Famous People Born In 1897

Discover the most famous people born in 1897. The list includes people like Subhas Chandra Bose, Joseph Goebbels, Amelia Earhart, Dorothy Day, Lucky Luciano and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, soldiers, journalists and novelists born in 1897. This list includes people from United States, Germany, United Kingdom & France and many more countries.
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 1 
Amelia Earhart
(The First Female Aviator to Fly Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean)
Amelia Earhart
194
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 24th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Atchison, Kansas, United States
Died: January 5, 1939

Amelia Earhart became the first female pilot to complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight, in 1932. A champion for equal rights, Amelia later wrote best-selling memoirs and contributed to the women pilot’s group The Ninety-Nines. In 1937, Amelia disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean and was later declared dead.

 2 
Moe Howard
(Actor, Comedian and Leader of Comedy Group ‘The Three Stooges’)
Moe Howard
19
Birthdate: 19th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: May 4, 1975

Moe Howard was an American comedian and actor best known for his role as the leader of one of the most popular farce comedy teams of all time, The Three Stooges. He appeared in several films as part of the comedy team and is credited with popularizing a distinctive hairstyle called a bowl cut.

 3 
William Faulkner
(Regarded as One of the Most Significant American Writers of All Time)
William Faulkner
17
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 25th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New Albany, Mississippi, United States
Died: July 6, 1962
Nobel Prize-winning Southern author William Faulkner is remembered for works The Sound and the Fury, A Rose for Emily, and As I Lay Dying. He immortalized Mississippi as the fictional "Yoknapatawpha County" in his works. He also won two Pulitzers, one each for A Fable and The Reivers.
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 4 
Enid Blyton
(Best Selling Children's Writer of the 20th Century Known for Her Works 'Malory Towers' & 'The Famous Five')
Enid Blyton
11
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 11th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: East Dulwich, London, England
Died: November 28, 1968
Author Enid Blyton is best remembered for her iconic children’s book series such as Famous Five, Malory Towers, and Secret Seven, majorly focusing on mystery-based plots. Her works have made her the fourth-most-translated writer. She had supported animal and paediatric charities. Her story inspired the BBC film Enid.
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 5 
Subhas Chandra Bose
(Indian Nationalist Who Participated in Indian Freedom Movement)
Subhas Chandra Bose
62
Birthdate: 23rd January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cuttack, India
Died: August 18, 1945

An Indian nationalist known for his role in the country’s struggle for freedom from the British, Subhas Chandra Bose was a politician with radical views. He was part of the Indian National Congress in the late 1920s and 1930s. However, his association with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan made him a controversial figure.

 6 
Irène Joliot-Curie
(French Physicist, Politician and Winner of the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
Irène Joliot-Curie
8
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 12th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: March 17, 1956

Marie Curie and Pierre Curie’s daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, herself a brilliant scientist, won the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with her husband, Joliot-Curie, for discovering artificial radioactivity. She was also one of the first three female French government members. She tragically died of leukemia caused by exposure to radiation.

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 7 
Thich Quang Duc
(Former Vietnamese monk who burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road intersection on 11 June 1963)
Thich Quang Duc
22
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 30th November
Birthplace: Hội Khánh, Vietnam
Died: June 11, 1963
 8 
Frank Capra
(One of America's Most Influential Directors During the 1930s)
Frank Capra
11
Birthdate: 18th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bisacquino, Italy
Died: September 3, 1991
Frank Capra was a filmmaker and writer responsible for making several American award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. After being born into a poor Italian family, Capra went on to become one of Hollywood's most influential directors of the 1930s; his rags-to-riches story continues to inspire many, with historians labeling him the American Dream personified.
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 9 
Bud Abbott
(Comedian)
Bud Abbott
3
Birthdate: 2nd October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States
Died: April 24, 1974
 10 
Jack Haley
(Vaudevillian)
Jack Haley
3
Birthdate: 10th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Died: June 6, 1979
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 11 
Marion Davies
(Actress and Producer Best Known for Her Films: ‘When Knighthood Was in Flower’ and ‘Little Old New York’)
Marion Davies
7
Birthdate: 3rd January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: September 22, 1961

Marion Davies was an American actress, screenwriter, producer, and philanthropist. During the mid-1920s, Davies was Hollywood's number one female box office star due to the popularity of her films Little Old New York and When Knighthood Was in Flower. Since her death, Davies has been portrayed in several films by different actresses, including Kirsten Dunst, Virginia Madsen, and Amanda Seyfried.

 12 
Marian Anderson
12
Birthdate: 27th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Philadelphia
Died: April 8, 1993
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 13 
Edith Head
(Costume designer)
Edith Head
5
Birthdate: 28th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: San Bernardino, California, United States
Died: October 24, 1981
 14 
Dorothy Day
(American Social Activist, Journalist, and Anarchist)
Dorothy Day
5
Birthdate: 8th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: November 29, 1980

Dorothy Day was an American social activist, journalist, and anarchist. She is best remembered for co-founding the Catholic Worker Movement along with French activist Peter Maurin. She also co-founded a newspaper called Catholic Worker and served as its editor between 1933 and 1980. In 2001, Dorothy Day was made an inductee of the National Women's Hall of Fame.

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 15 
Lester B. Pearson
(14th Prime Minister of Canada (1963 - 1968))
Lester B. Pearson
6
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 23rd April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Newtonbrook, Toronto, Canada
Died: December 27, 1972

Lester B. Pearson was a Canadian statesman, scholar, diplomat, and soldier. He is best remembered for organizing the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in an attempt to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis, for which he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. From 1963 to 1968, Lester B. Pearson served as the prime minister of Canada.

 16 
Fredric March
(One of Hollywood's Most Celebrated, Versatile Stars of the 1930s and 1940s)
Fredric March
3
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 31st August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Racine, Wisconsin, United States
Died: April 14, 1975

Fredric March was an American actor best remembered for his versatility. One of the most celebrated actors during the 1930s and 1940s, Fredric March won two Academy Awards for Best Actor and two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play; he is one of two actors to have received both the Tony Award and Academy Award twice.

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 17 
Aneurin Bevan
(Former Secretary of State for Health)
Aneurin Bevan
5
Birthdate: 15th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tredegar, Wales
Died: July 6, 1960

Born into a working-class family, Aneurin Bevan quit school at 13 to start working at a colliery. He later won a scholarship to study in London and rose to become a Labour MP. He led the ministries of labor and health, and the left-wing of the Labour Party, the Bevanites.

 18 
Walter Pidgeon
(Former Actor who starred in The Bad and the Beautiful and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Walter Pidgeon
2
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 23rd September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Saint John, Canada
Died: September 25, 1984
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 19 
Jimmie Rodgers
(Singer-songwriter and musician)
Jimmie Rodgers
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 8th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Meridian, Mississippi, United States
Died: May 26, 1933
 20 
Herman J. Mankiewicz
(American Screenwriter Best Known for His Academy Award Winning Film 'Citizen Kane')
Herman J. Mankiewicz
5
Listed In: Screenwriters
Birthdate: 7th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: March 5, 1953
Herman J. Mankiewicz is remembered for co-writing the screenplay for the film Citizen Kane. He had also worked for the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times. He came to be known for his signature witty humor, known as "Mankiewicz humor” and inspired the 2020 Netflix biopic Mank
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 21 
Walter Winchell
(Journalist, Radio Personality)
Walter Winchell
3
Listed In: Journalists
Birthdate: 7th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: February 20, 1972
 22 
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
(Saint)
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
7
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 10th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Peterhof, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: July 17, 1918
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 23 
Ettore Boiardi
(Italian-American Chef Known for His Food Products, Named ‘Chef Boyardee’)
Ettore Boiardi
8
Listed In: Chefs
Birthdate: 22nd October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Piacenza, Italy
Died: June 21, 1985

Italian-American chef Ettore Boiardi is remembered for revolutionizing the culinary industry with his food brand Chef Boyardee, which made a variety of Italian food products, such as sauces and spaghetti, available to Americans for the first time. He even supplied food to the Allied soldiers during World War II.

 24 
Wilhelm Reich
(One of the Most Radical Figures in the History of Psychiatry)
Wilhelm Reich
4
Listed In: Psychologists
Birthdate: 24th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dobryanychi, Ukraine
Died: November 3, 1957

Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian psychoanalyst and doctor of medicine. He is credited with shaping innovations like body psychotherapy, primal therapy, and Gestalt therapy. Also a writer, Reich's books like The Sexual Revolution and The Mass Psychology of Fascism influenced generations of intellectuals. Also a controversial figure, some of Wilhelm Reich's practices caused a disturbance in the psychoanalytic community.

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 25 
Pola Negri
(Actress)
Pola Negri
3
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 3rd January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lipno, Poland
Died: August 1, 1987
 26 
John Gilbert
(Actor)
John Gilbert
4
Birthdate: 10th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Logan, Utah, United States
Died: January 9, 1936
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 27 
Thornton Wilder
(Playwright)
Thornton Wilder
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 17th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Died: December 7, 1975
 28 
Judith Anderson
(Australian Actress Who is Considered One of the 20th Century's Greatest Classical Stage Actors)
Judith Anderson
3
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 10th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
Died: January 3, 1992

Judith Anderson was an Australian actress who dominated the American and Australian theater scene during her career. Regarded as the greatest stage actress of her generation, Anderson won a Tony Award for her title role in Robinson Jeffers' Medea. Judith Anderson also achieved popularity as a TV and film actress; she received an Academy Award nomination and two Emmy Awards.

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 29 
Paavo Nurmi
(Finnish Middle-Distance and Long-Distance Runner Who Dominated Distance Running in the Early 20th Century)
Paavo Nurmi
5
Listed In: Athletes
Birthdate: 13th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Turku, Finland
Died: October 2, 1973

Paavo Nurmi was a Finnish athlete who specialized in long-distance and middle-distance running. Nicknamed the Flying Finn, Nurmi dominated important distance running events in the early 20th century. He won nine gold medals and three silver medals across three Olympics in 1920, 1924, and 1928. Paavo Nurmi also set 22 official world records during his career.

 30 
Louise Tracy
(Founder of The John Tracy Clinic)
Louise Tracy
2
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 31st July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Castle, Pennsylvania
Died: November 13, 1983
 31 
Blind Willie Johnson
(Former gospel blues singer, guitarist and evangelist)
Blind Willie Johnson
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 25th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pendleton, Texas, United States
Died: September 18, 1945
Charles Kingsford Smith
8
Listed In: Aviators
Birthdate: 9th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hamilton
Died: November 8, 1935

Charles Kingsford Smith, also known as Smithy, was an Australian pilot who had been part of many first-time endeavors, the most notable being the first transpacific flight from the U.S. to Australia. While passing over Calcutta, on a flight from London to Australia in 1935, he and his co-pilot disappeared.

 33 
Georges Bataille
(French Philosopher and Intellectual)
Georges Bataille
2
Listed In: Philosophers
Birthdate: 10th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Billom, France
Died: July 9, 1962

Georges Bataille was a French intellectual and philosopher best remembered for his work in various fields, such as philosophy, sociology, history of art, anthropology, literature, and consumerism. His work would later have a huge impact on subsequent schools of social theory and philosophy. Also a prolific writer, Georges Bataille wrote on subjects like mysticism, erotism, transgression, and surrealism.

 34 
Dr Zakir Husain
(3rd President of India)
Dr Zakir Husain
23
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 8th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hyderabad, India
Died: May 3, 1969

Dr. Zakir Husain was the third President of India and  was the first President to die in office . During his lifetime, he helped found the National Muslim University which was later renamed Jamia Millia Islamia. He was honored with India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna in 1963.

 35 
Gene Tunney
(Professional Boxer Who was the World Heavyweight Champion from 1926 to 1928)
Gene Tunney
4
Listed In: Boxers
Birthdate: 25th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Died: November 7, 1978
 36 
John Laurie
(Actor)
John Laurie
5
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 25th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, UK
Died: June 23, 1980
 37 
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
(Composer, Conductor)
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
1
Birthdate: 29th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brünn, Moravia, Austria
Died: November 29, 1957
 38 
Kurt Schuschnigg
(Former Chancellor of Austria)
Kurt Schuschnigg
2
Birthdate: 14th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Riva del Garda, Italy
Died: November 18, 1977

Kurt Schuschnigg was an Austrian politician who served as the Chancellor of Austria from 1934 to 1938. He opposed the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany for which he was arrested in 1938. Schuschnigg was liberated by the US Army in 1945 post which he moved to the USA where he started working as a professor at Saint Louis University. 

 39 
Gordon Allport
(American Psychologist)
Gordon Allport
1
Listed In: Psychologists
Birthdate: 11th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Montezuma, Indiana, United States
Died: October 9, 1967
 40 
Anthony Eden
(Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1955 - 1957))
Anthony Eden
15
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 12th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Windlestone Hall, England
Died: January 14, 1977
Conservative politician Anthony Eden was the prime minister of England from 1955 to 1957. He had also served as the youngest British Army brigade-major during World War I. He earned a lot of criticism for his handling of the Suez Canal issue during his tenure as the prime minister.
 41 
Douglas Sirk
(German Filmmaker)
Douglas Sirk
1
Birthdate: 26th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
Died: January 14, 1987
 42 
Agustín Lara
(Composer, Singer, Actor, Songwriter)
Agustín Lara
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 30th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tlatlauquitepec Municipality
Died: November 6, 1970

Agustín Lara was a Mexican composer and songwriter. Apart from gaining popularity in Mexico, Lara's work has also been appreciated in places like the Caribbean, United States, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Central and South America. Many of his songs have been recorded by several international singers like Enrico Caruso. Lara's life inspired the 1959 film The Life of Agustín Lara.

 43 
Margaret Chase Smith
(Politician)
Margaret Chase Smith
3
Birthdate: 14th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Skowhegan, Maine, United States
Died: May 29, 1995
 44 
Yun Sim-deok
(Singer)
Yun Sim-deok
6
Birthdate: 25th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pyongyang, Kingdom of Korea
Died: August 4, 1926
 45 
Orry-Kelly
(Costume designer)
Orry-Kelly
1
Birthdate: 31st December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kiama
Died: February 27, 1964

Born to a tailor in Australia, Orry-Kelly initially studied banking but later sailed to the US to explore his dreams in theater. Starting with painting murals at a US nightclub, he later grew to design costumes for legends such as Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn. He also won 3 Academy Awards.

 46 
Ram Prasad Bismil
(Indian Revolutionary Who Fought Against British Rule and Was Hanged For His Involvement in Kakori Conspiracy of 1925.)
Ram Prasad Bismil
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 11th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Died: December 19, 1927
 47 
Fletcher Henderson
(Former pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music)
Fletcher Henderson
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 18th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cuthbert, Georgia, United States
Died: December 29, 1952
 48 
Pope Paul VI
11
Birthdate: 26th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Concesio, Italy
Died: August 6, 1978
Succeeding Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI was elected the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State in June 1963 and continued in his role till his death in August 1978. He reconvened the Second Vatican Council and after its conclusion worked towards implementation of its reforms. He was canonised in 2018 by Pope Francis.
 49 
Henry Cowell
(Composer, Musicologist, Music theorist, Pianist)
Henry Cowell
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 11th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Menlo Park
Died: December 10, 1965
 50 
Joseph Calleia
(Actor)
Joseph Calleia
0
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 4th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Notabile, Malta
Died: October 31, 1975