Famous Birthdays on March 31

Henry II (1519-1559)

King of France (1547-59), born in Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris

1536 Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese 13th shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate (1546-65), born in Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan (d. 1565)
1576 Louise Juliana of Nassau, countess consort of the Palatinate by marriage to Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine, born in Delft, Habsburg Netherlands (d. 1644)

René Descartes (1596-1650)

French philosopher (he thought, therefore he was), born in Descartes, Indre-et-Loire, France

1621 Andrew Marvell, English poet (To His Coy Mistress), born in Winestead, England (d. 1678)
1651 Karl II, Elector Palatine (d. 1685)
1675 Benedict XIV [Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini], Italian Pope (1740-58), born in Bologna, Papal States (d. 1758)
1684 Francesco Durante, Neapolitan composer, and teacher, born in Frattamaggiore, Kingdom of Naples (now Italy) (d. 1755)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

German composer (St. Matthew's Passion; Brandenburg Concertos; Toccata and Fugue) [OS 21 Mar], born in Eisenach, Germany

1717 Florian Wrastill, Austrian composer of sacred music, choir master, and Benedictine monk, born near Königgrätz, Bohemia [now Hradec Králové, Czech Republic] (d. 1758)
1718 Marianne Victoria of Borbón, queen regent of Portugal (d. 1781)
1723 Frederick V, King of Denmark-Norway (1746-66), born in Copenhagen Castle, Copenhagen (d. 1766)
1730 Étienne Bézout, French mathematician (d. 1783)

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Austrian composer of the classical period (The Creation; Trumpet Concerto), born in Vienna, Austria

1747 Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, German composer (The Moon Has Risen), born in Lüneburg, Germany (d. 1800)
1777 Charles Cagniard de la Tour, French physicist (d. 1859)
1778 Coenraad Jacob Temminck, Dutch zoologist (d. 1858)
1791 Franciszek Wincenty Mirecki, Polish composer, conductor and pedagogue, born in Kraków, Poland (d. 1862)
1794 Thompson McKennan, American politician who served as the 2nd United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1852)
1809 Edward FitzGerald, British poet, writer, and translator (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam), born in Bredfield, Sussex, England (d. 1883)
1809 Nikolai Gogol [Nikolay], Ukrainian-born Russian novelist, humorist, and dramatist (Dead Souls, The Inspector-General), born in Sorochintsy, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1852)
1809 Otto Jonas Lindblad, Swedish composer (Kungssången - Royal Anthem), born in Karlstorp, Sweden (d. 1864)
1819 Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1901)
1822 Rafael Hernando, Spanish composer of zarzuelas, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1888)
1823 Ernest Doudart de Lagrée, French naval officer and entomologist (led the Mekong River expedition 1866-68), born in Saint-Vincent-de-Mercuze, France (d. 1868)
1831 Archibald Scott Couper, Scottish chemist (advances in chemical theory including bonding of carbon atoms), born in Kirkintilloch, Scotland (d. 1892)
1835 John La Farge, American painter (stained glass), born in New York City (d. 1910)
1837 Robert Ross McBurney, Irish-born American 1st paid secretary of the YMCA (NYC), born in Ireland (d. 1898)
1838 Léon Dierx, French poet (Aspirations; Les Amants), born in Saint-Denis, France (d. 1912)

Benjamin Baker (1840-1907)

English civil engineer who designed the bridge over the Firth of Forth, Scotland and the London underground, born in Frome, England

1840 John Herbert Kelly, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1864)
1844 Andrew Lang, Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and anthropologist (Andrew Lang's Fairy Books), born in Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland (d. 1912)
1847 Jarolslaw Zielinski, Polish-American concert pianist, teacher, and composer, born in Lubycza Królewska, Poland (d. 1922)
1847 Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev, Russian mathematician (d. 1878)
1848 John Henry Roberts, Welsh organist, hymn composer, and pedagogue, born in Pen-rallt, Caernarfonshire, Wales (d. 1924)
1854 Dugald Clerk, Scottish engineer and inventor (1st 2-stroke motorcycle engine), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1932)
1855 Alfred E. Hunt, founder of Alcoa (d. 1899)
1860 Isidor Traube, German chemist who founded capillary chemistry and researched liquids (osmosis, surface tension), born in Hildesheim Hanover (d. 1943)
1865 Heinrich Rubens, German physicist (black-body rdiation), born in Wiesbaden (d. 1922)
1868 Karl Bonhoeffer, German psychiatrist and neurologist (resisted Nazi's Aktion T4 extermination campaign), born in Neresheim, Württemberg (d. 1948)
1870 Tommy Ryan, American boxer (World Welterweight, Middleweight champion), born in Redwood, NY (d. 1948)

Arthur Griffith (1871-1922)

Irish writer and politician who founded Sinn Féin (President of Ireland 1922), born in Dublin, Ireland, United Kingdom

1872 Sergei Diaghilev, Russian arts patron and ballet impresario (founder of the Imperial Ballet and Ballets Russes), born in Gruzino Novgorod, Russia (d. 1929)
1876 Borisav "Bora" Stanković, Serbian writer (d. 1927)

Jack Johnson (1878-1946)

American boxer (1st African-American world heavyweight champion 1908-15), born in Galveston, Texas [1]

1884 Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer (d. 1946)
1885 Jules Pascin [Julius Pincas], Bulgarian-American painter and cartoonist, born in Vidin, Bulgaria (d. 1930)
1887 Jose Maria Usandizaga, Spanish Basque composer (Mendi Mendiyan - High in the Mountains), born in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain (d. 1915)
1890 William Lawrence Bragg, English physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1971)
1891 Andy Varipapa, American ten-pin bowler (BPAA All-Star champion 1947-48), born in Carfizzi, Italy (d. 1984)
1891 Erich Walter Sternberg, German-Israeli composer (co-founder of Israel Philharmonic Orchestra), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1974)
1891 Ion Pillat, Romanian poet and senator (Umbra timpului), born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 1945)
1891 Victor Varconi, Hungarian actor (Divine Lady; King of Kings; Big City), born in Kisvárda, Austria-Hungary (d. 1976)
1892 Stanislav Maczek, Polish general, tank commander and war hero (WWII Battle of Falaise, Normandy invasion), born in Lwòw, Poland (d. 1994)
1893 Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor (Vienna State Opera; Berlin State Opera), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1954)
1895 John Jay McCloy, American lawyer and banker (Secretary of War 1941-45, Chairman Chase Manhattan Bank, President of World Bank 1947-49), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1989)
1895 Lizzie Miles [Elizabeth Landreaux], Creole American jazz, blues and gospel singer ("Man O'War"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1963)
1895 Vardis Fisher, American author (Darkness & Deep), born in Annis, Idaho (d. 1968)
1895 Zlatko Baloković, Croatian-American concert violinist, born in Zagreb, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia) (d. 1955)
1900 Henry, English Prince and Duke of Gloucester (son of King George V, Governor General of Australia 1945-47), born at Sandringham Estate, England (d. 1974)
1901 Mule Suttles, American Baseball HOF infielder (5 x NgL All Star; NL batting champion 1926, 28; NgL Triple Crown 1926; St. Louis Stars), born in Edgewater, Alabama (d. 1966)
1905 George Treweeke, Australian Rugby League second rower (7 Tests, South Sydney), born in Grahamstown, NSW (d. 1991)
1906 Lauri Saikkola, Finnish violinist (Viipuri Philharmonis, 1923–34); Helsinki Philharmonic, 1934–65), and composer (Laulusarja ; Unen kaivo), born in Vyborg, Finland (d. 1995)
1907 Eddie Quillan, American actor (Mutiny on the Bounty, Julia, Hell Town), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1990)
1908 Red Norvo [Kenneth Norville], American jazz vibraphonist known as "Mr. Swing" ("Congo Blues"; "Knockin' On Wood"), born in Beardstown, Illinois (d. 1999)
1909 Pieter "Piet" Jongeling, Dutch politician (GPV) and author of children's books (Scout: The Secret of the Swamp), born in Broeksterwâld, Netherlands (d. 1985)
1909 Robert Brasillach, French author and journalist (editor in chief of the fascist weekly Je Suis Partout), born in Perpignan, France (d. 1945)
1911 Elisabeth Grümmer, German soprano, Kammersängerin, and teacher, born in Niederjeutz, Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire (now Yutz, France) (d. 1986)
1913 Dai Rees, Scottish golfer (British Open runner-up 1953-54, 61), born in Fontegary, Glamorgan (d. 1983)
1913 Etta Baker, American blues guitarist, born in Caldwell County, North Carolina (d. 2006)
1913 Walter Winterbottom, England soccer manager (first manager England national football team 1946–62; FA Director of Coaching), born in Oldham, England (d. 2002)
1914 Octavio Paz, Mexican poet (Salamandra; Topoemas), writer and diplomat who won the 1990 Nobel Prize laureate, born in Mexico City (d. 1998)
1915 Eliseo Pajaro, Filipino composer (The Life of Lam-Ling; Marilag Fantasy), pedagogue, and school administrator, born in Badoc, Philippines (d. 1984)
1915 Henry Morgan, American comedian and TV panelist (I've Got a Secret, Arena), born in NYC, New York (d. 1994)
1915 Jack Perry, English businessman and the 1st Western business person to visit Communist China, born in London (d. 1996) [1]
1915 Shoichi Yokoi, Japanese military man (d. 1997)
1916 John H. Wood, Jr., American federal judge (d. 1979)
1916 Lucille Bliss, American voice actress (Cinderella, The Secret of NIMH), born in NYC, New York (d. 2012)
1916 Tommy Bolt, American golfer (US Open 1958), born in Haworth, Oklahoma (d. 2008)
1918 Helen Kemp (née Hubbert), American choral conductor, composer, and voice teacher, born in Perkasie, Pennsylvania (d. 2015)
1918 Marv Grissom, American baseball pitcher, coach (MLB All Star 1954, NY, SF Giants), born in Los Molinos, CA (d. 2005)
1918 Ted Post, American television and film director (Gunsmoke; Beneath the Planet of the Apes; Magnum Force), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2013)
1920 Deborah "Debs" Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire and the Chatsworth estate, one of the Mitford sisters, born in Gloucestershire (d. 2014)
1920 Marga Minco [Sara Menco], Dutch journalist and writer (Bitter Herb), born in Ginneken, Netherlands
1921 Lowell Fulson, Choctaw-Cherokee-American blues guitarist and songwriter (“3 O’Clock Blues”; “Reconsider Baby”), born in Atoka, Oklahoma (d. 1999)
1922 Patrick Magee [McGee], Northern Irish actor (A Clockwork Orange; Barry Lyndon), born in Armagh, Northern Ireland (d. 1982)
1922 Richard Kiley, American singer and actor (Kismet; Man of La Mancha; Endless Love), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1999)
1923 Don Barksdale, American basketball forward (Olympic gold 1948, NBA All Star 1953), born in Oakland, CA (d. 1993)
1923 Lawrie Miller, New Zealand cricket batsman (13 Tests), born in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand (d. 1996)
1924 Leo Buscaglia, American psychologist known as "Dr Love" (Love), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1998)
1925 Jean Coutu, French Canadian actor (d. 1999)
1926 John Fowles, British novelist (Collector, French Lieutenant's Woman), born in Leigh-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, England (d. 2005)

Cesar Chavez (1927-1993)

American farm labor leader (United Farm Workers), born in Yuma, Arizona

1927 Dave Hassinger, American recording engineer and record producer, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2007)
1927 William Daniels, American actor (Dr Mark Craig-St Elsewhere, 1776), born in Brooklyn, New York
1928 (William) "Lefty" Frizzell, American country music singer and songwriter ("If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)"; "Saginaw, Michigan"), born in Corsicana, Texas (d. 1975)

Gordie Howe (1928-2016)

Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (23-time NHL All Star; NHL: Detroit Red Wings; WHA: Houston Aeros), born in Floral, Saskatchewan

1929 Bertram Fields, American lawyer
1929 Lee Patterson, Canadian actor (Dave-Surfside Six, Another World), born in Vancouver, British Columbia (d. 2007)

Liz Claiborne (1929-2007)

American fashion designer, entrepreneur and founder of Liz Claiborne Inc, born in Brussels, Belgium

1931 Miller Barber, American golfer (11 PGA Tour; 3 US Senior Open titles), born in Shreveport, Louisiana (d. 2013)
1932 Godfrey Lawrence, South African cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 8-53 v NZ 1961), born in Salisbury, Rhodesia
1932 John Jakes, writer (Sir Scoundrel, Great Women Reporters), born in Chicago, Illinois
1932 Nagisa Oshima, director (Town of Love & Hope), born in Kyoto, Japan (d. 2013)
1933 Bob Simmons, Fulham England, stuntman (double for James Bond)
1933 Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet (d. 1983)
1934 Grigori Grigoyevich Nelyubov, Russian cosmonaut (Vostok 1 backup), born in Porfiryevka, Crimea, USSR (d. 1966)
1934 John D. Loudermilk, country singer and songwriter ("Tobacco Road"), born in Durham, North Carolina (d. 2016)

Richard Chamberlain (89 years old)

1934 American stage and screen actor (Dr. Kildare (TV series); The Thorn Birds), born in Beverly Hills, California

Shirley Jones (89 years old)

1934 American Academy Award-winning actress (Elmer Gantry; Oklahoma!), and singer (Partridge Family), born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania

1934 Wim Sinnige, Dutch politician (PvdA) (Amsterdam Alderman of Finance, 1973-80), and arts administrator, born in Netherlands (d. 1995)

1935 American Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz trumpeter and bandleader (Tijuana Brass - "This Guy's In Love With You"; Whipped Cream and Other Delights), and record executive (A&M), born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California

1935 Judith Rossner, American writer (August)
1936 Bob Pulford, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame left wing, coach (coach: LA Kings, Chicago Blackhawks), born in Newton Robinson, Ontario
1936 Dokumamushi Sandayu, Japanese actor
1936 Marge Piercy, author (Small Changes, Gone for Soldiers)
1937 Willem Duyn [Mouth], Dutch singer (Mouth & MacNeal), born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 2004)
1938 Arthur B. Rubinstein, American Emmy Award-winning television and film score composer (Lost In America; Blue Thunder), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2018)
1938 Bill Hicke, Canadian NHL right wing (3-time NHL All Star), born in Regina, Saskatchewan (d. 2005)
1938 David Steel, Scottish politician
1938 Jimmy Johnson, American Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback (4-time Pro Bowl), born in Dallas, Texas
1938 Nathaniel Taylor, American actor (Rollo-Sanford & Sons), born in St Louis, Missouri (d. 2019)
1938 Sheila Dikshit (née Kapoor), Punjabi politician (Chief Minister of Delhi, 1998-2013), born in Kapurthala, British India (now in Punjab, India) (d. 2019)
1939 Zviad Gamsakhurdia, first President of Georgia (d. 1993)
1940 Barney Frank, American politician (Rep-D-MA, 1981-2013), born in Bayonne, New Jersey
1940 Patrick Leahy, American politician (Senator-D-Vermont, 1975-), born in Montpelier, Vermont
1942 Hugh McCracken, American session guitarist (Aretha Franklin; Paul McCartney; Steely Dan; Billy Joel; John Lennon), born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey (d. 2013)
1942 Michael Savage [Michael A Wiener], American talk radio host and commentator, born in The Bronx, New York
1942 Ulla Hoffmann, Swedish politician
1943 Christopher [Ronald] Walken, American actor (The Deer Hunter, Brainstorm), born in NYC, New York
1943 Roy Andersson, Swedish film director (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence), born in Gothenburg, Sweden
1944 Mick Ralphs, British rock guitarist (Mott the Hoople - "All The Young Dudes"; Bad Company - "Can't Get Enough"), born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England
1944 Rod Allen [Bainbridge] British pop-rock singer and bassist (Fortunes - "You've Got Your Troubles"; "Here It Comes Again"), born in Leicester, England (d. 2008)
1944 Tomohiro Nishikado, Japanese video gamer developer (Space Invaders), born in Osaka, Japan
1945 Valerie Curtin, American actress, writer, and producer
1946 Aftab Gul, Pakistani cricket batsman (6 Tests @ 22.75), born in Gujar Khan, Punjab
1946 Al Nichol, American rock guitarist and keyboard player (Turtles - "Elenore"), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1946 Gabe Kaplan, American comedian and actor (Welcome Back Kotter), born in Brooklyn, New York
1947 Al Goodman, American pop-soul singer (Ray, Goodman, Brown - "Special Lady"), born in Jackson, Mississippi
1947 Caesar Gaviria Trujillo, president (Colombia, 1990-94)
1947 John Poulos, American drummer (The Buckinghams - "Kind Of A Drag"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1980)
1947 Jon-Jon Poulos, rocker (Buckinghams), born in Chicago, Illinois

Al Gore (75 years old)

1948 American politician and environmentalist (Vice President: 1993-2001), born in Washington, D.C.

1948 David Eisenhower, author and grandson of President Eisenhower (married Julie Nixon), born in West Point, New York
1948 Gustaaf Van Cauter, Belgian cyclist (world champion 100k team road race), born in Mechelen, Flanders
1948 Rhea Perlman, American Emmy Award-winning actress (Taxi - "Zena"; Cheers - "Carla"), born in Brooklyn, New York
1948 Thijs van Leer, Dutch rock singer, organist, and flutist (Focus - "Hocus Pocus"; Introspection), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
1950 Alison McCartney, pathologist/Breast Cancer campaigner
1950 Ed Marinaro, American actor (Hill Street Blues - "Ofc Joe Coffey"; Laverne & Shirley, 1980-81 - "Sonny"), and NFL running back, 1972-77 (Minnesota Vikings and 2 other teams), born in NYC, New York
1950 Richard Hughes, American drummer (Johnny Winter Band, 1973-76), born in Trenton, New Jersey (d. 1983)
1951 Henry Spinetti, Welsh session and touring drummer (Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading, Gerry Rafferty, Katie Melua), born in Cwm, Monmouthshire, Wales
1952 Dermot Morgan, Irish actor and comedian (Father Ted Crilly-Father Ted), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1998)
1952 Mike Rafter, England Rugby Union flanker (England 17 caps), born in Bristol, England
1953 Dennis Kamakahi, Hawaiian Grammy Award-winning slack-key guitarist, born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii (d. 2014)
1953 Greg Martin, American singer (Kentucky Headhunters - "Davy Crockett"), born in Louisville, Kentucky
1953 Rene Portland, American college basketball coach (Penn State 1980-2007), born in Broomall, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
1953 Sean Hopper, American rock keyboardist (Huey Lewis & The News - "The Power Of Love"), born in San Francisco, California
1954 Tony Brock, England, rock drummer (Isn't It Time, Every Time I Think of You)

Angus Young (68 years old)

1955 Scottish rock guitarist (AC/DC - "Highway to Hell"), born in Glasgow, Scotland

1955 Robert Vance, New Zealand cricket wicket-keeper (4 Tests @ 29.57), born in Wellington, NZ
1956 Bruce Sinofsky, American documentary film director (Brother's Keeper), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2015)
1957 Marc McClure, San Mateo California, actor (Ross-California Fever)
1957 Mary Cadorette, East actress (Vicky-3's a Crowd), born in Hartford, Connecticut
1957 Patrick G Forrester, Army Lt Colonel and astronaut, born in El Paso, Texas
1958 Pat McGlynn, Scottish pop guitarist (Bay City Rollers), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
1958 Paul Ferguson, British rock drummer (Killing Joke), born in England
1958 Tony Cox, American actor
1959 Ali McMordie, Irish bassist (Stiff Little Fingers)
1960 Anne Howard, actress (Nicole Love-Another World), born in San Diego, California
1960 Mark Tuinei, American NFL offensive tackle (3-time Super Bowl winner, Dallas Cowboys), born in Oceanside, CA
1961 Ron Brown, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m 1984), born in Los Angeles, California
1962 John Taylor, American NFL wide receiver (3-time Super Bowl winner, SF 49ers), born in Philadelphia, PA
1963 Paul Mercurio, Australian actor/dancer
1963 Stephen Tataw, Cameroonian soccer right-back (63 caps; captain Cameroon national team FIFA World Cup 1990, 94), born in Yaoundé, Cameroon (d. 2020)
1964 Dave Wyman, American NFL linebacker, broadcaster (Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos), born in San Diego, CA
1964 David Diaz-Infante, American NFL guard, coach, broadcaster (2-time Super Bowl winner, Denver Broncos, born in San Jose, CA
1964 Erik Turner, American rock guitarist (Warrant - "Cherry Pie"), born in Omaha, Nebraska
1964 Isabelle Ferrari [Isabella Fogliazza], Italian actress (Italy's Miss Teenager), born in Ponte dell'Olio, Italy
1965 Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer best known for his solo self-rescue on Annapurna with a broken arm, born in Gap, Hautes-Alpes (d. 2006)
1965 Patty Fendick, American tennis player (Australian Open doubles 1991), born in Sacramento, California
1965 Tom Barrasso, American NHL goaltender (Calder Memorial Trophy, Vezina Trophy 1984), born in Boston, Massachusetts
1965 William McNamara, American actor (Texasville, Beat, Stealing Home), born in Dallas, Texas
1966 Roger Black, English athlete (World C'ships gold 4 x 400m relay 1991, 97), born in Gosport, Hampshire,
1967 Nanci Bowen, American golfer (Nabisco Dinah Shore 1995), born in Tifton, Georgia
1968 Brett Deubner, American violist, born in San Francisco, California
1968 Naoya Ogawa, Japanese professional wrestler
1969 Nyamko Sabuni, Swedish politician
1969 Samantha Brown, American television host
1969 Steve Smith, American NBA guard (14 NBA seasons, Olympic gold 2000), born in Highfield Park, MI
1971 Craig McCracken, American animator, writer, and director (The Powerpuff Girls), born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania