On This Day

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 John I of Castile, King of Castile and León (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)

William WilberforceWilliam Wilberforce (1759-1833)

British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade, born in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England

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 Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn, Scottish baron and diplomat (d. 1964)
  • 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)
  • 1899 Johan Fabricius, Dutch novelist (Island of Demons) and adventurer, born in Bandung, Java, Indonesia (d. 1981)

Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

Argentine short-story writer of fiction (Ficciones, El Aleph, The Book of Sand), essayist and poet, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jorge Luis Borges
  • 1899 Ruth Schaumann, German painter, writer and sculptor (Rose, Black King), born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1975)

Carlo GambinoCarlo Gambino (1902-1976)

Italian-born American mafioso (Gambino family), born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Carlo Gambino
  • 1902 Fernand Braudel, French historian (Civilization & Capitalism), born in Luméville, France (d. 1985)
  • 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)

Howard ZinnHoward Zinn (1922-2010)

American historian and activist (A People's History of the United States), born in Brooklyn, New York

Howard Zinn
  • 1922 René Lévesque, Premier of Quebec, born in Campbellton, Canada (d. 1987)
  • 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 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
  • 1927 William V. Shannon, American journalist and ambassador to Ireland (1977-81), born in Worchester, Massachusetts (d. 1988)

Yasser ArafatYasser Arafat (1929-2004)

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

Yasser Arafat
  • 1930 Raj Bagri, Indian-British merchant in metal, born in Kolkata, Bengal Presidency, British India (d. 2017)
  • 1932 Robert D. Hales, LDS Church apostle, born in NYC, New York
  • 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)
  • 1936 William J. Coyne, American politician (Rep-D-Pennsylvania, 1981-2003), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2013)
  • 1937 Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Nigerian politician, born in Abeokuta, Nigeria (d. 1998)
  • 1940 Francine Lalonde, Canadian politician (Member of Parliament for La Pointe-de-l'Île), born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
  • 1942 Howard Jacobson, British novelist (The Finkler Question) and newspaper columnist, born in Manchester, England
  • 1942 Karen Uhlenbeck, American mathematician and founder of modern geometric analysis (Abel Prize), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1942 Max Cleland, American politician (U.S. Senator from Georgia, 1997-2003), born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • 1943 Pini Zahavi, Israeli football agent, born in Ness Ziona, Israel
  • 1944 Gregory Jarvis, American engineer and astronaut (STS 25), born in Detroit, Michigan

Marsha P. JohnsonMarsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)

African-American gay liberation and AIDS activist, drag queen, and transgender pioneer (Gay Liberation Front, S.T.A.R.), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Marsha P. Johnson
  • 1946 Richard N. Richards, American naval officer and astronaut (STS 28, 41, 50, 64), born in Key West, Florida
  • 1947 Joe Manchin, American politician (Governor of West Virginia 2005-10, Senator-D-WV 2010-), born in Farmington, West Virginia
  • 1947 Paulo Coelho, Brazilian author (The Alchemist), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • 1947 Vladimir Masorin, Russian admiral (commanded the Caspian Flotilla 1996-2002), born in Bely, Tver Oblast, Soviet Union
  • 1948 Kim Sung-Il, Chief of Staff of Republic of Korea Air Force, born in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang
  • 1948 Sauli Niinistö, Finnish politician (President of Finland 2012-), born in Salo, Finland
  • 1949 Anna Lee Fisher [Tingle], American chemist, emergency physician and astronaut (STS 51-A), born in St Albans, New York
  • 1950 Tim White, American paleoanthropologist best known for leading the team which discovered Ardi, the type specimen of Ardipithecus ramidus, a 4.4 million-year-old likely human ancestor, born in Los Angeles County, California
  • 1951 Orson Scott Card, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Nebula, Ender's War), born in Richland, Washington
  • 1951 Oscar Hijuelos, American novelist (The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love), born in NYC, New York (d. 2013)
  • 1952 Bob Corker, American politician (Senator from Tennessee), born in Orangeburg, South Carolina
  • 1955 Mike Huckabee, American politician (Governor of Arkansas (R) 1996-2007), Presidential candidate, born in Hope, Arkansas
  • 1956 John Culberson, American attorney and politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas), born in Houston, Texas
  • 1958 Chris Offutt, American writer (The Good Brother), born in Lexington, Kentucky
  • 1958 Tracy Harris, American artist, born in Lawton, Oklahoma
  • 1960 Franz Viehböck, Austrian 1st cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-13), born in Vienna, Austria
  • 1960 Steven Lindsey, U.S. Air Force officer and NASA astronaut (STS 87, sk:95), born in Temple City, California
  • 1962 Mary Ellen Weber, American NASA astronaut (STS 70), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1964 Salizhan Sharipov, Kyrgyzstani cosmonaut (STS-89), born in Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan
  • 1972 Ava DuVernay, American director, writer and producer (13th, Selma, Queen Sugar), born in Long Beach, California
  • 1972 Todd Young, American politician (Senator-R-Indiana 2017-), born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • 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


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