Tuesday, 19th May 2026 in Prag

On this day, 203 notable people were born on 19th May — spanning from 1400 to 2003. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.

19/05/2003

Jojo Siwa, American dancer, singer, actress, and YouTube personality

Joelle Joanie "JoJo" Siwa is an American singer, dancer, actress, and media personality. From 2015 to 2016, she appeared as a dancer on two seasons of the reality television show Dance Moms alongside her mother, Jessalynn Siwa. She was included on Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.

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19/05/2002

Riccardo Calafiori, Italian footballer

Riccardo Calafiori is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Arsenal and the Italy national team.

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Rafa Marín, Spanish footballer

Rafael Marín Zamora is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Villarreal, on loan from Serie A club Napoli.

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19/05/2001

Elizabeth Mandlik, American tennis player

Elizabeth Hana Mandlik is an American tennis player. She is the daughter of former major champion Hana Mandlíková.

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19/05/1996

Michael Carcone, Canadian ice hockey player

Michael Carcone is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Utah Mammoth of the National Hockey League (NHL). Undrafted, Carcone began his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates of NHL organizations including the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Arizona Coyotes.

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19/05/1995

Taane Milne, New Zealand rugby league player

Taane Milne is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre, second-row or loose forward for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League.

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19/05/1994

Carlos Guzmán, Mexican footballer

Carlos Alberto Guzmán Fonseca is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Canadian Premier League club Inter Toronto FC.

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19/05/1992

Michele Camporese, Italian footballer

Michele Camporese is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie C Group B club Livorno.

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Ola John, Dutch footballer

Ola John is a professional footballer who plays for Al-Arabi as a left winger. Born in Liberia, he has represented the Netherlands national team.

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Felise Kaufusi, New Zealand-Tongan rugby league player

Felise Kaufusi is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row or prop forward for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League (NRL), and Tonga and Australia at international level.

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Evgeny Kuznetsov, Russian ice hockey player

Yevgeny Evgenyevich Kuznetsov is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is a forward for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL. He most recently played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He previously played for the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL) and Traktor Chelyabinsk and SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL. He has represented Russia in junior and senior level competitions on numerous occasions, winning gold medals at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, as well as at the 2012 IIHF World Championship and 2014 IIHF World Championship.

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Marshmello, American electronic music producer and DJ

Christopher Comstock, known professionally as Marshmello and formerly as Dotcom, is an American DJ and record producer. His songs "Silence", "Wolves", "Friends", "Happier", and "Alone" have each received multi-platinum certifications in several countries, and peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. His musical style includes groove-oriented, synth and bass-heavy electronic dance music.

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Sam Smith, English singer-songwriter

Samuel Frederick Smith is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. The following year, they featured on Naughty Boy's single "La La La", which became a number one single in the UK.

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Heather Watson, British tennis player

Heather Miriam Watson is a British professional tennis player. A former British No. 1, Watson has won ten titles over her career, including the mixed-doubles title at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, partnering Henri Kontinen, making her the first British woman to win a major title since Jo Durie in 1991, and the first to win a Wimbledon title since Durie in 1987. In October 2012, Watson won her first WTA Tour singles title at the Japan Women's Open, becoming the first British woman to win a WTA tournament singles title since Sara Gomer in 1988.

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Lainey Wilson, American singer-songwriter

Lainey Denay Wilson is an American country singer-songwriter and actress. She performed at an early age, before going to Nashville to pursue a career as a pop music performer. In 2014, she released her first album on Cupit, followed by a second on Lone Chief in 2016. Wilson secured a publishing deal and later released an extended play (EP) in 2019 which included the song "Things a Man Oughta Know". In 2020, it was issued as a single through the BBR Music Group and eventually reached number one on the American country songs chart.

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19/05/1991

Jordan Pruitt, American singer-songwriter

Jordan Pruitt Fuente is an American former singer-songwriter. She released two studio albums on Hollywood Records — No Ordinary Girl (2007) and Permission to Fly (2008) — and toured as an opening act for artists including the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and the Cheetah Girls. Her debut single, "Outside Looking In", reached number 77 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In 2012, she appeared on the third season of The Voice as a member of Christina Aguilera's team. She retired from music in December 2017.

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19/05/1987

Michael Angelakos, American singer-songwriter and producer

Michael John Angelakos is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the indietronica band Passion Pit.

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David Edgar, Canadian soccer player

David Edward Edgar is a Canadian soccer coach and former professional player.

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Mariano Torres, Argentinian footballer

Mariano Néstor Torres is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for and captains Liga FPD club Saprissa.

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19/05/1986

Mario Chalmers, American basketball player

Almario "Mario" Vernard Chalmers is an American former professional basketball player. He was selected as the 34th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves after playing three seasons of college basketball for the University of Kansas. Chalmers was named the 2006–07 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament after winning the 2008 NCAA championship.

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19/05/1985

Malakai Black, Dutch professional wrestler

Tom Büdgen is a Dutch professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE as Aleister Black, and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as Malakai Black.

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19/05/1984

Marcedes Lewis, American football player

Marcedes Alexis Lewis, nicknamed "Big Dog", is an American professional football tight end. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning consensus All-American honors. Lewis was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He has also played for the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos.

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19/05/1983

Michael Che, American comedian

Michael Che Campbell is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Che is best known for his work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he has served as co-anchor on Weekend Update alongside Colin Jost since 2014. Che and Jost were co-head writers at SNL from 2017 until 2022. The duo also co-hosted the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018.

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Jessica Fox, English actress

Jessica Ann Fox is an English actress. She played Enid Nightshade in the children's television series The Worst Witch and later gained soap opera roles as Belle Wise in Crossroads and Nancy Hayton in Hollyoaks.

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19/05/1982

Kevin Amankwaah, English footballer

Kevin Osei-Kuffour Amankwaah is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He enjoyed successful stints at Bristol City and Swindon Town.

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Pål Steffen Andresen, Norwegian footballer

Pål Steffen Andresen is a Norwegian football defender who plays for Strømmen.

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Klaas Vantornout, Belgian cyclist

Klaas Vantornout is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2006 and 2018 for the Fidea and Marlux–Bingoal teams. Vantornout was the winner of the Belgian National Cyclo-cross Championships in 2013 and 2015.

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19/05/1981

Luciano Figueroa, Argentinian footballer

Luciano Gabriel "Lucho" Figueroa Herrera is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker.

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Yo Gotti, American rapper

Mario Mims, known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, singer, record executive, and record producer. Rooted in Memphis rap, he released five independent albums—Youngsta's on a Come Up (1996), From da Dope Game 2 da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), and Back 2 da Basics (2006)—before signing with J Records in 2009. Two of his singles that year, "5 Star" and "Women Lie, Men Lie", received gold certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and entered the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs were omitted from his sixth album and major label debut, Live from the Kitchen (2012), which, despite mixed critical reception, peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200.

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Michael Leighton, Canadian ice hockey player

Michael W. Leighton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He is currently an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings.

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Sina Schielke, German sprinter

Sina Schielke is a German former sprinter. Her personal bests are 11.16 seconds in the 100 metres, 22.78 in the 200 metres, and 7.19 seconds in the indoor 60 metres.

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Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer

Klaas-Erik Zwering is a former Dutch swimmer and an Olympic medalist. He is currently studying MBO entrepreneurship as he trained in Eindhoven with the PSV Eindhoven swim club. His personal coach was Jacco Verhaeren, who is also coach for Dutch swimming phenom Pieter van den Hoogenband.

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19/05/1980

Tony Hackworth, English footballer

Anthony Hackworth is an English retired footballer and manager, who played as an attacking midfielder.He was most recently manager of. Pickering Town.

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19/05/1979

Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer

Andrea Pirlo is an Italian football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of UAE First Division League club Dubai United. Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Pirlo was known for his vision, technique, creativity, passing, and free kick ability. He is the all-time Italian top assist provider in the UEFA Champions League (15).

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Diego Forlán, Uruguayan footballer

Diego Forlán Corazo is a Uruguayan football manager and a former player, who played as a forward, and last served as head coach for Uruguayan Segunda División club Club Atlético Atenas. Widely regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation, Forlán was praised for his versatility, intelligence, technique, and shooting abilities. As of 2026, Forlán is a professional tennis player, having made his ATP debut at the 2024 Uruguay Open.

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Shooter Jennings, American country singer, songwriter

Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings is an American musician and record producer. He is the son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. In a career spanning three decades, Jennings has explored a variety of musical genres.

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19/05/1978

Marcus Bent, English footballer

Marcus Nathan Bent is an English retired professional footballer. A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker played 573 games and scored 113 goals for 14 different clubs. His numerous transfer fees totalled over £10 million.

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Dave Bus, Dutch footballer

David Bus is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender.

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19/05/1977

Manuel Almunia, Spanish footballer

Manuel Almunia Rivero is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

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Wouter Hamel, Dutch singer and guitarist

Wouter Hamel is a Dutch pop singer. He released his debut album Hamel in March 2007. Hamel's style has been compared to Jamie Cullum's.

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Brandon Inge, American baseball player

Charles Brandon Inge is an American former professional baseball third baseman and catcher and currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team and an assistant coach for the Brighton High School Varsity baseball team. He played 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, one with the Oakland Athletics and one with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He bats and throws right-handed.

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Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan singer-songwriter and actress

Natalia Marisa Oreiro Iglesias is a Uruguayan actress, singer, songwriter, model, television presenter and fashion designer. She began her career in telenovelas but since 2008 she has switched to work primarily in films. Oreiro has worked on social awareness shows and events for organizations like Greenpeace and UNICEF, the latter of which designated her as ambassador for Argentina and Uruguay in September 2011.

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19/05/1976

Ed Cota, American basketball player

Eduardo Enrique Cota is a Panamanian-American former professional basketball player.

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Kevin Garnett, American basketball player

Kevin Maurice Garnett, commonly known by his initials KG, is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket", Garnett is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time, known for his intensity, versatility, and defensive ability. As of 2026, he is one of five NBA players to have won both the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

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19/05/1975

Pretinha, Brazilian footballer

Delma Gonçalves, commonly known as Pretinha, is a Brazilian professional soccer coach and former forward. A longtime member of the Brazil national team, for whom she debuted in 1991, she played for clubs in Brazil, the United States and Japan before moving to Icheon Daekyo of South Korea's WK-League in 2009.

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London Fletcher, American football player

London Levi Fletcher-Baker is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the John Carroll Blue Streaks and signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 1998. After four seasons with the Rams, he was a member of the Buffalo Bills for five seasons and spent his last seven seasons with the Washington Redskins. He won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams in 1999 and made four Pro Bowls during his Redskins tenure.

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Josh Paul, American baseball player and manager

Joshua William Paul is an American former professional baseball catcher and professional coach. He most recently served as the quality control coach for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He also coached the Angels and New York Yankees.

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Jonas Renkse, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Jonas Petter Renkse is a Swedish musician in the bands Katatonia (1991–) as lead vocalist, founder, songwriter and formerly as drummer ; formerly in Bloodbath (1998–2023) as bassist, founder, songwriter; and in Wisdom of Crowds (2013–) as co-vocalist.

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19/05/1974

Andrew Johns, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster

Andrew Gary Johns, also known by the nickname Joey, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is considered one of the greatest rugby league players of all time. Johns captained the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League and participated in the team's only two premiership victories in 1997 and 2001, playing a club record 249 games for the Knights. Johns also represented his country at two World Cups, and on one Kangaroo tour, playing in total 21 Test matches for the national side. He played in 23 State of Origin series matches for the New South Wales Blues, and played for the Country Origin side in 1995 and 2003.

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Emma Shapplin, French soprano

Emma Shapplin is a French soprano singer, composer and visual artist known for her fusion of operatic singing with electronic and pop music influences. She debuted in 1997 with the album Carmine Meo, which achieved multi‑platinum status and sold over two million copies worldwide.

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Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian actor

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a National Film Award, an IIFA Award, and two Filmfare Awards, as well as a nomination for an International Emmy. After studying acting at the National School of Drama, Siddiqui had minor roles in films such as Sarfarosh (1999), Shool (1999), and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003).

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19/05/1973

Dario Franchitti, Scottish race car driver

George Dario Marino Franchitti is a British motorsport commentator and semi-retired motor racing driver from Scotland. Franchitti won the IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012; and the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona driving for Andretti Green Racing (AGR) and later Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR).

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19/05/1972

Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter

Jenny Cecilia Petrén, professionally known as Jenny Berggren and Jenny from Ace of Base is a Swedish mezzo-soprano singer and former lead singer in the Swedish pop band Ace of Base. Since 1995, she has also been writing songs and performing solo. In 2010, she released her debut album My Story.

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Claudia Karvan, Australian actress, producer, and screenwriter

Claudia Karvan is an Australian actress and producer. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film Molly (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in High Tide (1987). She portrayed a teacher who falls in love with her student in The Heartbreak Kid (1993). Karvan's roles in television series include The Secret Life of Us (2001–2005), Love My Way (2004–2007), Newton's Law (2017) and Halifax: Retribution (2020). She won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI Awards for her appearance in G.P. (1996). She won two similar AFI Awards for her role in Love My Way and in 2014 for her work in The Time of Our Lives (2013–2014). As a co-producer and co-writer on Love My Way, she won three further AFI Awards for Best Drama Series in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Karvan was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame in 2007 in acknowledgment of her contributions to the Australian film and television industry. From 2010 to 2011, she starred in the drama series Spirited, which she co-created and was executive producer. She appeared as Judy Vickers in Puberty Blues. Karvan has co-produced House of Hancock and Doctor Doctor (2016–2021). In 2021 she co-created, co-produced and starred in the TV drama series, Bump.

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19/05/1971

Ross Katz, American director, producer, and screenwriter

Ross Katz is an American film producer, screenwriter and film director. He has executive produced films including In the Bedroom and Lost in Translation, and has directed the films Adult Beginners (2014) and The Choice (2016), and the HBO film Taking Chance (2009).

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Andres Salumets, Estonian biologist, biochemist, and educator

Andres Salumets is an Estonian biologist, biochemist, and international infertility expert. He currently is Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the Karolinska Institute.

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19/05/1970

Stuart Cable, Welsh drummer (died 2010)

Stuart James Cable was a Welsh rock drummer and broadcaster, best known as the original drummer for the band Stereophonics.

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K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer

Choi Kyung-Ju, commonly known as K. J. Choi, is a South Korean professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. Since turning pro in 1994, he has won more than thirty professional golf tournaments worldwide, including eight on the PGA Tour. His most notable victory came at the 2011 Players Championship, and he has spent 40 weeks in the top-10 of the world rankings.

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Regina Narva, Estonian chess player

Regina Narva is an Estonian chess Woman FIDE Master (2007).

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Nia Zulkarnaen, Indonesian actress, singer and producer

Nia Zulkarnaen is an Indonesian singer, actress and producer. She is the daughter of the actor Dicky Zulkarnaen and veteran Indonesian actress Mieke Wijaya.

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19/05/1968

Kyle Eastwood, American actor and bass player

Kyle Eastwood is an American jazz bassist, film composer and actor. He studied film at the University of Southern California for two years before embarking on a music career. After becoming a session player in the early 1990s and leading his own quartet, he released his first solo album, From There to Here, in 1998. His album The View from Here was released in 2013 by Jazz Village. In addition to his solo albums, Eastwood has composed music for nine of his father Clint Eastwood's films. Eastwood plays fretted and fretless electric bass guitar and double bass.

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19/05/1967

Alexia, Italian singer

Alessia Aquilani, known professionally as Alexia, is an Italian singer-songwriter. Before recording in Italian in the 2000s, she made records in English in the 1990s. Many of those were international hits. Before her solo career, she was the vocalist of Ice MC.

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Geraldine Somerville, Irish-born English actress

Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville is an Irish-British actress. She is known for her roles in the film Gosford Park (2001) and the Harry Potter film series as an adult Lily Potter (2001–2011). Her other roles have included Daphne (2007), My Week with Marilyn (2011) and Grace of Monaco (2014). In 1995, Somerville was nominated for a BAFTA Award for playing Jane Penhaligon in the television series Cracker.

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19/05/1966

Marc Bureau, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster

Marc Joseph Denis Bureau is a Canadian former ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames, Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers.

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Jodi Picoult, American author and educator

Jodi Lynn Picoult is an American writer. As of 2026, Picoult has published 28 novels, several short stories, and has also written several issues of Wonder Woman. Approximately 40 million copies of her books are in print worldwide and have been translated into 34 languages. In 2003, she was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for fiction.

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Polly Walker, English actress

Polly Alexandra Walker is an English actress. She has starred in the films Enchanted April (1991), Patriot Games (1992), Sliver (1993), Restoration (1995), The Gambler (1997), and Savage Messiah (2002). In 2006, she received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her role in the drama series Rome (2005–2007). She is also known for her roles in BBC One dramas Prisoners’ Wives (2012–2013), Line of Duty and Netflix's Bridgerton (2020-present).

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19/05/1965

Maile Flanagan, American actress, producer, and screenwriter

Maile Flanagan is an American actress and comedian. She is best known as the voice of Naruto Uzumaki in the English dub of the Naruto franchise. Other prominent roles include voicing Piggley Winks in Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, and portraying Principal Terry Perry in Lab Rats.

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19/05/1964

Peter Jackson, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster (died 1997)

Peter Jackson was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. Nicknamed 'Jacko', he was an Australia national and Queensland State of Origin representative centre or five-eighth. Jackson played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League for the Souths Magpies, before moving to the New South Wales Rugby League and playing for the Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and North Sydney Bears. He also played in the Rugby Football League for English club Leeds. Jackson worked in the media following his retirement in 1993, and died as the result of a drug overdose in 1997.

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John Lee, South Korean-American football player

John Lee is a Korean former player of American football who was a placekicker for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, twice earning All-American honors, including a unanimous selection in 1985. Lee was selected by St. Louis in the second round of the 1986 NFL draft. He played one season with the Cardinals and was the first Korean to play in the NFL. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

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Miloslav Mečíř, Slovak tennis player

Miloslav Mečíř is a Slovak former professional tennis player. He won the singles gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games, representing Czechoslovakia, and contested two major singles finals. In 1987 he won the WCT Finals, the season-ending championship for the World Championship Tennis tour. He reached a highest ranking of world No. 4 in singles in February 1988 and won 11 singles titles during his career. His son Miloslav Jr. is also a former professional tennis player.

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19/05/1963

Filippo Galli, Italian footballer and manager

Filippo Galli is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as a defender.

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19/05/1961

Vadim Cojocaru, Moldovan politician (died 2021)

Vadim Cojocaru was a Moldovan politician.

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Gregory Poirier, American director, producer, and screenwriter

Gregory Stephen Poirier is an American film and television writer, director, and producer.

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Wayne Van Dorp, Canadian ice hockey player

Wayne Van Dorp is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Quebec Nordiques. In The Netherlands he played for Feenstra Flyers Heerenveen and Gijs Groningen. He has a Stanley Cup ring with Edmonton for playing three regular season games and three playoff games in 1987. However, Van Dorp did not play enough regular season games (40) or a game in the finals to get his name on the Stanley Cup. Van Dorp played for the Netherlands national ice hockey team in the 1986 World Ice Hockey Championships, Pool B.

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19/05/1957

Bill Laimbeer, American basketball player and coach

William J. Laimbeer Jr. is an American former professional basketball coach and player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons. Known for his physical style of play, he played a big part in the Pistons earning the nickname the “Bad Boys" in the mid-1980s before helping them win back-to-back NBA championships.

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James Reyne, Nigerian-Australian singer-songwriter

James Michael Nugent Reyne OAM is an Australian musician. He achieved fame as the lead singer of Australian Crawl and Company of Strangers and subsequently went on to a successful solo career.

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19/05/1956

Oliver Letwin, English philosopher and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Sir Oliver Letwin is a British politician, Member of Parliament (MP) for West Dorset from 1997 to 2019. Letwin was elected as a member of the Conservative Party, but sat as an independent after having the whip removed in September 2019. He was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer under Michael Howard and Shadow Home Secretary under Iain Duncan Smith. He was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 2014 to 2016.

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Martyn Ware, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer

Martyn Ware is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer, and music programmer. As a founding member of both the Human League and Heaven 17, Ware co-wrote hit songs such as "Being Boiled" and "Temptation".

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19/05/1955

James Gosling, Canadian-American computer scientist, created Java

James Arthur Gosling is a Canadian computer scientist, best known as the founder and lead designer behind the Java programming language.

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19/05/1954

Rick Cerone, American baseball player and sportscaster

Richard Aldo Cerone is an American former professional baseball player, television sports color commentator and minor league baseball team owner. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1975 to 1992 with the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos.

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Lena Einhorn, Swedish director, writer and physician

Lena Einhorn is a Swedish director and writer and former physician.

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Hōchū Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor

Hōchū Ōtsuka is a Japanese voice actor and narrator affiliated with the talent management firm Crazy Box.

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Phil Rudd, Australian-New Zealand drummer

Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of AC/DC across three stints. On the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans from AC/DC, Rudd became the only Australian-born member of the band. In 2003, he entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other members of AC/DC. In 2014, Rudd released his first solo album, Head Job. Due to ongoing legal problems in New Zealand, where he is a resident, Rudd was unable to join the band for the 2015 Rock or Bust World Tour and was replaced by Chris Slade. On 30 September 2020, AC/DC confirmed that Rudd would be rejoining the band for their comeback album Power Up.

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19/05/1953

Patrick Hodge, Lord Hodge, Scottish lawyer and judge

Patrick Stewart Hodge, Lord Hodge, PC is a Scottish retired judge, who served as Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

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Shavarsh Karapetyan, Armenian finswimmer

Shavarsh Vladimiri (Vladimirovich) Karapetyan is a Soviet-Armenian former finswimmer. He was best known for saving the lives of 20 people in a 1976 incident in Yerevan.

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Florin Marin, Romanian footballer and manager

Florin Marin was a Romanian professional football manager and player. Marin had a total of 456 matches as a manager in the Romanian top-division, Divizia A consisting of 166 victories, 103 draws and 187 losses. Marin died from complications of dementia on 18 September 2025, at the age of 72.

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Victoria Wood, English actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (died 2016)

Victoria Wood was an English comedian, actress, musician, screenwriter, and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over several decades, and her live comedy act was interspersed with her own compositions which she performed at the piano. Much of her humour was grounded in everyday life and included references to activities, attitudes and products that are considered to exemplify Britain. She was noted for her skills in observational comedy and in satirising aspects of social class.

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19/05/1952

Charlie Spedding, English runner

Charles Spedding is an English former long-distance runner who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1988 Summer Olympics.

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Bert van Marwijk, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager

Lambertus van Marwijk is a Dutch football manager who is a member of the supervisory board for MVV Maastricht. As a player, he played for the Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard amongst other clubs and also represented the Netherlands once.

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19/05/1951

Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter (died 2001)

Jeffrey Ross Hyman, known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist and founding member of the punk rock band Ramones, with Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone. His image, voice, and tenure with the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.

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Dick Slater, American wrestler (died 2018)

Richard Van Slater better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, was an American professional wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s, 1980s, and mid-1990s for various promotions including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

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19/05/1950

Tadeusz Ślusarski, Polish pole vaulter (died 1998)

Tadeusz Ślusarski was a Polish Olympic gold medalist in pole vault at the 1976 Olympics, as well as a silver medalist at the 1980 Olympics.

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19/05/1949

Dusty Hill, American singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2021)

Joe Michael "Dusty" Hill was an American musician who was the bassist of the rock band ZZ Top for more than 50 years. He also sang backing and lead vocals and played keyboards.

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Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath, English politician

Philip Alexander Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath, is a former health administrator and a Labour Co-operative member of the House of Lords who served as Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero from 2024 to 2025.

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Archie Manning, American football player

Elisha Archibald Manning III is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. The patriarch of the Manning football dynasty, he is the father of quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.

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19/05/1948

Grace Jones, Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress

Grace Beverly Jones is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her modelling career in New York, signing with Wilhelmina Models. After moving to Paris, she worked for fashion houses such as Yves St. Laurent and Kenzo, while appearing on the covers of Elle and Vogue Hommes. Jones was photographed by Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer, and emerged as one of the most prominent Black models of the 1970s. She earned recognition for her androgynous appearance and bold features, and has been cited as influential in early discussions of gender expression.

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19/05/1947

Paul Brady, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Paul Joseph Brady is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane, Northern Ireland. His work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age.

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Christopher Chope, English lawyer and politician

Sir Christopher Robert Chope is a British politician and former barrister who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Christchurch in Dorset since 1997. A member of the Conservative Party, he was first elected in 1983 for Southampton Itchen, but lost this seat in 1992 to Labour. He returned to Parliament in 1997 and has remained an MP ever since.

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David Helfgott, Australian pianist

David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist whose life inspired the Academy Award-winning film Shine, in which he was portrayed by actors Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor and Alex Rafalowicz.

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19/05/1946

Claude Lelièvre, Belgian activist

Claude Lelièvre is a Belgian government official. He is the Commissioner for Children Rights of the French community of Belgium, an office similar to the children's ombudsman agencies elsewhere.

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Michele Placido, Italian actor and director

Michele Placido is an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He began his career on stage, and first gained mainstream attention through a series of roles in films directed by the likes of Mario Monicelli and Marco Bellocchio, winning the Berlinale's Silver Bear for Best Actor for his performance in the 1979 film Ernesto. He is known internationally for portraying police inspector Corrado Cattani on the crime drama television series La piovra (1984–2001). Placido's directorial debut, Pummarò, was screened Un Certain Regard at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Three of his films have competed for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He is a five-time Nastro d'Argento and four-time David di Donatello winner. In 2021, Placido was appointed President of the Teatro Comunale in Ferrara.

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André the Giant, French-American wrestler and actor (died 1993)

André René Roussimoff, better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World", Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess human growth hormone.

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19/05/1945

Pete Townshend, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, keyboardist, second lead vocalist, and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. His aggressive playing style, poetic songwriting techniques and authorship of two rock operas with the Who, as well as other projects, have earned him critical acclaim.

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19/05/1944

Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (died 2019)

Peter William Mayhew was a British-American actor. He was best known for portraying Chewbacca in the Star Wars film series. He played the character in all of his live-action appearances from the 1977 original to 2015's The Force Awakens before his retirement from the role. He also voiced the character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and portrayed him in some non-canon television shows, including The Muppet Show.

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19/05/1943

Eddie May, English footballer and manager (died 2012)

Edwin Charles May was an English football player and manager. May was born in Epping, and played for Dagenham, Southend United, Wrexham and Swansea City.

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Shirrel Rhoades, American author, publisher, and academic

Shirrel Rhoades is an American writer, publisher, professor, filmmaker, and the former executive vice president of Marvel Entertainment.

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19/05/1942

Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research Inc. (died 1994)

Gary Arlen Kildall was an American computer scientist and microcomputer entrepreneur. During the 1970s, Kildall created the operating system CP/M among other operating systems and programming tools, and subsequently founded Digital Research, Inc. to market and sell his software products. He is considered a pioneer of the personal computer revolution.

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Robert Kilroy-Silk, English television host and politician

Robert Michael Kilroy-Silk is an English former politician and broadcaster. After a decade as a university lecturer, he served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 to 1986. He left the House of Commons in 1986 in order to present a new BBC Television daytime talk show, Kilroy, which ran until 2004. He returned to politics, serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2009. He had a significant role in the mainstreaming of Eurosceptic politics in the UK and has been dubbed 'The Godfather of Brexit'.

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19/05/1941

Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2012)

Nora Ephron was an American writer, playwright, journalist, and filmmaker. Known for writing and directing romantic comedy films, she received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Writers Guild of America Awards.

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Igor Judge, Baron Judge, Maltese-English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (died 2023)

Igor Judge, Baron Judge, was an English judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the head of the judiciary, from 2008 to 2013. He was previously President of the Queen's Bench Division, at the time a newly created post assuming responsibilities transferred from the office of lord chief justice. From 2019 to 2023, he served as Convenor of the Crossbench Peers in the House of Lords.

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19/05/1940

Jan Janssen, Dutch cyclist

Johannes Adrianus "Jan" Janssen is a Dutch former professional cyclist. He was world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, the first Dutch rider to win either. He rode the Tour de France eight times and finished all but the first time. He won seven stages and wore the yellow jersey for two days. He was easily spotted in the peloton because of his blond hair and his glasses. As of the death of Federico Bahamontes in August 2023, he is the oldest surviving winner of the Tour de France, but not the most ancient winner: Lucien Aimar won in 1966.

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Mickey Newbury, American country/pop singer-songwriter (died 2002)

Milton Sims "Mickey" Newbury Jr. was an American singer-songwriter. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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19/05/1939

Livio Berruti, Italian sprinter

Livio Berruti is an Italian former athlete who was the winner of the 200-meter dash in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

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James Fox, English actor

James William Fox is an English actor, known for his work in film and television. He is a member of the Fox family of actors. Fox's career began in the 1960s through leading roles in films such as The Servant (1963), King Rat (1965), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), and Performance (1970).

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Nancy Kwan, Hong Kong-American actress and makeup artist

Nancy Kwan Ka-shen is a Chinese-American actress whose career benefited from Hollywood's casting of more Asian roles in the 1960s, especially in comedies. She was considered an Eastern sex symbol in the 1960s.

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Jānis Lūsis, Latvian javelin thrower and coach (died 2020)

Jānis Lūsis was a Latvian track and field athlete who competed in javelin throw.

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Dick Scobee, American pilot, and astronaut (died 1986)

Francis Richard Scobee was an American pilot, engineer, and astronaut. He was killed while commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.

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19/05/1938

Moisés da Costa Amaral, East Timorese politician (died 1989)

Moisés da Costa Amaral was an East Timorese politician in the Timorese Democratic Union. Born in 1938 in Fahinihan, East Timor.

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Herbie Flowers, English musician (died 2024)

Brian Keith "Herbie" Flowers was an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double bass and tuba. He was a member of groups including Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky and was also a prolific session musician.

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Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, Ukrainian long jumper and coach

Igor Aramovich Ter-Ovanesyan is a Soviet and Russian former long jumper and coach, of Armenian descent. Competing for the Soviet Union, he was a five-time European and two-time Olympic medalist in this event. In 1985, he was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honour.

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19/05/1937

Pat Roach, English wrestler (died 2004)

Francis Patrick Roach was an English professional wrestler, martial artist and actor. During an acting career between the 1970s and the 1990s, he appeared in multiple films, usually as a henchman. He appeared in the Indiana Jones film series, as the West Country bricklayer Brian "Bomber" Busbridge in the 1980s British television series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and in the role of Petty Officer Edgar Evans in the television production The Last Place on Earth.

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19/05/1935

David Hartman, American journalist and television personality

David Downs Hartman is an American journalist and media host who began his media career as an actor. He currently anchors and hosts documentary programs on History and PBS. Hartman is best known as the first host of ABC's Good Morning America, from 1975 to 1987. As an actor, he starred in the 1970s as a young resident, Dr. Paul Hunter, on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors and as a teacher in the series Lucas Tanner. He acted in the 1973 TV movie remake of Miracle on 34th Street.

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19/05/1934

Ruskin Bond, Indian author and poet

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author and poet. His first novel, The Room on the Roof, published in 1956, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels which include 69 books for children. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.

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Jim Lehrer, American journalist and author (died 2020)

James Charles Lehrer was an American journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. He was the executive editor and a news anchor for the PBS News Hour on PBS and was known for his role as a debate moderator during U.S. presidential election campaigns, moderating 12 presidential debates between 1988 and 2012. Lehrer also wrote numerous fiction and non-fiction books that drew upon his experience as a newsman, along with his interests in history and politics.

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19/05/1933

Edward de Bono, Maltese physician, author, and academic (died 2021)

Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono was a Maltese physician and commentator. He originated the term lateral thinking, and wrote many books on thinking, including Six Thinking Hats.

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19/05/1932

Alma Cogan, English singer (died 1966)

Alma Angela Cohen Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed the "Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era.

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Paul Erdman, American economist and author (died 2007)

Paul Emil Erdman was a Canadian-born American economist and banker who became known for writing novels based on monetary trends and international finance.

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Bill Fitch, American basketball player and coach (died 2022)

William Charles Fitch was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1981. Before entering the professional ranks, he coached college basketball at the University of Minnesota, Bowling Green State University, the University of North Dakota, and his alma mater, Coe College. Fitch's teams twice qualified for the NCAA tournament. He won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

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Elena Poniatowska, Mexican intellectual and journalist

Hélène Elizabeth Louise Amélie Paula Dolores Poniatowska Amor, known professionally as Elena Poniatowska, is a French-born Mexican journalist and author, specializing in works on social and political issues focused on those considered disenfranchised, especially women and the poor. She was born in Paris to upper-class parents. Her mother's family fled Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. She left France for Mexico when she was ten to escape World War II. When she was 18, she began writing for the newspaper Excélsior, doing interviews and society columns. Despite the lack of opportunity for women from the 1950s to the 1970s, she wrote about social and political issues in newspapers and both fiction and nonfiction books. Her best-known work is La noche de Tlatelolco: Testimonios de historia oral, about the repression of the 1968 student protests in Mexico City. Due to her left-wing views, she has been nicknamed "the Red Princess". She is considered "Mexico's grande dame of letters" and is still an active writer.

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19/05/1931

Bob Anderson, English race car driver (died 1967)

Robert Hugh Fearon Anderson was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing driver. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1958 to 1960 and in Formula One from 1963 to the 1967 seasons. He was also a two-time winner of the North West 200 race in Northern Ireland. Anderson was one of the last independent privateer drivers in Formula One before escalating costs made it impossible to compete without sponsorship.

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Trevor Peacock, English actor, screenwriter and songwriter (died 2021)

Trevor Edward Peacock was an English actor and songwriter. He made his name as a theatre actor, including for his roles in Shakespeare. He later became known for playing Jim Trott in the BBC comedy series The Vicar of Dibley.

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19/05/1930

Eugene Genovese, American historian and author (died 2012)

Eugene Dominic Genovese was an American historian of the American South and American slavery. He was noted for bringing a Marxist perspective to the study of power, class and relations between planters and slaves in the South. His book Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made won the Bancroft Prize. He later abandoned the left and Marxism and embraced traditionalist conservatism. He wrote during the Cold War and his political beliefs were viewed by some as highly controversial at the time.

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Lorraine Hansberry, American playwright and director (died 1965)

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry was an American playwright and writer. She was the first Black American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. Hansberry's best-known work, the play A Raisin in the Sun, highlights the lives of Black Americans in Chicago living under racial segregation. The title of the play was taken from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes: "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" At the age of 29, Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award – making her the first Black American dramatist, the fifth woman, and the youngest playwright to do so. Her family had struggled against segregation, challenging a restrictive covenant in the 1940 U.S. Supreme Court case Hansberry v. Lee.

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19/05/1929

Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (died 2013)

Helmut Braunlich was a German-American violinist, composer, and musicologist.

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Richard Larter, Australian painter (died 2014)

Richard Larter was an Australian painter, often identified as one of Australia's few highly recognisable pop artists. Larter also frequently painted in a Pointillist style. He took advantage of unusual techniques with painting: using a syringe filled with paint to create his early works, and juxtaposing multiple images on to a canvas. Many of his works are brightly coloured and draw on popular culture for source materials, reproducing news photographs, film stills, and images from pornography. He was married to Pat Larter, an artist who was involved in the Mail art movement, then performance art and finally painting in a brightly coloured style similar to Richard's. The Larters emigrated to Australia in 1962. Richard Larter's pop art was less ironic than his American and English counterparts. In this Larter is similar to other noted Australian pop artists, such as, Mike Brown and Martin Sharp.

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John Stroger, American politician (died 2008)

John H. Stroger Jr. was an American politician who served from 1994 until 2006 as the first African-American president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. A member of the Democratic Party. Stroger also served as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1970 until 2006. He additionally served as president of the National Association of Counties from 1992 through 1993.

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19/05/1928

Colin Chapman, English engineer and businessman, founded Lotus Cars (died 1982)

Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman was an English design engineer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of the sports car company Lotus Cars.

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Thomas Kennedy, English air marshal (died 2013)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Thomas Lawrie "Jock" Kennedy, was a senior Royal Air Force officer. He served as Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command from 1979 to 1981, and Air Member for Personnel from 1983 to 1986. Following his retirement from the military, he served as Lord Lieutenant of Rutland.

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Gil McDougald, American baseball player and coach (died 2010)

Gilbert James McDougald was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder who played for the New York Yankees from 1951 through 1960.

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Dolph Schayes, American basketball player and coach (died 2015)

Adolph Schayes was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A top scorer and rebounder, he was a 12-time NBA All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA selection. Schayes won an NBA championship with the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973.

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19/05/1927

Serge Lang, French-American mathematician, author and academic (died 2005)

Serge Lang was a French-American mathematician and activist who taught at Yale University for most of his career. He is known for his work in number theory and for his mathematics textbooks, including the influential Algebra. He received the Frank Nelson Cole Prize in 1960 and was a member of the Bourbaki group.

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19/05/1926

Edward Parkes, English engineer and academic (died 2019)

Sir Edward Walter Parkes DL FREng was Vice-Chancellor of City University London from 1974 to 1978 and of the University of Leeds from 1983 to 1991.

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Peter Zadek, German director and screenwriter (died 2009)

Peter Zadek was a German director of theatre, opera and film, a translator and a screenwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater.

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19/05/1925

Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (died 1998)

Pol Pot was a Cambodian politician, revolutionary, and dictator who ruled Democratic Kampuchea from 1975 until his overthrow in 1979 during the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Under his reign, his administration oversaw the Cambodian genocide, and he is widely believed to be one of the most brutal despots in modern world history. Ideologically a Maoist and Khmer ethnonationalist, Pot was a leader of Cambodia's Communist movement, known as the Khmer Rouge, from 1963 to 1997. He served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea from 1963 to 1981, during which Cambodia was converted into a one-party state. Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge perpetrated the Cambodian genocide, in which an estimated 1.5–2 million people died—approximately one-quarter of the country's pre-genocide population. In December 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia to remove the Khmer Rouge from power. Within two weeks Vietnamese forces occupied most of the country, ending the genocide and establishing a new Cambodian government, with the Khmer Rouge restricted to the rural hinterlands in the western part of the country.

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Malcolm X, American minister and activist (died 1965)

Malcolm X was an African American revolutionary and Black nationalist leader, who came from a background of poverty, family disruption, and criminal activity, to a prominent figure during the civil rights movement until his assassination in 1965. He discovered the religious organization the Nation of Islam while in prison and served as its spokesperson from 1952 until 1964. He was also a vocal advocate for Black empowerment and the promotion of Islam within the African American community. A controversial figure accused of preaching violence, Malcolm X is also a celebrated figure with Black people and Muslims worldwide for his pursuit of racial justice.

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19/05/1924

Sandy Wilson, English composer and songwriter (died 2014)

Alexander Galbraith "Sandy" Wilson was an English composer and lyricist, best known for his musical The Boy Friend (1953).

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19/05/1922

Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (died 1992)

Arthur Dingwall Gorrie was an Australian hobbyist. He ran a small hobby shop in Woolloongabba and was involved with model aeronautical clubs including the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia and the Queensland Model Aeronautical Association from the early 1950s. He was involved with Toastmasters International and was honored by them on many occasions. He became a Distinguished Toastmaster in 1979 and Toastmaster of the Year on eight occasions.

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19/05/1921

Leslie Broderick, English lieutenant and pilot (died 2013)

Leslie Charles James Broderick was a British World War II Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster bomber pilot and teacher who was a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III and one of the last three survivors of the "Great Escape".

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Harry W. Brown, American colonel and pilot (died 1991)

Harry Winston Brown was an Army Air Corps second lieutenant assigned to the 47th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field on the island of Oahu during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. He was one of the five American pilots to score victories that day. Brown was awarded a Silver Star for his actions, and was the first Texan decorated for valor in the war. By the war's end, he was a flying ace.

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Daniel Gélin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2002)

Daniel Yves Alfred Gélin was a French film and television actor.

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Yuri Kochiyama, American activist (died 2014)

Yuri Kochiyama was an American civil rights activist born in San Pedro, California. She was interned at the Jerome War Relocation Center in Arkansas during World War II, an experience that influenced her views on racism in the United States. While interned, she helped run a letter-writing campaign to Nisei (transl. 'second-generation') soldiers, wrote for the Jerome camp newspaper, and volunteered with the United Service Organizations (USO).

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Karel van het Reve, Dutch historian and author (died 1999)

Karel van het Reve was a Dutch writer, translator and literary historian, teaching and writing on Russian literature.

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19/05/1920

Tina Strobos, Dutch psychiatrist known for rescuing Jews during World War II (died 2012)

Tina Strobos was a Dutch physician and psychiatrist from Amsterdam, known for her resistance work during World War II. While a young medical student, she worked with her mother and grandmother to rescue more than 100 Jewish refugees as part of the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Strobos provided her house as a hiding place for Jews on the run, using a secret attic compartment and warning bell system to keep them safe from sudden police raids. In addition, Strobos smuggled guns and radios for the resistance and forged passports to help refugees escape the country. Despite being arrested and interrogated nine times by the Gestapo, she never betrayed the whereabouts of a Jew.

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19/05/1919

Georgie Auld, Canadian-American saxophonist, clarinet player, and bandleader (died 1990)

Georgie Auld was a Canadian jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader.

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Mitja Ribičič, Italian-Slovenian soldier and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (died 2013)

Mitja Ribičič was a Slovenian and Yugoslav communist politician. He was the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia—the only Slovenian to hold the office—from 1969 to 1971.

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19/05/1918

Abraham Pais, Dutch-American physicist, historian, and academic (died 2000)

Abraham Pais was a Dutch-American physicist and science historian. Pais earned his Ph.D. from University of Utrecht just prior to a Nazi ban on Jewish participation in Dutch universities during World War II. When the Nazis began the forced relocation of Dutch Jews, he went into hiding, but was later arrested and saved only by the end of the war. He then served as an assistant to Niels Bohr in Denmark and was later a colleague of Albert Einstein at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. His Subtle is the Lord, considered by many to be the definitive biography of Einstein, won the Science Writing Award. He followed it with Inward Bound: Of Matter and Forces in the Physical World, a history of modern physics, Niels Bohr's Times: In Physics, Philosophy, and Polity and Einstein Lived Here: Essays for the Layman. He was a physics professor at Rockefeller University until his retirement. He won the 1995 Lewis Thomas Prize for science writing.

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19/05/1915

Renée Asherson, English actress (died 2014)

Dorothy Renée Ascherson, known professionally as Renée Asherson, was a British actress. Much of her theatrical career was spent in Shakespearean plays, appearing at such venues as the Old Vic, the Liverpool Playhouse, and the Westminster Theatre. Her first stage appearance was on 17 October 1935, aged 20 and her first major film appearance was in The Way Ahead (1944). Her last film appearance was in The Others (2001).

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19/05/1914

Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2002)

Max Ferdinand Perutz was an Austrian-born British molecular biologist, who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with John Kendrew, for their studies of the structures of haemoglobin and myoglobin. He went on to win the Royal Medal of the Royal Society in 1971 and the Copley Medal in 1979. At Cambridge he founded and chaired (1962–79) The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), fourteen of whose scientists have won Nobel Prizes.

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Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2005)

Alexandre Dimitri Shibicky was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League from 1935 to 1946.

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John Vachon, American photographer and journalist (died 1975)

John Felix Vachon was an American photographer. Vachon is remembered most for his photography working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) as part of the New Deal and for contributions to Look magazine.

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19/05/1913

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th President of India (died 1996)

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was an Indian politician who served as the president of India from 1977 to 1982. Beginning a long political career with the Indian National Congress in the independence movement, he went on to hold several key offices in independent India – as deputy chief minister of Andhra state and the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, a two-time Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a Union Minister— before becoming the Indian president.

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19/05/1910

Alan Melville, South African cricketer (died 1983)

Alan Melville was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Test matches from 1938 to 1949. He was born in Carnarvon, Northern Cape, South Africa and died at Sabie, Transvaal.

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19/05/1909

Nicholas Winton, English banker and humanitarian (died 2015)

Sir Nicholas George Winton was a British stockbroker and humanitarian who helped to rescue refugee children, mostly Jewish, whose families had fled persecution by Nazi Germany. Born to German-Jewish parents who had immigrated to Britain at the beginning of the 20th century, Winton assisted in the rescue of 669 children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War. On a brief visit to Czechoslovakia, he helped compile a list of children in danger and, returning to Britain, he worked to fulfill the legal requirements of bringing the children to Britain and finding homes and sponsors for them. This operation was later known as the Czech Kindertransport.

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19/05/1908

Manik Bandopadhyay, Indian author, poet, and playwright (died 1956)

Manik Bandyopadhyay [alias Banerjee] is an Indian author regarded as one of the major figures of 20th century Bengali literature. During a lifespan of 48 years and 28 years of literary career, battling with epilepsy from the age of around 28 and financial strains all along, he produced some masterpieces of novels and short stories, besides some poems, essays etc. One of the early neo-realist film shot in Pakistan, The Day Shall Dawn is based on his story.

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Merriam Modell, American author (died 1994)

Merriam Modell was an American writer of short stories, suspense and pulp fiction, who wrote primarily under the pen name Evelyn Piper. Many had a common theme: the domestic conflicts faced by American families.

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Percy Williams, Canadian sprinter (died 1982)

Percy Alfred Williams was a Canadian athlete, winner of the 100 and 200 metres races at the 1928 Summer Olympics and a former world record holder for the 100 metres sprint.

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19/05/1906

Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (died 2007)

Bruce Bennett was an American film and television actor who was a college athlete in football and in intercollegiate and international track-and-field competitions. In 1928, he won the silver medal for the shot put at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. His acting career in film and television spanned more than 40 years.

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19/05/1904

Sven Thofelt, Swedish modern pentathlete and épée fencer (died 1993)

Sven Alfred Thofelt was a Swedish modern pentathlete and épée fencer who competed at the 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1948 Summer Olympics.

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19/05/1903

Ruth Ella Moore, American scientist (died 1994)

Ruth Ella Moore was an American bacteriologist and microbiologist, who, in 1933, became the first African-American woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in a natural science. She was a professor of bacteriology at Howard University. A decade later, she was installed as the head of the department of bacteriology, which she renamed to the department of microbiology. During that period she was promoted to associate professor of microbiology.

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19/05/1902

Lubka Kolessa, Ukrainian-Canadian pianist and educator (died 1997)

Lubka Oleksandrivna Kolessa was a classical pianist and professor of piano.

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19/05/1899

Lothar Rădăceanu, Romanian journalist, linguist, and politician (died 1955)

Lothar or Lotar Rădăceanu was a Romanian journalist and linguist, best known as a socialist and communist politician.

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19/05/1898

Julius Evola, Italian philosopher and painter (died 1974)

Giulio Cesare Andrea "Julius" Evola was an Italian far-right philosopher and writer. Evola regarded his values as traditionalist, aristocratic, martial and imperialist. An esoteric thinker in Fascist Italy, he also had ties to Nazi Germany. In the post-war era, he was an ideological mentor of the Italian neo-fascist and militant right.

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19/05/1897

Frank Luke, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (died 1918)

Frank Luke Jr. was an American fighter ace credited with 19 aerial victories, ranking him second among United States Army Air Service (USAAS) pilots during World War I, after Eddie Rickenbacker. Luke was the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor and first USAAS ace in a day. Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, a United States Air Force pilot training installation since World War II, is named in his honor.

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19/05/1893

H. Bonciu, Romanian author, poet, and journalist (died 1950)

H. Bonciu, or Horia Bonciu, was a Romanian novelist, poet, journalist and translator, noted especially as an atypical figure on his country's avant-garde scene. His work, comprising several volumes of poetry and two novels, is a mixture of influences from the diverse literary schools of Europe's modernism, and, unusually in the context of Romanian literature, borrows heavily from German-born movements such as Expressionism. The autofictional and cruel detail in Bonciu's narratives makes him a senior figure among Romania's own Trăirist authors, while its capture of the unnaturally grotesque also finds him as one of the country's Neoromantics and Surrealists.

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19/05/1891

Oswald Boelcke, German captain and pilot (died 1916)

Hauptmann Oswald Boelcke was a German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories during World War I. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air combat as a whole. He was a highly influential mentor, patrol leader, and tactician in the first years of air combat, 1915 and 1916.

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19/05/1890

Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German-American illustrator (died 1962)

Eveline Adelheid von Maydell was an ethnic German silhouette artist. Born in Iran, she studied drawing in Pärnu, Estonia, in Riga, Latvia and in St. Petersburg, Russia. She moved to the United States in 1922.

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese politician, 1st President of Vietnam (died 1969)

Hồ Chí Minh, colloquially known as Uncle Ho among other aliases and sobriquets, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman who founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945. He served as its first president from 1946 until his death in 1969 and as its first prime minister from 1945 to 1955. A committed Marxist–Leninist, Hồ played a central role in establishing the Indochinese Communist Party in 1930 and later led its successor, the Workers' Party of Vietnam, as chairman until his death.

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19/05/1889

Tản Đà, Vietnamese poet and author (died 1939)

Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu (阮克孝), pen name Tản Đà was a Vietnamese poet. His pen name is a combination of Tản from Tản Viên Mountain and Đà from Đà River

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Henry B. Richardson, American archer (died 1963)

Henry Barber Richardson was an American archer. He won two Olympic bronze medals. Richardson was the first archer to win medals at two different editions of the Olympic Games as well as the youngest medallist at the 1904 Summer Olympics at the age of 15 years and 124 days.

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19/05/1887

Ion Jalea, Romanian soldier and sculptor (died 1983)

Ion Jalea was a Romanian sculptor, monumentalist, teacher, and member of the Romanian Academy.

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19/05/1886

Francis Biddle, American lawyer and judge, 58th United States Attorney General (died 1968)

Francis Beverley Biddle was an American lawyer and judge who was the United States Attorney General during World War II. He also served as the primary American judge during Nuremberg trials following World War II and a United States circuit judge of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

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19/05/1884

David Munson, American runner (died 1953)

David Curtiss Munson was an American athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.

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19/05/1881

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (official birthday), Turkish field marshal and statesman, 1st President of Turkey (died 1938)

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was a Turkish field marshal and statesperson who was the founder of the Republic of Turkey and served as its first president from 1923 until his death in 1938. He led sweeping reforms, turning Turkey into a secular, industrialising nation. Ideologically a secularist, republican and nationalist, his policies and socio-political theories became known as Kemalism. Atatürk's personality cult and the Kemalist historiography developed around it have had significant and ongoing influences on Turkey's political culture and historical narrative.

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19/05/1880

Albert Richardson, English architect and educator, designed the Manchester Opera House (died 1964)

Sir Albert Edward Richardson was a leading English architect, teacher and writer about architecture during the first half of the 20th century. He was Professor of Architecture at University College London, a President of the Royal Academy, editor of Architects' Journal, founder of the Georgian Group and the Guild of Surveyors and Master of the Art Workers' Guild.

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19/05/1879

Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-English politician (died 1964)

Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor was an American-born British politician who was the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament (MP), serving from 1919 to 1945. Astor was born in Danville, Virginia, and raised in Greenwood, Virginia. Her first marriage, to socialite Robert Gould Shaw II, was unhappy and ended in divorce. She then moved to England and married American-born Englishman Waldorf Astor in 1906.

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19/05/1878

Alfred Laliberté, Canadian sculptor and painter (died 1953)

Alfred Laliberté was a French-Canadian sculptor and painter based in Montreal. His output includes more than 900 sculptures in bronze, marble, wood, and plaster. Many of his sculptures depict national figures and events in Canada and France such as Louis Hébert, François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle, Adam Dollard des Ormeaux, and the Lower Canada Rebellion. Although he produced hundreds of paintings as well, he is chiefly remembered for his work as a sculptor.

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19/05/1874

Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer and soldier (died 1955)

Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been one of the fastest run-scorers cricket has ever known. He was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898 and compiled the fastest century ever for England.

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19/05/1871

Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (died 1963)

Walter Bowman Russell was an American impressionist painter, sculptor, property developer, and author. Russell wrote extensively on topics relating to science, but his ideas did not gain much attention from scientists.

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19/05/1861

Nellie Melba, Australian soprano and actress (died 1931)

Dame Nellie Melba was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician. She took the pseudonym "Melba" from Melbourne, her home town.

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19/05/1857

John Jacob Abel, American biochemist and pharmacologist (died 1938)

John Jacob Abel was an American biochemist and pharmacologist. He established the pharmacology department at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1893, and then became America's first full-time professor of pharmacology. During his time at Hopkins, he made several important medical advancements, especially in the field of hormone extraction. In addition to his laboratory work, he founded several significant scientific journals such as the Journal of Biological Chemistry and the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

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19/05/1832

James Watney, Jr., English politician, brewer and cricketer (died 1886)

James Watney Jr. was a prominent member of the Watney family and a Conservative Member of Parliament for East Surrey.

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19/05/1827

Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour, French academic and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 1896)

Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour was a French statesman.

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19/05/1795

Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (died 1873)

Johns Hopkins was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist best known for funding the establishment of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital, which have since become leading institutions for scientific research and medical advancements. At the time of his death, his donation was the largest philanthropic bequest ever made to an American educational institution.

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19/05/1773

Arthur Aikin, English chemist and mineralogist (died 1854)

Arthur Aikin was an English chemist, mineralogist and scientific writer, and was a founding member of the Chemical Society. He first became its treasurer in 1841, and later became the society's second president.

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19/05/1762

Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher and academic (died 1814)

Johann Gottlieb Fichte was a German philosopher who became a founding figure of German idealism, which developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Kant.

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19/05/1744

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, German-born Queen to George III of the United Kingdom (died 1818)

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death in 1818. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. As George's wife, she was also Electress of Hanover until becoming Queen of Hanover on 12 October 1814. Charlotte was Britain's longest-serving queen consort, serving for 57 years and 70 days.

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19/05/1724

Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, English admiral and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland (died 1779)

Vice-Admiral Augustus John Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, PC was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He commanded the sixth-rate HMS Phoenix at the Battle of Minorca in May 1756 as well as the third-rate HMS Dragon at the Capture of Belle Île in June 1761, the Invasion of Martinique in January 1762 and the Battle of Havana in June 1762 during the Seven Years' War. He went on to be Chief Secretary for Ireland and then First Naval Lord.

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19/05/1700

José de Escandón, 1st Count of Sierra Gorda, Spanish sergeant and politician (died 1770)

José de Escandón y Helguera, conde de Sierra was a Spanish fighter against indigenous people in New Spain and the founder and first governor of the colony of Nuevo Santander, which extended from the Pánuco River in the modern-day Mexican state of Tamaulipas to the Guadalupe River in the modern-day U.S. state of Texas.

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19/05/1639

Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland, English soldier and noble (died 1665)

Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland, was the only son and heir of the 2nd Earl of Portland and Lady Frances Stuart.

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19/05/1616

Johann Jakob Froberger, German organist and composer (died 1667)

Johann Jakob Froberger was a German Baroque composer, keyboard virtuoso, and organist. Among the most famous composers of the era, he was influential in developing the musical form of the suite of dances in his keyboard works. His harpsichord pieces are highly idiomatic and programmatic.

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19/05/1593

Claude Vignon, French painter (died 1670)

Claude Vignon was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator who worked in a wide range of genres. During a period of study in Italy, he became exposed to many new artistic currents, in particular through the works of Caravaggio and his followers, Guercino, Guido Reni and Annibale Caracci. A prolific artist, his work has remained enigmatic, contradictory and hard to define within a single term or style. His mature works are vibrantly coloured, splendidly lit and often extremely expressive. Vignon worked in a fluent technique, resulting in an almost electric brushwork. He particularly excelled in the rendering of textiles, gold and precious stones.

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19/05/1462

Baccio D'Agnolo, Italian woodcarver, sculptor and architect (died 1543)

Baccio d'Agnolo, born Bartolomeo Baglioni, was an Italian woodcarver, sculptor, and architect from Florence.

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19/05/1400

John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton, English soldier and politician (died 1462)

John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton of Stourton, Wiltshire, was an English soldier and politician, elevated to the peerage in 1448.

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