Birthdays in History on August 5

  • August
  • 1301 Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, English politician (d. 1330)
  • 1461 Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania (d. 1506)
  • 1540 Joseph Justice Scaliger, proposed Julian dating
  • 1604 John Eliot, "Apostle to Indians," Bible translator, baptized
  • 1624 William Tucker, Jamestown, Virginia, 1st child of African descent born in English America
  • 1641 John Hathorne, American magistrate (d. 1717)
  • 1662 James Anderson, Scottish historian (d. 1728)
  • 1681 Vitus Bering, Danish explorer of Bering Strait and coast of Alaska, born in Horsens, Denmark (d. 1741)

Person of interestWilliam Allen

1704 William Allen, Mayor of Philadelphia, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mayor of Philadelphia William Allen
Mayor of Philadelphia
William Allen
  • 1711 Johan Lulofs, Dutch physicist/philosopher/astronomer
  • 1749 Thomas Lynch, signer (Declaration of Independence)
  • 1802 Niels H Abel, Norwegian mathematician (Abel's Comparisons)
  • 1813 Carnot Posey, Confederate brigadier general
  • 1813 Ivar A Aasen, Norwegian linguistic/poet
  • 1815 Edward J Eyre, British explorer/governor (Jamaica)
  • 1827 Deodoro da Fonseca, first President of Brazil (d. 1892)

  • 1828 WFAA Louisa/Lovisa, queen of Sweden/Norway/princess of Netherlands
  • 1829 Milo Smith Hascall, American banker, real estate executive, and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Le Roy, New York (d. 1904)
  • 1833 Carola of Vasa, Queen consort of Saxony (d. 1907)
  • 1850 Guy de Maupassant, French author (Boule de Suif), born in Château de Miromesnil, France (d. 1893)
  • 1862 Joseph Merrick, "The Elephant Man", Leicester, England (d. 1890)
  • 1866 Carl Harries, German chemist (d. 1923)
  • 1872 Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician (d. 1917)
  • 1876 Mary R Beard, historian (Woman as a Force in History), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 1877 Tom Thomson, Canadian painter (d. 1917)

Person of interestHugh S. Johnson

1881 Hugh S. Johnson, American head of the National Recovery Administration and member of FDR's Brain Trust, born in Fort Scott, Kansas (d. 1942)

Member of FDR's Brain Trust Hugh S. Johnson
Member of FDR's Brain Trust
Hugh S. Johnson
  • 1882 Joe English, Irish/Flemish signaler (WWI)
  • 1889 Conrad P Aiken, American Pulitzer poet/writer (Ushant/Conversation)
  • 1890 Naum Gabo, [Pevsner], Russian/US sculptor (Stillife Flower)
  • 1897 Aksel Larsen, Danish politician (d. 1972)
  • 1902 Irene Rice Pereira, Chelsea, Massachusetts, American abstract artist
  • 1904 Kenneth Thimann, botanist
  • 1906 Francis Walder, [Francois Waldburger], Belgian author
  • 1906 Wassely Leontief, Russ/US economist (Nobel 1973)
  • 1908 Harold Holt, PM of Australia (1966-67); supported US in Vietnam
  • 1910 Jacquetta Hawkes, English archaeologist/author (A Country), (d. 1996)
  • 1910 [Johan] Erik Lindegren, Swedish poet/librettist (Aniara)
  • 1912 Abbé Pierre, French Catholic priest (d. 2007)
  • 1920 G V [Sonny] Montgomery, (Rep-D-Mississippi, 1967- )
  • 1920 Selma Diamond, comedienne (Selma-Night Court), born in London, Ontario
  • 1922 L. Tom Perry, LDS apostle

  • 1923 Richard Kleindienst, attorney general (1972)
  • 1923 Devan Nair, President of Singapore

Person of interestNeil Armstrong

1930 Neil Armstrong, American X-15 pilot and astronaut - 1st man on the Moon (Gemini 8, Apollo 11), born in Wapakoneta Ohio, (d. 2012)

Astronaut & 1st Man on the Moon Neil Armstrong
Astronaut & 1st Man on the Moon
Neil Armstrong
  • 1930 Michal Kováč, President of Slovakia
  • 1932 Sister Vince Otto, mental health activist
  • 1934 Wendell Berry, American poet, writer and farmer
  • 1939 Irene, Princess of Netherlands
  • 1941 Leonid Denissovich Kizim, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz T-3, T-10, T-15)
  • 1946 Ron Silliman, American poet
  • 1947 Greg Leskiw, Canadian rocker (The Guess Who), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1952 Hun Sen, Cambodian politician, Prime Minister of Cambodia 1985-), born in Kampong Cham, Cambodia
  • 1957 Andrei Yevgeniyevich Zaitsev, cosmonaut
  • 1957 Pavel V Vinogradov, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-26)

Person of interestReid Hoffman

1967 Reid Hoffman, American entrepreneur (co-founder of LinkedIn), born in Stanford, California

Co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman
Co-founder of LinkedIn
Reid Hoffman
  • 1968 Funkmaster Flex, American hip hop DJ

Person of interestMarine Le Pen

1968 Marine Le Pen, French politician (President of the National Front Party), born in Neuilly-sur-Seine

President of the National Front Party Marine Le Pen
President of the National Front Party
Marine Le Pen
  • 1973 Sean Sherk, American mixed martial artist
  • 1981 Rachel Scott, American murder victim (d. 1999)
  • 1981 Erik Guay, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1981 Cory Williams, American internet celebrity

August in History