- Aug 1 Douglas D. Osheroff, American physicist, Nobel laureate
- Aug 2 Joanna Cassidy [Joanna Virginia Caskey], American actress (Blade Runner, Under Fire), born in Haddonfield, New Jersey
- Aug 2 Jewell Jackson McCabe, American feminist and social and political activist who led the National Coalition of 100 Black Women movement in the 1970s, born in Washington, D.C.
- Aug 2 John Bowis, British MP (C), born in Brighton, East Sussex
- Aug 2 Alex Jesaulenko, Australian rules footballer
- Aug 3 Ron Hendren, Pinehurst NC, TV host (Entertainment Tonight)
- Aug 3 Eamon Dunphy, former Irish footballer
- Aug 4 John Qace Hardbattle, political activist
- Aug 5 Ja'net Dubois, American actress (Good Times, Beverly Hill 90210), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 5 Jo Collins, Oregon, Playboy playmate (Dec, 1964)
- Aug 6 Ron Jones, British TV director (d. 1995)
- Aug 6 Andy Messersmith, American baseball player
- Aug 7 Alan Young, American supreme court justice (1993-2015) and former NFL defensive end (NY Jets), born in Canton, Ohio
- Aug 7 Alan Page, NFL defensive tackle (Minnesota Vikings)
- Aug 7 Kerry Chater, rocker (Gary Puckett & Union Gap - Young Girl)
- Aug 7 Patrice Mestral, composer
- Aug 9 Posy Simmonds, English cartoonist
- Aug 10 Harry Thomas, Dutch founder (Schlager Festival Gay Party)
- Aug 10 Larry Larden, rocker (Every Mother's Son)
- Aug 10 Harriet Miers, White House counsel
- Aug 12 Ron Mael, American songwriter, composer and record producer (Sparks), born in Culver City, California
- Aug 13 Robin Jackman, cricketer (England medium-pacer early eighties)
- Aug 13 Lars Engqvist, Swedish politician
- Aug 13 Howard Marks, British drug dealer and author (Mr Nice), born in Kenfig Hill, Wales (d. 2016)
- Aug 14 Brenda Benet, actress (Lee-Days of Our Lives, Beach Ball), born in Hollywood, California
- Aug 14 Cheryl Waltz, author/film producer
- Aug 14 Jennifer d'Abo, CEO (Ryman, Moyses Stevens)
Steve Martin
Aug 14 Steve Martin, American comedian, musician, author and actor (Parenthood, Jerk, Roxanne), born in Waco, Texas
Steve Martin
- Aug 14 Tony Scannel, actor (Bill, Blue Money) [or 1932]
- Aug 14 Wim Wenders, West German director (American Friend, Hammett)
- Aug 15 Charlemagne Palestine, composer
- Aug 15 Gene Upshaw, NFL guard (Oakland Radiers), NFLPA leader
- Aug 15 Thomas C Sawyer, (Rep-D-Ohio)
- Aug 15 Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1991-96 and 2001-06), born in Dinajpur, Bangladesh
- Aug 16 Bob Balaban, American actor and director (2010, Girlfriends, Gosford Park), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 16 Gary Loizzo, rock guitarist (American Breed), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 16 Gordon "Snowy" Fleet, Merseyside, rock drummer (Easybeats)
- Aug 16 Kevin Ayers, England, progressive rocker (Joy of a Toy), (d. 2013)
- Aug 16 Suzanne Farrell, ballerina (Don Quioxote), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Aug 17 Katri Helena, Finnish singer
- Aug 18 Sarah Dash, rock vocalist (Patti LaBelle & Bluebirds), born in Trenton, New Jersey
- Aug 18 Barbara Harris, US singer (Toys-A Lover's Concerto)
- Aug 19 Ian Gillian, heavy metal rocker (Deep Purple-Knocking at Backdoor)
- Aug 19 Jane Blalock, champion golfer
- Aug 21 Patty McCormack, American actress (Mama, Peck's Bad Girl, Ropers), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Aug 21 Jerry DaVanon, American baseball player, born in Oceanside, California
- Aug 21 Basil Poledouris, American film score composer, born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2006)
- Aug 22 Derek Fatchett, British Labour politician, born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England (d. 1999)
- Aug 22 James G Richardson, actor (Tim Cassidy-Sierra), born in Gainesville, Florida
- Aug 22 Ron Dante, rock vocalist (Archies-Sugar, Sugar), born in Staten Island, New York
- Aug 22 Steve Kroft, American journalist and longtime correspondent for 60 Minutes, born in Kokomo Indiana
- Aug 22 Erol Gelenbe, Turkish computer scientist and mathematician, born in Istanbul, Turkey
- Aug 23 Rayfield Wright, American football player
- Aug 24 Ken Hensley, rock keyboardist (Blackfoot, Uriah Heep)
- Aug 24 Malcolm "Mollie" Duncan, Scotland, saxophonist (Average White Band)
- Aug 24 Vince McMahon, American professional wrestling promoter
Marsha P. Johnson
Aug 24 Marsha P. Johnson [born Malcolm Michaels Jr.], African-American gay liberation and AIDS activist, drag queen, and transgender pioneer (Gay Liberation Front, S.T.A.R.), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey (d. 1992)
Marsha P. Johnson
- Aug 26 Melvin Watt, (Rep-D-North Carolina)
- Aug 26 Tom Ridge, first United States Secretary of Homeland Security (Rep-R-Pennsylvania), born in Munhall, Pennsylvania
- Aug 28 Bruno Nuytten, director (Camille Claudel)
- Aug 28 Bob Segarini, Musician and radio personality
- Aug 29 Chris Copping, Essex England, rock bassist (Procol Harum)
- Aug 29 Wyomia Tyus, Griffin Ga, 100m runner (Olympic gold 1964, 68)
- Aug 30 David Schiff, American composer, born in New York City
- Aug 31 Bob Welch, rock vocalist/guitarist (Fleetwood Mac-Oh Well), (d. 2012)
- Aug 31 Itzhak Perlman, Tel Aviv Israel, violinist/polio victim (14 Grammys)
- Aug 31 Leonid Ivanovich Popov, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 35/37, 40, T-7)
- Aug 31 Van Morrison [George Ivan], Northern Irish singer (Them, Brown Eyed Girl), born in Bloomfield, Belfast,Bloomfield, Belfast