Famous August Birthdays a to z

Chris Hadfield is a pioneering Canadian astronaut who became a global celebrity through his Twitter feed while aboard the International Space Station in 2013.

Alex Haley was an American writer whose works of historical fiction and reportage depicted the struggles of African Americans.

Geri Halliwell was known as "Ginger Spice" in the all-girl, British pop group the Spice Girls. Halliwell has the most No. 1 singles of any female musician in U.K. history.

Dorothy Hamill is a gold medal-winning Olympic figure skater known for her moves on the rink as well as her signature bobbed haircut.

Scott Hamilton is a U.S. Gold Medal Olympiad also known for his sports commentary and raising cancer awareness.

Hannibal Hamlin was a 19th century U.S. senator who became the country’s 15th vice president, serving under Abraham Lincoln.

Mata Hari was a professional dancer and mistress who became a spy for France during World War I. Suspected of being a double agent, she was executed in 1917.

Angie Harmon is American model and actress who has starred in the series Baywatch Nights, Law & Order and Rizzoli & Isles.

Bob Harper came to fame as a coach on the TV weight-loss competition The Biggest Loser

Actress Valerie Harper won three consecutive Emmy Awards for playing Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Jared Harris is a prolific British actor known for his role on the TV series Mad Men, and his performances in the films Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Lincoln.

Benjamin Harrison is best known as the 23rd president of the United States. He was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison.

Robert Hayden was an African-American poet and professor who is best known as the author of poems, including “Those Winter Sundays” and “The Middle Passage.”

Issac Hayes was an American musician. His hit song "Soul Man" and the musical score for the 1971 film Shaft are legendary contributions to modern music.

German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was one of the creators of German Idealism. He explored how contradictions ultimately integrated.

Henry V served as joint king of Germany with Henry IV until he forced his father to abdicate the throne. Holy Roman emperor from 1111 to 1125, he was the last of the Salian line.

Matthew Henson was an African American explorer best known as the co-discoverer of the North Pole with Robert Edwin Peary in 1909.

James Hetfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for heavy metal band Metallica, known for hits like "Enter Sandman" and "The Memory Remains."

Robert Hichens was a British mariner best known for being at the wheel of the RMS Titanic when it hit the iceberg that resulted in its sinking.

Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was nicknamed the "Master of Suspense" for employing a kind of psychological suspense in his films, producing a distinct viewer experience.

Academy Award–winning actor Dustin Hoffman starred in films like The Graduate (1967), Tootsie (1982), and Meet the Fockers (2004).

Hulk Hogan was one of the most beloved figures in the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s, known for his flamboyance and the frenzy of his fans—Hulkamania.

François Hollande is the 24th president of France, and a member of the Socialist Party. He succeeded Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012.

Doc Holliday is a figure from the Old West, a gunman and a gambler who was part of the legendary shootout at the O.K. Corral.

German Communist Erich Honecker oversaw the building of the Berlin Wall, then watched it be torn down. He was forced to resign as head of East Germany in 1989.

Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States (1929–1933), whose term was notably marked by the stock market crash of 1929 and the beginnings of the Great Depression.

Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress whose first four albums, released between 1985 and 1992, amassed global sales in excess of 86 million copies.

Mike Huckabee is a Republican politician and former governor of Arkansas. He ran for the 2008 Republican nomination for president, but lost to John McCain.

Writer Ted Hughes wrote poetry, non-fiction and children’s books. He was married to poet Sylvia Plath who committed suicide a year after he left her.

Actor Timothy Hutton won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in Ordinary People. His notable films include Beautiful Girls and Playing God.

Ivan the Terrible, or Ivan IV, was the first tsar of all Russia. During his reign (1533-1584), Ivan acquired vast amounts of land through ruthless means, creating a centrally controlled government.

Alejandro Gonzales Iñárritu is a Mexican film director whose 1999 feature film, Amores Perros, won an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

Singer-songwriter Michael Jackson's award-winning career as the King of Pop transformed the face of pop music and popular culture. He released the best-selling album in history, Thriller, in 1982. He died unexpectedly in 2009.

P.D. James is an English mystery writer best known for her series of novels featuring fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard.

Actress Susan Saint James is best known for her roles on hit TV shows The Name of the Game (1968) and McMillan & Wife (1971). She was nominated twice for an Emmy award for her role as a divorced mom on the sitcom Kate & Allie (1984).

Danish silversmith Georg Jensen was one of the first people to use steel for cutlery and recognize modern silverware as profitable.

Fashion designer Betsey Johnson developed her edgy, offbeat style during the new wave/punk era of the late 1970s.

Linton Kwesi Johnson is a Jamaican poet, journalist and author based in London. He is widely considered to be the father of reggae dub poetry, a precursor to rap music.

Lyndon B. Johnson was elected vice president of the U.S. in 1960 and became the 36th president in 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

For 12 years, Earvin "Magic" Johnson dominated the court as one of America's best basketball players. In 1991, he announced that he had the AIDS virus.

Rafer Johnson is an American athlete who won a gold medal in the decathlon in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

Track star Lolo Jones has won both USA and World championships in hurdle events, and is a member of the 2012 Olympic team.

Chris Kelly is best known for making up one half of the rap duo Kris Kross, who had a No. 1 hit with their 1992 song "Jump."

Gene Kelly was a dancer whose athletic style transformed the movie musical and did much to change the American public's conception of male dancers.

Tony-nominated actress Anna Kendrick played Jessica, Bella Swan's friend, in the Twilight movies, based on Stephanie Meyer's teenage vampire novels.

Francis Scott Key was an attorney and poet who wrote the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner," the U.S. national anthem.

Jean-Claude Killy is a French former champion alpine skier who won three gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics.

Tawny Kitaen is best known for appearing in music videos in the 1980s, including Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" video. She later starred on reality televison series like The Surreal Life and Celebrity Rehab.

Michael Kors is a fashion designer and judge on the television show, Project Runway. He designed the Michelle Obama's dress for her first official portrait.

Peter Krause is an American actor who found fame playing lead roles on television series such as HBO's Six Feet Under and NBC's Parenthood.

Film and television actress Mila Kunis came to fame on the sitcom That '70s Show. In film, she's co-starred in such hits as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Black Swan.

Drew Lachey first made it big as part of the 1990s boy band 98 Degrees. He won the second season of Dancing With the Stars in 2006.

Stieg Larsson was the Swedish author best known for his Millenium novels, including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Jennifer Lawrence is known for her roles in The Hunger Games and Winter’s Bone, and is heralded as one of the most promising young actresses working today.

T. E. Lawrence was a British Army officer during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule. He became known as Lawrence of Arabia, based on the 1962 film.

Author Ira Levin wrote some of the gripping novels of the 1960s and 1970s, including Rosemary's Baby and The Boys from Brazil.

Helen Levitt was a photographer, film editor and director known for her captivating portraits of New York urban life.

With a string of wins in early 2012, New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has become one of basketball's most famous players.

Robert Todd Lincoln was an American lawyer and secretary of war best known as the first-born son of President Abraham Lincoln.

French physicist Gabriel Lippmann created the first color photographic plate. The creation earned him the 1908 Nobel Prize for Physics.

Blake Lively is an actress notable for her role as Serena van der Woodsen on the CW network's teen drama Gossip Girl.

Ryan Lochte is an American swimmer who has won 11 Olympic medals in the sport, including five golds.