Famous May Birthdays a to z

American explorer Robert Edwin Peary is best known for claiming to be the first person to reach the geographic North Pole.

Walker Percy was a novelist known chiefly for his first novel, The Moviegoer, which explored spiritual emptiness.

I.L. Peretz was a Jewish author who gained fame after writing folktales, ballads and plays about the ideals of Judaism.

Eva Perón used her position as the first lady of Argentina to fight for women's suffrage and improving the lives of the poor.

German serial killer Peter Kürten, known as the "Dusseldorf Vampire", murdered at least nine people before surrendering to police in 1931.

King Philip II of Spain, also known as Philip the Prudent, ruled one of the world's largest empires. The Philippines are named after him.

Pol Pot was the political leader of Cambodia who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people under his reign.

Inventor Ron Popeil pioneered the TV sales pitch with products like the Ronco Chop-O-Matic and phrases like "But wait, there's more."

Tyrone Power was a stage and film actor known for his roles in such films as Witness for the Prosecution and The Mark of Zorro.

Miuccia Prada is an Italian fashion designer best known as the head of Prada, a fashion powerhouse that specializes in luxury goods for men and women.

Priscilla Presley is an American businesswoman and actress, best known for marrying Elvis Presley, with whom she had daughter Lisa Marie Presley.

American actor Vincent Price starred as the villain in the 1953 film House of Wax, which revitalized the horror genre, and was one of the first films shot in 3D.

Thomas Pynchon is an award-winning novelist known for works like The Crying of Lot 49 and Gravity's Rainbow.

Queen Victoria was queen of Great Britain from 1837 to 1901—the longest reign of any other British monarch in history.

Experimental jazz pianist, songwriter, composer and bandleader Sun Ra formed the band Arkestra in the 1950s and played in it until his death in 1993.

American gymnast Aly Raisman won two gold medals and a bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held in London.

Manny Ramirez is a Dominican-American baseball player who helped the Red Sox win the World Series after an 86-year losing streak.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal was a Spanish histologist and professor whose work led to the discovery of neurons.

Louis Renault was a French jurist and educator and co-winner in 1907 of the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Ving Rhames is an actor known for roles in such films as Pulp Fiction and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Adrienne Rich is a U.S. poet, scholar and critic whose work exhibits her commitment to the women's movement and a lesbian/feminist aesthetic influence.

British actress of stage and screen Natasha Richardson won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway show Cabaret before dying in a tragic skiing accident.

In 1983, astronaut and astrophysicist Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Ride died on July 23, 2012 at the age of 61, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

John Ringling co-founded the Ringling Bros., and later co-owned the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

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

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was an iconic African-American tap dancer and actor best known for his Broadway performances and film roles.

Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer who is frequently cited as the greatest boxer in history.

Venture capitalist and environmentalist Laurance Rockefeller founded the American Conservation Association and put conservationism on the American agenda.

Dennis Rodman is considered one of professional basketball's all-time great rebounders. He helped lead the Detroit Pistons and later the Chicago Bulls to multiple titles.

Poet and professor Theodore Roethke was best known for winning the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for his poetry volume The Wakening. His other works include "Open House" and "The Far Field."

Virginia planter and colonial official John Rolfe was the husband of Pocahontas, daughter of the Indian chief Powhatan. He sold Virginia tobacco to England.

Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia under Romanov rule. His poor handling of Bloody Sunday and Russia’s role in World War I led to his abdication and execution.

Julius Rosenberg became an infamous figure in American history when he was convicted, along with his wife, Ethel Rosenberg, of giving military secrets to the Soviet Union in the early 1950s.

Roberto Rossellini, father of actress Isabella Rossellini, was an Italian film director associated with the Neorealist movement. His most celebrated work is Rome, Open City.

Henri Rousseau was a self-taught French painter who was ridiculed during his lifetime but was later given the title of artistic genius.

Young Republican politician Marco Rubio won an impressive victory in his 2009 campaign for one of Florida's seats in the U.S. Senate.

Darius Rucker is a singer/songwriter known as the frontman of the musical group Hootie & the Blowfish and as a solo country artist.

Tim Russert was a one-time political counsel who became a journalist and the longtime host of the public affairs show Meet the Press.

American economist Paul Samuelson is best known as a founder of neo-Keynesian economics and for being the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Rick Santorum became known across the country after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990.

May Sarton was a writer of poetry, novels and memoirs including her Journal of a Solitude.

American folk singer Pete Seeger is an iconic figure in the mid-20th century, and is best known for his contributions to the American folk music revival.

David O. Selznick was a Hollywood film producer who made a huge string of hits in the 1930s through the 1950s, including Gone with the Wind.

William Seward was a New York governor and U.S. senator before serving as secretary of state under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.

Betty Shabazz is best known as the wife of African-American nationalist leader Malcolm X, who was assassinated in New York City in 1965.

Brooke Shields is an actress known for her early movie roles and TV series such as Suddenly Susan.

Jamie Lynn-Sigler is an American actress best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos.

Igor Sikorsky was a Russian aeronautics engineer and inventor known for crafting the first four-engine plane and the first working helicopter.

Beverly Sills is best known for her soprano voice as an opera performer. After many successful decades, she made her debut with the Met in 1975.

Phil Silvers is an American comedian best known for his portrayal of the fast-talking gambler Sergeant Ernest Bilko in The Phil Silvers Show.

Gail Simmons has worked as host of Top Chef: Just Desserts and a judge on Top Chef. A food writer and expert, she has also worked as a special projects manager at Food & Wine.

Kimora Lee Simmons is a former model, ex-wife to Russell Simmons, creator of a fashion line called Baby Phat and star of her own reality TV show.

Siouxsie Sioux is best known as the lead singer of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees, whose most popular singles include "Peek-A-Boo," "Cities in Dust," "The Killing Jar" and "Kiss Them For Me."

J.C.L. Simonde de Sismondi was an 18th-19th century economist and author who espoused pioneering ideas on governmental structures.

Emmitt Smith was a running back with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2002, he broke Walter Payton's rushing record to become the leading rusher in NFL history.

Sam Snead was an American pro golfer who won a record 82 PGA tournaments.

Tom Snyder co-anchored the first noon news show in the country. He was the host of the NBC interview show Tomorrow and The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder.

Ted Sorensen was an American presidential adviser and speech writer, best known for his contributions to President John F. Kennedy's most famous speeches.

Tori Spelling is an actress who has appeared on TV and in films, notably on the TV show Beverly Hills 90210.

After years of scene-stealing small acting roles, Octavia Spencer rose to fame with her award-winning performance in 2011's The Help.

Tony Spilotro is best known as a mob representative in Las Vegas from the 1970s to the '80s. He was brutally beaten and murdered by mob members in 1986.

Jimmy Stewart was a major motion-picture star known for his portrayals of diffident but morally resolute characters in films such as It’s a Wonderful Life.

William Grant Still was a conductor and composer and the first African-American to conduct a professional symphony orchestra in the U.S.

Actor and writer Matt Stone is the co-creator of the adult cartoon South Park. In 2011, his Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, won nine Tony Awards.

Actor and professional wrestler Mr. T, known for his mohawk and gold chains, starred in 1980s TV programs like The A-Team and Mister T.

Amber Tamblyn is an actress known for roles in the films Joan of Arcadia and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and on the series General Hospital. She is married to actor/comedian David Cross.

British swimmer Liam Tancock is a world record holder in the 50-meter and 100-meter backstroke events.

Studs Terkel was a Pulitzer Prize-winning oral historian who compiled books of interviews with everyday people.

Maria Theresa was an Austrian archduchess, and Holy Roman Empress of the Habsburg Dynasty from 1740 to 1780. She was also Marie Antoinette’s mother.

Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian known for his work on Saturday Night Live and various films roles. His film credits include Fat Albert, Barbershop 2 and Snakes on a Plane.

Jim Thorpe was a Native American professional football and baseball player, known for his all-around athleticism. He was a gold-medal runner at the 1912 Olympics.

Pete Townshend is best known as the guitarist and songwriter for the band the Who as it grew to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960 and '70s.

American country singer Randy Travis opened the door to young artists who sought to return to the traditional sound of country music. His 1986 album, Storms of Life, landed at No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart.

Sworn in as the 33rd president after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's sudden death, Harry S. Truman presided over the end of WWII and dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.