Famous People Born in 1924 a to z

Ahmadou Ahidjo was the first president of the United Republic of Cameroon. He lead one of the few successful attempts at supraterritorial African unity.

Nicaraguan writer Claribel Alegria, a major voice in contemporary Central American literature, was known for her volume of poetry, Flowers from the Volcano.

Lauren Bacall is an Academy Award-nominated actress known for roles in films like The Big Sleep, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Fan and The Mirror Has Two Faces.

James Baldwin was an essayist, playwright and novelist regarded as a highly insightful, iconic writer with works like The Fire Next Time and Another Country.

Legendary screen presence Marlon Brando performed for more than 50 years and is famous for such films as A Streetcar Named Desire and The Godfather.

Dennis Brutus was a poet whose works center on his sufferings and those of his fellow blacks in South Africa.

The 41st president of the United States, George H.W. Bush served as vice president under Ronald Reagan. He is the father of George W. Bush, the 43rd president.

Truman Capote was a trailblazing writer of Southern descent known for the works Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, among others.

Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States (1977-81) and later was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Shirley Chisholm was the first black congresswoman, and the first African-American woman to make a bid for the U.S. Presidency.

Nicknamed "the Black Dahlia," Elizabeth Short was brutally murdered in Los Angeles in 1947, her body cut in half and severely mutilated. The Black Dahlia's killer was never found, making her murder one of the oldest cold case files in L.A. to date, and the city's most famous.

Glenn Woodward Davis won the 1946 Heisman Trophy as a halfback at Army, setting single season records for average yards per carry, 11.5 in 1945.

Doris Day was a singer and actress most popular in the 1950s and early-1960s. She starred in a television sitcom called "The Doris Day Show" from 1968-1973.

Ruby Dee is an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, activist, poet and journalist, perhaps best known for starring in the 1961 film A Raisin in the Sun. She's also known for her civic work with husband Ossie Davis.

Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret formed the Order of the Solar Temple and allegedly set fire to Swiss OST buildings, killing themselves and 46 others.

Serial killer Roy Fontaine, originally Archibald Hall, killed a former lover, his employers, an accomplice and another man in England in the 1970s.

Benny Hill, the British comedian, is best known for his long running comedy series that would play in 109 countries.

J.J. Johnson was a 20th century jazz musician and composer regarded as one of the greatest trombonists in history.

Ed Koch was an outspoken attorney, author and media commentator who was the mayor of New York City from 1977 to 1989.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Landry played gridiron football for the New York Giants and was the first ever head coach of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

Director Sidney Lumet was best known for his films Twelve Angry Men and Serpico. He made more than 40 films during his career.

A leading twentieth century philosopher, Jean-Francois Lyotard was noted for his analysis of postmodernity and its impact on humankind.

Film actor. William Marshall was an actor best known for his lead role in the legendary blaxploitation film Blacula.

Actor Lee Marvin’s appeared in about 70 films, including Hell in the Pacific and The Dirty Dozen, between 1951 and 1986.

Marcello Mastroianni often played the ideal European male in Federico Fellini's films.

Basketball player George Mikan won five NBA championships with Minneapolis. He was one of the tallest players and increased modern height expectations.

Robert Mugabe has served as president of Zimbabwe since 1987, previously serving as prime minister. He has been re-elected to the presidency multiple times, but elections have reportedly been tainted by fraud and voter intimidation.

Carroll O’Connor played Archie Bunker on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family. His comedic role as close-minded Archie made fun of bigoted opinions.

Actress Geraldine Page, born in Missouri 1924, was well respected for her dedication to her roles on stage and screen, winning an Oscar and an Emmy.

Sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi's collage work combining surrealism with elements of popular culture and technology led him to be credited as the inventor of Pop Art.

Panamanian-born U.S. theatrical director José Quintero was a founder of the Off-Broadway theatre Circle in the Square, where he directed regularly from 1950.

William Rehnquist was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Richard Nixon in 1971. He was elevated to the post of chief justice by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. He remained chief justice until his death in 2005.

Max Roach was a jazz drummer and pioneer of the bebop style.

Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African-American woman to hold a cabinet position, serve as U.S. ambassador and head a law school.

Earl Scruggs is a bluegrass musician who pioneered the Scruggs Style, a method of banjo playing.

Emmy Award–winning television and film writer Rod Serling created and hosted the sci-fi fantasy series The Twilight Zone and co-wrote Planet of the Apes.

Brett Somers was a TV actress and personality perhaps best known for her appearances on Match Game, the top game show during much of the 1970s.

Nguyen Van Thieu was elected president of South Vietnam in 1967, but was forced to flee when his government surrendered to the North in 1975.

Known for her fashion design and tumultuous personal life, actress, writer and artist Gloria Vanderbilt became an iconic figure in American popular culture during the 20th century.

Sarah Vaughan was an American jazz vocalist known for her impressive three octave range. She was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1990.

Filmmaker and novelist Ed Wood is famous for his low-budget films of the 1950s like Plan 9 From Outer Space, which are celebrated today as sheer camp.

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was Pakistani chief of Army staff, chief martial-law administrator, and president of Pakistan (1978–88).