Famous People Born Today

American actress, Keri Russell, is best known for playing the titular character in teen drama Felicity and a KGB agent in thriller series The Americans. The Golden Globe Award winning actress made her debut as a teenager and later transitioned into playing more mature roles in films, television and stage. Her notable films include Mission: Impossible III, Waitress and Bedtime Stories.

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker. Widely considered one of the most influential and important filmmakers of all time, Kurosawa's works opened up Western film markets to the products of the Japanese entertainment industry, enabling other Japanese filmmakers to achieve international recognition. Such is his impact as a filmmaker that he is credited with contributing to the development of Asia.

German-born American aerospace engineer and space architect, Wernher Von Braun, worked in Nazi Germany's rocket development program as a young man. After World War II, he moved to the United States where he became a pioneer of rocket and space technology in the nation. In his later career, he became director of the newly formed Marshall Space Flight Center.

Quando Rondo is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper whose debut studio album QPac peaked at number 22 on the Billboard 200. After having spent time in juvenile detention centers, Quando Rondo rose from humble origins to establish himself in the American music industry; he is an inspiration to those willing to change their lives for the better.

Canadian actress Vanessa Morgan is best known for her role in the Disney Channel/Teletoon film My Babysitter's a Vampire. She began singing at community events as a child and was spotted by a Hollywood agent who encouraged her to join the show business. She made her acting debut in 2000 and has since acted in many TV shows and films.

Grammy-winning English singer Damon Albarn has previously been part of two major bands, Blur and Gorillaz, as their lead vocalist and primary songwriter. He has also performed as part of the supergroup The Good, the Bad & the Queen. His solo album Everyday Robots was nominated for a Mercury Award.

Matin Hinkle is an American actress who wanted to become a ballet dancer but turned to acting after ankle injury dashed her hopes of becoming a professional ballet dancer. She made a mark on the small screen with her role in the drama, Once and Again. Apart from television and movies, she has also performed on the stage; her role as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet being a notable one.

Emmy Noether was a German mathematician best remembered for her contributions to abstract algebra. She is credited with discovering Noether's theorem, which is regarded as a fundamental theorem in mathematical physics. One of the most important mathematicians of her generation and the most important woman in mathematics history, Emmy Noether developed theories of algebras, fields, and rings.

British middle-distance athlete and neurologist Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister was the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes. Before achieving such feat, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres during the 1952 Summer Olympics. In the medical field, Bannister became a neurologist and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford.

English comedian, TV presenter, radio presenter, and actor Russell Howard is best known for hosting the TV show Russell Howard's Good News. Though he studied economics at the University of the West of England, Bristol, he had no interest in pursuing a career in the field and shifted to performing comedy and hosting TV shows instead.  

Jeremy Wade is a British TV presenter, biologist, and freshwater detective. He is best known for his TV series River Monsters, Mighty Rivers, and Dark Waters. He attended the University of Kent and began his career as a biology teacher. He made his TV debut by chance and didn’t take long to become a popular TV presenter. 

Though French scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace is primarily known for his work on the solar system, his research extended to areas such as mathematics and physics, apart from astronomy. Widely known as the Newton of France, he escaped being executed during the French Revolution, owing to his lack of political views.

Amanda Plummer is an American-Canadian actress who followed in the footsteps of her father Christopher Plummer and mother Tammy Grimes. Known for her contribution across popular mediums, Plummer has won Tony and Emmy for her work on stage and TV respectively. In Hollywood, she is popular for playing roles in films like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Pulp Fiction.

Welsh boxer Joe Calzaghe scripted history as the longest-reigning champion ever in boxing, having defended the WBO title for more than a decade. Excelling in both super-middleweight and light-heavyweight categories, he had registered 46 wins in 46 fights by the time he retired. He now owns a boxing promotion company.

Ali Hewson is an Irish businesswoman and activist. In the 1990s, Hewson joined the anti-nuclear movement and started working with activists like Adi Roche. In 2002, she played a key role in organizing campaigns against the Sellafield nuclear facility in England. As a businesswoman, Hewson has co-founded a skincare company and a fashion label called Nude skincare and EDUN respectively.

Brandon Marshall is a retired American football legend, who is nicknamed ‘The Beast’ for his ability to handle tackles as a wide receiver. Although his career in the National Football League spanned over 13 years and 179 matches, he never played in a playoff. His association with the sport continued as appears on the television as an analyst.

Abdul Qadir Gilani was a Sunni Muslim ascetic, mystic, preacher, theologian, and jurist. He is best remembered for founding the Qadiriyya tariqa of Sufism, which is named after him. Abdul Qadir Gilani was famous for his preaching and is credited with converting numerous Christians and Jews.

Erich Fromm was a German social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, and socialist. A German Jew, he fled the Nazi regime and settled in the United States. He was a co-founder of  The William Alanson White Institute and was associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. He is best remembered for authoring the book Escape from Freedom.

Juan Gris was a Spanish painter whose paintings are counted among the Cubism movement's most distinctive works. Gris's works and style influenced the Purist style of Charles Edouard Jeanneret and Amédée Ozenfant. Some of his paintings, such as Still Life with Checked Tablecloth and The musician's Table, have sold for millions of dollars at the auction.