Born on Friday, 31st October – Famous Birthdays

31/10/2005

Leonor, Princess of Asturias

Leonor, Princess of Asturias (Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz; born 31 October 2005) is the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne. She is the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.

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31/10/2002

Ansu Fati

Anssumane "Ansu" Fati Vieira is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Ligue 1 club Monaco, on loan from La Liga club Barcelona. Born in Guinea-Bissau, he plays for the Spain national team.

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31/10/2000

Willow Smith, American singer, actress, and dancer

Willow Smith, also known mononymously as Willow, is an American singer, actress, and dancer. The daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she has received various accolades, including a Young Artist Award, an NAACP Image Award, a BET Award, and nominations for two Daytime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a MTV Video Music Award. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Smith made her acting debut in the 2007 film I Am Legend alongside her father, and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl with Abigail Breslin. She embarked on a musical career with her 2010 single "Whip My Hair", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Previously, Smith had signed with her mentor, Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation, becoming the label's youngest artist. The following year, she released the singles "21st Century Girl" and "Fireball".

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31/10/1999

Danielle Rose Russell, American actress

Danielle Rose Russell is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Hope Mikaelson in the fifth and final season of The CW supernatural drama series The Originals and as the star of the spinoff series, Legacies, which premiered on October 25, 2018, and aired four seasons, ending on June 16, 2022.

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Léa Serna, French figure skater

Léa Serna is a French figure skater. She is the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy silver medalist, a two-time International Cup of Nice champion, and a three-time French national champion (2021–23).

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31/10/1997

Siobhán Bernadette Haughey, Hong Kong-Irish swimmer

Siobhán Bernadette Haughey is a Hong Kong competitive swimmer. She became the first Hong Kong swimmer to win an Olympic medal and the first Hong Kong athlete to win two Olympic medals in any sport, after winning silver in the women's 200-metre freestyle and women's 100-metre freestyle during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. She later became the only Hong Kong athlete to win four Olympic medals after winning bronze in the women's 200-metre freestyle and the women's 100-metre freestyle at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. She also won the first swimming gold for Hong Kong in 2022 Asian Games, and became the most decorated Hong Kong athlete of all time in one single edition of Asian Games with two golds, one silver, and three bronzes.

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Sydney Park, American actress and comedian

Sydney Park is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her roles as Cyndie in AMC's The Walking Dead, Gabby Phillips in Instant Mom, Caitlin Park-Lewis in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and Makani Young in the Netflix film There's Someone Inside Your House.

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Marcus Rashford, English footballer

Marcus Rashford is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Barcelona, on loan from Premier League club Manchester United, and the England national team.

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Holly Taylor, Canadian-American actress

Holly Taylor is a Canadian and American actress and dancer. She began her career in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot at the age of eleven as Sharon Percy and continued in the role for almost two years. She played the role of Paige Jennings in the FX television series The Americans for its entire run, for which she received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019. In addition, she portrays Angelina Meyer, a maniacal false prophet in the NBC/Netflix science fiction series Manifest.

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31/10/1995

Joana Valle Costa, Portuguese tennis player

Joana Valle Costa is a Portuguese former professional tennis player.

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31/10/1993

Mercedes Arn-Horn, Canadian musician

Mercedes Arn-Horn is a Canadian musician, songwriter, director and actor. She is the lead singer and guitarist of Canadian rock band Softcult, and was formerly the lead singer, guitarist and keyboardist of the Canadian rock band Courage My Love.

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Nadine Lustre, Filipino actress and singer

Nadine Alexis Paguia Lustre is a Filipino actress and singer. Regarded as one of the finest Filipino actresses in the 21st century, her accolades include six FAMAS Awards, a Gawad Urian Award, five Box Office Entertainment Awards, and four Metro Manila Film Festival Awards, including nominations from MTV Europe Music Awards and Asian Academy Creative Awards. Preview magazine named her one of the 50 most influential personalities in 2022.

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Letitia Wright, Guyanese-British actress

Letitia Michelle Wright is a Guyanese-British actress. She began her career with guest roles in the television series Top Boy, Coming Up, Chasing Shadows, Humans, Doctor Who, and Black Mirror. For the latter, she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She then had her breakthrough for her role in the 2015 film Urban Hymn, for which the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) named Wright among the 2015 group of BAFTA Breakthrough Brits.

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31/10/1992

Vanessa Marano, American actress

Vanessa Nicole Marano is an American actress. She has starred in television movies and had recurring roles in such series as Without a Trace, Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Ghost Whisperer, Scoundrels, Grey's Anatomy, and The Young and the Restless. From 2011 to 2017, she starred as Bay Kennish on the Freeform television series Switched at Birth.

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31/10/1990

JID, American rapper

Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, he signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records in 2017. He formed the musical collective Spillage Village with EarthGang in 2010, and later formed the hip hop group Zoink Gang with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000. His fluent rapping style and usage of wordplay has been frequently acclaimed by music critics.

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31/10/1989

Scott McGough, American baseball player

Scott Thomas McGough is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Athletics and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

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31/10/1988

Cole Aldrich, American basketball player

Cole David Aldrich is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Aldrich played three seasons of college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the 11th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.

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Sébastien Buemi, Swiss race car driver

Sébastien Olivier Humbert Buemi is a Swiss racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota and in Formula E for Envision. In formula racing, Buemi competed in Formula One from 2009 to 2011, and won the 2015–16 Formula E Championship with Renault. In endurance racing, Buemi has won a joint-record four FIA World Endurance Championship titles—tied with Brendon Hartley—and is a four-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, all with Toyota.

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Jack Riewoldt, Australian footballer

Jack Riewoldt is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a three-time premiership player, a three-time Coleman Medallist, a three-time All-Australian, an 12-time Richmond club leading goalkicker, a two-time Jack Dyer Medallist and a Tasmanian Football Hall-of-Famer. He served as Richmond's vice captain during all three premiership seasons.

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Lizzy Yarnold, British skeleton racer

Elizabeth Anne Yarnold is a British former skeleton racer. She won consecutive Olympic gold medals in 2014 and 2018, making her the first British Winter Olympian to win two gold medals.

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31/10/1987

Nick Foligno, Canadian ice hockey player

Nicholas Foligno is an American professional hockey player who is a left winger for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 28th overall by the Ottawa Senators during the 2006 NHL entry draft. Foligno was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets six years later.

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Jean-Karl Vernay, French race car driver

Jean-Karl "J. K." Vernay is a French professional racing driver. He was 2010 Indy Lights and 2017 TCR International Series champion. He has won races at the World Touring Car Cup, where he finished fifth in 2018 and won the WTCR Trophy in 2020.

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31/10/1986

Chris Alajajian, Australian race car driver

Christopher Alajajian is an Australian-Armenian former race car driver.

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Christie Hayes, Australian actress and producer

Christie Ayrna Lynne Hayes is an Australian actress, known for her work on the television series Home and Away as Kirsty Phillips who she played from June 2000 to February 2005, and again from May 2008 to October 2009. Since 2022 she has co-hosted the Dan & Christie Breakfast radio show. Hayes is the sister of actress Katherine Hayes.

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31/10/1985

Fanny Chmelar, German alpine skier

Fanny Chmelar is a German former alpine skier who largely competed in Slalom.

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Kerron Clement, American hurdler and sprinter

Kerron Stephon Clement is a Trinidadian-born American track and field athlete who competes in the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter sprint. He held the indoor world record in the 400-meter sprint, having broken Michael Johnson's mark in 2005.

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31/10/1984

Pat Murray, American football player

Pat Murray is an American former professional football guard. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Truman State.

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Amanda Pascoe, Australian swimmer

Amanda Pascoe is an Australian freestyle swimmer.

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31/10/1983

Adam Bouska, American photographer and activist, founded the NOH8 Campaign

Adam Bouska is an American fashion photographer who runs a photography studio based out of West Hollywood, California. Known for pictures of male models in particular, he is considered a rising 'superstar photographer' in the gay community. Bouska is most recognized for co-creation of the internationally recognized NOH8 Campaign.

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31/10/1982

Jordan Bannister, Australian footballer and umpire

Jordan Scott Bannister is a former Australian rules football player and umpire, who played for Carlton and Essendon and umpired in the Australian Football League.

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Justin Chatwin, Canadian actor

Justin Chatwin is a Canadian actor. He began his career in 2001 with a brief appearance in the musical comedy Josie and the Pussycats. Following his breakthrough role as Robbie Ferrier in the blockbuster War of the Worlds (2005), Chatwin headlined studio films such as The Invisible (2007) and Dragonball Evolution (2009), an action-adventure feature based on the manga series Dragon Ball. In the 2010s, Chatwin acted in small independent films. He starred as rock star idol Bobby Shore in the sci-fi musical Bang Bang Baby (2014), which earned him a Canadian Screen Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and appeared in the romantic comedy Unleashed (2016), and drama Summer Night (2019).

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Tomáš Plekanec, Czech ice hockey player

Tomáš Plekanec is a Czech former professional ice hockey centre. He played most of his National Hockey League (NHL) career for the Montreal Canadiens, and briefly played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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31/10/1981

Irina Denezhkina, Russian author

Irina Denezhkina is a Russian controversial writer, notable for a vulgar style of her works, which is explained by some as a reflection of the modern reality, as of the Millennial Generation.

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Steven Hunter, American basketball player

Steven Deon Hunter is an American former professional basketball player. He is listed as a center. He most recently played for Dinamo Sassari.

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Frank Iero, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Frank Anthony Iero Jr. is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist of the rock band My Chemical Romance and as a guitarist in the supergroup L.S. Dunes. He was also the lead vocalist of the post-hardcore band Leathermouth. He has a solo project titled Frank Iero and the Future Violents. He released his debut solo studio album titled Stomachaches on August 26, 2014.

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Selina Jen, Taiwanese singer and actress

Selina Jen Chia-hsüan is a Taiwanese singer, television host and actress. She is a member of the Taiwanese girl group S.H.E. On 11 June 2004, she graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University with a Bachelor of Education degree, majoring in Civic Education and Leadership.

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Mike Napoli, American baseball player

Michael Anthony Napoli is an American former professional baseball first baseman and catcher who is currently serving as the assistant bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB).

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31/10/1980

Samaire Armstrong, American model, actress, and fashion designer

Samaire Rhys Armstrong is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in Stay Alive, The O.C., It's a Boy Girl Thing, and as Juliet Darling in the ABC television series Dirty Sexy Money. She has appeared on television as Elaine Richards in the ABC fantasy-drama Resurrection. She has also appeared in music videos for "Penny & Me" by Hanson and "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter.

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Alondra de la Parra, Mexican-American pianist and conductor

Alondra de la Parra is a Mexican conductor.

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Marcel Meeuwis, Dutch footballer

Marcel Meeuwis is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

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Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor and voice artist

Eddie Kaye Thomas is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor in 1992, appearing in guest roles on multiple television shows and a supporting role in the supernatural horror film The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999). Thomas rose to prominence for his supporting role as Paul Finch in the teen sex comedy film American Pie (1999), which he reprised in a starring capacity in three sequels: American Pie 2 (2001), American Wedding (2003), and American Reunion (2012).

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31/10/1979

Ricardo Fuller, Jamaican footballer

Ricardo Dwayne Fuller is a retired Jamaican professional footballer who played as a forward.

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Simão Sabrosa, Portuguese footballer

Simão Pedro da Fonseca Sabrosa , known mononymously as Simão, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played mainly as a left winger, with dribbling and set piece skills as primary attributes.

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31/10/1978

Inka Grings, German footballer and manager

Inka Grings is a German former international footballer who played as a striker. She played sixteen years for FCR 2001 Duisburg before joining FC Zürich Frauen. She also played for the Germany national team. Grings is the second all-time leading goalscorer in Germany's top division, the Frauen-Bundesliga, with 195 goals and claimed the league's top-scorer award for a record six seasons. Playing for Germany, she was the top-scorer at two UEFA European Championships. Grings was named Women's Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 1999, 2009 and 2010.

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Emmanuel Izonritei, Nigerian boxer

Emmanuel Weingkro Izonritei (Izon-Eritei) is a boxer from Bayelsa State of Nigeria.

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Marek Saganowski, Polish footballer

Marek Mirosław Saganowski is a Polish professional football manager and former player who played as a striker. He was most recently in charge of Zagłębie Sosnowiec.

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Martin Verkerk, Dutch tennis player

Martin Willem Verkerk is a retired professional Dutch tennis player. He reached the final of the French Open in 2003 and achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 14 in September 2003. During his career, he won two ATP singles titles.

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31/10/1976

Guti, Spanish footballer

José María Gutiérrez Hernández, known as Guti, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

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Piper Perabo, American actress and producer

Piper Lisa Perabo is an American actress. Following her breakthrough in the comedy-drama film Coyote Ugly (2000), she has starred in films including Lost and Delirious (2001), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), its sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), The Prestige (2006), Looper (2012) and Angel Has Fallen (2019). She starred as CIA agent Annie Walker in the USA Network spy drama series Covert Affairs (2010–2014), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, Her other television work includes Yellowstone (2021–2024), Billions (2021–2023) and Butterfly (2025).

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31/10/1975

Carla Boyd, Australian basketball player

Carla Boyd is an Australian former professional basketball player in the WNBA as a forward for the Detroit Shock. She won a bronze (1996) and a silver (2000) medal with the Australian Women's Team at the Summer Olympics.

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Fabio Celestini, Swiss footballer and manager

Fabio Celestini is a Swiss football manager and former player who is the manager of Russian Premier League club CSKA Moscow. A defensive midfielder, he started and finished his 15-year professional career with Lausanne, and also played for ten years in France and Spain, representing four clubs. He appeared with the Swiss national team at Euro 2004.

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Keith Jardine, American mixed martial artist and actor

Keith Jardine is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the UFC and Strikeforce.

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Johnny Whitworth, American actor and producer

Johnny Whitworth is an American actor. He is known for his roles as A.J. in Empire Records (1995), as Donny Ray Black in Francis Ford Coppola's The Rainmaker (1997), as Vernon Gant in Limitless (2011), as Blackout in the Marvel superhero film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), and as Cage Wallace in The CW's series The 100.

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31/10/1974

Muzzy Izzet, English-Turkish footballer

Mustafa Kemal "Muzzy" Izzet is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Chelsea, Leicester City, Birmingham City between 1993 and 2006.

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Roger Manganelli, Brazilian-American singer-songwriter and bass player

Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes, Roger Lima, Buddy Schaub (trombone), Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone) and Matt Yonker (drums).

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31/10/1973

Paul Abrahams, English footballer and coach

Paul Abrahams is an English former footballer who played as a forward or as a winger in the Football League, most notably for Colchester United, where he made over 100 league appearances in two spells between 1992 and 1999. He also played for Brentford and for a number of non-league teams after retiring from the professional game through injury. He was most recently manager of Maldon & Tiptree.

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Christopher Bevins, American voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Christopher Bevins is an American voice actor, ADR director, and scriptwriter who has worked on English language adaptations of Japanese anime shows. He dubbed roles in anime including Yasuhiro Hagakure from the Danganronpa series, Kenji from Initial D, Mercutio from Romeo × Juliet, Joe from Prison School, Life Cool from Yurikuma Arashi, Japan from the Hetalia series, Hanta Sero/Cellophane from My Hero Academia, and Shishiwakamaru from Yu Yu Hakusho.

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Tim Byrdak, American baseball player

Timothy Christopher Byrdak is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has pitched for the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). A relief pitcher, Byrdak attended Rice University where he played college baseball.

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David Dellucci, American baseball player and sportscaster

David Michael Dellucci is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams.

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Beverly Lynne, American actress

Beverly Lynne is an American actress who is mainly showcased in erotic film.

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31/10/1971

Alphonso Ford, American basketball player (died 2004)

Alphonso Gene Ford was an American professional basketball player. A 1.92 m tall, 98 kg (216 lbs.) shooting guard, he was one of the greatest scorers in college basketball history. After a short stint in the NBA, he played professionally in Europe.

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31/10/1970

Linn Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter

Malin Sofia Katarina Berggren is a Swedish singer-songwriter, best known as a former member of the pop music band Ace of Base. Having been interested and involved in music since her childhood, she formed the band in 1987, along with her sister Jenny, her brother Jonas and their friend Ulf Ekberg. Before forming Ace of Base, Malin sang in her church's choir. She was born in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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31/10/1968

Antonio Davis, American basketball player and sportscaster

Antonio Lee Davis is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played for Panathinaikos B.C. in Greece and Philips Milano in Italy. Davis is also the former president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). On October 31, 2012, ESPN announced the hiring of Davis as a studio analyst for NBA broadcasts. He is also currently a co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

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31/10/1967

Vanilla Ice, American rapper, television personality, and real estate investor

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, singer, actor, and television host. Born in Dallas and raised in Miami, he was the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success, following the 1990 release of his best-known hit "Ice Ice Baby". He is credited with breaking down racial barriers in rap and hip-hop for future white rappers, most notably Eminem.

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Buddy Lazier, American race car driver

Robert Buddy Lazier is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship.

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Irina Pantaeva, Russian model and actress

Irina Vladlenovna Pantaeva is a Russian model and actress. Pantaeva was born in Ulan-Ude, Buryat ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.

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Adam Schlesinger, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 2020)

Adam Lyons Schlesinger was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was also a member of the band Fever High. He also wrote songs for television and film, for which he won three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and the ASCAP Pop Music Award, and was nominated for Academy, Tony, and Golden Globe Award. He died of complications from COVID-19 at age 52.

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31/10/1966

Ad-Rock, American rapper, producer, and actor

Adam Keefe Horovitz, known professionally as Ad-Rock, is an American rapper, guitarist, and actor. He was a member of the hip-hop group Beastie Boys. While Beastie Boys were active, Horovitz performed with a side project, BS 2000. Since the group disbanded in 2012 following the death of Adam Yauch, Horovitz has participated in several Beastie Boys-related projects, worked as a remixer, producer, and guest musician for other artists, and acted in a number of films.

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Koji Kanemoto, Japanese wrestler

Kōji Kanemoto is a Japanese professional wrestler of Zainichi Korean descent. He has previously worked with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is currently a freelancer.

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Annabella Lwin, Anglo-Burmese singer-songwriter and record producer

Annabella Lwin is an English-Burmese singer, songwriter and record producer best known as the lead vocalist of Bow Wow Wow.

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Mike O'Malley, American actor and comedian

Michael Edward O'Malley is an American actor, writer and television producer. Born in Boston and raised in New Hampshire, O'Malley hosted the early 1990s children's game shows Get the Picture and Nickelodeon Guts before moving to Los Angeles later that decade to star in his own sitcom for NBC called The Mike O'Malley Show. He is best known for his role as Jimmy Hughes on Yes, Dear, a CBS series which aired from 2000 to 2006. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as Burt Hummel on the Fox series Glee.

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31/10/1965

Paul du Toit, South African painter and sculptor (died 2014)

Paul Johan du Toit was a South African artist, working in painting, sculpture, paper and mixed media. His exhibits have been displayed globally. Most notably, three of his sculptures were selected for the 2001 Florence Biennale.

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Blue Edwards, American basketball player

Theodore "Blue" Edwards is an American former professional basketball player who played ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Edwards now coaches at his alma mater, Greene Central High School in Snow Hill, North Carolina.

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Ruud Hesp, Dutch footballer

Rudolfus Hubertus "Ruud" Hesp is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

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Denis Irwin, Irish footballer and journalist

Joseph Denis Irwin is an Irish former professional footballer and sports television presenter. Irwin is the joint most successful Irish footballer in history, a record he shares with Ronnie Whelan and fellow Manchester United stalwart Roy Keane, having won 19 trophies in his career.

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Rob Rackstraw, English voice actor

Robert Rackstraw is an English voice actor who has worked in various animated films, television shows and video games.

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31/10/1964

Frank Bruni, American journalist and critic

Frank Anthony Bruni is an American journalist writing for The New York Times since 1995. Following a wide range of assignments, including a stint as chief restaurant critic, he was named an op-ed columnist in June 2011. Bruni joined Duke University in June 2021 as Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy in the Sanford School of Public Policy. Since joining Duke, he continues writing a Times newsletter and remains a contributing opinion writer for the newspaper. In November 2024, Bruni received the North Carolina Award, the state's highest civilian honor, from governor Roy Cooper.

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Colm Ó Cíosóig, Irish musician

Colm Ó Cíosóig is an Irish musician who achieved international fame as the drummer for the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Their albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991) established Ó Cíosóig as a pioneering figure in the shoegaze genre.

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Marco van Basten, Dutch footballer and manager

Marcel "Marco" van Basten is a Dutch former football manager and player who played as a striker for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team. Regarded as one of the greatest attacking players of all time, he scored over 300 goals at the highest club and international levels, but played his last game at the age of 28, followed by an early retirement at just 30, due to a recurring ankle injury and more than two years of unsuccessful treatment. He was later the head coach of Ajax and the Netherlands national team.

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Darryl Worley, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist

Darryl Wade Worley is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1999, Worley released four albums for the label: Hard Rain Don't Last (2000), I Miss My Friend (2002), Have You Forgotten? (2003), and Darryl Worley in 2004. After the label closed in 2005, he moved to 903 Music, an independent label owned by Neal McCoy, releasing Here and Now in 2006, shortly before that label's closure. His most recent studio release is 2009's Sounds Like Life via Stroudavarious Records, owned by James Stroud.

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31/10/1963

Mikkey Dee, Swedish hard rock drummer and musician

Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou, known professionally as Mikkey Dee, is a Swedish musician, who has played drums for German heavy metal band Scorpions since 2016. He was the drummer for English heavy metal band Motörhead from 1992 until 2015, and has played with other artists including King Diamond, Helloween and Don Dokken.

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Dunga, Brazilian footballer and manager

Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, commonly known as Dunga, is a Brazilian football manager and former professional player. Considered one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time, as a player, he was known for his technique, athleticism, passing range, solid tackles and first touch.

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Johnny Marr, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

John Martin Marr is an English-born Irish musician, singer and songwriter. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous other bands and embarked on a solo career.

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Fred McGriff, American baseball player

Frederick Stanley McGriff is an American former first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 through 2004. Nicknamed "Crime Dog", a word play on McGruff the Crime Dog, he was one of the most consistently productive power hitters of the 1990s. McGriff posted over 80 runs batted in (RBI) every year from 1988 through 2002, and became the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both leagues in home runs — the American League (AL) in 1989 and the National League (NL) in 1992. A five-time All-Star, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1994 contest after his pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the score at 7–7, with the NL winning in 10 innings. McGriff finished in the top ten in voting for his league's Most Valuable Player Award every year from 1989 through 1994, during which time he led the major leagues in home runs.

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Dermot Mulroney, American actor

Dermot Patrick Mulroney is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles in a wide variety of genres, including romantic comedy, western, and drama films. After making his film debut in Sunset (1988), Mulroney gained recognition for his starring role in the films Young Guns (1988) and Career Opportunities (1991). In the 1990s, Mulroney starred in the films Point of No Return (1993), Bad Girls (1994), Copycat (1995), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), and My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), the last of which became his highest grosser at the box office.

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Rob Schneider, American actor and comedian

Robert Michael Schneider is an American actor and comedian. He rose to prominence as a cast member on NBC's Saturday Night Live (1990–1994), where he earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

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31/10/1962

Jonathan Borden, American neurosurgeon and academic

Jonathan Alan Borden is an American neurosurgeon who developed the Borden Classification of Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas. He has been involved in internet based telemedicine applications and is an editor of the RDDL specification for XML Namespaces.

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Anna Geifman, American historian, author, and academic

Anna Geifman is an American historian. Her fields of interest include political extremism, terrorism, and the history of Russian revolutionary movements.

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John Giannini, American basketball player and coach

John Manfredo Giannini is an American college basketball coach, Director of Athletics at Rowan University, and college basketball analyst for NBC Sports and other networks. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Rowan University from 1989 to 1996, the University of Maine from 1996 to 2004, and La Salle University from 2004 to 2018. Giannini led Rowan to an NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament championship in 1996 and led La Salle to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2013. Giannini amassed more than 500 victories in his collegiate coaching career.

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Mari Jungstedt, Swedish journalist and author

Mari Jungstedt is a Swedish journalist and crime fiction author.

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Raphael Rabello, Brazilian guitarist and composer (died 1995)

Rafael Baptista Rabello was a virtuoso Brazilian guitarist and composer. During the 1980s and 1990s, he was considered one of the best acoustic guitar players in the world and played with many famous artists, such as Tom Jobim, Ney Matogrosso, Paulo Moura, and Paco de Lucia.

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Dan Wood, Canadian ice hockey player

Daniel Phillip Wood is a Canadian former ice hockey player who was a member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic team, which finished out of the medals at the Sarajevo Games. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 9th round of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

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31/10/1961

Alonzo Babers, American runner and pilot

Alonzo C. Babers is an American former athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the 400 m and the 4 × 400 m relay.

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Kate Campbell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Jamae Kathryn Campbell is an American folk singer-songwriter.

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Peter Jackson, New Zealand actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Sir Peter Robert Jackson is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) and the Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), both of which are adapted from the novels of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien.

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Larry Mullen, Jr., Irish musician, songwriter, and actor

Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr. is an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band U2. A member of the band since its inception, he has recorded 15 studio albums with U2. Mullen's distinctive, almost military drumming style developed from his playing martial beats in childhood marching bands.

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31/10/1960

Arnaud Desplechin, French director, cinematographer, and screenwriter

Arnaud Desplechin is a French film director and screenwriter.

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Luis Fortuño, Puerto Rican lawyer and politician, 9th Governor of Puerto Rico

Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, from 2009 to 2013.

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Mike Gallego, American baseball player and coach

Michael Anthony Gallego is an American former professional baseball player and current coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an infielder from 1985 to 1997, most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics team that won three consecutive American League pennants and a World Series championship in 1989. He also played for the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals. After his playing career, Gallego served as a major league coach.

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Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran

Reza Pahlavi is an Iranian political activist and the former Crown Prince of the Pahlavi dynasty of Iran. He is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, and his wife, Empress Farah. He lives in the United States as a dissident in exile.

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31/10/1959

Mats Näslund, Swedish ice hockey player

Mats Torsten Näslund, nicknamed "Le Petit Viking", is a Swedish former ice hockey player. He played as a left winger. Despite his small size at only five feet and seven inches, Näslund is best known for being one of the top forwards with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens from 1982 to 1990. In addition to the Canadiens, Näslund played for Timrå IK, Brynäs IF, and Malmö IF of the Swedish Elite League, and HC Lugano of the National League A between 1975 and 1994. He made a short NHL comeback attempt in 1995 with the Boston Bruins following the 1994–95 NHL lockout, and retired after the season's conclusion.

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Neal Stephenson, American author

Neal Town Stephenson is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque.

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31/10/1957

Brian Stokes Mitchell, American singer and actor

Brian Stokes Mitchell is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theater since the 1990s. He has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and a nomination for a Grammy Award. In 2016 he received the Isabelle Stevenson Award.

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Robert Pollard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. is an American singer and songwriter. He is the frontman and leader of indie rock band Guided by Voices, of which he is also the only constant member. He has also released 22 solo albums.

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31/10/1956

Bruce Bawer, American poet and critic

Theodore Bruce Bawer is an American-Norwegian writer. Born and raised in New York, he has been a resident of Norway since 1999 and became a citizen of Norway in 2024. He is a literary, film, and cultural critic and a novelist and poet, who has also written about gay rights, Christianity, and Islam.

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Christopher de Leon, Filipino actor, director, producer, and politician

Christopher Strauss de Leon, also known as Boyet, is a Filipino actor and politician. Often referred to by Philippine media as the "King of Philippine Drama", he gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous film and television productions including period, romantic drama and thriller. His work, covering more than five decades, has received various accolades, including eight FAMAS Awards, two Gawad Urian Awards, four Luna Awards, nine Star Awards, and eight Metro Manila Film Festival Awards.

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Anders Lago, Swedish lawyer and politician

Anders Lago is a Swedish Social Democratic politician and former mayor of Södertälje, Sweden. On 10 April 2008, Lago participated in a hearing before the Helsinki Commission, the independent U.S. government agency led by members of U.S. Congress, where he claimed that his small city of about 80,000 was now home to nearly 6,000 Iraqis; "more refugees than the United States and Canada together".

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Charles Moore, English journalist and author

Charles Hilary Moore, Baron Moore of Etchingham is an English journalist and the chairman of The Spectator. He is a former editor of The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, and The Sunday Telegraph; he still writes for all three. He is known for his authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher, published in three volumes. Under the government of Boris Johnson, Moore was given a peerage in July 2020, thus becoming a member of the House of Lords.

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31/10/1955

Michalis Chrisochoidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Public Order

Michalis Chrisochoidis is a Greek politician and member of the Hellenic Parliament for the Athens B2 constituency with New Democracy. He currently serves as Minister for Citizen Protection in the Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He had served in the same role on four occasions, as a member of PASOK and an independent politician. He has also served as Minister for the Economy, Competitiveness and Shipping (2010), Minister for Regional Development and Competitiveness (2010–2011), Minister for Development, Competitiveness and Shipping (2011–2012), Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks (2013–2015) and Minister for Health (2023–2024).

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Susan Orlean, American journalist and author

Susan Orlean is an American journalist, television writer, and bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book. She has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992, and has contributed articles to many magazines including Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Outside. In 2021, Orlean joined the writing team of HBO comedy series How To with John Wilson.

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31/10/1954

Mari Okamoto, Japanese actress

Mari Okamoto is a Japanese actress and voice actress.

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Ken Wahl, American actor and screenwriter

Ken Wahl is an American retired actor. Rising to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, he starred in the CBS television crime drama Wiseguy.

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31/10/1953

John Lucas II, American basketball player and coach

John Harding Lucas II is an American professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played basketball and tennis at the University of Maryland, College Park and was an All-American in both.

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31/10/1952

Bernard Edwards, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 1996)

Bernard Edwards was an American bassist and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco with musician Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the 53rd greatest bassist of all time by Bass Player magazine.

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Joe West, American baseball umpire

Joseph Henry West, nicknamed "Cowboy Joe" or "Country Joe", is an American former baseball umpire. He worked in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 to 2021, umpiring an MLB-record 43 seasons and 5,460 games.

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31/10/1951

Nick Saban, American football player and coach

Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. is an American sportscaster and former football coach. He serves as an analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest football coaches of all time. Saban served as head coach of the National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins and at four universities: the University of Toledo, Michigan State University, Louisiana State University (LSU), and most famously the University of Alabama, where he coached from 2007 to 2023 and led the team to six claimed national championships and one unclaimed championship in nine championship appearances during that period, as well as 9 SEC titles and 10 SEC West Division championships.

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Dave Trembley, American baseball player, coach, and manager

David Michael Trembley is an American professional baseball coach, manager, and executive who recently served as the director of player development for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2015. Trembley has been the bench coach for the Houston Astros and a manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Before managing the Orioles, Trembley was a minor league manager for twenty seasons, compiling a 1,369–1,413 record. He won two league titles and earned Manager of the Year awards in three leagues. In December 2001, Baseball America selected him as one of minor league baseball's top five managers of the previous 20 years. He served as a coach in the inaugural Futures Game in 1999 and also served as manager for the Southern League and Double-A All-Star Games that season. Trembley has worked for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.

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31/10/1950

John Candy, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 1994)

John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his work in Hollywood comedy films.

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Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-English architect and academic, designed the Bridge Pavilion (died 2016)

Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid was an Iraqi and British architect, artist, and designer. She is recognised as a key figure in the architecture of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics as an undergraduate and later enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1972. In search of an alternative to traditional architectural drawing, and influenced by Suprematism and the Russian avant-garde, Hadid adopted painting as a design tool and abstraction as a method to "reinvestigate the aborted and untested experiments of Modernism [...] to unveil new fields of building".

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Jane Pauley, American journalist

Margaret Jane Pauley is an American television host and author, active in news reporting since 1972. She first became widely known as Barbara Walters's successor on the NBC morning show Today, beginning at the age of 25, where she was a co-anchor from 1976 to 1989, at first with Tom Brokaw, and later with Bryant Gumbel; for a short while in the late 1980s she and Gumbel worked with Deborah Norville. In 1989, with her job apparently threatened by Norville's addition to the program, she asked to be released from her contract, but her request was denied. Her next regular anchor position was at the network's newsmagazine Dateline NBC from 1992 to 2003, where she teamed with Stone Phillips.

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Antonio Taguba, Filipino-American general

Antonio Mario Taguba is a retired major general in the United States Army. He was the second American citizen of Philippine birth to be promoted to general officer rank in the United States Army.

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31/10/1949

Mart Helme, Estonian journalist and diplomat

Mart Helme is an Estonian politician, diplomat and historian who served as the Minister of the Interior from 2019 to 2020. He was the longtime chairman of the national conservative Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) from 13 April 2013 to 4 July 2020 when he was succeeded by his son Martin Helme.

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Bob Siebenberg, American drummer

Robert Layne Siebenberg, also known as Bob C. Benberg, is an American musician, best known as a member of British progressive rock band Supertramp, playing drums and percussion. He was the sole American in Supertramp's lineup, joining the band in 1973. His son, Jesse, joined Supertramp at the time of the release of the live album It Was the Best of Times.

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Alison Wolf, English economist and academic

Alison Margaret Wolf, Baroness Wolf of Dulwich, is a British economist, academic, and life peer. She is the Sir Roy Griffiths Professor of Public Sector Management at King's College London; Director of the International Centre for University Policy Research, King's Policy Institute; and Director of the university's MSc program in Public Sector Policy and Management. Her latest book, The XX Factor, was published in 2013.

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31/10/1948

Franco Gasparri, Italian actor (died 1999)

Franco Gasparri was an Italian actor.

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Michael Kitchen, English actor and producer

Michael Roy Kitchen is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama Foyle's War, which ran for nine series between 2002 and 2015. He also played the role of Bill Tanner in two James Bond films opposite Pierce Brosnan, and that of John Farrow in BBC Four's comedy series Brian Pern.

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31/10/1947

Deidre Hall, American actress

Deidre Hall is an American actress and model. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on the NBC/Peacock daytime drama Days of Our Lives, whom she has played for over 45 years.

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Frank Shorter, American runner and sportscaster

Frank Charles Shorter is an American former long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. His Olympic success, along with the achievements of other American runners, is credited with igniting the running boom in the United States during the 1970s.

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Herman Van Rompuy, Belgian academic and politician, 66th Prime Minister of Belgium

Herman Achille, Count Van Rompuy is a Belgian politician who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2008 to 2009, and later as the first permanent president of the European Council from 2009 to 2014.

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31/10/1946

Stephen Rea, Irish actor

Stephen Rea is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he began his career as a member of Dublin's Focus Theatre, and played many roles on the stage and on Irish television. He came to the attention of international film audiences in Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan's 1992 film The Crying Game, and subsequently starred in many more of Jordan's films, including Interview with the Vampire (1994), Michael Collins (1996), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), and Greta (2018). He also played a starring role in the Hugo Blick 2011 TV series The Shadow Line.

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31/10/1945

Russ Ballard, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Russell Glyn Ballard is an English rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer. Originally rising to prominence as the lead singer and guitarist of the band Argent, Ballard became a prolific songwriter and producer by the late 1970s. His compositions "New York Groove", "You Can Do Magic", "Since You Been Gone", "I Surrender", "Liar", "Winning", "I Know There's Something Going On", "Can't Shake Loose", "So You Win Again", "No More the Fool" and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" became hits for other artists during the 1970s and 1980s. He also scored several minor hits under his own name in the early and mid-1980s.

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Brian Doyle-Murray, American actor and comedian

Brian Murray, known professionally as Brian Doyle-Murray, is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He appeared with his younger brother, actor/comedian Bill Murray, in several films, including Caddyshack, The Razor's Edge, Scrooged, Ghostbusters II, and Groundhog Day. He co-starred on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son, where he played the foul-mouthed Hank Murphy. He also appeared in the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants as The Flying Dutchman, the Cartoon Network original animated series My Gym Partner's a Monkey as Coach Tiffany Gills, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack as Captain K'nuckles, a recurring role as Don Ehlert on the ABC sitcom The Middle, and Bob Kruger in the AMC dramedy Lodge 49.

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Barrie Keeffe, English playwright, screenwriter, and producer (died 2019)

Barrie Colin Keeffe was an English dramatist and screenwriter. Best known for his screenplay for the gangster classic The Long Good Friday (1980), starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren, Keeffe demonstrated an interest in a variety of social and political issues, including disaffected youth and criminality.

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31/10/1943

Elliott Forbes-Robinson, American race car driver

Elliott Forbes-Robinson is an American road racing race car driver. He is known for his race wins and championships in many different series, including the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), Super Vee, Trans-Am Series, CanAm, IMSA GTU, and the World Challenge. He is known in NASCAR circles as a road course ringer. He is also a founder of the Legends Cars of 600 Racing and he designed their original car.

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Paul Frampton, English-American physicist and academic

Paul Howard Frampton is an English theoretical physicist who works in particle theory and cosmology. From 1996 until 2014, he was the Louis D. Rubin, Jr. Distinguished Professor of physics and astronomy, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After a well-publicized hiatus involving being victimized by a romance scam, convicted of drug smuggling in Argentina, and fired by UNC, he later became affiliated with the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the University of Salento, in Italy.

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Aristotelis Pavlidis, Greek politician, 13th Greek Minister for the Aegean and Island Policy (died 2022)

Aristotelis Pavlidis was a Greek politician. He was Minister for the Aegean and Island Policy from 2004 until 2007.

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Brian Piccolo, American football player (died 1970)

Louis Brian Piccolo was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for four years. He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He died at age 26 from embryonal cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of germ cell testicular cancer, first diagnosed after it had spread to his chest cavity.

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31/10/1942

David Ogden Stiers, American actor (died 2018)

David Allen Ogden Stiers was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in The Magic Show, in 1974.

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31/10/1941

Dan Alderson, American scientist (died 1989)

Daniel John Alderson was a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, and a prominent participant in science fiction fandom. He came from a middle-class family and had diabetes. A high school science fair project on the gravitational fields of non-spherical bodies won him a college scholarship to Caltech and a job at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he wrote the software used to navigate Voyagers 1 and 2.

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Derek Bell, English race car driver

Derek Reginald Bell is a British racing driver. In sportscar racing, he won the Le Mans 24 hours five times, the Daytona 24 three times and the World Sportscar Championship twice. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, Wheatcroft, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams. He has been described by fellow racer Hans-Joachim Stuck as one of the most liked drivers of his generation.

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Lucious Jackson, American basketball player (died 2022)

Lucious Brown Jackson, also known as Luke Jackson, was an American professional basketball player. A power forward and center, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1964 to 1972. He was named an NBA All-Star in 1965, and won an NBA championship with the 76ers in 1967. Jackson also played for the U.S. national team in the 1964 Summer Olympics.

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Sally Kirkland, American actress (died 2025)

Sally Kirkland Jr. was an American actress and producer. A one-time member of Andy Warhol's The Factory, she was a part of 1960s New York avant-garde theater. She appeared in more than 250 film and television productions during a 60-year career. Kirkland was the daughter of Sally Kirkland, fashion editor of Life and Vogue.

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31/10/1940

Craig Rodwell, American businessman and activist, founded the Oscar Wilde Bookshop (died 1993)

Craig L. Rodwell was an American gay rights activist known for founding the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop on November 24, 1967 - the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors - and as the prime mover for the creation of the New York City gay pride demonstration. Rodwell, who was already an activist when he participated in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, is considered by some to be the leading gay rights activist in the early, pre-Stonewall, homophile movement of the 1960s.

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Judith Wilcox, Baroness Wilcox, English businesswoman and politician

Judith Ann Wilcox, Baroness Wilcox is a businesswoman and a life peer. She was awarded her peerage in 1996 as one of the first Working Peers for her services to Consumer Services. She sat in the House of Lords as a Conservative until her retirement in 2020.

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31/10/1939

Tom O'Connor, English actor and game show host (died 2021)

Thomas Patrick O'Connor was a British comedian, television presenter, and actor. Originally a comedian in working men's clubs, he progressed to hosting TV game shows such as Crosswits, The Zodiac Game, Name That Tune, Password and Gambit.

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Ron Rifkin, American actor

Ron Rifkin is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama Alias, Saul Holden on the drama Brothers & Sisters, and District Attorney Ellis Loew in L.A. Confidential. He received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Herr Schultz in the 1998 revival of Cabaret.

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Ali Farka Touré, Malian singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2006)

Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its derivative, African American blues and is considered a pioneer of African desert blues. Touré was ranked number 76 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 37 on Spin magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

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31/10/1937

Tom Paxton, American folk music singer-songwriter and guitarist

Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer-songwriter whose career spans more than sixty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a music educator as well as an advocate for folk singers to combine traditional songs with new compositions.

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31/10/1936

Michael Landon, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1991)

Michael Landon Sr. was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959–1973), Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983), and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven (1984–1989). Landon appeared on the cover of TV Guide 22 times, second only to Lucille Ball.

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31/10/1935

Dale Brown, American basketball player and coach

Dale Duward Brown is an American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the LSU Tigers for 25 years, and his teams earned Final Four appearances in 1981 and 1986. Brown is also remembered as one of the most vocal critics of the NCAA, saying it "legislated against human dignity and practiced monumental hypocrisy."

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Ronald Graham, American mathematician and theorist (died 2020)

Ronald Lewis Graham was an American mathematician credited by the American Mathematical Society as "one of the principal architects of the rapid development worldwide of discrete mathematics in recent years". He was president of both the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America, and his honors included the Leroy P. Steele Prize for lifetime achievement and election to the National Academy of Sciences.

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David Harvey, English-American geographer and academic

David William Harvey is a British-American academic best known for Marxist analyses that focus on urban geography as well as the economy more broadly. He is a Distinguished Professor of anthropology and geography at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). Harvey has authored many books and essays that have been prominent in the development of modern geography as a discipline. He is a proponent of the idea of the right to the city.

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31/10/1934

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler, Swedish princess

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler is a member of the Swedish royal family. She is the eldest child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the eldest sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

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31/10/1933

Phil Goyette, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Joseph Georges Philippe Goyette was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 16 seasons between 1956 and 1972.

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Iemasa Kayumi, Japanese voice actor (died 2014)

Iemasa Kayumi was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

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31/10/1931

Dan Rather, American journalist

Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. is an American journalist, commentator, and former national evening news anchor. He began his career in Texas, becoming a national name in September 1961 after his reporting saved thousands of lives during Hurricane Carla. He has reported on some of the most significant events of the modern age, such as from Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gulf War, 9/11, the Iraq War, and the war on terror.

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31/10/1930

Michael Collins, American general, pilot, and astronaut (died 2021)

Michael Collins was an American astronaut who flew the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in 1969 while his crewmates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, made the first crewed landing on the surface. He was also a test pilot and major general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

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Booker Ervin, American saxophonist (died 1970)

Booker Telleferro Ervin II was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bassist Charles Mingus.

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31/10/1929

William Orchard, Australian water polo player and psychiatrist (died 2014)

William Henry "Bill" Orchard was an Australian water polo player and psychiatrist. He represented Australia at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and at the 1956 Olympics in his home city of Melbourne.

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Bud Spencer, Italian swimmer, actor, and screenwriter (died 2016)

Bud Spencer was an Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player. He was known for action-comedy and spaghetti Western roles with his long-time film partner and friend Terence Hill. Spencer and Hill appeared in 18 films together.

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31/10/1928

Andrew Sarris, American critic and educator (died 2012)

Andrew Sarris was an American film critic. He was a leading proponent of the auteur theory of film criticism.

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31/10/1926

Jimmy Savile, English radio and television host (died 2011)

Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile was an English media personality and disc jockey. He was known for his eccentric image, charitable work, and hosting the BBC shows Top of the Pops and Jim'll Fix It. After his death, hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse made against him were investigated, leading the police to conclude that he had been a predatory sex offender, possibly one of the United Kingdom's most prolific. There had been allegations during his lifetime, but they were dismissed and accusers were ignored or disbelieved. Savile's victims allegedly included young children and elderly individuals.

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31/10/1925

Lawrence A. Cremin, American historian and author (died 1990)

Lawrence Arthur Cremin was an American educational historian and administrator.

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John Pople, English-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2004)

Sir John Anthony Pople was a British theoretical chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Walter Kohn in 1998 for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry.

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Robert B. Rheault, American colonel (died 2013)

Robert Bradley Rheault was an American soldier in the U.S. Army Special Forces who served as commander of the First Special Forces Group in Okinawa, and the Fifth Special Forces Group in Vietnam from May to July 1969.

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31/10/1922

Barbara Bel Geddes, American actress (died 2005)

Barbara Bel Geddes was an American stage and screen actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost five decades. She received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and two Tony Awards. Bel Geddes was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in the television series Dallas, while her notable films included I Remember Mama (1948) and Vertigo (1958). In theatre, she is best remembered as Maggie in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955.

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Illinois Jacquet, American saxophonist and composer (died 2004)

Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. He is also known as one of the writers of the jazz standard "Don'cha Go 'Way Mad."

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Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Cambodia (died 2012)

Norodom Sihanouk was King, Chief of State and Prime Minister of Cambodia. He is known as Samdech Euv. During his lifetime, Cambodia was under various regimes, from French colonial rule, a Japanese puppet state (1945), an independent kingdom (1953–1970), a military republic (1970–1975), the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), a Vietnamese-backed communist regime (1979–1989), a transitional communist regime (1989–1993) to eventually another kingdom.

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31/10/1920

Dick Francis, Welsh-Caymanian jockey and author (died 2010)

Richard Stanley Francis was a British steeplechase jockey and crime writer whose novels centre on horse racing in England.

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Joseph Gelineau, French priest and composer (died 2008)

Joseph Gelineau, SJ was a French Jesuit priest and composer, mainly of modern Christian liturgical music. He was a member of the translation committee for La Bible de Jérusalem (1959).

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Helmut Newton, German-Australian photographer (died 2004)

Helmut Newton was a German-Australian photographer. The New York Times described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."

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Fritz Walter, German footballer (died 2002)

Friedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer who spent his entire senior career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or inside forward. In his time with the Germany and West Germany national teams, he appeared in 61 games and scored 33 goals, and was the captain of the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. After his career, he was named honorary captain of the Germany national team.

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31/10/1919

Daphne Oxenford, English actress (died 2012)

Daphne Margaret du Grivel Oxenford was an English actress, known for her early stage roles, and later her radio and television work. She was the voice of BBC radio's Listen with Mother from its inception in 1950 to 1971. As spinster Esther Hayes, she was part of the original cast of Coronation Street. Other notable roles include Mrs Plummer in Man About the House (1973), Alice Dutton in EastEnders (1990), and Mrs. Oldknow in the mini-series The Children of Green Knowe (1986).

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Magnus Wenninger, American mathematician and author (died 2017)

Father Magnus J. Wenninger OSB was an American mathematician who worked on constructing polyhedron models, and wrote the first book on their construction.

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31/10/1918

Ian Stevenson, American psychiatrist and academic (died 2007)

Ian Pretyman Stevenson was a Canadian-born American psychiatrist, the founder and director of the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He was a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine for fifty years. He was chair of their department of psychiatry from 1957 to 1967, Carlson Professor of Psychiatry from 1967 to 2001, and Research Professor of Psychiatry from 2002 until his death in 2007. He helped to found the Society for Scientific Exploration in 1982.

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31/10/1917

William H. McNeill, Canadian-American historian and author (died 2016)

William Hardy McNeill was an American historian and author, noted for his argument that contact and exchange among civilizations is what drives human history forward, first postulated in The Rise of the West (1963). He was the Robert A. Millikan Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Chicago, where he taught from 1947 until his retirement in 1987. In 1980-81 he held the George Eastman Professorship at the University of Oxford.

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Gordon Steege, Australian soldier and pilot (died 2013)

Air Commodore Gordon Henry Steege, was a senior officer and pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He became a fighter ace in World War II, credited with eight aerial victories, and led combat formations at squadron and wing level.

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31/10/1916

Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg (died 2012)

Carl Johan Arthur, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, was the fourth son and fifth and youngest child of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught.

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31/10/1915

Jane Jarvis, American pianist and composer (died 2010)

Jane Jarvis was an American jazz pianist. She was also known for her work as a composer, baseball stadium organist and music industry executive.

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31/10/1914

John Hugenholtz, Dutch engineer and designer (died 1995)

Johannes Bernhardus Theodorus "Hans" Hugenholtz, known in English-speaking countries as John Hugenholtz, was a Dutch designer of race tracks and cars.

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31/10/1912

Dale Evans, American singer-songwriter and actress (died 2001)

Dale Evans Rogers was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the second wife of singing cowboy film star Roy Rogers and starred alongside him in many films.

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Ollie Johnston, American animator and voice actor (died 2008)

Oliver Martin Johnston Jr. was an American motion picture animator. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, and the last surviving at the time of his death from natural causes. He was recognized by The Walt Disney Company with its Disney Legend Award in 1989. His work was recognized with the National Medal of Arts in 2005.

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31/10/1908

Muriel Duckworth, Canadian activist (died 2009)

Muriel Helen Duckworth was a Canadian pacifist, feminist, and social and community activist. She was a practising Quaker, a religious denomination committed to non-violence. Duckworth maintained that war, with its systematic violence against women and children, is a major obstacle to social justice. She argued that money spent on armaments perpetuates poverty while reinforcing the power of privileged elites. She believed that "war is stupid" and she steadfastly refused to accept popular distinctions between "good" and "bad" wars.

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31/10/1907

Edgar Sampson, American musician and composer (died 1973)

Edgar Melvin Sampson, nicknamed "The Lamb", was an American jazz composer, arranger, saxophonist, and violinist. Born in New York City, he began playing violin aged six and picked up the saxophone in high school. He worked as an arranger and composer for many jazz bands in the 1930s and 1940s. He composed several well-known jazz standards, including "Stompin' at the Savoy", and "Don't Be That Way".

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31/10/1902

Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Brazilian poet (died 1987)

Carlos Drummond de Andrade was a Brazilian poet and writer, considered by some as the greatest Brazilian poet of all time.

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Julia Lee, American blues singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1958)

Julia Lee was an American blues and dirty blues musician. Her most commercially successful number was the US Billboard R&B chart topping hit "(Opportunity Knocks But Once) Snatch and Grab It" in 1947. She is best known for her trademark double entendre songs.

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Abraham Wald, Jewish-Hungarian mathematician and economist (died 1950)

Abraham Wald was a Hungarian and American mathematician and statistician who contributed to decision theory, geometry and econometrics, and founded the field of sequential analysis. One of his well-known statistical works was written during World War II on how to minimize the damage to bomber aircraft and took into account the survivorship bias in his calculations. He spent his research career at Columbia University. He was the grandson of Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Glasner.

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31/10/1900

Asbjørg Borgfelt, Norwegian sculptor (died 1976)

Asbjørg Borgfelt was a Norwegian sculptor.

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31/10/1897

Constance Savery, English author (died 1999)

Constance Winifred Savery was a British writer of fifty novels and children's books, as well as many short stories and articles. She was selected for the initial issue of the long-running series entitled The Junior Book of Authors (1951–2008) and for the first, 1971, volume of Anne Commire's Something About the Author, which reached volume 320 in 2018. Savery's World War II novel, Enemy Brothers, received praise and remains in print. In 1980, at age eighty-two, she completed a Charlotte Brontë two-chapter fragment, which was published as "Emma by Charlotte Brontë and Another Lady". The book was translated into Dutch, Spanish, and Russian.

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31/10/1896

Ethel Waters, American singer and actress (died 1977)

Ethel Waters was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her notable recordings include "Dinah", "Stormy Weather", "Taking a Chance on Love", "Chlo-e, "Heat Wave", "Supper Time", "Am I Blue?", "Birmingham Bertha", "Cabin in the Sky", "I'm Coming Virginia", and her version of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow". Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award, the first African American to star on her own television show, and the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

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31/10/1895

B. H. Liddell Hart, English soldier, historian, and theorist (died 1970)

Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart, commonly known throughout most of his career as Captain B. H. Liddell Hart, was a British soldier, military historian, and military theorist. He wrote a series of military histories that proved influential among strategists. Arguing that frontal assault was bound to fail at great cost in lives, as proven in World War I, he recommended the "indirect approach" and reliance on fast-moving armoured formations.

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31/10/1892

Alexander Alekhine, Russian chess player and author (died 1946)

Alexander Aleksandrovich Alekhine was a Russian and French chess player and the fourth World Chess Champion, a title he held for two reigns.

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31/10/1888

Napoleon Lapathiotis, Greek poet and author (died 1944)

Napoleon Lapathiotis was a Greek poet.

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31/10/1887

Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese general and politician, 1st President of the Republic of China (died 1975)

Chiang Kai-shek was a Chinese military commander, revolutionary, and statesman who led the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 until his death in 1975. His government was based in mainland China until it was defeated in the Chinese Civil War by Mao Zedong's Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, after which he continued to lead the ROC government on the island of Taiwan.

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Newsy Lalonde, Canadian ice hockey player and lacrosse player (died 1970)

Édouard Cyrille "Newsy" Lalonde was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League (NHL) and a professional lacrosse player. Lalonde is regarded as one of hockey's and lacrosse's greatest players of the first half of the 20th century and one of Canadian sport's most colourful characters. He played for the Montreal Canadiens – considered to be the original "Flying Frenchman" – in the National Hockey Association and the NHL. As player-coach, Lalonde led the Canadiens to their first Stanley Cup in 1916. His goal-scoring prowess in the 1919 Stanley Cup playoffs set three NHL records that remain unbroken over a century later. He also played for the WCHL's Saskatoon Sheiks.

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31/10/1883

Marie Laurencin, French painter and illustrator (died 1956)

Marie Laurencin was a French painter and printmaker. She became an important figure in the Parisian avant-garde as a member of the Cubists associated with the Section d'Or.

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Anthony Wilding, New Zealand tennis player, cricketer, and soldier (died 1915)

Anthony Frederick Wilding, also known as Tony Wilding, was a New Zealand world No. 1 tennis player and soldier who was killed in action during World War I. Considered the world's first tennis superstar, Wilding was the son of wealthy English immigrants to Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand and enjoyed the use of private tennis courts at their home. Wilding obtained a legal education at Trinity College, Cambridge and briefly joined his father's law firm. Wilding was a first-class cricketer and a keen motorcycle enthusiast. His tennis career started with him winning the Canterbury Championships aged 17.

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31/10/1881

Toshizō Nishio, Japanese general (died 1960)

Toshizō Nishio was a Japanese general, considered to be one of the Imperial Japanese Army's most successful and ablest strategists during the Second Sino-Japanese War, who commanded the Japanese Second Army during the first years after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

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31/10/1880

Julia Peterkin, American author (died 1961)

Julia Peterkin was an American author from South Carolina, who advocated for African Americans and wrote about the portrayals of the southern life. In 1929 she won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel Scarlet Sister Mary. She wrote several novels about the plantation South, especially the Gullah people of the Low country. As a white author, she developed a unique perspective on the African American lifestyle during her time. She was one of the few white authors who wrote about the African-American experience. She collaborated with photographer Doris Ulmann on Roll, Jordan, Roll.

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Mikhail Tomsky, Soviet politician, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (died 1936)

Mikhail Pavlovich Tomsky, born Mikhail Pavlovich Yefremov was a factory worker, trade unionist, and Soviet politician. He was the Chairman of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions in the 1920s.

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31/10/1879

Karel Hašler, Czech actor, director, and composer (died 1941)

Karel Hašler was a Czech songwriter, actor, lyricist, film and theatre director, composer, writer, dramatist, screenwriter and cabaretier. He was murdered in the Mauthausen concentration camp.

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31/10/1876

Natalie Clifford Barney, American poet and playwright (died 1972)

Natalie Clifford Barney was an American writer who hosted a literary salon at her home in Paris that brought together French and international writers. She influenced other authors through her salon and also with her poetry, plays, and epigrams, often thematically tied to her lesbianism and feminism.

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31/10/1875

Eugene Meyer, American businessman and publisher (died 1954)

Eugene Isaac Meyer was an American banker, businessman, financier, and newspaper publisher. He was the fifth chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1930 to 1933. Meyer purchased The Washington Post in 1933, and was its publisher from 1933 to 1946, with the paper staying in his family throughout the rest of the 20th century. He was the first president of the World Bank Group from June to December 1946.

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Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian lawyer, freedom fighter and politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of India (died 1950)

Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, commonly known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was an Indian independence activist, lawyer and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India from 1947 to 1950. He was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress, who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and India's political integration. In India and elsewhere, he was often called Sardar meaning "chief". He acted as the Home Minister during the political integration of India and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.

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31/10/1868

John Weir Troy, American journalist, and politician, 5th Governor of the Territory of Alaska (died 1942)

John Weir Troy was an American Democratic politician who was the Governor of Alaska Territory from 1933 to 1939. He was born in Dungeness, Washington and died in Juneau, Alaska.

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31/10/1860

Juliette Gordon Low, American scout leader, founded the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (died 1927)

Juliette Gordon Low was the American founder of Girl Scouts of the USA. Inspired by the work of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Scout Movement, she joined the Girl Guide movement in England, forming her own group of Girl Guides there in 1911.

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Andrew Volstead, American politician (died 1947)

Andrew John Volstead was an American member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota, 1903–1923, and a member of the Republican Party. His name is closely associated with the National Prohibition Act of 1919, usually called the Volstead Act. The act was the enabling legislation for the enforcement of Prohibition in the United States beginning in 1920.

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31/10/1858

Saint Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril, Indian Orthodox Saint (died 1934)

Geevarghese Dionysius Vattasseril, also Dionysius VI, Dionysius Geevarghese II or, popularly, Vattasseril Thirumeni, was a bishop of the Malankara Church and 15th Malankara Metropolitan. In 2003, Dionysius was canonized as a saint by the Malankara Orthodox Church, and his feast day is celebrated on February 23 each year. He is known as 'The Great Luminary of Malankara Church', a title which the Church bestowed on him in recognition of his contribution to the Church.

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31/10/1856

Charles Leroux, American balloonist and skydiver (died 1889)

Charles Leroux was an American balloonist and parachutist.

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31/10/1851

Louise of Sweden (died 1926)

Louise of Sweden was Queen of Denmark from 1906 until 1912 as the wife of King Frederick VIII.

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31/10/1849

Marie Louise Andrews, American story writer and journalist (died 1891)

Marie Louise Andrews was an American author and editor from Indiana. She was a founder of the Western Association of Writers, and served as its secretary from its founding until June 1888, when she retired. She was prolific in both verse and prose, but she never published her works in book form, and little of her work has been preserved.

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31/10/1848

Boston Custer, American soldier (died 1876)

Boston Custer was the youngest brother of U.S. Army Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer and two-time Medal of Honor recipient Captain Thomas Custer. He was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn along with his two brothers.

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31/10/1847

Galileo Ferraris, Italian physicist and engineer (died 1897)

Galileo Ferraris was an Italian university professor, physicist and electrical engineer, one of the pioneers of AC power system and inventor of the induction motor, although he never patented his work. Many newspapers touted that his work on the induction motor and power transmission systems was one of the greatest inventions of all ages. He published an extensive and complete monograph on the experimental results obtained with open-circuit transformers of the type designed by the power engineers Lucien Gaulard and John Dixon Gibbs.

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31/10/1838

Luís I of Portugal (died 1889)

Dom Luís I, known as "the Popular" was King of Portugal from 1861 to 1889.

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31/10/1835

Adelbert Ames, American general and politician, 27th Governor of Mississippi (died 1933)

Adelbert Ames was an American sailor, soldier, businessman and politician who served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. A Radical Republican, he was a military governor, U.S. Senator, and civilian governor in Reconstruction-era Mississippi. In 1898, he served as a United States Army general during the Spanish–American War. He was the last Republican to serve as the state governor of Mississippi until the election of Kirk Fordice, who took office in January 1992, 116 years after Ames vacated the office.

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Krišjānis Barons, Latvian linguist and author (died 1923)

Krišjānis Barons was a Latvian writer who is known as the "father of the dainas", largely thanks to his systematization of the Latvian folk songs, and his labour in preparing their texts for publication in Latvju dainas. His portrait appeared on the 100-lat banknote prior to the Lat being replaced by the Euro in 2014, his being the only human face of an actual person on modern Latvian currency. Barons was very prominent among the Young Latvians, and was also an important writer and editor.

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Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1917)

Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer was a German chemist who synthesised indigo and developed a nomenclature for cyclic compounds. He was ennobled in the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1885 and was the 1905 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

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31/10/1831

Paolo Mantegazza, Italian neurologist, physiologist, and anthropologist (died 1910)

Paolo Mantegazza was an Italian neurologist, physiologist, and anthropologist, known for his experimental investigation of coca leaves and its effects on the human psyche. He was also an author of fiction.

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31/10/1825

Charles Lavigerie, French-Algerian cardinal and academic (died 1892)

Charles Martial Allemand Lavigerie, M. Afr. was a French Catholic prelate and missionary who served as Archbishop of Carthage and Primate of Africa from 1884 to 1892. He previously served as Archbishop of Algiers and Bishop of Nancy. He also founded the Missionaries of Africa. He was created a cardinal in 1882.

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31/10/1815

Thomas Chapman, English-Australian politician, 5th Premier of Tasmania (died 1884)

Thomas Daniel Chapman was the Premier of Tasmania from 2 August 1861 until 20 January 1863. He served as a member of the Tasmanian Parliament for 26 years from August 1856 until his death in 1884.

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Karl Weierstrass, German mathematician and academic (died 1897)

Karl Theodor Wilhelm Weierstrass was a German mathematician often cited as the "father of modern analysis". Despite leaving university without a degree, he studied mathematics and trained as a school teacher, eventually teaching mathematics, physics, botany and gymnastics. He later received an honorary doctorate and became professor of mathematics in Berlin.

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31/10/1809

Edmund Sharpe, English architect, architectural historian, railway engineer, and sanitary reformer (died 1877)

Edmund Sharpe was an English architect, architectural historian, railway engineer and sanitary reformer. Born in Knutsford, Cheshire, he was educated first by his parents and then at schools locally and in Runcorn, Greenwich and Sedbergh. Following his graduation from Cambridge University he was awarded a travelling scholarship, enabling him to study architecture in Germany and southern France. In 1835 he established an architectural practice in Lancaster, initially working on his own. In 1845 he entered into partnership with Edward Paley, one of his pupils. Sharpe's main focus was on churches, and he was a pioneer in the use of terracotta as a structural material in church building, designing what were known as "pot" churches, the first of which was St Stephen and All Martyrs' Church, Lever Bridge.

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31/10/1795

John Keats, English poet (died 1821)

John Keats was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tuberculosis at the age of 25. They were indifferently received in his lifetime, but his fame grew rapidly after his death. By the end of the century, he was placed in the canon of English literature, strongly influencing many writers of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood; the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1888 described his "Ode to a Nightingale" as "one of the final masterpieces".

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31/10/1760

Katsushika Hokusai, Japanese artist and printmaker (died 1849)

Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. His woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji includes the iconic print The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Hokusai was instrumental in developing ukiyo-e from a style of portraiture largely focused on courtesans and actors into a much broader style of art that focused on landscapes, plants, and animals. His works had a significant influence on Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet during the wave of Japonisme that spread across Europe in the late 19th century.

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31/10/1737

James Lovell, American educator and politician (died 1789)

James Lovell was an educator and statesman from Boston, Massachusetts. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1782. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation.

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31/10/1729

Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta, Spanish cleric, Archbishop of Mexico, Viceroy of New Spain (died 1800)

Dr. Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta was archbishop of Mexico from September 12, 1772, to May 26, 1800, and viceroy of New Spain from May 8, 1787, to August 16, 1787.

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31/10/1724

Christopher Anstey, English author and poet (died 1805)

Christopher Anstey was an English poet who also wrote in Latin. After a period managing his family's estates, he moved permanently to Bath and died after a long public life there. His poem, The New Bath Guide, brought him to fame and began an easy satirical fashion that was influential throughout the second half of the 18th century. Later he wrote An Electoral Ball, another burlesque of Bath society that allowed him to develop and update certain themes in his earlier work. Among his Latin writing were translations and summaries based on both these poems; he was also joint author of one of the earliest Latin translations of Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, which went through several editions both in England and abroad.

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31/10/1714

Hedvig Taube, Swedish courtier (died 1744)

Hedvig Ulrika Taube, also Countess von Hessenstein, was a Swedish courtier and countess, a countess of the Holy Roman Empire, and royal mistress to king Frederick I of Sweden from 1731 to 1744. She and Sophie Hagman are the only two official royal mistresses in Swedish history.

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31/10/1711

Laura Bassi, Italian physician, physicist, and academic (died 1778)

Laura Maria Caterina Bassi Veratti was an Italian physicist and academic. Recognized and depicted as "Minerva", she was the first woman to have a doctorate in science, and the second woman in the world to earn the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Working at the University of Bologna, she was the first salaried female teacher in a university. At one time the highest paid employee of the university, by the end of her life Bassi held two other professorships. She was also the first female member of any scientific establishment, when she was elected to the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna in 1732 at 21.

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31/10/1705

Pope Clement XIV (died 1774)

Pope Clement XIV, born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in September 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in the College of Cardinals, having been a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. He is the most recent pope to take the pontifical name of "Clement" upon his election.

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31/10/1694

Yeongjo of Joseon (died 1776)

Yeongjo, personal name Yi Geum, was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong by his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan. Before ascending to power, he was known as Prince Yeoning. His life was characterized by political infighting and resentment due to his biological mother's low-born origins.

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31/10/1692

Anne Claude de Caylus, French archaeologist and author (died 1765)

Anne Claude de Tubières-Grimoard de Pestels de Lévis, comte de Caylus, marquis d'Esternay, baron de Bransac, was a French antiquarian, proto-archaeologist and man of letters.

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31/10/1686

Senesino, Italian singer and actor (died 1758)

Francesco Bernardi, known as Senesino, was an Italian contralto castrato, particularly remembered today for his long collaboration with the composer George Frideric Handel. He was also involved in a public scandal with the soprano Anastasia Robinson in 1724, which was circulated widely by the satirist Jonathan Swift, and inspired a number of anonymously-written obscene, misogynistic, and at times sexually subversive epistles written between 1724 and 1736 which have become a topic of study among scholars of Restoration literature.

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31/10/1638

Meindert Hobbema, Dutch painter (died 1709)

Meindert Lubbertszoon Hobbema was a Dutch Golden Age painter of landscapes, specializing in views of woodland, although his most famous painting, The Avenue at Middelharnis, shows a different type of scene.

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31/10/1636

Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria (died 1679)

Ferdinand Maria was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 1651 to 1679. The Elector modernized the army and introduced Bavaria's first government code. Besides encouraging agriculture and industry, he also improved building and restoration works on churches and monasteries since the damage caused during the Thirty Years' War.

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31/10/1632

Johannes Vermeer, Dutch painter (died 1675)

Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. He is considered one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age. During his lifetime, he was a moderately successful provincial genre painter, recognized in Delft and The Hague. He produced relatively few paintings, primarily earning his living as an art dealer. He was not wealthy; at his death, his wife was left in debt.

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31/10/1620

John Evelyn, English gardener and author (died 1706)

John Evelyn, an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, has become best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society.

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31/10/1599

Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, English politician (died 1680)

Colonel Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, was an English politician and army officer who was one of the Five Members whose attempted arrest by Charles I in January 1642 sparked the First English Civil War. When fighting began in August, Holles raised a Parliamentarian regiment which fought at Edgehill before it was nearly destroyed at Brentford in November 1642. This marked the end of Holles' military career and he became leader of the Parliamentarian 'Peace Party', those who favoured a negotiated settlement with the king. A social conservative from a wealthy family, he came to see political radicals like the Levellers and religious Independents like Oliver Cromwell as more dangerous than the Royalists.

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31/10/1542

Henriette of Cleves, Duchess of Nevers, Countess of Rethel (died 1601)

Henriette de La Marck, also known as Henriette of Cleves, was a member of the French high noblility, being a Duchess in her own right and courtier. She was the 4th Duchess of Nevers, suo jure Countess of Rethel, and Princess of Mantua by her marriage with Louis I of Gonzaga-Nevers. Through her marriage to Louis, she is the ancestor of many European Royals. A very talented landowner, she was one of France's chief creditors until her death, which allowed her to enlarge her personal fortune, and make her one of the richest members of the French nobility of her age.

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31/10/1472

Wang Yangming, Chinese Neo-Confucian scholar (died 1529)

Wang Shouren, courtesy name Bo'an, art name Yangmingzi, usually referred to as Wang Yangming, was a Chinese statesman, general, and Neo-Confucian philosopher during the Ming dynasty. After Zhu Xi, he is commonly regarded as the most important Neo-Confucian thinker, for his interpretations of Confucianism that denied the rationalist dualism of the orthodox philosophy of Zhu Xi. Wang and Lu Xiangshan are regarded as the founders as the Lu–Wang school, or the School of the Mind.

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31/10/1445

Hedwig, Abbess of Quedlinburg, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg (died 1511)

Hedwig of Saxony was Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg from 1458 until her death.

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31/10/1424

Władysław III, king of Poland (died 1444)

Władysław III of Poland, also known as Ladislaus of Varna, was King of Poland and Supreme Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1434, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia as Vladislaus I from 1440 until his presumed death at the Battle of Varna. He was the eldest son of Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila) and the Lithuanian noblewoman Sophia of Halshany.

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31/10/1391

Edward, King of Portugal (died 1438)

Edward, also called Edward the Philosopher King or the Eloquent, was the King of Portugal from 1433 until his death. He was born in Viseu, the son of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster. Edward was the oldest member of the "Illustrious Generation" of royal children who contributed to the political, social and economic development of Portuguese society during the 15th century.

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31/10/1345

Ferdinand I, king of Portugal (died 1383)

Ferdinand I, sometimes called the Handsome or occasionally the Inconstant, was the King of Portugal from 1367 until his death in 1383. He was also briefly made King of Galicia, in 1369. Facing a lack of legitimate male heirs, his death led to the 1383–85 crisis, also known as the Portuguese interregnum.

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