Actor, singer Dean Martin starred in several films with Jerry Lewis and belonged to the "Rat Pack," which included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.
1917-1995
American Mary Cassatt was one of the leading artists in the Impressionist movement of the later part of the 1800s.
1844-1926
Mary of Teck became Queen Mary, consort of King George V. She was the mother of kings Edward VIII and George VI, and the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.
1867-1953
Former child star Jerry Mathers is best known for playing the role of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver from 1957-1963 on the series Leave It to Beaver.
1948-
Maximilian I was the first king of Bavaria (1806–25), a member of the house of Wittelsbach.
1756-1825
Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell originated the idea of electromagnetic radiation. His ideas formed the basis for quantum mechanics.
1831-1879
Marissa Mayer led the development of Google's most successful products for more than 10 years and was appointed CEO of Yahoo in 2012, at the age of 37.
1975-
Curtis Mayfield was a singer-songwiter known for his racially conscious soul and funk who had a number one album with his score for the film Superfly.
1942-1999
Robert C. Maynard was a journalist and publisher best known for being the first African-American to own and publish a major daily newspaper (Tribune).
1937-1993
Thabo Mbeki is a South African politician best known as the two-term president of South Africa after Nelson Mandela.
1942-
Paul McCartney is a former member of the Beatles and one of the most popular solo performers of all time.
1942-
1902-1992
1884-1945
Actress and radio performer Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.
1895-1952
Bob McDonnell, a prominent Republican politician, became governor of Virginia in 2010.
1954-
Ian McKellen is a revered, award-winning British actor of stage and screen known for many roles, including The Lord of the Rings and X-Men series.
1939-
Ida McKinley was the wife of 25th U.S. President William McKinley. She served as first lady from 1897 until McKinley's assassination in 1901.
1847-1907
Republican U.S. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers is best known for being the highest ranking Republican female in the House of Representatives.
1969-
Writer Larry McMurtry is noted for his novels set on the frontier, in contemporary small towns, and in increasingly urbanized and industrial areas of Texas.
1936-
1916-2009
1953-
1917-2004
American athlete Phil Mickelson began golfing as soon as he could walk, and is now one of the foremost successful golfers in the world.
1970-
Basketball player George Mikan won five NBA championships with Minneapolis. He was one of the tallest players and increased modern height expectations.
1924-2005
Harvey Milk became one of the first openly gay officials in the United States in 1977, when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Tragically, he was killed the following year.
1930-1978
John Everett Millais was a 19th century English painter who co-founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
1829-1896
Kylie Minogue is an actress and singer who's dominated the international pop and dance charts with hits like "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Slow."
1968-
Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter Sugar Minott was best known for his hit, "Good Thing Going," a cover of Michael Jackson's "We've Got a Good Thing Going." Minott's version reached No. 4 on the British singles chart in 1981.
1956-2010
1918-2003
Alfred Molina is an English actor who belonged to the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred in the blockbuster Spider-Man 2.
1953-
Kelly Monaco is an actress and model known for her role on General Hospital. Additionally, she was a Playboy "Playmate of the Month" in 1997, and won season 1 of Dancing with the Stars.
1976-
Actress Marilyn Monroe overcame a difficult childhood to become of the world's biggest and most enduring sex symbols. She died of a drug overdose in 1962.
1926-1962
Professional football player Joe Montana lead the 49ers to victories in four Super Bowls during the 1980s, including consecutive wins in 1989 and 1990.
1956-
Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, satirist, composer, singer and close friend of Lord Byron.
1779-1852
Canadian musician Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album Jagged Little Pill established her as one of alternative rock's foremost female vocalists of the 1990s.
1974-
Nathan Morris founded the all-boy group Boyz II Men, whose members are known for their smooth-sounding harmonies as well as their slick dance performances.
1971-
Shirley Muldowney is recognized as one of the top professional car racers in the world, having earned the moniker "First Lady of Drag Racing."
1940-
1985-
The most decorated U.S. soldier of World War II, Audie Murphy returned home a hero and became an actor, starring in his own story, To Hell and Back.
1925-1971
Cillian Murphy is an Irish movie actor known for the diversity of his roles in films ranging from Breakfast on Pluto to Batman Begins, and for his bright blue eyes.
1976-
1932-2010
Moving from Saturday Night Live into feature films, including the Austin Powers trilogy, Mike Myers is one of Hollywood's most bankable comedy stars.
1963-
Actor and singer Jim Nabors came to fame playing the lovable and bumbling Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and later on the spinoff sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1930-
Spanish-born Rafael Nadal is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional tennis players of all time, completing the career Grand Slam by age 24—becoming the youngest in history to achieve the feat.
1986-
Prime Minister of Hungary Imre Nagy withdrew Hungary from the Warsaw Pact and led Hungarians against the Soviets in the Hungarian Uprising of 1956.
1896-1958
1943-
1928-
Dave Navarro is a guitar player and TV personality known for his years with the band Jane's Addiction.
1967-
U Ne Win was a Burmese military general who staged a coup and ruled his country from 1962 until 1988.
1911-2002
Liam Neeson is an Irish actor known for his strong leading-man roles and for his role as Qui-Gon Jinn in the three prequels to Star Wars.
1952-
1948-
Anastasia was the daughter of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II. After she and her family were executed, rumors claimed that she might have survived.
1901-1918
Civil rights activist and ACLU alum Eleanor Holmes Norton serves as a non-voting delegate to Congress from the District of Columbia.
1937-
Milo O'Shea was an Irish actor known for starring on the BBC sitcom Me Mammy and in Staircase, Broadway's first serious depiction of homosexual men.
1926-2013
1938-
1819-1880
Michael Oher is an NFL football player with the Baltimore Ravens. He was the subject of Michael Lewis's book, The Blind Side, and the 2009 film of the same name.
1986-
Apolo Anton Ohno is an Olympic champion speed skater who holds the record for most medals won by a U.S. Winter Olympian.
1982-
1927-
Jamie Oliver is a British chef best known for his television series The Naked Chef and for campaigning for healthier diets in school children.
1975-
Ashley Olsen, along with her twin sister Mary-Kate, came to stardom as a baby on TV's Full House, then built a vast media and fashion empire by the age of 21.
1986-
Mary-Kate Olsen was one of the Olsen twins who became child stars on the sitcom Full House. The twins have a retail product line that makes billions.
1986-
1951-
1832-1891
1815-1867
Puppeteer Frank Oz is the man behind such iconic characters as Yoda, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Grover, and Animal. He's also directed several films.
1944-
Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist and religious philosopher, who laid the foundation for the modern theory of probabilities.
1623-1662
Les Paul was a musician who designed a solid-body guitar in 1941, which then was a new type of instrument.
1915-2009
Norman Vincent Peale was a minister and author known for works like The Power of Positive Thinking and A Guide to Confident Living.
1898-1993
1917-2009
Walker Percy was a novelist known chiefly for his first novel, The Moviegoer, which explored spiritual emptiness.
1916-1990
German serial killer Peter Kürten, known as the "Dusseldorf Vampire", murdered at least nine people before surrendering to police in 1931.
1883-1931
Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th century, who is best known for his extensive reforms in an attempt to establish Russia as a great nation.
1672-1725
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.
1527-1598
Michelle Phillips performed with 1960s folk group The Mamas and the Papas. After the group disbanded, Philips became known for her work as a television actress.
1944-
Comedian Joe Piscopo joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1980 where he was known for his impressions of celebrities like Frank Sinatra.
1951-
1688-1744
1891-1964
Actress Natalie Portman won the 2010 Academy Award for her role as a dancer in Black Swan.
1981-
1948-
Grace Potter is a singer and musician who fronts the band the Nocturnals. She also sang on the hit duet "You and Tequila" with country singer Kenny Chesney.
1983-
Priscilla Presley is an American businesswoman and actress, best known for marrying Elvis Presley, with whom she had daughter Lisa Marie Presley.
1945-
Actor Robert Preston was best known for his portrayal of the charismatic huckster in The Music Man—a role he played on Broadway and in the film adaptation.
1918-1987
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.
1911-1993
American musician Prince achieved wide fame in the 1980s with 1999 and Purple Rain, the latter album sharing a title with a film starring the musician.
1958-
1799-1837
Queen Victoria was queen of Great Britain from 1837 to 1901—the longest reign of any other British monarch in history.
1819-1901
1694-1774
Zachary Quinto starred as the main villain on the popular supernatural television show Heroes, and has played Spock in J.J. Abrams's rebooted Star Trek film series.
1977-
1917-2002
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.
1914-1993
American gymnast Aly Raisman won two gold medals and a bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held in London.
1994-
Sri Lankan billionaire Raj Rajaratnam was arrested for insider trading in 2009 as part of the largest ever SEC case against a hedge fund.
1957-
Manny Ramirez is a Dominican-American baseball player who helped the Red Sox win the World Series after an 86-year losing streak.
1972-
Congressman Charles Rangel has served New York's Harlem district since 1971. He was censured by his peers for ethics violations in 2010.
1930-
Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. She helped pass the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, and was a committed pacifist.
1880-1973
1948-
1892-1967
Elizabeth Reaser is an American actress best known for her roles on the show Grey's Anatomy and in the Twilight film series.
1975-
L.A. Reid is an American music executive and producer. He's also starred as a judge on the music competition show The X Factor.
1956-