Prominent book author and magazine writer, Adam Gopnik is a leading arts and culture writer.
1956-
Actor Elliott Gould starred in the original M*A*S*H movie, married Barbra Streisand, and is one of Ocean's Eleven (2001 version).
1938-
Stephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist, and the best-selling writer of popular science books.
1941-2002
Temple Grandin is a noted animal expert and advocate for autistic populations who has penned the books Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human.
1947-
1860-1961
Hugh Grant is a Golden Globe Award-winning British actor who starred in Four Weddings and a Funeral and the film adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary.
1960-
Linda Gray is an American actress and director best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the popular series Dallas.
1940-
Singer-songwriter Macy Gray is widely known for her 1999 hit single, "I Try." She is also an actress and philanthropist.
1969-
Rupert Grint is a British actor best known for his role as Harry Potter's best friend Ronald "Ron" Weasley in the film series based on J.K. Rowling's bestselling books.
1988-
Charles Julius Guiteau was an American lawyer best known for assassinating President James Garfield in 1881 for denying him an ambassadorship position in Paris.
1841-1882
Thom Gunn was an award-winning poet known for works that included Fighting Terms, Touch and The Man With Night Sweats.
1929-2004
1924-2003
Chris Hadfield is a pioneering Canadian astronaut who became a global celebrity through his Twitter feed while aboard the International Space Station in 2013.
1959-
Larry Hagman starred opposite Barbara Eden on the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie and played J.R. Ewing on the primetime drama Dallas.
1931-2012
1924-
Musician, singer. Moby was born as Richard Melville Hall on September 11, 1965, in Harlem, New York. However, his parents felt that such a grand name was unsuited for such a small, fragile child and instead decided to call him Moby, after the eponymous
1965-
Dorothy Hamill is a gold medal-winning Olympic figure skater known for her moves on the rink as well as her signature bobbed haircut.
1956-
Scott Hamilton is a U.S. Gold Medal Olympiad also known for his sports commentary and raising cancer awareness.
1958-
Hannibal Hamlin was a 19th century U.S. senator who became the country’s 15th vice president, serving under Abraham Lincoln.
1809-1891
Morten Harket is best known for being lead singer of the Norwegian pop band A-ha, which produced the 1980s hit "Take On Me" and its innovative music video.
1959-
TV star Mark Harmon has been on long-running shows like St. Elsewhere, Chicago Hope and NCIS.
1951-
1971-
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.
1961-
Naomie Harris is a British actress best known for her roles in 28 Days Later, After the Sunset, the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and Skyfall (2012).
1976-
For close to 30 years, drummer Mickey Hart paired with Bill Kreutzmann to form the rhythm section for the iconic rock 'n' roll band the Grateful Dead.
1943-
Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield led his family in their notorious and bloody feud with the McCoys during the late 1800s along the Kentucky-West Virginia border.
1839-1921
Veteran character actor John Hawkes has appeared on TV in Deadwood and such films as Winter's Bone and The Sessions.
1959-
Salma Hayek is an actress, director and producer of Mexican descent who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Frida.
1966-
1831-1889
German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was one of the creators of German Idealism. He explored how contradictions ultimately integrated.
1770-1831
1849-1903
1551-1589
African-American actress Taraji Henson starred in Hustle and Flow, and earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
1970-
American manufacturer and philanthropist who founded the Hershey Chocolate Corporation and popularized chocolate candy throughout much of the world.
1857-1945
1951-
Faith Hill is a Grammy award-winning singer with numerous hits on the country and pop charts. She's married to Tim McGraw.
1967-
James J. Hill was a railroad magnate responsible for greatly expanding railways into the U.S. northwest during the late 19th century.
1838-1916
American actress Cheryl Hines is known for her Emmy Award-nominated role as Cheryl David, Larry David's wife, on HBO comedy 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' which began in 2000.
1965-
1812-1866
Buddy Holly was a singer/songwriter whose records, conveying a sense of the wide-open spaces of West Texas and unstoppable joie de vivre, remain vital today.
1936-1959
Ian Holm is best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He also had notable parts in Alien, The Fifth Element and The Sweet Hereafter.
1931-
1809-1894
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.
1912-1994
Niall Horan is best known as the only Irish-born member of the boy band One Direction.
1993-
1885-1952
1902-1988
Charles H. Houston was an attorney and vice-dean who worked in important civil rights cases, ultimately helping to end Jim Crow laws.
1895-1950
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.
1955-
Jennifer Hudson is an Oscar and Grammy-winning actress and singer known for roles in Dreamgirls and Sex and the City.
1981-
1964-
1951-
1780-1867
Theater, film and television actor Jeremy Irons starred in the popular movies Reversal of Fortune, The Lion King, Lolita, Being Julia and The Fourth Angel.
1948-
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.
1530-1584
1944-2007
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.
1958-2009
Phil Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association after leading his teams to nine NBA titles.
1945-
Jesse James was a bank and train robber in the American Old West, best known as the leading member of the James-Younger gang of outlaws.
1847-1882
Danish silversmith Georg Jensen was one of the first people to use steel for cutlery and recognize modern silverware as profitable.
1866-1935
As frontwoman for The Runaways, Joan Jett became a female pioneer in the male-dominated world of rock music. She is also a songwriter and producer.
1958-
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.
1952-
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.
1908-1973
1967-
1709-1784
Louis Joliet was a 17th century Canadian explorer who, aided by Native American communities, explored the origins of the Mississippi River.
1645-1700
1912-2002
Country singer and songwriter George Jones was born into poverty, but became a successful musician later in life. His first hit was the 1955 song "Why Baby Why."
1931-2013
1966-
Steve Jones was the guitarist for the pioneering English punk rock band the Sex Pistols.
1955-
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor known for his roles in Men in Black, The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men and Lincoln (2012).
1946-
1972-
1890-1968
Heike Kamerlingh-Onnes was a Dutch scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his production of liquid helium. He also discovered superconductivity.
1853-1926
1950-
1909-2003
Michael Keaton is an American actor known for his roles in the comedy Mr. Mom and as Batman in the Tim Burton-directed installments of the series.
1951-
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.
1912-1996
1936-
Joseph P. Kennedy is best known as the father of three political leaders: President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Representative Ted Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, who served as a U.S. senator and attorney general.
1888-1969
Novelist Ken Kesey wrote One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, which in the U.S. became one of the most widely read books of the 1960s.
1935-2001
Ayatollah Khomeini became the supreme religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, following many years of resistance to Shah Pahlavi.
1902-1989
Jean-Claude Killy is a French former champion alpine skier who won three gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics.
1943-
"King of the Blues" B.B. King began as a disc jockey in Memphis before finding fame as an R&B guitarist, with hits like "The Thrill Is Gone."
1925-
Stephen King is a New York Times-bestselling novelist who made his name in the horror and fantasy genres. Much of his work has been adapted into films.
1947-
Along with Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold shot and killed 13 people and injured 20 at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.
1981-1999
1920-
1892-1984
Beyoncé Knowles is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning recording artist who's acclaimed for her thrilling vocals, videos and live shows.
1981-
1936-
Charles Kuralt was a multiple Emmy and Peabody Award-winning broadcast journalist who produced the well-loved "On The Road" segments for the CBS Evening News.
1934-1997
1940-
In addition to his own label, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has been a major creative force behind such well-known brands as Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel, and Fendi.
1933-
1970-
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.
1924-2000
Tommy Lasorda is an American baseball manager best known for successfully managing the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1977 to 1996.
1927-
Lewis Howard Latimer was an inventor and draftsman best known for his contributions to the patenting of the light bulb and the telephone.
1848-1928
1858-1923
Actor Peter Lawford ran with the Rat Pack, married a Kennedy, and was the last person to speak to Marilyn Monroe. He also made movies now and then.
1923-1984
D.H. Lawrence is best known for his infamous novel Lady Chatterley's Lover, which was banned in the United States until 1959, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
1885-1930
Jacob Lawrence was an American painter, and the most widely acclaimed African-American artist of the 20th century. He is best known for his Migration Series.
1917-2000