Famous People Born In 1909

Discover the most famous people born in 1909. The list includes people like Errol Flynn, Peter Drucker, Elia Kazan, James Mason, Saul Alinsky and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, historians, novelists and journalists born in 1909. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & India and many more countries.
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 1 
Errol Flynn
(Best Known for His Romantic Swashbuckler Roles in the Golden Age of Hollywood)
Errol Flynn
44
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 20th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Battery Point, Australia
Died: October 14, 1959

Regarded as the successor to Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn was an Australian-born actor who gained recognition in the Golden Age of Hollywood mainly because of his romantic swashbuckler roles. He also achieved fame for his reputation as a womanizer and party animal in personal life. His career and life inspired several films, such as My Wicked, Wicked Ways and Flynn.

 2 
Vivian Vance
(Actress)
Vivian Vance
9
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 26th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cherryvale, Kansas
Died: August 17, 1979
Vivian Vance is best remembered for her Emmy-winning role of Ethel Mertz in the sitcom I Love Lucy. Fans also loved her as Vivian Bagley in the sitcom The Lucy Show. A skilled stage actor, too, she also gained fame for playing Nancy Collister in the musical Let's Face It! 
 3 
James Mason
13
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 15th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Huddersfield, England
Died: July 27, 1984

James Mason was an English actor known for his work in both British cinema and Hollywood. One of the most bankable actors during the mid-1940s, Mason became the first person to be honored with the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film. He is credited with saving Buster Keaton's reels of nitrate film, which he discovered in Keaton’s previously owned house.

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 4 
Jessica Tandy
(British-American Actress Who Became the Oldest Actress to Win an Oscar for Best Actress)
Jessica Tandy
7
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 7th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: September 11, 1994

Jessica Tandy was an English-American actress who completed the triple crown of acting in 1990 after winning Tony Awards, an Academy Award, and Primetime Emmy Award. She is also the oldest actress to win an Oscar. Also known for her good looks, Tandy was named in People magazine's list of 50 Most Beautiful People at the peak of her career.

 5 
Burl Ives
(American Musician, Actor and Folk Singer Known for His Hit 'A Little Bitty Tear')
Burl Ives
9
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 14th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hunt City, Illinois, United States
Died: April 14, 1995
 6 
Kwame Nkrumah
(First President of Ghana)
Kwame Nkrumah
31
Birthdate: 21st September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Nkroful
Died: April 27, 1972

Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian revolutionary and politician. He played an important role in the independence of the Gold Coast in 1957, after which he served as the first prime minister of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and then as the first president of Ghana from 1960 to 1966. He also played an influential role as an advocate of Pan-Africanism.

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 7 
Barry Morris Goldwater
(Former United States Senator)
Barry Morris Goldwater
25
Birthdate: 2nd January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Phoenix
Died: May 29, 1998

Entrepreneur Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term Arizona senator. He represented the Republican Party in the 1964 presidential election, which he lost by a landslide margin to Lyndon B Johnson. He impacted the conservative and libertarian movements. He was a skilled photographer and loved collecting kachina dolls.

 8 
Elia Kazan
(One of the Most Honored and Influential Directors in Broadway and Hollywood History)
Elia Kazan
14
Birthdate: 7th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Fener, Turkey
Died: September 28, 2003

Elia Kazan was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the most influential and celebrated directors in Hollywood and Broadway history, Kazan played a key role in launching the careers of actors like Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty, and James Dean. His work has also influenced other prominent filmmakers like Martin Scorsese.

 9 
Dana Andrews
(Best Known for His Role as ‘Fred Derry’ in the Film ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’)
Dana Andrews
8
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 1st January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Collins, Mississippi, United States
Died: December 17, 1992

Dana Andrews was an American actor who achieved popularity during the 1940s. His film career declined in the 1950s, partly due to alcoholism, which he eventually overcame by working with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Later in his life, he started focusing on his real estate business. He died of pneumonia and congestive heart failure in 1992.

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 10 
Hugh Beaumont
4
Birthdate: 16th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Eudora, Kansas, United States
Died: May 14, 1982
 11 
Benny Goodman
(Bandleader and clarinetist)
Benny Goodman
9
Listed In: Jazz Musicians
Birthdate: 30th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: June 13, 1986
 12 
Stepan Bandera
(Ukrainian Politician and Far-Right Leader)
Stepan Bandera
24
Birthdate: 1st January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Staryi Uhryniv, Ukraine
Died: October 15, 1959
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 13 
Richard McDonald
(Co-Founder of McDonald's)
Richard McDonald
10
Listed In: Retailers
Birthdate: 16th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Died: July 14, 1998

Richard McDonald was an entrepreneur who co-founded the fast-food company McDonald's with his brother, Maurice. Their father ran a food stall. As young men, Richard and Maurice took over their father’s business and redesigned the restaurant. The restaurant was highly successful, and the brothers began franchising their system. The first McDonald's restaurant has now been converted into a museum. 

 14 
Francis Bacon
(Painter)
Francis Bacon
7
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: 28th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: April 28, 1992

Francis Bacon was an English philosopher and statesman. He played a major role in the development of the scientific method and was an influential figure through the scientific revolution. He served as attorney general and as lord chancellor of England and was the first recipient of the queen's counsel designation. He has created Baron Verulam in 1618. 

 15 
Nicholas Winton
(British Humanitarian and Banker)
Nicholas Winton
10
Birthdate: 19th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England, United Kingdom
Died: July 1, 2015

Nicholas Winton was a British humanitarian and banker best remembered for founding an organization to save children at risk from Czechoslovakia. He is credited with overseeing the rescue of 669 children from Czechoslovakia just before the commencement of the Second World War. This rescue mission came to be known as the Czech Kindertransport.

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 16 
Robert Ryan
(American Actor Known for His Portrayals of Hardened Cops and Ruthless Villains)
Robert Ryan
6
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 11th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: July 11, 1973

Actor Robert Ryan was also a prominent civil rights activist. In his initial days, he was also a heavyweight boxing champion, and later also served in the US Marine Corps. He soared to fame with his roles of cops or bullies in films such as The Woman on the Beach and Crossfire.

 17 
Peter Drucker
(Management Consultant)
Peter Drucker
8
Birthdate: 19th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: November 11, 2005
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
7
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 9th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: May 7, 2000
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 19 
Victor Borge
(Pianist and Comedian Known for His Popular Radio and TV Performances in Europe and the US)
Victor Borge
9
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 3rd January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: December 23, 2000

Victor Borge was a Danish-American pianist, conductor, and comedian. He is best remembered for blending comedy and music for which he achieved popularity across Europe and the United States. Recipient of several prestigious awards, Borge received badges of chivalric orders from countries like Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In 1999, he received the Kennedy Center Honors.

 20 
Margaret Sullavan
4
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 16th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Died: January 1, 1960
 21 
Jim Davis
(Actor)
Jim Davis
10
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 26th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Edgerton, Missouri, United States
Died: April 26, 1981
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 22 
Virginia Apgar
(Physician and Anesthesiologist)
Virginia Apgar
6
Listed In: Inventors
Birthdate: 7th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Westfield, New Jersey, United States
Died: August 7, 1974
 23 
Max Baer
(American Boxer: Features on 'The Ring' Magazine's List of 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time)
Max Baer
15
Listed In: Boxers
Birthdate: 11th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Died: November 21, 1959
 24 
Albert R. Broccoli
(American Producer Known for His Work on the 'James Bond' Films)
Albert R. Broccoli
6
Birthdate: 5th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Died: June 27, 1996
Producer Albert R. Broccoli, or Cubby, is best remembered for his work on several James Bond films, such as From Russia with Love and Goldfinger. He was honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his contribution to films. He was also a horse-racing expert.
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 25 
Fred Perry
(British Tennis & Table Tennis Player Who Won Eight Grand Slam Tournaments & Two Pro Slam Singles Titles)
Fred Perry
9
Listed In: Tennis Players
Birthdate: 18th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Portwood, Stockport, England
Died: February 2, 1995

Fred Perry was a British tennis player. A former world No. 1, Perry won three successive Wimbledon Championships from 1934. He won eight Grand Slam tournaments, including a Career Grand Slam. He was the first player and only British player to date to achieve a Career Grand Slam. Also a table tennis player, Perry was the world champion in 1929.

 26 
U Thant
(3rd Secretary General of the United Nations (1961 - 1971))
U Thant
14
Listed In: Diplomats
Birthdate: 22nd January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pantanaw, Burma
Died: November 25, 1974

Burmese diplomat U Thant made history by becoming the first non-Scandinavian to be named the UN secretary-general. Later in life, he tried applying Buddhist principles such as detachment to solve major international conflicts. Following his death in New York, his burial in Burma became a source of riots.

 27 
William M. Branham
(American Christian minister)
William M. Branham
10
Birthdate: 6th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cumberland County
Died: December 24, 1965
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 28 
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
(Writer, Director, Producer)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 11th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 5, 1993
Polish-American screenwriter and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz won Academy Awards for his work in the movies All About Eve and Letter to Three Wives. He was associated with Paramount, MGM, and Twentieth Century Fox. He also had his own production company, Figaro, and directed the film Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor.
 29 
Juliana of the Netherlands
(Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980)
Juliana of the Netherlands
2
Birthdate: 30th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: The Hague, Netherlands
Died: March 20, 2004

Juliana of the Netherlands was the Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980, during which she remained a popular member of the Dutch royal family. Her reign witnessed the decolonization and independence of Suriname and the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). Several important places, including the Princess Juliana International Airport, are named after her.

 30 
Homi Bhabha
(Indian physicist)
Homi Bhabha
16
Listed In: Physicists
Birthdate: 30th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Died: January 24, 1966

Padma Bhushan-winning physicist Homi Bhabha revolutionized the Indian nuclear program singlehandedly. Born into an affluent family, he was educated at Cambridge. Initially geared toward a career in mechanical engineering, he later drifted to physics, eventually contributing to the formation of TIFR. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is named after him.

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 31 
Johnny Mercer
(Lyricist, songwriter,)
Johnny Mercer
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 18th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Savannah, Georgia, United States
Died: June 25, 1976
 32 
Ann Sothern
(Former actress in the 1949 film, A Letter to Three Wives)
Ann Sothern
8
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 22nd January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Valley City, North Dakota, United States
Died: March 15, 2001
 33 
Michael Rennie
6
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 25th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Died: June 10, 1971
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 34 
Joe DeRita
(Actor)
Joe DeRita
5
Birthdate: 12th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: July 3, 1993
 35 
Leo Fender
(Inventor)
Leo Fender
4
Listed In: Inventors
Birthdate: 10th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Anaheim, California, United States
Died: March 21, 1991
 36 
Gene Krupa
(American drummer)
Gene Krupa
2
Listed In: Drummers
Birthdate: 15th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: October 16, 1973
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 37 
Harriet Nelson
(American singer)
Harriet Nelson
3
Birthdate: 18th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Des Moines, Iowa
Died: October 2, 1994
 38 
Eudora Welty
(Writer)
Eudora Welty
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 13th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Died: July 23, 2001
 39 
Simone Weil
(French Mystic, Social Philosopher and Resistance Activist During World War II)
Simone Weil
7
Birthdate: 3rd February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: August 24, 1943
Paris-born philosopher and activist Simone Weil could speak in Sanskrit and Greek as a student. Called The Martian by her classmates, due to her peculiar nature, she died of cardiac failure at 34, refusing to eat more than the people of German-occupied France, in spite of being diagnosed with tuberculosis. 
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 40 
Jean Batten
(Aviator Who Made Record Breaking Trans-world Flights)
Jean Batten
2
Listed In: Aviators
Birthdate: 15th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rotorua, New Zealand
Died: November 22, 1982

Born to a dentist father in New Zealand, Jean Batten was initially sent to England to study music. However, she earned a pilot’s license instead and made many aviation records, which included completing the first solo flight from England to New Zealand. In her final years, she became a recluse.

 41 
Mohammed V of Morocco
(Sultan of Morocco)
Mohammed V of Morocco
2
Listed In: Emperors & Kings
Birthdate: 10th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fes, Morocco
Died: February 26, 1961
 42 
Lester Young
(Musician)
Lester Young
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 27th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Woodville, Mississippi, United States
Died: March 15, 1959
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 43 
Art Tatum
(American Jazz Pianist)
Art Tatum
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 13th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio, United States
Died: November 5, 1956
 44 
Ruby Keeler
(American Actress Best Known for Her Film '42nd Street')
Ruby Keeler
4
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 25th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: February 28, 1993

Ruby Keeler was an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is best remembered for appearing alongside Dick Powell in a series of successful musicals at Warner Bros. Ruby Keeler has a star dedicated to her on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 45 
Dolores Hope
(Singer)
Dolores Hope
0
Listed In: Entertainers
Birthdate: 27th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City
Died: September 19, 2011

Born Dolores L. DeFina, she became Dolores Hope after her marriage to actor and comedian, Bob Hope.  A fine singer and a woman of words, she entertained American overseas soldiers for fifty years, recording her first CD, Dolores Hope: Now and Then, at the age of eighty-three. e.

 46 
Katherine Dunham
(One of the Most Successful Dancers of the 20th Century)
Katherine Dunham
6
Listed In: Choreographers
Birthdate: 22nd June
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States
Died: May 21, 2006

Dancer, choreographer, and social activist Katherine Dunham was also a qualified anthropologist. She experimented with various ritual dances, and her innovations included a ballet performance based on Caribbean dance. She also pioneered the Dunham Technique of dance pedagogy and used the pen-name Kaye Dunn to write several works.

 47 
Rita Levi-Montalcini
(Italian Neurologist Who Won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Medicine)
Rita Levi-Montalcini
6
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: 22nd April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Turin, Italy
Died: December 30, 2012

Rita Levi-Montalcini was an Italian neurologist whose discovery of nerve growth factor earned her the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Throughout her life, Levi-Montalcini's work in neurobiology earned her several other honors and awards, including the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement and the European Academy of Sciences' Leonardo da Vinci Award.

 48 
Eugène Ionesco
(Romanian-French Playwright and Leading Figure of the 'French Avant-Garde Theatre')
Eugène Ionesco
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 26th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Slatina, Romania Slatina, Romania
Died: March 28, 1994

Eugene Ionesco was a Romanian-French playwright and one of the 20th century's leading figures of the French avant-garde theatre. He is best remembered for his play, The Bald Soprano, which played an important role in the development of the Theatre of the Absurd. Eugène Ionesco was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Austrian State Prize for European Literature.

 49 
Frances Dee
(Actress)
Frances Dee
2
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 26th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: March 6, 2004
 50 
Maybelle Carter
(Musician)
Maybelle Carter
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 10th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nickelsville, Virginia, United States
Died: October 23, 1978