Born on Wednesday, 25th March – Famous Birthdays
On this day, 243 notable people were born on 25th March — spanning from 1252 to 2000. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.
Wednesday, 25th March 2026 marks a date rich in notable births spanning centuries and continents. Among those born on this day was Ozan Kabak in 2000, a Turkish footballer who has represented major European clubs and his national team. The list also includes Alexander Esswein, a German footballer born in 1990, who played in the Bundesliga and brought German football to international platforms. Looking further back in history, the date witnessed the birth of Béla Bartók in 1881, the Hungarian pianist and composer whose innovative works fundamentally shaped twentieth-century classical music.
The historical record extends well beyond modern athletes and musicians. John Barry, born in 1745, became an Irish-American naval officer and earned recognition as the father of the American navy, playing a crucial role in establishing naval traditions that persisted throughout subsequent centuries. Notable figures from earlier periods include Catherine of Siena, born in 1347, an Italian philosopher and theologian who became canonised for her spiritual contributions and intellectual rigour.
On this date, the weather conditions and astronomical positioning create a specific atmospheric context. The waxing gibbous moon phase illuminates the night sky, whilst those born fall under the Aries zodiac sign. The prevailing weather conditions for this Wednesday in March typically reflect the seasonal transition with variable conditions characteristic of spring in the northern hemisphere.
DayAtlas provides comprehensive information about weather patterns, significant events, notable births and deaths for any chosen date and location, enabling users to explore historical context and atmospheric conditions simultaneously.
Discover who was born today 1st April.
25/03/2000
Ozan Kabak, Turkish footballer
Ozan Muhammed Kabak is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim and the Turkey national team.
25/03/1999
Mikey Madison, American actress
Mikaela "Mikey" Madison Rosberg is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award and BAFTA Award, in addition to nominations for two Actor Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.
25/03/1994
Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier
Justine Dufour-Lapointe is a Canadian freestyle and freeride skier. She was the Olympic champion in the moguls event at the 2014 Winter Olympics and won a silver medal in moguls at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The gold and silver she and her sister Chloe Dufour-Lapointe won in 2014 was the first time that Canadian sisters stood together on the podium, and the fourth time ever by all nations. In winning the Olympics, she became the youngest freestyle skiing Olympic champion ever at nineteen years of age. Dufour-Lapointe was the FIS World Cup rookie of the year for the 2010–11 season. Dufour-Lapointe was the world champion in moguls at the 2015 World Championships has also won a silver and two other bronze medals in the moguls event at the Freestyle World Ski Championships.
25/03/1993
Jacob Gagan, Australian rugby league player
Jacob Gagan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup.
Sam Johnstone, English footballer
Samuel Luke Johnstone is an English professional footballer who plays as goalkeeper for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the England national team.
25/03/1992
Meg Lanning, Australian cricketer
Meghann Moira Lanning is an Australian cricketer who formerly captained the national women's team. Lanning has been a member of seven successful world championship campaigns, winning two Women's Cricket World Cup and five ICC Women's World Twenty20 titles. She holds the record for the most Women's One Day International centuries and is the first Australian to score 2,000 Twenty20 International runs.
25/03/1991
Scott Malone, English footballer
Scott Liam Malone is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back or left-sided midfielder. He currently plays for Crawley Town.
25/03/1990
Mehmet Ekici, Turkish footballer
Mehmet Ekici is a professional footballer who most recently played as a central midfielder for Fenerbahçe.
Alexander Esswein, German footballer
Alexander Esswein is a German professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Oberliga Baden-Württemberg club VfR Mannheim.
25/03/1989
Aly Michalka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Alyson Renae Michalka is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka rose to prominence with her starring role as Keely Teslow in the Disney Channel sitcom Phil of the Future (2004–2006). She went on to appear in various films, such as Bandslam (2009), Easy A (2010), The Roommate (2011), Grown Ups 2 (2013), Sequoia (2014), Weepah Way for Now (2015), and The Lears (2017). She had starring roles in The CW comedy drama series Hellcats (2010–2011) and the CW crime drama series iZombie (2015–2019), along with the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, Sand Dollar Cove (2021).
Scott Sinclair, English footballer
Scott Andrew Sinclair is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger. He represented England at youth level, from the under-17s to the under-21s, and also played for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
25/03/1988
Big Sean, American rapper, singer and songwriter
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popularity following the release of his third mixtape, Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big (2010). His first two studio albums, Finally Famous (2011) and Hall of Fame (2013), both peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "My Last", "Marvin & Chardonnay", "Dance (Ass)", and "Beware".
Ryan Lewis, American music producer
Ryan Scott Lewis is an American musician and record producer based in Seattle, Washington. Along with producing his own album, Instrumentals, Lewis produced the recordings The VS. EP (2009), The Heist (2012), and This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016) as part of the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. He also directed 12 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis videos.
Mitchell Watt, Australian long jumper
Mitchell Watt is an Australian track & field athlete. His main event is the long jump and holds the current Oceania record for the long jump – 8.54m. He was the first ever Australian long jump medalist at a World Championship and was the silver medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Arthur Zeiler, German rugby player
Arthur Zeiler is a German international rugby union player, playing for the Heidelberger RK in the Rugby-Bundesliga and the German national rugby union team.
25/03/1987
Jacob Bagersted, Danish handball player
Jacob Bagersted is a Danish handballer, currently playing for Danish side SønderjyskE Håndbold. He has previously played for German sides SC Magdeburg and Frisch Auf Göppingen.
Victor Obinna, Nigerian footballer
Victor Nsofor Obinna is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Nobunari Oda, Japanese figure skater
Nobunari Oda is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater. He is the 2006 Four Continents champion, a four-time Grand Prix Final medalist, the 2005 World Junior champion and the 2008 Japanese national champion.
Hyun-jin Ryu, South Korean baseball player
Hyun-jin Ryu is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.
25/03/1986
Marco Belinelli, Italian basketball player
Marco Stefano Belinelli is an Italian former professional basketball player. He was selected 18th overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. In 2014, he won the NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first Italian player to do so. He won the Three-Point Contest during the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend. He played in the 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 editions of the FIBA EuroBasket and the 2006 and 2019 editions of the FIBA World Championship with the Italian national basketball team.
Megan Gibson, American softball player
Megan Lynn Gibson-Loftin is an American former collegiate All-American, professional softball pitcher and current director of softball operations for Twelve Softball. She is also the former pitching coach at Houston. Gibson-Loftin played college softball for Texas A&M where she is the career leader in offense walks and led them to a runner-up finish at the 2008 Women's College World Series. She also ranks top-10 in the latter category and home runs in the Big 12 Conference. She was selected by the Philadelphia Force as the second overall pick in the 2008 NPF Draft, eventually playing for four seasons. After the Force folded she was picked up by the Tennessee Diamonds in 2010.
Kyle Lowry, American basketball player
Kyle Terrell Lowry is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time All-Star, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2016 and won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, their first and only title in franchise history. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Raptors players of all time due to his work with turning the franchise around, from the post-Chris Bosh era to their first-ever championship in 2019. As starting point guard, Lowry played an integral role in the Raptors' success from 2012 to 2021. Lowry was also a member of the U.S. national team that won a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Mickey Paea, Australian rugby league player
Mickey Paea is a former Tonga international rugby league footballer who played as a prop.
25/03/1985
Carmen Rasmusen, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and actress
Carmen Rasmusen Herbert is a Canadian-American country music artist who ranked sixth on the second season of American Idol in 2003. Rasmusen also plays piano and guitar.
Diana Rennik, Estonian figure skater
Diana Rennik is an Estonian former competitive pair skater. She competed with Aleksei Saks. Together, they are the four times Estonian national champions. They placed 17th at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
25/03/1984
Katharine McPhee, American singer-songwriter and actress
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American actress and singer. In May 2006, she was the runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol.
Liam Messam, New Zealand rugby player
Liam Justin Messam is a retired New Zealand rugby union player who played in the TOP14 for RC Toulonnais. In Super Rugby, he previously played for the Chiefs, and for Waikato in the ITM Cup. Messam predominantly plays as a blindside flanker but can fill in at Number 8 as well as openside flanker. After the retirement of then Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina, Messam was named the team's new co-captain from 2012 onwards, alongside Aaron Cruden.
25/03/1983
Mickaël Hanany, French high jumper
Mickaël Hanany is a French high jumper. His biggest success to date is winning the bronze medal at the 2012 European Championships in Helsinki.
25/03/1982
Danica Patrick, American race car driver
Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racing driver who competed in the IndyCar Series from 2005 to 2011 and the NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 to 2018. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel car racing—her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in IndyCar.
Álvaro Saborío, Costa Rican footballer
Álvaro Alberto Saborío Chacón is a Costa Rican former professional footballer, who played as a forward. Saborío originally retired in 2017 but returned months later.
Jenny Slate, American comedian, actress and author
Jenny Slate is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer. After early acting and stand-up roles on television, Slate gained recognition for her live variety shows in New York City and for co-creating the children's short film and book series Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2010–2014) with Dean Fleischer Camp, to whom she was married from 2012 to 2016. Slate became more widely known as a cast member on the 35th season of Saturday Night Live in 2009, followed by her roles in the sitcoms Bob's Burgers (2012–present), Parks and Recreation (2013–2015), House of Lies (2013–2015), and Kroll Show (2013–2015).
25/03/1981
Casey Neistat, American YouTube personality
Casey Owen Neistat is an American YouTube personality, filmmaker, vlogger and co-founder of the multimedia company Beme, which was later acquired by CNN. In 2018, he founded 368, a creative space for creators to collaborate with each other.
25/03/1980
Kathrine Sørland, Norwegian fashion model and television presenter
Kathrine Sørland is a Norwegian fashion model, tv host and beauty pageant titleholder who has competed at Miss World and Miss Universe beauty pageants.
25/03/1979
Nate Bargatze, American stand-up comedian and actor
Nathanael Bargatze is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has been called a clean comedian, and has been noted for his deadpan, monotone delivery. Bargatze was the highest-grossing stand-up comic in 2024, with over a million tickets sold across his shows.
Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, French sprinter
Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, née Muriel Hurtis, is a French track and field athlete. She came to prominence in 2002 when she won the 200 m gold medals at both the European Indoor Championships and the European Athletics Championships. The following year she added the World Indoor title and won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and a gold in the 4 × 100 metres relay with France.
25/03/1978
Gennaro Delvecchio, Italian footballer
Gennaro Delvecchio is an Italian football official and a former player who played as a midfielder. He works as the head of youth development at Bari.
Teddy Lussi-Modeste, French film director, screenwriter and literature teacher
Teddy Lussi-Modeste is a French Romani film director, screenwriter and literature teacher. He wrote and directed the films Jimmy Rivière (2011), The Price of Success (2017), and The Good Teacher (2024).
25/03/1977
Natalie Clein, English cellist and educator
Natalie Clein is a British classical cellist. Her mother is a professional violinist. Her sister is the actress Louisa Clein.
Andrew Lindsay, Scottish rower
Andrew James Ronald Lindsay is a British Olympic gold medal-winning rower and former co-CEO of Telecom Plus, which owns Utility Warehouse.
25/03/1976
Francie Bellew, Irish footballer
Francis "Francie" Bellew is a Gaelic footballer who played for the Armagh county team. He has won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal, five Ulster Championships and a National League title with the county. He was also awarded an All Star for his performances in 2003.
Lars Figura, German sprinter
Lars Figura is a former German sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres.
Wladimir Klitschko, Ukrainian boxer
Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. He held multiple heavyweight world championships between 2000 and 2015, including unified titles between 2008 and 2015. During this time he also held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) and Ring magazine titles.
Rima Wakarua, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
Rima Shane Wakarua-Noema is a former professional rugby union footballer and coach. He played as a fly-half for North Harbour in New Zealand before moving to Italy in 1999, where he played for Leonessa, Gran Parma, I Cavalieri and Unione Rugby Prato Sesto. During his time there, he became a naturalised citizen and was called up to the Italy national team for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
25/03/1975
Ladislav Benýšek, Czech ice hockey player
Ladislav Benýšek is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 161 games in the National Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild between 1997 and 2003. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1992 to 2013, was mainly spent in various European leagues. Internationally Benýšek played for the Czech national team at three World Championships, winning gold in both 1999 and 2000.
Melanie Blatt, English singer-songwriter and actress
Melanie Ruth Blatt is an English singer. She rose to fame in 1997 as a member of the girl group All Saints. The group have gained five UK number-one singles, two multi-platinum albums and two BRIT Awards, and have sold over 10 million records worldwide.
Erika Heynatz, Papua New Guinean-Australian model and actress
Erika Heynatz is an Australian model, actress, singer, and television personality. She joined long-running Australian TV series Home and Away in June 2015, as villainous biology teacher Charlotte King.
25/03/1974
Serge Betsen, Cameroonian-French rugby player
Serge Betsen Tchoua is a former French rugby union player who played as a flanker for London Wasps and Biarritz at club level and for France internationally.
Lark Voorhies, American actress and singer
Lark Voorhies is an American actress. She played Lisa Turtle on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell (1989–1993) and was nominated for the Young Artist Award six times, winning in 1990 and 1993 for her work on the show.
25/03/1973
Michaela Dorfmeister, Austrian skier
Michaela Dorfmeister is an Austrian former alpine ski racer who competed in the Olympic Games and World Cup. Her specialities were both the downhill and the super-G disciplines, although she skied in and had success in giant slalom.
Anders Fridén, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
Pär Anders Fridén is a Swedish vocalist, best known as the lead singer of the heavy metal band In Flames. He was also the vocalist of Dark Tranquillity and side project Passenger.
Bob Sura, American basketball player
Robert Sura Jr. is an American World Series of Poker player and former professional basketball player who played ten seasons for five different teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). At 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 200 pounds (91 kg), he played as a shooting guard and point guard.
25/03/1972
Naftali Bennett, Israeli politician, 13th Prime Minister of Israel
Naftali Bennett is an Israeli politician and businessman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 13 June 2021 to 30 June 2022, and as the alternate prime minister from 1 July to 8 November 2022. Bennett was the leader of the New Right party from 2018 to 2022, having previously led the religious Zionist and far-right political party The Jewish Home between 2012 and 2018.
Giniel de Villiers, South African racing driver
Giniel de Villiers is a South African racing and rally driver, best known for winning the 2009 Dakar Rally.
Phil O'Donnell, Scottish footballer (died 2007)
Philip O'Donnell was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Motherwell, Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday. He also earned one international cap for Scotland and twice won the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award. He died after suffering cardiac arrest while playing for Motherwell against Dundee United on 29 December 2007, aged 35.
25/03/1971
Stacy Dragila, American pole vaulter and coach
Stacy Renée Mikaelson, married Stacy Renée Dragila, is a former American pole vaulter. She is an Olympic gold medalist and a multiple-time world champion.
Cammi Granato, American ice hockey player and sportscaster
Catherine Michelle Granato is an American former ice hockey player and one of the first women to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2010. She currently works as an assistant general manager for the Vancouver Canucks organization. Granato was the captain of the U.S. women's hockey team that won a gold medal in the 1998 Winter Olympics. She is the younger sister of former NHL player Tony Granato and former Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato, and a graduate of Providence College. Granato played hockey for Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Sheryl Swoopes, American basketball player and coach
Sheryl Denise Swoopes is an American former professional basketball player. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA, is a three-time WNBA MVP, and was named one of the league's Top 15 Players of All Time at the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game. Swoopes has won three Olympic gold medals and is one of eleven women's basketball players to have won an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2017, she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
25/03/1970
Magnus Larsson, Swedish tennis player
Per Henrik Magnus Larsson is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.
25/03/1969
George Chlitsios, Greek conductor and composer
George Chlitsios is a Greek conductor and composer.
Dale Davis, American basketball player
Elliott Lydell "Dale" Davis is an American former professional basketball player who played center and power forward.
Cathy Dennis, English singer-songwriter, record producer and actress
Catherine Dennis is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. She was discovered as a teenager by music manager Simon Fuller, which led to her featuring on the hit dance single "C'mon and Get My Love" with D Mob in 1989.
Jeffrey Walker, English singer-songwriter and bass player
Jeffrey Walker is an English musician, best known as the bassist and lead vocalist of extreme metal band Carcass, for which he also serves as the primary lyricist. Before Carcass, he played in English thrashcore band Electro Hippies as guitarist and vocalist. After the initial demise of Carcass, he went on to form the hard rock band Blackstar with two former Carcass bandmates, and joined American grindcore supergroup, Brujeria. Loudwire placed him at number 22 on their list of Top 25 Extreme Metal Vocalists.
25/03/1967
Matthew Barney, American sculptor and photographer
Matthew Barney is an American contemporary artist and film director who works in the fields of sculpture, film, photography and drawing. His works explore connections among geography, biology, geology and mythology as well as notable themes of sex, intercourse, the human body, and conflict. His early pieces were sculptural installations combined with performance and video. Between 1994 and 2002, he created The Cremaster Cycle, a series of five films described by Jonathan Jones in The Guardian as "one of the most imaginative and brilliant achievements in the history of avant-garde cinema." He is also known for his projects Drawing Restraint 9 (2005), River of Fundament (2014) and Redoubt (2018).
Doug Stanhope, American comedian and actor
Doug Stanhope is an American stand-up comedian, author, actor, political activist and podcast host. His stand-up material consist of profane and confrontational observations of life.
Debi Thomas, American figure skater and physician
Debra Janine Thomas is an American figure skater and physician. She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. Her rivalry with East Germany's Katarina Witt at the 1988 Calgary Olympics was known as the Battle of the Carmens.
25/03/1966
Tom Glavine, American baseball player
Thomas Michael Glavine is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets (2003–2007).
Humberto Gonzalez, Mexican boxer
Humberto González is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1995. He is a three-time light-flyweight champion having held the World Boxing Council (WBC) title three times and then unified with the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title in 1994.
Jeff Healey, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2008)
Norman Jeffrey Healey was a Canadian blues, rock and jazz guitarist, singer and songwriter who attained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Angel Eyes" and reached the Top 10 in Canada with the songs "I Think I Love You Too Much" and "How Long Can a Man Be Strong".
Anton Rogan, Northern Irish footballer
Anton Rogan is a former professional footballer. His playing career included spells at Lisburn Distillery, Celtic, Sunderland, Oxford United, Millwall and Blackpool. Rogan also played 18 times for the Northern Ireland national team between 1987 and 1996.
25/03/1965
Avery Johnson, American basketball player and coach
Avery DeWitt Johnson is an American basketball television commentator, former player and coach who previously served as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. He is an NBA and college basketball analyst for CBS Sports.
Stefka Kostadinova, Bulgarian high jumper
Stefka Georgieva Kostadinova is a Bulgarian former athlete who competed in the high jump. Her world record of 2.09 metres stood since 1987 until being broken by Yaroslava Mahuchikh in 2024. She is the 1996 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion, and a five-time World Indoor champion. She has been the president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee from 2005 to 2025.
Sarah Jessica Parker, American actress, producer, and designer
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both screen and stage. Her accolades include six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.
25/03/1964
Norm Duke, American bowler
Norm Duke is an American retired professional bowler who previously competed on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour and on the PBA50 Tour. He has won 40 titles on the PBA Tour, including seven major championships, and another six titles on the PBA50 Tour. A member of both the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame, Duke is one of only three players in history to reach 40 career PBA Tour titles. He has bowled 73 perfect 300 games in PBA competition, including the 16th televised 300 game in PBA Tour history on January 5, 2003. Duke is a member of the Storm pro staff.
Buzz Osborne, American musician
Roger "Buzz" Osborne, also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept.
René Meulensteen, Dutch footballer and coach
Reinhard Jozef Petrus "René" Meulensteen is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is currently assistant coach of the Iraq national team.
Ken Wregget, Canadian ice hockey player
Kenneth Lee Wregget is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
25/03/1963
Karen Bruce, English dancer and choreographer
Karen Bruce is a choreographer and director who has worked in theatre and television.
Velle Kadalipp, Estonian architect
Velle Kadalipp is an Estonian architect.
Andrew O'Connor, British actor, comedian, magician, television presenter and executive producer
Andrew Mark O'Connor is an English actor, comedian, magician, and television producer.
25/03/1962
Marcia Cross, American actress
Marcia Cross is an American actress. She acted in daytime soap operas such as The Edge of Night, Another World, and One Life to Live before moving to primetime television with a recurring role on Knots Landing. From 1992 to 1997, she starred as Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place. Cross played the role of the housewife Bree Van de Kamp on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives (2004–2012), for which she was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, and a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She had a recurring role as President Claire Haas on the ABC series Quantico.
David Nuttall, English lawyer and politician
David Taylor Nuttall is a former British Conservative Party politician. He is a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Bury North, having won his seat in the House of Commons at the 2010 general election. He lost his seat to Labour's James Frith at the 2017 general election.
25/03/1961
Mark Brooks, American golfer
Mark David Brooks is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions.
25/03/1960
Mike Aulby, American bowler
Michael Aulby is an American former professional bowler and former member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). He is one of only five PBA bowlers to win both the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year award. He is also the first player in history to complete a career "Super Slam", in which a bowler wins all five PBA Tour major tournaments at least once. He has since been joined in this exclusive club by Jason Belmonte. Aulby owns 29 career PBA Tour titles, currently 9th place all-time, with eight major titles among these wins. He is a member of both the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame.
Steve Norman, English saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
Steven Antony Norman is an English musician who played tenor saxophone, guitar, percussion and other instruments for the English new wave band Spandau Ballet.
Peter O'Brien, Australian actor
Peter O'Brien is an Australian actor, best known for his role as an original cast member in 1985 of Australian soap opera Neighbours as Shane Ramsay. He has also acted in numerous British and American productions.
Brenda Strong, American actress
Brenda Lee Strong is an American actress. She began her career in television, including guest starring appearances in Twin Peaks, Party of Five, Seinfeld, Scandal, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Blossom and Sports Night. She also starred as Mary Alice Young on Desperate Housewives (2004–12).
25/03/1958
Susie Bright, American journalist, author, and critic
Susannah Bright is an American feminist, author and journalist, often writing on the subject of politics and sexuality.
Lorna Brown, Canadian artist, curator, and writer
Lorna Brown is a Canadian artist, curator and writer. Her work focuses on public space, social phenomena such as boredom, and institutional structures and systems.
Sisy Chen, Taiwanese journalist and politician
Sisy Chen or Chen Wen-chien is a Taiwanese journalist, television commentator, writer and former politician. She hosts Sisy's World News, a weekly newscast at the Chung T'ien Television and UFO Dinner, a daily radio talk show at UFO Radio. She was an independent member of the Legislative Yuan from February 1, 2002 to January 31, 2005. Since 2005, she also hosted a political talk show on the Phoenix Television, Jie Ma Chen Wen Qian which focuses on exposing the flaws of Taiwan's democratic system.
María Caridad Colón, Cuban javelin thrower and shot putter
María Caridad Colón Rueñes-Salazar is a former javelin thrower from Cuba who won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics, setting a new record.
John Ensign, American physician and politician
John Eric Ensign is an American veterinarian and former politician who served as a United States senator from Nevada from 2001 until his resignation in 2011 amid a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his attempts to hide an extramarital affair. A member of the Republican Party, Ensign previously represented Nevada's 1st congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999, the only Republican to represent the district. Following his resignation from the Senate, Ensign returned to Nevada and resumed his career as a veterinarian.
Ray Tanner, American baseball player and coach
Donald Ray Tanner Jr. is a former baseball coach at the University of South Carolina. Tanner began this role after leading the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball program for sixteen seasons. He is currently the athletic director emeritus and a senior advisor to the president at South Carolina after being replaced as athletic director by Jeremiah Donati on December 5, 2024.
Åsa Torstensson, Swedish politician, 3rd Swedish Minister for Infrastructure
Åsa-Britt Maria Torstensson is a Swedish politician and a member of the Centre Party. She has a university degree in social work. She was a member of the Riksdag between 1998 and 2002 representing Västra Götaland County. Torstensson was re-elected to the Riksdag in the 2006 general election. On 6 October 2006 she was selected Minister for Infrastructure in the Cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt. After the 2010 general election, she left the cabinet and returned to the Riksdag.
25/03/1957
Christina Boxer, English runner and journalist
Christina Tracy Cahill née Boxer is a female retired middle distance athlete from England. She represented Great Britain at three Olympic Games, in Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 and trained at Aldershot, Farnham & District AC. In Seoul, she finished fourth in the 1500 metres final. She also won a gold medal in the 1500 m at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. In 1979, she became the first British woman in history to run the 800 metres in under two-minutes.
Kanellos Kanellopoulos, Greek cyclist
Kanellos Kanellopoulos is a Greek former cyclist. He competed in the individual road race event at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He was also the pilot and human engine for the 1988 MIT Daedalus project, completing the 72.4 mi (115.11 km) flight from Crete to the Greek island of Santorini in 3 hours, 54 minutes. It is the longest human-powered flight in history.
Jonathan Michie, English economist and academic
Jonathan Michie is a British economist who is president of Kellogg College, Oxford, where he is professor of innovation and knowledge exchange and pro-vice-chancellor without portfolio.
Aleksandr Puchkov, Russian hurdler
Aleksandr Nikolayevich Puchkov was a Soviet and Russian hurdler and Olympic bronze medallist, who competed for the Soviet Union during his career. Born in Ulyanovsk on 25 March 1957, he died in Saint Petersburg on 9 October 2024, at the age of 67.
Jim Uhls, American screenwriter and producer
James "Jim" Uhls is an American screenwriter, best known for writing the screenplay for the film Fight Club (1999), directed by David Fincher. His other major credits include the science fiction film Jumper (2008) and the television film Semper Fi.
25/03/1955
Daniel Boulud, French chef and author
Daniel Boulud is a French chef and restaurateur with restaurants in New York City, Palm Beach, Miami, Toronto, Montréal, Singapore, the Bahamas, and Dubai. He is best known for his eponymous restaurant Daniel, opened in New York City in 1993, which currently holds one Michelin star.
Lee Mazzilli, American baseball player, coach, and manager
Lee Louis Mazzilli is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the New York Mets, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1976 through 1989. He was an MLB All-Star in 1979. Mazzilli also managed the Baltimore Orioles from 2004 through 2005 and coached the Yankees from 2000 through 2003 and in 2006.
25/03/1954
Thom Loverro, American journalist and author
Thomas F. Loverro, is an American sportswriter. He was voted by the National Sports Media Association the Maryland sportswriter of the year in 2009 and District of Columbia sportswriter of the year in 2014.
25/03/1953
Christos Ardizoglou, Greek footballer
Christos Ardizoglou is a Greek former international footballer who played as mainly a midfielder.
Robert Fox, English producer and manager
Robert Michael John Fox was an English theatre and film producer, whose work included the 2002 film The Hours, a film for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
Vesna Pusić, Croatian sociologist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia
Vesna Pusić is a Croatian sociologist and politician who served as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the centre-left cabinet of Zoran Milanović. She was Croatia's second female Foreign Minister taking the office after Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. She is known as an outspoken liberal and an advocate of European integration, anti-fascism, gender equality and LGBT rights.
Haroon Rasheed, Pakistani cricketer and coach
Haroon Rasheed Dar is a Pakistani cricket coach and former cricketer who played in 23 Test matches and 12 One Day International from 1977 to 1983.
25/03/1952
Stephen Dorrell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health
Stephen James Dorrell is a British politician. He served as the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Loughborough between 1979 and 1997 and then for Charnwood from 1997 to 2015, before joining the Liberal Democrats in 2019.
Antanas Mockus, Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician, Mayor of Bogotá
Aurelijus Rūtenis Antanas Mockus Šivickas is a Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician. He has a master's degree in philosophy from the National University of Colombia, and a Honoris Causa PhD from the University of Paris. He is the son of Lithuanian immigrants. He left office as the president of the National University of Colombia in Bogotá in 1993, and later that year ran a successful campaign for mayor. He proceeded to preside over Bogotá as mayor for two non-consecutive terms, during which he became known for springing surprising and humorous initiatives upon the city's inhabitants. These tended to involve grand gestures, including local artists or personal appearances by the mayor himself—taking a shower in a commercial about conserving water, or walking the streets dressed in spandex and a cape as Supercitizen.
25/03/1951
Jumbo Tsuruta, Japanese wrestler (died 2000)
Tomomi "Tommy" Tsuruta , better known by his ring name Jumbo Tsuruta , was a Japanese professional wrestler who wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for most of his career, and is well known for being the first ever Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, having won the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National Championship, and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship, and unifying the three titles. He is also known for being one-half of the first World Tag Team Champions with Yoshiaki Yatsu, having won the NWA International Tag Team Championship and the PWF Tag Team Championship, and unifying the two titles.
25/03/1950
Chuck Greenberg, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (died 1995)
Chuck Greenberg, born in Chicago, Illinois, was an American musical artist, composer and producer.
Ronnie McDowell, American singer-songwriter
Ronald Dean McDowell Sr. is an American country music artist. McDowell charted more than 30 top-40 hits on the Billboard country music charts. Two of his singles – "Older Women" and "You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation" — reached number one on the country charts, while 11 more reached top 10. He has also released more than 20 studio albums, and has been signed to Curb Records since 1986.
David Paquette, American-New Zealander pianist
David Paquette is an American jazz pianist. He has recorded more than 3 albums. Highlights of his career include touring the European jazz circuit, establishing and directing a two-year running annual Jazz Festival on New Zealand's Waiheke Island, and years as the Musical Director for Sydney Australia's IBIS Budget Hotel.
25/03/1949
Ronnie Flanagan, Northern Irish Chief Constable (Royal Irish Constabulary, Police Service of Northern Ireland)
Sir Ronald Flanagan is a retired senior Northern Irish police officer. He was the Home Office Chief Inspector of Constabulary for the United Kingdom excluding Scotland. Flanagan was previously the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) since its creation in 2001 to 2002, and had been Chief Constable of its predecessor, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) until 2001.
Sue Klebold, American activist
Susan Frances Klebold is an American author and suicide prevention activist. Her son, Dylan Klebold, was one of the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Sixteen years after the massacre, she published A Mother's Reckoning, a book in which she reflects on the signs she missed regarding Dylan's mental state and possible motives.
25/03/1948
Bonnie Bedelia, American actress
Bonnie Bedelia is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap opera Love of Life and made her film debut in The Gypsy Moths. Bedelia subsequently appeared in the films They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Lovers and Other Strangers, Heart Like a Wheel, The Prince of Pennsylvania, Die Hard, Presumed Innocent, Sordid Lives, and Needful Things.
Michael Stanley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2021)
Michael Stanley was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and radio and television personality. As a solo artist and with the Michael Stanley Band (MSB), and Michael Stanley and the Resonators (MS&R), his brand of heartland rock was popular in Cleveland, Ohio, and around the American Midwest in the 1970s and 1980s.
25/03/1947
Richard Cork, English historian and critic
Richard Cork is a British art historian, editor, critic, broadcaster and exhibition curator. He has been an art critic for the Evening Standard, The Listener, The Times and the New Statesman. Cork was also editor for Studio International. He is a past Turner Prize judge.
Elton John, English singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor
Sir Elton Hercules John is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting effect on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with the lyricist Bernie Taupin is one of the most successful in history. John was the 19th EGOT winner in history. He has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
25/03/1946
Cliff Balsom, English footballer
Clifford Gene "Cliff" Balsom is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Torquay United. He was born in Torquay, Devon.
Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and author (died 2010)
Daniel Bensaïd was a philosopher and a leader of the Trotskyist movement in France. He became a leading figure in the student revolt of 1968, while studying at the University of Paris X-Nanterre.
Stephen Hunter, American author and critic
Stephen Hunter is an American novelist, essayist, and film critic.
Maurice Krafft, French volcanologist (died 1991)
Catherine Joséphine "Katia" Krafft and her husband, Maurice Paul Krafft were French volcanologists and filmmakers who died in a pyroclastic flow on Mount Unzen, Nagasaki, Japan, on 3 June 1991. The Kraffts became well known as pioneers in the filming, photographing, and recording of volcanoes, often coming within feet of lava flows. Their obituary appeared in the Bulletin of Volcanology. Since their deaths, their work has been featured in two documentary films by Werner Herzog, Into the Inferno (2016) and The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft (2022), and a further film, Fire of Love (2022), depicted their lives, relationship and careers using their archived footage.
25/03/1945
Leila Diniz, Brazilian actress (died 1972)
Leila Roque Diniz was a Brazilian television, film and stage actress, whose liberal ideas and attitudes about sex had raised the discontent of both the feminists and the Brazilian military government of the 1960s.
25/03/1943
Paul Michael Glaser, American actor and director
Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor, director, and writer whose career has spanned five decades. He made his acting debut in the television series Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and went on to have many acting roles, appearing in The Waltons, The Streets of San Francisco, and Kojak. Glaser rose to prominence for his portrayal as Detective Dave Starsky in the 1970s television series, Starsky & Hutch and went on to write and direct five episodes for the show. Following the show's success, he ventured into directing for other series including Miami Vice, Judging Amy, and Las Vegas.
25/03/1942
Robert J. Birgeneau, Canadian-American physicist
Robert Joseph Birgeneau is a Canadian-American physicist and university administrator. He was the fourteenth president of the University of Toronto from 2000 to 2004, and the ninth chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley from 2004 to 2013.
Aretha Franklin, American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 2018)
Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Regarded as the "Queen of Soul", she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.
Richard O'Brien, English actor and screenwriter
Richard O'Brien is a British and New Zealand actor, playwright and singer. He wrote the musical stage show The Rocky Horror Show in 1973, which has since remained in continuous production. He also co-wrote the screenplay along with director Jim Sharman for the film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and appeared on-screen as Riff Raff. O'Brien co-wrote the musical film Shock Treatment (1981) and appeared on-screen as Dr. Cosmo McKinley.
Kim Woodburn, English television host (died 2025)
Patricia Mary "Kim" Woodburn was an English television personality, writer, and expert cleaner. Known as the "Queen of Clean", she came to prominence by co-presenting the Channel 4 series How Clean Is Your House? (2003–2009) and its Canadian version Kim's Rude Awakenings (2007–2009). Woodburn maintained a media career that spanned over two decades and went on to appear on various reality television shows, most notably I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (2009) and Celebrity Big Brother (2017).
25/03/1941
Gudmund Hernes, Norwegian sociologist and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research
Gudmund Hernes is a Norwegian professor and politician for the Labour Party. He was the state secretary to the Secretariat for Long-Term Planning 1980–1981, Minister of Education and Research and Ministry of Church and Cultural Affairs 1990, Minister of Education, Research and Church Affairs 1991-1995 and Minister of Health and Social Affairs 1995-1996 and 1996–1997.
25/03/1939
Toni Cade Bambara, American author, academic, and activist (died 1995)
Toni Cade Bambara, born Miltona Mirkin Cade, was an African-American author, documentary film-maker, social activist and college professor.
D. C. Fontana, American screenwriter and producer (died 2019)
Dorothy Catherine Fontana was an American television script writer and story editor, best known for her work on the original Star Trek series.
25/03/1938
Hoyt Axton, American singer-songwriter and actor (died 1999)
Hoyt Wayne Axton was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. Among his best-known songs are "Joy to the World", "The Pusher", "No No Song", "Greenback Dollar", "Della and the Dealer", "Never Been to Spain", and "Boney Fingers".
Daniel Buren, French sculptor and painter
Daniel Buren is a French conceptual artist, painter, and sculptor. He has won numerous awards including the Golden Lion for best pavilion at the Venice Biennale (1986), the International Award for best artist in Stuttgart (1991) and the prestigious Premium Imperiale for painting in Tokyo in 2007. He has created several world-famous installations, including "Les Deux Plateaux"(1985) in the Cour d'honneur of the Palais-Royal, and the Observatory of the Light in Fondation Louis Vuitton. He is one of the most active and recognised artists on the international scene, and his work has been welcomed by the most important institutions and sites around the world.
Fritz d'Orey, Brazilian racing driver (died 2020)
Frederico José Carlos Themudo "Fritz" d'Orey was a Brazilian racing driver of German and Portuguese descent. He participated in three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 5 July 1959. He scored no championship points.
25/03/1937
Tom Monaghan, American businessman, founded Domino's Pizza
Thomas Stephen Monaghan is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He also owns the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor Charter Township, Michigan, and owned the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1992.
25/03/1936
Carl Kaufmann, American-German sprinter (died 2008)
Carl Kaufmann was an American born West German sprint runner.
25/03/1935
Gabriel Elorde, Filipino boxer (died 1985)
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde was a Filipino professional boxer. He won the lineal super featherweight title in 1960. In 1963, he won the inaugural WBC and WBA super featherweight titles. He holds the record at super featherweight division for the longest title reign, spanning seven years. Elorde is considered one of the best Filipino boxers of all time along with eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao and Pancho Villa, flyweight champion in the 1920s. He was much beloved in the Philippines as a sports and cultural icon, being the first Filipino international boxing champion since middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia.
25/03/1934
Johnny Burnette, American singer-songwriter (died 1964)
John Joseph Burnette was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny, his brother Dorsey Burnette, and their mutual friend Paul Burlison, formed the band that became known as the Rock and Roll Trio. His career was cut short on August 14, 1964, when he drowned following a boat accident, aged 30.
Bernard King, Australian actor and chef (died 2002)
Bernard James King was an Australian stage actor, celebrity chef, and television personality.
Karlheinz Schreiber, German-Canadian businessman
Karlheinz Schreiber is a German and Canadian citizen, an industrialist, lobbyist, fundraiser, arms dealer, businessman, and convicted criminal. He has been in the news regarding his alleged role in the 1999 CDU contributions scandal in Germany, which damaged the political legacy of former Chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl and involves the former Federal Minister of Finance of Germany Wolfgang Schäuble as well as the Airbus affair in Canada, which was linked through allegation to former prime minister of Canada Brian Mulroney. He was extradited to Germany on 2 August 2009, and convicted of tax evasion.
Gloria Steinem, American feminist activist, co-founded the Women's Media Center
Gloria Marie Steinem is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
25/03/1932
Penelope Gilliatt, English novelist, short story writer, and critic (died 1993)
Penelope Gilliatt was an English novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and film critic. As one of the main film critics for The New Yorker magazine in the 1960s and 1970s, Gilliatt was known for her detailed descriptions and evocative reviews. A writer of short stories, novels, non-fiction books, and screenplays, Gilliatt was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971).
Wes Santee, American runner (died 2010)
David Wesley Santee was an American middle distance runner and athlete who competed mainly in the 1,500 meters and mile events.
25/03/1931
Humphrey Burton, English radio and television host (died 2025)
Sir Humphrey McGuire Burton was an English classical music television presenter, broadcaster, director, producer, impresario, lecturer and biographer of musicians. Burton was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to classical music, the arts and the media.
25/03/1930
David Burge, American pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2013)
David Russell Burge was an American pianist, conductor and composer. As a performer, he was noted for championing contemporary pieces. The New York Times called him "one of America's important pianists," and his concerts were described as "an overwhelming experience" presenting "masterful artistry".
Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (died 1982)
Carlo Mauri was an Italian mountaineer and explorer. Mauri was born in Lecco. Among his early climbs in the Alps two stand out: the first winter ascent of the via Comici route on the northern face of Cima Grande di Lavaredo; and the first solitary ascent of the Poire of Mont Blanc. Numerous expeditions abroad followed. In 1956 he reached the summit of Monte Sarmiento in Tierra del Fuego and in 1958, as a member of Riccardo Cassin’s expedition in Karakorum, he and Walter Bonatti made the first ascent of Gasherbrum IV.
Rudy Minarcin, American baseball player and coach (died 2013)
Rudolph Anthony Minarcin [Buster] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1955 through 1957 for the Cincinnati Redlegs (1955) and Boston Red Sox (1956–57). Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 195 lb (88 kg), he batted and threw right-handed.
25/03/1929
Cecil Taylor, American pianist and composer (died 2018)
Cecil Percival Taylor was an American pianist and poet.
25/03/1928
Jim Lovell, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (died 2025)
James Arthur Lovell Jr. was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he, along with Frank Borman and William Anders, became one of the first three astronauts to fly to and orbit the Moon. He then commanded the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970 which, after a critical failure en route, looped around the Moon and returned safely to Earth.
Gunnar Nielsen, Danish runner and typographer (died 1985)
Niels Gunnar Nielsen was a Danish middle distance runner who equalled the world record over both 880 yards and 1500 metres. He represented the Østerbro-based club Københavns Idræts Forening throughout his career.
Peter O'Brien, Australian rugby league player (died 2016)
Peter O'Brien (1928-2016) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played in the NSWRFL premiership for North Sydney as a winger.
Hans Steinbrenner, German sculptor (died 2008)
Hans Theodor Steinbrenner was a German painter and sculptor based in Frankfurt who focused on abstract figures in wood and stone. Many of his works are in public space.
25/03/1927
P. Shanmugam, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Puducherry (died 2013)
P. Shanmugam was the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. He served from 22 March 2000 to 27 October 2001.
25/03/1926
Riz Ortolani, Italian composer and conductor (died 2014)
Riziero "Riz" Ortolani was an Italian composer, conductor, and orchestrator, predominantly of film scores. He scored over 200 films and television programs between 1955 and 2014, with a career spanning over fifty years.
László Papp, Hungarian boxer (died 2003)
László Papp was a Hungarian professional boxer from Budapest. He was left-handed and won gold medals in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, and the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia. In his final Olympic competition he became the first boxer in Olympic history to win three successive gold medals. He won 12 of his 13 Olympic fights without losing a round, dropping only one, in his last Olympic final, to American boxer José Torres. There was not another triple gold medalist for 20 years, when Cuba's Teófilo Stevenson won three, followed by another Cuban Félix Savón as the third of the three men to accomplish the feat.
Shirley Jean Rickert, American actress (died 2009)
Shirley Jean Rickert was an American child actress who was briefly the "blonde girl" for the Our Gang series in 1931, during the Hal Roach early talkie period.
Jaime Sabines, Mexican poet and politician (died 1999)
Jaime Sabines Gutiérrez was a Mexican contemporary poet. Known as "the sniper of literature" as he formed part of a group that transformed literature into reality, he wrote ten volumes of poetry, and his work has been translated into more than twelve languages. His writings chronicle the experience of everyday people in places such as the street, hospital, and playground. Sabines was also a politician.
Gene Shalit, American journalist and critic
Eugene Shalit is an American retired journalist, television personality, film and book critic and author. After starting to work part-time on NBC's The Today Show in 1970, he filled those roles from January 15, 1973, until retiring on November 11, 2010. He is known for his frequent use of puns and his comical "absent-minded professor" appearance, which consists of an oversized handlebar moustache, fuzzy hair, large glasses, and colorful bow ties.
25/03/1925
Flannery O'Connor, American short story writer and novelist (died 1964)
Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries.
Anthony Quinton, Baron Quinton, English physician and philosopher (died 2010)
Anthony Meredith Quinton, Baron Quinton, FBA was an English political and moral philosopher, metaphysician, and materialist philosopher of mind. He served as President of Trinity College, Oxford from 1978 to 1987; and as chairman of the board of the British Library from 1985 to 1990. He is also remembered as a presenter of the BBC Radio programme Round Britain Quiz.
Kishori Sinha, Indian politician, social activist and advocate (died 2016)
Kishori Sinha was an Indian politician, social activist, a lifelong advocate of women's empowerment and a former two-term Member of Parliament from the Vaishali constituency. She was married to the former Chief Minister of Bihar Satyendra Narayan Sinha, who was a seven-term Member of Parliament, from the constituency of Aurangabad. Her son Nikhil Kumar had served as the Governor of Kerala and Governor of Nagaland.
25/03/1924
Roberts Blossom, American actor (died 2011)
Roberts Scott Blossom was an American poet and character actor of theatre, film, and television. He is best known for his roles as Old Man Marley in Home Alone (1990) and as Ezra Cobb in the horror film Deranged (1974). Blossom is also remembered for his supporting roles in films such as The Great Gatsby (1974), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Christine (1983), and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988).
Machiko Kyō, Japanese actress (died 2019)
Motoko Yano, better known as Machiko Kyō , was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with directors Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Kon Ichikawa, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Kōzaburō Yoshimura, Shirō Toyoda and Hiroshi Teshigahara, appearing in films such as Rashomon, Ugetsu, Gate of Hell, Street of Shame, Floating Weeds, Odd Obsession and The Face of Another.
25/03/1923
Bonnie Guitar, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2019)
Bonnie Buckingham, better known as Bonnie Guitar, was an American singer, musician, producer, and businesswoman. She was best known for her 1957 song, "Dark Moon", which was a country-pop crossover hit. She became one of the first female country music singers to have hit songs cross over from the country charts to the pop charts.
Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (died 2003)
Willem "Wim" van Est was a Dutch racing cyclist. He is best known for being the first Dutch cyclist to wear the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification in the Tour de France of 1951, and for falling into a ravine while wearing it.
25/03/1922
Eileen Ford, American businesswoman, co-founded Ford Models (died 2014)
Eileen Cecile Ford was an American modeling agency executive. Along with her husband Gerard "Jerry" Ford, she co-founded Ford Models in 1946, which emerged as one of the earliest and most successful modeling agencies in the mid and late-20th century.
25/03/1921
Nancy Kelly, American actress (died 1995)
Nancy Kelly was an American actress in film, theater, and television. A child actress and model, she was a repertory cast member of CBS Radio's The March of Time, and appeared in several films in the late 1920s. She became a leading lady upon returning to the screen in the late 1930s, while still in her teens, and made two dozen movies between 1938 and 1946, including portraying Tyrone Power's love interest in the classic Jesse James (1939), which also featured Henry Fonda, and playing opposite Spencer Tracy in Stanley and Livingstone, later that same year. After turning to the stage in the late 1940s, she had her greatest success in a character role, the distraught mother in The Bad Seed, receiving a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the 1955 stage production and an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress for the 1956 film adaptation, her last film role. Kelly worked regularly in television until 1963, then took over the role of Martha in the original Broadway production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for several months. She returned to television for a handful of appearances in the mid-1970s.
Simone Signoret, French actress (died 1985)
Simone Signoret was a French actress. She received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, in addition to nominations for two Golden Globe Awards.
Alexandra of Yugoslavia, the last Queen of Yugoslavia (died 1993)
Alexandra was the last Queen of Yugoslavia as the wife of King Peter II.
25/03/1920
Paul Scott, English author, poet, and playwright (died 1978)
Paul Mark Scott was an English novelist best known for his tetralogy The Raj Quartet. In the last years of his life, his novel Staying On won the Booker Prize (1977). The series of books was dramatised by Granada Television during the 1980s and won Scott the public and critical acclaim that he had not received during his lifetime.
Patrick Troughton, English actor (died 1987)
Patrick George Troughton was an English actor. He became best known for his work as a character actor in television, most notably starring as the second incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running British science-fiction television series Doctor Who from 1966 to 1969; he reprised the role three times between 1972 and 1985. Classically trained, Troughton's early work included appearances in Laurence Olivier's films Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955), and he later appeared in genre films including Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Gorgon (1964), Scars of Dracula (1970) and The Omen (1976), as well as the fantasy television series The Box of Delights (1984).
Usha Mehta, Gandhian and freedom fighter of India (died 2000)
Usha Mehta was a Gandhian and independence activist of India. She is also remembered for organizing the Congress Radio, also called the Secret Congress Radio, an underground radio station, which functioned for a few months during the Quit India Movement of 1942. In 1998, the Government of India conferred on her Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
25/03/1918
Howard Cosell, American soldier, journalist, and author (died 1995)
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist, broadcaster and author. Cosell became prominent and influential during his tenure with ABC Sports from 1953 until 1985.
25/03/1916
S. M. Pandit, Indian painter and educator (died 1993)
Sambanand Monappa Pandit was an Indian painter from Karnataka, popular in the school of Realism in contrast to the contemporaneous net-traditionalist Bengal Renaissance and other Indian modern art movements of his time. Most of his subjects oscillated between events from classical Indian literature including the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and the contemporary cinema of his times. He infused a rare blend of artistic virtuosity and filmi glamour to his portrayal of romantic characters like Radha-Krishna, Nala-Damayanti, and Viswamitra-Menaka as also the many heroes and heroines of Hindi cinema. In addition to his critically acclaimed masterpieces he also illustrated many popular film posters, film magazines and various other publications in what can collectively be termed as calendar art. His works remain hugely popular even today. His mythological paintings and calendar art have been collected widely. He is also widely celebrated in the Indian calendar industry for his "realistic" depiction of themes from Hindu mythology. In these paintings he emphasised the physical forms of the heroes, heroines, gods and goddesses in marked contrast to traditional and classical styles of Indian painting. In his paintings, Pandit depicted his subjects as handsome, muscular, valorous men and sensuously beautiful, voluptuous women set in surroundings suggestive of cinema settings and sceneries.
25/03/1915
Dorothy Squires, Welsh singer (died 1998)
Dorothy Squires was a Welsh singer. Her early successes were achieved with "The Gypsy", "A Tree in the Meadow" and "I'm Walking Behind You" by her partner Billy Reid, and "Say It with Flowers" written by Squires with piano accompaniment by Russ Conway. Among her later well-known recordings were versions of "Till", "My Way", and "For Once in My Life". Other notable cover songs included "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening", "I'm in the Mood for Love", "Anytime", "If You Love Me " and "And So to Sleep Again".
25/03/1914
Norman Borlaug, American agronomist and humanitarian, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2009)
Norman Ernest Borlaug was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple honors for his work, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, one of only seven people to have received all three awards.
Tassos, Greek engraver, etcher and sculptor (died 1985)
Anastasios Alevizos was a Greek engraver, etcher and sculptor, who became famous under the name Tassos for his works on significant milestones of the 20th century history of Greece.
25/03/1913
Reo Stakis, Cypriot-Scottish businessman, founded Stakis Hotels (died 2001)
Sir Reo Stakis was a Cypriot hotel magnate, longtime head of Stakis Hotels.
25/03/1912
Melita Norwood, English civil servant and spy (died 2005)
Melita Stedman Norwood was a British civil servant, Communist Party of Great Britain member and KGB spy.
Jean Vilar, French actor and director (died 1971)
Jean Vilar was a French actor and theatre director. He was the founder of the Festival d'Avignon and the Théâtre National Populaire.
25/03/1910
Magda Olivero, Italian soprano (died 2014)
Magda Olivero was an Italian operatic soprano. Her career started in 1932 when she was 22, and spanned five decades, establishing her "as an important link between the era of the verismo composers and the modern opera stage". She has been regarded as "one of the greatest singers of the twentieth century".
Benzion Netanyahu, Polish-Israeli historian and academic (died 2012)
Benzion Netanyahu was a Polish-born Israeli encyclopedist, historian, and medievalist. Born in Warsaw, he served as a professor of history at Cornell University. A scholar of Judaic history, he was also an activist in the Revisionist Zionism movement, who lobbied in the United States to support the creation of the Jewish state. His field of expertise was the history of the Jews in Spain. He was an editor of the Hebrew Encyclopedia and assistant to Benjamin Azkin, Ze'ev Jabotinsky's personal secretary.
25/03/1908
David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1991)
Sir David Lean was an English filmmaker and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of British cinema. He directed the large-scale epics The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Ryan's Daughter (1970), and A Passage to India (1984). He also directed the film adaptations of Charles Dickens novels Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), as well as the romantic drama Brief Encounter (1945).
25/03/1906
Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (died 1994)
Jean Sablon was a French singer, songwriter, composer and actor. He was one of the first French singers to immerse himself in jazz. The man behind several songs by big French and American names, he was the first to use a microphone on a French stage in 1936. Star of vinyl records and the radio, he left France in 1937 to take a contract with NBC in the United States. His radio and later televised shows made him a huge star in America. Henceforth the most international of French singers among his contemporaries, he became an ambassador of French songwriting and dedicated his career to touring internationally, occasionally returning to France to appear on stage. His sixty-one year career came to an end in 1984.
A. J. P. Taylor, English historian and academic (died 1990)
Alan John Percivale Taylor was an English historian who specialised in 19th- and 20th-century European diplomacy. Both a journalist and a broadcaster, he became well known to millions through his television lectures. His combination of academic rigour and popular appeal led the historian Richard Overy to describe him as "the Macaulay of our age". In a 2011 poll by History Today magazine, he was named the fourth most important historian of the previous 60 years.
25/03/1905
Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, German colonel (died 1944)
Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim was a German Army colonel and a resistance fighter in Nazi Germany involved in the 20 July plot against Adolf Hitler.
25/03/1904
Pete Johnson, American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist (died 1967)
Kermit Holden "Pete" Johnson was an American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist.
25/03/1903
Binnie Barnes, English-American actress (died 1998)
Gertrude Maud Barnes, known professionally as Binnie Barnes, was an English actress whose career in films spanned from 1923 to 1973. She was known as a leading lady in films such as The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Last of the Mohicans, and In Old California.
Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (died 2001)
Frankie Carle was an American pianist and bandleader. As a very popular bandleader in the 1940s and 1950s, Carle was nicknamed "The Wizard of the Keyboard" for his piano skills. "Sunrise Serenade" was Carle's best-known composition, rising to No. 1 in the US in 1938 and selling more than one million copies.
Nahum Norbert Glatzer, Ukrainian-American theologian and scholar (died 1990)
Nahum Norbert Glatzer was an Austrian and American scholar of Jewish history and philosophy from antiquity to mid 20th century.
25/03/1901
Ed Begley, American actor (died 1970)
Edward James Begley Sr. was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) and appeared in such classics as 12 Angry Men (1957), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). He was twice nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, including for his portrayal of Matthew Harrison Brady in a television adaptation of Inherit the Wind, a role which, ten years before, had earned him the Tony Award. Additionally, he was a one-time Golden Globe, two-time Laurel Award, and three-time Grammy Award nominee. He is the father of the actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr.
25/03/1900
George Carstairs, Australian rugby league player (died 1966)
George James Carstairs (1900–1966) was an Australian rugby league player who played in the 1920s and represented Australia.
25/03/1899
François Rozet, French-Canadian actor (died 1994)
François Rozet, was a French-born Canadian actor.
25/03/1897
Leslie Averill, New Zealand doctor and soldier (died 1981)
Leslie Cecil Lloyd Averill was a New Zealand soldier who served during the First World War on the Western Front. After the war, he became a doctor and established a private practice in his hometown of Christchurch. He also served as a medical administrator and community leader.
25/03/1895
Siegfried Handloser, German general and physician (died 1954)
Siegfried Adolf Handloser was a German physician and war criminal, convicted for overseeing medical atrocities at concentration camps.
25/03/1893
Johannes Villemson, Estonian runner (died 1971)
Johannes Leopold Villemson was an Estonian runner who competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was eliminated in the first round of the 800 m and 1500 m events.
25/03/1885
Jimmy Seed, English international footballer and manager (died 1966)
James Marshall Seed was an English footballer and football manager.
25/03/1881
Béla Bartók, Hungarian pianist and composer (died 1945)
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hungary's greatest composers. Among his notable works are the opera Bluebeard's Castle, the ballet The Miraculous Mandarin, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, the Concerto for Orchestra and six string quartets. Through his collection and analytical study of folk music, he was one of the founders of comparative musicology, which later became known as ethnomusicology. Per Anthony Tommasini, Bartók "has empowered generations of subsequent composers to incorporate folk music and classical traditions from whatever culture into their works," and was "a formidable modernist who in the face of Schoenberg’s breathtaking formulations showed another way, forging a language that was an amalgam of tonality, unorthodox scales and atonal wanderings." His work is often described as being a combination of traditional peasants' folk music and avant-garde music.
Patrick Henry Bruce, American painter and educator (died 1936)
Patrick Henry Bruce was an American cubist painter.
Mary Webb, English author and poet (died 1927)
Mary Gladys Webb was an English romance novelist and poet of the early 20th century, whose work is set chiefly in the Shropshire countryside and among Shropshire characters and people whom she knew. Her novels have been successfully dramatized, most notably the film Gone to Earth in 1950 by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger based on the novel of the same title.
25/03/1879
Amedee Reyburn, American swimmer and water polo player (died 1920)
Amedee Valle Reyburn Jr. was an American freestyle swimmer and water polo player who won two bronze medals in the 1904 Summer Olympics in his native St. Louis. He played football for Washington University, and by 1905 served as an executive and part owner of the Westminster Automobile Company of St. Louis. A flying enthusiast in the early years of aviation, he participated in a North American coast-to-coast trans-continental flight competition in 1911 that ended in Los Angeles.
25/03/1878
František Janda-Suk, Czech discus thrower and shot putter (died 1955)
František Janda-Suk was a Czech athlete who competed for Bohemia in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics and Czechoslovakia at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
25/03/1877
Walter Little, Canadian politician (died 1961)
Walter Little was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Timiskaming in the House of Commons of Canada from 1935 to 1953. He was a member of the Liberal Party until his death in 1961.
25/03/1876
Irving Baxter, American high jumper and pole vaulter (died 1957)
Irving Knott Baxter was an American athlete, who won the gold medal in both the men's high jump and the pole vault at the 1900 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France.
25/03/1874
Selim Sırrı Tarcan, Turkish educator and politician (died 1957)
Selim Sırrı Tarcan was a Turkish educator, sports official and politician. He is best remembered for his contribution to the establishment of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey and the introduction of the sport of volleyball in Turkey.
25/03/1873
Rudolf Rocker, German-American author and activist (died 1958)
Johann Rudolf Rocker was a German anarchist writer and activist. He was born in Mainz to an artisan family.
25/03/1872
Horatio Nelson Jackson, American race car driver and physician (died 1955)
Horatio Nelson Jackson was a Canadian-American physician, Army medical officer, businessman, and automobile pioneer. In 1903, he and his hired mechanic and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States, a road trip from San Francisco to New York City, with additional miles travelled to his home in Vermont.
25/03/1871
Louis Perrée, French fencer (died 1924)
Louis Léonce Théophile Perrée was a French fencer who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He participated in Fencing at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won the silver medal in the epee. He was defeated by Ramón Fonst in the final.
25/03/1868
Bill Lockwood, English cricketer (died 1932)
William Henry Lockwood was an English Test cricketer, best known as a fast bowler and the unpredictable, occasionally devastating counterpart to the amazingly hard-working Tom Richardson for Surrey in the early County Championship. A capable enough batsman against weaker bowling sides who scored over 10,000 runs in first-class cricket, stronger bowling tended to show flaws in his technique.
25/03/1867
Gutzon Borglum, American sculptor, designed Mount Rushmore (died 1941)
John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Mountain in Georgia, statues of Union General Philip Sheridan in Washington, D.C., and in Chicago, as well as a bust of Abraham Lincoln exhibited in the White House by Theodore Roosevelt and now held in the United States Capitol crypt in Washington, D.C.
Arturo Toscanini, Italian-American cellist and conductor (died 1957)
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his eidetic memory. He was at various times the music director of La Scala in Milan and the New York Philharmonic. Later in his career, he was appointed the first music director of the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1937–1954), and this led to his becoming a household name, especially in the United States, through his radio and television broadcasts and many recordings of the operatic and symphonic repertoire.
25/03/1863
Simon Flexner, American physician and academic (died 1946)
Simon Flexner was an American physician, scientist, administrator, and professor of experimental pathology at the University of Pennsylvania (1899–1903). He served as the first director of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (1901–1935) and a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation. He was also a friend and adviser to John D. Rockefeller Jr.
25/03/1859
Hendrik Wortman, Dutch civil engineer (died 1939)
Hendrik Wortman was a Dutch civil engineer. Born in Amersfoort, Utrecht, he graduated from Delft Polytechnic in 1880 and joined the Rijkswaterstaat. He took offices throughout the country, focusing particularly on questions of water management and hydraulic engineering, until he was seconded to the Ministry of Public Works, Trade, and Industry in 1894. In this capacity, he developed several infrastructure projects, including a harbour in Scheveningen, while preparing exploratory studies for damming of the Zuiderzee.
25/03/1840
Myles Keogh, Irish-American colonel (died 1876)
Myles Walter Keogh was an Irish soldier. He served in the armies of the Papal States during the war for Italian unification in 1860, and was recruited into the Union Army during the American Civil War, serving as a cavalry officer, particularly under Brig. Gen. John Buford during the Gettysburg campaign and the three-day Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, Keogh remained in the regular United States Army as commander of I Troop of the 7th Cavalry Regiment under George Armstrong Custer during the Indian Wars, until he was killed along with Custer and all five of the companies directly under Custer's command at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.
25/03/1828
George Montgomery White, American politician (died 1860)
George Montgomery White was an American politician in North Carolina who was a two-term member of the North Carolina House of Commons from Bladen County.
25/03/1824
Clinton L. Merriam, American banker and politician (died 1900)
Clinton Levi Merriam was a United States representative from New York.
25/03/1808
José de Espronceda, Spanish poet and author (died 1842)
José Ignacio Javier Oriol Encarnación de Espronceda y Delgado was a Romantic Spanish poet, one of the most representative authors of the 19th century. He was influenced by Eugenio de Ochoa, Federico Madrazo, Alfred Tennyson, Richard Chenevix Trench and Diego de Alvear.
25/03/1800
Ernst Heinrich Karl von Dechen, German geologist and academic (died 1889)
Ernst Heinrich Karl von Dechen was a German geologist.
25/03/1782
Caroline Bonaparte, French daughter of Carlo Buonaparte (died 1839)
Carolina Maria Annunziata Bonaparte, better known as Caroline Bonaparte, was an Imperial French princess; the seventh child and third daughter of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino, and a younger sister of Napoleon I of France. She was queen of Naples during the reign of her spouse there, and regent of Naples during his absence four times: in 1812–1813, 1813, 1814, and 1815.
25/03/1767
Joachim Murat, French general (died 1815)
Joachim Murat was a French Army officer and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the military titles of Marshal of the Empire and Admiral of France. He was the first Prince Murat, Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808, and King of Naples as Joachim-Napoleon from 1808 to 1815.
25/03/1745
John Barry, Irish-American naval officer and father of the American navy (died 1803)
John Barry was an Irish-born American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War. He has been credited by some as "The Father of the American Navy", sharing that moniker with John Paul Jones and John Adams, and was appointed as a captain in the Continental Navy on December 7, 1775. Barry was the first captain placed in command of an American warship commissioned for service under the Continental flag. After the Revolutionary War, he became the first commissioned American naval officer, at the rank of commodore, receiving his commission from President George Washington in 1797.
25/03/1741
Jean-Antoine Houdon, French sculptor and educator (died 1828)
Jean-Antoine, chevalier Houdon was a French neoclassical sculptor.
25/03/1699
Johann Adolph Hasse, German singer and composer (died 1783)
Johann Adolph Hasse was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a considerable quantity of sacred music. Married to soprano Faustina Bordoni and a friend of librettist Pietro Metastasio, whose libretti he frequently set, Hasse was a pivotal figure in the development of opera seria and 18th-century music.
25/03/1661
Paul de Rapin, French soldier and historian (died 1725)
Paul de Rapin, sieur of Thoyras, was a Huguenot historian writing under English patronage. His History of England, written and first published in French in 1724–27, was an influential exposition of the Whig view of history on both sides of the English Channel.
25/03/1643
Louis Moréri, French priest and scholar (died 1680)
Louis Moréri was a French priest and encyclopedist. Moreri was the author of Le Grand Dictionaire historique, ou le mélange curieux de l'histoire sacrée et profane. At least 24 editions of the encyclopedia were published between 1674 and 1759 and the encyclopedia was translated into a number of languages, including English, German, Dutch and Spanish.
25/03/1636
Henric Piccardt, Dutch lawyer (died 1712)
Henric Piccardt was an ambitious Dutch lawyer who made good at the court of young king Louis XIV of France in Paris where he became a published poet in French. Returning to the Netherlands, he rose to become syndic of the Ommelanden of Groningen and the untitled lord of the majestic manor at Slochteren, the Fraeylemaborg.
25/03/1611
Evliya Çelebi, Ottoman Turk traveller and writer (died 1682)
Dervish Mehmed Zillî, known as Evliya Çelebi, was an Ottoman Turkish explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, recording his commentary in a travelogue called the Seyahatnâme. The name Çelebi is an honorific meaning "gentleman" or "man of God".
25/03/1593
Jean de Brébeuf, French-Canadian missionary and saint (died 1649)
Jean de Brébeuf was a French Jesuit missionary who travelled to New France (Canada) in 1625. There he worked primarily with the Huron for the rest of his life, except for a few years in France from 1629 to 1633. He learned their language and customs, writing extensively about each to aid other missionaries.
25/03/1546
Giacomo Castelvetro, Italian writer (died 1616)
Giacomo Castelvetro was an Italian expatriate in Europe and England, humanist, teacher and travel writer.
25/03/1545
John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (died 1622)
Hans the Younger was the duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.
25/03/1541
Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (died 1587)
Francesco I was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 until his death in 1587. He was a member of the House of Medici.
25/03/1538
Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (died 1612)
Christopher Clavius, was a Jesuit German mathematician and physicist, head of mathematicians at the Collegio Romano, and astronomer who was a member of the Vatican commission that accepted the proposed calendar invented by Aloysius Lilius, that is known as the Gregorian calendar. Clavius would later write defences and an explanation of the reformed calendar, including an emphatic acknowledgement of Lilius' work. In his last years, he was probably the most respected astronomer in Europe and his textbooks were used for astronomical education for over fifty years in and even out of Europe.
25/03/1510
Guillaume Postel, French linguist (died 1581)
Guillaume Postel was a French linguist, Orientalist, astronomer, Christian Kabbalist, diplomat, polyglot, professor, religious universalist, and writer.
25/03/1491
Marie d'Albret, Countess of Rethel (died 1549)
Marie d'Albret, Countess of Rethel, Countess of Nevers was the suo jure Countess of Rethel, a title which she inherited at the age of nine upon the death of her mother, Charlotte of Nevers, Sovereign Countess of Rethel, on 23 August 1500. She was the wife of Charles II of Cleves, Count of Nevers.
25/03/1479
Vasili III of Russia (died 1533)
Vasili III Ivanovich was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1505 until his death in 1533.
25/03/1434
Eustochia Smeralda Calafato, Italian saint (died 1485)
Eustochia Smeralda Calafato is a Franciscan Italian saint belonging to the Order of the Poor Clares. She is co-patroness of Messina, which is also the centre of her cultus.
25/03/1414
Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford, English noble (died 1455)
Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford, also 8th Lord of Skipton, was the elder son of John, 7th Baron de Clifford, and Elizabeth Percy.
25/03/1404
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, English military leader (died 1444)
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, 3rd Earl of Somerset was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was a paternal first cousin of King Henry V and the maternal grandfather of Henry VII.
25/03/1347
Catherine of Siena, Italian philosopher, theologian, and saint (died 1380)
Caterina di Jacopo di Benincasa, known as Catherine of Siena, was an Italian mystic and pious laywoman who engaged in papal and Italian politics through extensive letter-writing and advocacy. Canonized in 1461, she is revered as a saint and as a Doctor of the Church due to her extensive theological authorship. She is also considered to have influenced Italian literature.
25/03/1345
Blanche of Lancaster (died 1369)
Blanche of Lancaster was a member of the English-French royal House of Lancaster and the daughter of the kingdom's wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. She was the first wife of John of Gaunt, the mother of King Henry IV, and the grandmother of King Henry V of England.
25/03/1297
Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (died 1341)
Andronikos III Palaiologos, commonly Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus, was the Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341. He was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia. He was proclaimed co-emperor in his youth, before 1313, and in April 1321 he rebelled against his grandfather, Andronikos II Palaiologos. He was formally crowned co-emperor in February 1325, before ousting his grandfather outright and becoming sole emperor on 24 May 1328.
Arnošt of Pardubice, the first Bohemian archbishop (died 1364)
Arnošt of Pardubice was the first Archbishop of Prague. He was also an advisor and diplomat to Emperor Charles IV.
25/03/1259
Andronikos II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (died 1332)
Andronikos II Palaiologos, Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. His reign marked the beginning of the recently restored empire's final decline. The Turks conquered most of Byzantium's remaining Anatolian territories, and Andronikos spent the last years of his reign fighting his own grandson in the First Palaiologan Civil War. The war ended in Andronikos' forced abdication in 1328, after which he retired to a monastery for the remainder of his life.
25/03/1252
Conradin, Duke of Swabia (died 1268)
Conrad III, called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin, was the last direct heir of the House of Hohenstaufen. He was Duke of Swabia (1254–1268) and nominal King of Jerusalem (1254–1268) and Sicily (1254–1258). After his attempt to reclaim the Kingdom of Sicily for the Hohenstaufen dynasty failed, he was captured and beheaded.