Health)
• 1934 - Diane Cilento, Rabaul,, actress (Hombre, Tom Jones, Wicker Man)
• 1934 - Peter Middleton, British permanent secretary (Treasury)
• 1935 - Sharon Acker, Toronto Canada, actress (Della Street-Perry Mason 1973)
• 1936 - Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (world champ 1966)
• 1937 - Paul E Kanjorski, (Rep-D-PA, 1985- )
• 1939 - Marvin P Gaye Jr, Wash DC, singer (Sexual Healing)
• 1940 - Penelope Keith, British actress (Norman Conquests, Priest of Love)
• 1940 - Peter Haining, writer/editor (Anatomy of Witchcraft)
• 1941 - Leon Russell, Lawton KS, pianist/singer (Carny)
• 1942 - Graham Bright, private sec to British PM
• 1943 - Glen Dale, [Richard Garforth], rock vocalist (Fortunes Deal)
• 1943 - Larry Coryell, Galveston Tx, jazz guitarist (11th House)
• 1945 - Don Sutton, baseball pitcher (LA Dodgers)
• 1945 - Linda Hunt, Morristown NJ, actress (Bostonians, Eleni, Silverado)
• 1945 - Lord Skelmersdale, British minister (C)
• 1946 - Kurt Winter, rocker (Guess Who)
• 1946 - Lynda Carr, educationist
• 1946 - Richard Collinge, cricketer (NZ rec wicket-taker (116) before Hadlee)
• 1947 - Camille Paglia, Endicott NY, actress (Female Misbehavior, It's Pat)
• 1947 - Emmylou Harris, Birmingham Alabama, country singer (Together Again)
• 1948 - Eleanor Margaret Burbridge, astronomer/educator
• 1948 - Joan [Carol] D[ennison] Vinge, US, sci-fi author (2 Hugos, Dune)
• 1948 - Kerry Minnear, rocker (Gentle Giant)
• 1948 - Marlene Floyd, LPGA golfer
• 1949 - Pamela Reed, Tacoma WA, actress (Grand, Kindergarten Cop, Home Court)
• 1949 - Paul Gambaccini, British disc jockey
• 1951 - Ayako Okamoto, Hiroshima Japan, LPGA golfer (1990 Sara Lee)
• 1952 - Dan Halldorson, Winnipeg, Canadian Tour golfer (1985 World Cup)
• 1952 - Dana Carvey, comedian (SNL, Wayne's World)
• 1952 - Joseph Kent Massey, Oklahoma City OK, soling yachter (Oly-bronze-1996)
• 1952 - Leon Wilkerson, rocker (Lynard Skynard)
• 1953 - David Robinson, drummer (Cars)
• 1953 - Debralee Scott, Elizabeth NJ, actress (Cathy-Mary Hartman, Angie)
• 1954 - Ron Palillo, Ct, actor (Arnold Horshack-Welcome Back Kotter)
• 1955 - Dana Carvey, comedian (SNL, Wayne's World)
• 1956 - Farrukh Zaman, lefty cricket spinner (bowled 10 overs Pak v NZ 1976)
• 1959 - Adrian Meagher, Australian baseball pitching coach (Olympics-1996)
• 1959 - Brian Goodell, US, 400m/1500m freestyle swimmer (Olympic-2 gold-1976)
• 1959 - Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, NYC, 5K runner
• 1959 - Dean Townson, St Petersburg Fla, singer (Pirates of Miss-Fred Jake)
• 1959 - Gelindo Bordin, Italian marathon runner (Olympic-gold-1988)
• 1959 - Ken Macleay, cricketer (at Bedford-on-Avon Aussie ODI medium pacer)
• 1959 - Victoria Jackson, Miami Florida, comedian (SNL, Casual Sex)
• 1960 - Linford Christie, St Andrews Jamaica, 4x100m runner (Oly-gold 1992
• 1961 - Cindy Mackey, Athens GA, LPGA golfer (1986 MasterCard Intl Pro-Am)
• 1961 - Gijs Steinmann, Dutch soccer player (Go Ahead Eagles)
• 1961 - Keren Jane Woodward, Bristol England, rock vocalist (Bananarama-Venus)
• 1962 - Alex Tripolski, Israel, Men's Shooting 50M air pistol (Oly-16th-1996)
• 1962 - Billy Dean, Quincy Fla, country singer (Billy the Kid)
• 1962 - Bruce Kozerski, NFL tackle/guard (Cin Bengals)
• 1963 - Dermot Reeve, cricketer (in Hong Kong England all-rounder 1992)
• 1964 - Pete Incaviglia, Pebble Beach CA, outfielder (Phila Phillies)
• 1965 - Rodney King, Sacramento Calif, black motorist beaten by LA cops
• 1966 - Andrei Kovalev, NHL forward (Belarus, Olympics-98)
• 1966 - Bill Romanowski, NFL linebacker (Eagles, Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
• 1966 - Willie Green, NFL wide reciever (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
• 1969 - Yj Nagata, [Yuji], wrestler (NJPW)
• 1970 - Jerry Reynolds, NFL guard/tackle (NY Giants)
• 1970 - Jon Lieber, Council Bluffs IA, pitcher (Pitts Pirates)
• 1970 - Marcus Christensen, Toronto Ontario, figure skater (1995 Canadian-2nd)
• 1970 - Tammi Reiss, WNBA guard (Utah Starzz)
• 1971 - James Ransom, Toronto Ontario, Epee fencer (Olympics-96)
• 1971 - Jenny Craig, Miss Georgia USA (1996)
• 1971 - Todd Woodbridge, Sydney Australia, tennis star ('95 doubles Wimbledon)
• 1972 - Graham Hood, Winnipeg Manitoba, 1.5k runner (Olympics-9-92, 96)
• 1975 - Deedee Magno, rocker (Party-Rodeo, That's Why)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 1118 - Boudouin I, of Bologne/Edessa, 1st crusader/king of Jerusalem, dies
• 1416 - Ferdinand I, the Justified, king of Aragon/Sicily, dies at 52
• 1502 - Arthur, English crown prince/husband of Catharina of Arag�n, dies
• 1640 - Matthias C Sarbiewski, [Sarbievius], Polish jesuit/poet, dies at 45
• 1657 - Ferdinand III, King of Hungarian/Bohemia/German Emperor, dies at 48
• 1705 - Johann Lohner, composer, dies at 59
• 1747 - Johann J Dillenius, German botanist, dies at 63
• 1758 - Johann Balthasar Konig, composer, dies at 67
• 1784 - Pierre Leclair, composer, dies at 74
• 1803 - Hieronymus van Alphen, Dutch attorney/poet (church hymns), dies at 56
• 1831 - Charles Felix, blind King of Sardina (1821-31), dies at 74
• 1852 - Theodor Althaus, writer, dies
• 1865 - Ambrose Powell Hill, Confederate general, killed in action at 39
• 1865 - Richard Cobden, founder Anti-Corn-Law League, dies at 60
• 1872 - Samuel F B Morse developer of electric telegraph, dies at 80
• 1876 - Paul van Vlissingen, Dutch ship owner, dies at 78
• 1890 - Marinus FAG Campbell, bibliographer, dies at 70
• 1892 - Willem J d'Ablaing van Giessenburg, Dut baron/genealogist, dies at 79
• 1910 - Boyd Alexander, English explorer (Niger to the Nile), murdered at 37
• 1910 - Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, German theologist, dies at 79
• 1928 - Theodore Richards, US chemist (atomic weight, Nobel 1914), dies
• 1932 - Hugo Kaun, composer, dies at 69
• 1933 - K S Ranjitsinhji, cricketer (989 Test runs, 1st-class avg 56), dies
• 1937 - Nathan Birnbaum, Austria philosopher (Zionism), dies at about 72
• 1938 - Alice Berend, writer, dies
• 1941 - Paul Teleki, premier Hungary, dies
• 1944 - Mikulas Moyzes, composer, dies at 71
• 1947 - Joseph Hardstaff, cricket (311 runs in 5 Tests for Eng 1907-08), dies
• 1951 - Simon Barere, pianist, dies while perfoming at Carnegie Hall
• 1952 - Bernard F Lyot, Fren astronomer (chronograph, Lyot-filter), dies at 55
• 1953 - Jean Epstein, French director (Vive la Vie), dies at 56
• 1956 - Albert MLA de Bassompierre, Belgium ambassador to Tokyo, dies at 82
• 1956 - Chester Clute, actor (Niagara Falls), dies at 65
• 1956 - Philippo de Pisis, Italian painter, dies at 59
• 1959 - Benjamin Christensen, Danish actor (Barnet, Mockery), dies at 79
• 1961 - August Defresne, Dutch director (Anno Christi 969), dies at 67
• 1961 - Wallingford Riegger, US composer (Bacchangle), dies at 75
• 1965 - Renzo Bossi, composer, dies at 81
• 1966 - Cecil Scott Forester, English author (Horatio Hornblower), dies at 66
• 1969 - Fortunio Bonanova, actor (My Best Gal, Havana Rose), dies at 74
• 1972 - Gil Hodges, manager (NY Mets), dies of heart attack at 57
• 1974 - Douglass Dumbrille, actor (Mr Deed Goes to Town), dies at 84
• 1974 - Georges Pompidou, French president, dies in Paris at 62
• 1976 - Ray Teal, actor (Sheriff Roy Coffee-Bonanza), dies at 74
• 1979 - Carroll D Rosenbloom, LA Rams president, dies at 72
• 1979 - Ivan Barrow, cricketer (11 Tests for West Indies 1930-39), dies
• 1980 - Dick Howorth, cricketer (Engld slow lefty all-rounder late 40's), dies
• 1987 - Buddy Rich, drummer/orch leader (Away We Go), dies at 69
• 1990 - Aldo Fabrizi, actor (Postman Goes to War, Open City), dies at 85
• 1992 - Paula Kelly, singer/actress (Sweet Charity), dies at 72
• 1993 - Eugenie Leontovitch, actress (4 Sons, Homicidal), dies at 93
• 1993 - Klaas Schenk, Dutch speed skater/coach/father of Ard, dies at 86
• 1994 - Richard Davies, actor (Pvt Buckaroo), dies of heart attack at 79
• 1995 - Hannes Alfven, physicist (Nobel prize), dies at 86
• 1995 - Harvey Penick, premier golf instructor/author, dies at 90
• 1995 - Julius Arthur Hemphill, saxophonist, dies at 57
• 1997 - Tomoyuki Tanaka, producer (Godzilla), dies of a stroke at 86