- Jan 1 Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani politician (d. 1982)
- Jan 2 Walter Heitler, German physicist, quantum field theorist, philosopher, and writer (Man and Science), born in Karlsruhe, German Empire (d. 1981)
- Jan 5 Jeane Dixon [Lydia Pinckert], American celebrity psychic and astrologer (A Gift of Prophecy), born in Medford, Wisconsin (d. 1997)
- Jan 8 Karl Brandt, Alsacian Nazi war criminal (d. 1948)
- Jan 8 Peter Arno, American cartoonist (New Yorker), born in NYC, New York (d. 1968)
- Jan 11 Frederick Boland, Irish diplomat (President of the UN General Assembly), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1985)
- Jan 14 Cecil Beaton, English photographer, born in Hampstead, United Kingdom (d. 1980)
- Jan 14 Emily Hahn, American journalist & author, born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1997)
- Jan 18 Henri-Georges Adam, French engraver & sculptor (Grand Nude), born in Paris, France (d. 1967)
- Jan 19 James W. Watts, American neurosurgeon, developer of the Frontal Lobotomy, born in Lynchburg, Virginia (d. 1994)
- Jan 19 Pei Wenzhong, Chinese anthropologist and archaeologist (Peking Man), born in Fengnan, China (d. 1982)
- Jan 20 Renato Caccioppoli, Italian mathematician, born in Campania, Italy (d. 1959)
- Jan 20 Theodore Brameld, American philosopher & educator (Use of Explosive Ideas), born in Neillsville, Wisconsin (d. 1987)
- Jan 21 Richard P. Blackmur, American critic and poet (Good European), born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 1965)
- Jan 22 Arkady Gaidar, Russian children's writer (d. 1941)
- Jan 25 Frans Goedhart, Dutch journalist (Het Parool), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1990)
- Jan 26 Ancel Keys, American scientist (d. 2004)
Seán MacBride (1904-1988)
Jan 26 Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army and founder of Amnesty International (Nobel 1974), born in Dublin, Ireland
- Jan 28 Canuplin, Filipino magician and bodabil entertainer (d. 1979)
- Jan 31 Leon Junschlaeger, Dutch sailor, soldier, and head of military intelligence in Dutch Indonesia, born in Maastricht, Netherlands (d. 1956)
- Feb 2 Buzurg Alavi, Iranian writer (Panjah va sih nafar, Namal'ha), born in Tehran, Persia (d. 1997)
Pretty Boy Floyd (1904-1934)
Feb 3 American gangster and FBI Most Wanted criminal, born in Adairsville, Georgia
- Feb 3 Roger Makins, British diplomat (UK Ambassador to the US 1953-56), (d. 1996)
- Feb 4 Herman Bernard Wiardi Beckman, Dutch politician (SDAP, captured and killed at Dachau), born in Nijmegen, Netherlands (d. 1945)
- Feb 4 MacKinlay Kantor, American novelist (Andersonville), born in Webster City, Iowa (d. 1977)
- Feb 11 Henry Richardson LaBouisse, American diplomat (headed UNICEF 1965-79), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1987)
Keith Holyoake (1904-1983)
Feb 11 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (National: 1960-72), born in Pahiatua, New Zealand
- Feb 14 Charles Oatley, English electrical engineer (developed scanning electron microscope), born in From, England (d. 1996)
- Feb 14 Hertha Kuusinen, Finnish communist politician (daughter of Otto Ville Kuusinen), born in Luhanka, Finland (d. 1974)
- Feb 15 Mary Adshead, English muralist and painter, born in London, England (d. 1995)
- Feb 16 George F. Kennan, American diplomat, Cold War strategist who advocated containment ("Long Telegram"; "The Sources of Soviet Conduct") and historian, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 2005)
- Feb 17 Hans Morgenthau, German political philosopher (d. 1980)
- Feb 17 Luis A. Ferré, Puerto Rican industrialist and politician (Governor of Puerto Rico, 1969-73), born in Ponce, Puerto Rico (d. 2003)
- Feb 19 Havank [Hans van der Kallen], Dutch thriller writer (St Eustache), born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands (d. 1964)
Alexei Kosygin (1904-1980)
Feb 20 Soviet statesman and Premier of the Soviet Union (1964-80), born in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
- Feb 22 Peter Hurd, American painter (Portrait of Jose Herrera), born in Roswell, New Mexico (d. 1984)
- Feb 23 Leopold Trepper, Polish-Israeli spy (founded CP Palestina), born in Nowy Targ, Poland, Austria-Hungary (d. 1982)
- Feb 23 William L. Shirer, American journalist and historian (Rise & Fall of 3rd Reich), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1993)
- Feb 25 Adelle Davis, American nutritionist and author (Let's Stay Healthy), born in Lizton, Indiana (d. 1974)
- Feb 27 James T. Farrell, American author (Studs Lonigan trilogy), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1979)
- Feb 27 Yulii Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist (d. 1996)
- Feb 29 Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausen, longest ever personal name, born in Bergedorf, Germany (d. 1997) disputed date
Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
Mar 2 American children's author (The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942)
Mar 7 German Nazi leader (head of Bohemia and Moravia and the Reich Main Security Office), born in Halle an der Saale
- Mar 9 Paul Klipsch, American engineer, noted for his loudspeaker designs, born in Elkhart, Indiana (d. 2002)
- Mar 11 Cornelis Jan Bakker, Dutch nuclear physicist (Director of CERN), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1960)
- Mar 13 Henry Iliffe Cozens, English Royal Air Force pilot, born in London (d. 1995)
- Mar 17 Patrick Hamilton, English author and playwright (Gaslight, Rope), born in Hassocks, England (d. 1962)
- Mar 18 Srečko Kosovel, Slovenian poet (d. 1926)
John Sirica (1904-1992)
Mar 19 American federal judge (Watergate hearings), born in Waterbury, Connecticut
- Mar 20 B F Skinner, American psychologist (Skinner Box), born in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania (d. 1990)
- Mar 21 Forrest Mars Sr., American candymaker (d. 1999)
- Mar 26 Emilio Fernandez, Mexican director (La Choca, Flor Silvestre), born in El Seco Mexico (d. 1986)
- Mar 26 Joseph Campbell, American professor of comparative mythology (Mythic Image), born in White Plains, New York (d. 1987)
- Mar 26 Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2004)
- Apr 1 Juan Gil-Albert, Spanish poet and writer, born in Alcoy (d. 1994)
- Apr 3 Russel Wright, American industrial designer, born in Lebanon, Ohio (d. 1976)
- Apr 6 Kurt Georg Kiesinger, German politician and author (Chancellor of West Germany 1966-69, born in Ebingen, Kingdom of Württemberg (d. 1988)
- Apr 8 John R. Hicks, British economist (Value and Capital), (Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Science 1972), born in Warwick, England (d. 1989)
- Apr 11 Arthur Ernest Mourant, British hematologist, born in La Hougue Bie, Jersey (d. 1994)
- Apr 12 Harald Penrose, British test pilot, born in Hereford, England (d. 1996)
- Apr 13 Georges Yves Marie Congar, Dominican theologian cardinal, born in Sedan, Ardennes, France (d. 1995)
- Apr 14 Reinout Willem van Bemmelen, Dutch geologist, born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (d. 1983)
- Apr 14 Sonia Gaskell, Russian-Dutch choreographer (Diaghilev), born in Vilkaviškis, Lithuania (d. 1974)
- Apr 15 Arshile Gorky, Armenian-American abstract painter, born in Khorgom, Vilayet of Van, Ottoman Empire (d. 1948)
- Apr 16 Clifford P. Case, American lawyer and politician, U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey, born in Franklin Park, New Jersey (d. 1982)
- Apr 20 George Stibitz, American mathematician and scientist, born in York, Pennsylvania (d. 1995)
- Apr 21 Gijs van Hall, Dutch politician and Mayor of Amsterdam (1957-67), born in Amsterdam (d. 1977)
Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967)
Apr 22 American theoretical physicist known as the father of the atomic bomb (Manhattan Project), born in NYC, New York
- Apr 24 Willem De Kooning, Dutch artist (North Atlantic Light), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1997)
- Apr 26 Paul-Émile Léger, Canadian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop (Montreal), born in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada (d. 1991)
- Apr 27 Arthur F. Burns, American economist and chairman (Federal Reserve Board), born in Stanislau, Austria-Hungary (d. 1987)
- Apr 27 Cecil Day-Lewis, Irish poet (British Poet Laureate 1968-72) and detective writer (Nicholas Blake), born in Ballintubbert, Queen's County (d. 1972)
- Apr 29 Enrico Mattei, Italian oil magnate (Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi), born in Acqualagna, Italy (d. 1962)
- May 6 Harry Martinson, Swedish novelist and poet (Trade Wind-Nobel 1974), born in Jämshög, Sweden (d. 1978)
- May 6 Moshé Feldenkrais, Ukrainian-Israeli engineer and physicist (founder of the Feldenkrais method), born in Slavuta, Russian Empire (d. 1984)
- May 10 David Brown, English industrialist (owned and developed David Brown Tractors, Aston Martin and Lagonda), born in Huddersfield, England (d. 1993)
- May 11 Guus Weitzel, Dutch radio-announcer, born in Teterings, Netherlands (d. 1989)
Salvador Dali (1904-1989)
May 11 Spanish surrealist artist (Crucifixion), born in Figueres, Spain
- May 13 Earle Birney, Canadian poet and novelist who twice won the Governor General's Award, born in Calgary, Northwest Territories (d. 1995)
- May 14 Hans Albert Einstein, American professor (d. 1973)
- May 14 Marcel Junod, Swiss physician (d. 1961)
- May 18 Jacob K. Javits, American politician (Sen-R-NY), born in NYC, New York (d. 1986)
- May 22 Anne de Vries, Dutch teacher and writer (Bartje), born in Assen, Netherlands (d. 1964)
- May 22 Paul Viiding, Estonian poet, born in Valga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire (d. 1962)
- May 24 Kenneth Buckley, British rear-admiral (d. 1992)
- May 24 Patrick Johnson, English physicist (d. 1996)
- May 29 Robert Knox, English bacteriologist (one of first to report MRSA) (d. 2000)
- May 29 Ronald Russell, British journalist, author and Conservative politician, born in Seahouses, Northumberland (d. 1974)
- May 30 Ernesto de la Guardia Jr, President of Panama (1956-60)
Charles R. Drew (1904-1950)
Jun 3 American physician and surgeon who pioneered blood plasma research and developed the blood bank concept, born in Washington, D. C.
- Jun 14 Margaret Bourke-White, American photographer, 1st female LIFE staff photographer, born in NYC, New York (d. 1971)
- Jun 16 Gerard Holt, Dutch architect
- Jun 17 Coenraad van Emde Boas, Dutch sexologist, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1981)
- Jun 20 Heinrich von Brentano, German politician (Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs), born in Offenbach, German Empire (d. 1964)
- Jun 23 Carleton Coon, American anthropologist (What in the World), born in Wakefield, Massachusetts (d. 1981)
- Jun 24 Kurt Kusenberg, German writer (Wein Auf Lebenszeit)
- Jun 25 Jan van Axel [Johannes P. Kraakman], Dutch director (Overschotje)
- Jun 26 Frank Scott Hogg, Canadian astronomer, born in Preston, Ontario (d. 1951)
- Jul 1 Mary Calderone, American physician and founder (planned parenthood), born in NYC, New York (d. 1998)
- Jul 2 Gerarda Rueter, Dutch sculptor, born in Amsterdam (d. 1993)
- Jul 4 Isaac Bashevis Singer, Polish-American yiddish writer (Yentl, Nobel Prize for Literature 1978), born in Leoncin, Russian Empire (d. 1991)
- Jul 5 Ernst Mayr, German-American biologist (evolutionary theory), born in Kempten, Bavaria, Germany (d. 2005)
- Jul 5 Harold Acton, English-Italian historian and art collector, born in Villa La Pietra, Florence, Italy (d. 1994)
- Jul 6 Erik Wickberg, 9th Salvation Army general, born in Gävle, Sweden (d. 1996)
- Jul 7 Simone Beck, French chef (d. 1991)
- Jul 8 Henri Cartan, French mathematician, born in Nancy (d. 2008)
- Jul 11 Daphne Fielding (née Vivian), British socialite and writer, born in Westminster, London (d. 1997)
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
Jul 12 Chilean poet (Residence on Earth-Nobel 1971), born in Parral, Chile
- Jul 14 Richard Clarkson, British aeronautical engineer (Hawker Siddeley - Trident wing), born in London, England (d. 1996)
- Jul 15 Rudolf Arnheim, German-born author (d. 2007)
- Jul 16 Leo Joseph Suenens, Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, born in Ixelles, Belgium (d. 1996)
- Jul 24 James R. Killian Jr., 10th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1948-59), born in Blacksburg, South Carolina (d. 1988)
- Jul 24 Nikolay Kuznetsov, Russian naval commander (Admiral of the Fleet during World War II), born in Medvedki, Russian Empire (d. 1974)
- Jul 27 Kenneth Bainbridge, American physicist (measurements of mass differences between nuclear isotopes), born in Cooperstown, New York (d. 1996)
- Jul 28 Selwyn Lloyd, British politician (Foreign Secretary, 1955-60; Exchequer, 1960-62; Leader of the House of Commons, 1963–64; Speaker of the House of Commons, 1971-76),, born in West Kirby, England (d. 1978)
- Jul 29 J. R. D. Tata, Indian industrialist (d. 1993)
- Jul 30 Salvador Novo, Mexican writer and poet, born in Mexico City, Mexico (d. 1974)
- Jul 31 Brett Halliday, American writer (Dividend on Death), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1977)
- Aug 3 Clifford D. Simak, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Empire, Way Station), born in Millville, Wisconsin (d. 1988)
- Aug 4 Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author (Ferdydurke, Pornography), born in Małoszyce, Russian Empire (d. 1969)
- Aug 5 Kenneth Thimann, English American botanist (Balzan Prize), born in Ashford, England (d. 1997)
Ralph Bunche (1904-1971)
Aug 7 American diplomat, UN delegate and 1st person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1950), born in Detroit, Michigan
Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918)
Aug 12 son of Tsar Nicholas II, and last Tsarevich of Russia, born in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire
- Aug 12 Frank Ervin, harness racer (Hambletonian 1959, 66)
- Aug 13 Humphrey Waldock, British lawyer (UN International Law Commission, 1961-72), and jurist (European Court of Human Rights, 1966-74; International Court of Justice, 1973-81), born in Colombo, Ceylon (d. 1981)
- Aug 16 Wendell Stanley, American biochemist, first to crystallize a virus (Nobel 1946), born in Ridgeville, Indiana (d. 1971)
- Aug 17 Mary Cain, American newspaper editor and politician (d. 1984)
- Aug 18 W. Sterling Cole, American politician (Rep-R-NY, Director International Atomic Energy Agency), born in Painted Post, New York (d. 1987)
- Aug 18 [Francis] Max Factor, American CEO of Max Factor Cosmetics, born in St. Louis, Missouri
- Aug 20 Jaap [Jacobus Albertus Wilhelmus] Burger, Dutch politician and chairman (PvdA), born in Willemstad, Netherlands (d. 1986)
Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997)
Aug 22 Chinese revolutionary and paramount leader of China (1978-92), born in Guang'an, Sichuan
- Aug 26 Christopher Isherwood, English novelist (Goodbye to Berlin), born in High Lane, Cheshire (d. 1986)
- Aug 27 John Hay Whitney, American financier and philanthropist, born in Ellsworth, Maine (d. 1982)
- Aug 27 Norah Lofts, British author (The Town House), born in Shipdham, Norfolk, England (d. 1983)
- Aug 28 Secondo Campini, Italian jet engine pioneer, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1980)
- Aug 29 Werner Forssmann, German urologist (Nobel 1956), born in Berlin (d. 1979)
- Sep 4 Julian W. Hill, American research chemist (developed nylon), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1996)
- Sep 4 Max Delbrück, German-American biologist and molecular geneticist (bacteriophage, Nobel Prize 1969), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1981)
- Sep 6 Arvi Kivimaa, Finnish writer (Groenende Cross), born in Hartola, Finland (d. 1984)
- Sep 10 Max Shachtman, American politician (d. 1972)
- Sep 14 Anton Zischka, Austrian writer (Lebendiges Europa), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1997)
- Sep 15 Umberto II, van Piemonte, the last King of Italy (ruled 1946)
Frederick Ashton (1904-1988)
Sep 17 British choreographer (Cinderella), born in Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Sep 19 Bergen Evans, American professor of English ($64,000 Question), born in Franklin, Ohio (d. 1978)
- Sep 19 Karen Aabye, Danish author (Less bedstemor there jomfru), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1982)
- Sep 21 Hans Hartung, German-French painter, born in Leipzig, German Empire (d. 1989)
- Sep 22 Ellen Church, American 1st female airline stewardess (United flight in 1930 from San Francisco to Cheyenne), born in Cresco, Iowa (d. 1965)
- Sep 23 Meyer Schapiro, Lithuanian-born American art historian, born in Šiauliai, Lithuania, Russian Empire (d. 1996)
- Sep 24 Owen Saunders, English mathematician and mechanical engineer, born in Streatham, London (d. 1993)
- Sep 25 Columbus O'Donnell Iselin, American oceanographer, born in New Rochelle, New York (d. 1971)
- Sep 28 Hendrik J Hofstra, Dutch minister of Finance (PvdA)
- Sep 29 Dorothy Emmet, English philosopher, born in London, England (d. 2000)
- Oct 1 A.K. Gopalan, Indian communist leader (d. 1977)
- Oct 1 Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born physicist (d. 1979)
- Oct 2 Dermot Boyle, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, born in Rathdowney, County Laois, Ireland (d. 1993)
- Oct 2 Godfrey Baseley, British radio executive, born in Alverchurch, Worchestershire, England (d. 1997)
Graham Greene (1904-1991)
Oct 2 English novelist (Brighton Rock, Our man in Havana, The Power and the Glory) and journalist, born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
- Oct 2 Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indian politician and Prime Minister of India (1964-66), born in Mughalsarai, British India (d. 1966)
- Oct 3 Charles J. Pedersen, American organic biochemist (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1987), born in Busan, Korean Empire (d. 1989)
- Oct 4 Rene Cloke, British illustrator, born in Plymouth, England (d. 1995)
- Oct 5 George Chesterman Phillips, British naval officer (d. 1995)
- Oct 6 Horst Lange, German writer (The Long Lament), born in Liegnitz, Silesia (d. 1971)
- Oct 9 Johannes Karel Marie Ditto, Dutch dominican and broadcast chairman (KRO, 1938-45), born in Velsen, Netherlands (d. 1977)
- Oct 12 Ding Ling, Chinese writer (The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River), born in Linli, Hunan, China (d. 1986)
- Oct 12 Lester Dent, American writer (Doc Savage), born in La Plata, Missouri (d. 1959)
- Oct 13 Jutta Hecker, German writer, born in Weimar (d. 2002)
- Oct 15 Julian Hodge, British financier and multi-millionaire (Hodge Group), born in Camberwell, London (d. 2004)
- Oct 18 A. J. Liebling, American journalist (d. 1963)
Tommy Douglas (1904-1986)
Oct 20 Canadian politician (Father of Medicare), born in Falkirk, Scotland
- Oct 21 Edmond [Moore] Hamilton, American sci-fi author (Danger Planet)
- Oct 21 Patrick Kavanagh, Irish poet (d. 1967)
Moss Hart (1904-1961)
Oct 24 American playwright (You Can't Take it With You, Act 1), born in The Bronx, New York
- Oct 30 Paul D. Stoop, American vice-admiral (WW II-Coral Sea), born in Zanesville, Ohio (d. 1995)
- Nov 4 Tadeusz Żyliński, Polish technician and textilist, born in Vilnius, Lithuania (d. 1967)
- Nov 4 Walter Bauer, German Canadian writer, born in Merseburg (d. 1976)
- Nov 8 Cedric Belfrage, English writer and journalist (co-founder of National Guardian), born in Marylebone, London (d. 1990)
- Nov 8 Horace Mann Bond, American educator, administrator (President of Lincoln University (Pa), 1945-57), and historian, born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1972)
- Nov 9 Viktor Brack, German Nazi physician and war criminal, born in Haaren, Rhine Province, German Empire (d. 1948)
- Nov 11 J. H. C. Whitehead, British mathematician (one of the founders of homotopy theory), born in Madras, India (d. 1960)
- Nov 14 Marya Mannes, American author (The Reporter), born in NYC, New York (d. 1990)
- Nov 16 Frederik van der Meer, Dutch archaeologist and art historian, born in Bolsward (d. 1994)
- Nov 16 Nnamdi Azikiwe, 1st President of Nigeria (1963-66), born in Zungeru, Northern Nigeria Protectorate (d. 1996)
- Nov 17 Isamu Noguchi, Japanese American sculptor (1963 Fine Arts Medal, Noguchi table), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1988)
- Nov 17 Salomėja Nėris [Salomėja Bačinskaitė - Bučienė], Lithuanian poet, born in Kiršai, Poland (d. 1945)
- Nov 18 Jean Paul Lemieux, Canadian painter, born in Quebec (d. 1990)
- Nov 19 Jacob "Jaap" Nanninga, Dutch painter (d. 1962)
- Nov 19 Nathan Leopold, American murderer of Bobby Franks with Richard Loeb, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1971)
- Nov 22 Theodore Besterman, British bibliographer and psychical researcher, born in Łódź, Poland (d. 1976)
- Nov 25 Ba Jin, Chinese novelist (d. 2005)
- Nov 26 Armand Frappier, French Canadian physician and microbiologist, born in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada (d. 1991)
- Nov 28 James Eastland, American politician (Sen-D-Miss 1943-68), born in Doddsville, Mississippi (d. 1986)
- Nov 28 Nancy Mitford, English author (Love in a Cold Climate), one of the Mitford sisters, born in London (d. 1973)
- Nov 29 Egon Eiermann, German architect (d. 1970)
- Nov 30 Clyfford Still, American abstract painter and leading figure of the Abstract Expressionists, born in Grandin, North Dakota (d. 1980)
- Dec 1 "Tony" W. A. Boyle, American United Mine Workers president convicted of murder, born in Bald Butte, Montana (d. 1985)
- Dec 6 Ève Curie, French author and daughter of Madame Curie, born in Paris (d. 2007)
- Dec 7 Clarence Nash, American voice actor (Donald Duck), born in Watonga, Oklahoma (d. 1985)
About 1904
How Old? 118 or 119 years old
Generation: Greatest Generation