Birthdays in History on February 13

  • February
  • 711 BC Emperor Jimmu Tennō, According to legend the 1st Emperor of Japan (660 BC - 585 BC) and founder of the imperial dynasty, (d. 585 BC)
  • 1440 Hartmann Schedel, German physician, humanist and historian, born in Nuremberg, Germany (d. 1514)
  • 1457 Mary of Burgundy, daughter of Charles the Bold and wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, born in Brussels, Burgundian Netherlands (d. 1482)
  • 1480 Girolamo Aleandro, Italian Catholic cardinal, Treviso, Venice, Italy (d. 1542)
  • 1599 Alexander VII [Fabio Chigi], Italian Pope (1655-67), born in Siena, Florence, Italy (d. 1667)
  • 1610 Jean de la Badie, French theologian, founder of Labadists, born in Bourg, Bordeaux, France (d. 1674)
  • 1622 Adam Pijnacker, Dutch landscape painter and etcher, baptized
  • 1658 Jan B. Wellekens, Dutch poet and painter
  • 1672 Étienne François Geoffroy, French physician and chemist (1718 affinity table), born in Paris (d. 1731)
  • 1682 Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Italian Rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes (Fortune Teller), born in Venice (d. 1754)
  • 1728 John Hunter, Scottish surgeon and founder of pathological anatomy in England, born in Long Calderwood, Scotland (d. 1793)

Person of interestJoseph Banks

1743 Joseph Banks, English botanist and naturalist who accompanied James Cook on board the Endeavour, born in London (d. 1820)

Botanist and explorer Joseph Banks
Botanist and explorer
Joseph Banks
  • 1766 Thomas Malthus, British economist and demographer (Law of Malthus), born in Guildford, England (d. 1834)
  • 1768 Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, French marshal (d. 1835)
  • 1769 Ivan Krylov, Russian fabulist (d. 1844)
  • 1805 David Dudley Field II, American lawyer, law codifier, born in Haddam, Connecticut (d. 1894)

  • 1805 Peter G L Dirichlet, German number theorist/analysist
  • 1807 Bartolommea Capitanio, Italian monastery founder (Liefdezusters)
  • 1813 Charles Pierre Schimpf, governor of Suriname (1855-59)
  • 1822 Lev A Mej, Russian nobleman/poet
  • 1829 Gerard Keller, writer (Netherlands Spectator)
  • 1831 John Aaron Rawlins, Bvt Major General (Union Army), (d. 1869)
  • 1833 William Whedbee Kirkland, American Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), born in Hillsboro, North Carolina (d. 1915)
  • 1835 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (d. 1908)
  • 1849 Lord Randolph Churchill, England, politician, Winston's father
  • 1852 Johan L E Dreyer, Danish astronomer (New gen catalogue of nebulae)
  • 1855 Paul Deschanel, French President (d. 1922)
  • 1859 Frank van de Goes, Dutch writer/marxist theorist
  • 1859 William Strang, Scottish painter/engraver
  • 1861 Uchimura Kanzo, religious writer (How I Became a Christian), born in Tokyo, Japan
  • 1874 Hendrik Spiekman, Dutch journalist and politician (social-democratic)
  • 1879 Sarojini Naidu, Indian freedom fighter and poet, born in Hyperbad, India (d. 1949)
  • 1881 Eleanor Farjeon, English writer (Martin Pippin)

Person of interestBess Truman

1885 Bess Truman, US First Lady (1945-52), born in Independence, Missouri (d. 1982)

US First Lady Bess Truman
US First Lady
Bess Truman
  • 1888 Georgios Papandreou, Greek prefect of Lesbos/minister/premier
  • 1888 Heintje Davids, [Hendrika], Dutch revue star
  • 1891 Grant Wood, American painter (American Gothic), born near Anamosa, Iowa (d. 1942)
  • 1891 Kate Roberts, Welsh nationalist and writer (d. 1985)
  • 1892 Robert Houghwout Jackson, 84th Supreme Court justice (1941-54)
  • 1893 Ana Pauker-Rabensohn, Romania, communist/foreign minister (1945-52)
  • 1898 Neville Pearson, English publisher

  • 1902 Blair Moody, (Sen-Mich), born in New Haven, Connecticut
  • 1902 Karl Menger, Austria-American mathematician (theory of dimension)
  • 1903 Georges Simenon, Belgian mystery writer (Snow Was Black)
  • 1906 Agostinho da Silva, Portuguese philosopher (d. 1994)

Person of interestWilliam Shockley

1910 William Shockley, American physicist who helped invent the transistor (1956 Nobel), who was also known for his racist eugenics views, born in London, England (d. 1989)

Physicist William Shockley
Physicist
William Shockley
  • 1913 Arthur Carleton Hetherington, public servant
  • 1913 Guiseppe Dossetti, politician/priest
  • 1914 Earl Cadogan, British large landowner (Military Cross)
  • 1915 Aung San, Burmese general and politician, born in Natmauk, Myanmar (d. 1947)
  • 1921 Henk van Galen Last, Dutch journalist
  • 1921 Zao-Wou-Ki, Chinese/French painter and graphic artist
  • 1922 Lord Pym of Sandy, British minister of foreign affairs
  • 1922 Gordon Tullock, American economist
  • 1922 Tristram Coffin, San Marino, California, folklorist (The Book of Christmas Folklore, The Old Ball Game), (d. 2012)
  • 1923 Chuck Yeager, American test pilot who was the 1st man to break the sound barrier, born in Myra, West Virginia
  • 1923 Michael Anthony Bilandic, American politician (d. 2002)
  • 1924 Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, French economist/politician
  • 1925 Jan Arends, Dutch poet/author
  • 1927 Harry Wich, Dutch set designer
  • 1929 Omar Torrijos Herrera, president Panama
  • 1930 Ernst Fuchs, Austrian artist
  • 1933 Emanuel Ungaro, French fashion designer (Neiman-Marcus Award-1969)
  • 1933 Paul Biya, Cameroon politician, President of Cameroon (1982- ), born in Mvomeka'a, Cameroon
  • 1937 Sigmund Jaehn, German cosmonaut (Soyuz 31/29), born in Muldenhammer, Germany
  • 1937 Ali El-Maak, Sudanese writer, born in Omdurman, Sudan (d. 1992)
  • 1939 Valery Rozhdestvensky, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 23), born in Leningrad, Soviet Union (d. 2011)
  • 1939 Beate Klarsfeld, Franco-German journalist, born in Berlin, Germany
  • 1941 Andrea Conte, First Lady of Tennessee, born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
  • 1941 Sigmar Polke, German painter, born in Oleśnica, Poland (d. 2010)
  • 1942 Donald E. Williams, US naval officer & NASA astronaut (STS 51D, STS 34), born in Lafayette, Indiana (d. 2016)
  • 1943 Friedrich Christian Delius, German writer, born in Rome, Italy
  • 1943 Leo Frankowski, American sci-fi author (High Tech Knight, Flying Warlord), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2008)

Person of interestJerry Springer

1944 Jerry Springer, English-born US talk show host (Jerry Springer Show), born in London, England

Talk Show Host Jerry Springer
Talk Show Host
Jerry Springer
  • 1944 Rebop Kwaku Baah, Ghanaian percussionist, born in Konongo, Ghana (d. 1983)
  • 1945 David Tremlett, English artist, born in Dartford, United Kingdom
  • 1948 Allan Legere, Canadian serial killer (Monster of the Miramichi), born in Chatham, Canada
  • 1955 Joe Birkett, American lawyer, born in Chicago, Illinois
  • 1956 Princess Alia bint Al Hussein, Jordanian Royal Family member, born in Amman, Jordan
  • 1957 Denise Austin, US fitness instructor & author, born in San Pedro, California
  • 1958 Marc Fox, British percussionist (Haircut 100-Nobody's Fool)
  • 1958 Marc Emery, Canadian cannabis activist, born in London, Canada
  • 1960 Pierluigi Collina, Italian football referee, born in Bologna, Italy
  • 1962 Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, Puerto Rican politician and lawyer, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • 1964 Ylva Johansson, Swedish politician, born in Huddinge Municipality, Sweden
  • 1974 Gus Hansen, Danish professional poker player, born in Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 1974 Jeff Duran, US radio personality, born in Arcadia, California
  • 1976 Martin Sastre, Uruguayan artist, born in Montevideo, Uruguay
  • 1982 Lanisha Cole, US model, born in Pasadena, California
  • 1990 Olivia Federici, British synchronized swimmer, born in Plymouth, United Kingdom
  • 1997 Michael Jackson Jr., son of Michael Jackson, born in Beverly Hills, California

February in History