Famous People Born On February 13th

Man of Peace recipient and six-time Grammy-winner Peter Gabriel was the lead singer of Genesis but switched to a solo career in 1977. He co-founded the first online music download platform, OD2, and the WOMAD festival, apart from contributing to human rights, with groups such as Witness and The Elders.

Sarojini Naidu was an Indian poet and political activist. An important figure in the Indian Independence Movement, she was a proponent of anti-imperialistic ideas, women's rights, and civil rights. Her illustrious career as a poet earned her the nickname Nightingale of India. After India became independent, she became the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the Dominion of India.

Robbie Williams is one of the most popular and successful English singer-songwriters of his generation. Having sold 75 million records, Williams is one of the best-selling music artists ever. His lasting impact on British culture earned him the 2017 Brits Icon Award. Also a well-known philanthropist, Williams has established a charity organization called Give It Sum in his home town.

Oliver Reed was an English actor who was considered one of the most bankable actors at the peak of his career. Characterized by his hellraiser lifestyle and macho image, Reed's problem with alcohol addiction was highly publicized and overshadowed his acting achievements. He often got into trouble because of his drinking habit and was once arrested for disturbing the peace.

Stockard Channing is an American actress best known for playing Abbey Bartlet on the political drama TV series The West Wing. Over the years, Channing has been contributing to the success of many TV series as an actress, for which she has received 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. A seven-time Tony Award nominee, Channing is also an important stage actress.

Henry Rollins is an American musician. Rollins is credited with forming the Rollins Band, which was active from 1987 to 2006. He is also credited with founding the publishing company and record label 2.13.61, Inc. Also a well-known activist, Henry Rollins has campaigned for various causes, including the promotion of peace movement and LGBT rights.

Mike Krzyzewski is a men's basketball coach currently affiliated with Duke University. He played basketball in the United States Military Academy and served as an officer in the United States Army for a few years. He later joined the coaching staff at the Indiana Hoosiers. He has been with Duke University since 1980 and plans to retire soon. 

English-born American television presenter, actor, politician, and musician Jerry Springer is a multifaceted man. A qualified lawyer, he shifted to politics from law as a young man. After a few years, he moved to journalism and found considerable success. As a TV presenter, he is best known for the tabloid talk show, The Jerry Springer Show. 

Thomas Robert Malthus was an English economist and demographer, who viewed poverty as man’s unavoidable destiny. Author of An Essay on the Principle of Population; he believed that increase in national food production results in feeling of well-being, leading to population growth, which in turn results in poverty. Commonly referred as Malthusianism, it made immediate impact on British social policy.

Lin Gengxin is a Chinese actor best known for his portrayal of Yinti in the popular television series, Scarlet Heart. One of the most bankable actors in China, Gengxin has starred in many box office hits like My Old Classmate and Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon. He is often featured on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was an Indian religious leader. He is credited with founding the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which is an Islamic revival movement. A prolific author, Ghulam Ahmad wrote over 90 books on various theological, moral, and religious subjects. He continues to be revered as a subordinate prophet by Ahmadi Muslims, which is often debated by mainstream Muslims.

One of the most decorated Mexican footballers, Rafael Márquez, nicknamed El Káiser, was a star defender in his time. Starting his career with Atlas at age 17, he later played for teams such as Barcelona and the New York Red Bulls. His achievements include 4 La Liga and 2 UEFA Champions League titles.

Rashami Desai is an Indian actress known for playing Tapasya Rathore in the soap opera Uttaran, for which she won awards at the 2010 Indian Television Academy Awards and Indian Telly Awards. A much-acclaimed actress, Desai was amongst the highest-paid Indian television actresses in 2018. Apart from appearing in films and TV series, she has also appeared in reality shows.

American physicist, inventor and Nobel laureate William Bradford Shockley Jr received the Nobel Prize in Physics with John Bardeen and Walter Brattain in 1956 for their researches on semiconductors and for discovering the transistor effect while working at the Bell Labs. He later became a proponent of eugenics while serving as a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University.

As Charles the Bold’s daughter, Mary of Burgundy, was also known as Mary the Rich, for her affluence. While she had a fairy-tale marriage with Archduke Maximilian of Austria and had two children, she died abruptly at age 25, after being thrown from her horse during a hunting trip.

Georges Simenon was a Belgian writer who published nearly 500 novels during his illustrious career that spanned several years. Simenon is credited with creating one of the most popular fictional detectives of all time, Jules Maigret. A self-proclaimed Casanova, Simenon claimed in 1977 to have had sex with 10,000 women since his 13th birthday.

Named "Best Referee of the Year" by FIFA for six consecutive times, Pierluigi Collina has a degree in economics from University of Bologne. His aptitude for the job was discovered when at seventeen he took up a course in refereeing and shortly began officiating in numerous high profile matches. Although retired, he is still involved with football in various capacities.

Khalid of Saudi Arabia reigned as the king of Saudi Arabia from 1975 until his death in 1982. One of the sons of the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, Khalid represented the country abroad as a diplomat. In 1943, he played a key role in establishing diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Saudi Arabia.

German mathematician Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet is remembered for his invaluable contribution to number theory. He pioneered the concept of a function, expressed through the equation y = f (x). Though his parents wanted him to become a merchant, his mastery of math made them change their minds.

Former Zambian president Rupiah Banda is known for his efforts to reduce corruption. Born in Southern Rhodesia, present-day Zimbabwe, he was sponsored by a preacher and later studied at the Rusangu University in Zambia. He made headlines when he married his second wife, who was 30 years his junior.

Joel Little is a New Zealand musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has written songs for popular artistes like Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, Lorde, and Ellie Goulding among others. In 2014, he received the Grammy Award under the Song of the Year category alongside Lorde for their song Royals. Little has also won APRA Awards and ASCAP Pop Music Awards.