Famous October Birthdays a to z

Writer Dylan Thomas is best known for the poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," the play "Under Milk Wood," and for his heavy drinking.

Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe won the most gold medals of any Australian athlete, and was the youngest to win a world championship. He went on to win 10 more.

Chinese golfer Guan Tianlang became the youngest player in Masters history when he teed off at the 2013 tournament at age 14 years and five months.

Tiffany was a 1980s teen-pop sensation best known for her hit "I Think We're Alone Now."

Toni Braxton is an R&B singer-songwriter and actress best known for the hits "Un-Break My Heart," "You Mean the World to Me" and "Breathe Again."

Peter Tosh was a renowned reggae artist and founding member of the band the Wailers, which gave reggae artist Bob Marley his start.

Pierre Trudeau was the 15th prime minister of Canada, famous for his youthful energy, his stance against a separate Quebec and suppressing violent revolt.

Rafael Trujillo was a dictator of the Dominican Republic for decades. He was assassinated in 1961.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, along with brother Dzhokhar, was named a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings of April 15, 2013. He was fatally shot by police officers four days later.

Tanya Tucker is an American singer best known for her country hits in the 1970s through 2000s. Tucker is one of the best-selling female vocalists of all time.

Nat Turner was the leader of a violent slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831.

Desmond Tutu is a South African Anglican cleric who is known for his role in the opposition to apartheid in South Africa.

Anne Tyler is an American novelist best known for writing The Accidental Tourist (1985) which was made into a movie in 1988 starring William Hurt and Geena Davis.

Grammy-award winning country music singer, songwriter and guitarist Keith Urban was named the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year in 2006.

Usher is a successful American R&B and pop musician who began making music at age 15. His hit albums include My Way, Confessions and Looking 4 Myself.

Belgium-born action-film star Jean-Claude Van Damme has showcased his patented splits and acrobatic kicks in such movies as Bloodsport.

A preeminent bluesman, award-winning guitarist and singer Stevie Ray Vaughan earned critical and commercial success during the 1980s.

J. Craig Venter is a scientist and businessperson whose gene-sequencing process led to a decoding of the human genome.

Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian composer who is known for several operas, including La Traviata and Aida.

Dutch Golden-Age artist Jan Vermeer is best known for his Delft paintings including "Little Street," "View of Delft" and his late "pearl pictures" like "The Concert."

Gore Vidal was best known as a prolific American writer, but was also famous for frequent talk-show appearances and witty political criticisms.

Rudolf Virchow was a German pathologist and statesman, widely credited for his advancements in public health, particularly with his cell theory.

Famed Roman poet Virgil is  best known for his national epic, the Aeneid.

Lindsey Vonn is an American alpine skiier who has won numerous competitions, including four World Cup overall titles. She won a gold medal in the downhill event at the 2010 Olympics.

Actor Jack Wagner rose to fame as the rocker Frisco Jones on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.

Henry A. Wallace was the 33rd U.S. vice president during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. He was also a writer and agriculture expert.

After working in Europe for decades, actor Christoph Waltz caught the attention of American audiences with his role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds.

M. Ward is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician known for his solo albums as well as his work with Zooey Deschanel in the duo She & Him.

Mia Wasikowska is an Australian actress best known for her role on the HBO drama In Treatment.

Wendy Wasserstein was an award-winning playwright of such works as The Sisters Rosensweig and An American Daughter.

French painter Antoine Watteau's work embraced the artifice of the theatre, particularly the commedia dell'arte and ballet. His works typified the Rococo style.

Liberian soccer star George Weah was named African, European and World Player of the Year in 1995 and has since become a prominent humanitarian and politician.

Actress Sigourney Weaver is best known for her roles in films since the 1980s, including Ghost Busters, Working Girl and Alien.

Songwriter Cynthia Weil is famous for singles including "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" for The Animals and "Walking in the Rain" for The Ronettes.

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Scott Weiland is best known for performing as lead vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver.

Bob Weir was a rhythm guitarist for the legendary rock band the Grateful Dead from 1964 to 1995 and later reunited to tour with former members as The Other Ones.

British actor Ben Whishaw is best known for playing Freddie Lyon on the television series The Hour and Q in the 2012 film Skyfall.

Author Oscar Wilde published several acclaimed works, including The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Harvey Washington Wiley was an American chemist known as the "Father of the FDA." Throughout much of his career, Wiley campaigned for reforms in food manufacturing and in food labeling.

Edith Wilson was Woodrow Wilson's second First Lady. When Woodrow suffered a stroke, Edith kept it a secret so he wouldn't lose his position.

English actress Anna Wing is known for her long career on stage and screen, but most of all for her role on the long-running television series EastEnders.

Henry Winkler is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Fonzie on the hit 1970s sitcom Happy Days. He has produced and directed several television series.

Oscar winner Kate Winslet has starred in a number of acclaimed dramas and comedies. She first gained fame in the blockbuster Titanic.

Thomas Wolfe was a major American novelist of the early 20th century, notable for his first book, 1929's Look Homeward, Angel.

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.

The singer of such hits as "Single White Female," Chely Wright made news in 2010 when she came out as the first openly gay country star.

Bill Wyman is best known for being the bass player for The Rolling Stones with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Weird Al Yankovic parodies popular hit music. His version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It", which he titled "Eat It", became an MTV favorite.

Thom Yorke is the lead singer and songwriter of the English alternative rock band Radiohead, whose hit albums include OK Computer and The Bends.

Benh Zeitlin is an American filmmaker best known for his critically-acclaimed 2012 film, Beasts of the Southern Wild.