Famous People Born Today

Rosa Parks, “the first lady of civil rights,” was a pioneer in the American revolution against color segregation and racism. Her refusal to leave her bus seat to a white passenger gave rise to the iconic Montgomery Bus Boycott, which also led her to work with Martin Luther King Jr.

Alice Cooper is a singer-songwriter. In his career, spanning more than five decades, Alice Cooper has earned the nickname The Godfather of Shock Rock for his ability to produce a theatrical brand of rock aimed at shocking audiences. He is also credited with helping to shape the look and sound of heavy metal. Cooper has influenced musicians like Rob Zombie.

Australian singer-songwriter, model, and actress Natalie Imbruglia aspired for a career in the show business since her youth. Beginning her career with minor roles in commercials, she worked hard to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She has acted in many hit films and is also active as a singer with many records to her credit.

Oscar De La Hoya is an American retired boxer who won 11 world titles between 1992 and 2008 in six weight classes. Dubbed the Golden Boy of Boxing, Oscar De La Hoya won a gold medal for America at the 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1995, he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine.

Nicolle Wallace has been Jeb Bush's press secretary, the White House communications director under George W. Bush, and John McCain’s senior political advisor. She has also hosted Deadline: White House and The View, and written three political novels, including Eighteen Acres. A self-proclaimed “non-practicing Republican,” she supports same-sex marriage.

Zach King is an American actor, artist, and social media celebrity. He achieved international fame when he started posting videos on platforms like YouTube and Vine. Over the course of his career, Zach King has won several awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and Vidcon Golden Poop Award.

Legendary horror filmmaker George A. Romero is best known for his Night of the Living Dead series and for popularizing the zombie film genre. He also gained fame for his collaborations with horror novelist Stephen King, the most notable of them being the film version of King’s novel The Dark Half.

Clint Black is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, musician, country music singer, songwriter, and actor. He is credited with founding a record label named Equity Music Group in 2003. Over the years, he has won many awards, including five Academy of Country Music awards and two Country Music Association awards.

The 44th vice president of the US, Dan Quayle officially visited 47 countries, establishing strong international ties with most countries, during his vice presidency. In 1999, he joined a private-equity firm named Cerberus Capital Management and continues to play an important role as the chairman of its Global Investments division.

Tadeusz Kościuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian statesman, military leader, and military engineer. Thanks to his participation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's fight against Prussia and Russia and his role in the American Revolutionary War, Tadeusz Kościuszko is widely regarded as a national hero in the United States, Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania.

Though he initially studied math, Dara Ó Briain later began his entertainment career as an RTE children’s show presenter and later soared to fame as a stand-up comedian. He is known for his signature style of saying “eh” at the end of his jokes. He has also penned columns and books.

Carly Patterson is a former artistic gymnast who was the all-around champion at the 2004 Olympics. She was coached by former Israeli Olympian Yohanan Moyal and started competing internationally in 2000. She is a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. She is also a singer-songwriter and a motivational speaker. She has appeared on the TV show Celebrity Duets. 

Byron Nelson was an American golfer who won 52 PGA Tour events during his career. Considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport, Nelson won five major championships in his 64 professional wins. In 1974, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1997, he won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award.

Irish revolutionary political leader and suffragist Constance Markievicz scripted history by becoming the first woman to be elected as a cabinet minister in Europe and also the first female to be elected to the British Parliament. Sentenced to death for her role in the Easter Rising, she was later granted amnesty.

Though he wasn’t formally educated in astronomy, Clyde Tombaugh was immensely interested in the subject since childhood and had built his own telescope after high school. He grew up to discover Pluto, then regarded as the ninth planet but later declared a "dwarf planet," and many other celestial bodies.

Fernand Léger was a French sculptor, painter, and filmmaker. Widely regarded as the forerunner of pop art, Léger was also active as a teacher for several years. He is also credited with establishing his own Académie Fernand Léger, where he taught for many years. Many of his pupils went on to establish themselves as successful artists.

Bhimsen Joshi was an Indian vocalist best known for recording devotional songs. Widely regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time, Bhimsen Joshi was the first Indian musician whose concerts were promoted through posters in New York City, New York. Over the course of his career, Joshi received prestigious honors, such as the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

Birju Maharaj was an Indian dancer and singer. An exponent of the popular classical dance form Kathak, he was one of the most celebrated Kathak dancers ever. He won many prestigious awards like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar, and India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan.

Lucie Šafářová is a Czech retired tennis player best known for her achievements in major doubles events such as Grand Slams. The former world No. 1 in doubles, Šafářová won five Grand Slam doubles, including two Australian Open and two French Open. Lucie Šafářová also earned a bronze medal for her country at the 2016 Olympics along with Barbora Strýcová.