- 1360 Yongle, Emperor of the Ming Empire (1402-24), born in Yingtian, Yuan Empire, China (d. 1424)
- 1451 René II, Duke of Lorraine, born in Angers, France (d. 1508)
- 1458 Eleanor of Viseu, Queen of Portugal (1481-95), born in Beja, Portugal (d. 1525)
- 1551 William Camden, English historian (Brittania, Annales), born in London (d. 1623)
- 1601 Athanasius Kircher, German Jesuit priest and inventor (magic lantern), born in Abbacy of Fulda, Germany (d. 1680)
- 1695 Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni, Italian-French architect, born in Florence, Italy (d. 1766)
- 1702 Friedrich Christoph Oetinger, German Lutheran theologian, born in Göppingen, Germany (d. 1782)
William Petty (1737-1805)
2nd Earl of Shelburne, Prime Minister of Great Britain (1782-83), born in Dublin, Kingdom of Ireland
- 1740 Elias Boudinot, American lawyer and patriot, President of the Continental Congress, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1821)
- 1750 John André, British Army officer of the American Revolutionary War, born in London (d. 1780)
- 1768 Jean-Louis-Marc Alibert, French dermatologist, born in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aveyron, France (d. 1837)
- 1772 Novalis [Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg], German romantic writer ('Heinrich von Ofterdingen), born in Oberwiederstedt, Saxony (d. 1801)
- 1773 Henrik Steffens, Norwegian-German philosopher, born in Stavanger, Norway (d. 1845)
- 1779 John Galt, Scottish novelist (Annals of the Parish), born in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland (d. 1839)
Abraham Gesner (1797-1864)
Canadian geologist (inventor of kerosene), born in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia
- 1821 Abram Sanders Piatt, American farmer, publisher, poet, politician, and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1908)
- 1828 Désiré Charnay, French traveller and archaeologist, born in Fleurie, France (d. 1915)
- 1837 Henry Martyn Robert, American soldier and parliamentarian (Robert's Rules of Order), born in Robertville, South Carolina (d. 1923)
Elijah McCoy (1844-1929)
Canadian-American inventor of African descent, notable for his 57 US patents (lubrication of steam engines), born in Colchester, Ontario
- 1859 Jerome K. Jerome, English writer (The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow), born in Walsall, Staffordshire, England (d. 1927)
- 1860 D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, Scottish zoologist and classicist (On Growth & Form), born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1948)
- 1860 Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist and founder (Zionist movement), born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (d. 1904)
- 1860 William Maddock Bayliss, British physiologist, co-discoverer of hormones, born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (d. 1924)
Clyde Fitch (1865-1909)
American playwright (Nathan Hale, The Girl with the Green Eyes), born in Elmira, New York [1]
- 1872 G. G. van der Hoeven, Dutch editor-in-chief (NRC newspaper), born in Brielle, Netherlands (d. 1955)
James F. Byrnes (1879-1972)
American politician and statesman influential in domestic and foreign policy in the mid-1940s, born in Charleston, South Carolina
- 1879 Nannie Helen Burroughs, American educator and civil rights activist (founded National Training School for Women and Girls), born in Orange, Virginia (d. 1961)
- 1884 François de Vries, Dutch economist, born in Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1958)
- 1885 Hedda Hopper [Elda Furry], American gossip columnist, born in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania (d. 1966)
- 1886 Gottfried Benn, German poet and essayist, born in Mansfelf, Germany (d. 1956)
- 1890 E. E. Smith, American food engineer and sci-fi author (Triplanetary), born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (d. 1965)
The Red Baron (1892-1918)
German World War I Fighter Ace, born in Wrocław, Poland
- 1895 Alfred Kurella, German author and functionary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany in East Germany, born in Brieg, Silesia (d. 1975)
- 1895 Peggy Bacon, American author and illustrator (Off With Their Heads), born in Ridgefield, Connecticut (d. 1987)
- 1896 Helen of Greece and Denmark, Queen Mother of Romania, born in Athens, Greece (d. 1982)
- 1898 Jef Last, Dutch poet and writer, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1972)
- 1899 George Hamilton Combs, American politician and TV and radio commentator (Through the Curtain), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1977)
- 1901 Lev Lunts, Russian writer (Outside the Law, City of Truth), born in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire (d. 1924)
- 1901 Willi Bredel, German writer, born in Hamburg (d. 1964)
Benjamin Spock (1903-1998)
American pediatrician and writer (Common Sense Book of Baby Care), born in New Haven, Connecticut
- 1906 Philippe Halsman, American portrait photographer, born in Riga, Latvia (d. 1979)
- 1907 Pinky Lee, American children's show host (Pinky Lee Show), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 1993)
- 1910 Alexander Bonnyman Jr., U.S. Marine Corps officer, born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1943)
- 1912 Axel Springer, German newspaper magnate (Bild Zeitung), born in Altona, Hamburg, German Empire (d. 1985)
- 1912 Marten Toonder, Dutch comic writer and cartoonist (Tom Puss), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2005)
- 1918 Frederick Archibald Warner, British diplomat, born in Blagdon, England (d. 1995)
- 1920 Otto Buchsbaum, Austrian writer and ecological activist, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2000)
- 1921 Satyajit Ray, Indian director (Goddess, Adversary), born in Calcutta, India (d. 1992)
- 1922 A. M. Rosenthal, American journalist and newspaper editor (NY Times), born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada (d. 2006)
- 1924 Jamal Abro, Sindhi writer, born in Dadu, Pakistan (d. 2004)
- 1926 Gérard D. Levesque, Canadian politician, born in Port-Daniel–Gascons, Canada (d. 1993)
- 1930 Marco Pannella, Italian politician and activist, born in Teramo (d. 2016)
- 1932 Kees de Galan, Dutch economist, born in Zaandam, Netherlands (d. 1987)
- 1935 Faisal II, King of Iraq (1939-58), son of Ghasi I, born in Baghdad (d. 1958)
- 1937 Gisela Elsner, German writer (Die Riesenzwerge, Rowohlt), born in Nuremberg, Middle Franconia (d. 1992)
- 1938 Moshoeshoe II, King of Lesotho (1966-90), born in Morija, Lesotho (d. 1996)
- 1939 Sumio Iijima, Japanese physicist, born in Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan
- 1940 Sari van Heemskerck Pillis-Duvekot, Dutch governor and politician (VVD), born in Goes, Netherlands
- 1941 Jules Wijdenbosch, Surinamese politician, President of Suriname (1996-2000), born in Paramaribo, Surinam
- 1944 Franz Innerhofer, Austrian writer (Beautiful Days), born in Krimml, Salzberg
- 1944 John Verity, English rocker (Argent), born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
- 1947 Bill Lowery, American politician (U.S. House of Representatives from California, 1981-93), born in San Diego, California
- 1947 James Dyson, British inventor, industrial designer, and entrepreneur (bagless vacuum cleaner; bladeless fan), born in Cromer, Norfolk, England
- 1950 Duncan Gay, Australian politician, Vice-President of the Executive Council (2014-17), born in Crookwell, New South Wales
- 1954 Bulelani Ngcuka, South African attorney and leader (UDF), born in Middlerift, South Africa
- 1955 Donatella Versace, Italian fashion designer, born in Reggio di Calabria, Italy
- 1957 Domonic L. Pudwill Gorie, American NASA astronaut (sk: STS-91), born in Lake Charles, Louisiana
- 1961 Phil Vickery, English celebrity chef (This Morning), born in Folkestone, Kent, England
- 1966 Belinda Stronach, Canadian businesswoman and politician, born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
- 1968 Eric Holcomb, American politician, Governor of Indiana (2017-), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- 1977 Fredrik Malm, Swedish politician, Member of Parliament for the Liberal People's Party, born in Stockholm, Sweden
- 2015 Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, daughter of Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, 3rd in line to the English throne, born in London