Thursday, 16th April 2026 in London

On this day, 218 notable people were born on 16th April — spanning from 1488 to 2002. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.

16/04/2002

Sadie Sink, American actress

Sadie Elizabeth Sink is an American actress. She began her career in theater, playing the title role in the musical Annie (2012–14) and young Elizabeth II in the historical play The Audience (2015) on Broadway. In 2016, she made her film debut in the biographical sports drama Chuck. Sink had her breakthrough portraying Max Mayfield in the Netflix science fiction horror drama television series Stranger Things (2017–2025), and received critical praise for her performance.

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16/04/1996

Anya Taylor-Joy, Argentine-British actress

Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy is an actress. Born in Miami, she grew up in Buenos Aires and London. She began pursuing an acting career at the age of 16. After a series of small television roles, her breakthrough came with a leading role in the horror film The Witch (2015). She had roles in the horror film Split (2016) and its sequel Glass (2019); Thoroughbreds (2017), a black comedy film; the television crime drama series Peaky Blinders (2019–2022). Taylor-Joy played Emma Woodhouse in the period drama Emma (2020).

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Taylor Townsend, American tennis player

Taylor Townsend is an American professional tennis player. She is a former WTA world No. 1 in doubles, achieved on July 28, 2025. Townsend has won two major doubles titles, at 2024 Wimbledon and at the 2025 Australian Open, both with Kateřina Siniaková. In addition, she has won 15 WTA Tour doubles titles.

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16/04/1993

Chance the Rapper, American rapper

Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. He gained widespread recognition with his second mixtape, Acid Rap (2013), which helped establish him as a leading figure in Chicago hip-hop and among independent artists.

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Mirai Nagasu, Japanese-American figure skater

Mirai Aileen Nagasu is an American former competitive figure skater. She is a 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist, three-time Four Continents medalist, the 2007 JGP Final champion, a two-time World Junior medalist, and a seven-time U.S. national medalist.

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16/04/1992

Brian Poe Llamanzares, Filipino journalist and politician

Brian Daniel Poe Llamanzares is a Filipino politician, businessman, journalist, and civic leader serving as the representative for the FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list in the House of Representatives of the Philippines since June 30, 2025. He concurrently serves as an Assistant House Majority Leader in the 20th Congress of the Philippines.

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16/04/1991

Nolan Arenado, American baseball player

Nolan James Arenado is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). Arenado is widely recognized as one of the best defensive third basemen of all time. He is the only infielder to win the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in each of his first ten MLB seasons. He made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies in 2013 and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2021 season. With the Cardinals, Arenado and teammate Paul Goldschmidt became a highly-regarded infield duo, each of them being named finalists for the National League MVP Award in 2022. In January 2026, he was traded for the second time in his career, joining the Diamondbacks.

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Kim Kyung-jung, South Korean footballer

Kim Kyung-Jung is a South Korean association football player who currently plays for Suwon Samsung Bluewings as a striker. He had represented the South Korea national under-20 football team and participated in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

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16/04/1990

Reggie Jackson, American basketball player

Reginald Shon Jackson, nicknamed Big Government and Mr. June, is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played three seasons for the Boston College Eagles before declaring for the 2011 NBA draft, where he was drafted 24th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jackson has also played for the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers. In 2023, Jackson won a championship with the Denver Nuggets.

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Vangelis Mantzaris, Greek basketball player

Evangelos "Vangelis" Mantzaris is a Greek professional basketball player and the team captain for Mykonos of the Greek Basketball League. He is a 1.96 m tall point guard. He has also represented the senior Greek national team in international competition.

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Tony McQuay, American sprinter

Tony McQuay is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 400 meters. He is a member of the 2012 and 2016 United States Olympic teams, winning a silver medal in the 4 × 400 m relay in 2012 and a gold in the same event in 2016. He is also a two time World Champion in this event.

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16/04/1988

Kyle Okposo, American ice hockey player

Kyle Henry Erovre Okposo is an American former professional ice hockey right winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Florida Panthers. He was drafted seventh overall by the Islanders in the 2006 NHL entry draft. Okposo won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024.

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16/04/1987

Cenk Akyol, Turkish basketball player

Cenk Akyol is a Turkish professional basketball coach and former player who played at the shooting guard position. He is assistant coach for Bahçeşehir Koleji of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).

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Aaron Lennon, English international footballer

Aaron Justin Lennon is an English former professional footballer who played as a right winger.

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16/04/1986

Shinji Okazaki, Japanese footballer

Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is best known for winning the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016. He is currently the manager of FC Basara Mainz.

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Peter Regin, Danish ice hockey player

Peter Regin Jensen is a Danish former professional ice hockey player. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the third round of the 2004 NHL entry draft and played his first five NHL seasons with the organization. Before his NHL career, he played professionally in Europe.

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Epke Zonderland, Dutch gymnast

Epke Jan Zonderland is a Dutch artistic gymnast and the 2012 Olympic gold medallist on high bar. He is a 4-time Olympian (2008–20) and has also taken 3 World Championships golds on high bar at the 2013, 2014 and 2018 World Championships, the first man to secure this feat on that apparatus. He is nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman.”

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16/04/1985

Luol Deng, Sudanese-English basketball player

Luol Ajou Deng is a South Sudanese-born British former professional basketball player. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. Born in South Sudan, then part of Sudan, Deng fled the country with his family as a child, eventually settling in the United Kingdom. He became a British citizen in 2006, and has played for the Great Britain national team.

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Nate Diaz, American mixed martial artist

Nathan Donald Diaz is an American mixed martial artist and professional boxer who is currently a free agent. Diaz is most known for his time spent fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought for over 15 years after winning The Ultimate Fighter 5. Prior to signing with the UFC, Diaz competed in World Extreme Cagefighting, Strikeforce, and Pancrase. Diaz has the third most UFC bonus awards, with 16 in total. In 2012 he challenged for the UFC Lightweight Championship.

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Brendon Leonard, New Zealand rugby player

Brendon Leonard is a New Zealand rugby union footballer.

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Katerina Stikoudi, Greek singer, actress, TV host, model, businesswoman, former champion swimmer and beauty pageant titleholder.

Aikaterini "Katerina" Stikoudi is a Greek singer, actress, TV host, model, businesswoman, former champion swimmer and beauty pageant titleholder. After first gaining fame in 2001 by finishing fifth in the national swimming championship as PAOK swimming athlete she pursued a career in modeling, television, cinema and theatre. In 2005 she won the title of Miss Hellas 2005, on National Annual Beauty Pageant of Greece, followed by her participation on Miss World 2005 representing Greece.

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Taye Taiwo, Nigerian footballer

Taye Ismaila Taiwo is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a left-back.

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16/04/1984

Teddy Blass, American composer and producer

Teddy Blass is an American film composer and record producer.

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Claire Foy, English actress

Claire Elizabeth Foy is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, for which she received various accolades such as a Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

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Tucker Fredricks, American speed skater

Tucker Daniel Fredricks is an American speed skater and the former US record holder in the 500 meter event. He competed at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Olympics.

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Paweł Kieszek, Polish footballer

Paweł Kieszek is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for I liga club Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki.

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Kerron Stewart, Jamaican sprinter

Kerron Stewart is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres and 200 metres. She is the 2008 Jamaican national champion in the 100 m clocking 10.80s. She defeated World Champion Veronica Campbell-Brown in the process and now is the 2008 Summer Olympics silver medalist after she tied with Sherone Simpson in a time of 10.98s. She also earned a bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics with a time of 22.00s. She was born in Kingston and retired after the 2018 season.

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16/04/1983

Marié Digby, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress

Marié Christina Digby is an American singer-songwriter best known for her acoustic cover version of Rihanna's "Umbrella", which was featured on the MTV show The Hills and peaked at #10 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

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Cat Osterman, American softball player

Catherine Leigh Osterman is an American former softball player and currently the general manager for the Texas Volts of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Osterman pitched on the United States women's national softball team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and silver medal at the 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics.

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16/04/1982

Gina Carano, American mixed martial artist and actress

Gina Joy Carano is an American actress and mixed martial artist. She competed in Elite Xtreme Combat and Strikeforce from 2006 to 2009, where she compiled a 7–1 record. Her popularity led to her being called the "face of women's MMA", although Carano rejected this title. She and Cris Cyborg were the first women to headline a major MMA event during their 2009 Strikeforce bout. Carano retired from competition after her first professional MMA defeat to Cyborg. She returned to compete in 2026, for a bout against Ronda Rousey.

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Boris Diaw, French basketball player

Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod, better known as Boris Diaw, is a French basketball executive and former player who is the president of Metropolitans 92 of LNB Pro A. Diaw began his playing career in Pro A and returned to that league after 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the power forward position. In 2006, Diaw was named the NBA's Most Improved Player as a member of the Phoenix Suns. He won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.

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Jonathan Vilma, American football player

Jonathan Polynice Vilma is an American color analyst and former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a linebacker and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

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16/04/1981

Anestis Agritis, Greek footballer

Anestis Agritis is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a forward.

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Maya Dunietz, Israeli singer-songwriter and pianist

Maya Dunietz, is an Israeli musician and artist, combining a solo career with collaborations with renowned musicians: Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Roscoe Mitchell, John Tilbury, Habiluim, and many others. Her works are exhibited in venues such as Centre Pompidou Paris, Athens Onassis Center, Frac Paca, CCA Tel Aviv and Bemis Center for Contemporary Art.

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Matthieu Proulx, Canadian football player

Matthieu Proulx is a former safety with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

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16/04/1979

Christijan Albers, Dutch racing driver

Christijan Albers is a Dutch former professional racing driver. After success in the DTM he drove in Formula One from 2005 until the 2007 British Grand Prix, shortly after which he was dropped by the Spyker F1 team. In 2008, he returned to the DTM series as a driver for the Audi Futurecom TME team. Albers acted as Team Principal and CEO of the Caterham F1 Team from July to September 2014 after it was acquired by new team owners. His estimated net-worth is $50 million.

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Lars Börgeling, German pole vaulter

Lars Börgeling is a German pole vaulter.

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Daniel Browne, New Zealand rugby player

Daniel Browne is currently playing club rugby for London Welsh in the Aviva Championship. He previously played for Bath, Northampton Saints and Leeds Carnegie in the English Premiership.

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16/04/1977

Freddie Ljungberg, Swedish footballer

Karl Fredrik Ljungberg is a Swedish professional football manager and former player who played as a winger. He was most recently an assistant coach, and interim head coach of Premier League club Arsenal.

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16/04/1976

Lukas Haas, American actor and musician

Lukas Daniel Haas is an American actor and musician. His acting career has spanned four decades, during which he has appeared in more than 50 feature films and a number of television shows and stage productions. His notable credits include the films Witness (1985), Lady in White (1988), Mars Attacks! (1996), Brick (2005), Inception (2010), The Revenant (2015), and First Man (2018).

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Kelli O'Hara, American actress and singer

Kelli Christine O'Hara is an American actress and singer, most known for her work on the Broadway and opera stages. She has received a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award as well as nominations for three Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was honored with the Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre in 2019.

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16/04/1973

Akon, Senegalese-American singer, rapper and songwriter

Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, known professionally as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, record producer, businessman and philanthropist. An influential figure in world music, he rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of his single "Locked Up". Styled in hip-hop, it preceded the release of his debut studio album Trouble (2004), which became his commercial breakthrough and spawned the R&B-styled follow-up, "Lonely", the following year.

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Charlotta Sörenstam, Swedish golfer

Petra Charlotta Sörenstam is a retired Swedish professional golfer. As an amateur competing for the Texas Longhorns, she won the NCAA Division I Championship individual title. As a professional, she won one tournament on the LPGA Tour and represented Europe in the Solheim Cup. Her elder sister by three years, Annika, is a Hall of Fame golfer.

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Teddy Cobeña, Spanish-Ecuadorian expressionist and representational sculptor

Teddy Cobeña Loor is a figurative expressionist sculptor with a surrealist component. He lives in Barcelona.

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16/04/1972

Conchita Martínez, Spanish-American tennis player

Inmaculada Concepción "Conchita" Martínez Bernat is a Spanish former professional tennis player and current coach. She was the first Spaniard to win the women's singles title at Wimbledon, doing so in 1994. Martínez also was the runner-up at the 1998 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open. She reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2 in October 1995, and was in the year-end top 10 for nine years. Martínez won 33 singles and 13 doubles titles during her 18-year career, as well as three Olympic medals. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2020.

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Tracy K. Smith, American poet and educator

Tracy K. Smith is an American poet and educator. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019. She has published five collections of poetry, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her 2011 collection Life on Mars. Her memoir, Ordinary Light, was published in 2015.

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16/04/1971

Cameron Blades, Australian rugby player

Cameron Blades is an Australian international former rugby union player who played at the loosehead prop position, but could also cover at tighthead prop and hooker. He played professionally for New South Wales Waratahs and Glasgow Warriors.

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Selena, American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer (died 1995)

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Queen of Tejano Music", she is known for her contributions to popular music and fashion, which made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market.

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Seigo Yamamoto, Japanese racing driver

Seigo Yamamoto , known as "Boss", is a Japanese drift driver.

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Natasha Zvereva, Belarusian tennis player

Natalya "Natasha" Maratovna Zvereva is a former professional tennis player from Belarus. She was the first major athlete in the Soviet Union to demand publicly that she should be able to keep her tournament earnings. Zvereva and her main doubles partner Gigi Fernández are the most successful women's doubles team since Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

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16/04/1970

Dero Goi, German singer-songwriter and drummer

Stephan Musiol, known professionally as Dero Goi, is a German musician, best known as the former lead vocalist, drummer and founding member of Neue Deutsche Härte band Oomph! from 1989 to 2021.

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Margreth Olin, Norwegian filmmaker

Margreth Olin Mykløen is a Norwegian film director, screenwriter, and film producer. She is educated at the University of Bergen and Volda University College. She is best known for her documentaries, in which she highlights the weak in society. She has received many national and international awards for her work.

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Walt Williams, American basketball player

Walter Ander "the Wizard" Williams is an American former professional basketball player. A sharpshooting 6'8" swingman, Williams played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins from 1988 to 1992, and has been credited for helping to revive the school's basketball program.

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16/04/1969

Patrik Järbyn, Swedish skier

Patrik Järbyn is a Swedish former World Cup alpine ski racer.

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Fernando Viña, American baseball player and sportscaster

Fernando Viña Spanish: [feɾˈnando ˈβiɲa]; born April 16, 1969) is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball second baseman and former MLB analyst for ESPN. His parents Andres and Olga emigrated from Cuba in 1968. From 1993 through 2005, Viña played for the Seattle Mariners (1993), New York Mets (1994), Milwaukee Brewers (1995-1999), St. Louis Cardinals (2000-2003), and Detroit Tigers (2004).

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16/04/1968

Vickie Guerrero, American wrestler and manager

Vickie Lynn Benson, better known as Vickie Guerrero, is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling personality, and manager. She is signed to WWE as an ambassador. She is also known for her tenure in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

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Rüdiger Stenzel, German runner

Rüdiger Stenzel is a former German middle distance runner who participated in several international championships in the 1990s.

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16/04/1966

Jarle Vespestad, Norwegian drummer

Jarle Vespestad is a Norwegian jazz musician (percussion), the younger brother of jazz musician Liz Tove Vespestad, and a central member of Tord Gustavsen's projects.

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16/04/1965

Yves-François Blanchet, Canadian politician

Yves-François Blanchet is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) and member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since 2019.

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Jon Cryer, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Jonathan Niven Cryer is an American actor. Born into a show business family, he made his film debut with a lead role in No Small Affair (1984); his breakout role was as Duckie in the John Hughes-written film Pretty in Pink (1986). Cryer then had lead roles in the films Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987) and Hiding Out (1987), starring roles in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) and Hot Shots! (1991), and the lead role of Teddy Zakalokis on the CBS sitcom The Famous Teddy Z (1989–1990).

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Martin Lawrence, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor and comedian. Lawrence began his career doing comedy shows, including in The Improv. After his first acting role in the sitcom What's Happening Now!! (1987–1988), Lawrence co-created and played the titular character of the Fox television sitcom Martin (1992-1997), which helped catapult him into larger film roles. His first major lead role on the big screen was playing Detective Sergeant Marcus Burnett in the buddy cop action comedy Bad Boys (1995), a role he reprised in three sequels.

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16/04/1964

Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish pianist (died 2008)

Bror Fredrik "Esbjörn" Svensson was a Swedish jazz pianist and founder of the jazz group Esbjörn Svensson Trio, commonly known as e.s.t.

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16/04/1963

Saleem Malik, Pakistani cricketer

Saleem Malik is a Pakistani former cricketer. He played for the Pakistan national cricket team between 1981/82 and 1999, at one stage captaining the team. He was a wristy, right-handed middle-order batsman who was strong square of the wicket. His off break bowling was also quite effective. Despite playing more than 100 Tests he would go down in cricket history as the first of a number of international cricketers to be banned for match fixing around the start of the 21st century. Saleem is the brother-in-law of former teammate Ijaz Ahmed. He was a part of the Pakistani squad which won the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

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Jimmy Osmond, American singer

James Arthur Osmond is an American singer and businessman. He is the youngest member of the sibling musical group the Osmonds. As a solo artist, Osmond has accumulated six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums. He is best known for the 1972 Christmas number one "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool".

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16/04/1962

Anna Dello Russo, Italian journalist

Anna Dello Russo is an Italian fashion journalist. She is a creative consultant and editor-at-large for Vogue Japan.

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16/04/1961

Jarbom Gamlin, Indian lawyer and politician, seventh Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (died 2014)

Jarbom Gamlin was an Indian politician and a leader of the Indian National Congress political party in Arunachal Pradesh and briefly served as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

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16/04/1960

Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician (died 2007)

Ustadz Wahab M. Akbar was a Filipino politician who served three terms as governor of Basilan, during which time he was known for his "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" policy for dealing with kidnappers and terrorists in the province. He was later elected as congressman for the lone district of Basilan in the House of Representatives, but was one of 4 people killed in a bomb attack at the Batasang Pambansa. Police publicly suspected the attack was directed at him by political opponents.

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Rafael Benítez, Spanish footballer and manager

Rafael Benítez Maudes is a Spanish professional football manager and former player.

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Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and manager

Pierre Michael Littbarski is a German professional football manager and former player of 1. FC Köln and the West Germany national team. Known for his dribbling abilities, he was mainly used as an attacking midfielder or winger. Littbarski was a FIFA World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990, and the runner-up in both 1982 and 1986. Littbarski was the caretaker manager of VfL Wolfsburg after taking over from Steve McClaren from 7 February to 17 March 2011.

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16/04/1959

Alison Ramsay, English-Scottish field hockey player and lawyer

Alison Gail Ramsay MBE is a former Scottish field hockey player, who was a member of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad that won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. She is one of the world's most capped women's hockey players, with over 250 appearances for Scotland and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and received the MBE.

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16/04/1958

Tim Flach, English photographer and director

Tim Flach is a British photographer who specialises in studio photography of animals. He has published several books of photographs.

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Ulf Wakenius, Swedish guitarist

Ulf Karl Erik Wakenius is a Swedish jazz guitarist, known as a member of Oscar Peterson's last quartet from 1997. He was also a member of the Ray Brown trio.

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16/04/1957

Patricia De Martelaere, Belgian philosopher, author, and academic (died 2009)

Patricia De Martelaere was a Flemish philosopher, professor, author and essayist. Born in Zottegem, Belgium, her full name was Patricia Marie Madeleine Godelieve. She graduated in philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven and then taught and lectured there and at the Catholic University of Brussels.

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16/04/1956

David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (died 2003)

David McDowell Brown was a United States Navy captain and NASA astronaut. He died on his first spaceflight, when the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) disintegrated during orbital reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. Brown became an astronaut in 1996 but had not served on a space mission prior to the Columbia disaster. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

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T Lavitz, American keyboard player, composer, and producer (died 2010)

Terry "T" Lavitz was an American keyboardist, composer, and producer. He is best known for his work with the Dixie Dregs and Jazz Is Dead.

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Lise-Marie Morerod, Swiss skier

Lise-Marie Morerod is a Swiss former slalom skier. In 1977, she was women's overall season champion.

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16/04/1955

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Henri is a member of the grand ducal family of Luxembourg who reigned as Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 2000 until his abdication in 2025.

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16/04/1954

Ellen Barkin, American actress

Ellen Rona Barkin is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film Diner, and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as Tender Mercies (1983), Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), The Big Easy (1986), Johnny Handsome, and Sea of Love.

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John Bowe, Australian racing driver

John Philip Bowe is an Australian racing driver, presently racing a BMW M4 in the GT4 Australia series.

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Mike Zuke, Canadian ice hockey player

Michael Zuke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centreman who played eight seasons in the NHL, between 1978 and 1986.

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16/04/1953

Peter Garrett, Australian singer-songwriter and politician

Peter Robert Garrett is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician.

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16/04/1952

Michel Blanc, French actor and director (died 2024)

Michel Blanc was a French actor, writer and director. He is noted for his roles of losers and hypochondriacs. He is frequently associated with Le Splendid, which he co-founded, along with Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko, Christian Clavier, Marie-Anne Chazel and Gérard Jugnot. He also appeared in more serious roles, such as the title role in the Patrice Leconte film Monsieur Hire.

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Esther Roth-Shahamorov, Israeli sprinter and hurdler

Esther Roth-Shahamorov is a former Israeli track and field athlete. She specialized in the 100-meter hurdles and the 100-meter sprint.

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Bill Belichick, American football coach

William Stephen Belichick is an American football coach who is the head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, including the record of most Super Bowl wins (six) as a head coach, all with the New England Patriots, along with two more during his time as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, for a record eight total Super Bowl victories as coach and coordinator. A renowned American football historian, Belichick is often referred to as a "student of the game" with a deep knowledge of the intricacies of each player position. During his tenure with the Patriots, Belichick was a central figure as the head coach and de facto general manager during the team's dynasty from 2001 to 2019.

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16/04/1951

Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, Romanian author and photographer

Ioan Mihai Cochinescu is a Romanian novelist and essayist. He is also a film script author and director, an art photographer, teacher, musicologist and composer.

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16/04/1950

David Graf, American actor (died 2001)

Paul David Graf was an American actor, best known for his role as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry in the Police Academy series of films.

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Colleen Hewett, Australian singer and actress

Colleen Hewett is an Australian singer and actress.

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16/04/1948

Reg Alcock, Canadian businessman and politician, 17th Canadian President of the Treasury Board (died 2011)

Reginald B. Alcock, was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.

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16/04/1947

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player and coach

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins as a center. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Abdul-Jabbar won a record six NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. He was a 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. He was a member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, and was twice voted the NBA Finals MVP. He was named to three NBA anniversary teams. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Abdul-Jabbar broke the NBA's career scoring record in 1984, and held it until LeBron James surpassed him in 2023.

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Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (died 2011)

Gerald Rafferty was a Scottish singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. His solo hits in the late 1970s included "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and "Night Owl".

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16/04/1946

Margot Adler, American journalist and author (died 2014)

Margot Susanna Adler was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She worked as a correspondent for National Public Radio for 35 years, became bureau chief of the New York office, and could be heard frequently on nationally syndicated All Things Considered and Morning Edition on National Public Radio (NPR). A Wiccan high priestess, Adler wrote Drawing Down the Moon, a seminal work on neopaganism in America.

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Ernst Bakker, Dutch politician (died 2014)

Ernst Carel Bakker was a Dutch politician, alderman and member of the Democrats 66 political party. He served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1981 to 1982. He joined the Amsterdam City Council in 1990 before becoming a city alderman beginning in 1992. Bakker relocated to Hilversum in 1998 to become Mayor, a position he held until his retirement in 2011.

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Johnnie Lewis, Liberian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Justice of Liberia (died 2015)

Johnnie N. Lewis was a Liberian lawyer and politician who served as the 18th Chief Justice of Liberia from 2006 to 2012. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, he served as a circuit judge in Liberia's judicial system.

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R. Carlos Nakai, American flute player

Raymond Carlos Nakai is an American flutist. Nakai played brass instruments in high school and college, and auditioned for the Armed Forces School of Music after a two-year period in the United States Navy. He began playing a traditional Native American cedar flute after an accident left him unable to play the trumpet. Largely self-taught, he released his first album Changes in 1983, and afterward signed a contract with Canyon Records, which produced more than 30 of his albums in subsequent years. His music features original compositions for the flute inspired by traditional Native American melodies. Nakai has collaborated with musicians William Eaton, Peter Kater, Philip Glass, Nawang Khechog, Paul Horn, and Keola Beamer. He has received 11 Grammy Award nominations for his albums.

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16/04/1945

Tom Allen, American lawyer and politician

Thomas Hodge Allen is an American author and former politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Maine's 1st congressional district and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican incumbent senator Susan Collins. Allen lost to Collins 61.5% to 38.5%.

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Stefan Grossman, American acoustic fingerstyle guitarist and singer

Stefan Grossman is an American acoustic fingerstyle guitarist and singer, music producer and educator, and co-founder of Kicking Mule records. He is known for his instructional videos and Vestapol line of videos and DVDs.

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16/04/1943

Petro Tyschtschenko, Austrian-German businessman

Petro Taras Ostap Tyschtschenko is a German businessman best known for his role in developing the European market for the American computer company Commodore International.

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John Watkins, Australian cricketer

John Russell Watkins is a former Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1973.

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16/04/1942

Nikos Gioutsos, Greek footballer (died 2023)

Nikos Gioutsos was a Greek footballer who played as a striker. From the special style of play and the passion together with the dynamism he brought to the matches, the fans shouted the slogan "Έμπαινε Γιούτσο" which became a song and line in old Greek movies.

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Jim Lonborg, American baseball pitcher

James Reynold Lonborg is an American former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Phillies. Though nicknamed "Gentleman Jim", he was known for fearlessly pitching on the inside of the plate throughout his fifteen-year career.

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Sir Frank Williams, English businessman, founded the Williams F1 Racing Team (died 2021)

Sir Francis Owen Garbett Williams was a British businessman, motorsport executive and racing driver. From 1977 to 2020, Williams served as co-founder, team principal and co-owner of Williams in Formula One, winning nine World Constructors' Championship titles between 1980 and 1997.

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16/04/1941

Allan Segal, American director and producer (died 2012)

Allan Segal also known as Allan Fear-Segal was a BAFTA-winning documentary film maker. He spent the majority of his career working for Granada Television.

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16/04/1940

Benoît Bouchard, Canadian academic and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Transport

Benoît Bouchard is a Canadian public official and former politician.

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David Holford, Barbadian cricketer (died 2022)

David Anthony Jerome Holford was a West Indian cricketer who played in 24 Test matches between 1966 and 1977.

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Fotis Kafatos, Greek biologist, founding president of the European Research Council (ERC) (died 2017).

Fotis Constantine Kafatos was a Greek biologist. Between 2007 and 2010, he was the founding president of the European Research Council (ERC). He chaired the ERC Scientific Council from 2006 to 2010. Thereafter, he was appointed Honorary President of the ERC. He was also an honorary fellow of the Hellenic Agricultural Academy.

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

Margrethe II is a member of the Danish royal family who reigned as Queen of Denmark from 14 January 1972 until her abdication on 14 January 2024. Having reigned for exactly 52 years, she is the second-longest-reigning Danish monarch after Christian IV.

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Joan Snyder, American painter

Joan Snyder is an American painter from New York. She is a MacArthur Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, and an elected member of American Academy of Arts and Letters.

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16/04/1939

John Amabile, American football player and coach (died 2012)

John Amabile was an American professional football scout for the New York Giants, high school football coach, and college football quarterback.

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Dusty Springfield, English singer and record producer (died 1999)

Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop, and dramatic ballads, with French chanson, country, and jazz also in her repertoire. During her 1960s peak, she ranked among the most successful British performers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her image – marked by a peroxide blonde bouffant/beehive hairstyle, heavy makeup and evening gowns, as well as stylised, gestural performances – made her an icon of the Swinging Sixties.

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16/04/1938

Rich Rollins, American baseball player

Richard John Rollins was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins (1961–68), Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers (1969–1970), and Cleveland Indians (1970). He was named an All-Star with the Twins in 1962. During a 10-year baseball career, Rollins's batting average was .269 with 77 home runs, and 399 runs batted in (RBI).

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Gordon Wilson, Scottish lawyer and politician (died 2017)

Robert Gordon Wilson was a Scottish politician and solicitor. He was the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 1979 to 1990, and was SNP Member of Parliament (MP) for Dundee East from 1974 to 1987. He was Rector of the University of Dundee from 1983 to 1986.

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16/04/1937

Gert Potgieter, South African hurdler and coach

Gerhardus Cornelius Potgieter is a retired South African Track and field athletics competitor, primarily known for the 400-metre and 440-yard hurdles. His innovation was to run 14 steps between the hurdles. For perspective, 1980's legend Edwin Moses' innovation was to run 13 steps. Former world record holder Kevin Young was able to achieve 12 steps between some hurdles.

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George Steele, American wrestler and actor (died 2017)

William James Myers, better known by his ring name George "The Animal" Steele, was an American professional wrestler, school teacher, author, and actor. His career lasted from 1967 until 1988, though he made occasional wrestling appearances into the 1990s and 2000s.

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16/04/1936

Vadim Kuzmin, Russian physicist and academic (died 2015)

Vadim Alekseyevich Kuzmin was a Russian theoretical physicist.

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16/04/1935

Marcel Carrière, Canadian director and screenwriter

Marcel Carrière is a Canadian film director and sound engineer.

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Sarah Kirsch, German poet and author (died 2013)

Sarah Kirsch was a German poet.

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Lennart Risberg, Swedish boxer (died 2013)

Lennart Kurt Risberg was a Swedish boxer. He competed in the lightweight event at the 1956 Summer Olympics, but was eliminated in the first round.

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Dominique Venner, French journalist and historian (died 2013)

Dominique Venner was a French journalist and essayist. Venner was a member of the Organisation armée secrète and later became a European nationalist, founding the neo-fascist Europe-Action, before withdrawing from politics to focus on a career as a historian. He specialized in military and political history. At the time of his death, he was the editor of the La Nouvelle Revue d'Histoire, a bimonthly history magazine.

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Bobby Vinton, American singer

Stanley Robert Vinton is an American singer and actor, who hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. One of his most popular songs is "Blue Velvet" which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, No. 1 in Canada, and number 2 in the UK in 1990.

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16/04/1934

Vince Hill, English singer-songwriter (died 2023)

Vincent Brian Hill was an English traditional pop singer, best known for his cover version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune "Edelweiss" (1967), which reached No. 2 on the UK singles chart. He recorded 25 studio albums and several soundtracks, wrote songs and plays and hosted TV shows during the 1970s and 1980s, including They Sold a Million (BBC), Musical Time Machine (BBC) and the chat show Gas Street (ITV). Outside of his work in show business, he was a patron of the Macular Society, a UK charity for people affected by central vision loss.

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Robert Stigwood, Australian producer and manager (died 2016)

Robert Colin Stigwood was an Australian music entrepreneur, film producer, and impresario, long based in the United Kingdom. He was best known for managing musicians such as Cream, Andy Gibb, and the Bee Gees; theatrical productions such as Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar; and film productions, including Grease and Saturday Night Fever.

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Barrie Unsworth, Australian politician, 36th Premier of New South Wales

Barrie John Unsworth is an Australian former politician, representing the Labor Party in the Parliament of New South Wales from 1978 to 1991. He served as the 36th Premier from July 1986 to March 1988. Since the death of Steele Hall on 10 June 2024, Unsworth is the oldest living premier of an Australian state.

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Vicar, Chilean cartoonist (died 2012)

Vicar, a pseudonym for Víctor José Arriagada Ríos, was a Chilean cartoonist, known for his prolific career drawing Disney comics.

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16/04/1933

Marcos Alonso Imaz, Spanish footballer (died 2012)

Marcos Alonso Imaz, nicknamed Marquitos, was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender. He was best known for his participation in Real Madrid's five European Cup conquests, mainly in the 1950s.

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Joan Bakewell, English journalist and author

Joan Dawson Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell, is an English journalist, television presenter and Labour Party peer. Baroness Bakewell is president of Birkbeck, University of London; she is also an author and playwright, and has received a Humanist of the Year award for services to humanism.

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Perry Botkin Jr., American composer, arranger and musician (died 2021)

Perry Botkin Jr. was an American composer, producer, arranger, and musician.

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Vera Krepkina, Russian long jumper (died 2023)

Vera Samuilovna Krepkina, née Kalashnikova, was a Soviet-Ukrainian track and field athlete. She competed for the Soviet Union at the 1952, 1956, and 1960 Olympics. At all these Olympics she finished fourth in the 4 × 100 m relay and was eliminated in the heats of the 100 m sprint. In 1960, she also took part in the long jump and won a surprise gold medal with an Olympic record of 6.37 m, ahead of the defending champion Elżbieta Krzesińska and the world record holder Hildrun Claus.

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Ike Pappas, American journalist and actor (died 2008)

Icarus Nestor Pappas, better known as Ike Pappas, was an American television journalist who worked as a CBS News correspondent for 25 years.

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16/04/1932

Maury Meyers, American lawyer and politician (died 2014)

Maurice "Maury" Meyers was an American politician who served four non-consecutive terms as Mayor of Beaumont, Texas. He is well known in the city as a progressive and economic mind, who helped turn the city of Beaumont into an allegedly thriving community. Maury also led the charge to desegregate the school systems in Beaumont while in office. In 1990 he ran for congress as a Republican against the long-time Democratic incumbent, Jack Brooks. Meyers would lose 58% to 42%. He again thought about running for mayor in the early 2000s, but declined when his battle with Parkinson's disease made it unsafe to do so. The same Parkinson's disease led to his death in June 2014. He was survived by his wife Arline, his son (Casey), and four daughters In April 2025, Meyers' namesake bridge in the city was demolished

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16/04/1931

Julian Carroll, American politician, 54th Governor of Kentucky (died 2023)

Julian Morton Carroll was an American lawyer and politician from the state of Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 54th governor of Kentucky from 1974 to 1979, succeeding Wendell Ford, who resigned to accept a seat in the United States Senate. He last served a member of the Kentucky Senate, representing Anderson, Franklin, Woodford, Gallatin, and Owen counties from 2005 to 2021. He was the first Kentucky governor from the state's far-western Jackson Purchase region. Thelma Stovall, who served as lieutenant governor with him, was the first woman to be elected lieutenant governor of Kentucky.

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16/04/1930

Doug Beasy, Australian footballer and educator (died 2013)

Douglas Edward Beasy was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

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Herbie Mann, American flute player and composer (died 2003)

Herbert Jay Solomon, known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet, but Mann was among the first jazz musicians to specialize on the flute. His most popular single was "Hi-Jack", which was a Billboard No. 1 dance hit for three weeks in 1975.

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16/04/1929

Roy Hamilton, American singer (died 1969)

Roy Hamilton was an American singer. By combining semi-classical technique with traditional black gospel feeling, he brought soul to Great American Songbook singing.

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Ralph Slatyer, Australian biologist and ecologist (died 2012)

Ralph Owen Slatyer was an Australian ecologist, and the first Chief Scientist of Australia from 1989 to 1992.

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Ed Townsend, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2003)

Edward Benjamin Townsend was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He performed and composed "For Your Love", a rhythm and blues doo-wop classic, and co-wrote "Let's Get It On" with Marvin Gaye.

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16/04/1928

Night Train Lane, American football player (died 2002)

Richard Lane, commonly known as Dick "Night Train" Lane, was an American professional football cornerback who played for 14 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Los Angeles Rams (1952–1953), the Chicago Cardinals (1954–1959), and the Detroit Lions (1960–1965).

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16/04/1927

Edie Adams, American actress and singer (died 2008)

Edie Adams was an American comedian, actress, singer and businesswoman who was prominent in the second half of the 1900s. She earned a Tony Award and was nominated for an Emmy Award.

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Pope Benedict XVI (died 2022)

Pope Benedict XVI was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Following his resignation, he chose to be known as "pope emeritus", a title he held until his death on 31 December 2022.

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Rolf Schult, German actor (died 2013)

Rolf Schult was a German actor who specializes in dubbing. He provided the German dub for actor Robert Redford, among many others. Until the film Hannibal (2001), he provided the voice for Anthony Hopkins, before he was replaced by Joachim Kerzel, and dubbed Patrick Stewart for much of his career.

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16/04/1926

Pierre Fabre, French pharmacist, founded Laboratoires Pierre Fabre (died 2013)

Pierre Jacques Louis Fabre was a French pharmaceutical and cosmetics executive and pharmacist, who founded Laboratoires Pierre Fabre in 1962. Fabre, a rugby enthusiast, was also the owner of Castres Olympique, a French rugby union club based in the city of Castres.

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16/04/1924

Henry Mancini, American composer and conductor (died 1994)

Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist, best known as a composer of film and television scores. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and twenty Grammy Awards, plus a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

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Madanjeet Singh, Indian diplomat, author, and philanthropist (died 2013)

Madanjeet Singh was an Indian diplomat, painter, photographer, and writer.

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16/04/1923

Warren Barker, American composer (died 2006)

Warren Barker was an American composer, arranger, and conductor known for work in film, radio, and television, as well as for original band and symphonic compositions.

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Arch A. Moore Jr., American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of West Virginia (died 2015)

Arch Alfred Moore Jr. was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 28th and 30th governor of West Virginia. He held office from 1969 to 1977 and again from 1985 to 1989, making him the longest-serving governor in the state's history with 12 years in office. Moore began his political career as a state legislator in 1952 and later became a prominent figure in West Virginia politics. He was the father of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and the grandfather of U.S. Representative Riley Moore.

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16/04/1922

Kingsley Amis, English novelist, poet, and critic (died 1995)

Sir Kingsley William Amis was an English novelist, poet, critic and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social and literary criticism. He is best known for satirical comedies such as Lucky Jim (1954), One Fat Englishman (1963), Ending Up (1974), Jake's Thing (1978) and The Old Devils (1986). His biographer Zachary Leader called Amis "the finest English comic novelist of the second half of the twentieth century." In 2008, The Times ranked him ninth on a list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. He was the father of the novelist Martin Amis. Amis was knighted in 1990.

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Lawrence N. Guarino, American colonel (died 2014)

Lawrence Nicholas "Larry" Guarino was a United States Air Force officer, and veteran of three wars. Shot down on his 50th combat mission, he spent more than eight years as a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War and earned the Air Force Cross.

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Leo Tindemans, Belgian politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Belgium (died 2014)

Leonard Clemence "Leo" Tindemans was a Belgian politician. He served as the prime minister of Belgium from 25 April 1974 until he resigned as minister on 20 October 1978. He was a member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party.

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16/04/1921

Wolfgang Leonhard, German historian and author (died 2014)

Wolfgang Leonhard was a German political author and historian of the Soviet Union, the German Democratic Republic and Communism. A German Communist whose family had fled Hitler's Germany and who was educated in the Soviet Union, after World War II Leonhard became one of the founders and leaders of the German Democratic Republic until he became disillusioned and fled in 1949, first defecting to Yugoslavia and then moving to West Germany in 1950 and later to the United Kingdom. In 1956 he moved to the United States, where he was a popular and influential professor at Yale University from 1966 to 1987, teaching the history of communism and the Soviet Union, topics about which he wrote several books. After the Cold War ended, he returned to Germany.

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Peter Ustinov, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2004)

Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov was a British actor and humanitarian. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Laurel Award, a Silver Bear, a Photoplay Award, a CableACE Award, an Evening Standard British Film Award and a Grammy Award, as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards, two Tony Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and a Gemini Award. In 1992, Ustinov was awarded with the British Academy Britannia Award.

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16/04/1920

Ananda Dassanayake, Sri Lankan politician (died 2012)

Ananda Dassanayake was a Sri Lankan politician belonging to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He was the governor of Uva Province and Southern Province of Sri Lanka. He was a member of the Sri Lankan Parliament for 17 years.

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Prince Georg of Denmark (died 1986)

Prince Georg of Denmark was a Danish diplomat and member of the Danish royal family as a great-grandson of Christian IX. He was a first cousin of Harald V of Norway, Baudouin of Belgium, and Albert II of Belgium, as well as a second cousin of George VI of the United Kingdom.

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16/04/1919

Merce Cunningham, American dancer and choreographer (died 2009)

Merce Philip Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other disciplines, including musicians John Cage, David Tudor, Brian Eno, and graphic artists Robert Rauschenberg, Bruce Nauman, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, and Jasper Johns; and fashion designer Rei Kawakubo. Works that he produced with these artists had a profound impact on avant-garde art beyond the world of dance.

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Nilla Pizzi, Italian singer (died 2011)

Adionilla Pizzi, known by her stage name Nilla Pizzi, was an Italian singer and actress.

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Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect (died 2013)

Pedro Ramírez Vázquez was a Mexican architect. He was persuaded to study architecture by writer and poet Carlos Pellicer.

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16/04/1918

Spike Milligan, Irish actor, comedian, and writer (died 2002)

Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan was an Anglo-Irish comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British India, where he spent his childhood before relocating in 1931 to England, where he lived and worked for the majority of his life.

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16/04/1917

Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli (died 2013)

Doña Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba y Fernández de Henestrosa, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli, GE was a Spanish noblewoman and Grandee of Spain. She was the head of the Spanish noble House of Medinaceli and patron of the Ducal House of Medinaceli Foundation. In addition to her most senior title of Duchess of Medinaceli, she held an additional 49 other hereditary noble titles during her lifetime, making her the second-most titled noblewoman in Spain, just after Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba. She died in Seville on 18 August 2013, aged 96.

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16/04/1916

Behçet Necatigil, Turkish author, poet, and translator (died 1979)

Behçet Necatigil, Turkish poet, teacher and translator who is often considered to be one of the most important poets of modern Turkish poetry. His paternal family originated from Kastamonu, a city in Turkey's Western Black Sea region. His father, Mehmet Necati Gönül, was from the Çörekçiler family of Kastamonu. The family moved to Kastamonu when Behçet was young, and he completed his primary education there. His interest in literature is noted to have begun during his middle school years in Kastamonu. He later returned to Istanbul to continue his education and career. Throughout his writing life he stood apart from all literary movements, and was known as an independent poet and intellectual. Besides poetry, he has produced works in many fields of literature, such as theater, mythology, lexicography, novel translations and radio plays. He contributed greatly to the adoption of radiophonic play as a branch of literature in Turkey with his plays, translations and adaptations. The artist, who is known as the "Poet of Houses", is also known for his identity as a teacher as well as his literary work.

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16/04/1914

John Hodiak, American actor (died 1955)

John Hodiak was an American actor who worked in radio, stage and film.

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16/04/1911

Guy Burgess, English-Russian spy (died 1963)

Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess was a British diplomat and Soviet double agent, and a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring that operated from the mid-1930s to the early years of the Cold War era. His defection in 1951 to the Soviet Union, with his fellow spy Donald Maclean, led to a serious breach in Anglo-United States intelligence co-operation, and caused long-lasting disruption and demoralisation in Britain's foreign and diplomatic services.

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16/04/1910

Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (died 1994)

Clarence Berton Roueché Jr. was an American medical writer who wrote for The New Yorker magazine for almost fifty years. He wrote twenty books, including Eleven Blue Men (1954), The Incurable Wound (1958), Feral (1974), and The Medical Detectives (1980). An article he wrote for The New Yorker was made into the 1956 film Bigger Than Life, and many of the medical mysteries on the television show House were inspired by Roueché's writings.

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16/04/1908

Ellis Marsalis, Sr., American businessman and activist (died 2004)

Ellis Louis Marsalis Sr. was an American businessman from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a former poultry farmer turned hotelier, Esso franchise owner and civil rights activist.

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Ray Ventura, French jazz bandleader (died 1979)

Raymond Ventura was a French jazz pianist and bandleader. He helped popularize jazz in France in the 1930s. His nephew was singer Sacha Distel.

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16/04/1907

Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (died 1964)

Joseph-Armand Bombardier was a Canadian inventor and businessman who was the founder of Bombardier. His most famous invention was a snowmobile.

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August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (died 1947)

August Eigruber was an Austrian-born Nazi Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter of Reichsgau Oberdonau and Landeshauptmann of Upper Austria. He was convicted of war crimes at Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp and hanged.

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16/04/1905

Frits Philips, Dutch businessman (died 2005)

Frederik Jacques "Frits" Philips was the fourth chairman of the board of directors of the Dutch electronics company Philips, which his uncle and father founded. For his actions in saving 382 Jews during the Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, he was recognized in 1996 by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations.

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16/04/1904

Fifi D'Orsay, Canadian-American vaudevillian, actress, and singer (died 1983)

Fifi D'Orsay was a Canadian and American actress and singer.

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16/04/1903

Paul Waner, American baseball player and manager (died 1965)

Paul Glee Waner, nicknamed "Big Poison", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams between 1926 and 1945, most notably playing his first 15 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The greatest Pirate outfielder up to his retirement, he won the 1927 NL Most Valuable Player Award in his second season, collecting a team-record 237 hits that year. Waner set the team record for doubles in a season three times, including 1932 when he set the NL record for doubles in a season with 62. In the only postseason appearance of his career, he hit .333 in the Pirates' 1927 World Series loss against the New York Yankees. Waner won three National League (NL) batting titles, led the NL in hits twice, and collected over 200 hits eight times including four consecutive seasons from 1927 to 1930.

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16/04/1900

Polly Adler, Russian-American madam and author (died 1962)

Pearl "Polly" Adler was an American madam and author, best known for her work A House Is Not a Home, which was adapted into a film of the same name. In 2021, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Debby Applegate published a comprehensive account of Adler's life and times entitled Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age with Doubleday.

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16/04/1899

Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (died 1988)

Osman Achmatowicz was a Polish chemist of Lipka Tatar descent, who studied alkaloid natural products. His son, Osman Achmatowicz Jr., is credited with the Achmatowicz reaction in 1971.

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16/04/1896

Árpád Weisz, Hungarian footballer (died 1944)

Árpád Weisz was a Hungarian footballer and manager. Weisz was Jewish and was murdered with his wife and children by the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II at Auschwitz.

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16/04/1895

Ove Arup, English-Danish engineer and businessman, founded Arup (died 1988)

Sir Ove Nyquist Arup was a British engineer with Danish heritage who founded Arup, a multinational corporation offering engineering, design, planning, project management, and consulting services for building systems. Ove Arup is considered to be among the foremost architectural structural engineers of his time.

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16/04/1893

Germaine Guèvremont, Canadian journalist and author (died 1968)

Germaine Guèvremont, born Grignon was a Canadian writer, who was a prominent figure in Quebec literature.

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John Norton, American hurdler (died 1979)

John Kelley Norton was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metre hurdles. He was born in Santa Clara, California and died in New York City. Norton competed for the United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Antwerp, Belgium in the 400 metre hurdles where he won the silver medal.

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16/04/1892

Dora Richter, German transgender woman and the first known person to undergo complete male-to-female gender-affirming surgery (died 1966)

Dora Rudolfine Richter was a German trans woman and the first known person to undergo complete male-to-female gender-affirming surgery. She was one of a number of transgender people in the care of sex-research pioneer Magnus Hirschfeld at Berlin's Institute for Sexual Research during the 1920s and early 1930s. She underwent surgical removal of the testicles in 1922, followed in 1931 by removal of the penis and vaginoplasty. Richter died at the age of 74 in Allersberg, Bavaria on 26 April 1966.

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Howard Mumford Jones, American author, critic, and academic (died 1980)

Howard Mumford Jones was an American intellectual historian, literary critic, journalist, poet, and professor of English at the University of Michigan and later at Harvard University.

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16/04/1891

Dorothy P. Lathrop, American author and illustrator (died 1980)

Dorothy Pulis Lathrop was an American writer and illustrator of children's books.

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16/04/1890

Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (died 1954)

Charles Frederick Root was an English cricketer who played for England in 1926 and for Derbyshire between 1910 and 1920 and for Worcestershire between 1921 and 1932.

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Gertrude Chandler Warner, American author and educator (died 1979)

Gertrude Chandler Warner was an American author, mainly of children's stories. She was most famous for writing the original book of The Boxcar Children and for the next 18 books in the series.

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16/04/1889

Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (died 1977)

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was an English comic actor, filmmaker, singer, film editor and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from his childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977.

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16/04/1888

Billy Minter, English footballer and manager (died 1940)

William James Minter, was a footballer, trainer, manager and assistant secretary at Tottenham Hotspur. He scored 101 goals for Tottenham, and was for a time the top scorer for the club. He also managed the club for three years, and after he resigned as manager he stayed at the club until his death in 1940.

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16/04/1886

Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American football player and javelin thrower (died 1957)

Michális Dórizas was a Greek athlete who competed in throwing events at the 1906, 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. He won a silver medal in the javelin throw in 1908 and a bronze in the stone throw in 1906. In the discus throw, his best achievement was fifth place in 1908; in the shot put, he placed 11th in 1912.

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Ernst Thälmann, German politician (died 1944)

Ernst Johannes Fritz Thälmann was a German communist politician, revolutionary, and leader of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) from 1925 to 1933.

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16/04/1885

Leó Weiner, Hungarian composer and educator (died 1960)

Leó Weiner was one of the leading Hungarian music educators of the first half of the twentieth century, and a composer.

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16/04/1884

Ronald Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, English cricketer, journalist, and politician (died 1963)

Ronald Gorell Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, was a British hereditary peer, Liberal politician, poet, author and newspaper editor.

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16/04/1882

Seth Bingham, American organist and composer (died 1972)

Seth Daniels Bingham was an American organist and prolific composer.

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16/04/1878

R. E. Foster, English cricketer and footballer (died 1914)

Reginald Erskine Foster, nicknamed Tip Foster, commonly designated R. E. Foster in sporting literature, was an English first-class cricketer and footballer. He is the only man to have captained England at both sports.

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16/04/1874

Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general (died 1936)

Jōtarō Watanabe was a general in the early Shōwa period Imperial Japanese Army, noted as one of the victims of the February 26 Incident.

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16/04/1871

John Millington Synge, Irish author, poet, and playwright (died 1909)

Edmund John Millington Synge, popularly known as J. M. Synge, was an Irish playwright, poet, writer and collector of folklores. As a key figure of the Irish Literary Revival during the early 20th century, he is widely regarded by critics and scholars as the most prolific playwright in Irish literature of the Edwardian era, and by several of his peers, among them William Butler Yeats,.

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16/04/1867

Wilbur Wright, American inventor (died 1912)

The Wright brothers, Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright, were American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful airplane. They made the first controlled, sustained flight of an engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903, four miles (6 km) south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, at what is now known as Kill Devil Hills. In 1904 the Wright brothers developed the Wright Flyer II, which made longer-duration flights including the first circle, followed in 1905 by the first truly practical fixed-wing aircraft, the Wright Flyer III.

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16/04/1866

José de Diego, Puerto Rican journalist, lawyer, and politician (died 1918)

José de Diego y Martínez was a Puerto Rican statesman, journalist, poet, lawyer, and advocate for Puerto Rico's political autonomy in union with Spain and later of Puerto Rican independence from the United States who was referred to by his peers as "The Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement".

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16/04/1865

Harry Chauvel, Australian general (died 1945)

General Sir Henry George Chauvel, was a senior officer of the Australian Imperial Force who fought at Gallipoli and during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of the First World War. He was the first Australian to attain the rank of lieutenant general and later general, and the first to lead a corps. As commander of the Desert Mounted Corps, he was responsible for one of the most decisive victories and fastest pursuits in military history.

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16/04/1851

Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, third Solicitor General of Sri Lanka (died 1930)

Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, was a Ceylonese lawyer and politician who served as Solicitor-General of Ceylon.

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16/04/1848

Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Indian author and activist (died 1919)

Kandukuri Veeresalingam was a social reformer and writer from the Madras Presidency, British India, current Andhra Pradesh. He was considered as the Father of the Telugu Renaissance movement. He was one of the early social reformers who encouraged the education of women and the remarriage of widows. He also fought against child marriage and the dowry system. He started a school in Dowlaiswaram in 1874, constructed the 'Brahmo Mandir' in 1887 and built the 'Hithakarini School' in 1908 in Andhra Pradesh. His novel Rajasekhara Charitramu is considered to be the first novel in Telugu literature.

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16/04/1847

Hans Auer, Swiss-Austrian architect, designed the Federal Palace of Switzerland (died 1906)

Hans Wilhelm Auer was a Swiss-Austrian architect best known for his design of the Swiss Bundeshaus (1894–1902) in Bern.

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16/04/1844

Anatole France, French journalist, novelist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1924)

Anatole France was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie Française, and won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Literature "in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament".

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16/04/1839

Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì, Italian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Italy (died 1908)

Antonio Starrabba , Marquess of Rudinì was an Italian statesman, Prime Minister of Italy between 1891 and 1892 and from 1896 until 1898.

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16/04/1834

Charles Lennox Richardson, English merchant (died 1862)

Charles Lennox Richardson was a British merchant based in Shanghai, Qing Empire who was killed in Japan during the Namamugi Incident. His middle name is spelled Lenox in the census and family documents.

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16/04/1827

Octave Crémazie, Canadian poet and bookseller (died 1879)

Octave Crémazie was a French Canadian poet and bookseller born in Quebec City. Recognized both during and after his lifetime for his patriotic verse and his significant role in the cultural development of Quebec, Crémazie has been called "the father of French Canadian poetry."

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16/04/1826

Sir James Corry, 1st Baronet, British politician (died 1891)

Sir James Porter Corry, 1st Baronet was an Irish politician. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from 1874 to 1891 and an Irish Unionist Alliance MP until his death.

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16/04/1823

Gotthold Eisenstein, German mathematician and academic (died 1852)

Ferdinand Gotthold Max Eisenstein was a German mathematician who made significant contributions to number theory and analysis. Born in Berlin, Prussia, to Jewish parents who converted to Protestantism before his birth, Eisenstein displayed exceptional mathematical talent from a young age.

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16/04/1821

Ford Madox Brown, French-English soldier and painter (died 1893)

Ford Madox Brown was a British painter of moral and historical subjects, notable for his distinctively graphic and often Hogarthian version of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Arguably, his most notable painting was Work (1852–1865). Brown spent the latter years of his life painting the twelve works known as The Manchester Murals, depicting Mancunian history, for Manchester Town Hall.

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16/04/1812

Juraj Dobrila, Croatian bishop and national revivalist (died 1882)

Juraj Dobrila was a Croatian Catholic bishop and benefactor from Istria who advocated for greater national rights for South Slavic peoples, Croats and Slovenes, in Istria under Austrian rule.

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16/04/1808

Caleb Blood Smith, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, sixth United States Secretary of the Interior (died 1864)

Caleb Blood Smith was a United States representative from Indiana, the 6th U.S. secretary of the interior and a district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Indiana.

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16/04/1800

George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, English field marshal and politician (died 1888)

George Charles Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan,, styled Lord Bingham before 1839, was an Anglo-Irish peer and military officer. He was one of three men, along with Louis Nolan and Lord Raglan, responsible for the fateful order during the Battle of Balaclava in October 1854 that led to the Light Brigade commander, the Earl of Cardigan, leading the Charge of the Light Brigade. He was subsequently promoted to field marshal. He was a ruthless landlord during the Great Famine in Ireland, evicting thousands of his tenants and renting his land to wealthy ranchers. He also came up with a solution that allowed Jews to sit in Parliament.

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16/04/1786

John Franklin, English admiral and politician, fourth Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land (died 1847)

Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator. After serving in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through the islands of the Arctic Archipelago, during the Coppermine expedition of 1819 and the Mackenzie River expedition of 1825, and served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1837 to 1843. During his third and final expedition, an attempt to traverse the Northwest Passage in 1845, Franklin's ships became icebound off King William Island in what is now Nunavut, where he died in June 1847. The icebound ships were abandoned ten months later, and the entire crew died from causes such as starvation, hypothermia, and scurvy.

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16/04/1755

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (died 1842)

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, also known as Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun or simply Madame Le Brun, was a French painter who mostly specialized in portrait painting, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

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16/04/1730

Henry Clinton, English general and politician (died 1795)

General Sir Henry Clinton, KB was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain between 1772 and 1795. He is best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. He arrived in Boston in May 1775 and was the British Commander-in-Chief in America from 1778 to 1782. He was a Member of Parliament for many years due to the influence of his cousin Henry Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle. Late in life, he was named Governor of Gibraltar, but he died before assuming the post.

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16/04/1728

Joseph Black, French-Scottish physician and chemist (died 1799)

Joseph Black was a Scottish physicist and chemist, known for his discoveries of magnesium, latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was professor of anatomy and chemistry at the University of Glasgow for 10 years from 1756, and then professor of medicine and chemistry at the University of Edinburgh from 1766, teaching and lecturing there for more than 30 years.

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16/04/1697

Johann Gottlieb Görner, German organist and composer (died 1778)

Johann Gottlieb Görner was a German composer and organist.

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16/04/1682

John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (died 1744)

John Hadley was an English mathematician, and laid claim to the invention of the octant, two years after Thomas Godfrey claimed the same.

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16/04/1661

Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, First Lord of the Treasury (died 1715)

Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax was a British politician and poet. He was the grandson of the 1st Earl of Manchester and was eventually ennobled himself, first as Baron Halifax in 1700 and later as Earl of Halifax in 1714. As one of the four members of the so-called Whig Junto, Montagu played a major role in English politics under the reigns of King William III and Queen Anne. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1694 to 1699 and as First Lord of the Treasury from 1714 until his death the following year. He was also president of the Royal Society and a patron of the scientist Isaac Newton.

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16/04/1660

Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (died 1753)

Sir Hans Sloane, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish physician, naturalist, and collector. He had a collection of 71,000 items which he bequeathed to the British nation, thus providing the foundation of the British Museum, the British Library, and the Natural History Museum, London.

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16/04/1646

Jules Hardouin-Mansart, French architect (probable; (died 1708)

Jules Hardouin-Mansart was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Grand Trianon of the Palace of Versailles. His monumental work was designed to glorify the reign of Louis XIV.

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16/04/1635

Frans van Mieris the Elder, Dutch painter (died 1681)

Frans van Mieris the Elder, was a Dutch Golden Age genre and portrait painter. The leading member of a Leiden family of painters, his sons Jan (1660–1690) and Willem (1662–1747) and his grandson Frans van Mieris the Younger (1689–1763) were also accomplished genre painters.

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16/04/1569

John Davies, English poet and lawyer (died 1626)

Sir John Davies was an English poet, lawyer, and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1597 and 1621. He became Attorney General for Ireland and formulated many of the legal principles that underpinned the British Empire.

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16/04/1516

Tabinshwehti, Burmese king (died 1550)

Tabinshwehti was king of Burma from 1530 to 1550, and the founder of the First Toungoo Empire. His military campaigns (1534–1549) created the largest kingdom in Burma since the fall of the Pagan Empire in 1287. His administratively fragile kingdom proved to be the impetus for the eventual reunification of the entire country by his successor and brother-in-law Bayinnaung.

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16/04/1495

Petrus Apianus, German mathematician and astronomer (died 1557)

Petrus Apianus, also known as Peter Apian, Peter Bennewitz, and Peter Bienewitz, was a German humanist, known for his works in mathematics, astronomy and cartography. His work on "cosmography", the field that dealt with the earth and its position in the universe, was presented in his most famous publications, Astronomicum Caesareum (1540) and Cosmographicus liber (1524). His books were extremely influential in his time, with the numerous editions in multiple languages being published until 1609. The lunar crater Apianus and asteroid 19139 Apian are named in his honour.

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16/04/1488

Jungjong of Joseon (died 1544)

Jungjong, personal name Yi Yeok, firstly titled Grand Prince Jinseong, was the 11th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He succeeded to the throne after the deposition of his elder half-brother, the tyrannical Yeonsangun.

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