• 1671 - Abraham Patras, governor-general of East-Indies (1735-37)
• 1722 - Johannes Schmidlin, composer
• 1759 - Gervais-Fran‡ois Couperin, composer
• 1780 - Jan Emmanuel Dulezalek, composer
• 1783 - Thomas Forbes Walmisley, composer
• 1804 - John William (Turk) Livingston, Commander (Union Navy), died in 1885
• 1808 - G de Nerval, writer
• 1813 - Richard Wagner, Leipsig Germany, composer (Ring, Flying Dutchman)
• 1820 - Alexander Ernst Fesca, composer
• 1821 - Alfred Sully, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1879
• 1826 - George Parr, cricketer (legendary Notts batsman, 1st Eng touring capt)
• 1828 - Albrecht Gr„fe, pioneer eye surgeon; founded modern ophthalmology
• 1844 - Mary Cassatt, US, Impressionist painter (Woman Bathing)
• 1850 - Johann Schrammel, composer
• 1852 - Emile Sauret, composer
• 1859 - Arthur Conan Doyle, UK, author brought Sherlock Holmes to life twice
• 1862 - August Cuppens, Flemish author/pastor
• 1865 - Enrique Morera, composer
• 1874 - Daniel F Malan, premier of South-Africa (1948-54)
• 1874 - Francesco Paolo Neglia, composer
• 1879 - Eastwood Lane, composer
• 1879 - Hendrik Heyman, Belgian minister of N˜verheid/mayor
• 1879 - Jean Emile Paul Cras, composer
• 1879 - Warwick Armstrong, cricketer (Big Ship Great Aussie skipper 1920-21)
• 1884 - Alceo Toni, composer
• 1885 - Julio Fonseca, composer
• 1891 - J R Becher, writer
• 1891 - Robert Gordon Sproul, educator/college pres (Univ of Calif)
• 1892 - Louis van Tulder, Dutch tenor (From Office Stool to High C)
• 1895 - Jiddu Krishnamurti, India, philosopher (Songs of Life) [OS=May 12]
• 1897 - Robert Neumann, Austrian/British author (Waters of Babylon)
• 1898 - Ren‚ de Vos, Dutch actor/composer (Jij Bent Mijn Leven)
• 1902 - Al Simmons, Milwaukee, outfielder (A's)/lifetime batting avg of .334
• 1904 - Anne de Vries, writer (Bartje)
• 1906 - Harry Ritz, US comic (Ritz Brothers-Silent Movie)
• 1907 - Herg‚, [Georges R‚mi], Belgian cartoonist (Kuifje)
• 1907 - Laurence Olivier, England, actor (Rebecca, Hamlet, Jazz Singer)
• 1910 - Johnny Olson, TV announcer (Price is Right)
• 1911 - Anatol Rapoport, Russ/US mathem/biologist (game theory)
• 1912 - Hendrik Koekoek, Dutch MP (Farmers Party)
• 1913 - Andrea C Bensddorp, Dutch/South African actress (Commensaal)
• 1913 - Carlyle Blackwell Jr, CA, actor (Docks of NY)
• 1914 - Vance Packard, Granville Summit Pa, author (Hidden Persuaders)
• 1916 - Gordon Binkerd, composer
• 1917 - Jean-Louis Laffitte Curtis, novelist
• 1918 - David Land, impressario
• 1919 - Paul Vanden Boeynants, premier Belgium (1966-68, 1978-79)
• 1920 - Hugh Armstrong Clegg, industrial relations academic
• 1920 - Thomas Gold, astronomer (proposed steady-state theory of universe)
• 1922 - Judith Crist, NY, movie critic (TV Guide)
• 1924 - Charles Aznavour, Armenia, French singer (Monsieur Carnavel, Tin Drum)
• 1924 - Claude Andre Francois Ballif, composer
• 1924 - Helen Wedemeyer, Hilo Hawaii, actress (Hawaii Five-O)
• 1925 - Jean Tinguely, Swiss sculptor artist (movement objects)
• 1927 - Eric Petrie, cricketer (NZ wicketkeeper of the late 1950's)
• 1927 - Michael Constantine, Penn, actor (Room 222, Don't Drink the Water)
• 1928 - Roscoe Robinson, US gospel singer
• 1928 - T Boone Pickens, CEO (Shamrock, Mesa Petroleum Co)
• 1929 - Asher Ben-Yohanan, composer
• 1930 - Dieuwke Y W de Graaff-Nauta, Dutch undersecretary of the Interior
• 1931 - Kenny Ball, rocker
• 1933 - John Browning, Denver Colorado, pianist (Leventritt Award-1956)
• 1934 - Peter Nero, NYC, conductor/pianist (A Sunday in NY)
• 1938 - Frank Converse, actor (It's About Time, Dr Cook's Garden, Movin' On)
• 1938 - Richard Benjamin, NYC, director/actor (Goodbye Columbus, He & She)
• 1938 - Susan Strasberg, NYC, actress (In Praise of Older Women, Manitou)
• 1940 - Bernard Shaw, news correspondant (CBS, CNN)
• 1940 - Erapalli Prasanna, cricketer (one of India's big four spinners)
• 1940 - Michael Sarrazin, actor (Seduction, They Shoot Horses Don't They)
• 1941 - Paul Winfield, LA, actor (Star Trek II, Huckleberry Finn, Mars Attack)
• 1941 - Sebastian Forbes, composer
• 1942 - Barbara Parkins, Vancouver BC, actress (Betty-Peyton Place, Asylum)
• 1942 - Calvin Simon, US rock vocalist (Funkadelic-1 Nation Under a Groove)
• 1942 - Malika A Sabirova, Russian dancer
• 1942 - Pallo Jordan, South African ANC member/heads (Radio Freedom)
• 1943 - Tommy John, pitcher (Yankee/Dodger)
• 1948 - Richard Baker, (Rep-R-Louisiana)
• 1950 - Bernie Taupin, lyricist (writes with Elton John)
• 1952 - Jan Todd, woman power lifter, once lifted 248 kg in a squat
• 1952 - R W Eaks, Colorado Springs CO, Nike golfer (1990 Quicksilver Open)
• 1953 - John Edward Stevens, NYC, bank robber (FBI Most Wanted List)
• 1954 - Jerry Dammers, keyboardist (Specials-Special)
• 1955 - Iva Davies, rock guitarist/vocalist (Icehouse)
• 1955 - Sam Coppersmith, (Rep-D-Arizona)
• 1956 - Douglas Heyes Jr, LA Calif, actor (Captains & Kings, Aspen)
• 1959 - Ed Fry, actor (Larry-As the World Turns, Adam Cory-Another World)
• 1959 - Morrissey, British rock vocalist (Everyday is Like Sunday)
• 1959 - [Patrick] Morrissey, rocker (Depeche Mode-Somebody)
• 1961 - Dana Williams, Dayton Ohio, singer (Diamond Rio-Meet in the Middle)
• 1962 - Andrew Donald Magee, Paris France, PGA golfer (1988 Pensacola Open)
• 1964 - David Lidberg, jockey
• 1966 - Donald Royal, NBA forward (Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic)
• 1966 - Jose Mesa, Azua Dom Rep, pitcher (Cleveland Indians)
• 1968 - Alan Levine, Park Ridge IL, pitcher (Chic White Sox)
• 1968 - Brent Geiberger, Santa Barbara CA, Nike golfer (1994 Queen Mary-2nd)
• 1968 - Carmie Vairo, Vancouver BC, softball infielder (Olympics-96)
• 1968 - Mike Harbold, Oakland Calif, sprint kayak (Olympics-96)
• 1968 - Randy Brown, NBA guard (Chicago Bulls)
• 1969 - Tim Wiley, Lexington Mass, kayak (alt-Olympics-96)
• 1969 - Vaughn Eshelman, Philadelphia PA, pitcher (Boston Red Sox)
• 1970 - Clyde Johnson, cornerback (KC Chiefs)
• 1970 - Eric Wunderlich, US, 200m breaststroke (Olympics-7th-96)
• 1970 - Marcus Dowdell, NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Arizona Cardinals)
• 1970 - Naomi Campbell, London England, model/actress (Cool as Ice, Unzipped)
• 1971 - Corey Croom, NFL running back (NE Patriots)
• 1971 - Troy Barnhart, Hanford CA, water polo 2m offense (Olympics-96)
• 1972 - Alison Eastwood, daughter of actor Clint/actress (Tightrope)
• 1972 - Mike Hollis, NFL kicker (Jacksonville Jaguars)
• 1972 - Rich Owens, NFL defensive end (Washington Redskins)
• 1973 - Aaron Graham, corner (Arizona Cardinals)
• 1973 - Daniel Tiatto, Australian soccer midfielder (Olyroos, Olympics-96)
• 1973 - Julian Tavarez, Santiago Dom Rep, pitcher (Cleveland Indians)
• 1973 - Leslie Ratliffe, WLAF offensive tackle (Rhein Fire)
• 1974 - Greg Jones, linebacker (Washington Redskins)
• 1975 - Cole Hauser, Santa Barbara CA, actor (Randy-High Incident)[or Mar 22]
• 1975 - Jaane Niinimaa, Raahe FIN, NHL defenseman (Finland Oly-br-98, Flyers)
• 1976 - Christian Vande Velde, Chicago Ill, cyclist (Olympics-96)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 0337 - Constantine the Great, emperor of Rome (306-37)/anti semite, dies
• 0987 - Louis V le Faineant, the Lazy, king of France (986-87), poisoned at 20
• 1501 - Robert Gaguin, French writer/diplomat (Arte Metrificandi), dies at 66
• 1540 - Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian/pres of Romagna, dies at 57
• 1667 - Alexander VII, [Fabio Chigi], Italian Pope (1655-67), dies at 68
• 1688 - Johann A Quenstedt, German Lutherian theologist, dies at 70
• 1781 - Garret Wesley Mornington, composer, dies at 45
• 1801 - Heinrich Gottfried Reichard, composer, dies at 58
• 1819 - John H van Kinsbergen, lt-admiral/founder (Corps Marines), dies at 84
• 1825 - Domenico Corri, composer, dies at 80
• 1859 - Ferdinand II, [Re Bomba], Dutch King of Sicily, dies at 49
• 1868 - Julius Plcker, German mathematician/physicist (formula of P), dies
• 1878 - Franz von Holstein, composer, dies at 52
• 1880 - Heinrich WA Freiherr von Gagern, German liberal politician, dies at 80
• 1885 - Victor(-Marie) Hugo, French writer (Les Mis‚rables), dies at 83
• 1898 - Edward Bellamy, writer, dies at 48
• 1910 - Jules Renard, French writer (Le plaisir the rompre), dies at 46
• 1921 - Marie E Wilton, writer, dies
• 1925 - John [Denton Pinkstone] French, Brit field marshall (WWI), dies at 72
• 1928 - William HT Gairdner, Engl missionary (Nile Mission Press), dies at 54
• 1932 - Lady Augusta, [Isabella Gregory], playwright (Gold Apple), dies at 80
• 1939 - Ernst Toller, writer, dies at 45
• 1939 - Willem de M‚rode, poet (Precious Blood), dies at 51
• 1945 - Carel A Lion Cachet, lithographer/wood carver, dies
• 1948 - Claude McKaye, Jamaican/US author (Banjo, Home to Harlem), dies at 57
• 1949 - Hans Erich Pfitzner, Russian/German composer, dies at 80
• 1949 - Klaus H T Mann, German/US writer (Turning Point), dies
• 1953 - Vaclav Klicka, composer, dies at 70
• 1957 - Langston Hughes, poet laureate, dies
• 1958 - Magdalene Sz‚kely-Lulofs, author (Our Italian Employees), dies at 58
• 1961 - Joan Davis, actress (I Married Joan), dies of heart attack at 53
• 1965 - Bobby Watson, comedian (Hitler Gang, Boys Town), dies at 77
• 1965 - Heinrich Barth, Swiss philosopher (Das Sein in der Zeit), dies
• 1966 - Tom Goddard, cricketer (22 wkts in 8 Tests for England 1930-39), dies
• 1967 - Henry C Rmke, psychiatrist (Light of Man), dies at 74
• 1967 - J Langston Hughes, US author (Tambourines to Glory), dies at 65
• 1970 - Joseph W Krutch, US writer (Measure of Man), dies at 76
• 1972 - Margaret Rutherford, English actress (Murder Ahoy, VIP's), dies at 80
• 1975 - Torben Meyer, actor (Viking, Roberta, Sunny), dies at 90
• 1977 - Gijsbert van Hall, banker/mayor of Amsterdam (1957-67), dies at 73
• 1977 - Marius Monnikendam, Dutch choir composer, dies at 80
• 1978 - Bjarne Brustad, composer, dies at 83
• 1984 - John Marley, actor (Cat Ballou), dies at 77 following heart surgery
• 1986 - Martin Gabel, actor (Thief, Marnie), dies at 63
• 1987 - Mario Zafred, composer, dies at 65
• 1988 - Dennis Day, tenor/comedian (Jack Benny Show, Danny Boy), dies at 71
• 1988 - Giorgio Almirante, Italy, fascist (member of parliament), dies at 73
• 1990 - Max Wall, actor (Jabberwocky), dies
• 1990 - Rocky Graziano, boxer, dies at 71, of heart failure
• 1991 - Lino Brocka, director (Macho Dancer, Jaguar), dies in car crash at 51
• 1993 - Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Polish/US pianist (Carnegie Hall), dies at 100
• 1994 - Frederick Hemming McClintock, criminologist, dies at 68
• 1994 - Mitacq, [Michel Tacq], Belg comic strip artist (Beaver Patrol), dies
• 1995 - Robert Flemyng, actor (Kafka, Rebecca, Funny Face), dies at 83
• 1996 - Duncan Montgomery Stewart, academic, dies at 66
• 1996 - Rex Collings, writer/publisher, dies at 70