Famous People Born On July 9th

One of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, Tom Hanks is known for both his comedic and dramatic roles. Making his breakthrough with leading roles in the 1980s, he went on to further cement his place in Hollywood in the 1990s by taking up poignant and sensitive roles. He is also a director, producer, and screenwriter. 

Jon Jones, the American professional mixed martial artist, is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever. He holds many Ultimate Fighting Championship records in the light heavyweight division. However, he has been also been involved in several controversies and has been arrested for felony, hit-and-run charges and has tested positive for banned substances.

Brian Dennehy was a prolific stage actor with two Tony Awards under his belt. He is credited with exploring playwright Eugene O'Neill’s works and bringing his popular characters to life at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. Also an acclaimed television and film actor, Brian Dennehy appeared in more than 180 films and several TV series.

Jimmy Smits is an American actor who achieved popularity after portraying Victor Sifuentes in the legal drama television series L.A. Law. Also known for his charity work, Smits helped establish the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, which supports Latinos working in the entertainment, media, and telecommunications industries. He has also donated to organizations, such as the American Red Cross.

Painter, photographer, printmaker, and stage designer David Hockney is best known for his works such as Portrait of an Artist, which became the most expensive piece of art by a living artist ever auctioned, at $90 million. His works have explored themes such as homosexuality. He has synesthesia, too.

The White Stripes guitarist and vocalist Jack White had begun playing drums at 6. He made it to Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. With 12 Grammys, he is now considered one of the main forces in the revival of the garage rock genre in the 2000s.

Jesse Watters is best known for his aggressive ambush journalism and for his vox pop interviews featured in the "Watters' World” segment of the show The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. A seasoned political commentator, he has also hosted the talk shows The Five and Outnumbered.

Phineas Gage was a railroad construction foreman. He is best remembered for surviving an accident which destroyed much of the left frontal lobe of his brain; during the accident, a large iron rod was driven through his head. Gage's personality was said to have changed after the accident, which contributed immensely to studies about the brain's role in determining personality.

Kelly McGillis is an American actress known for her performance in films like Witness and Top Gun. An openly lesbian actress, McGillis serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community. McGillis, who currently teaches acting, worked full-time with alcoholics and drug addicts at Seabrook House Drug Alcohol Rehab Center in Bridgeton, New Jersey, where she touched the lives of many.

Toby Kebbell is an English actor known for playing important roles in popular movies, such as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, War Horse, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He is also known for his portrayal of Rob Gretton in the 2007 Ian Curtis' biographical film Control, for which he won the British Independent Film Award.

Amanda Knox is an American woman who made headlines when she was convicted for the murder of Meredith Kercher in Italy. After spending almost four years in prison, Amanda was definitively acquitted after a new trial that found her not guilty. Her story inspired books and documentaries; Knox's memoir Waiting to Be Heard became popular.

Gianluca Vialli is an Italian former football player who played as a striker. He scored 286 goals in more than 500 appearances and is the  tenth-highest scoring Italian footballer in all competitions. After his retirement, he became manager of the English football club Chelsea and was one of the club's most successful managers.

A member of the famous Rypien family, Brett Rypien is a professional American football player who currently plays as the quarterback for the popular franchise The Denver Broncos of the NFL. For the past couple of years, Brett Rypien has been an important player for the Denver Broncos.

South Korean-born Linda Park had to go through multiple auditions before grabbing her first lead role, Hoshi Sato in Star Trek: Enterprise. The actor who has also played the iconic Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, has always been open about her struggle with lupus.

Ferdinand II was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1619 to1637. He was a member of the House of Habsburg and the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. A zealous Catholic, he wanted to restore the Catholic Church as the only religion in the empire, a move that earned him the ire of Protestant groups. 

American theoretical-physicist John Archibald Wheeler, who worked as professor of physics at Princeton University for most of his career, is best-known for co-developing the concept of Breit–Wheeler process, popularising the term black hole, and helping in designing and building the hydrogen bomb. He also invented several terms like quantum foam and wormhole, and hypothesized the one-electron universe.