Born on Saturday, 17th May – Famous Birthdays
On this day, 228 notable people were born on 17th May — spanning from 1155 to 1994. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.
Saturday, 17 May 2025 marks the birth of numerous notable individuals across entertainment, sport and public service. Among those born on this date is Johanna Konta, the Australian-English tennis player who emerged as a significant figure on the professional circuit following her birth in 1991. The calendar also records the birth of Mohamed Nasheed in 1967, the Maldivian lawyer and politician who served as the fourth President of the Maldives and became an influential voice in global discussions on climate change and democracy.
The day has produced an extensive roster of talent spanning multiple decades and disciplines. Contemporary births include musicians, athletes and entertainers who have shaped popular culture and professional sport. Historical perspective reveals that notable figures born on 17 May range from Erik Satie, the influential French pianist and composer who revolutionised modern classical music, to Edward Jenner, the English physician whose pioneering work in vaccination established the foundation for modern immunology.
The entertainment and sports industries particularly feature prominently among those who share this birth date. From classical composers to contemporary musicians, from Olympic athletes to professional footballers, the list demonstrates the broad appeal and talent that has emerged consistently throughout history. DayAtlas shows weather on this day, events, famous births and deaths for any date and location, providing comprehensive historical and biographical information for users researching specific dates.
Discover who was born today 9th April.
17/05/1994
Julie Anne San Jose, Filipina singer-songwriter
Julie Anne Peñaflorida San Jose is a Filipino singer and actress. She rose to prominence after competing in the reality singing competition Popstar Kids in 2005.
17/05/1991
Johanna Konta, Australian-English tennis player
Johanna Konta is a British-Australian former professional tennis player. Konta won four singles titles on the WTA Tour, along with eleven titles in singles and four in doubles on the ITF Women's Circuit. She was British No. 1 and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4 on 17 July 2017. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the French Open.
Adil Omar, Pakistani rapper and music producer
Adil Omar is a Pakistani rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and filmmaker from Islamabad. In addition to being a solo artist, he is also involved in songwriting and production for other artists.
Abigail Raye, Canadian field hockey player
Abigail Raye is a British-born Belgian field hockey player. She has represented Canada and Belgium at international level.
17/05/1990
Will Clyburn, American basketball player
William Dalen Clyburn is an American professional basketball player for FC Barcelona of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. Clyburn attended three colleges, from 2008 to 2013: Marshalltown Community College, University of Utah, and Iowa State University before playing professionally in Germany, Israel, Turkey, and Russia. He was the top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League in 2015–16. Clyburn was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2019.
Fabian Giefer, German footballer
Fabian Giefer is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Currently a free agent, he last played for Würzburger Kickers.
Charlie Gubb, New Zealand rugby league player
Charlie Gubb is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Widnes Vikings in the Super League.
Katrina Hart, English runner
Katrina Hart is an English athlete who won a gold medal for England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games competing in women's 100 m T37. She had competed at the 2008 Paralympics but was forced to withdraw through injury, and has won multiple medals at the IPC Athletics World Championships.
Guido Pella, Argentine tennis player
Guido Pella is an Argentine former professional tennis player. In August 2019, Pella reached his career best world No. 20 in singles. In July 2019, he peaked at No. 55 in doubles.
17/05/1989
Mose Masoe, New Zealand rugby league player
Mose Masoe is a former Samoa international rugby league footballer who last played as a prop for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League.
Rain Raadik, Estonian basketball player
Rain Raadik is an Estonian professional basketball player who plays for Valentino Basket Castellaneta of the Serie C Italian Basketball League. He is a 2.08 m tall power forward and center. He also represented the Estonian national basketball team internationally.
Tessa Virtue, Canadian ice dancer
Tessa Jane McCormick Virtue is a Canadian retired ice dancer. With ice dance partner Scott Moir, she is the 2010 and 2018 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medallist, a three-time World champion, a three-time Four Continents champion, the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final champion, an eight-time Canadian National champion, the 2006 World Junior champion and the 2006 Junior Grand Prix gold medallists. Virtue and Moir are also the 2018 Olympic gold medallists in the team event and the 2014 Olympic silver medallists in the team event. Upon winning their third Olympic gold they became the most decorated Olympic figure skaters of all time. Widely regarded as one of the greatest ice dance teams of all time, they are the only ice dancers in history to achieve a Super Slam, having won all major international competitions in their senior and junior careers. Virtue and Moir are holders of the world record score for the now-defunct original dance.
17/05/1988
Nikki Reed, American actress, singer, and screenwriter
Nikki Reed is an American actress, screenwriter, and entrepreneur best known for her role as Rosalie Hale in The Twilight Saga (2008–12). Reed rose to prominence when she starred in and co-wrote the psychological drama film Thirteen (2003) with Director Catherine Hardwicke, for which she won Best Breakthrough Performance and was nominated for Best First Screenplay at the 19th Independent Spirit Awards.
17/05/1987
Edvald Boasson Hagen, Norwegian cyclist
Edvald Boasson Hagen is a Norwegian former road racing cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2006 to 2024. He was ranked as no. 3 in the world by UCI as of 31 August 2009, when he was 22 years old. He is known as an all-rounder, having won the Norwegian National Road Race Championships in 2012, 2015 and 2016. He is also a ten-time winner of the Norwegian National Time Trial Championships.
Aleandro Rosi, Italian footballer
Aleandro Rosi is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Serie C Group B club Torres. Known for his versatility, he plays as a full-back, a winger along the right flank, offensively and defensively, and for his pace.
17/05/1986
Marius Činikas, Lithuanian footballer
Marius Činikas is a Lithuanian futsal player and former footballer.
Timo Simonlatser, Estonian skier
Timo Simonlatser is an Estonian cross-country skier who has competed since 2005. He finished 27th in the individual sprint at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Jodie Taylor, English footballer
Jodie Lee Taylor is an English former professional footballer who last played as a striker for Arsenal of WSL. She began her club career with local team Tranmere Rovers and had brief spells in her home country with Birmingham City and Lincoln Ladies. A well-travelled player, she has also played abroad in the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden and France.
17/05/1985
Teófilo Gutiérrez, Colombian footballer
Teófilo Antonio "Teo" Gutiérrez Roncancio is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Atlético Junior. He was a Colombian international and captained the country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
Derek Hough, American actor, singer, and dancer
Derek Bruce Hough is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor, singer, and television personality. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series Dancing with the Stars, winning the show a record-breaking six times with his celebrity partners. For his work, Hough received 14 nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography, winning the award 4 times. Hough later became a judge on the series beginning with its 29th season.
Christine Nesbitt, Canadian speed skater
Christine Nesbitt is a Canadian retired long track speed skater who currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. She won the gold medal in the 1000 metres event at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. She had previously won a silver medal in the team pursuit at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. She is also the 2011 sprint champion, 2012 1500 metres world champion, three-time world champion for 1000 metres, and three-time world champion for team pursuit. On 4 June 2015 she announced her retirement.
Todd Redmond, American baseball player
Todd Richard Redmond is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2004 MLB draft and traded to the Atlanta Braves four years later, but never appeared with either team. Redmond was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds in 2012, and made his MLB debut later that year. He later spent three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Matt Ryan, American football player
Matthew Thomas Ryan is an American professional football executive and former player who is the president of football for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback for 15 seasons, primarily with the Falcons. Nicknamed "Matty Ice", he ranks among the league's all-time top 10 in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Ryan played college football for the Boston College Eagles, winning the Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards in 2007. He was selected third overall by the Falcons in the 2008 NFL draft.
17/05/1984
Christian Bolaños, Costa Rican footballer
Christian Bolaños Navarro is a Costa Rican former professional footballer who played as a right winger. After his international debut with the Costa Rica national team in 2005, Bolaños earned over 80 international caps and played at three FIFA World Cups.
Christine Ohuruogu, English runner
Christine Ijeoma Ohuruogu is a British former track and field athlete who specialised in the 400 metres, the event for which she is an Olympic, World and Commonwealth champion. The Olympic champion in 2008, and silver medalist in 2012, she is a double World Champion, having won the 400 m at the 2007 and 2013 World Championships. She has also won six World championship medals in the women's 4 × 400 m relay as part of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team and bronze Olympic medals in the women's 4 × 400 m relay at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2016 Rio Games, her final Olympics. Ohuruogu shares with Merlene Ottey and Usain Bolt the record for medalling in most successive global championships – 9 – between the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Christine Robinson, Canadian water polo player
Christine Robinson is a Canadian water polo player. She is a student at McGill University. She was part of the 7th place women's water polo team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She won a gold medal at the 2003 FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships in Calgary.
Passenger, English singer-songwriter and musician
Michael David Rosenberg, better known by his stage name Passenger, is an English indie folk singer, songwriter and musician. From the 2000s, Rosenberg fronted a band by the same name; he opted to keep the Passenger moniker for his solo work after the band dissolved. Rosenberg is best known for the 2012 song "Let Her Go", which topped the charts in 16 countries and accumulated more than 4 billion views on YouTube. Because Rosenberg was based in Australia at the time of release, it is the most-viewed Australian YouTube video ever. In 2014, the song was nominated for the Brit Award for British Single of the Year, and he received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work.
17/05/1983
Channing Frye, American basketball player
Channing Thomas Frye is an American former professional basketball player. A power forward-center, he played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. He was selected eighth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2005 NBA draft, and was the first college senior to be selected in that draft. He also played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA Championship with the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Chris Henry, American football player (died 2009)
Christopher Henry was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was selected by the Bengals in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft.
Nicky Hofs, Dutch footballer
Nicky Hofs is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his professional career with Vitesse. After retiring, he began working as a youth and assistant coach within the Vitesse organisation.
Kevin Kingston, Australian rugby league player
Kevin Kingston is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a hooker for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Parramatta Eels and the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL) in the 2000s and 2010s.
Danniel Librelon, Brazilian politician
Danniel Librelon Dias de Castro is a Brazilian politician serving as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro since 2019. In 2023, he served as group leader of the Republicans.
Jeremy Sowers, American baseball player
Jeremy Bryan Sowers is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians from 2006 to 2009, and is currently the manager of major league operations for the Tampa Bay Rays.
17/05/1982
Matt Cassel, American football player
Matthew Brennan Cassel is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He was a member of seven NFL teams, most notably the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. Cassel played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. Since retiring, he has served as a television football analyst on NBC Sports Boston, as well as Big Ten and Notre Dame college football games on NBC and Peacock.
Dan Hardy, English mixed martial artist
Daniel Mark Hardy is an English former mixed martial artist who fought in the welterweight division. During his professional MMA career, which began in 2004, Hardy fought in multiple promotions, such as Cage Force and Cage Warriors, before signing a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2008. In 2010, he fought Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, but lost the bout via decision.
Reiko Nakamura, Japanese swimmer
Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer.
Tony Parker, French-American basketball player
William Anthony Parker Jr. is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of LDLC ASVEL of the LNB Élite and the EuroLeague. The son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career at Paris Basket Racing in the French basketball league before joining the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Spurs with the 28th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, and quickly became their starting point guard. Parker won four NBA championships, all of which were with the Spurs. He also played for ASVEL Basket in France during the 2011 NBA lockout, and finished his playing career after one season with the Charlotte Hornets. He retired as the ninth leading scorer and ranks fifth in career assists in NBA playoffs history.
Chloe Smith, English politician
Chloe Rebecca Smith is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich North from 2009 to 2024. She previously served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from September to October 2022 and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology from April to July 2023.
17/05/1981
Beñat Albizuri, Spanish cyclist
Beñat Albizuri Aransolo is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2006 and 2008, entirely for Euskaltel–Euskadi.
Leon Osman, English footballer
Leon Osman is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent almost all of his career at Everton, making 433 appearances and scoring 57 goals. Earlier in his career he spent time on loan at Football League clubs Carlisle United and Derby County. Osman earned two international caps for the England national team, making his debut at the age of 31.
Lim Jeong-hee, South Korean singer
Lim Jeong-hee, also known as J-Lim, is a South Korean singer who debuted in 2005 under JYP Entertainment. One of her notable performances in 2005 was the 5th Pattaya Music Festival in Thailand, which helped promote and expose her to the foreign music industry. She was signed under Big Hit Music in 2012 and left the company in 2015, going on to join her current agency, Oscar ENT.
Chris Skidmore, English historian and politician
Christopher James Skidmore is a British former Conservative Party politician and author of popular history who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire from 2010 to 2024.
Giannis Taralidis, Greek footballer
Giannis Taralidis is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
17/05/1980
Davor Džalto, Bosnian historian and philosopher
Davor Džalto is an artist, art historian, theologian and philosopher of Bosnian-Herzegovinian origin.
Fredrik Kessiakoff, Swedish cyclist
Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff is a Swedish former professional road bicycle racer. Kessiakoff turned to road racing in 2009, having had a successful career as a professional mountain biker for many years, winning the Swedish national championship 4 times, and finishing third at the 2006 World Mountain biking championships. He twice represented Sweden at the Olympics. Kessiakoff retired in 2014.
Alistair Overeem, Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer
Alistair Cees Overeem is a Dutch former professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and was the first fighter to hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time. Overeem is also a one-time challenger for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Ariën van Weesenbeek, Dutch drummer
Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen after his departure from After Forever. Originally formed as a symphonic metal band with gothic influences, Epica later incorporated strong death metal elements into their sound. Starting with their third album, progressive metal influences also became evident. Additionally, the band often incorporates thrash metal and groove metal riffs, black metal elements, power metal sections, and influences from Arabic music. Some songs also incorporate electronic elements, djent transitions, and folk metal melodies inspired by Middle Eastern, Chinese, and Celtic traditions.
17/05/1979
David Jarolím, Czech footballer
David Jarolím is a Czech football manager and former player who most recently managed Ústí nad Labem. A central midfielder by position, Jarolím was known for his stamina, passing and technical skill.
Wayne Thomas, English footballer
Wayne Junior Robert Thomas is an English retired footballer and current football coach. He is currently working as a PE teacher at Haberdashers' Boys' School. In 2015, he was employed as an academy coach at the New York Red Bulls. Thomas played as a defender and has represented twelve clubs, including Torquay United, Stoke City, Burnley and Southampton.
17/05/1978
John Foster, American baseball player and coach
John Norman Foster is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. After retiring as a player, Foster coached summer league and college baseball. From 2017 to 2024, Foster coached in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), for the CTBC Brothers. He currently serves as a minor league pitching rehab coordinator for the Athletics.
Paddy Kenny, English footballer
Patrick Joseph Kenny is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently goalkeeping coach at Matlock Town.
Carlos Peña, Dominican-American baseball player
Carlos Felipe Peña is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman and current broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Kansas City Royals.
Magdalena Zděnovcová, Czech tennis player
Magdalena Zděnovcová is a former Czech tennis player.
17/05/1976
Kandi Burruss, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
Kandi Lenice Burruss, known professionally by her mononym Kandi, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She first gained notice in 1992 as a member of the multi-platinum R&B female vocal group Xscape. As a songwriter, she has received writing credits on the singles "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child, "There You Go" by Pink, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" by Ariana Grande, and "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran. In 2000, she won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for her work on the TLC hit song "No Scrubs".
Shayne Dunley, Australian rugby league player
Shayne Dunley is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, he played in the National Rugby League (NRL) between 1998 and 2007. He played as either a halfback or hooker.
José Guillén, Dominican-American baseball player
José Manuel Guillén is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. Guillén played for ten Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in his career.
Daniel Komen, Kenyan runner
Daniel Kipngetich Komen is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Remembered for his rivalry with Haile Gebrselassie, his most notable achievements came in a two-year period between 1996 and 1998, during which he broke a string of world records.
Wang Leehom, American-Taiwanese singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director
Wang Leehom, sometimes credited as Leehom Wang, is an American singer-songwriter, actor, producer, and film director. His music is known for fusing hip-hop and R&B, with traditional Chinese music.
Mayte Martínez, Spanish runner
María Teresa "Mayte" Martínez Jiménez is a Spanish athlete competing in the 800 m. She has reached 4 consecutive finals in the World Championships, being third with an incredible last straight in Osaka. She took part in 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, being eliminated in the semifinals. She could not participate in 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with an injury.
Kirsten Vlieghuis, Dutch freestyle swimmer
Kirsten Vlieghuis is a former freestyle swimmer from The Netherlands, who won two bronze medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, in the 400m and 800m freestyle competition. She also competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
17/05/1975
Marcelinho Paraíba, Brazilian footballer
Marcelo dos Santos, known as Marcelinho, is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who played as an attacking midfielder.
Alex Wright, German wrestler
Alexander Wright is a German former professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He wrestled professionally in Germany and Japan before signing with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. He is known for his iconic dance to his techno entrance theme song. He remained a prominent mid-card performer during his seven-year tenure with WCW, including reigns as a one time Cruiserweight Champion, a one time World Television Champion and a one time World Tag Team Champion.
17/05/1974
Andrea Corr, Irish singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
Andrea Jane Corr is an Irish musician and actress. Corr debuted in 1990 as the lead singer of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group the Corrs along with her three elder siblings Caroline, Sharon and Jim. Aside from singing lead vocals, Corr plays the tin whistle, the ukulele and the piano.
Wiki González, Venezuelan baseball player
Wiklenman Vicente González is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals in parts of seven seasons from 1999 to 2006. Listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 175 pounds (79 kg), González batted and threw right-handed.
Eddie Lewis, American international soccer player
Edward James Lewis is an American former soccer player and entrepreneur.
17/05/1973
Josh Homme, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Joshua Michael Homme III is an American musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the founder and only continuous member of the rock band Queens of the Stone Age, which he formed in 1996 shortly after breakup of his previous band Kyuss. Homme is the band's primary songwriter and mainly sings lead vocals and plays guitar. He also plays drums in the rock band Eagles of Death Metal, which he co-founded in 1998.
17/05/1972
Barry Hayles, English born Jamaican international footballer
Barrington Edward Hayles is a football coach and former player who played as a striker. Born in England, he was capped ten times by Jamaica at international level.
17/05/1971
Mark Connors, Australian rugby player
Mark Connors is an Australian rugby union footballer. He is currently the Queensland Reds third most capped player ever, playing 134 games for the side. He has played for Australia 20 times, including their victory in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Shaun Hart, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster
Shaun Hart is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Brisbane Bears and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League. Hart played in Brisbane's Lions hat trick of premierships from 2001 to 2003 as well as in the Bears reserves premiership in 1991. He is currently the director of coaching at Port Adelaide Power and has also been an assistant coach.
Stella Jongmans, Dutch athlete
Stella Jongmans is a retired Dutch athlete who specialised in the 800 metres. She won the gold at the 1995 Summer Universiade and silver at the 1996 European Indoor Championships. In addition, she represented The Netherlands at two Olympic Games, in 1992 and 1996.
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Dutch royal
Máxima is Queen of the Netherlands as the wife of King Willem-Alexander.
Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island
Gina Marie Raimondo is an American politician and businesswoman who served as the 40th United States secretary of commerce from 2021 to 2025. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 75th governor of Rhode Island from 2015 to 2021 and was the first woman to serve in the role.
17/05/1970
Hubert Davis, American basketball player and coach
Hubert Ira Davis Jr. is a former professional basketball player and former head basketball coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before his coaching career, Davis played for North Carolina from 1988 to 1992 and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets from 1992 to 2004. He holds the franchise single-season and career three-point field goal shooting percentage records for the Knicks. He is the nephew of Walter Davis, another former Tar Heel and NBA player.
Jordan Knight, American singer-songwriter and actor
Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight is an American pop singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist of the boy band New Kids on the Block (NKOTB), which rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, using a falsetto style of singing influenced by The Stylistics. After New Kids on the Block split in 1994, he launched a solo career.
Matt Lindland, American mixed martial artist, wrestler, and politician
Matthew James Lindland, is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur, and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives, District 52 seat on May 20, 2008. He also started an apparel company named Dirty Boxer. In mixed martial arts, Lindland competed primarily in the Middleweight division for the UFC, Strikeforce. Affliction, the IFL, Cage Rage, the WFA, and BodogFIGHT.
Jodie Rogers, Australian diver
Jodie Rogers is an Australian diver.
René Vilbre, Estonian director and screenwriter
René Vilbre is an Estonian film director
17/05/1969
Keith Hill, English footballer and manager
Keith John Hill is an English professional former footballer and football manager who was most recently manager of National League club Scunthorpe United.
17/05/1968
Dave Abbruzzese, American rock drummer and songwriter
David James Abbruzzese is an American musician who was the drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. He replaced drummer Matt Chamberlain in 1991, shortly before the release of the band's debut album, Ten. Abbruzzese played on the band's following records, Vs. and Vitalogy.
17/05/1967
Mohamed Nasheed, Maldivian lawyer and politician 4th President of the Maldives
Mohamed Nasheed GCSK, also known as Anni, is a Maldivian politician and activist who served as the fourth president of the Maldives from 2008 until his controversial resignation in 2012. A founding member of the Maldivian Democratic Party, he subsequently served as the 19th speaker of the People's Majlis from May 2019 until his resignation in November 2023. He is the first democratically elected president of the Maldives and the only president to resign from office.
Patrick Ortlieb, Austrian skier
Patrick Ortlieb is a former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist from Austria. A specialist in the speed events, he was also a world champion in the downhill event.
17/05/1966
Qusay Hussein, Iraqi soldier and politician (died 2003)
Qusay Saddam Hussein al-Nasiri al-Tikriti was an Iraqi politician, military officer, and the second son of Saddam Hussein. He was appointed as his father's heir apparent in 2000. He was deputy head of the Iraqi Special Security Organization and was also in charge of the Republican Guard, a branch of the Iraqi military.
Mark Kratzmann, Australian tennis player and coach
Mark Edward Kratzmann is a former Australian professional tennis player.
Danny Manning, American basketball player and coach
Daniel Ricardo Manning is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is an assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Colorado. Manning played high-school basketball at Page High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, as well as Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, and played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years. After retiring from professional basketball Manning became an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Kansas. He won the national championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and again as an assistant in 2008. He is the all-time leading scorer in Kansas basketball history with 2,951 points. The next closest player to his point total is Nick Collison, who is 854 points behind Manning.
Gilles Quénéhervé, French sprinter
Gilles Quénéhervé is a retired French sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres.
17/05/1965
Trent Reznor, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer
Michael Trent Reznor is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He came to prominence as the founder, lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. The band's line-up has constantly changed, with Reznor being its only official member from its creation in 1988 until 2016, when he added English musician and frequent collaborator Atticus Ross as its second permanent member.
Jeremy Vine, English journalist and author
Jeremy Guy Vine is an English television and radio presenter and journalist. He is best known as the host of his BBC Radio 2 lunchtime programme which presents news, views, interviews with live guests, consumer issues and popular music.
Luann de Lesseps, American singer and television personality
Luann de Lesseps is an American television personality, singer, model, and author. She is best known as an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City, featuring in the first 13 of 15 seasons since its 2008 premiere. In 2018, she began headlining "Countess and Friends", a cabaret show of her own making.
17/05/1964
Stratos Apostolakis, Greek footballer and coach
Stratos Apostolakis, nicknamed The Turbo, is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a defender or a defensive midfielder.
Mauro Martini, Italian race car driver
Mauro Martini is a former Italian race car driver.
Menno Oosting, Dutch tennis player (died 1999)
Menno Oosting was a professional tennis player from the Netherlands, who won seven ATP Tour doubles titles out of 18 finals in his career.
17/05/1963
Jon Koncak, American basketball player
Jon Francis Koncak is an American former professional basketball player. A 7 ft (2.1 m) center / power forward from Southern Methodist University (SMU), Koncak was selected with the fifth pick in the 1985 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Koncak spent ten seasons with the Hawks (1985–1995), mainly in a reserve role, then concluded his career with the Orlando Magic. He retired in 1996 with career totals of 3,520 points and 3,856 rebounds.
Page McConnell, American keyboard player and songwriter
Page Samuel McConnell is an American multi-instrumentalist, most noted for his work as the keyboardist and a songwriter for the band Phish.
17/05/1962
Lise Lyng Falkenberg, Danish journalist and author
Lise Lyng Falkenberg is a Danish writer of mostly fiction, biographies and works of literary studies.
Andrew Farrar, Australian rugby league player and coach
Andrew Farrar is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Western Suburbs, Wigan and the Illawarra Steelers. Farrar also played for New South Wales in the State of Origin on several occasions and played for Australia in the 1988 World Cup Final. As a coach he worked with the Illawarra Steelers, the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Wigan Warriors, and from 2017 to 2019 was the General Manager of Football at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Craig Ferguson, Scottish-American comedian, actor, and talk show host
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish actor, comedian, writer and television host. He hosted the CBS late-night talk show The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005–2014), for which he won a Peabody Award for his interview with South African archbishop Desmond Tutu in 2009. He is currently the host of Scrabble (2026–present) on The CW Network.
Jane Moore, English journalist and author
Jane Moore is an English journalist, writer, and television personality. She is a columnist for the tabloid The Sun and writes regular articles for the newspaper The Sunday Times. She was a panellist and anchor on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women between 1999 and 2002, returning as a regular panellist from 2013 onwards. Since 2018, Moore has been regularly relief-anchoring Loose Women. In 2024, Moore appeared as a contestant on the twenty-fourth series of the ITV reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.
Rosalind Picard, American computer scientist and engineer, co-founded Affectiva
Rosalind Wright Picard is an American electrical engineer and computer scientist who is Grover M. Hermann Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at MIT, founder and director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the MIT Media Lab, and co-founder of the startups Affectiva and Empatica.
17/05/1961
Enya, Irish singer-songwriter and producer
Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, known mononymously as Enya, is an Irish singer and composer. With an estimated equivalent of more than 80 million albums sold worldwide, Enya is one of the world's best-selling music artists. In addition to being the best-selling Irish solo artist, she is the second-best-selling music act from Ireland overall, after the band U2. Enya's music has been widely recognised for its use of multi-layers of her own vocals and instrumentation, lengthened reverb, and interwoven elements of Celtic music.
Jamil Azzaoui, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Jamil Azzaoui, also known mononymously as Jamil is a Canadian humorous artist / comedian, musician (guitarist) and an artist agent of Moroccan origin living in Montreal and well known in France and the francophone countries.
Justin King, English businessman
Justin Matthew King CBE is an English businessman. He was the CEO of J Sainsbury plc, parent company of the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, for ten years before stepping down in July 2014.
17/05/1960
Lou DiBella, American boxing promoter, actor, and producer
Louis John DiBella Jr. is an American boxing promoter, minor league baseball team owner and television/film producer.
Simon Fuller, English talent manager and producer, created the Idols series
Simon Robert Fuller is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer. He is the creator of the Idols TV format, including the British series Pop Idol and the American series American Idol.
17/05/1959
Marcelo Loffreda, Argentine rugby player and coach
Marcelo Loffreda is an Argentine former rugby union footballer and coach. Loffreda won 44 caps with one as captain, playing at centre for the Argentine rugby union side. He played much of his career outside the legendary Hugo Porta and scored 4 test tries.
17/05/1958
Paul Di'Anno, English rock singer-songwriter (died 2024)
Paul Andrews, better known by his stage name Paul Di'Anno, was an English heavy metal singer. He was the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno issued numerous albums over the years, as both a solo artist and as a member of bands such as Gogmagog, Di'Anno's Battlezone, Killers, Rockfellas, and Warhorse. Together with fellow Iron Maiden member Dennis Stratton, he joined Praying Mantis for the recording of their 1990 live album Live at Last.
17/05/1957
Pascual Pérez, Dominican baseball player (died 2012)
Pascual Gross Pérez was a Dominican professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, and New York Yankees from 1980 to 1991. He was an MLB All-Star in 1983 with the Braves.
17/05/1956
Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer
Ray Charles Leonard, better known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning world titles in five weight classes; the lineal championship in three weight classes; as well as the undisputed welterweight championship. Leonard was part of the "Four Kings", a group of boxers who all fought each other throughout the 1980s, consisting of Leonard, Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler. Leonard was the only one of them to beat the other three. As an amateur, Leonard won a light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Annise Parker, American politician
Annise Danette Parker is an American politician from the state of Texas. A Democrat, Parker served as the 61st Mayor of Houston, Texas, from 2010 until 2016. She also served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and as city controller from 2004 to 2010.
Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host (died 2022)
Robert Lane Saget was an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and television host. He portrayed Danny Tanner on the sitcom Full House (1987–1995) and its sequel Fuller House (2016–2020). Saget was the original host of America's Funniest Home Videos (1989–1997), and the voice of narrator Ted Mosby on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014). He was also known for his squeaky-clean family-sitcom image and at the same time profane comedian persona, with his 2014 album That's What I'm Talkin' About being nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
Dave Sim, Canadian cartoonist and author
Dave Sim is a Canadian cartoonist and publisher, known for his comic book Cerebus, his artistic experimentation, his advocacy of self-publishing and creators' rights, and his controversial political and philosophical beliefs.
17/05/1955
Bill Paxton, American actor and director (died 2017)
William Paxton was an American actor, filmmaker and musician. A versatile character actor known for his distinctive Texan drawl and everyman screen persona, he was a four-time Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award nominee, among other accolades.
David Townsend, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2005)
David Edward Townsend was an American musician best known as the guitarist for the R&B band Surface.
17/05/1954
Michael Roberts, South African-English jockey
Michael Roberts is a South African jockey currently a trainer in South Africa. He lives with his wife Verna and two daughters, Melanie and Carolyn. Roberts has had a successful career, winning many English and South African races multiple times. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey in 1992. His most famous equine partner was the double Eclipse Stakes winner, Mtoto.
17/05/1952
Howard Hampton, Canadian lawyer and politician
Howard George Hampton is a politician who was a member of Provincial Parliament for the province of Ontario. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, from 1987 to 1999 in the electoral district of Rainy River, and from 1999 to 2011 in the redistributed electoral district of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's leader from 1996 to 2009. Hampton retired from the legislature at the 2011 Ontario provincial election and subsequently joined Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP as a member of the law firm's corporate social responsibility and aboriginal affairs groups.
17/05/1951
Simon Hughes, English lawyer and politician
Sir Simon Henry Ward Hughes is a British former politician. He is now the Chancellor of London South Bank University, and a strategic adviser to Talgo, a Spanish manufacturer of trains. Hughes was deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2010 to 2014, and from 2013 until 2015 was Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark from 1983 until 2015. He declined a position in the House of Lords in 2015.
17/05/1950
Howard Ashman, American playwright and composer (died 1991)
Howard Elliott Ashman was an American playwright, lyricist, and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan Menken composed the music. Ashman has been credited as being a main driving force behind the Disney Renaissance. His work included songs for Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. He died of AIDS complications in 1991.
Keith Bradley, Baron Bradley, English accountant and politician
Keith John Charles Bradley, Baron Bradley, is a British Labour Party politician and life peer. He was formerly the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Withington from 1987 until 2005.
Janez Drnovšek, Slovenian economist and politician, 2nd President of Slovenia (died 2008)
Janez Drnovšek was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1989–1990), Prime Minister of Slovenia and President of Slovenia (2002–2007).
Alan Johnson, English politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Alan Arthur Johnson is a British former politician who served as Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2006 to 2007, Secretary of State for Health from 2007 to 2009, Home Secretary from 2009 to 2010, and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Labour Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle from 1997 to 2017.
Valeriya Novodvorskaya, Russian journalist and politician (died 2014)
Valeriya Ilyinichna Novodvorskaya was a Russian and Soviet dissident, writer and liberal politician. She was the founder and the chairwoman of the Democratic Union party and a member of the editorial board of The New Times.
17/05/1949
Bill Bruford, English drummer, songwriter, and producer
William Scott Bruford is an English drummer and percussionist. He is known for his work from the late-1960s to the 1990s, primarily as both as a founding member of Yes and as a member of three forms of King Crimson.
Keith, American pop singer
James Barry Keefer, known professionally as Keith, is an American vocalist. His best-known song was "98.6" which reached No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. He legally changed his name to Bazza Keefer in 1988, in memory of his mother.
17/05/1948
Dick Gaughan, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
Richard Peter Gaughan is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs. He is regarded as one of Scotland's leading singer-songwriters.
17/05/1947
Stephen Platten, English bishop
Stephen George Platten, is a retired Anglican prelate, the last to serve as diocesan Bishop of Wakefield in the Church of England.
17/05/1946
Udo Lindenberg, German singer-songwriter and drummer
Udo Lindenberg is a German singer, composer, and painter.
17/05/1945
B.S. Chandrasekhar, Indian cricketer
Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar is an Indian former cricketer who played as a leg spinner. Considered among the top echelon of leg spinners, Chandrasekhar along with E.A.S. Prasanna, Bishen Singh Bedi and Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan constituted the Indian spin quartet that dominated spin bowling during the 1960s and 1970s. At a very young age, polio left his right arm withered. Chandrasekhar played 58 Test matches, capturing 242 wickets at an average of 29.74 in a career that spanned sixteen years. He is one of only two test cricketers in history with more wickets than total runs scored, the other being Chris Martin.
Tony Roche, Australian tennis player and coach
Anthony Dalton Roche AO MBE, professionally known as Tony Roche is an Australian former professional tennis player.
17/05/1944
Jesse Winchester, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 2014)
James Ridout "Jesse" Winchester Jr. was an American-Canadian musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in the southern United States. Opposed to the Vietnam War, he moved to Canada in 1967 to avoid the draft. During that time, he began his career as a solo artist. His highest-charting recordings were "Yankee Lady" in 1970 and "Say What" in 1981. He became a Canadian citizen in 1973, gained amnesty in the U.S. in 1977 and settled in Memphis, Tennessee in 2002.
17/05/1943
Sirajuddin of Perlis, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail is the current Raja of Perlis, reigning since 2000. He reigned as the twelfth Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 2001 to 2006.
Johnny Warren, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (died 2004)
John Norman Warren, MBE, OAM was an Australian soccer player, coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster. He was known as Captain Socceroo for his passionate work to promote the game in Australia. The award for the best player in the A-League is named the Johnny Warren Medal in his honour.
17/05/1942
Taj Mahal, American blues singer-songwriter and musician
Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr., better known by his stage name Taj Mahal, is an American blues musician. He plays the guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other instruments along with singing and whistling, often incorporating elements of world music into his work. Mahal has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music over the course of his more than 50-year career by fusing it with nontraditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, India, Hawaii, and the South Pacific.
17/05/1941
David Cope, American composer and author
David Howell Cope was an American author, composer, scientist and Dickerson Professor of Music at UC Santa Cruz. His primary area of research involved artificial intelligence and music; he wrote programs and algorithms that can analyze existing music and create new compositions in the style of the original input music. He taught the groundbreaking summer workshop in Workshop in Algorithmic Computer Music (WACM) that was open to the public as well as a general education course entitled Artificial Intelligence and Music for enrolled UCSC students. Cope was also co-founder and CTO Emeritus of Recombinant Inc., a music technology company. He died of congestive heart failure on May 4, 2025, at the age of 83.
Ben Nelson, American lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Nebraska
Earl Benjamin Nelson is an American politician, attorney, and businessman who served as a United States senator from Nebraska from 2001 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 37th governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999. As of 2026, he is the last Democrat to have won or held statewide office in Nebraska.
17/05/1940
Alan Kay, American computer scientist and academic
Alan Curtis Kay is an American computer scientist who pioneered work on object-oriented programming and windowing graphical user interface (GUI) design. At Xerox PARC he led the design and development of the first modern windowed computer desktop interface. There he also led the development of the influential object-oriented programming language Smalltalk, both personally designing most of the early versions of the language and coining the term "object-oriented." He has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Society of Arts. He received the Turing Award in 2003.
Reynato Puno, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 22nd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Reynato Serrano Puno, KGCR is a Filipino jurist. He served as the 22nd chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from December 8, 2006, by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo until his mandatory retirement on May 17, 2010. Puno had initially been appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice on June 28, 1993.
17/05/1939
Hugh Dykes, Baron Dykes, English politician
Hugh John Maxwell Dykes, Baron Dykes, is a British politician and member of the House of Lords. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from 1970 to 1997, and later defected to the Liberal Democrats.
Gary Paulsen, American author (died 2021)
Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
17/05/1938
Jason Bernard, American actor (died 1996)
Jason Bernard was an American actor.
Marcia Freedman, Israeli activist (died 2021)
Marcia Judith Freedman was an American-Israeli activist and politician. She advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, as well as for women's and gay rights. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Freedman immigrated to Israel in 1969, where she played a leading role in the development of the second-wave feminist movement during the 1970s. She served as a member of the Knesset from 1973 to 1977.
Pervis Jackson, American R&B bass singer (died 2008)
Pervis Jackson was an American R&B singer, noted as the bass singer for The Spinners, and was one of the group's original members as well as their spokesman.
17/05/1937
Hazel R. O'Leary, American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Secretary of Energy
Hazel Reid O'Leary is an American lawyer, politician, and university administrator who served as the 7th United States secretary of energy from 1993 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, O'Leary was the first woman and first African American to hold that post. She also served as the 14th president of Fisk University from 2004 to 2013, a historically black college and her alma mater. O'Leary's tenure at Fisk came amid financial difficulty for the school, during which time she increased enrollment and contentiously used the school's art collection to raise funds.
17/05/1936
Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (died 2010)
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and visual artist. He is considered one of the key figures of the New Hollywood era. He earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.
17/05/1935
Dennis Potter, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1994)
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English television dramatist, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his BBC television serials Pennies from Heaven (1978) and The Singing Detective (1986) as well as the BBC television plays Blue Remembered Hills (1979) and Brimstone and Treacle (1976). His television dramas, often set or partly set in the Forest of Dean of his childhood, mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social, and often used themes and images from popular culture. Potter is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative dramatists to have worked in British television.
17/05/1934
Friedrich-Wilhelm Kiel, German educator and politician (died 2022)
Friedrich-Wilhelm Kiel was a German politician and member of the FDP.
Earl Morrall, American football player and coach (died 2014)
Earl Edwin Morrall was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, both a starter and reserve. He was the last remaining player from the 1950s still active in NFL football. He started for six teams, most notably with the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins. He became known as one of the greatest backup quarterbacks in NFL history, having served in the capacity for two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese. An injury to Unitas in 1968 saw Morrall step in to become the starter; he guided the Colts to a 13–1 record and won league MVP. He also led them to their first NFL Championship win in nine years before ineffective play in Super Bowl III saw him benched for Unitas. Two years later, in Super Bowl V, Morrall came off the bench for an injured Unitas and kept the Colts in the game before they ultimately won on a last-second field goal. In his first season with Miami in 1972, he came off the bench when Griese became injured early in the year, with Morrall winning all nine starts; Morrall started the first two playoff games, with Griese playing in each game before being named the starter for Super Bowl VII, where the Dolphins completed the only perfect season in NFL history.
Ronald Wayne, American computer scientist, co-founded Apple Computer
Ronald Gerald Wayne is an American retired electronics industry business executive. He co-founded Apple Computer Company—which later became Apple Inc.—as a partnership with Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs on April 1, 1976, providing administrative oversight and documentation for the new venture. He has been often referred to by media as the 'forgotten founder' of Apple.
17/05/1933
Yelena Gorchakova, Russian javelin thrower (died 2002)
Yelena Yegorovna Gorchakova was a Russian javelin thrower who won bronze medals at the 1952 and 1964 Olympics. Her 1964 bronze was a disappointment as she set a world record in the qualification that remained unbeaten for eight years.
17/05/1932
Rodric Braithwaite, English soldier and diplomat, British Ambassador to Russia
Sir Rodric Quentin Braithwaite, is a British former diplomat and author.
Peter Burge, Australian cricketer (died 2001)
Peter John Parnell Burge was an Australian cricketer who played in 42 Test matches between 1955 and 1966. After retiring as a player he became a highly respected match referee, overseeing 25 Tests and 63 One Day Internationals.
Ozzie Virgil Sr., Dominican baseball player and coach (died 2024)
Osvaldo José Virgil Pichardo was a Dominican professional baseball player and coach. He was the first person from the Dominican Republic to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) post-integration, appearing in 324 MLB games between 1956 and 1969 as a utility player for the New York / San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
17/05/1931
Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader, founded Heaven's Gate (died 1997)
Marshall Herff Applewhite Jr., also known as Do, among other names, was an American religious leader who founded and led the Heaven's Gate new religious movement, and organized their mass suicide in 1997. The suicide is the largest mass suicide to occur inside the United States.
Dewey Redman, American saxophonist (died 2006)
Walter Dewey Redman was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader, and as a member of bands including those led by Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett.
17/05/1929
Branko Zebec, Croatian and Yugoslav football player and coach (died 1988)
Branislav "Branko" Zebec was a Croatian footballer and manager who played for Yugoslavia.
17/05/1926
David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, English-Scottish soldier and politician (died 2023)
David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, was a Scottish landowner, soldier, banker and peer.
Dietmar Schönherr, Austrian-Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2014)
Dietmar Otto Schönherr was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1944 and 2014. He was famous for playing the role of Major Cliff Allister McLane in the German science fiction series Raumpatrouille. He was born in Innsbruck, Austria. He was married to the Danish actress Vivi Bach from 1965 until her death in 2013. In 2011 he was awarded with the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class.
Franz Sondheimer, German-English chemist and academic (died 1981)
Franz Sondheimer FRS was a German-born British professor of chemistry. In 1960, he was awarded the Israel Prize for his contributions to science.
17/05/1924
Roy Bentley, English footballer (died 2018)
Roy Thomas Frank Bentley was an English football player and manager.
Francis Tombs, Baron Tombs, English engineer and politician (died 2020)
Francis Leonard Tombs, Baron Tombs was an English industrialist and politician who served as a crossbench member of the House of Lords from 1990 until his retirement in 2015.
17/05/1923
Michael Beetham, English commander and pilot (died 2015)
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael James Beetham, was a Second World War bomber pilot and a high-ranking commander in the Royal Air Force from the 1960s to the 1980s. As Chief of the Air Staff during the Falklands War, he was involved in the decision to send the Task Force to the South Atlantic. At the time of his death, Beetham was one of only six people holding his service's most senior rank and, excluding Prince Philip's honorary rank, he had the longest time in that rank, making him the senior Marshal of the Royal Air Force.
17/05/1922
Jean Rédélé, French racing driver, founded Alpine (died 2007)
Jean Rédélé, was an automotive pioneer, pilot and founder of the French automotive brand Alpine.
17/05/1921
Dennis Brain, English horn player (died 1957)
Dennis Brain was a British horn player. From a musical family – his father and grandfather were horn players – he attended the Royal Academy of Music in London. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force, playing in its band and orchestra. After the war, he was the principal horn of the Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic orchestras, and played in chamber ensembles.
Bob Merrill, American composer and screenwriter (died 1998)
Henry Robert Merrill Levan was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter. Merrill was one of the most successful songwriters of the 1950s on the US and UK single charts. His musicals for the Broadway stage include Carnival! and Funny Girl (lyrics).
17/05/1920
Harry Männil, Estonian-Venezuelan businessman, co-founded ACO Group (died 2010)
Harry Männil, also known as Harry Mannil Laul,[a] was an Estonian businessman, art collector, and cultural benefactor in several countries.
17/05/1919
Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and screenwriter (died 2007)
José Pascual Antonio Aguilar Márquez Barraza, known as Antonio Aguilar, was a Mexican singer and actor. He recorded over 150 albums, which sold 25 million copies, and acted in more than 120 films. He was given the honorific nickname "El Charro de México" because he is credited with popularizing the Mexican equestrian sport la charrería to international audiences.
Gustav Naan, Russian-Estonian physicist and philosopher (died 1994)
Gustav Naan was a Soviet and Estonian physicist and philosopher. According to the Estonian Encyclopedia's definition, he "wrote plenty of irritating publicist articles".
17/05/1918
Joan Benham, English actress (died 1981)
Joan Benham was an English actress best known for her portrayal of Lady Prudence Fairfax in the ITV period drama series Upstairs, Downstairs. She was born in London and was the first cousin of Hollywood actress Olive Sturgess.
Birgit Nilsson, Swedish operatic soprano (died 2005)
Märta Birgit Nilsson was a Swedish dramatic soprano. Although she sang a wide repertoire of operatic and vocal works, Nilsson was best known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Her voice was noted for its overwhelming force, bountiful reserves of power, and the gleaming brilliance and clarity in the upper register.
17/05/1914
Robert N. Thompson, American-Canadian chiropractor and politician (died 1997)
Robert Norman Thompson was a Canadian politician, chiropractor, and educator. He was born in Duluth, Minnesota, to Canadian parents and moved to Canada in 1918 with his family. Raised in Alberta, he graduated from the Palmer School of Chiropractic in 1939 and worked as a chiropractor and then as a teacher before serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.
17/05/1913
Hans Ruesch, Swiss racing driver and author (died 2007)
Hans Ruesch was a Swiss racing driver, a novelist, and an internationally prominent activist against animal experiments and vivisection. Ruesch has been described as a pioneer of the anti-vivisection movement.
17/05/1912
Archibald Cox, American lawyer and politician, 31st United States Solicitor General (died 2004)
Archibald Cox Jr. was an American legal scholar who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy and as a special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal. During his career, he was a pioneering expert on labor law and was also an authority on constitutional law. The Journal of Legal Studies has identified Cox as one of the most cited legal scholars of the 20th century.
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, American inventor (died 2006)
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was an African American inventor most noted for her development of the adjustable sanitary belt. Kenner received five patents, which includes a carrier attachment for invalid walker and bathroom tissue dispenser.
17/05/1911
Lisa Fonssagrives, Swedish-American model (died 1992)
Lisa Fonssagrives was a Swedish model, dancer, sculptor, and photographer. She is widely credited with having been the first supermodel.
Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish-American actress (died 1998)
Maureen Paula O'Sullivan was an Irish-American actress who played Jane in the Tarzan series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She starred in dozens of feature films across a span of more than half a century and performed with such stars as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, Fredric March, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, the Marx Brothers and Woody Allen. In 2020, she was listed at number eight on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.
17/05/1909
Julius Sumner Miller, American physicist and academic (died 1987)
Julius Sumner Miller was an American physicist and television personality. He is best known for his work on children's television programs in North America and Australia.
17/05/1906
Zinka Milanov, Croatian-American soprano and educator (died 1989)
Zinka Milanov was a Croatian operatic dramatic soprano who had a major career centered on the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. After finishing her education in Zagreb, Milanov made her debut in 1927 in Ljubljana as Leonora in Giuseppe Verdi's Il Trovatore. From 1928 to 1936, she was the leading soprano of the Croatian National Theatre. In 1937, Milanov performed at the Metropolitan Opera for the first time, where she continued to sing until 1966. She also performed as a concert singer and was a noted vocal coach and teacher. Milanov is the sister of the composer and pianist Božidar Kunc.
17/05/1904
Marie-Anne Desmarest, French author (died 1973)
Marie-Anne Desmarest was a French writer.
17/05/1903
Cool Papa Bell, American baseball player and manager (died 1991)
James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell was an American center fielder and pitcher in Negro league baseball and the Mexican League from 1922 to 1946. He is considered to have been one of the fastest men ever to play the game. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. He ranked 66th on a list of the greatest baseball players published by The Sporting News in 1999.
17/05/1901
Werner Egk, German pianist and composer (died 1983)
Werner Egk, born Werner Joseph Mayer, was a German composer.
17/05/1899
Carmen de Icaza, Spanish writer (died 1979)
María Carmen de Icaza y de León, 8th Baroness of Claret was a Spanish journalist and novelist from 1935–60. She enjoyed success with her 1936 novel, Cristina Guzmán, which was subsequently adapted for the stage, television and cinema. By 1945, she was a best-selling writer in Spain. Her father was Mexican writer and diplomat Francisco A. de Icaza.
17/05/1898
A. J. Casson, Canadian painter (died 1992)
Alfred Joseph Casson was a member of the Canadian group of artists known as the Group of Seven. He joined the group in 1926 at the invitation of Franklin Carmichael, replacing Frank Johnston. Casson is best known for his depictions in his signature limited palette of southern Ontario, and for being the youngest member of the Group of Seven.
17/05/1897
Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1981)
Odd Hassel was a Norwegian physical chemist and Nobel Laureate.
17/05/1895
Saul Adler, Belarusian-English captain and parasitologist (died 1966)
Saul Adler OBE FRS was an Israeli expert on parasitology.
Reinhold Saulmann, Estonian sprinter and bandy player (died 1936)
Reinhold Saulmann was an Estonian track and field sprinter.
17/05/1893
Frederick McKinley Jones, American inventor and entrepreneur (died 1961)
Frederick McKinley Jones was an American inventor, entrepreneur, engineer, winner of the National Medal of Technology, and an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He innovated mobile refrigeration technology. Jones received 61 patents, including 40 for refrigeration technology, and also revolutionized the cinema industry by creating a superior sound system for projectors at the time. Jones co-founded Thermo King and also served as a sergeant in World War I. Due to his contributions to refrigeration technology, Jones is called the "Father of Refrigerated Transportation", and the "King of Cool".
17/05/1891
Napoleon Zervas, Greek general and politician (died 1957)
Napoleon Zervas was a Hellenic Army officer and resistance leader during World War II. He organized and led the National Republican Greek League (EDES), the second most significant, in terms of size and activity, resistance organization against the Axis Occupation of Greece.
17/05/1889
Dorothy Gibson, American actress and singer (died 1946)
Dorothy Gibson was an American actress, socialite and artist's model, active in the early 20th century. She survived the sinking of the Titanic and starred in the first motion picture based on the disaster.
Alfonso Reyes, Mexican author (died 1959)
Alfonso Reyes Ochoa was a Mexican writer, philosopher and diplomat. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times and has been acclaimed as one of the greatest authors in the Spanish language. He served as ambassador of Mexico to Argentina and Brazil.
17/05/1888
Tich Freeman, English cricketer (died 1965)
Alfred Percy "Tich" Freeman was an English first-class cricketer. A leg spin bowler for Kent County Cricket Club and England, he is the only man to take 300 wickets in an English season, and is the second most prolific wicket-taker in first-class cricket history.
17/05/1886
Alfonso XIII of Spain, Spanish monarch (died 1941)
Alfonso XIII, also known as El Africano or the African for his Africanist views, was King of Spain from his birth until 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year. Alfonso's mother, Maria Christina of Austria, served as regent until he assumed full powers on his sixteenth birthday in 1902.
17/05/1882
Karl Burman, Estonian architect and painter (died 1965)
Karl Burman sen. was an Estonian architect and painter.
17/05/1874
George Sheldon, American diver (died 1907)
George Herbert Sheldon was an American diver who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics and won the inaugural platform diving competition.
17/05/1873
Henri Barbusse, French author and journalist (died 1935)
Henri Barbusse was a French novelist, short story writer, journalist, poet and political activist. He began his literary career in the 1890s as a Symbolist poet and continued as a neo-Naturalist novelist; in 1916, he published Under Fire, a novel about World War I based on his experience which is described as one of the earliest works of the Lost Generation movement or as the work which started it; the novel had a major impact on the later writers of the movement, namely on Ernest Hemingway and Erich Maria Remarque. Barbusse is considered one of the important French writers of 1910–1939 who mingled the war memories with moral and political meditations.
Dorothy Richardson, English author and journalist (died 1957)
Dorothy Miller Richardson was a British author and journalist. Author of Pilgrimage, a sequence of 13 semi-autobiographical novels published between 1915 and 1967—though Richardson saw them as chapters of one work—she was one of the earliest modernist novelists to use stream of consciousness as a narrative technique. Richardson also emphasises in Pilgrimage the importance and distinct nature of female experiences. The title Pilgrimage alludes not only to "the journey of the artist ... to self-realisation but, more practically, to the discovery of a unique creative form and expression".
17/05/1870
Newton Moore, Australian politician, 8th Premier of Western Australia (died 1936)
Major General Sir Newton James Moore, was an Australian politician, businessman and army officer. He served as the eighth Premier of Western Australia from 1906 to 1910 and, following service in the First World War, was a member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1932. He was the father of Sir Rodney Moore.
17/05/1868
Horace Elgin Dodge, American businessman, co-founded Dodge (died 1920)
Horace Elgin Dodge Sr. was an American automobile manufacturing pioneer and co-founder of Dodge Brothers Company.
Panagis Tsaldaris, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (died 1936)
Panagis Tsaldaris was a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece twice. He was a revered conservative politician and leader for many years (1922–1936) of the conservative People's Party in the period before World War II. He was the husband of Lina Tsaldari, a Greek suffragist, member of Parliament, and the Minister for Social Welfare.
17/05/1866
Erik Satie, French pianist and composer (died 1925)
Eric Alfred Leslie Satie, better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire but was undistinguished and did not obtain a diploma. In the 1880s he worked as a pianist in café-cabarets in Montmartre, Paris, and began composing works, mostly for solo piano, such as his Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes. He also wrote music for a Rosicrucian sect to which he was briefly attached.
17/05/1864
Louis Richardet, Swiss target shooter (died 1923)
Louis Marcel Richardet was a Swiss sports shooter who competed in the early 20th century. He participated in Shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won two gold medals with the Military pistol and rifle teams for Switzerland.
Ante Trumbić, Croatian lawyer and politician, 27th Mayor of Split (died 1938)
Ante Trumbić was a Yugoslav and Croatian lawyer and politician in the early 20th century.
17/05/1863
Léon Gérin, Canadian lawyer, sociologist, and civil servant (died 1951)
Léon Gérin was a Canadian lawyer, civil servant, and sociologist.
17/05/1860
Martin Kukučín, Slovak author and playwright (died 1928)
Martin Kukučín was a Slovak prose writer, dramatist and publicist. He was the most notable representative of Slovak literary realism, and is considered one of the founders of modern Slovak prose.
Charlotte Barnum, American mathematician and social activist (died 1934)
Charlotte Cynthia Barnum, mathematician and social activist, was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale University.
17/05/1845
Jacint Verdaguer, Catalan priest and poet (died 1902)
Jacint Verdaguer i Santaló was a Spanish writer and priest, regarded as one of the greatest poets of Catalan literature and a prominent literary figure of the Renaixença, a cultural revival movement of the late Romantic era. The bishop Josep Torras i Bages, one of the main figures of Catalan nationalism, called him the "Prince of Catalan poets". He was also known as mossèn (Father) Cinto Verdaguer, because of his career as a priest, and informally also simply "mossèn Cinto".
17/05/1836
Virginie Loveling, Belgian author and poet (died 1923)
Virginie (Marie) Loveling was a Flemish author of poetry, novels, essays and children's stories. She also wrote under the pseudonym W. E. C. Walter. She did write sentimentally early in her career but her later novels dealt with difficult subjects directly.
17/05/1835
Thomas McIlwraith, Scottish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Queensland (died 1900)
Sir Thomas McIlwraith was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1879 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893. In common with most politicians of his era, McIlwraith was an influential businessman, who combined his parliamentary career with a prosperous involvement in the pastoral industry.
17/05/1821
Sebastian Kneipp, German priest and therapist (died 1897)
Sebastian Kneipp was a German Catholic priest and one of the forefathers of the naturopathic movement. He is most commonly associated with the "Kneipp Cure" form of hydrotherapy, the application of water through various methods, temperatures, and pressures, which he claimed to have therapeutic or healing effects, thus building several hospitals in Bad Wörishofen.
17/05/1818
Ezra Otis Kendall, American professor, astronomer and mathematician (died 1899)
Ezra Otis Kendall (1818–1899) was an American professor, astronomer and mathematician. He was known for his work in uranography.
17/05/1794
Anna Brownell Jameson, Irish-English author (died 1860)
Anna Brownell Jameson was an Anglo-Irish art historian whose work spanned art and literary criticism, philosophy, travel writing, and feminism. She became very well known for her extensive writings. Jameson was connected to some of the most prominent names of the period including Joanna Baillie, Fanny Kemble, Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and Robert Browning, Harriet Martineau, Ottilie von Goethe, Lady Byron, Harriet Hosmer, Ada Lovelace, Charles and Elizabeth Eastlake, and Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon. She was also a pioneer of the women's rights movement in the UK.
17/05/1768
Caroline of Brunswick (died 1821)
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until her death in 1821 as the estranged wife of King George IV. She was Princess of Wales from 1795 to 1820.
Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (died 1854)
Field Marshal Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as the Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British Army officer and politician. After serving as a member of parliament for Carnarvon and then for Milborne Port, he took part in the Flanders Campaign and then commanded the cavalry for Sir John Moore's army in Spain during the Peninsular War; his cavalry showed distinct superiority over their French counterparts at the Battle of Sahagún and at the Battle of Benavente, where he defeated the elite chasseurs of the French Imperial Guard. During the Hundred Days he led the charge of the heavy cavalry against Comte d'Erlon's column at the Battle of Waterloo. At the end of the battle, he lost part of one leg to a cannonball. In later life, he served twice as Master-General of the Ordnance and twice as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
17/05/1758
Sir John St Aubyn, 5th Baronet, English politician (died 1839)
Sir John St Aubyn, 5th Baronet, was a British Member of Parliament, High Sheriff of Cornwall and Grand Master of the Freemasons. Born in London, he succeeded to the baronetcy on 12 October 1772, at which point he inherited Clowance, the family's estate near Crowan, Cornwall.
17/05/1749
Edward Jenner, English physician and microbiologist (died 1823)
Edward Jenner was an English physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms vaccine and vaccination are derived from Variolae vaccinae, the term devised by Jenner to denote cowpox. He used it in 1798 in the title of his Inquiry into the Variolae vaccinae known as the Cow Pox, in which he described the protective effect of cowpox against smallpox.
17/05/1743
Seth Warner, American colonel (died 1784)
Seth Warner was an American soldier. He was a Revolutionary War officer from Vermont who rose to the rank of Continental colonel and was often given the duties of a brigade commander. He is best known for his leadership in the capture of Fort Crown Point, the Battle of Longueuil, the siege of Quebec, the retreat from Canada, and the battles of Hubbardton and Bennington.
17/05/1732
Francesco Pasquale Ricci, Italian violinist and composer (died 1817)
Francesco Pasquale Ricci, was an Italian composer and violinist.
17/05/1718
Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English politician and diplomat, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (died 1778)
Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness,, known before 1721 as Lord Darcy and Conyers, was a British diplomat and politician who served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department from 1754 to 1761.
17/05/1706
Andreas Felix von Oefele, German historian and librarian (died 1780)
Andreas Felix von Oefele was a German historian and librarian.
17/05/1698
Gio Nicola Buhagiar, Maltese painter (died 1752)
Gio Nicola Buhagiar was a Maltese painter.
17/05/1682
Bartholomew Roberts, Welsh pirate (died 1722)
Bartholomew Roberts, born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who was, measured by vessels captured, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy. During his piratical career, he took over 400 prize ships, although most were mere fishing boats. Roberts raided ships off the Americas and the West African coast between 1719 and 1722; he is also noted for creating his own pirate code, and adopting an early variant of the Skull and Crossbones flag.
17/05/1636
Edward Colman, English Catholic courtier under Charles II (died 1678)
Edward Colman or Coleman was an English Catholic courtier under Charles II of England. He was hanged, drawn and quartered on a treason charge, having been implicated by Titus Oates in his false accusations concerning a Popish Plot. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929.
17/05/1628
Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria (died 1662)
Ferdinand Charles was the Archduke of Further Austria, including Tyrol, from 1632 to 1662. He was the firstborn son of Archduke Leopold V of Further Austria and Claudia de' Medici. Until 1646, his mother Claudia served as regent and de facto ruler. Ferdinand Charles was a patron of the arts with Italian opera performed at his court. Despite this, he was a poor ruler and lived an extravagant lifestyle, drained the treasury, and held illegal executions.
17/05/1610
Stefano della Bella, Italian engraver and etcher (died 1664)
Stefano della Bella was an Italian draughtsman and printmaker known for etchings of a great variety of subjects, including military and court scenes, landscapes, and lively genre scenes. He left 1052 prints, and several thousand drawings, but only one known painting. He was born and later died in Florence, Italy.
17/05/1568
Anna Vasa of Sweden, Swedish princess (died 1625)
Anna Vasa of Sweden was a Swedish princess heavily involved in the politics of that country and of Poland. She was starosta of Brodnica and Golub. The youngest child of King John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon, she was close to her brother Sigismund Vasa, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania (1587–1632) and King of Sweden (1592–1599). Raised a Catholic, Anna converted to Lutheranism in 1584. Though she had several suitors, she remained unmarried.
17/05/1551
Martin Delrio, Belgian occultist and theologian (died 1601)
Martin Anton Delrio SJ was a Dutch Jesuit theologian. He studied at numerous institutions, receiving a master's degree in law from Salamanca in 1574. After a period of political service in the Spanish Netherlands, he became a Jesuit in 1580.
17/05/1500
Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua (died 1540)
Federico II of Gonzaga was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1519 until his death. He was also Marquis of Montferrat from 1536.
17/05/1490
Albert, Duke of Prussia, last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights (died 1568)
Albert of Prussia was a German prince who was the 37th grand master of the Teutonic Knights and, after converting to Lutheranism, became the first ruler of the Duchy of Prussia, the secularized state that emerged from the former Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights. Albert was the first European ruler to establish Lutheranism, and thus Protestantism, as the official state religion of his lands. He proved instrumental in the political spread of Protestantism in its early stage, ruling the Prussian lands for nearly six decades (1510–1568).
17/05/1451
Engelbert II of Nassau, Count of Nassau-Vianden and Lord of Breda (1475–1504) (died 1504)
Engelbert II of Nassau, Engelbrecht in Dutch, was count of Nassau and Vianden and lord of Breda, Lek, Diest, Roosendaal, Nispen and Wouw. He was a soldier and courtier, for some time leader of the Privy council of the Duchy of Burgundy and a significant patron of the arts.
17/05/1443
Edmund, Earl of Rutland (died 1460)
Edmund, Earl of Rutland, was the fourth child and second surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. He was a younger brother of Edward, Earl of March, the future King Edward IV who came to the throne in 1461, the year after Edmund's death. He was born in Rouen, then the capital of English-occupied France and his father held the office of Lieutenant of France. He was killed at the age of 17 either during or shortly after the Battle of Wakefield, during the Wars of the Roses.
17/05/1155
Jien, Japanese monk, poet, and historian (died 1225)
Jien was a Japanese poet, historian, and Buddhist monk.