Events

1032 - Emperor Yingzong of China (d. 1067)
1222 - Nichiren Daishonin, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism (d. 1282)
1497 - Philipp Melanchthon, German humanist and reformer (d. 1560)
1519 - Gaspard de Coligny, French Huguenot leader (d. 1572)
1543 - Kano Eitoku, Japanese painter (d. 1590)
1620 - Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia (d. 1688)
1643 - John Sharp, English Archbishop of York (d. 1714)
1698 - Pierre Bouguer, French mathematician (d. 1758)
1710 - King Louis XV of France (d. 1774)
1727 - Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, Austrian scientist (d. 1817)
1761 - Charles Pichegru, French general (d. 1804)
1802 - Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, American philosopher (d. 1866)
1804 - Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold, German physiologist (d. 1885)
1812 - Henry Wilson, 18th Vice President of US (d. 1875)
1821 - Heinrich Barth, German explorer (d. 1865)
1822 - Sir Francis Galton, English explorer and biologist (d. 1911)
1824 - Peter Kozler, Slovenian cartographer and geographer (d. 1879)
1826 - Julia Grant, First Lady of the United States (d. 1902)
1826 - Joseph Victor von Scheffel, German poet (d. 1886)
1831 - Nikolai Leskov, Russian writer (d. 1895)
1834 - Ernst Haeckel, German zoologist and philosopher (d. 1919)
1838 - Henry Adams, American historian and novelist (d. 1918)
1847 - Philipp Scharwenka, Polish-German composer (d. 1917)
1848 - Hugo de Vries, Dutch botanist (d. 1935)
1856 - Rudolph Karstadt, German entrepreneur (d. 1944)
1856 - Willem Kes, Dutch conductor (d. 1934)
1866 - Billy Hamilton (baseball player), MLB Hall of Fame Outfielder (d. 1940)
1866 - Vyacheslav Ivanov, Russian poet (d. 1949)
1876 - George Macaulay Trevelyan, English historian (d. 1962)
1883 - Elizabeth Craig, British writer (d. 1980)
1884 - Robert J. Flaherty, American filmmaker (d. 1951)
1886 - Van Wyck Brooks, American historian and critic (d. 1963)
1887 - Kathleen Clifford, American actress (d. 1962)
1898 - Katharine Cornell, American actress (d. 1974)
1891 - Hans F.K. Günther, German eugenicist (d. 1967)
1901 - Vincent Coleman, American actor (d. 1971)
1901 - Chester Morris, American film actor (d. 1970)
1903 - Edgar Bergen, American ventriloquist (d. 1978)
1903 - George-Henri Lévesque, Quebec priest and sociologist (d. 2000)
1904 - George F. Kennan, American historian, diplomat and political policy-maker (d. 2005)
1909 - Hugh Beaumont, American actor (d. 1982)
1909 - Jeffrey Lynn, American actor (d. 1995)
1909 - Richard McDonald, American fast food pioneer (d. 1998)
1915 - Jim O'Hora, American college football coach (d. 2005)
1915 - Michael Relph, British film producer and director (d. 2004)
1916 - Bill Doggett, American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist (d. 1996)
1918 - Patty Andrews, American singer
1921 - Jean Behra, French Formula One driver (d. 1959)
1921 - Araucaria, British crossword compiler
1921 - Vera-Ellen, American actress (d. 1981)
1925 - Carlos Paredes, Portuguese guitar master (d. 2004)
1926 - John Schlesinger, English film director (d. 2003)
1927 - June Brown, British actress
1929 - Gerhard Hanappi, Austrian footballer (d. 1980)
1931 - Ken Takakura, Japanese actor
1932 - Gretchen Wyler, American actress and dancer
1932 - Otis Blackwell, American songwriter and singer (d. 2002)
1932 - Harry Goz, American actor (d. 2003)
1932 - Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone
1934 - Herbie & Harold Kalin, American singers (d. 2005-Harold / 2006-Herbie)
1934 - Marlene Hagge, American professional golfer
1935 - Sonny Bono, American entertainer (d. 1998)
1936 - Jill Kinmont, American skier
1937 - Yuri Manin, Russian mathematician
1938 - John Corigliano, American composer
1938 - Barry Primus, American actor
1942 - Kim Jong-il, North Korean leader
1943 - Brig Owens, American football player
1944 - Richard Ford, American novelist
1945 - Jeremy Bulloch, English actor
1945 - Frank Welker, American voice actor
1950 - Peter Hain, British politician
1950 - Kazuki Tomokawa, Japanese acid-folk singer
1950 - Roman Tam, Hong Kong famous singer (d. 2002)
1951 - William Katt, American actor
1952 - Barry Foote, Major League Baseball player
1953 - George Martin, American footballer
1953 - Lanny McDonald, Canadian ice hockey player
1953 - Roberta Williams, computer game designer
1954 - Michael Holding, West Indian fast bowler cricket
1954 - Iain Banks, Scottish author
1954 - Margaux Hemingway, American actress and model (d. 1996)
1955 - Hunt Block, American actor
1956 - James Ingram, American singer
1957 - LeVar Burton, American actor
1958 - Ice-T, American rapper, songwriter, and actor
1958 - Lisa Loring, American actress
1958 - Oscar Schmidt, Brazilian basketball player
1958 - Michael W. Burns, American politician
1958 - F.J. Dare, American author
1959 - John McEnroe, American tennis player
1959 - Kelly Tripucka, American basketball player
1960 - Pete Willis, English guitarist (Def Leppard)
1960 - Cherie Chung, Hong Kong actress
1961 - Andy Taylor, English musician (Duran Duran)
1963 - Dave Lombardo, Cuban drummer (Slayer)
1963 - Dano Halsall, Swiss swimmer
1964 - Bebeto, Brazilian footballer
1964 - Christopher Eccleston, English actor
1967 - John Valentin, baseball player
1967 - Keith Gretzky, former hockey player; brother of Wayne Gretzky
1968 - Warren Ellis, British comic book writer
1969 - David Heath, American professional wrestler better known as Gangrel
1970 - D.J. Wallis, American fitness competitor
1970 - Serdar Ortac, Turkish popstar
1970 - Angelo Peruzzi, Italian footballer
1971 - Amanda Holden, British Actress
1972 - Jerome Bettis, American football player
1973 - Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete
1973 - Nikos Kostakis, Greek footballer
1974 - Fanis Katergiannakis, Greek footballer
1974 - Johnny Tri Nguyen, Vietnamese American stuntman and martial arts actor
1975 - Nanase Aikawa, Japanese singer
1975 - Vanina Ickx, Belgian racing driver
1976 - Eric Byrnes, American baseball player
1976 - Kyo, Japanese singer (Dir en grey)
1977 - Ian Clarke, Irish computer programmer
1977 - Ahman Green, American football player
1978 - John Tartaglia, Broadway actor and Muppeteer
1979 - Eric Mun, Korean rapper (Shinhwa)
1979 - Valentino Rossi, Italian motorcycle racer
1980 - Ashley Lelie, American football player
1981 - Jay Howard, British racing driver
1981 - Jerry Owens, American baseball player
1981 - Qyntel Woods, American basketball player
1982 - Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, American rapper
1985 - Zoi Dimoschaki, Greek swimmer
1988 - Denilson Neves, Brazilian footballer Births

1247 - Heinrich Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia (b. 1204)
1279 - King Afonso III of Portugal (b. 1210)
1391 - John V Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1332)
1531 - Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1452)
1560 - Jean du Bellay, French Catholic cardinal and diplomat
1710 - Esprit Fléchier, French writer and Bishop of Nîmes (b. 1632)
1721 - James Craggs the Younger, English politician (b. 1686)
1754 - Richard Mead, English physician (b. 1673)
1844 - Joseph Crosfield, English soap and alkali manufacturer (b. 1792)
1898 - Thomas Bracken, New Zealand poet (b. 1843)
1899 - Félix Faure, President of France (b. 1841)
1907 - Giosuè Carducci, Italian writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1835)
1912 - St. Nikolai of Japan, Eastern Orthodox priest (b. 1836)
1917 - Octave Mirbeau, French writer (b. 1848)
1919 - Vera Kholodnaya, Russian film star (b. 1893)
1928 - Eddie Foy, American singer and dancer (b. 1856)
1932 - Ferdinand Buisson, French pacifist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1841)
1967 - Antonio Moreno, Spanish-born actor (b. 1887)
1967 - Smiley Burnette, American actor, singer and songwriter (b. 1911)
1974 - John Garand, Canadian rifle engineer and manufacturer (b. 1888)
1975 - Morgan Taylor, American athlete (b. 1903)
1977 - Carlos Pellicer, Mexican poet (b. 1897)
1978 - E. Roland Harriman, American financier (b. 1895)
1980 - Erich Hückel, German physicist (b. 1895)
1988 - Jean Carignan, French Canadian fiddler (b. 1916)
1990 - Keith Haring, American artist (b. 1958)
1992 - Angela Carter, English writer (b. 1940)
1992 - Jânio Quadros, Brazilian politician (b. 1917)
1992 - Herman Wold, Swedish statistician (b. 1908
1996 - Roger Bowen, American actor (b. 1932)
1996 - Edmund G. Brown, Governor of California (b. 1905)
1996 - Brownie McGhee, American singer (b. 1915)
1997 - Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American physicist (b. 1912)
1999 - Michael Larson, Press Your Luck Big-winning contestant (b. 1949)
2000 - Marceline Day, American actress (b. 1908)
2000 - Karsten Solheim, Norwegian-born engineer and inventor (b. 1911)
2000 - Lila Kedrova, Russian-born actress (b. 1918)
2001 - Bob Buhl, baseball player (b. 1928)
2001 - Howard W. Koch, American film director (b. 1916)
2001 - William Masters, American gynecologist and sexologist (b. 1915)
2002 - Walter Winterbottom, England football manager (b. 1913)
2003 - Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907)
2004 - Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete (b. 1925)
2004 - Doris Troy, American singer (b. 1937)
2005 - Nicole DeHuff, American actress (pneumonia) (b. 1975)
2006 - Johnny Grunge, American professional wrestler (b. 1966)
2006 - Ernie Stautner, German-born American football player (b. 1925) Holidays and observances

Saint Abda of Edessa
Saint Elias and companions
Remembrance of Lambertus
Saint Juliana
Saint Lucilla
Saint Gilbert of Sempringham
Saint Aganus
Saint Honestus
Saint Julian of Egypt
Saint Onesimus
February 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)