Birthdays in History on August 24

  • 1113 Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, conquered Normandy, born in Le Mans, France (d. 1151)
  • 1198 King Alexander II of Scotland, born in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland (d. 1249)
  • 1210 Floris IV, Count of Holland, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1234)
  • 1358 King John I of Castile (1379-90), born in Épila, Spain (d. 1390)
  • 1393 Arthur III, Duke of Brittany, born in Château de Suscinio, Sarzeau, France (d. 1458)
  • 1420 Albrecht van Eyb, German humanist (Bamberg & Eichstattt), born in Ansbach, Germany (d. 1475)
  • 1552 Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1614)
  • 1561 Bartholomeus Pitiscus, German mathematician (Trigonometry), born in Zielona Góra, Poland (d. 1613)
  • 1580 John Taylor, English poet (An Arrant Thief), born in Gloucester, England (d. 1654)
  • 1591 Robert Herrick, English poet ('Gather ye rosebuds while ye may'), baptized in London (d. 1674)
  • 1635 Peder Griffenfeld, Danish statesman, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1699)
  • 1694 Theodor A Freiherr von Neuhoff, German adventurer and King of Corsica [or 8/25], born in Cologne, Germany (d. 1756)
  • 1707 Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, English evangelical revivalist, born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire (d. 1791)
  • 1712 Cornelis Douwes, Dutch mathematician and astronomer, born in Terschelling, Netherlands (d. 1773)
  • 1750 Letizia Ramolino, Italian noble and mother of Napoleon Bonaparte, born in Ajaccio, France (d. 1836)
  • 1758 Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen of Denmark and Norway, born in Schwerin, Germany (d. 1794)

Person of interestWilliam Wilberforce

1759 William Wilberforce, British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade, born in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England (d. 1833)

Abolitionist William Wilberforce
Abolitionist
William Wilberforce
  • 1772 William I Frederick, King of the Netherlands (1815-40) and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1843)
  • 1787 James Weddell, British sailor and Antarctic explorer (Weddell Sea), born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 1834)
  • 1808 Thomas Fenwick Drayton, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1891)
  • 1816 Daniel Gooch, English engineer, laid 1st successful transatlantic cables, born in Bedlington, Northumberland, England (d. 1889)
  • 1817 Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Russian novelist, poet and playwright (Prince Serebrenni), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1875)
  • 1827 Walter Husted Stevens, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Penn Yan, New York (d. 1867)
  • 1828 George Hume "Maryland" Steuart, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1903)
  • 1842 Edouard J. A. Agneessens, Flemish painter (Slave Market), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1885)
  • 1845 James C. Calhoun, American soldier, brother-in-law of George Armstrong Custer (d. 1876)
  • 1863 Dragutin Lerman, Croatian explorer, born in Požega, Croatia (d. 1918)
  • 1865 Ferdinand I VAM, King of Romania (1914-27), born in Sigmaringen, German Confederation (d. 1927)
  • 1872 Max Beerbohm, English caricaturist, writer and parodist (Saturday Review), born in London (d. 1956)
  • 1880 Miles W L Killearn of Killearn, Scottish baron/diplomat
  • 1886 William Francis Gibbs, American naval architect, designed Liberty ships, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1967)
  • 1889 Simon Kimbangu/Kibangu, Congolese religious leader and founder of Kimbanguism, born in Nkamba, Congo (d. 1951)
  • 1890 Jean Rhys [Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams], British writer (Voyage in the Dark), born in Roseau, Dominica (d. 1979)
  • 1895 Richard Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston (1944-70), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1970)
  • 1898 Albert Claude, Belgian biologist and physician (Nobel 1974), born in Longlier, Belgium (d. 1983)
  • 1898 Malcolm Cowley, American author (Flowering of New England), born in Belsano, Pennsylvania (d. 1989)
  • 1898 Marie J Hugenholtz, [Doctor Grandi], surgeon on Curacao
  • 1899 Johan Fabricius, Dutch novelist (Island of Demons), born in Bandung, Java, Indonesia (d. 1981)

Person of interestJorge Luis Borges

1899 Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine writer of fiction and essays (Labyrinths), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1986)

Writer Jorge Luis Borges
Writer
Jorge Luis Borges
  • 1899 Ruth Schaumann, German painter, writer and sculptor (Rose, Black King), born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1975)
  • 1902 Fernand Braudel, French historian (Civilization & Capitalism), born in Luméville, France (d. 1985)

Person of interestCarlo Gambino

1902 Carlo Gambino, Italian-born American mafioso (Gambino family), born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy (d. 1976)

Gangster Carlo Gambino
Gangster
Carlo Gambino
  • 1903 Karl Hanke, Official of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) of Nazi Germany, born in Lubań, Poland (d. 1945)
  • 1905 Siaka Stevens, President of Sierra Leone (1971-85), born in Moyamba, Sierra Leone (d. 1988)
  • 1911 Michel Pablo [Michalis N. Raptis], Chilean-Greek writer and Trotskyist revolutionary (Fourth International), born in Alexandria, Egypt (d. 1996)
  • 1915 James Tiptree Jr. [Alice Sheldon], American sci-fi author (Byte Beautiful), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1987)
  • 1916 Anita V Figueredo, American physician and humanitarian, born in Costa Rica (d. 2010)
  • 1918 Ray McIntire, American chemical engineer, born in Gardner, Kansas (d. 1996)
  • 1918 Sikander Bakht, Indian politician, Governor of Kerala, born in Delhi, India (d. 2004)
  • 1922 René Lévesque, Premier of Quebec, born in Campbellton, Canada (d. 1987)

Person of interestHoward Zinn

1922 Howard Zinn, American historian and activist (A People's History of the United States), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2010)

Historian and Activist Howard Zinn
Historian and Activist
Howard Zinn
  • 1923 Arthur Jensen, American psychologist, born in San Diego, California (d. 2012)
  • 1926 Nancy Spero, American feminist artist, born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2009)
  • 1927 Roger Danneels, Flemish accordionist
  • 1927 William V. Shannon, American journalist and ambassador to Ireland (1977-81), born in Worchester, Massachusetts (d. 1988)
  • 1927 David Ireland, Australian author (The Unknown Industrial Prisoner), born in Lakemba, New South Wales, Australia
  • 1927 Harry Markowitz, American economist (Nobel 1990), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • 1932 Robert D. Hales, LDS Church apostle, born in NYC, New York

Person of interestYasser Arafat

1933 Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, 1st President of the Palestinian National Authority (1994-2004) and 1994 Nobel peace prize winner, born in Cairo, Egypt (d. 2004)

Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat
Palestinian Leader
Yasser Arafat
  • 1936 William J. Coyne, American politician (Rep-D-Pennsylvania, 1981-2003), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2013)
  • 1936 A. S. Byatt, English novelist (The Virgin in the Garden), born in Sheffield, England
  • 1936 Kenny Guinn, American businessman and politician, born in Garland, Arkansas (d. 2010)
  • 1937 Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Nigerian politician, born in Abeokuta, Nigeria (d. 1998)
  • 1938 Halldór Blöndal, Icelandic politician
  • 1940 Francine Lalonde, Quebec politician
  • 1942 Karen Keskulla Uhlenbeck, mathemetician/educator
  • 1942 Max Cleland, American politician
  • 1942 Howard Jacobson, British novelist and newspaper columnist
  • 1942 Karen Uhlenbeck, American mathematician, 1st woman to win Abel Prize, born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1943 Pini Zahavi, Israeli football agent
  • 1944 Gregory Bruce Jarvis, astronaut (STS 25), born in Detroit, Michigan

Person of interestMarsha P. Johnson

1945 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)

Transgender activist and drag queen Marsha P. Johnson
Transgender activist and drag queen
Marsha P. Johnson
  • 1946 Richard "Dick" N Richards, Key West, USN/astr (STS 28, 41, 50, 64)
  • 1947 Paulo Coelho, Brazilian author
  • 1947 Vladimir Masorin, Russian admiral
  • 1948 Kim Sung-Il, Chief of Staff of Republic of Korea Air Force
  • 1949 Anna Lee Fisher [Tingle], American chemist, emergency physician and astronaut (STS 51-A), born in St Albans, New York
  • 1950 Tim White, American anthropologist
  • 1951 Orson Scott Card, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Nebula, Ender's War)
  • 1951 Oscar Hijuelos, American author, (d. 2013)
  • 1952 Bob Corker, American politician (Senator from Tennessee), born in Orangeburg, South Carolina
  • 1955 Mike Huckabee, US politician (Governor of Arkansas (R) 1996-2007), Presidential candidate, born in Hope Arkansas
  • 1956 John Culberson, American politician
  • 1958 Tracy Harris, American artist
  • 1958 Chris Offutt, American author
  • 1960 Franz Vienboeck, Austrian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-13)
  • 1960 Steven W Lindsey, Arcadia California, Major USAF/astronaut (STS 87, sk:95)
  • 1961 Ingrid Berghmans, Belgian judoka
  • 1962 Mary Ellen Weber, PhD/astronaut (STS 70), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1963 Hideo Kojima, Japanese video game director, born in Setagaya, Tokyo
  • 1964 Salizhan Sharipov, Kyrgyzstani cosmonaut (STS-89), born in Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan
  • 1970 Dan Henderson, American Mixed martial artist, born in Downey, California
  • 1972 Ava DuVernay, American director, writer and producer (13th, Selma, Queen Sugar), born in Long Beach, California
  • 1977 John Green, American author (The Fault in Our Stars) and vlogger, born in Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2003 Alexandre Coste, Son of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, born in Paris

August in History