August 16 :: Historical Births Today

Famous Births

• 1355 - Philippa Plantagenet, Countess of Ulster


• 1378 - Hongxi Emperor of China (d. 1425)


• 1401 - Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut, dauphine of France (d. 1436)


• 1557 - Agostino Carracci, Italian artist (d. 1602)


• 1573 - Anna of Austria, queen of Poland (d. 1598)


• 1596 - Frederick V, Elector Palatine (d. 1632)


• 1637 - Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, German countess and poet (d. 1706)


• 1645 - Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (d. 1696)


• 1650 - Vincenzo Coronelli, Italian cartographer and encylopedist (d. 1718)


• 1682 - Louis, duc de Bourgogne, heir-apparent to the French throne (d. 1712)


• 1761 - Yevstigney Fomin, Russian composer (d. 1800)


• 1815 - John Bosco, Italian priest and educator (d. 1888)


• 1820 - Andrew Rainsford Wetmore, Canadian politician (d. 1892)


• 1831 - John Jones Ross, Quebec politician (d. 1901)


• 1832 - Wilhelm Wundt, German psychologist (d. 1920)


• 1842 - Jakob Rosanes, German mathematician (d. 1922)


• 1845 - Gabriel Lippmann, French physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1921)


• 1858 - Arthur Achleitner, German writer (d. 1927)


• 1860 - Jules Laforgue, French poet (d. 1887)


• 1862 - Amos Alonzo Stagg, American coach (d. 1965)


• 1868 - Bernarr McFadden, American publisher (d. 1955)


• 1876 - Ivan Bilibin, Russian illustrator (d. 1942)


• 1884 - Hugo Gernsback, Luxembourg-born editor and publisher (d. 1967)


• 1884 - Walther von Reichenau, German field marshal (d. 1942)


• 1888 - T. E. Lawrence, English writer and soldier (d. 1935)


• 1888 - Armand J. Piron, American musician (d. 1943)


• 1892 - Otto Messmer, American cartoonist (d. 1983)


• 1894 - George Meany, American labor union leader (d. 1980)


• 1895 - Albert Cohen, Swiss novelist (d. 1981)


• 1895 - Liane Haid, Austrian actress (d. 2000)


• 1902 - Georgette Heyer, English novelist (d. 1974)


• 1904 - Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1971)


• 1908 - William Maxwell, American novelist and editor (d. 2000)


• 1911 - E. F. Schumacher, German economist and statistician (d. 1977)


• 1912 - Ted Drake, English footballer (d. 1995)


• 1913 - Menachem Begin, 6th Prime Minister of Israel, Nobel laureate (d. 1992)


• 1915 - Al Hibbler, American singer (d. 2001)


• 1916 - Iggy Katona, American race car driver (d. 2003)


• 1920 - Charles Bukowski, American poet (d. 1994)


• 1922 - Ernie Freeman, American pianist and arranger (d. 2001)


• 1923 - Millôr Fernandes, Brazilian playwright


• 1924 - Fess Parker, American actor


• 1925 - Willie Jones, American baseball player (d. 1983)


• 1928 - Ann Blyth, American actress


• 1929 - Bill Evans, American jazz pianist (d. 1980)


• 1929 - Helmut Rahn, German footballer (d. 2003)


• 1929 - Wyatt Tee Walker, American 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Movement activist


• 1929 - Fritz Von Erich, American professional wrestler (d. 1997)


• 1930 - Robert Culp, American actor


• 1930 - Frank Gifford, American football player and announcer


• 1930 - Tony Trabert, American former tennis player


• 1931 - Eydie Gormé, American singer


• 1933 - Julie Newmar, American actress


• 1933 - Stuart Roosa, American astronaut (d. 1994)


• 1934 - Diana Wynne Jones, British author


• 1934 - Ketty Lester, American singer


• 1934 - Pierre Richard, French actor


• 1935 - Andreas Stamatiadis, Greek footballer and coach


• 1935 - Cliff Fletcher, Canadian National Hockey League executive


• 1937 - David Anderson, Canadian politician


• 1939 - Sir Trevor Mcdonald, Trinidadian-born British television newsreader


• 1940 - Bruce Beresford, Australian film director


• 1942 - Barbara George, American singer and songwriter (d. 2006)


• 1945 - Suzanne Farrell, ballet dancer


• 1946 - Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician


• 1946 - Lesley Ann Warren, American actress


• 1946 - Dick Murdoch, American professional wrestler (d. 1996)


• 1947 - Carol Moseley Braun, American politician and lawyer


• 1947 - Katharine Hamnett, English fashion designer


• 1947 - Marc Messier, Canadian actor


• 1948 - Mike Jorgensen, American baseball player


• 1948 - Pierre Reid, Canadian politician and teacher


• 1949 - Scott Asheton, American musician (The Stooges)


• 1950 - Hasely Crawford, Trinidadian athlete


• 1950 - Marshall Manesh, Iranian-born American actor


• 1950 - Stockwell Day, Canadian politician


• 1950 - Jeff Thomson, Australian cricketer


• 1951 - Richard Hunt, American puppeteer (d. 1992)


• 1952 - Reginald VelJohnson, American actor


• 1953 - Kathie Lee Gifford, American singer and actress


• 1953 - James "J.T." Taylor, American singer (Kool & The Gang)


• 1954 - James Cameron, Canadian film director


• 1956 - Daniel Willems, Belgian cyclist


• 1957 - Tim Farriss, Australian musician (INXS)


• 1958 - Angela Bassett, American actress


• 1958 - Madonna, American singer and actress


• 1958 - José Luis Clerc, Argentine tennis player


• 1959 - Laura Innes, American actress


• 1959 - Marc Sergeant, Belgian cyclist


• 1960 - Timothy Hutton, American actor


• 1961 - Christian Okoye, former American football player


• 1962 - Steve Carell, American actor and comedian


• 1964 - Jimmy Arias, American tennis player


• 1966 - Barry Lather, American choreographer, musician and actor


• 1967 - Ulrika Jonsson, Swedish television personality


• 1967 - Pamela Smart, American convicted murderess


• 1968 - Mateja Svet, Slovenian alpine skier


• 1970 - Bonnie Bernstein, American sportscaster


• 1970 - Fabio Casartelli, Italian cyclist (d. 1995)


• 1970 - Killah Priest, American rapper


• 1970 - Manisha Koirala, Indian actress


• 1970 - Saif Ali Khan, Indian actor


• 1971 - Rulon Gardner, American Greco-Roman wrestler


• 1971 - Stefan Klos, German footballer


• 1972 - Stan Lazaridis, Australian footballer


• 1972 - Emily Robison, American country singer, instrumentalist and songwriter (Dixie Chicks)


• 1973 - Damian Jackson, American baseball player


• 1974 - Roger Cedeño, Venezuelan baseball player


• 1974 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Guyanese cricketer


• 1974 - Krisztina Egerszegi, Hungarian swimmer


• 1974 - Iván Hurtado, Ecuadorian footballer


• 1975 - Didier Agathe, French footballer


• 1975 - George Stults, American actor


• 1976 - Jonatan Johansson, Finnish footballer


• 1976 - Dave Ockun, American concert producer


• 1977 - Tamer Hosny, Egyptian singer/actor


• 1978 - Eddie Gill, American basketball player


• 1978 - Fu Mingxia, Chinese female diver


• 1979 - Monder Rizki, Belgian athlete


• 1979 - Michael Stahlman, American rower and coach


• 1980 - Vanessa Carlton, American singer/songwriter


• 1980 - Robert Hardy, English bassist (Franz Ferdinand)


• 1981 - Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguayan footballer


• 1981 - Taylor Rain, American pornographic actress


• 1982 - Joleon Lescott, English footballer


• 1983 - Colin Griffiths, English TV presenter and DJ


• 1983 - Nikos Zisis, Greek basketball player


• 1983 - Colt Brennan, University of Hawai'i Quarterback


• 1985 - Agnes Bruckner, American actress


• 1986 - Shawn Pyfrom, American actor


• 1987 - Kyal Marsh, Australian actor


• 1988 - Kevin Schmidt, American actor


• 1988 - Rumer Willis, American actress


• 1988 - Amandah Wilkinson, Australian musician


• 1991 - Evanna Lynch, Irish actress


• 1991 - Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, Canadian actress