• 1454 - Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer (America)
• 1564 - David Fabricius, Essens Germany, astronomer (discoved variable star)
• 1568 - Aloysius "Luigi" van Gonzaga, Italian prince/jesuit/saint
• 1697 - Friederike C Neuber, German actress/author (Allerkostbarste Schatz)
• 1735 - August Bernhard Valentin Herbing, composer
• 1737 - Josef Myslivecek, composer
• 1753 - Jean-Baptiste Kl‚ber, French general/architect (Mainz, Fleurus)
• 1758 - Franz Joseph Gall, German/French physician (frenology)
• 1777 - Alexander Orlowski, Polish painter/cartoonist/graphic artist
• 1791 - George Hayward, US, surgeon, 1st to use ether
• 1810 - Jean-Georges Kastner, composer
• 1812 - Jakob Eduard Schmolzer, composer
• 1814 - Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine, national poet/painter/prof of Kiev [NS]
• 1824 - Leland Stanford, (Gov/Sen)/found Stanford U
• 1826 - Jean Joseph Bott, German violinist/composer
• 1839 - Felix Huston Robertson, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1928
• 1839 - Modest P Mussorgsky, Russian composer (Boris Godunov) [OS]
• 1848 - Martin Pierre Joseph Marsick, composer
• 1850 - Alexandre Luigini, composer
• 1859 - Richard Engl„nder, [Peter Altenberg], Austria, author (Lebensabend)
• 1865 - Margaret Murray Washington, wife of Booker T/head (NACW 1896..1918)
• 1874 - Johann Richard Ohlsson, composer
• 1875 - Martin Fallas Shaw, composer
• 1877 - Emil Abderhalden, Swiss physiologist/bio-chemist
• 1881 - Enver Pasja, Turkish general/politician
• 1881 - Ernest Bevin, British minister of Labour/Foreign affairs
• 1883 - Umberto Saba, writer
• 1885 - Ringgold "Ring" Lardner, baseball player
• 1887 - Phil Mead, cricketer (strong batsman for England pre- & post-WWI)
• 1890 - Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, Soviet foreign minister (UN)
• 1892 - David Garnett, England, novelist/editor (Lady into Fox)
• 1892 - Frank Puglia, Sicily Italy, actor (Black Orchid, Jungle Book)
• 1892 - Joseph Weinheber, Austria poet/writer (Adel und Untergang)
• 1892 - Vita Sackville-West, England, novelist/poet (The Land)
• 1893 - Edgar Scauflaire, Belgian muralist/decorator
• 1893 - Hans Munch, composer
• 1900 - Aimone duke of Spoleta/Aosta, Italian king of Croatia (1941-43)
• 1902 - Edward Durell Stone, US, architect (US Embassy, New Delhi)
• 1902 - Will Greer, Frankfort Ind, actor (Grandpa Walton-The Waltons)
• 1905 - F‚lix L V L J Labisse, French painter (libidoscaphes)
• 1905 - Grigori Kozintsev, Kiev Ukraine, director (Hamlet, King Lear)
• 1905 - Peter C Quennell, English biographer/critic (Byron in Italy)
• 1905 - Rex Warner, English poet/writer (Wild Goose Chase)
• 1907 - Henry Leland Clarke, composer
• 1908 - Luiz Cosme, composer
• 1910 - Ed[uard] Hoornik, Dutch writer/poet (Survivor)
• 1910 - Samuel Barber, West Chester Pa, composer (Pulitz, School for Scandal)
• 1911 - Ramon Campbell Batista, composer
• 1912 - Alan David Melville, polymath
• 1913 - Ger[ar]da Brautigam, journalist/Dutch 2nd Chamber (PvdA)
• 1914 - Fred Clark, Lincoln Calif, actor (Burns & Allen, Auntie Mame, Hazard)
• 1915 - Pete Gray, one-armed outfielder (St Louis Browns)
• 1917 - Dante B Fascell, (Rep-D-FL, 1955- )
• 1918 - Marguerite Chapman, Chatham NY, actress (Spy Smasher, Flight to Mars)
• 1918 - Mickey Spillane, [Frank], Brooklyn NY, mystery writer (I the Jury)
• 1920 - Carl Betz, Pitts, actor (Alex Stone-Donna Reed Show)
• 1922 - Herbert P Douglas Jr, Pitts, long jumper (Olympic-bronze-1948)
• 1923 - Andr‚ Courr‚ges, France, fashion designer (introed the miniskirt)
• 1923 - James Buckley, (Sen-R-NY)
• 1924 - Konstantin Iliev, composer
• 1926 - Celso Garrido Lecca, composer
• 1926 - Gerrit A Kooy, Dutch sociologist (Apartheid & work in South Africa)
• 1926 - Irene Papas, Corinth Greece, actress (Moses The Lawgiver)
• 1927 - Hans Ludwig Schilling, composer
• 1927 - Jack Jensen, baseball player (AL MVP 1958)
• 1927 - John Beckwith, composer
• 1929 - Hugh Desmond Hoyte, president (Guyana, 1985-92)
• 1929 - Marie Cardinal, writer
• 1930 - Harrie J B Aarts, Dutch 2nd chamber member (CDA)
• 1930 - Thomas Schippers, Kalamazoo Mich, conductor (Amahl & Night Visitors)
• 1931 - Taina Elg, Helsinki Finland, actress (Hercules in NY, Les Girls)
• 1932 - Heere Heeresma, Dutch writer (Han de Wit goes in development aid)
• 1933 - Lloyd Price, Kenner La, singer (Just Because)
• 1933 - William Francis McBeth, composer
• 1934 - Joyce Van Patten, Queens NY, actress (Good Guys, Don Rickles Show)
• 1934 - Yuri Gagarin, Russia, cosmonaut, 1st man into space (aboard Vostok 1)
• 1935 - Keely Smith, Norfolk Va, singer (Mrs Louie Prima)
• 1935 - Sister Bernard Ncube, South African nun
• 1936 - Marty Ingels, Bkln NY, comedian (I'm Dickens He's Fenster)
• 1936 - Mickey Gilley, Ferriday La, country singer (Urban Cowboy)
• 1936 - [Aino] Elina Salo, Sipoo Finland, actress (Hamlet Goes Business)
• 1937 - Grahame Chevalier, cricketer (one Test for S Afr 1970, 0 & 0*, 5-100)
• 1938 - Charles Siebert, Kenosha Wisc, actor (One Day at A Time, Trapper John)
• 1940 - Raul Julia, PR, actor (Addams Family, Kiss of the Spider Woman)
• 1941 - Ger van Each, sculptor
• 1941 - Jim Colbert, Elizabeth NJ, PGA golfer (1969 Monsanto Open)
• 1941 - Trish Van Devere, [Patricia Dressel], Tenafly NJ, actress (Changeling)
• 1942 - Bert Campaneris, shortstop (Oakland A's)
• 1942 - John Cale, Welsh/US bassist/altviolist/singer (Velvet Underground)
• 1942 - Mark Lindsay, Eugene Or, rock vocalist/sax (Paul Revers & Raiders)
• 1943 - Bobby Fischer, US, world chess champion (1972-75)
• 1944 - Geoff Arnold, cricketer (England medium-pacer in 34 Tests 1967-75)
• 1944 - Lee Irvine, cricketer (South African batsman, only Tests in 1970)
• 1944 - Trevor Burton, rocker (Move)
• 1945 - Laura Lee, [Rundless], singer (Dirty Man, Women's Love Rights)
• 1945 - Ray Royer, rocker (Procol Harum-Whiter Shade of Pale)
• 1945 - Robin Trower, London, guitarist (Procol Harum-Whiter Shade of Pale)
• 1946 - Gherman Semyonovich Arzamazov, Russian cosmonaut (backup TM-6)
• 1948 - Jamie Lyn Bauer, Phoenix Az, actr (Young & Restless, Centerfold Girls)
• 1948 - Jeffrey Osborne, Providence RI, rock vocalist (On the Wings of Love)
• 1948 - Jimmy Fadden, Long Beach Calif, singer (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
• 1949 - Kalevi Aho, composer
• 1950 - Danny Sullivan, Indy-car racer (over 10 wins)
• 1952 - Iuliana Semenova, USSR, basketball (Olympic-gold-1976)
• 1952 - William Kirby Cullen, Santa Ana Calif, actor (How the West Was Won)
• 1953 - Henri‰tte J Toll, actress (Soldier of Orange)
• 1954 - Charmain Elaine Sylvers, rocker
• 1954 - Keven Wade, Chappaqua NY, screen writer (Working Girls)
• 1955 - Fernando Bujones, Miami Fla, ballet dancer
• 1955 - Ornella Muti, Rome Italy, actress (Flash Gordon, Most Beautiful Wife)
• 1955 - Teo Fabi, formula-1 Indy-car racer (rookie of year-1983)
• 1957 - Faith Daniels, news anchor (CBS-TV)
• 1957 - Jeff Senior, Melbourne VIC, Australasia golfer
• 1957 - Jon Engen, Oslo Norway, US biathelete (Olympics-1994)
• 1958 - Martin Fry, rock vocalist (ABC-All of My Heart)
• 1959 - Barbie, doll (Mattel)
• 1959 - Kato [Brian] Kaelin, actor (Beach Fever)/OJ roommate/witness
• 1959 - Lonny Price, NYC, actor (Muppets Take Manhattan)
• 1960 - Linda Fiorentino, Phila, actress (Jade, Last Seduction, Moderns)
• 1960 - Mike Leach, Minneapolis Minn, tennis star
• 1962 - Brian Green, Columbus Indiana, actor (Sam Fowler-Another World)
• 1963 - Kent Ferguson, Cedar Rapids Iowa, diver (Olympics-92, 96)
• 1963 - Terry Mulholland, Uniontown PA, pitcher (Phila Phillies)
• 1964 - Phil Housley, St Paul MN, NHL defenseman (NJ Devils, Team USA Oly-98)
• 1965 - Benito Santiago, Ponce Puerto Rico, catcher (Phila Phillies)
• 1965 - Brian Bosworth, NFL quarterback (Seattle)
• 1966 - Juliette Binoche, Paris France, actress (Unbearable Lightness)
• 1966 - Louis Oliver, NFL safety (Miami Dolphins)
• 1967 - Curt Schreiner, Albany NY, biathelete (Olympics-1994)
• 1967 - Eric Flaim, Pembroke Mass, short track skater (Olympics-1994)
• 1967 - Michael Kiselak, CFL corner (Toronto Argonauts)
• 1969 - Bryce Burnett, NFL/WLAF tight end (Broncos, Barcelona Dragons)
• 1969 - George Nimako, CFL safety (Toronto Argonauts)
• 1969 - Mahmoud Abdul Rauf, NBA guard (Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets)
• 1970 - Melissa Rathburn-Nealy, US soldier (Iraqi POW)
• 1971 - Bev Oden, Millington Tenn, volleyball middle blocker (Olympics-96)
• 1971 - Emmanuel Lewis, Bkln NY, actor (Webster)
• 1971 - Jiro Nihei, hockey goaltender (Team Japan 1998)
• 1971 - Lou Benfatti, NFL defensive tackle (NY Jets)
• 1971 - Sean Holcomb, NFL linebacker (NE Patriots)
• 1972 - Marcia M Griffith, Washington DC, Miss America-Maryland (1996)
• 1972 - Sara Nicole Williams, Miss USA-Washington (1997)
• 1973 - David Prinosil, Olmutz Czech, tennis star (1995 ATP Newport)
• 1973 - Josh LaRocca, WLAF QB (Rhein Fire)
• 1973 - Troy Bailey, WLAF DE (Scotland Claymores)
• 1974 - Mark Harrity, cricketer (promising South Aust left-arm fast bowler)
• 1975 - Adonal Foyle, NBA center (SF Warriors)
• 1975 - Roy Makaay, Dutch soccer player (Vitesse)
• 1977 - Radek Dvorak, Tabor Cze, NHL left wing (Florida Panthers)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 1566 - David Riccio, Italian singer/secretary of Mary Stuart, murdered
• 1620 - Aegidius Albertinus, German writer (Lucifer's Kingdom), dies at 59
• 1661 - Jules "Cardinal" Mazarin, chief minister of France, dies at 58
• 1688 - Claude Mellan, French engraver/cartoonist/painter, dies at 89
• 1693 - Antonio Caraffa, Italian general (Eperieser Bloedgericht), dies at 46?
• 1706 - Johann Pachelbel, German organist/composer, dies at 52
• 1747 - Jacob Campo Weyerman, S Neth adventurer/painter/writer, dies at 69
• 1800 - Dominique Della-Maria, composer, dies at 30
• 1819 - Janos Fusz, composer, dies at 41
• 1824 - Jacobus J Cramer, priest of Holland/Zealand/Friesland, dies at 79
• 1827 - Franz Xaver Gerl, composer, dies at 62
• 1831 - Friedrich M Klinger, German (stage)author (Plimplamplasko), dies at 79
• 1870 - Theodore Labarre, composer, dies at 65
• 1877 - Mark Prager Lindo, English/Dutch author (Neth Spectator), dies at 58
• 1895 - Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian writer (Masochism), dies at 59
• 1913 - Eberhard Nestle, German biblical scholar, dies at 61
• 1916 - Ken Hutchings, cricketer (exciting England batsman, WW I), dies
• 1918 - [Benjamin] Franc[lin] Wedekind, German writer/press sec, dies at 53
• 1931 - Ida B Wells-Barnett, famous black, dies in Chicago at 78
• 1938 - Sydney Baynes, composer, dies at 59
• 1941 - Carlos Pedrell, composer, dies at 62
• 1943 - Oskar Hˆks, Czech marathon runner/antifascist, dies in Auschwitz
• 1947 - Stanley Jackson, cricketer (20 Tests for England 1893-1905), dies
• 1955 - Matthew A Henson, met Peary on 6/4/1909 at North Pole, dies at 88
• 1962 - Howard Engstrom, Boston, a designer of Univac computer, dies at 59
• 1964 - Johanna W "Mina" Bakker, Dutch actress (Boefje), dies at 87
• 1964 - Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, Prussian general/politician, dies at 93
• 1965 - Anthon van der Horst, Dutch organist/composer, dies at 65
• 1965 - Kazys Boruta, writer, dies
• 1969 - Riad, chief of staff (Egyptian army), dies
• 1969 - Richard Crane, actor (Surfside 6), dies at 50
• 1971 - Jean-Pierre Guezek, composer, dies at 36
• 1974 - Earl W Sutherland Jr, US pharmacologist (Nobel 1971), dies at 58
• 1975 - Joseph Dunninger, NYC, mentalist (Amazing Dunninger), dies at 82
• 1975 - Shirley Ross, actress (Night Vision, Mindkiller), dies at 62
• 1979 - Barbara Mullen, actress (Talk of a Million), dies at 64
• 1980 - Olga Chekova, actress (Moulin Rouge, Pawns of Possession), dies at 82
• 1981 - Max Delbrck, German/US biologist (Nobel 1969), dies at 74
• 1982 - Alan Badel, actor (Shogun), dies of a heart attack at 58
• 1982 - Rex Marshall, TV announcer (Circuit Rider, Herman Hickman Show), dies
• 1982 - Richard A Butler, England, min of Finance, dies at 79
• 1983 - Faye Emerson, actress (I've Got a Secret), dies of cancer at 65
• 1986 - Ned Calmer, TV host (In the First Person), dies at 78
• 1988 - Kurt Georg Kiesinger, West German chancellor (1966-69), dies at 83
• 1989 - Robert Mapplethorpe, US photographer, dies at 42
• 1992 - Felipe Turich, actor (Lawless), dies
• 1992 - Jack McEdward, asst dir (Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell), dies at 94
• 1992 - James Brooks, US mural painter (Flight, La Guardia NY), dies at 85
• 1992 - Menachem W Begin, PM Israel (1977-80, 81-83, Nobel 1979), dies at 85
• 1993 - Ad van Gessel, Dutch actor (Everything For Our Soldiers), dies
• 1993 - Bob Crosby, swing-era bandleader (Bobcats), dies of cancer at 79
• 1994 - Charles Bukowski, author/poet, dies of leukemia at 73
• 1994 - Fernando Rey, Spanish actor (French Connection), dies of cancer at 76
• 1994 - John Harrison, South African correspondent (BBC), dies at 48
• 1994 - Lawrence E Spivak, journalist (Meet the Press), dies at 93
• 1994 - Louis Freeman, band leader, dies at 100
• 1994 - Maurice "Moe" Purtill, jazz drummer, dies at 77
• 1995 - Ian Ballantine, publisher, dies of heart attack at 79
• 1995 - Ruud van den Hende, Dutch sports reporter, dies at 63
• 1996 - Alan Hugh Iliffe, psychologist, dies at 77
• 1996 - Elman Ali Ahmed, peace campaigner, dies at 42
• 1996 - Peter Mansfield, writer, dies at 67
• 1997 - Notorius B I G, [Biggie Small, Chris Walkin], rapper, shot dead at 24
• 1997 - Terry Nation, writer (Dr Who, Blake 7) at 66