• 1460 - Ponce de Le¢n, Spain, searched for fountain of youth, found Florida
• 1533 - Claudio Merulo, organist/composer
• 1582 - Phienas Fletcher, poet
• 1605 - Louis de Vadder, Flemish painter
• 1605 - Philip IV, King of Spain & Portugal (1621-65)
• 1631 - Cornelis de Heem, painter
• 1642 - Gerard Callenbach, Dutch admiral
• 1655 - Louis Willem I, Margrave (Baden-Baden)
• 1692 - Giuseppe Tartini, Italy, violinist/composer (Trillo del Diavolo)
• 1695 - Johann C Gnther, writer
• 1697 - Pierre Prowo, composer
• 1708 - Georg Zarth, composer
• 1726 - Lewis Morris, US farmer (signed Decl of Independence)
• 1731 - William Williams, US merchant (signed Decl of Independence)
• 1741 - Jos‚ B da Gama, Portuguese poet (O Uraguai)
• 1756 - Joseph Gehot, composer
• 1775 - Adam A earl von Neipperg, Austrian general/Napoleon's wife Marie lover
• 1776 - Thaddaus Weigl, composer
• 1783 - John Claudius, London England, horticulturist
• 1798 - Dionysios Solomos, poet
• 1816 - Frederick William Burton, painter
• 1818 - Christaan IX, king of Denmark (1863-1906)
• 1828 - George Baird Hodge, Brig General (Confederate Army)
• 1831 - Allard Pierson, Dutch theologiost/philosopher/art historian/poet
• 1832 - Alfred von Waldersee, Prussian fieldmarshal
• 1843 - Asger Hamerik, [Hammerich], composer
• 1850 - William Henry Welch, US, pathologist (founded John Hopkins)
• 1859 - Edmund Husserl, Germany, philosopher (founded Phenomenology)
• 1869 - Harvey Cushing, US, neurosurgeon (blood pressure studies)
• 1875 - Albert I LCMM von Saksen-Coburg, king of Belgium (1909-34)
• 1878 - Rudolf Nelson, composer
• 1880 - Victor Schertzinger, composer/director (Uptown NY)
• 1881 - Fernand Lamy, composer
• 1885 - Dimitrios Levidis, composer
• 1886 - Margaret A Barnes, writer
• 1887 - Walter Connolly, Cincinnati OH, actor (Good Earth, 5th Avenue Girl)
• 1889 - Adrian Boult, Chester England, conductor/composer (BBC Sym Orch)
• 1892 - Richard J Neutra, Austrian/US architect (Who Built America?)
• 1893 - Grace Cunard, Columbus OH, silent screen actress (Resurrection)
• 1893 - Henri Puvrez, Belgian sculptor (Sereniteit)
• 1893 - Mary Pickford, [Gladys Smith], actress (Poor Little Rich Girl)
• 1895 - Bert I Gordon, NY
• 1895 - Sigurdur Thordarson, composer
• 1896 - Karl Hermann Pillney, composer
• 1897 - Herbert Eimert, German composer/musicologist (Glockenspiel)
• 1898 - Achiel H Acker, Belgian premier (1945-46, 1954-58)
• 1898 - Cecil [Maurice] Bowra, British classics expert (Greek experience)
• 1898 - E Y "Yip" Harburg, [Isidore Hochberg], lyricist/librettist
• 1902 - Arthur Wellard, cricketer (big hitting Somerset & England batsman)
• 1902 - Josef Krips, Vienna Austria, conductor (London Symph 1954-63)
• 1903 - Ilka Chase, NYC, actress (Masquerade Party, Trials of O'Brien)
• 1904 - John Antill, composer
• 1904 - John R Hicks, British economist (Nobel 1972)
• 1905 - George Baxter, Paris France, actor (Flying Saucer, Lili, Caged)
• 1905 - Hans Scherfig, Danish marxist/writer (Idealister, Frydenholm)
• 1905 - Helen B M Fennell Joseph, anti-apartheid writer (Side by Side)
• 1905 - Pierre Wigny, Belgian minister of Foreign affairs (1958-61) [or 4/18]
• 1906 - Charles J B Jonckheere, Flemish poet/writer (Mirror of the Sea)
• 1907 - Maurice Stacey, chemist
• 1908 - Neil Lawson, British high court judge
• 1909 - George Dixon, trumpet/sax
• 1909 - Olavi Pesonen, composer
• 1909 - William James Millar Mackenzie, political scientist
• 1910 - George Musso, NFL guard (Chicago Bears)
• 1910 - Wendell Bill, cricketer (NSW bat 1929-36 Century on debut 1930)
• 1911 - Douglas Hyde, socialist/Christian
• 1911 - Emil Mihai Cioran, writer/aphorist
• 1911 - Melvin Calvin, US chemist (photosynthesis, Nobel 1961)
• 1911 - mile M Cioran, writer
• 1912 - Josef Gabc”k, Czech resistance fighter (attacked Heydrich)
• 1912 - Sonja Henie, Oslo Norway, ice skater/actress (Olympic-gold-1928,32,36)
• 1913 - H Ernst, bishop (Breda Neth)
• 1914 - John Cameron, cricketer (brother of Jimmy WI v-capt 1939 England tour)
• 1919 - [Douglas] Ian Smith, premier of Rhodesia (1964-..)
• 1920 - Carmen McRae (Clark), US jazz singer/pianist (Dream of Life)
• 1920 - Erik Pausin, Austria, figure skating pairs (Olympics-silver-1936)
• 1921 - Alfie Bass, London England, actor (Moonraker, Are You Being Served)
• 1921 - Betty Bloomer Ford, 1st lady (1975-76)/namesake for Betty Ford Clinic
• 1921 - Jan Novak, composer
• 1921 - Virginia O'Brien, LA Calif, actress/singer (Gus, Ziegfeld Follies)
• 1923 - Edward Mulhare, Cork Ireland, actor (Daniel Gregg-Ghost & Mrs Muir)
• 1923 - Franco Corelli, Anconia Italy, tenor (Don Jos‚-Carmen)
• 1925 - Shecky Greene, Chicago Ill, comedian/actor (Love Machine, Combat)
• 1928 - Eric Porter, London England, actor (Antony & Cleopatra, 39 Steps)
• 1928 - John Gavin, LA Calif, actor (Back Street, Psycho, Murder for Sale)
• 1928 - Mary Zeldenrust-Noordanus, CEO (NVSH)
• 1928 - Monty Sunshine, jazz bandleader (Gotta Travel On)
• 1929 - Jacques Brel, Belgium, singer/actor (Pain in the A__)
• 1929 - Renzo de Felice, historian
• 1929 - WIlliam K Everson, film historian
• 1929 - Walter Berry, Austria singer/ex husband of Christa Ludwig
• 1930 - Dorothy Tutin, London, actress (Importance of Being Ernest, Cromwell)
• 1930 - John Bartholomew Tucker, Pa, TV host (Candid Camera, Treasure Island)
• 1930 - John Reardon, NYC, baritone (Falke-Die Fledermaus)
• 1930 - Julien Van Remoortere, [Piet Mortelman], Flemish writer (Fist)
• 1930 - Mary Moore, principal (St Hilda's College, Oxford)
• 1932 - John Gavin, LA Calif, actor (Felony, Jennifer, House of Shadows)
• 1933 - Fred Ebb, lyricist (Cabaret)
• 1933 - Jaroslav Smolka, composer
• 1935 - Albert G Bustamante, (Rep-D-TX, 1985- )
• 1935 - Donald Thompsett, cricket umpire
• 1935 - Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, epidemiologist (Living legacy award-1984)
• 1936 - Klaus Lowitsch, Berlin, actor (Despair, Marriage of Marla Braun)
• 1937 - Ronald Anthony "Tony" Clegg, property trader
• 1937 - Seymour Hersh, award winning investigative reporter (NY Times)
• 1938 - Barton Keith McLean, composer
• 1938 - Lory Patrick, Beckley WV, actress (Trina-Tales of Welles Fargo)
• 1938 - Mohammad Farooq, cricketer (Pakistani pace bowler in 7 Tests 1960-65)
• 1940 - John Havlicek, Martin's Ferry Ohio, NBA hall-of-famer (Boston Celtics)
• 1941 - Peggy Lennon, LA Calif, singer (Lennon Sisters)
• 1942 - Douglas Trumbull, director (Silent Running, Brainstorm)
• 1942 - Eduard Visser, Dutch writer (Fyffes are now called Chiquita)
• 1943 - Carol Lavell, Fairfax Vt, equestrian dressage (Oly-bronze-92, 96)
• 1943 - J P Kavanaugh, racehorse trainer
• 1943 - Michael Bennett, aids victim/choreographer (Chorus Line)
• 1943 - Robby Weaver, actor (Stone)
• 1943 - Tony Banks, English politician (Lab)
• 1943 - William Garth Morrison, Chief scout
• 1944 - Anthony Farrar Hockley, military historian
• 1944 - Christoph Hein, writer
• 1944 - Hywel Bennett, South Wales, actor (Family Way, Shelley)
• 1944 - Roger Chapman, rock vocalist (Family-Family Entertainment)
• 1944 - Santiago Jimenez Jr, US accordionist (El Mero Mero, Viva Seguin)
• 1945 - Ian White, MEP
• 1946 - Jim "Catfish" Hunter, major-league pitcher (A's, Yankees)
• 1946 - Stuart Pankin, Phila, comedian (Striptease, Congo, Earl-Dinosaurs)
• 1947 - Cindy Pickett, Norman Okla, actress (Guiding Light, St Elsewhere)
• 1947 - Hsiao-hsien Hou, dir (Cheerful Wind, City of Sadness, Puppetmaster)
• 1947 - Steve Howe, London, rock guitarist (Asia, Yes-Roundabout)
• 1947 - Thomas D Delay, (Rep-R-Texas, 1985- )
• 1948 - Gerald McRaney, Collins Miss, actor (Rick-Simon & Simon, Major Dad)
• 1948 - Richard Alan Litchfield, Mass, bank robber (FBI most wanted)
• 1949 - Jim Lampley, Hendersonville NC, newscaster (Monday Night Baseball)
• 1952 - Adam Woods, rock drummer/pianist (Fixx)
• 1954 - Gary Carter, catcher (Mont Expos, NY Mets)
• 1954 - John Schneider, Mt Kisco NY, actor (Bo-Dukes of Hazzard)
• 1955 - John Campbell, harness racer (3-time winner of Hambletonian)
• 1959 - Franklyn Stephenson, cricketer (great all-rounder)
• 1959 - Martin Weston, cricketer
• 1962 - Izzy Stradlin, [Jeff Isabelle], Lafayette IN, guitarist (Guns & Roses)
• 1963 - Alec Stewart, cricketer (son of Micky/opening bat Occasional WK)
• 1963 - Erica Terwillegar, Nelsonville NJ, lugist
• 1963 - Julian Lennon, John's son/singer (Too Late for Goodbyes)
• 1963 - Terry Porter, NBA guard (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• 1964 - Biz Markie, rocker (Meteor Man, Townsend Television)
• 1964 - Valinda Hilleary, Littleton Co, WPVA volleyballer (US Open-9th-1993)
• 1966 - Robin Wright Penn, Dallas Tx, actress (Santa Barbara, Princess Bride)
• 1967 - Kenneth Charlie Griffith Benjamin, cricketer (WI like his namesake)
• 1968 - Don Davey, NFL defensive tackle (Jacksonville Jaguars)
• 1968 - Patricia Arquette, NYC, actress (Ed Wood, Nightmare on Elm Street 3)
• 1969 - Steve Jackson, NFL cornerback (Houston/Tennessee Oilers)
• 1970 - Derek D Brown, Wash DC, team handball right wing (Olympics-1996)
• 1970 - Gerald Vaughn, CFL defensive back (Hamilton Tiger Cats)
• 1970 - Harold Bishop, NFL tight end (Cleve Browns)
• 1971 - Edward Fryatt, Rochdale England, Nike golfer (1994 NCAA West Regional)
• 1971 - Marc Peers, Edmonton Alberta, tornado yachter (Olympics-96)
• 1972 - Damon Watts, NFL center (Indianapolis Colts)
• 1972 - Isaac Davis, NFL guard (SD Chargers)
• 1972 - Katrina Powell, Canberra Australia, field hockey striker (Olympics-96)
• 1973 - Alex Gonzalez, Miami FL, infielder (Toronto Blue Jays)
• 1973 - Joel Davis, guard (Cincinnati Bengals)
• 1973 - Walter Nicholas Henry Tongue, Auckland NZ, 50m/100m swimmer (Oly-96)
• 1976 - Jim Farnum, Honolulu Hawaii, kayak (alt-Olympics-96)
• 1981 - Rebecca Wilson, Queensland Australia, gymnast (Olympics-96)
• 1984 - Taran Noah Smith, SF Calif, actor (Mark Taylor-Home Improvement)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 0217 - Caracalla, [Marcus Antoniius], Roman emperor (198-217), murdered at 29
• 1143 - John II Comnenus, Emperor of Byzantium (1118-43), dies in an accident
• 1364 - Jan II, the Good, King of France (1350-64), dies at 44
• 1492 - Lorenzo I de' Medici"il Magnifico", ruler of Florence (1469-92), dies
• 1498 - Charles VIII, King of France (1483-98), beheaded at 27
• 1537 - Willem Aerts, Flemish architect, dies
• 1629 - Willem Teellinck, Dutch theologist/vicar, dies at 50
• 1697 - Niels Juel, Danish admiral (Oland, Moen, Kj”gebocht), dies at 67
• 1736 - Pedro Vaz Rego, composer, dies at 63
• 1759 - Fran‡ois de La Croix, composer, dies at 76
• 1778 - Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, Dutch founder (Teyler Museum), dies at 76
• 1794 - Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicholas-Caritat, mathematician dies
• 1844 - Ignaz Franz von Mosel, composer, dies at 72
• 1848 - Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti, Italian composer, dies at 50
• 1848 - Gaetano Donizetti, composer, dies at 50
• 1851 - John Parry, composer, dies at 75
• 1853 - Jan W Pieneman, historical painter (Battle at Waterloo), dies at 73
• 1858 - Anton Diabelli, Austrian composer/publisher, dies at 76
• 1861 - Elisha G Otis, US elevator builder (Otis), dies at 50
• 1863 - Joseph Netherclift, composer, dies at 70
• 1865 - John Park, composer, dies at 61
• 1870 - Charles-Auguste de Beriot, Belgian violinist/composer, dies at 68
• 1871 - Charles-Louis Hanssens, composer, dies at 68
• 1889 - Henry Jupp, cricketer (scored 63 on Test debut for Engl in 1877), dies
• 1890 - Junius Morgan, philanthropist, dies at 76
• 1894 - Bankim C Chattopadhyaya, writer (Mrinalini, Anandamath), dies at 55
• 1897 - George Garrett, composer, dies at 62
• 1897 - Heinrich von Stephan, UK politician, dies
• 1902 - Sipyagain, Russian min of interior/headed Secret Service, assassinated
• 1914 - Jakub Arbes, Czech author (And‚l Miru), dies at 73
• 1919 - Roland baron E”tv”s, Hungarian physicist, dies at 70
• 1920 - Charles Tomlinson Griffes, US composer (White Peacock), dies at 35
• 1921 - Earnest von Possart, German actor/stage manager, dies
• 1931 - Eric Axel Karlfeldt, poet, dies
• 1935 - Edwin Cannan, economist, dies
• 1937 - Arthur William Foote, US organist/composer, dies at 84
• 1937 - William Henry Hadow, composer (Studies in Modern Music), dies at 77
• 1938 - Harold Baumgartner, cricketer (took 2-99 lefty in test for S Af), dies
• 1941 - EugŠne-Marcel Pr‚vost, novelist, dies
• 1942 - Alfred Mombert, writer, dies
• 1943 - Paul Colin, Belgian journalist/collaborator, executed
• 1943 - Richard Sears, 1st to win US amateur national tennis match, dies at 81
• 1947 - Henry Ford, US industrialist (Ford cars), dies
• 1948 - Josef B Kjellgren, Swedish writer (Guldkedjan), dies at 40
• 1950 - Albert Ehrenstein, Austria writer (Strum), dies at 63
• 1950 - Vaslav Fromich Nijinsky, Ukrainian ballet dancer, dies in London
• 1957 - Frank Chester, cricketer (distinguished 1-armed Engl Test ump), dies
• 1959 - Gustave Charlier, Belgian literature historian, dies
• 1963 - Len Tuckett, cricketer (no runs no wkts in 1 Test for S A), dies
• 1965 - Erik A Blomberg, Swedish art historian/poet/author, dies at 70
• 1965 - Jack Durston, cricketer (one Test for England, 4-102 & 1-34), dies
• 1965 - Lars Hanson, Swedish actor (Flesh & Devil), dies after illness at 78
• 1966 - George Creten, Belgian sculptor/painter, dies at 79
• 1969 - Arthur Walter Kramer, composer, dies at 78
• 1969 - Denton Cooley, got 1st fully artificial heart, dies at 48
• 1970 - Marie V Felix, Prince of Luxemburg, dies
• 1973 - Pablo (Ruiz y) Picasso, Spanish/French painter (Guernica), dies at 91
• 1976 - Phil Ochs, rock producer (Joe Hill), dies at 35
• 1977 - Frank Milan, actor (Witness), dies at 71
• 1978 - Ford C Frick, baseball commissioner, dies at 83
• 1981 - Norman Taurog, dies
• 1981 - Omar Bradley, last US 5-star general, (Normandy) dies in NY at 88
• 1987 - Francis C Denebrink, US Naval officer (WW I, WW II, Korea) dies at 90
• 1990 - Doreen Sloane, dies
• 1990 - Jose De Vega, dies of AIDS at 56
• 1990 - Ryan White, hemophiliac aids sufferer, dies at 18
• 1992 - Nelson Olmstead, dies at 78
• 1993 - Arleen Whelan, dies of stroke at 78
• 1993 - H Earnest, bishop of Breda, dies
• 1993 - Marian Anderson, US contralto (My Lord, What a Morning), dies at 96
• 1994 - Frank Wells, president (Disney), dies in helicopter crash
• 1994 - Irene Eisinger, singer, dies at 91
• 1994 - Kurt Donald Cobain, musician, dies at 27
• 1994 - Walter Arnold, Germ theologist (World council of Churches), dies at 64
• 1995 - Maurice Allom, cricketer (14 Test wickets-NZ debut hat-trick), dies
• 1996 - Basil Hembry, farmer/campaigner, dies at 80
• 1996 - Ben Johnson, cowboy actor (Tex, Dillinger), dies of heart attack at 77
• 1996 - Charles Donald Adams, singer, dies at 67
• 1997 - Laura Nyro, singer, dies of ovarian cancer at 49