Famous People Born Today

English actor and producer, Tom Hard,y has been active in the entertainment industry for more than two decades. Starting his career as a model, he soon branched out into acting and did not take long to become a beloved TV actor. He has performed in theaters as well. In the 2000s, he made his film debut.

Even after four decades after her death, Agatha Christie remains an influential figure in the world of literature and entertainment as most of her books continue to serve as inspiration to films, TV series, and video games. With over two billion copies of her novels sold, she holds the Guinness World Records for best-selling fiction writer of all time.

Veteran actor and filmmaker, Tommy Lee Jones, has had a career spanning over half a century.  he has played many notable roles onscreen and is especially known for portraying real-life characters like businessman Howard Hughes. He has won an Academy Award for his performance in the movie, The Fugitive. Tommy Lee Jones is an inductee to the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.

The 27th president of the United States, William Howard Taft also served as the tenth Chief Justice of the US; he is the only person in the history of the US to have held both the offices. He had a great impact as chief justice and has been regarded as the greatest US chief justices of all time.

Oliver Stone is a filmmaker best known for his trilogy of war films, which he made based on his own experience in the Vietnam War, where he served as an infantry soldier. Known for making controversial films based on political issues, he is often criticized for misrepresenting real-world events and promoting conspiracy theories in his films.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian writer and feminist. She is popular for writing novels, such as Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun. She is credited with popularizing African literature among a new generation of readers, especially in the United States. In 2015, she was named in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People.

Jackie Cooper was an American actor, television producer, and director. He was the youngest and the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination. After receiving the nomination at the age of nine, Cooper remained the youngest Academy Award nominee for nearly 50 years. He later established himself as a successful actor in Hollywood.

One of the original “scream queens” of Hollywood, Fay Wray is best remembered as Ann Darrow, the woman picked up by King Kong like a doll while he went on a rampage, in the 1933 film about the fabled monster. She declined a cameo in a King Kong remake later.

Patricia Rhomberg is an Austrian former pornographic film actress who was active during the 1970s. She began her career as a medical assistant but her life took an unexpected turn after meeting director Hans Billian, who made sex movies and encouraged her to become a porn star. She played the lead role in many popular porn films before retiring. 

Popularly known as The King of Country Music, Roy Acuff was also a talented fiddler. Initially a budding baseball player, he ditched his sports career due to repeated injuries and focused on music instead. He was part of the radio broadcast Grand Ole Opry and later won a Grammy Lifetime Award.

Slovenian–American actor Željko Ivanek is best known for his Emmy-winning performance as Ray Fiske in the thriller series Damages. He has also appeared as Ed Danvers in the Homicide franchise and as Russell Jackson in Madam Secretary, and has been part of films such as Argo and Seven Psychopaths.

Ettore Bugatti was an automobile designer and manufacturer. He is credited with founding the popular car manufacturer Automobiles E. Bugatti, which gained prominence as the maker of some of the fastest and technologically advanced cars of its day. In 2000, Ettore Bugatti was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Mary Soames was a British author and the youngest child of Winston Churchill and Clementine. From 1939 to 1941, Soames worked for several public organizations, such as the Women's Voluntary Service and Red Cross. She then joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1945, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), in recognition of meritorious military services.

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.

Claude McKay was a poet who played an influential role in the Harlem Renaissance. Remembered for his work If We Must Die, a poem written in response to mob attacks on African-American communities by white Americans, McKay was named the national poet of Jamaica in 1977. For his contribution to literature, he was posthumously honored with the Order of Jamaica.

Caterina Murino first gained attention after participating in the Miss Italy contest. She later began her showbiz career as a model and starred in films such as The Corsican File. She also appeared as Bond Girl Solange in Casino Royale. She is also well-versed in dances such as flamenco and tango.

Best known for playing detectives such as The Falcon and Sherlock Holmes, British actor Tom Conway also appeared in 2 Tarzan movies and a few Val Lewton cult horror movies. His performance in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents was appreciated by critics. He also voiced a role in 101 Dalmatians.

American opera singer and recitalist Jessye Norman was born into a family of musicians and made her opera debut with Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser in Berlin. A 5-time Grammy winner, she performed at iconic venues such as the Paris Opera and London’s Royal Opera, and also served as an ambassador to the UN.

Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. The son of the prominent painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean was one of the first filmmakers to be known as an auteur. He started working during the silent film era and made more than 40 silent films. In 1975, he received a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award.