- 1236 Wen Tianxiang, Chinese prime minister (d. 1283)
- 1436 Regiomontanus (Johannes Muller), prepares astronomical tables
- 1519 Andrea Cesalpino, Italian philosopher and botanist (d. 1603)
- 1576 Giovanni Diodati, Swiss Protestant clergyman (d. 1649)
- 1580 Godefroy Wendelin, Flemish astronomer (d. 1667)
- 1599 Diego Velázquez, Spanish painter (d. 1660)
- 1606 Pierre Corneille, French dramatist (El Cid, Horace)
- 1622 Claude-Jean Allouez, French Jesuit missionary and explorer (d. 1857)
- 1625 Domenico Guidi, Italian sculptor
- 1695 Adriaen Valckenier, gov-gen Neth-Indies (1737-41)/killed 8,000 Chinese
- 1714 King Joseph I of Portugal (d. 1777)
Nathan Hale
1755 Nathan Hale, American Revolutionary War patriot, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.", born in Coventry, Connecticut, North American Colonies (d. 1776)
Nathan Hale
- 1756 John Trumbull, US painter (Declaration of Independence)
- 1765 Cornelis Loots, Dutch accountant/poet (Dwingelandij)
- 1772 Maria Teresa of the Two Sicilies, Holy Roman Empire Empress consort (d. 1807)
- 1799 Alexander Pushkin, Russian writer and poet (Eugene Onegin), born in Moscow, Russian Empire (d. 1837)
- 1813 Israel Washburn, gov (Union), (d. 1883)
- 1826 Sarah Parker Remond, US/Italian abolitionist
- 1829 John Baillie McIntosh, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Tampa, Florida (d. 1888)
- 1829 Shusaku Honinbo, Japanese Go player (d. 1862)
- 1840 William Francis Bartlett, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Haverhill, Massachusetts (d. 1876)
- 1841 Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish novelist (d. 1910)
- 1844 Konstantin Savitsky, Russian painter (d. 1905)
- 1847 Gerben Postma, [Ids], Frisian writer (Swealtsjeblommen)
- 1850 Karl F Braun, German co-developed wireless telegraphy (Nobel 1909)
- 1857 Aleksandr Lyapunov, Russian mathematician (d. 1918)
- 1860 William Inge, English author, theologist and Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, born in Crayke, Yorkshire (d. 1954)
- 1862 Henry John Newbolt, English sea historian/poet
- 1867 David Abercrombie, Abercrombie & Fitch founder (d. 1931)
Robert Scott
1868 Robert Falcon Scott, British leader of ill-fated south pole expedition, born in Plymouth, England (d. 1912)
Robert Scott
- 1872 Alexandra Fjodorovna Romanova, last Russian tsarina (1894-1918)
Thomas Mann
1875 Thomas Mann, German novelist (Magic Mountain-Nobel 1929), born in Lübeck, Germany (d. 1955)
Thomas Mann
- 1878 Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French criminal attorney (d. 1956)
- 1879 L Patrick Abercrombie, English architect
- 1880 William T Cosgrave, president Irish Free state
- 1886 Paul Dudley White, American heart specialist, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts (d. 1973)
- 1890 Dorothy Heyward, American playwright (Porgy), born in NYC, New York
- 1891 Vladislac Vancura, writer
- 1892 Donald F. Duncan Sr., American entrepreneur (d. 1971)
- 1894 Violet Trefusis, English writer and socialite who had a famous affair with writer Vita Sackville-West, born in London England (d. 1972)
- 1896 Italo Balbo, Italian pilot/gov-gen of Libya (La marcia su Rome)
- 1896 Robert Sheriff, playwright (Journey's End)
- 1896 Henry Allingham, English first world war veteran
- 1900 Manfred Sakel, Polish psychiatrist (d. 1957)
- 1902 Harold Roxbee Cox Kings Norton, aeronautical engineer
- 1906 Max Zorn, German mathematician (lemma of Zorn)
- 1909 Isaiah Berlin, philosopher
- 1913 Jiri Hajek, Czech jurist/foreign minister
- 1913 Carlo L. Golino, American scholar (d. 1991)
- 1917 Kirk Kerkorian, American CEO and "father of the mega-resort" (MGM, UA), born in Fresno, California (d. 2015)
- 1918 Tom Scott, poet/editor
- 1919 Charles Pringle, British air marshal
- 1923 V. C. Andrews, American author (d. 1986)
- 1926 Tom Ryan, comic strip cartoonist (Tumbleweeds)
- 1928 George Deukmejian, Menands NY, (Gov-Cal)
- 1929 Viktor Konezki, writer
- 1931 Lloyd Lindroth, the Liberace of the Harp
- 1932 David R Scott, Col USAF/astronaut (Gem 8, Apol 9, 15), born in San Antonio, Texas
- 1932 Ivan Chermayeff, British-born American graphic designer, born in London, England (d. 2017)
- 1933 Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist (tunneling microscope-Nobel 1986), (d. 2013)
- 1934 Ad G J Lansink, chemist/Dutch 2nd Chamber member (CDA)
- 1934 Albert II FHTCEM, king of Belgium (1993- )
- 1934 Roy Innis, American activist, leader of the Congress of Racial Equality, born in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (d. 2017)
- 1935 Jean Gattegno, translator/scholar
- 1938 Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza, pretender to the Brazilian throne
- 1939 Marian Wright-Edelman, health care president (Childrens Defense Fund)
- 1939 Nganani Enos J Mabuza, South African leader (Inyandza National Movement)
- 1941 Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-born American journalist, (d. 2012)
- 1943 Ken Hatfield, former N.C.A.A. Football Head Coach
- 1944 Peter Albin, rocker (Big Brother & Holding Co), born in San Francisco, California
- 1944 David Penhaligon, British politician
- 1944 Phillip Allen Sharp, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1945 David E Bonior, (Rep-D-MI, 1977- )
- 1946 Chelsea Brown, comedienne (Laugh-in, Matt Lincoln), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2017)
- 1946 Lasse Hallstrom, director (Once Around, My Life as a Dog, ABBA)
- 1947 Terry Williams, rocker (First Edition)
- 1947 David Blunkett, English politician
- 1953 Ken Calvert, (Rep-R-California)
- 1953 Dimitris Avramopoulos, Greek politician
- 1954 Harvey Fierstein, playwright (Torch Song Trilogy, ID4), born in Brooklyn, New York
- 1954 Cynthia Rylant, American author
- 1956 Jay C Buckey, American physician/astronaut (STS 58 alt, sk: 90), born in NYC, New York
- 1959 Georgios Voulgarakis, Greek politician
- 1960 Lola Forner, Alicante SW Spain, Miss Spain (1979)
- 1968 François Avard, Canadian writer and scenarist
- 1970 Sarah Dessen, American author
- 1973 Kat Swift, American politician (Green Party)
- 1977 Bryn Williams, Welsh chef
- 1984 Noor Sabri, Iraqi footballplayer