• 1494 - Fran‡ois I of Valois-Angoulˆme, king of France (1515-47)
• 1559 - Lodovico Cardi da Cigoli, Italian painter/architect
• 1575 - Henry Hudson, England, navigator/explorer (Hudson River)
• 1655 - Sebastien de Brossard, composer
• 1659 - Ferdinand W, prince of W�rttemberg-Neustadt/gen Dutch infantry
• 1720 - Frederick Philipse III, NYC, land owner (Bronx, Westchester & Putnam)
• 1761 - Georg Friedrich Theodor Wolf, composer
• 1768 - Bemnjamin Carr, composer
• 1788 - Alexander Campbell, Irish/US founder (Disciples of Christ)
• 1801 - Giuseppe Concone, Italian singing-teacher
• 1803 - Frantisek Matej Hilmar, composer
• 1806 - Andrew Hull Foote, Rear Admiral (Union Navy), died in 1863
• 1811 - James Hall, US geologist (Natural history of NY)
• 1818 - Richard Jordan Gatling, US, inventor (hand-cranked machine gun)
• 1829 - Anselm Feuerbach, German painter
• 1829 - Charles Dudley Warner, Mass, newspaperman/author (Being a Boy)
• 1830 - William Sprague, governor of Rhode Island (1859-63)
• 1852 - Hubert H Asquith, premier Great Britain (L, 1908-16)
• 1856 - Johann Heinrich Beck, composer
• 1857 - George H Breitner, Dutch impressionist painter/water colors painter
• 1858 - Fernand Khnopff, Belgian painter/sculptor
• 1871 - Friedrich, Prince of Liechtenstein, Romania
• 1873 - Sul-To-Wan, [Nellie Conley], US actress (Uncle Tom's Cabin)
• 1876 - Flor Alpaerts, Flemish composer (Tyl Uilenspiegel, Pallieter)
• 1877 - Maria "Marie" Hens, Flemish actress (Jane Eyre)
• 1879 - Fausto Agnelli, Swiss painter
• 1879 - H de Bie, Dutch lawyer (children's law)
• 1880 - Henry L Mencken, Baltimore, Md, newspaperman/critic (Prejudices)
• 1881 - Daniel Jones, England phoneticist (English pronouncing dictionary)
• 1887 - George Georgescu, composer
• 1888 - J¢szi J Ters nszky, Hungary, musician/writer (Youth of Marci Kakuk)
• 1888 - Maurice Chevalier, Paris, thanked heaven for little girls (Gigi)
• 1890 - Guido Guerrini, composer
• 1891 - Adolph Weiss, composer
• 1891 - Hans Albers, German actor (Die Nacht Geh”rt Uns)
• 1892 - Alfred A Knopf, US, publisher (1966 Alexander Hamilton Medal)
• 1894 - Billy Gilbert, Louisville Ky, (Great Dictator, His Gal Friday)
• 1895 - Alice Lake, Brooklyn NY, silent screen actress (Glamour, Wicked)
• 1896 - Giuseppe Zoppi, Swiss writer (Il Libro Dell'Alpe)
• 1897 - IrŠne Joliot-Curie, French physicist (neutron, Nobel 1935)
• 1898 - Ben Shahn, painter (1964 Arts & Letters)
• 1899 - Gerard Hordijk, Dutch architect/painter
• 1900 - Eric Harding Thiman, composer
• 1901 - Ben Blue, Montreal, actor (Accidental Family, Frank Sinatra Show)
• 1901 - Ernst Pepping, German composer
• 1902 - Juscelino Kubitschek, president Brazil (1955-60)
• 1902 - Margaret Hamilton, Ohio, wicked witch of the west (Wizard of Oz)
• 1904 - Gavril Nikolayevich Popov, composer
• 1905 - Boris Arapov, composer
• 1906 - Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, St Petersburg Russia, composer [OS]
• 1906 - Ruvim Pergament, composer
• 1907 - Joe Lederer, Austrian actress/writer (Drei Tage Liebe)
• 1909 - Chili Bouchier, British?, actress (Murder in Reverse)
• 1909 - Spud Chandler, baseball player (AL MVP 1943)
• 1913 - Ben[jamin S] Polak, Neth, physician/communist/resistance fighter
• 1913 - Jesse Owens, track star, spoiled Hitler's 1936 Olympics with 4 gold
• 1913 - Kenneth Lo, cookery writer/restaurateur
• 1915 - Billy Daniels, Jacksonville Fla, singer (Billy Daniels Show)
• 1917 - Christian Geel, Dutch poet/sculptor/artist
• 1917 - Seamas NacNeill, piper
• 1920 - Irene Dailey, NYC, actress (Liz-Another World, Grissom Gang)
• 1920 - Jan W Schulte Nordholt, Dutch poet/historian (Blossoming Stone)
• 1921 - Am¡lcar Cabral, worked for independence of Portuguese Africa
• 1921 - Frank McGee, Monroe La, news anchor (NBC Evening News)
• 1921 - Stanislaw Lem, Poland, sci-fi author (Solaris, Invincible)
• 1922 - Jackson Mac Low, composer
• 1922 - Viscount Allendale, English large landowner/multi-millionaire
• 1924 - Howard Curtis Nielson, (Rep-R-UT, 1983- )
• 1924 - Jean Le Poulain, Marseille, France, actor (Divine)
• 1925 - Dickie Moore, LA Calif, actor (Expert, Oliver Twist, Little Men)
• 1927 - Gianna Maria Canale, Reggio Calabria Italy, actress (Go For Broke)
• 1927 - Ina Muller-van Ast, Dutch MP (PvdA)
• 1929 - Harvey Lester Schmidt, composer
• 1930 - Larry Austin, composer
• 1931 - George Jones, Saratoga Tx, singer (Golden Rings, Oh Lonesome Me)
• 1931 - Ian Holm, Ilford Essex England, actor (Himmler-Holocaust)
• 1931 - Kristin Hunter, [Eggleston], US author (God Bless the Child)
• 1933 - Stafford Heginbotham, toymaker/Football Club Chairman
• 1934 - Gunther Gebel-Williams, lion tamer (Ringling Bros Circus)
• 1935 - Allan B Swift, (Rep-D-Washington, 1979- )
• 1935 - Richard H Hunt, Chicago, sculptor (Pyramidal Construction)
• 1937 - Daniela Rocca, Sicily, actress (Battle of Austerlitz, Empty Canvas)
• 1937 - Wesley Hall, West indian/British politician
• 1938 - Tatiana Troyanos, NYC, mezzo-soprano (Octavian-Der Rosenleavalier)
• 1939 - Henry A Waxman, (Rep-D-California, 1975-86)
• 1939 - Phillip Ramey, composer
• 1940 - Linda Gray, Santa Monica Calif, actress (Sue Ellen Ewing-Dallas)
• 1940 - Mickey Lolich, pitcher (Detroit Tiger, won 25 in 1971)
• 1940 - Roger K Crouch, Jamestown Tenn, astronauts (STS 83, 94)
• 1940 - Stephen J Solarz, (Rep-D-NY, 1975-93)
• 1940 - Susan Sennett, Santa Monica Calif, actress (Big Bad Mama)
• 1941 - Hans-Karsten Raecke, composer
• 1942 - Tom s Marco, Basque/Spanish composer
• 1943 - Maria Muldaur, Greenwich Village, NY, singer (Midnight at the Oasis)
• 1944 - Barry White, Galveston Tx, singer (Love's Theme)
• 1945 - John Mauceri, NYC, conductor (Wash DC Opera)
• 1945 - Maria Aitken, actress (Fish Called Wanda)
• 1945 - Vern M Lindblad, Seattle WA, Turkologist
• 1948 - Max Walker, Australian cricket player
• 1949 - Irina Rodnina, USSR, pairs figure skater (Olympic-gold-1972, 76, 80)
• 1949 - Mark Knopfler, English rock vocalist/guitarist (Dire Straits)
• 1949 - Tony Stevens, rocker
• 1950 - Cynthia Meyers, playmate (Dec 1968)/actress (Beyond Valley of Dolls)
• 1951 - Berty Ahern, Dublin Ireland, PM of Ireland (1997- )
• 1951 - Joe Pantoliano, Jersey City NJ, actor (Finelli Boys, Fugitive)
• 1952 - Gerry Beckley, rock vocalist/guitarist (America-Daisy Jane)
• 1952 - Neil Peart, Canada, pop drummer (Rush-A Farewell to Kings)
• 1953 - G‚ Reinders, Dutch singer/songwriter (Girls walk by)
• 1953 - John Williams, US, archer (Olympic-gold-1972)
• 1954 - Russell G. Alexander, creator of Today In History v1.2
• 1954 - Peter Scolari, New Rochelle NY, actor (Jerry-Newhart, Bosom Buddies)
• 1955 - Nina Blackwood, Mass, actress/VJ (MTV, Solid Gold, Vice Squad)
• 1956 - Brian Robertson, Glasgow Scotland, rock guitarist (Thin Lizzy)
• 1956 - Charles Henry Beck, Fayetteville NC, PGA golfer (1990 Buick Open 1992)
• 1957 - Hawk, [Michael Hegstrand], wrestler (ECW/WCW/WWF/AWA, Legion of Doom)
• 1957 - Rachel Ward, Cornwell Manor England, actress (Thorn Birds)
• 1958 - Gregg Edelman, Chicago IL, actor (Green Card)
• 1958 - Wilfredo Benitez, PR, boxer (world champ at 17y176d)
• 1959 - Cindy Rarick, Glenwood MN, LPGA golfer (1991 Northgate Computer)
• 1960 - Lynn Connelly, Washington DC, LPGA golfer (1988 USX Golf Classic-6th)
• 1961 - Mylene Farmer, Montreal Canada, french singer (Cendres de Lune)
• 1963 - Amy Yasbeck, Cincinnati, actress (Casey Davenport-Wings, Mask)
• 1965 - Silke H”rner, German DR, swimmer (world record 100m-breast stroke)
• 1965 - Vernon Maxwell, NBA guard (Charlotte Hornets)
• 1966 - Darren E Burrows, Kansas, actor (Ed Chigliak-Northern Exposure)
• 1967 - Pat Listach, Natchitoches LA, infielder (Milwaukee Brewers)
• 1967 - Rob Eiter, Chicago Ill, 105« lbs/48 kg freestyle wrestler (Oly-96)
• 1968 - Larry Laronde, US funk metal bassist (Primus-Frizzle Fry)
• 1970 - Rebecca Joyce, Australia, rower (Olympics-96)
• 1971 - Terry Dehere, NBA guard (Sacramento Kings)
• 1972 - Amy Locane, NJ, actress (Sandy Harling-Melrose Place)
• 1972 - Cady Cantrell, Lanett AL, playmate (Apr, 1992)
• 1975 - Tom Carroll, actor (J T Adams-Swan's Crossing)
• 1977 - James Louis McCartney, son of Paul & Linda McCartney
• 1981 - Jered Guzman, Garden Grove Calif, pairs skater (& Natalie Vlandis)

Famous deaths for this day ..

• 0352 - Maximinus van Trier, bishop of Trier/saint, dies
• 1012 - Guido van Anderlecht, Flemish pilgrim/saint, dies
• 1015 - Lambert I with the Beard, count of Leuven, dies in battle at about 65
• 1185 - Andronicus I Comnenus, Byzantine emperor (1183-85), lynched
• 1213 - Pedro II, [el Catolico], king of Aragon, dies in battle
• 1362 - Innocent VI, [Etienne Aubert], Pope (1352-62), dies
• 1500 - Albrecht III van Saxon-Meisen, duke of Saxon, dies at 57
• 1591 - Richard Grenville, vice-admiral (Roanoke) dies in battle at 49
• 1604 - Louis Gunther, earl of Nassau, dies in battle at about 29
• 1642 - Cinq Mars, French plotter, executed
• 1647 - Joos Banckert, Swiss admiral (Spanish silver fleet), dies at 48
• 1660 - Jacob Cats, [Father Cats], pension advisor of Holland, dies at 82
• 1661 - Jacobus de la Torra, RC apostole vicar of Holland, dies at about 53
• 1674 - Claes P "Nicolas" Tulip, mayor of Amsterdam, dies at 80
• 1683 - Afonso VI, mentally ill king of Portugal (1656-67), dies at 40
• 1691 - Johan Georg III, monarch of Saxon (1680-91), dies at 44
• 1732 - Eugene JP earl the Merode, Belgian marquis of Westerloo, dies at 58
• 1733 - Fran‡ois Couperin "Le Grand", French composer, dies at 64
• 1739 - Reinhard Keiser, Germ conductor/composer (Markus-Passion), dies at 65
• 1764 - Jean Philippe Rameau, French composer (Castor en Pollux), dies at 80
• 1789 - Franz Xaver Richter, composer, dies at 79
• 1806 - Christian Gottfried Thomas, composer, dies at 58
• 1807 - Edward Miller, composer, dies at 71
• 1812 - Pyotr I Bagration, Georgian/Russian ruler/general, dies in battle
• 1815 - Jose Mauricio, composer, dies at 63
• 1819 - Gebhard Leberecht F�rst von Bl�cher von Wahlstatt, General, dies at 76
• 1824 - Louis AG baron de Bacler d'Albe, French cartographer, dies at 62
• 1836 - Grabbe, writer, dies at 34
• 1871 - Karl Collan, composer, dies at 43
• 1877 - Julius Reitz, composer, dies at 64
• 1878 - Friedrich August von Alberti, geologist (Triasic Age), dies at 83
• 1879 - Peter Arnold Heise, composer, dies at 49
• 1894 - Rafael Nunez, Colombia, 3 times president (188?..94), dies at 68
• 1913 - Major R B Stewart, cricketer (scored 4 & 9 in S Afr's 1st Test), dies
• 1917 - Eric Lundie, cricketer (WWI Test S Africa v England 1914), dies
• 1919 - Leonid N Andrejev, Russ journalist/writer (Seven Hangs), dies at 48
• 1927 - Walther Amelung, German archaeologist, dies at 61
• 1934 - Catherine Kunstantino Breshkovsky, mother of Russian revolution, dies
• 1936 - Hermann Hirt, German linguist (Indo-European Grammar), dies at 70
• 1947 - Harry Rowe Shelley, composer, dies at 89
• 1953 - Frederick Kuys, cricketer (one Test S Africa v England 1898), dies
• 1953 - Lewis Stone, actor (Prisoner of Zenda), dies of heart attack at 73
• 1955 - Gustave Vanzype, Belgian literary (La Gazette), dies at 86
• 1963 - Ben Sealey, cricketer (one Test WI v England 1933), dies
• 1963 - Mervyn A Ellison, British astronomer (spectrohelioscope), dies at 63
• 1971 - Lin Piau, Chinese minister of Defense, dies at 63
• 1972 - William Boyd, cowboy (Hopalong Cassidy), dies at 77
• 1973 - Eduard Flipse, Dutch conductor/composer, dies at 77
• 1973 - Marjorie Post, US philanthropic/multi-millionaire ($200m), dies at 86
• 1977 - Robert Lowell, US poet/pacifist (Near the Ocean), dies at 60)
• 1977 - Steven Biko, S African black student leader, dies in police custody
• 1978 - Frank Ferguson, actor (Wagons West, Dynamite, My Gal Sal), dies at 69
• 1979 - Denis Smith, cricketer (England left-handed batsman 1935), dies
• 1980 - Lillian Randolph, actress (Roots, Amos n Andy), dies at 65
• 1982 - Kommer Kleijn, Dutch actor/director (Paul Vlaanderen), dies at 89
• 1986 - Frank Nelson, actor (Ralph-I Love Lucy, Jack Benny Show), dies at 75
• 1986 - Jacques-Henri Lartigue, French photographer, dies at 92
• 1987 - John Qualen, actor (Patch of Blue, Jungle Book), dies
• 1988 - Alan Bible, (Sen-D-Nev, 1954-74), dies at 78
• 1988 - Lauris Morstad, NATO commander/CEO Corning Fiberglass, dies at 71
• 1989 - Anton Lubowski, Namibian attorney/SWAPO, murdered at 37
• 1990 - Athene Seyler, actress (Make Mine Mink), dies at 101
• 1991 - ?, Japanese interpreter of Rushdies "Satanic Verses", murdered
• 1991 - Jacques Benoit, [JJM Bayer], poet, dies
• 1991 - Regis Toomey, actor (You're in the Army Now, Burke's Law), dies at 93
• 1992 - Anthony Perkins, actor (Psycho), dies from AIDs at 60
• 1992 - Ed Peck, actor (Zoot Suit, Bullitt), dies of heart attack at 75
• 1992 - Ruth Nelson, actress (Awakenings, 3 Women), dies at 87
• 1993 - Charles Lamont, actor/director (Abbott & Costello movies), dies at 95
• 1993 - Harold Innocent, actor (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), dies at 60
• 1993 - Herman Nieland, organist/pianist/composer, dies at 82
• 1993 - Raymond Burr, actor (Perry Mason), dies of liver cancer at 76
• 1994 - Boris B Yegorov, Russian doctor/cosmonaut (Voskhod I), dies at 56
• 1994 - Douglas MacKenzie Davey, psychometrist, dies at 72
• 1994 - Major Bill Smith, record producer, dies at 72
• 1994 - Tom Ewell, [S Yewell Tompkins], US actor (7 Year Itch), dies at 85
• 1995 - Geoffrey Stokes, rock & roll writer, dies at 55
• 1995 - Jeremy Brett, English actor (Sherlock Holmes), dies at 59
• 1995 - Jeremy William Huggins Brett (Moll Flanders), actor, dies at 59
• 1995 - John Stuart-Jervis, balloonist, dies
• 1995 - Lawrence Bernard "Larry" Gales, bassist, dies at 59
• 1996 - Ernesto Geisel, milt president of Brazil (1974-79), dies at 89
• 1996 - Geoffrey Bryan Bentley, moral theologian, dies at 87
• 1996 - George Patrick Reid, schoolkeeper, dies at 59
• 1996 - James Gulliver, businessman, dies at 66
• 1996 - Lloyd Turner, journalist, dies at 57
• 1996 - Oscar Michael Moore, journalist, dies at 36
• 1996 - Richard Maling Barrer, chemist, dies at 86
• 1997 - Janet Leach, potter, dies at 79
• 1997 - Judith Merril [Grossman], science fiction writer, dies at 74
• 1997 - Stikkan Stig Anderson, music entrepreneur (Polar), dies at 66