Famous People Born In 1901

Discover the most famous people born in 1901. The list includes people like Walt Disney, Louis Armstrong, Hirohito, Clark Gable, Werner Heisenberg and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, soldiers, philosophers and directors born in 1901. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & France and many more countries.
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 1 
Walt Disney
(Pioneer of the American Animation Industry)
Walt Disney
112
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 5th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: December 15, 1966

Walt Disney is considered to be the forerunner of the American animation industry. He has won 22 Oscars and holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual as a film producer. His The Walt Disney Company‍ has produced many successful animation films. He later established amusement theme park, Disneyland, in 1955, which has since grown manifold.

 2 
Louis Armstrong
(One of the Most Influential Figures in Jazz)
Louis Armstrong
57
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 4th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: July 6, 1971

Louis Armstrong was an American trumpeter and singer who played an important role in the development of jazz. Thanks to his playing, trumpet became known as a solo instrument and jazz, which was previously known as a collectively improvised folk music, became a soloist's art form. Not surprisingly, Louis Armstrong is widely accepted as the embodiment of jazz. 

 3 
Clark Gable
38
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 1st February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cadiz, Ohio, United States
Died: August 16, 1960

Popularly known as The King of Hollywood, Clark Gable appeared as a leading man for 30 years in an acting career that spanned 37 years. One of the most bankable Hollywood stars in the history of American cinema, Clark Gable was named in the greatest male star of classic American cinema list published by the American Film Institute.

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 4 
Hirohito
(Former Emperor of Japan)
Hirohito
48
Listed In: Emperors & Kings
Birthdate: 29th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan
Died: January 7, 1989
Hirohito, or Emperor Showa, the longest-reigning Japanese emperor, reigned from 1926 to 1989 and supported the Axis Powers during World War II. He also served in the Japanese military. He was not prosecuted for war crimes by the U.S. and played a major role in the post-war reconstruction of Japan.
 5 
Gary Cooper
(One of the Greatest Male Stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema)
Gary Cooper
20
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 7th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Helena, Montana, United States
Died: May 13, 1961

Gary Cooper was one of the most popular and versatile American actors of all time. Known for his understated acting style, Cooper won the adulation of critics, fans, and fellow movie stars. A major movie star throughout the golden age of cinema, Cooper was ranked 11th on the 25 greatest male stars of classic Hollywood cinema list published by AFI.

 6 
Marlene Dietrich
(Actress and Singer)
Marlene Dietrich
47
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 27th December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Schöneberg, Berlin, Germany
Died: May 6, 1992
Marlene Dietrich initially performed on stage in Berlin and then shot to fame with The Blue Angel. She continued to rule Hollywood with films such as Morocco, Desire, and Shanghai Express. She helped German and French exiles during World War II. Openly bisexual, she was famous for her androgynous image.
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 7 
Langston Hughes
(One of the Earliest Innovators of the Literary Art Form Called Jazz Poetry)
Langston Hughes
39
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 1st February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Joplin, Missouri, United States
Died: May 22, 1967

Langston Hughes is best remembered as a prominent leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He was one of the first to write jazz poetry. He also wrote plays and short stories. He was a columnist for The Chicago Defender and wrote the iconic poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers.

 8 
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
(Russia’s Grand Duchess and the Youngest Daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, Last Emperor)
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
17
Birthdate: 18th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Peterhof, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: July 17, 1918
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. She was assassinated by the Bolsheviks in July 1918. However, rumors of her escape sprung up later, with many imposters claiming to be Anastasia. Nevertheless, DNA tests have dismissed any chances of Anastasia’s survival.
 9 
Werner Heisenberg
(German Theoretical Physicist and One of the Main Pioneers of the Theory of Quantum Mechanics)
Werner Heisenberg
13
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 5th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Würzburg, Germany
Died: February 1, 1976
German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg is best known for pioneering quantum mechanics. He received the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics. He had also helped Germany plan nuclear weapon strategies during World War II and was the director of what is now known as the Max Planck Institute for Physics.
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 10 
Ed Sullivan
(Legendary Host of the TV Variety Show 'The Ed Sullivan Show')
Ed Sullivan
7
Birthdate: 28th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Harlem, New York, United States
Died: October 13, 1974
Sports reporter and TV personality Ed Sullivan is best remembered as the host and creator of the variety show named The Toast of the Town, later renamed The Ed Sullivan Show. One of TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time, he was also a skilled columnist.
 11 
George Raft
5
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 26th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hell's Kitchen, New York, United States
Died: November 24, 1980
 12 
Linus Pauling
(One of the Greatest Scientists of All Time & Winner of Two Nobel Prizes)
Linus Pauling
10
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 28th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States
Died: August 19, 1994

Only person to win two unshared Nobel Prizes, Linus Carl Pauling was an American theoretical physical chemist, who received the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on nature of chemical bond and 1962 Nobel Prize for Peace for his efforts to stop nuclear weapon testing. Also a prolific writer and educator, he has published 1,200 books and papers.  

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 13 
Adolf Dassler
(German Entrepreneur and Founder of ‘Adidas')
Adolf Dassler
6
Listed In: Retailers
Birthdate: 3rd November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Herzogenaurach, Germany
Died: September 6, 1978

Adolf Dassler was a German cobbler-turned-entrepreneur who established the German sportswear company Adidas. His older brother, Rudolf Dassler, established Puma. The two brothers initially operated the Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory. Adolf was a pioneer in designing athletic shoes and in selling them through endorsements from athletes.

 14 
Enrico Fermi
(Italian Physicist, Nobel Laureate and Creator of the World's First Nuclear Reactor)
Enrico Fermi
10
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 29th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: November 28, 1954
Italian physicist Enrico Fermi created the Chicago Pile-1, the world's first nuclear reactor. Known widely as the "architect of the atomic bomb," he was equally proficient in theoretical and experimental physics, and won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on radioactivity and for discovering transuranium elements.
 15 
Lee Strasberg
(Actor, Director)
Lee Strasberg
3
Birthdate: 17th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Budaniv, Ukraine
Died: February 17, 1982
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 16 
Witold Pilecki
(Polish World War II Cavalry Officer, Intelligence Agent and Resistance Leader)
Witold Pilecki
21
Birthdate: 13th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Olonets, Russia
Died: May 25, 1948

Known as prisoner number 4859 at the Auschwitz concentration camp, Witold Pilecki voluntarily got himself arrested to be sent to the camp, so that he could start an anti-Nazi resistance movement. He set up the underground campaign ZOW and was eventually able to escape. Nevertheless, he was executed by communists.

 17 
Margaret Mead
(Cultural Anthropologist)
Margaret Mead
8
Listed In: Anthropologists
Birthdate: 16th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died: November 15, 1978

One of the most celebrated anthropologists to have ever existed, Margaret Mead is remembered for his research on a broad range of topics, such as sexual conventions in Western society. Of her 23 books, the most talked-about was the bestseller Coming of Age in Samoa.

 18 
Zeppo Marx
(Actor, Comedian)
Zeppo Marx
5
Birthdate: 25th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: November 30, 1979
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 19 
Henning von Tresckow
(Military Officer)
Henning von Tresckow
11
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 10th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Magdeburg, Germany
Died: July 21, 1944

Henning von Tresckow was a German Army officer who played a key role in organizing German  resistance against Adolf Hitler. He drafted the Valkyrie plan for a coup against the German government and even attempted to assassinate Hitler in 1943. The next year, he once again plotted to kill Hitler and failed again, upon which he committed suicide. 

 20 
Sukarno
(President of Indonesia)
Sukarno
25
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 6th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Surabaya, Indonesia
Died: June 21, 1970

Sukarno was an Indonesian politician who played a major role in the Indonesian struggle for independence. An important leader of the country's nationalist movement, Sukarno declared Indonesian independence from the Dutch Empire and became Indonesia's first president in 1945. He was successful in resisting Dutch re-colonization efforts and went on to serve as the Indonesian president until 1967.

 21 
Alberto Giacometti
(Sculptor, Painter)
Alberto Giacometti
3
Birthdate: 10th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Borgonovo, Bregaglia, Switzerland
Died: January 11, 1966

Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss painter, sculptor, printmaker, and draftsman. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most important sculptors, Giacometti's career and his friendship with American writer James Lord inspired the 2017 British-American drama film Final Portrait, in which Alberto Giacometti is portrayed by Australian actor Geoffrey Roy Rush.

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 22 
Ed Begley
(Actor)
Ed Begley
4
Birthdate: 25th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Died: April 28, 1970
 23 
Paul Fix
(Actor)
Paul Fix
10
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 13th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Dobbs Ferry, New York, United States
Died: October 14, 1983
 24 
Ub Iwerks
(Animator and Cartoonist Known for Designing the First Images of 'Mickey Mouse')
Ub Iwerks
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 24th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Died: July 7, 1971

Ub Iwerks was an American cartoonist, animator, inventor, character designer, and special effects technician. He is credited with designing such popular characters as Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Apart from being honored with several Academy Awards for his work, Iwerks was also named a Disney Legend. The Ub Iwerks Award for Technical Achievement is named in his honor.

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 25 
Art Rooney
(Founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers)
Art Rooney
4
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 27th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Coulterville, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: August 25, 1988

Also known as The Chief, Art Rooney not only founded the NFL team Pittsburgh Steelers but was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won the Super Bowl four times as an owner and was a major force behind the NFL-AFL merger. He was also a track racing enthusiast.

 26 
Barbara Cartland
(Writer, Known as the ‘Queen of Romance’, One of the Best-Selling Authors Worldwide of the 20th Century)
Barbara Cartland
4
Listed In: Novelists
Birthdate: 9th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
Died: May 21, 2000
 27 
Chuck Taylor
(Basketball player)
Chuck Taylor
3
Birthdate: 24th June
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brown County, Indiana, United States
Died: June 23, 1969
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 28 
Stella Adler
(American Actress & Acting Teacher)
Stella Adler
6
Birthdate: 10th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: December 21, 1992
 29 
Louis Kahn
(Architect)
Louis Kahn
0
Birthdate: 20th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kuressaare, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died: March 17, 1974

Louis Kahn was an American architect who is credited with creating a style that was monolithic and monumental. Regarded as one of the 20th century's most influential architects, Kahn served as a professor at Yale School of Architecture and at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design. His life and career inspired a documentary titled My Architect: A Son's Journey.

 30 
Melvyn Douglas
(American Actor Who was Among One of the Few Performers to Win 'Triple Crown of Acting')
Melvyn Douglas
6
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 5th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Macon, Georgia, United States
Died: August 4, 1981

Melvyn Douglas was an American actor who achieved popularity in the 1930s. Over the course of his illustrious acting career, Douglas won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award, becoming one of the few actors to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. Melvyn Douglas also won several other awards, including the prestigious Golden Globe Award. 

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 31 
Jascha Heifetz
(Former Violinist remembered for his performances at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall)
Jascha Heifetz
1
Listed In: Violinists
Birthdate: 2nd February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vilnius, Lithuania
Died: December 10, 1987
 32 
Maurice Evans
(Actor)
Maurice Evans
1
Birthdate: 3rd June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dorchester, England
Died: March 12, 1989
 33 
Mabel Albertson
(Actress)
Mabel Albertson
1
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 24th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Haverhill, Massachusetts, United States
Died: September 28, 1982
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 34 
Andre Malraux
(French Author and Statesman Best Known for His Novel ‘La Condition Humaine’)
Andre Malraux
1
Listed In: Novelists
Birthdate: 3rd November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: November 23, 1976

A prominent supporter of President Charles de Gaulle, author Andre Malraux had served as the French minister of cultural affairs for a decade. He initiated anti-colonial and socialist movements in South-east Asia and also went on expeditions to discover mythical wonders such as the capital of the Queen of Sheba.

 35 
Maxwell D. Taylor
(Military officer)
Maxwell D. Taylor
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 26th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Keytesville, Missouri, United States
Died: April 19, 1987
 36 
Arleigh Albert Burke
(Admiral)
Arleigh Albert Burke
3
Listed In: Military Leaders
Birthdate: 19th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Boulder, Colorado, United States
Died: January 1, 1996
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 37 
Robert Bresson
(Director)
Robert Bresson
1
Birthdate: 25th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bromont-Lamothe, France
Died: December 18, 1999
 38 
Vittorio De Sica
(Italian Film Director and Actor Who was a Leading Figure in the Neorealist Movement)
Vittorio De Sica
6
Birthdate: 7th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sora, Italy
Died: November 13, 1974

Four-time Academy Award-winning director Vittorio De Sica was a symbol of Italian neorealism. Apart from creating masterpieces such as Bicycle Thieves and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. He had begun his career acting in silent films and had then also participated in musical theater. He was both a Roman Catholic and a communist.

 39 
Ernest Lawrence
(Physicist)
Ernest Lawrence
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: 8th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Canton, South Dakota, United States
Died: August 27, 1958
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 40 
Frank Buckles
(Military personnel)
Frank Buckles
3
Listed In: Soldiers
Birthdate: 1st February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bethany
Died: February 27, 2011
 41 
Mark Oliphant
(Australian Physicist Who Played an Important Role in the First Experimental Demonstration of Nuclear Fusion)
Mark Oliphant
1
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 8th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia
Died: July 14, 2000

Mark Oliphant was an Australian humanitarian and physicist who played a prominent role in the first experimentation of nuclear fusion. He also played an influential role in the development of nuclear weapons. Oliphant is credited with founding the Australian Academy of Science. Over the course of his illustrious career, Mark Oliphant received several prestigious awards, such as the Hughes Medal.

 42 
Sam Spiegel
(Film producer)
Sam Spiegel
1
Birthdate: 11th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Jarosław, Austrian Poland
Died: December 31, 1985
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 43 
Michael Oakeshott
(Former philosopher and political theorist who was known as one of the 20th century's most conservative thinkers)
Michael Oakeshott
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 11th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chelsfield, London, England, United Kingdom
Died: December 19, 1990
 44 
Jacques Lacan
(Psychoanalyst, Psychiatrist)
Jacques Lacan
8
Birthdate: 13th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: September 9, 1981
French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist Jacques Lacan is remembered for his philosophical approach that explored Freudian concepts, to which he applied elements of structuralism and anthropology to create his own concepts. His controversial suggestions led to his expulsion from the International Psychoanalytic Association. One of his key concepts was “Return to Freud.”
 45 
Joe Davis
(English Professional Snooker and Billiards Player)
Joe Davis
1
Listed In: Snooker Players
Birthdate: 15th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Whitwell, Derbyshire, England
Died: July 10, 1978
 46 
Frank Zamboni
(Inventor)
Frank Zamboni
1
Listed In: Inventors
Birthdate: 16th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Eureka, Utah, United States
Died: July 27, 1988
 47 
Syama Prasad Mookerjee
(Indian Politician)
Syama Prasad Mookerjee
4
Birthdate: 6th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Calcutta, India
Died: June 23, 1953
 48 
Carl Barks
(Screenwriter, Writer, Painter, Farmer, Journalist)
Carl Barks
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 27th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Merrill
Died: August 25, 2000
 49 
Florence Green
(Servicewoman)
Florence Green
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 19th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Edmonton, London Edmonton, County of London London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland UK
Died: February 4, 2012
 50 
Simon Kuznets
(Economist)
Simon Kuznets
0
Listed In: Economists
Birthdate: 30th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pinsk
Died: July 8, 1985