Born on Thursday, 26th June – Famous Birthdays
On this day, 237 notable people were born on 26th June — spanning from -12 to 2005. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.
Twenty-six June marks the birth of several notable figures across entertainment, sport and politics. Princess Alexia of the Netherlands was born on this date in 2005, continuing the royal lineage of the Dutch monarchy. Paolo Maldini, the Italian footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in football history, was born on 26 June 1968 and went on to achieve legendary status at AC Milan over a 25-year career. The date has also seen the births of various contemporary entertainers and athletes who have achieved prominence in their respective fields.
Among those celebrating birthdays on 26 June are individuals from diverse professional backgrounds. Ariana Grande, the American singer-songwriter and actress, was born in 1993 and has since become a major figure in popular music and television. Derek Jeter, the American baseball player, was born in 1974 and enjoyed a distinguished career primarily with the New York Yankees. The roster of births on this date extends across multiple generations and includes performers, athletes, scientists and political figures.
The date itself falls during late spring in the Northern Hemisphere, a period marked by lengthening daylight hours and warming temperatures. The weather conditions on 26 June typically reflect early summer patterns in most temperate regions, though specific conditions vary based on geographical location. The moon phase and astrological context for this date provide additional information for those interested in celestial observations and zodiac characteristics.
DayAtlas provides comprehensive information about any date, displaying weather patterns, significant historical events, notable births and deaths across time. Users can explore how weather conditions have influenced particular dates and examine the diverse achievements of individuals born on specific days throughout history.
Discover who was born today 12th April.
26/06/2005
Princess Alexia of the Netherlands
Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau is the second daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. Princess Alexia is a member of the Dutch royal house and second in the line of succession to the Dutch throne.
26/06/2004
Mikey Williams, American basketball player
Michael Anthony Williams is an American college basketball player for the Sacramento State Hornets. He previously played for the UCF Knights during the 2024–25 season.
26/06/2002
Chandler Smith, American race car driver
Chandler Michael Smith Sr. is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driving the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Hettinger Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 36 Ford Mustang Dark Horse also for Front Row Motorsports.
26/06/2000
Ann Li, American tennis player
Ann Li is an American tennis player. She has a career-high singles WTA singles ranking of world No. 33 and a doubles ranking of No. 149, both achieved on 27 October 2025. Li has won two singles titles on the WTA Tour and three titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.
26/06/1997
Baek Ye-rin, South Korean singer
Baek Ye-rin, anglicized as Yerin Baek, is a South Korean singer-songwriter. A former member of South Korean duo 15&, she debuted as a solo artist with her extended play, Frank, in 2015. Baek is credited with writing and composition for the majority of her songs, often touching on personal topics and real-life experiences. In addition to her solo career, she is also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the South Korean rock band The Volunteers and has been performing with them since 2018.
Jacob Elordi, Australian actor
Jacob Elordi is an Australian actor. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Movie Award and two AACTA Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, three British Academy Film Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.
Callum Taylor, English cricketer
Callum John Taylor is an English cricketer who played for Essex County Cricket Club. Primarily a right-handed batsman, he also bowls right-arm medium. He made his Twenty20 debut for Essex against Hampshire in May 2015. In December 2015 he was named in England's squad for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
26/06/1994
Hollie Arnold, English javelin thrower
Hollie Beth Arnold is a British parasport athlete competing in category F46 javelin. Although born in Grimsby, she now lives and trains in Loughborough. She represents Wales in the Commonwealth Games.
Leonard Carow, German actor
Leonard Carow is a German actor. He has appeared in several German television films and series, and in Steven Spielberg's 2011 film, War Horse.
26/06/1993
Ariana Grande, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle register, she is regarded as an influential figure in popular music. Publications such as Rolling Stone and Billboard have deemed Grande one of the greatest artists in history, while Time included her on its list of the world's 100 most influential people in 2016 and 2019.
26/06/1992
Joel Campbell, Costa Rican footballer
Joel Nathaniel Campbell Samuels is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Liga FPD club Alajuelense and the Costa Rica national team.
Rudy Gobert, French basketball player
Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel is a French professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the Utah Jazz who acquired him during the 2013 NBA draft. Gobert also represents the French national team in its international competitions. Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall with a wingspan of 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) long, he plays the center position. Nicknamed "the Stifle Tower", he is regarded as one of the best defensive players of all time.
Jennette McCurdy, American actress and singer-songwriter
Jennette McCurdy is an American writer and former actress. Her breakthrough role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly (2007–2012) won her four Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. She reprised the character in the iCarly spin-off series Sam & Cat (2013–2014) before leaving Nickelodeon. She also appeared in the television series Malcolm in the Middle (2003–2005), Zoey 101 (2005), Lincoln Heights (2007), True Jackson, VP (2009–2010), and Victorious (2012). She produced, wrote, and starred in her own webseries, What's Next for Sarah? (2014), and led the science-fiction series Between (2015–2016).
26/06/1991
Houssem Chemali, French footballer
Houssem Chemali is an Algerian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Namur.
Diego Falcinelli, Italian footballer
Diego Falcinelli is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie C Group A club Cittadella.
Dustin Martin, Australian rules footballer
Dustin Martin is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Martin was drafted by Richmond with the third pick in the 2009 national draft, and made his AFL debut in the opening round of the 2010 season. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and considered by many to be the greatest finals player of all time.
26/06/1990
Belaynesh Oljira, Ethiopian runner
Belaynesh Oljira Jemama is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes mainly in 10K and half marathon races. She represented her country at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 World Championships and the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2011 and 2013.
Iman Shumpert, American basketball player
Iman Asante Shumpert is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected by the New York Knicks with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Shumpert was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015 and won an NBA championship with them in 2016. He also had stints with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets.
Igor Subbotin, Estonian footballer
Igor Subbotin is an Estonian international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Estonian Esiliiga club Nõmme Kalju U21.
26/06/1988
Oliver Stang, German footballer
Oliver Stang is a retired German footballer who was a defender and last played for SV Elversberg in the Regionalliga Südwest.
King Bach, Canadian-American actor, comedian, director, producer, writer and social media personality
Andrew Byron Bachelor, better known by his stage name King Bach, is a Canadian-American Internet comedian and actor who rose to fame on the now-defunct video sharing service Vine, on which he was the most-followed user with 16.2 million followers.
26/06/1987
Carlos Iaconelli, Brazilian race car driver
Carlos "Iaco" Iaconelli is a Brazilian former racing car driver.
Samir Nasri, French footballer
Samir Nasri is a French former professional footballer. He primarily played as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he was also deployed in the central midfield. Nasri was known for his dribbling, ball control and passing ability. His playing style, ability and cultural background drew comparisons to former French player Zinedine Zidane.
26/06/1986
Duvier Riascos, Colombian footballer
Duvier Riascos is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He is known as the "Snake" mainly due to his celebration when he scores.
26/06/1985
Ogyen Trinley Dorje, Tibetan spiritual leader, 17th Karmapa Lama
Ogyen Trinley Dorje, also written as Urgyen Trinley Dorje is a claimant to the title of 17th Karmapa.
26/06/1984
J. J. Barea, Puerto Rican-American basketball player
José Juan Barea Mora is a Puerto Rican basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for the Northeastern Huskies before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2006 and becoming the seventh Puerto Rican to play in the NBA. He went on to win an NBA championship with the Mavericks in 2011 before signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played for the next three seasons before returning to Dallas. He has also played in the NBA Development League and the Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
Yankuba Ceesay, Gambian footballer
Yankuba Ceesay, also known as Maal, is a Gambian football coach and former player A midfielder, he made seven appearances for the Gambia national team.
Elijah Dukes, American baseball player
Elijah David Dukes, Jr. is an American former professional baseball player. A right-handed outfielder, he played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Washington Nationals.
Raymond Felton, American basketball player
Raymond Bernard Felton Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Felton played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels under head coach Roy Williams.
Indila, French singer
Adila Sedraïa, known professionally as Indila, is a French singer-songwriter and record producer. She collaborated with many musicians on vocals and lyrics prior to releasing her first single, "Dernière danse", in December 2013, which reached SNEP second in France and became in December 2023, 10 years after its release, the first French-language song to exceed one billion views on YouTube. She released her debut album, Mini World, in February 2014, which met commercial success.
Priscah Jeptoo, Kenyan runner
Priscah Jeptoo is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She has won marathons in New York, Paris, Turin, and London and has a best time of 2:20:14 for the distance. She was the runner-up in the marathon at both the World Championships in Athletics in 2011 and the 2012 London Olympics. She ranks third all-time over the half marathon distance with her best of 66 minutes and 11 seconds.
Aubrey Plaza, American actress
Aubrey Christina Plaza is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She began performing improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. After graduating from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Plaza made her feature film debut in Mystery Team (2009) and gained wide recognition for her role as April Ludgate on the NBC political satire sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009–2015).
Preslava, Bulgarian singer
Preslava Koleva Ivanova ; born Petya Koleva Ivanova,, on 26 June 1984, better known mononymously as Preslava, is a Bulgarian singer. She is considered one of the key names in Bulgarian modern music, and has won more than 60 awards since her debut in 2004. As of 2025, she has won the award “Bulgarian singer of the year” 13 times from the start of her independent music career (2005)
Jūlija Tepliha, Latvian figure skater
The Latvian Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition organized by the Latvian Skating Association to crown the national champions of Latvia. The first Latvian Championships held after the collapse of the Soviet Union were held in Riga in April 1992.
Deron Williams, American basketball player
Deron Michael Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. A three-time NBA All-Star with the Jazz and Brooklyn Nets, Williams also played for Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League during the 2011 NBA lockout, and was a two-time gold medalist for the United States men's national basketball team, participating in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
26/06/1983
Vinícius Rodrigues Almeida, Brazilian footballer
Vinícius Rodrigues Tomaz da Silva Almeida is a Brazilian former footballer.
Nick Compton, South African-English cricketer
Nicholas Richard Denis Compton is a South African-born English former Test and first-class cricketer who most recently played for Middlesex County Cricket Club. The grandson of Denis Compton, he represented England in 16 Test matches.
Toyonoshima Daiki, Japanese sumo wrestler
Toyonoshima Daiki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sukumo, Kōchi, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2002, reaching the top makuuchi division in September 2004. He was a runner-up in five tournaments, and earned ten special prizes. His highest rank was sekiwake, which he first reached in September 2008 and held for five tournaments in total. Following a suspension in July 2010 he was demoted to the jūryō division, but upon his return to makuuchi in November 2010 he took part in a playoff for the championship. He won four kinboshi or gold stars awarded for yokozuna upsets, three of them earned by defeating Harumafuji from 2013 to 2015. He wrestled for Tokitsukaze stable. He retired in 2020 and was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name of Izutsu-oyakata until his departure from the association in January 2023.
Felipe Melo, Brazilian footballer
Felipe Melo de Carvalho, known as Felipe Melo, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder or centre-back.
Antonio Rosati, Italian footballer
Antonio Rosati is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
26/06/1982
Zuzana Kučová, Slovak tennis player
Zuzana Kučová is a former Slovak tennis player.
26/06/1981
Natalya Antyukh, Russian sprinter and hurdler
Natalya Nikolayevna Antyukh is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles. She won the bronze medal in the 400 metres and a silver for the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Paolo Cannavaro, Italian footballer
Paolo Cannavaro is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back and most recently was the head coach of Serie C club Pro Vercelli.
Kanako Kondō, Japanese voice actress and singer
Kanako Kondō is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She voiced Noel Vermillion in BlazBlue.
Takashi Toritani, Japanese baseball player
Takashi Toritani is a Japanese former professional baseball shortstop, commentator, critic, and coach.
26/06/1980
Hamílton Hênio Ferreira Calheiros, Togolese footballer
Hamílton Hênio Ferreira Calheiros, known simply as Hamílton, is a retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Brazil, he was a member, as a naturalized citizen, of the Togo national team.
Michael Jackson, English footballer
Michael Jackson is an English former footballer who plays as a midfielder. He played in the Football League for both Cheltenham Town and Swansea City. He retired in Bishop's Cleeve in 2013.
Jason Schwartzman, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
Jason Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. A member of the Coppola family, Schwartzman made his film debut in Wes Anderson's 1998 film Rushmore, and has since appeared in six other Anderson films: The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The French Dispatch (2021), and Asteroid City (2023). He also has a co-writing credit on The Darjeeling Limited.
Chris Shelton, American baseball player
Christopher Bob Shelton is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners over his 5-year major league career. Shelton is a cousin of former NFL quarterback Alex Smith.
Michael Vick, American football player
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American college football coach and former professional football player. He is the head football coach for the Norfolk State Spartans. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons and was the all-time leader in quarterback rushing yards at the time of his retirement. Vick played college football at Virginia Tech, winning the Archie Griffin Award as a freshman, and was selected first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL draft. During his six years with the Falcons, he was named to three Pro Bowls and led the team to two playoff runs, one division title, and an NFC Championship Game appearance.
26/06/1979
Ryō Fukuda, Japanese race car driver
Ryō Fukuda is a Japanese former racing driver. He was a Formula One test driver. In the 2005–2006 season, he raced in A1 Grand Prix Japan Team.
Walter Herrmann, Argentinian basketball player
Walter Herrmann Heinrich is an Argentine former professional basketball player. He is listed at 6'9" and 225 lbs. He was a key member of the senior men's Argentine national basketball team that won the gold medal during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
Ryan Tedder, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is the co-founder and frontman of the pop rock band OneRepublic, and has a concurrent career in production and songwriting for other artists.
26/06/1977
Quincy Lewis, American basketball player
Quincy Lavell Lewis is an American former professional basketball player who last played with the pro club Iurbentia Bilbao Basket in Spain. He is currently the Director of Alumni Relations for the Utah Jazz.
26/06/1976
Ed Jovanovski, Canadian ice hockey player
Edward Jovanovski, nicknamed "JovoCop", is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
Pommie Mbangwa, Zimbabwean cricketer and sportscaster
Mpumelelo "Pommie" Mbangwa is a Zimbabwean cricket commentator and former cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he played 15 Test matches and 29 One Day Internationals for Zimbabwe between 1996 and 2002. After being dropped from the international side after the 2002 Champions Trophy, he took up work as a cricket commentator for television, and he has remained in that line of work since. He holds the unique distinction of being the only batsman to have scored exactly the same amount of career runs in two formats with 34 runs each apiece in ODIs and Tests.
Chad Pennington, American football player and sportscaster
James Chadwick Pennington is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. Pennington spent his first eight seasons with the Jets and was a member of the Miami Dolphins in his last three.
Dave Rubin, American political commentator
David Joshua Rubin is an American political commentator, talk show host, YouTuber, and author. He is the host of The Rubin Report, a talk show on YouTube and the BlazeTV network. The program was first launched in 2013 as part of the TYT Network; Rubin left in 2015, citing ideological differences. He previously co-hosted LGBTQ-themed talk shows, including The Ben and Dave Show (2007–2008) and The Six Pack (2009–2012), both with Ben Harvey.
26/06/1975
Chris Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey player
Christopher Ryan Armstrong is a former Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, but grew up in Whitewood, Saskatchewan.
Terry Skiverton, English footballer and manager
Terence John Skiverton is an English former footballer who enjoyed a long playing career at Yeovil Town for 11 years that led him to appear 382 times in all competitions. He then became their manager and subsequently, assistant manager, manager and then assistant manager again. He is currently assistant manager at EFL League One club AFC Wimbledon.
26/06/1974
Derek Jeter, American baseball player
Derek Sanderson Jeter, nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball player, businessman, and baseball executive. A shortstop, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2020; he received 396 of 397 possible votes, the second-highest percentage in MLB history and the highest by a position player. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) and part owner of the league's Miami Marlins from September 2017 to February 2022.
Jason Kendall, American baseball player
Jason Daniel Kendall is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969 to 1980.
26/06/1973
Gretchen Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Gretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party. Wilson followed this album one year later with All Jacked Up, the title track of which became the highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005 release. A third album, One of the Boys, was released in 2007.
26/06/1972
Jai Taurima, Australian long jumper and police officer
Jai Desmond Taurima is an Australian retired athlete who competed in the long jump.
26/06/1971
Max Biaggi, Italian motorcycle racer
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi is an Italian former professional Grand Prix and Superbike motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in World Superbikes, he is one of only two riders to score championships across both disciplines.
26/06/1970
Paul Thomas Anderson, American director, producer, and screenwriter
Paul Thomas Anderson, also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. Often described as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation, he is the recipient of three Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, four BAFTAs, three Critics Choice Awards, and nominations for a Grammy. He is the only person to have won the Academy Award for Best Director and directorial prizes at Europe's three major film festivals: Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival. In addition to those accolades, he won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Paul Bitok, Kenyan runner
Paul Bitok is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who won two silver medals at consecutive Summer Olympics over 5000 metres.
Irv Gotti, American record producer, co-founded Murder Inc Records (died 2025)
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr., known professionally as Irv Gotti or DJ Irv, was an American record producer and record executive. Gotti started off as a New York hip-hop DJ in the 1980s, then becoming an A&R talent scout for TVT Records in 1995 and moved to Def Jam Recordings in 1997. He co-founded the record label Murder Inc. Records with his brother Chris in 1999, which was an imprint of Def Jam. Gotti is credited with having helped discover or sign rappers Jay-Z, DMX, Vita and Ja Rule, as well as singers Ashanti and Lloyd.
Sean Hayes, American actor
Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor, comedian, and producer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained acclaim for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for six Golden Globe Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award.
Matt Letscher, American actor and playwright
Matt Letscher is an American actor, director, and playwright, known for his roles as Captain Harrison Love in The Mask of Zorro and Colonel Adelbert Ames in Gods and Generals. He co-starred in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. He was also Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.
Adam Ndlovu, Zimbabwean footballer (died 2012)
Adam Ndlovu was a footballer, who played as a striker.
Chris O'Donnell, American actor
Christopher Eugene O'Donnell is an American actor. After modeling and acting in numerous commercials as a teenager, he made his film debut in the comedy-drama film Men Don't Leave (1990). Following supporting roles in the films Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and School Ties (1992), O'Donnell had his breakout with a starring role in the drama film Scent of a Woman (1992), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.
Nick Offerman, American actor
Nicholas David Offerman is an American actor, comedian, carpenter, and writer. He became widely known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), for which he received the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy and was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
26/06/1969
Colin Greenwood, English bass player and songwriter
Colin Charles Greenwood is an English bassist and a member of the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays upright bass and electronic instruments.
Ingrid Lempereur, Belgian swimmer
Ingrid Lempereur is a former international swimmer from Belgium. She won the bronze medal in the 200 m breaststroke race at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles at the age of 15.
Geir Moen, Norwegian sprinter
Geir Moen is a former sprinter from Moss, Norway who specialized in the 200 metres. He represented Moss IL.
Mike Myers, American baseball player
Michael Stanley Myers is an American former professional left-handed relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2007.
26/06/1968
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Icelandic lecturer and politician, 6th President of Iceland
Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson is an Icelandic historian and politician who served as the sixth president of Iceland from 2016 to 2024.
Paolo Maldini, Italian footballer
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian football executive and former professional footballer who spent his entire career playing as a left-back or as a centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. As the Milan and Italy captain for many years, he was nicknamed "Il Capitano". Maldini held the record for appearances in Serie A (647), until he was surpassed by Gianluigi Buffon in 2020. He also holds the joint-record for most European Cup/UEFA Champions League final appearances (8) alongside Paco Gento. From 2018 to 2023 he worked at AC Milan as sporting director and is a co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC.
Shannon Sharpe, American football player
Shannon Sharpe is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. He is considered one of the greatest tight ends of all time.
26/06/1967
Inha Babakova, Ukrainian high jumper
Inha Babakova, née Inha Butkus, is a former Ukrainian high jumper who represented the Soviet Union and later Ukraine. She was born in Asgabat, Turkmen SSR. Her personal best is 2.05 metres.
Olivier Dahan, French director and screenwriter
Olivier Dahan is a French film director and screenwriter. His third directed film, La Vie en Rose, was one of the only French cinema films to win two Academy Awards, including the first acting Oscar in the French language.
26/06/1966
Dany Boon, French actor, director, and screenwriter
Dany Boon is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and producer.
Kirk McLean, Canadian ice hockey player
Kirk Alan McLean is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. He played in the style of a stand-up goaltender.
Jürgen Reil, American drummer
Jürgen "Ventor" Reil is a German musician, best known as the drummer for the thrash metal band Kreator. He is one of the only two original members left in the band, although he has left "at least twice" due to personal differences.
26/06/1964
Tommi Mäkinen, Finnish race car driver
Tommi Antero Mäkinen is a Finnish racing executive and former rally driver. Mäkinen was the team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT from 2016 until his departure at the end of 2020, to become Toyota's motorsport advisor.
26/06/1963
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russian-Swiss businessman and philanthropist
Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky, sometimes known by his initials MBK, is an exiled Russian businessman, oligarch, and opposition activist, now residing in London. In 2003, Khodorkovsky was believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia, with a fortune estimated to be worth $15 billion, and was ranked 16th on Forbes list of billionaires. He had worked his way up the Komsomol apparatus, during the Soviet years, and started several businesses during the period of glasnost and perestroika in the late 1980s. In 1989, he became chairman of the Board of Bank Menatep, which he founded. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in the mid-1990s, he accumulated considerable wealth by obtaining control of a number of Siberian oil fields unified under the name Yukos, one of the major companies to emerge from the privatization of state assets during the 1990s.
Mark McClellan, American economist and politician
Mark Barr McClellan is the director of the Robert J Margolis Center for Health Policy and the Margolis Professor of Business, Medicine and Health Policy at Duke University. Formerly, he was a senior fellow and director of the Health Care Innovation and Value Initiative at the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at The Brookings Institution, in Washington, D.C. McClellan served as commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration under President George W. Bush from 2002 through 2004, and subsequently as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2004 through 2006.
Harriet Wheeler, English singer-songwriter
The Sundays were an English alternative rock band. The band's lineup consisted of lead vocalist Harriet Wheeler, guitarist David Gavurin, bassist Paul Brindley, and drummer Patrick Hannan.
26/06/1962
Jerome Kersey, American basketball player and coach (died 2015)
Jerome Kersey was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the Portland Trail Blazers (1984–1995), Golden State Warriors (1995–96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996–97), Seattle SuperSonics (1997–98), San Antonio Spurs (1998–2000), and Milwaukee Bucks (2000–01).
26/06/1961
Greg LeMond, American cyclist
Gregory James LeMond is an American former road racing cyclist. He won the Tour de France three times, and the Road Race World Championship twice, becoming the only American male to win the former.
Terri Nunn, American singer-songwriter and actress
Terri Kathleen Nunn is an American singer and actress. She is known as the vocalist of the 1980s new wave and synth-pop band Berlin.
26/06/1960
Mark Durkan, Irish politician
Mark Durkan is a retired Irish nationalist politician from Northern Ireland. Durkan was the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from November 2001 to October 2002, and the Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) from 2001 to 2010. He contested the Dublin constituency for Fine Gael at the 2019 European Parliament election.
26/06/1959
Mark McKinney, Canadian actor and screenwriter
Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known as a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, which includes starring in the 1989 to 1995 TV series The Kids in the Hall and 1996 feature film Brain Candy. He was a writer on Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986, and returned as a cast member from 1995 to 1997; and from 2003 to 2006, he co-created, wrote and starred in the series Slings & Arrows. He also appeared as Tom in FXX's Man Seeking Woman. From 2015 to 2021, he appeared as store manager Glenn Sturgis on NBC's Superstore.
26/06/1957
Al Hunter Ashton, English actor and screenwriter (died 2007)
Al Hunter Ashton, born Alan Hunter, was a British actor and script writer.
Philippe Couillard, Canadian surgeon and politician, 31st Premier of Quebec
Philippe Couillard is a Canadian business advisor and former neurosurgeon, university professor and politician who served as 31st premier of Quebec from 2014 to 2018. Between 2003 and 2008, he was Quebec's Minister of Health and Social Services in Jean Charest's Liberal government and was MNA for Mont-Royal until he resigned in 2008. In the 2014 election, Couillard moved to the riding of Roberval, where he resides. He was the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. He resigned as Liberal leader and MNA on October 4, 2018.
Patty Smyth, American singer-songwriter and musician
Patricia Smyth is an American singer and songwriter. She gained national attention as the lead vocalist of rock band Scandal and went on to record and perform as a solo artist. Her distinctive voice and new wave image gained broad exposure through video recordings aired on cable music video channels such as MTV. Her debut solo album Never Enough was well received, and generated a pair of Top 100 hits. In 1992, her hit single "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," a duet with Don Henley of the Eagles, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. She performed and co-wrote "Look What Love Has Done" with James Ingram for the 1994 film Junior. The work earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
26/06/1956
Chris Isaak, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
Christopher Joseph Isaak is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game"; he is also known for international hits such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".
Catherine Samba-Panza, interim president of the Central African Republic
Catherine Samba-Panza is a Central African politician who served as Transitional President of the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2016. She was the first woman to serve as head of state in the Central African Republic. Prior to her tenure as acting president, she was the Mayor of Bangui from 2013 to 2014.
Patrick Mercer, English colonel and politician
Patrick John Mercer is an English author and former politician. He was elected as a Conservative in the 2001 general election, until resigning the party's parliamentary whip in May 2013 following questions surrounding paid advocacy, and was an Independent MP representing the constituency of Newark in Parliament until his resignation at the end of April 2014 when a Standards Committee report recommended suspending him for six months for "sustained and pervasive breach of the house's rules". He was Conservative shadow homeland security minister from 2003 to 2007, when David Cameron forced him to resign after he had made remarks about racism which Cameron found unacceptable.
26/06/1955
Mick Jones, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Michael Geoffrey Jones is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as co-founder and lead guitarist of punk rock band the Clash, until his dismissal by frontman Joe Strummer in 1983. In 1984, he formed Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts. Jones has played with the band Carbon/Silicon along with Tony James since 2002 and was part of the Gorillaz live band for a world tour in 2010. In late 2011, Jones collaborated with Pete Wylie and members of the Farm to form the Justice Tonight Band.
Gedde Watanabe, American actor
Gary "Gedde" Watanabe is an American actor. He is known for voicing the character of Ling in the animated film Mulan (1998) and its sequel Mulan II (2004), as well as playing Long Duk Dong in the film Sixteen Candles (1984), Takahara "Kaz" Kazihiro in Gung Ho (1986), and Nurse Yosh Takata in the NBC medical drama ER from 1997 to 2003. He was also an original cast member of the Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific Overtures.
26/06/1954
Luis Arconada, Spanish footballer
Luis Miguel Arconada Etxarri is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
26/06/1952
Gordon McQueen, Scottish footballer and manager (died 2023)
Gordon McQueen was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre-back for St Mirren, Leeds United and Manchester United, in addition to the Scotland national team.
Olive Morris, Jamaican-English civil rights activist (died 1979)
Olive Elaine Morris was a Jamaican-born British-based community leader and activist in the feminist, black nationalist, and squatters' rights campaigns of the 1970s. At the age of 17, she claimed she was assaulted by Metropolitan Police officers following an incident involving a Nigerian diplomat in Brixton, South London. She joined the British Black Panthers, becoming a Marxist–Leninist communist and a radical feminist. She squatted buildings on Railton Road in Brixton; one hosted Sabarr Books and later became the 121 Centre, another was used as offices by the Race Today collective. Morris became a key organiser in the Black Women's Movement in the United Kingdom, co-founding the Brixton Black Women's Group and the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent in London.
Simon Mann, British military officer and mercenary (died 2025)
Simon Francis Mann was a British officer in the Special Air Service (SAS), and later a mercenary. He trained to be an officer at Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Scots Guards. He later became a member of the SAS, and on leaving the military, he co-founded Sandline International with fellow ex-Scots Guards colonel Tim Spicer in 1996. Sandline operated mostly in Angola and Sierra Leone, but public protests against a contract with the government of Papua New Guinea led to the resignation of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, in what became known as the Sandline affair.
26/06/1951
Gary Gilmour, Australian cricketer and manager (died 2014)
Gary John Gilmour was an Australian cricketer who played in 15 test matches and five One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1973 and 1977. He was a part of the Australian squad that finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup.
26/06/1949
Fredric Brandt, American dermatologist and author (died 2015)
Fredric Sheldon Brandt was an American physician, researcher, lecturer, author, and radio host specializing in cosmetic dermatology. Among the first to use botulinum toxin ("botox") and fillers, Brandt was noted for his role in the FDA approval of numerous fillers and botulinum toxins for cosmetic use in the United States.
Adrian Gurvitz, English singer-songwriter and producer
Adrian Israel Gurvitz is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. His prolific songwriting ability has gained him hits with Eddie Money's No. 1 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit "The Love in Your Eyes" and with his own song "Classic", a No. 8 UK hit single, as well as the top 10 UK Rock Chart single "Race with the Devil", with his band the Gun. He also co-wrote the track "Even If My Heart Would Break" from the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack The Bodyguard. His early bands the Gun, Three Man Army and the Baker Gurvitz Army were major influences to the first wave of the British hard rock circuit. Gurvitz also gained notability as a lead guitarist, known for his intricate, hard-driving solos. Gurvitz was placed at No. 9 by Chris Welch of Melody Maker’s "Best Guitarists in the World" list.
Mary Styles Harris, American biologist and geneticist
Mary Styles Harris is an American biologist and geneticist, president of Harris & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia, and owner of BioTechnical Communications, which produced the television documentary "To My Sister...A Gift for Life."
26/06/1946
Candace Pert, American neuroscientist and pharmacologist (died 2013)
Candace Beebe Pert was an American neuroscientist and pharmacologist who discovered the opioid receptor, the cellular binding site for endorphins in the brain.
26/06/1945
Issa al-Haadi al-Mahdi (Dwight York), American criminal, black supremacist, pedophile, convicted child molester, and musician
Dwight York, also known as Malachi Z. York, Issa al-Haadi al-Mahdi, et alii, is an American religious leader, best known as the founder of the Nuwaubian Nation, a new religious movement that has existed in some form and under various different names since the 1960s. The Nuwaubian Nation is identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group advocating black supremacy. Other observers describe the Nuwaubian Nation as "an African-American spiritual movement" that had taken different forms since its inception.
26/06/1944
Gennady Zyuganov, Russian politician
Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov is a Russian politician who has been the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation since 1993 and a member of the State Duma since 1994. He is also the chair of the Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP-CPSU) since 2001. Zyuganov ran for President of Russia four times, most controversially in 1996, when he lost in the second round to Boris Yeltsin.
26/06/1943
Georgie Fame, English singer, pianist, and keyboard player
Georgie Fame is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the only British music act to have achieved three UK No. 1 hits with his only top 10 chart entries: "Yeh, Yeh" in 1964, "Get Away" in 1966 and "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1968.
Warren Farrell, American author and educator
Warren Thomas Farrell is an American author, educator, and activist who has written about gender, particularly men's issues. Initially active in the second wave feminist movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, Farrell was a board member of the National Organization for Women in New York City and authored The Liberated Man (1974), which explored how traditional gender roles constrained both men and women. He obtained his doctorate in political science on the topic in 1974. His role-reversal workshops in the 1970s and early 1980s brought him mainstream attention. Over time, he grew critical of feminism and shifted his focus toward highlighting the disadvantages and challenges faced by men.
26/06/1942
J. J. Dillon, American wrestler and manager
James Morrison is an American retired professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, J. J. Dillon.
Gilberto Gil, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and politician, Brazilian Minister of Culture
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Gil's musical style incorporates an eclectic range of influences, including rock, Brazilian genres including samba, African music, and reggae.
26/06/1941
Yves Beauchemin, Canadian author and academic
Yves Beauchemin is a Québécois novelist.
26/06/1939
Chuck Robb, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 64th Governor of Virginia
Charles Spittal Robb is an American former U.S. Marine Corps officer and politician who served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United States senator representing Virginia from 1989 until 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, Robb sought a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2000, but was defeated by Republican George Allen, another former governor.
Zainuddin Maidin, Malaysian politician (died 2018)
Zainuddin bin Maidin was a Malaysian politician and the former Information Minister in the Malaysian cabinet representing United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government. He was the member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Merbok constituency for one term, from 24 March 2004 to 8 March 2008. In 2018, he quit UMNO and joined Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition government. He was also the former Chief Editor of Utusan Melayu-turned-fierce critic, the oldest Malay language newspaper in Malaysia.
26/06/1938
Neil Abercrombie, American sociologist and politician, 7th Governor of Hawaii
Neil Abercrombie is an American politician who served as the seventh governor of Hawaii from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Billy Davis Jr., American pop-soul singer
Billy Davis Jr. is an American singer and musician, best known as a member of the 5th Dimension. Along with his wife Marilyn McCoo, he had hit records during the 1960's and 1970's with "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In", "I Hope We Get to Love in Time", "Your Love", and "You Don't Have to Be a Star ". Davis and McCoo were married in 1969. They became the first African-American married couple to host a network television series, titled The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Show, on CBS in the summer of 1977, the year "You Don't Have to Be a Star " won a Grammy Award.
Gerald North, American climatologist and academic
Gerald R. North is Distinguished Professor and Holder of the Harold J. Haynes Endowed Chair in Geosciences at Texas A&M University, and previous Head of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. His interests include climate change using simplified climate models.
26/06/1937
Robert Coleman Richardson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013)
Robert Coleman Richardson was an American experimental physicist whose area of research included sub-millikelvin temperature studies of helium-3. Richardson, along with David Lee, as senior researchers, and then graduate student Douglas Osheroff, shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics for their 1972 discovery of the property of superfluidity in helium-3 atoms in the Cornell University Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics.
Reggie Workman, American bassist and composer
Reginald "Reggie" Workman is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey, in addition to Alice Coltrane, Mal Waldron, Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Trio Three, Trio Transition, the Reggie Workman Ensemble, and collaborative projects with dance, poetry and drama.
26/06/1936
Benjamin Adekunle, Nigerian general (died 2014)
Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle was a Nigerian military officer and prominent military figure during the Nigerian Civil War.
Hal Greer, American basketball player (died 2018)
Harold Everett Greer was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1958 through 1973. A guard, Greer was a 10-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Second Team seven times. He was named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and his uniform number was among Philadelphia 76ers retired numbers. Greer is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Robert Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, Scottish politician (died 2020)
Robert Adam Ross "Bob" Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, was a British Liberal Democrat politician and life peer.
Edith Pearlman, American short story writer (died 2023)
Edith Ann Pearlman was an American short story writer.
Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (died 2015)
Jean-Claude Turcotte was a Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal who served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal from 1990 to 2012.
Nancy Willard, American author and poet (died 2017)
Nancy Willard was an American writer: novelist, poet, author and occasional illustrator of children's books. She won the 1982 Newbery Medal for A Visit to William Blake's Inn.
26/06/1935
Carlo Facetti, Italian race car driver
Carlo Giovanni Facetti is a former racing driver from Italy, mainly known for his success in touring car and sports car racing. In his single attempt at Formula One he failed to qualify for the 1974 Italian Grand Prix with a Brabham BT42 run by the Scuderia Finotto team.
Sandro Riminucci, Italian basketball player
Alessandro "Sandro" Riminucci is a retired Italian professional basketball player. His nickname as a player, was "The Blonde Angel", due to his leaping ability. In 2006, he was inducted into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame.
26/06/1934
Dave Grusin, American pianist and composer
Robert David Grusin is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy Award and 10 Grammy Awards. Grusin was also a frequent collaborator with director Sydney Pollack, scoring many of his films like Three Days of the Condor (1975), Absence of Malice (1981), Tootsie (1982), The Firm (1993), and Random Hearts (1999). In 1978, Grusin founded GRP Records with Larry Rosen, and was an early pioneer of digital recording.
Toru Goto, Japanese swimmer
Toru Goto is a former freestyle swimmer from Japan, who represented his native country at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. There he won a silver medal as a member of the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team, alongside Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, Hiroshi Suzuki and Teijiro Tanikawa.
26/06/1933
Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor (died 2014)
Claudio Abbado was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera, founder and director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, founder and director of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, founding artistic director of the Orchestra Mozart and music director of the European Union Youth Orchestra. He was recipient of the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize and Senator for life in Italy.
Gene Green, American baseball player (died 1981)
Gene Leroy Green was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and catcher who played all or portions of seven MLB seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals (1957–1959), Baltimore Orioles (1960), Washington Senators (1961), Cleveland Indians (1962–1963) and Cincinnati Reds (1963). A right-handed batter and thrower, he stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg).
David Winnick, English politician
David Julian Winnick was a British Labour Party politician who served 42 years as a Member of Parliament (MP), for Walsall North between 1979 and 2017, he was also the MP for Croydon South from 1966 to 1970.
26/06/1932
Dame Marguerite Pindling, Bahamian politician; Governor-General of the Bahamas
Dame Marguerite Pindling, Lady Pindling, is a former diplomat who served as the tenth governor-general of the Bahamas, from 8 July 2014 to 28 June 2019. She is the second female governor-general of the Bahamas after Dame Ivy Dumont.
Don Valentine, American venture capitalist (died 2019)
Donald Thomas Valentine was an American venture capitalist who concentrated mainly on technology companies in the United States. Born and educated in New York, Valentine first came to California during a brief period of military service, an experience that ultimately led him to remain in the region where he would later shape the venture capital industry. Valentine was the founder of Sequoia Capital, and is a major name for venture investing in Silicon Valley. Valentine was known for a blunt, Socratic investment style that emphasized large markets, early inflection points and humble founders, shaping Sequoia's reputation for discipline in early-stage technology investing. His approach to investing helped establish Sequoia Capital as an influential venture firm, backing companies such as Apple, Oracle, Cisco, Google, YouTube, NVIDIA, Airbnb, and WhatsApp.
26/06/1931
Colin Wilson, English philosopher and author (died 2013)
Colin Henry Wilson was an English existentialist philosopher-novelist. He also wrote widely on true crime, mysticism and the paranormal, eventually writing more than a hundred books. Wilson called his philosophy "new existentialism" or "phenomenological existentialism", and maintained his life work was "that of a philosopher, and (his) purpose to create a new and optimistic existentialism".
26/06/1930
Jackie Fargo, American wrestler and trainer (died 2013)
Henry Faggart was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jackie Fargo. He competed in Southeastern regional promotions and the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Wolfgang Schwanitz, East German secret police (died 2022)
Wolfgang Schwanitz was a German intelligence official, who was the last head of the Stasi, the East German secret police. It was officially renamed the "Office for National Security" on 17 November 1989. Unlike his predecessor, Erich Mielke, he did not hold the title "Minister of State Security", but held the title of "Leader of the Office for National Security". Following the German reunification, he was active as an author of works that sought to portray the Stasi in a positive light.
26/06/1929
June Bronhill, Australian soprano and actress (died 2005)
June Mary Bronhill, also known as June Gough, was an Australian coloratura soprano opera singer, performer and actress,
Fred Bruemmer, Latvian-Canadian photographer and author (died 2013)
Fred Bruemmer, D.Litt. was a Latvian Canadian nature photographer and researcher. He spent his life travelling extensively throughout the circumpolar regions and to other remote parts of the globe. His works have been centered mostly on the Arctic, its people and its animals. He also conducted research and published on animals in many other areas of the globe. He spoke nine languages and wrote more than a thousand articles for publications around the world, including Canadian Geographic, Natural History, National Geographic and Smithsonian. Fred Bruemmer lived in Montreal, Quebec.
Milton Glaser, American illustrator and graphic designer (died 2020)
Milton Glaser was an American graphic designer whose most recognized works include the I ❤ NY logo, the 1966 Bob Dylan poster, as well as late 1960s publicity posters for the introduction of the Olivetti Valentine typewriter, and logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University, Brooklyn Brewery, among others.
26/06/1928
Jacob Druckman, American composer and academic (died 1996)
Jacob Raphael Druckman was an American composer born in Philadelphia.
Yoshiro Nakamatsu, Japanese inventor
Yoshiro Nakamatsu , also known as Dr. NakaMats , is a Japanese inventor. He regularly appears on Japanese talk shows demonstrating his inventions. Nakamatsu is known as a perennial candidate in Japanese politics, having contested elections regularly since the early 1990s.
Bill Sheffield, American politician; 5th Governor of Alaska (died 2022)
William Jennings Sheffield Jr. was an American Democratic politician who was the fifth governor of Alaska from 1982 to 1986. Sheffield's term in the governor's mansion was marked by controversy including attempts to have him impeached.
Samuel Belzberg, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (died 2018)
Samuel Belzberg, was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist.
26/06/1927
Robert Kroetsch, Canadian author and poet (died 2011)
Robert Paul Kroetsch was a Canadian novelist, poet and nonfiction writer. In his fiction and critical essays, as well as in the journal he co-founded, boundary 2, he was an influential figure in Canada in introducing ideas about postmodernism.
26/06/1926
Kenny Baker, American fiddler (died 2011)
Kenneth Clayton Baker was an American fiddle player best known for his 25-year tenure with Bill Monroe and his group The Blue Grass Boys.
Mahendra Bhatnagar, Indian poet (died 2020)
Mahendra Bhatnagar was an Indian Hindi and English poet. He is seen as one of the significant post-independence voices in his field of poetry, who expressed lyricism and pathos, as well as aspirations and yearnings of the modern Indian intellect.
Fernando Mönckeberg Barros, Chilean surgeon
Fernando Rafael Mönckeberg Barros is a Chilean surgeon, doctor of medicine specializing in nutrition, professor, researcher, and economist at the University of Chile. He is the founder of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology of the University of Chile (INTA) and president of the Corporation for Child Nutrition (CONIN).
Dinu Zamfirescu, Romanian politician
Gabriel Toma Nicolae Constantin "Dinu" Zamfirescu is a Romanian politician, former political prisoner during Communism, BBC reporter, human rights activist, researcher of Communist archives, founder of the National Institute for the Memory of Romanian Exile, and one of the 12 founding members of the Romanian National Liberal Party (PNL) after the 1989 Revolution.
26/06/1925
Pavel Belyayev, Soviet soldier, pilot and cosmonaut (died 1970)
Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev was a Soviet cosmonaut who commanded the historic 1965 Voskhod 2 space mission which saw the first space walk. He had been a fighter pilot with extensive experience in piloting different types of aircraft, and was the first commander of the cosmonaut corps.
Wolfgang Unzicker, German chess player (died 2006)
Wolfgang Unzicker was one of the strongest German chess Grandmasters from 1945 to about 1970. He decided against making chess his profession, choosing law instead. Unzicker was at times the world's strongest amateur chess player, and World Champion Anatoly Karpov called him the "world champion of amateurs".
Jean Frydman, French resistant and businessman (died 2021)
Jean Frydman was a French-Israeli businessman, film and television producer, and a decorated member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. He received the Légion d'honneur for his wartime efforts.
26/06/1924
Kostas Axelos, Greek-French philosopher and author (died 2010)
Kostas Axelos was a Greek-French philosopher.
James W. McCord Jr., CIA officer (died 2017)
James Walter McCord Jr. was an American CIA officer, later head of security for President Richard Nixon's 1972 reelection campaign. He was involved as an electronics expert in the burglaries which precipitated the Watergate scandal.
26/06/1923
Franz-Paul Decker, German conductor (died 2014)
Franz-Paul Decker was a German-born conductor.
Ed Bearss, American military historian and author (died 2020)
Edwin Cole Bearss was an American historian of the American Civil War, tour guide, and United States Marine Corps veteran of World War II.
26/06/1922
Walter Farley, American author (died 1989)
Walter Farley was an American author, primarily of horse stories for children. His first and most famous work was The Black Stallion (1941), the success of which led to many sequels over decades; the series has been continued since his death by his son Steven.
Eleanor Parker, American actress (died 2013)
Eleanor Jean Parker was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films Caged (1950), Detective Story (1951), and Interrupted Melody (1955), the first of which won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She was also known for her roles in the films Of Human Bondage (1946), Scaramouche (1952), The Naked Jungle (1954), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), A Hole in the Head (1959), The Sound of Music (1965), and The Oscar (1966).
Enzo Apicella, English artist, cartoonist, designer, and restaurateur (died 2018)
Vincenzo "Enzo" Apicella, FCSD was an Italian London-based artist, cartoonist, designer, and restaurateur.
26/06/1921
Violette Szabo, French-British secret agent (died 1945)
Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo, GC was a British-French Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent during the Second World War and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her second mission into occupied France, Szabo was captured by the German army, interrogated, tortured, and deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany, where she was executed.
Robert Everett, American computer scientist (died 2018)
Robert Rivers Everett was an American computer scientist. He was an honorary board member of the MITRE Corporation. He was born in Yonkers, New York.
26/06/1920
Jean-Pierre Roy, Canadian-American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster (died 2014)
Jean-Pierre Roy was a Canadian pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in three games during the 1946 season for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was born in Montreal, Quebec.
26/06/1919
Richard Neustadt, American political scientist and academic (died 2003)
Richard Elliott Neustadt was an American political scientist specializing in the United States presidency. He served as adviser to several presidents. His book Presidential Power has been described as "one of the most influential books ever written about political leadership." Thinking In Time: The Uses Of History For Decision Makers won the Grawemeyer Award. His other books include Alliance Politics, Preparing to be President, and, with Harvey V. Fineberg, The Swine Flu Affair: Decision-Making on a Slippery Disease.
Jimmy Newberry, American pitcher (died 1983)
James Lee Newberry, nicknamed "Schoolboy", was an American pitcher in the Negro leagues and in the Japanese Pacific League.
George Athan Billias, American historian (died 2018)
George Athan Billias was an American historian.
Donald M. Ashton, English art director (died 2004)
Donald M. Ashton was an Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning English art director most noted for his work on such films as Billy Budd (1962), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) and Young Winston (1972).
26/06/1918
Leo Rosner, Polish-born Austrian Jewish musician (died 2008)
Leopold Rosner was a Polish-born Australian musician. Rosner, who was Jewish, survived the Holocaust in Nazi concentration camps during World War II by playing his accordion for Nazi officials. This earned the attention of Oskar Schindler, who saved his life by having him placed on his famous list. His story became known after Australian author Thomas Keneally's 1982 novel, Schindler's Ark, was adapted into Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning film, Schindler's List. He appeared in the epilogue of the film at the Schindler's grave on Mount Zion.
Raleigh Rhodes, American combat fighter pilot (died 2007)
Raleigh Ernest Rhodes, who often went by the nickname of Raleigh "Dusty" Rhodes, was an American World War II combat fighter pilot and the third leader of the Blue Angels flight team.
J. B. Fuqua, American entrepreneur and philanthropist (died 2006)
John Brooks Fuqua was an American businessman, philanthropist, and chairman of The Fuqua Companies and Fuqua Enterprises. The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University is named after him, as is the Fuqua School in Farmville, Virginia. He was active in politics for the Democratic Party, serving in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly and serving four years as the state party chair.
26/06/1917
Idriz Ajeti, Albanian albanologist (died 2019)
Idriz Ajeti was an Albanologist from Kosovo and one of the main researchers and authorities on the Albanian language studies of post World War II. He was involved for a long period in the academic life of the University of Pristina, and was a member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, serving as its chairman for seven years.
26/06/1916
Virginia Satir, American psychotherapist and author (died 1988)
Virginia Satir was an American author, clinical social worker and psychotherapist, recognized for her approach to family therapy. Her pioneering work in the field of family reconstruction therapy honored her with the title "Mother of Family Therapy". Her best known books are Conjoint Family Therapy, 1964, Peoplemaking, 1972, and The New Peoplemaking, 1988.
Giuseppe Taddei, Italian actor and singer (died 2010)
Giuseppe Taddei was an Italian baritone, who, during his career, performed multiple operas composed by numerous composers.
26/06/1915
Paul Castellano, American gangster (died 1985)
Constantino Paul Castellano was an American crime boss who succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family of New York City. Castellano ran the organization from 1976 until his murder on December 16, 1985.
George Haigh, English professional footballer (died 2019)
George Haigh was an English professional footballer, mainly known for his association with Stockport County. At the age of 103, he was the oldest surviving former County player, and had been widely attributed for being the oldest surviving former professional footballer, although Arthur Smith was one month older at the time of Haigh's death.
Charlotte Zolotow, American author and poet (died 2013)
Charlotte Zolotow was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of many books for children. She wrote about 70 picture book texts.
26/06/1914
Laurie Lee, English author and poet (died 1997)
Laurence Edward Alan Lee, was an English poet, novelist and screenwriter, who was brought up in the small village of Slad in Gloucestershire.
Sultan Ahmad Nanupuri, Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and teacher (died 1997)
Shah Sultan Ahmad Nanupuri, also known by his daak naam Badshah, was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, teacher and author. He established numerous madrasas in Bangladesh and was the founding principal of Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiah Obaidia Nanupur for seventeen years.
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, European royalty (died 2001)
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was by birth a Greek and Danish princess, as well as a princess of Hesse-Kassel and a princess of Hanover through her successive marriages to Prince Christoph of Hesse and Prince George William of Hanover. An elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, she was, for a time, linked to the Nazi regime.
26/06/1913
Aimé Césaire, French poet, author, and politician (died 2008)
Aimé Fernand David Césaire was an Afro-Martiniquan French poet, author, and politician. He was one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature" and coined the word "négritude" in French. He founded the Parti progressiste martiniquais in 1958, and served in the French National Assembly from 1945 to 1993 and as President of the Regional Council of Martinique from 1983 to 1988. He was also the Mayor of Fort-de-France for 56 years, from 1945 to 2001.
Maurice Wilkes, English computer scientist and physicist (died 2010)
Sir Maurice Vincent Wilkes was an English computer scientist who designed and helped build the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC), one of the earliest stored-program computers, and who invented microprogramming, a method for using stored-program logic to operate the control unit of a central processing unit's circuits. In 1967 he won the ACM Turing Award. At the time of his death, Wilkes was an Emeritus Professor at the University of Cambridge.
26/06/1911
Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American golfer and basketball player (died 1956)
Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She won two gold medals and a silver in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics before turning to professional golf and winning 10 LPGA major championships.
Bronisław Żurakowski, Polish pilot and engineer (died 2009)
Bronisław Żurakowski was a Polish engineer, aeroplane constructor, and glider test pilot.
26/06/1909
Colonel Tom Parker, Dutch-American talent manager, manager and promoter of Elvis Presley (died 1997)
Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker was a Dutch talent manager and concert promoter, best known for having been the manager of Elvis Presley.
Wolfgang Reitherman, German-American animator, director, and producer (died 1985)
Wolfgang Reitherman, also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German-American animator, director and producer. As a member of the "Nine Old Men" at Walt Disney Productions, Reitherman was known for his action-oriented animation.
26/06/1908
Salvador Allende, Chilean physician and politician, 29th President of Chile (died 1973)
Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 29th president of Chile from 1970 until his death in 1973. As a socialist committed to democracy, he has been described as the first Marxist to be elected president in a liberal democracy in Latin America.
26/06/1907
Debs Garms, American baseball player (died 1984)
Debs C. Garms was an American professional baseball player for 12 seasons as an outfielder and third baseman for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals. Garms broke up Johnny Vander Meer's streak of hitless innings in 1938. He won the National League batting title in 1940, hitting .355 for the Pirates despite having played in only 103 games and garnering 358 at bats. Garms' batting title proved very controversial because of his limited playing time. In 1941, he set a then-major league record for consecutive pinch hits with seven, which stood until Dave Philley broke it in 1958.
26/06/1906
Alberto Rabagliati, Italian singer (died 1974)
Alberto Rabagliati was an Italian jazz singer.
Viktor Schreckengost, American sculptor and educator (died 2008)
Viktor Schreckengost was an American industrial designer as well as a teacher, sculptor, and artist. His wide-ranging work included noted pottery designs, industrial design, bicycle design and seminal research on radar feedback. Schreckengost's peers included designers Raymond Loewy, Norman Bel Geddes, Eva Zeisel, and Russel Wright.
26/06/1905
Lynd Ward, American author and illustrator (died 1985)
Lynd Kendall Ward was an American artist and novelist, known for his series of wordless novels using woodcuts, and his illustrations for juvenile and adult books. His wordless novels have influenced the development of the graphic novel. Although strongly associated with his wood engravings, he also worked in watercolor, oil, brush and ink, lithography and mezzotint. Ward was a son of Methodist minister, political organizer and radical social activist Harry F. Ward, the first chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union on its founding in 1920.
26/06/1904
Peter Lorre, Slovak-American actor and singer (died 1964)
Peter Lorre was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and later in the United States. Known for his timidly devious characters, appearance, and accented voice, he was frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner. He was caricatured throughout his life and his cultural legacy remains in the media today.
26/06/1903
Big Bill Broonzy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1958)
Big Bill Broonzy, later known as William Lee Broonzy, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African-American audiences. In the 1930s and 1940s, he navigated a change in style to a more urban blues sound popular with working-class black audiences. In the 1950s, a return to his traditional folk-blues roots made him one of the leading figures of the emerging American folk music revival and an international star. His long and varied career marks him as one of the key figures in the development of blues music in the 20th century.
26/06/1902
Hugues Cuénod, Swiss tenor and educator (died 2010)
Hugues-Adhémar Cuénod was a Swiss classical tenore di grazia, sometimes placed in the haute-contre category, and music educator known for his performances in international opera, operetta, both traditional and musical theatre, and on the concert stage, in character roles where he was particularly known for his clear, light, romantic and expressive poised interpretation of mélodie.
26/06/1901
Stuart Symington, American lieutenant and politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Air Force (died 1988)
William Stuart Symington III was an American businessman and Democratic politician from Missouri. He served as the first secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a United States senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.
26/06/1899
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (died 1918)
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia was the third daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. Her murder following the Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in her canonization as a passion bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.
26/06/1898
Willy Messerschmitt, German engineer and businessman (died 1978)
Wilhelm Emil "Willy" Messerschmitt was a German aircraft designer and manufacturer who designed a number of prominent aircraft for the Luftwaffe and civil aviation.
Chesty Puller, US general (died 1971)
Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was a United States Marine Corps officer. Beginning his career fighting guerillas in Haiti and Nicaragua as part of the Banana Wars, he later served with distinction in World War II and the Korean War as a senior officer. By the time of his retirement in 1955, he had reached the rank of lieutenant general.
26/06/1895
George Hainsworth, Canadian ice hockey player and politician (died 1950)
George Henry Hainsworth was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League, and the Saskatoon Crescents in the Western Canada Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
26/06/1893
Dorothy Fuldheim, American journalist and news anchor (died 1989)
Dorothy Fuldheim was an American journalist and news anchor who spent the majority of her career at The Cleveland Press and WEWS-TV, both based in Cleveland, Ohio.
26/06/1892
Pearl S. Buck, American novelist, essayist, short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1973)
Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker Buck was an American writer and humanitarian. She is best known for The Good Earth, the best-selling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932, which won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, Buck became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China" and for her "masterpieces", two memoir-biographies of her missionary parents.
26/06/1881
Ya'akov Cohen, Israeli linguist, poet, and playwright (died 1960)
Ya'akov Cahan or Kahan was an Israeli poet, playwright, translator, writer and Hebrew linguist.
26/06/1880
Mitchell Lewis, American actor (died 1956)
Mitchell Lewis was an American film actor whose career as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player encompassed both silent and sound films.
26/06/1878
Leopold Löwenheim, German mathematician and logician (died 1957)
Leopold Löwenheim [ˈle:o:pɔl̩d ˈlø:vɛnhaɪm] was a German mathematician doing work in mathematical logic. The Nazi regime forced him to retire because under the Nuremberg Laws he was considered only three quarters Aryan. In 1943 much of his work was destroyed during a bombing raid on Berlin. Nevertheless, he survived the Second World War, after which he resumed teaching mathematics.
26/06/1869
Martin Andersen Nexø, Danish journalist and author (died 1954)
Martin Andersen Nexø was a Danish writer. He was one of the authors in the Modern Breakthrough movement in Danish art and literature. He was a socialist throughout his life and during the Second World War moved to the Soviet Union, and afterwards to Dresden in East Germany.
26/06/1866
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English archaeologist and banker, backer in the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb (died 1923)
George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon,, styled Lord Porchester until 1890, was an English peer and aristocrat best known as the financial backer of the search for and excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
26/06/1865
Bernard Berenson, Lithuanian-American historian and author (died 1959)
Bernard Berenson was an American art historian specializing in the Renaissance. His book The Drawings of the Florentine Painters was an international success. His wife Mary is thought to have had a large hand in some of the writings.
26/06/1854
Robert Laird Borden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Canada (died 1937)
Sir Robert Laird Borden was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Canada, serving from 1911 to 1920. He is best known for his leadership of Canada during World War I.
26/06/1852
Daoud Corm, Lebanese painter (died 1930)
Daoud Corm, also known as David Corm in English, was an influential Lebanese painter and the father of writer, industrialist, and philanthropist Charles Corm. He was a teacher and mentor to the young Khalil Gibran as well as Khalil Saleeby and Habib Srour.
26/06/1839
Sam Watkins, American soldier and author (died 1901)
Samuel Rush Watkins was an American writer and humorist. He fought through the entire American Civil War and saw action in many battles in the western theater. Today, he is best known for his memoir "Co. Aytch" (1882), which recounts his life as a soldier in the 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment.
26/06/1835
Thomas W. Knox, American journalist and author (died 1896)
Thomas Wallace Knox was an American journalist, author, and world traveler, known primarily for his work as a New York Herald correspondent during the American Civil War. As an author, Knox wrote over 45 books, including a popular series of travel adventure books for boys.
26/06/1824
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-Scottish physicist and engineer (died 1907)
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, was a British mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer.
26/06/1821
Bartolomé Mitre, Argentinian soldier, journalist, and politician, 6th President of Argentina (died 1906)
Bartolomé Mitre was an Argentine general, statesman and author. He was President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868 and the first president of unified Argentina.
26/06/1819
Abner Doubleday, American general (died 1893)
Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was his finest hour, but his relief by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade caused lasting enmity between the two men. In San Francisco, after the war, he obtained a patent on the cable car railway that still runs there. In his final years in New Jersey, he was a prominent member and later president of the Theosophical Society.
26/06/1817
Branwell Brontë, English painter and poet (died 1848)
Patrick Branwell Brontë was an English poet and artist. He was the only son of the Brontë literary family, and brother of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne.
26/06/1798
Wolfgang Menzel, German poet and critic (died 1873)
Wolfgang Menzel was a German poet, critic and literary historian, who was born in Waldenburg (Wałbrzych) in Prussian Silesia.
26/06/1796
Jan Paweł Lelewel, Polish painter and engineer (died 1847)
Jan Paweł Lelewel was a Polish military and civil engineer, builder, and painter.
26/06/1786
Sunthorn Phu, Thai poet (died 1855)
Phra Sunthorn Vohara (Phu) (Thai: พระสุนทรโวหาร (ภู่), RTGS: Phra Sunthonwohan (Phu), pronounced [pʰá.sǔn.tʰɔ̄ːn.woː.hǎːn.pʰûː]; 26 June 1786 – 1855), known as Sunthorn Phu (Thai: สุนทรภู่, RTGS: Sunthonphu, pronounced [sǔn.tʰɔ̄ːn.pʰûː]), was a Thai poet. He is often referred to as the "Shakespeare of Thailand." Born four years after the founding of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, he entered royal service as a court scribe during the reign of King Rama II. After the King's death, he ordained as a monk for nearly 20 years before returning to government service near the end of King Rama III's reign. He served as a scribe to Prince Chuthamani, later known as Krom Khun Isaret Rangsan. During the reign of King Mongkut, he was promoted to the rank of Phra Sunthorn Vohara, Chief of the Department of Royal Scribes of the Front Palace, his final official position before his death.
26/06/1764
Jan Paweł Łuszczewski, Polish politician (died 1812)
Jan Paweł Łuszczewski was a Polish politician who was an envoy to the Four-Year Sejm and later the Minister for Interior and Religious Affairs in the Duchy of Warsaw from 5 October 1807 until his death. He was also a Mason.
26/06/1730
Charles Messier, French astronomer and academic (died 1817)
Charles Messier was a French astronomer. He published an astronomical catalogue consisting of 110 nebulae and star clusters, which came to be known as the Messier objects, referred to with the letter M and their number between 1 and 110. Messier's purpose for the catalogue was to help astronomical observers distinguish between permanent and transient visually diffuse objects in the sky.
26/06/1726
Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia (died 1796)
Victor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia and ruler of the Savoyard states from 20 February 1773 to his death in 1796. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until he declared war on Revolutionary France in 1792. He was the father of the last three mainline kings of Sardinia.
26/06/1703
Thomas Clap, American minister and academic (died 1767)
Thomas Clap or Thomas Clapp was an American academic and educator, a Congregational minister, and college administrator. He was both the fifth rector and the earliest official to be called "president" of Yale College (1740–1766). He is best known for his successful reform of Yale in the 1740s, partnering with the Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson to restructure the forty-year-old institution along more modern lines. He convinced the Connecticut Assembly to exempt Yale from paying taxes. He opened a second college house and doubled the size of the college.
26/06/1702
Philip Doddridge, English hymn-writer and educator (died 1751)
Philip Doddridge D.D. was an English Nonconformist minister, educator, and hymnwriter.
26/06/1699
Marie Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin, French businesswoman (died 1777)
Marie Thérèse Geoffrin was a French salon holder who has been referred to as one of the leading female figures in the French Enlightenment. From 1750 to 1777, Madame Geoffrin played host to many of the most influential Philosophes and Encyclopédistes of her time.
26/06/1694
Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (died 1768)
Georg Brandt was a Swedish chemist and mineralogist who discovered cobalt c. 1735. He was the first person to discover a metal unknown in ancient times. He is also known for exposing fraudulent alchemists operating during his lifetime.
26/06/1689
Edward Holyoke, American pastor and academic (died 1769)
Edward Holyoke was an American Congregationalist clergyman who served as the president of Harvard College from 1737 to 1769.
26/06/1681
Hedvig Sophia of Sweden (died 1708)
Hedvig Sophia Augusta of Sweden, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp, was the eldest child of Charles XI of Sweden and Ulrike Eleonore of Denmark. She was heiress presumptive to the Swedish throne from her birth until that of her brother one year later and again from the start of his reign as King of Sweden, in 1697, until her death and the regent of the duchy of Holstein-Gottorp for her minor son from 1702 to 1708. Some sources refer to her as Sofia.
26/06/1600
Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Spanish-born bishop and viceroy of New Spain (died 1659)
Juan de Palafox y Mendoza was a Spanish politician, administrator, and Catholic clergyman in 17th century Spain and a viceroy of Mexico.
26/06/1581
San Pedro Claver, Spanish Jesuit saint (died 1654)
Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary born in Verdú, Catalonia, Spain, who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, Colombia, and ministry to African Americans.
26/06/1575
Anne Catherine of Brandenburg (died 1612)
Anne Catherine of Brandenburg was Queen of Denmark and Norway from 1597 to 1612 as the first spouse of King Christian IV of Denmark.
26/06/1467
Ferdinand II of Naples (died 1496)
Ferdinand II was King of Naples from 1495 to 1496. He was the son of Alfonso II of Naples and the grandson of Ferrante I of Naples.
26/06/1399
John, Count of Angoulême (died 1467)
John of Orléans, Count of Angoulême and Périgord, was the younger son of Louis I, Duke of Orléans, and Valentina Visconti, and grandson of Charles V of France. He was the younger brother of the noted poet, Charles, Duke of Orléans, and paternal grandfather of Francis I of France.
01/01/1970
Agrippa Postumus, Roman son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder (died 14)
Marcus Agrippa Postumus, later named Agrippa Julius Caesar, was a grandson of Roman Emperor Augustus. He was the youngest child of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. Augustus initially considered Postumus as a potential successor and formally adopted him as his heir, before banishing Postumus from Rome in AD 6 on account of his ferocia. In effect, though not in law, the action cancelled his adoption and virtually assured Tiberius' emplacement as Augustus' sole heir. Postumus was ultimately executed by his own guards shortly after Augustus' death in AD 14.