Famous People Born In 1940

Discover the most famous people born in 1940. The list includes people like John Lennon, Bruce Lee, James Brolin, Al Pacino, Chuck Norris and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, journalists, composers and blues musicians born in 1940. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & Italy and many more countries.
Vote for Your Favourite Person

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Bruce Lee
(The Most Influential Martial Artist of All Time)
Bruce Lee
101
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: 27th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: July 20, 1973
 2 
John Lennon
(The Founder, Co-Songwriter, Co-Lead Vocalist & Rhythm Guitarist of 'The Beatles')
John Lennon
165
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 9th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Died: December 8, 1980
 3 
Pele
(One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time)
Pele
63
Listed In: Football Players
Birthdate: 23rd October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tres Coracoes, Brazil
Recommended Lists:
 4 
Al Pacino
(One of the Few Actors To Achieve the 'Triple Crown of Acting' )
Al Pacino
67
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 25th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: East Harlem, New York, United States
Recommended Lists:
 5 
Chuck Norris
(Martial Artist and Actor Best Known for His Action Movies)
Chuck Norris
55
Birthdate: 10th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ryan, Oklahoma, United States
 6 
Patrick Stewart
29
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 13th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Mirfield, Yorkshire, England
Recommended Lists:
 7 
Ringo Starr
(The Drummer of the Rock Band 'The Beatles')
Ringo Starr
72
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 7th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Dingle, Liverpool, England
 8 
Richard Pryor
(Greatest Stand-Up Comedian of All-Time)
Richard Pryor
25
Birthdate: 1st December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Peoria, Illinois, United States
Died: December 10, 2005
Recommended Lists:
 9 
Alex Trebek
(Game Show Host & Television Personality)
Alex Trebek
46
Listed In: Game Show Hosts
Birthdate: 22nd July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Greater Sudbury, Canada
Died: November 8, 2020
 10 
Raquel Welch
(Actress)
Raquel Welch
22
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 5th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: February 15, 2023
Recommended Lists:
 11 
James Caan
(Best Known for His Role as ‘Sonny Corleone’ in the Film ‘The Godfather’)
James Caan
20
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 26th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States
Died: July 6, 2022
 12 
Tom Jones
(Singer)
Tom Jones
23
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 7th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Treforest, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales
Recommended Lists:
 13 
Frank Vincent Zappa
(One of the Most Innovative and Stylistically Diverse Musicians of His Generation)
Frank Vincent Zappa
34
Listed In: Guitarists
Birthdate: 21st December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: December 4, 1993
 14 
Ricky Nelson
(Musician)
Ricky Nelson
26
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 8th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Died: December 31, 1985
Recommended Lists:
 15 
Smokey Robinson
(Ffounder and Front Man of the Motown Vocal Group 'The Miracles')
Smokey Robinson
17
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 19th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
 16 
Jack Nicklaus
(One of the Greatest Golfers of All Time)
Jack Nicklaus
26
Listed In: Golfers
Birthdate: 21st January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States
Recommended Lists:
 17 
Martin Sheen
(Best Known for His Role in the Film 'Apocalypse Now' and TV Series 'The West Wing')
Martin Sheen
58
Birthdate: 3rd August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, United States
 18 
John Hurt
(Actor)
John Hurt
19
Birthdate: 22nd January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK
Died: January 27, 2017
Recommended Lists:
 19 
Dionne Warwick
(One of the Most-Charted Vocalists of All Time)
Dionne Warwick
18
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 12th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: City of Orange, New Jersey, United States
 20 
James Brolin
14
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 18th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Westwood, California, United States
Recommended Lists:
 21 
John Mahoney
(Known for Playing 'Martin Crane' on the NBC Sitcom 'Frasier')
John Mahoney
9
Birthdate: 20th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Died: February 4, 2018
 22 
Michael Gambon
(Best Known for His Role as Professor ‘Albus Dumbledore’ in the ‘Harry Potter' Film Series)
Michael Gambon
27
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 19th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cabra, Ireland
Recommended Lists:
 23 
Carlos Slim
(Mexican Businessman and Owner of the Global Conglomerate Company 'Grupo Carso')
Carlos Slim
35
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 28th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
 24 
Katharine Ross
(Actress and Author Known for Her Films: ‘The Stepford Wives’ and ‘Voyage of the Damned’)
Katharine Ross
19
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 29th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Recommended Lists:
 25 
Sam Waterston
(Best Known for His Iconic Role as ‘Jack McCoy’ on the NBC TV Series “Law & Order”)
Sam Waterston
8
Birthdate: 15th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
 26 
James Cromwell
(Actor Known for His Character Roles)
James Cromwell
11
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 27th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Recommended Lists:
 27 
Vicente Fernández
(Mexican Ranchera Singer, Actor and Film Producer)
Vicente Fernández
12
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 17th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Huentitán El Alto, Jalisco, Mexico
Died: December 12, 2021
 28 
Frankie Avalon
(Actor and Singer Best Known for His 1959 Hit Songs ‘Venus’ and ‘Why’)
Frankie Avalon
10
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 18th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Recommended Lists:
 29 
Nancy Sinatra
(Actress and Singer Best Known for Her Song 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin')
Nancy Sinatra
23
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 8th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
 30 
Raul Julia
(Golden Globe- and Emmy-Winning Puerto Rican Actor)
Raul Julia
17
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 9th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Floral Park, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Died: October 24, 1994
 31 
Jill St. John
(American Former Actress Known for Her Role as ‘Tiffany Case’ in the Movie ‘Diamonds Are Forever’)
Jill St. John
9
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 19th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
 32 
Margrethe II of Denmark
(Queen of Denmark)
Margrethe II of Denmark
12
Birthdate: 16th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
 33 
Peter Fonda
(Known for His Role of 'Wyatt' in the Film 'Easy Rider')
Peter Fonda
18
Birthdate: 23rd February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: August 16, 2019
 34 
Rene Auberjonois
(Actor & Director Best Known for His Role of 'Odo' on 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine')
Rene Auberjonois
5
Birthdate: 1st June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: December 8, 2019
 35 
Cliff Richard
(One of the Best-Selling Music Artists of All Time)
Cliff Richard
10
Listed In: Pop Singers
Birthdate: 14th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lucknow, India
 36 
Wilma Rudolph
(The First American Woman to Win Three Gold Medals in a Single Olympic Games)
Wilma Rudolph
20
Listed In: Athletes
Birthdate: 23rd June
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Clarksville, Tennessee, United States
Died: November 12, 1994
 37 
Burt Young
(Known for His Role as Rocky Balboa’s Pushy Brother-In-Law in the 'Rocky' Film Franchise)
Burt Young
2
Listed In: Actors
Birthdate: 30th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
 38 
Mario Andretti
(Former Racing Driver and Winner of 1978 Formula One World Championship)
Mario Andretti
11
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: 28th February
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Motovun, Croatia
 39 
George A. Romero
(Film Director Known for His Iconic Horror Films: ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and ‘Dawn of the Dead’)
George A. Romero
5
Birthdate: 4th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States
Died: July 16, 2017
 40 
Levon Helm
(Singer, Musician, Autobiographer, Composer, Actor, Mandolinist, Drummer, Songwriter)
Levon Helm
9
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 26th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Elaine
Died: April 19, 2012
 41 
Terry Gilliam
(Film director, Screenwriter, Actor, Animator, Film actor)
Terry Gilliam
15
Birthdate: 22nd November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Minneapolis
 42 
Brian De Palma
(Film director, Screenwriter)
Brian De Palma
7
Birthdate: 11th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
 43 
Herbie Hancock
(Singer-songwriter, Bandleader, Conductor, Jazz musician, Keyboardist, Actor, Musician, Pianist, Film score composer)
Herbie Hancock
3
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 12th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago
 44 
Merlin Olsen
(American Football Player)
Merlin Olsen
10
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: 15th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Logan, Utah, USA
Died: March 11, 2010
 45 
Giorgio Moroder
3
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 26th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Urtijëi, South Tyrol
 46 
H. R. Giger
(Painter)
H. R. Giger
7
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 5th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chur
Died: May 12, 2014
 47 
James Brady
(White House Press Secretary)
James Brady
6
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 29th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Centralia, Illinois, USA
Died: August 4, 2014
 48 
Julie Christie
(Oscar Award Winning Famous British Film Actress Known for Films: 'Darling' and 'Doctor Zhivago')
Julie Christie
8
Listed In: Actresses
Birthdate: 14th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chabua, Assam, India
 49 
Al Jarreau
(Musician)
Al Jarreau
10
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: 12th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Died: February 12, 2017
 50 
Wayne Dyer
(Self-Help Author and Motivational Speaker)
Wayne Dyer
8
Birthdate: 10th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Detroit
Died: August 29, 2015