Birthday Specials in July 31 in History

Birthday Specials in History

• 1143 – Emperor Nijō of Japan (d. 1165)
• 1396 – Philip the Good, French son of John the Fearless (d. 1467)
• 1527 – Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1576)
• 1598 – Alessandro Algardi, Italian sculptor (d. 1654)
• 1702 – Jean Denis Attiret, French missionary and painter (d. 1768)
• 1704 – Gabriel Cramer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1752)
• 1718 – John Canton, English physicist and academic (d. 1772)
• 1724 – Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer and author (d. 1801)
• 1737 – Princess Augusta of Great Britain (d. 1813)
• 1777 – Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Argentinian priest and politician (d. 1849)
• 1796 – Jean-Gaspard Deburau, Czech-French actor and mime (d. 1846)
• 1800 – Friedrich Wöhler, German chemist and academic (d. 1882)
• 1803 – John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer, co-designed the Novelty Locomotive (d. 1889)
• 1816 – George Henry Thomas, American general (d. 1870)
• 1826 – William S. Clark, American colonel and politician (d. 1886)
• 1835 – Henri Brisson, French lawyer and politician, 50th Prime Minister of France (d. 1912)
• 1835 – Paul Du Chaillu, French-American anthropologist and explorer (d. 1903)
• 1836 – Vasily Sleptsov, Russian author and activist (d. 1878)
• 1837 – William Quantrill, American captain (d. 1865)
• 1839 – Ignacio Andrade, Venezuelan general and politician, 25th President of Venezuela (d. 1925)
• 1843 – Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet and author (d. 1918)
• 1847 – Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (d. 1905)
• 1854 – José Canalejas, Spanish academic and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1912)
• 1858 – Richard Dixon Oldham, English seismologist and geologist (d. 1936)
• 1860 – Mary Vaux Walcott, American painter and illustrator (d. 1940)
• 1867 – S. S. Kresge, American businessman, founded Kmart (d. 1966)
• 1875 – Jacques Villon, French painter (d. 1963)
• 1880 – Premchand, Indian author and playwright (d. 1936)
• 1883 – Ramón Fonst, Cuban fencer (d. 1959)
• 1884 – Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, Polish-German economist and politician (d. 1945)
• 1885 – Luigi Serventi, Italian actor (d. 1976)
• 1886 – Salvatore Maranzano, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1931)
• 1886 – Fred Quimby, American animator and producer (d. 1965)
• 1887 – Hans Freyer, German sociologist and philosopher (d. 1969)
• 1892 – Herbert W. Armstrong, American evangelist and publisher, founded Worldwide Church of God (d. 1986)
• 1892 – Joseph Charbonneau, Canadian archbishop (d. 1959)
• 1894 – Fred Keenor, Welsh footballer (d. 1972)
• 1901 – Jean Dubuffet, French painter and sculptor (d. 1985)
• 1902 – Gubby Allen, Australian-English cricketer and soldier (d. 1989)
• 1904 – Brett Halliday, American engineer, surveyor, and author (d. 1977)
• 1907 – Roy Milton, American singer, drummer, and bandleader (d. 1983)
• 1909 – Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Austrian theorist and author (d. 1999)
• 1911 – George Liberace, American violinist (d. 1983)
• 1912 – Bill Brown, Australian cricketer (d. 2008)
• 1912 – Milton Friedman, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2006)
• 1912 – Irv Kupcinet, American football player and journalist (d. 2003)
• 1913 – Bryan Hextall, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1984)
• 1914 – Paul J. Christiansen, American conductor and composer (d. 1997)
• 1914 – Louis de Funès, French actor and screenwriter (d. 1983)
• 1916 – Sibte Hassan, Pakistani journalist, scholar, and activist (d. 1986)
• 1916 – Billy Hitchcock, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2006)
• 1916 – Bill Todman, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1979)
• 1917 – Jini Dellaccio, American photographer (d. 2014)
• 1918 – Paul D. Boyer, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1918 – Hank Jones, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2010)
• 1918 – Frank Renouf, New Zealand businessman and financier (d. 1998)
• 1919 – Hemu Adhikari, Indian cricketer (d. 2003)
• 1919 – Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster and actor (d. 2006)
• 1919 – Primo Levi, Italian chemist and author (d. 1987)
• 1920 – James E. Faust, American religious leader, lawyer, and politician (d. 2007)
• 1920 – Percy Herbert, English actor (d. 1992)
• 1921 – Peter Benenson, English lawyer and activist, founded Amnesty International (d. 2005)
• 1921 – Donald Malarkey, American sergeant and author
• 1921 – Whitney Young, American activist (d. 1971)
• 1922 – Hank Bauer, American baseball player and manager (d. 2007)
• 1923 – Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish-American songwriter and producer, founded Atlantic Records (d. 2006)
• 1923 – Stephanie Kwolek, American chemist and engineer, invented Kevlar (d. 2014)
• 1924 – Jimmy Evert, American tennis player and coach (d. 2015)
• 1925 – Carmel Quinn, Irish singer, actress and writer
• 1926 – Bernard Nathanson, American physician and activist (d. 2011)
• 1926 – Hilary Putnam, American mathematician, computer scientist, and philosopher (d. 2016)
• 1927 – Peter Nichols, English author and playwright
• 1928 – Bill Frenzel, American lieutenant and politician (d. 2014)
• 1929 – Lynne Reid Banks, English author
• 1929 – Gilles Carle, Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2009)
• 1929 – Don Murray, American actor
• 1929 – José Santamaría, Uruguayan footballer and manager
• 1931 – Nick Bollettieri, American tennis player and coach
• 1931 – Kenny Burrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1932 – Ted Cassidy, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1979)
• 1932 – Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (d. 2016)
• 1932 – John Searle, American philosopher and academic
• 1933 – Cees Nooteboom, Dutch journalist, author, and poet
• 1935 – Yvon Deschamps, Canadian comedian, actor, and producer
• 1935 – Geoffrey Lewis, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
• 1935 – Anthony Scrivener, English lawyer (d. 2015)
• 1936 – Vic Davalillo, Venezuelan baseball player
• 1939 – Steuart Bedford, English pianist and conductor
• 1939 – Susan Flannery, American actress and director
• 1939 – France Nuyen, Vietnamese-French actress
• 1940 – Carol J. Clover, American author and academic
• 1940 – Roy Walker, Northern Irish comedian, actor, and game show host
• 1941 – Amarsinh Chaudhary, Indian politician, 8th Chief Minister of Gujarat (d. 2004)
• 1941 – Heather McKay, Australian squash player and coach
• 1943 – Lobo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1943 – William Bennett, American journalist and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Education
• 1944 – Geraldine Chaplin, American actress and screenwriter
• 1944 – Jonathan Dimbleby, English journalist and author
• 1944 – Sherry Lansing, American actress and producer
• 1944 – Robert C. Merton, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1944 – David Norris, Congolese-Irish scholar and politician
• 1945 – William Weld, American lawyer and politician, 68th Governor of Massachusetts
• 1946 – Gary Lewis, American singer and drummer (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
• 1946 – Karen Zerby, American cult leader
• 1947 – Richard Griffiths, English actor (d. 2013)
• 1947 – Hubert Védrine, French politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 1947 – Ian Beck, English children's illustrator and author
• 1947 – Mumtaz, Indian actress
• 1948 – Russell Morris, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1949 – Mike Jackson, American basketball player
• 1949 – Alan Meale, English journalist and politician
• 1950 – Richard Berry, French actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1950 – Charlie Williams, English racing motorcyclist
• 1951 – Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Australian tennis player
• 1951 – Barry Van Dyke, American actor and screenwriter
• 1952 – Chris Ahrens, American ice hockey player
• 1952 – Alan Autry, American football player, actor, and politician, 23rd Mayor of Fresno, California
• 1952 – Helmuts Balderis, Latvian ice hockey player and coach
• 1952 – João Barreiros, Portuguese author and critic
• 1952 – Faye Kellerman, American author
• 1953 – Ted Baillieu, Australian architect and politician, 46th Premier of Victoria
• 1953 – Jimmy Cook, South African cricketer and coach
• 1954 – Manivannan, Indian actor and director (d. 2013)
• 1954 – Derek Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1956 – Michael Biehn, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1956 – Bill Callahan, American football player and coach
• 1956 – Ernie Dingo, Australian actor and television host
• 1956 – Ron Kuby, American lawyer and radio host
• 1956 – Deval Patrick, American lawyer and politician, 71st Governor of Massachusetts
• 1956 – Lynne Rae Perkins, American author and illustrator
• 1957 – Daniel Ash, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, and Tones on Tail)
• 1957 – Jane Bennett, American sociologist, theorist, and academic
• 1957 – Leon Durham, American baseball player and actor
• 1957 – Shan Goshorn, American photographer
• 1957 – Mark Thompson, English businessman
• 1958 – Bill Berry, American singer-songwriter and drummer (R.E.M. and Hindu Love Gods)
• 1958 – Mark Cuban, American businessman and television personality
• 1958 – Wally Kurth, American actor
• 1959 – Stanley Jordan, American guitarist, pianist, and songwriter
• 1959 – Andrew Marr, Scottish journalist and author
• 1959 – Peter Senior, Australian golfer
• 1960 – Dale Hunter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1960 – Malcolm Ross, Scottish guitarist and songwriter (Josef K and Orange Juice)
• 1961 – Frank Gardner, English captain and journalist
• 1962 – John Chiang, American lawyer and politician, 31st California State Controller
• 1962 – Kevin Greene, American football player and coach
• 1962 – Wesley Snipes, American martial artist, actor, and producer
• 1963 – Fergus Henderson, English chef and author
• 1963 – Brian Skrudland, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1964 – Jim Corr, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Corrs)
• 1964 – Urmas Hepner, Estonian footballer and coach
• 1965 – Scott Brooks, American basketball player and coach
• 1965 – John Laurinaitis, American wrestler and producer
• 1965 – Ian Roberts, English-Australian rugby league player and actor
• 1965 – J. K. Rowling, English author and film producer
• 1966 – Dean Cain, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1966 – Tatsuya Ishihara, Japanese animator and director
• 1966 – Kevin Martin, Canadian curler and sportscaster
• 1967 – Minako Honda, Japanese singer and actress (d. 2005)
• 1967 – Tony Massenburg, American basketball player
• 1967 – Peter Rono, Kenyan-American runner
• 1967 – Tim Wright, Welsh composer
• 1968 – Saeed-Al-Saffar, Emirati cricketer
• 1968 – Julian Richards, Welsh director and producer
• 1969 – Loren Dean, American actor
• 1969 – Kid Kash, American wrestler and mixed martial artist
• 1969 – Kenneth D. Schisler, American lawyer and politician
• 1970 – Ahmad Akbarpour, Iranian author and poet
• 1970 – Ben Chaplin, English actor
• 1970 – Andrzej Kobylański, Polish footballer and manager
• 1970 – Giorgos Sigalas, Greek basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
• 1970 – Dave Wedge, American journalist and author
• 1971 – John 5, American guitarist and songwriter (2wo, Loser, and Red Square Black)
• 1971 – Gus Frerotte, American football player and coach
• 1972 – Giorgos Kapoutzidis, Greek actor and screenwriter
• 1973 – Wail al-Shehri, Saudi Arabian terrorist, hijacker of American Airlines Flight 11 (d. 2001)
• 1973 – Nathan Brown, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1973 – Fabulous Flournoy, American basketball player and coach
• 1974 – Leona Naess, American-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1974 – Jonathan Ogden, American football player
• 1975 – Randy Flores, American baseball player and coach
• 1975 – Andrew Hall, South African cricketer
• 1975 – Gabe Kapler, American baseball player and manager
• 1975 – Ruben Patterson, American basketball player
• 1975 – Allan von Schenkel, American bassist and composer
• 1976 – Joshua Cain, American guitarist and producer (Motion City Soundtrack)
• 1976 – Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rican footballer and manager
• 1977 – Tim Couch, American football player and sportscaster
• 1978 – Will Champion, English drummer and singer (Coldplay)
• 1978 – Zeta Makripoulia, Greek model, actress, and fashion designer
• 1978 – Nick Sorensen, American football player and sportscaster
• 1978 – Justin Wilson, English race car driver (d. 2015)
• 1979 – Jaco Erasmus, South African-Italian rugby player
• 1979 – J. J. Furmaniak, American baseball player
• 1979 – Per Krøldrup, Danish footballer
• 1979 – Carlos Marchena, Spanish footballer
• 1979 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1980 – Mikko Hirvonen, Finnish race car driver
• 1980 – Mils Muliaina, New Zealand rugby player
• 1981 – Titus Bramble, English footballer
• 1981 – Vernon Carey, American football player
• 1981 – M. Shadows, American singer-songwriter (Avenged Sevenfold)
• 1981 – Paul Whatuira, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1982 – Jeff DaRosa, American singer and banjo player (Dropkick Murphys and The Exit)
• 1982 – Blessing Mahwire, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1982 – Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spanish tennis player
• 1982 – DeMarcus Ware, American football player
• 1984 – Joseph Benavidez, American mixed martial artist
• 1984 – Felipe dal Belo, Brazilian footballer
• 1985 – Daniel Ciofani, Italian footballer
• 1985 – Shannon Curfman, American singer and guitarist
• 1985 – Rémy Di Gregorio, French cyclist
• 1986 – Evgeni Malkin, Russian ice hockey player
• 1986 – Brian Orakpo, American football player
• 1987 – Michael Bradley, American soccer player
• 1987 – Mike Tompkins, Canadian singer
• 1988 – Alex Glenn, New Zealand rugby league footballer
• 1988 – A. J. Green, American football player
• 1988 – Krystal Meyers, American singer-songwriter
• 1989 – Victoria Azarenka, Belarusian tennis player
• 1989 – Johanna Omolo, Kenyan footballer
• 1990 – Besart Abdurahimi, Macedonian footballer
• 1991 – Réka Luca Jani, Hungarian tennis player
• 1992 – Lizzy, South Korean singer, dancer, and actress (After School and Orange Caramel)
• 1992 – José Fernández, Cuban baseball player
• 1992 – Ryan Johansen, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1992 – Kyle Larson, American race car driver
• 1993 – Curtis Sironen, Australian rugby league player
• 1996 – Blake Michael, American actor, director, and producer