Famous People Born Today

Ranked 79th on VH1’s list of 100 Greatest Kid Stars, Diane Lane started off as a child actress before becoming a well-known leading Hollywood actress. Also known for her beauty, Diane has been featured in lists, such as Top 99 Most Desirable Women. A talented actress, Diane Lane has also worked with several charity organizations, such as Heifer International.

Michael Hutchence, co-founder of the Australian rock band INXS, was known for his wild lifestyle, his affairs with celebrities, and his history of drug abuse. He was named to News.com’s list of the 15 greatest Australian singers of all time but unfortunately died by suicide in a Sydney hotel room.

The son of actor Stephen Macht, Gabriel Macht followed in his father’s footsteps to become a popular actor and film producer in his own right. A vegetarian who practices green living, Gabriel Macht was one of the guests at Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

John Hurt is best remembered for his Academy Award-nominated performances in Midnight Express and The Elephant Man. His death scene in Alien is considered one of the most memorable in history. He lent his voice to The Lord of The Rings and appeared in the Harry Potter and Hellboy films.

The King of Soul Sam Cooke is best remembered for his hits A Change is Gonna Come, You Send Me, and Wonderful World. He began singing gospel as a child and later joined The Soul Stirrers. He was shot and killed by a motel manager in Los Angeles. 

Widely considered one of the greatest British poets of all time, Lord Byron remains influential as his works are widely read even today. He was also one of the most important personalities of the Romantic Movement. He is also known for his role in the Greek War of Independence, for which the Greeks consider him a national hero.

Stephen Perry, the lead vocalist of the rock band Journey, was named “The Voice” by legendary singer Jon Bon Jovi. One of Rolling Stone‘s “100 Greatest Singers of All Time,” Perry also had a successful solo career. He is part of the Songwriter’s and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame.

Primarily a restaurateur, Guy Fieri is a testimony to the fact that any professional can become famous if they are passionate enough in doing what they do best. From being a restaurateur, he went on to become a TV personality, hosting shows for Food Network channel. By mid-2010, he had become the face of the network.

Francis Bacon was a Renaissance philosopher and author who was known as the Father of Empiricism, because of his belief in the scientific method and theory that scientific knowledge can only be created through inductive reasoning and experience. He was later knighted and served as the first Queen’s counsel.

Rapper and hip-hop artist Logic, earlier known as “Psychological,” initially gained fame with his Young Sinatra mixtapes, which helped him secure a deal with Def Jam Recordings. After delivering gold and platinum albums, he quit music and became a Twitch and YouTube star. He has written a bestselling novel, too.

Daniel Wayne Smith was the son of model/actor Anna Nicole Smith with her first husband. He made occasional appearances on his mother’s show The Anna Nicole Show. He died of an accidental drug overdose at age 20, at his mother’s maternity ward, shortly after the birth of his half-sister Dannielynn.

Balthazar Getty is an American musician and actor best known for playing Tommy Walker in the family drama television series Brothers & Sisters. Over the years, he has been an important member of the popular indie rock band Ringside. Also a humanitarian, Balthazar Getty works closely with a non-profit organization called The Lunchbox Fund.

Actor Christopher Masterson is best known for playing the protagonist Malcolm’s eldest brother Francis in the TV series Malcolm in the Middle. Although his parents are not involved in the show business, he and his siblings are all actors. In the 2010s, he ventured into deejaying as well. He is a follower of Scientology.

English explorer Walter Raleigh is best remembered for his involvement in the Siege of Smerwick and for colonizing North America. He made smoking tobacco popular in England. His accounts of his first voyage to South America led to the legend of El Dorado. He was executed to please the Spanish.

Actor/director/game-show panelist Bill Bixby is best known as Tim O’Hara from My Favorite Martian, as Anthony Blake from The Magician, and as Dr. David Banner from The Incredible Hulk. He has also delivered Emmy-nominated performances in the series Rich Man, Poor Man and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.

Indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch has directed films such as Stranger Than Paradise, Coffee and Cigarettes, and The Dead Don’t Die. He has also composed music for many of his films and has released a couple of albums. He is known for his minimalism and global elements in his films.

Known as The Dark Destroyer, boxer Nigel Benn has been both a middleweight and a super-middleweight world champion. He had also previously been part of the British Army in West Germany and Northern Ireland. He is also known for his rivalry with fellow British boxer Chris Eubank.

Actress Piper Laurie is best known for her role in the film The Hustler, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. In a career spanning seven decades, she has appeared in numerous award-winning films and TV shows. She is also a sculptor working in marble and clay. She is a recipient of  “The Spirit of Hope Award.”

English metaphysical poet John Donne is best known for his touch of sensuality and spirituality in his poems. One of his best-known poems is The Canonization. He had also worked on Latin translations, elegies, sermons, and epigrams. He was known for his reckless lifestyle, that affected his financial status. 

The eldest child of Alexander Hamilton—one of the founding fathers of the USA—Philip Hamilton was an intelligent student and the pride of his father. His young life came to end following a deadly duel with lawyer, George Eacker, who made offensive remarks about Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton, himself, lost his life in a similar manner three years later.

C. L. Franklin was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Dubbed the man with the million-dollar voice, Franklin was renowned for preaching his sermons throughout the country. During the 1950s and 1960s, Franklin worked towards ending prejudicial practices against the black people in Detroit. He is also credited with encouraging his daughter Aretha Franklin to pursue music.

Named one among the 12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists by Elle magazine, Australian musician, singer and songwriter Orianthi Penny Panagaris began playing the guitar at the age of three and moved to acoustic by six. At fifteen, she began her professional career, concurrently focusing on songwriting and released her debut independent album at the age of 20. 

Ironically, though he and his wife fled from Nazi Germany to Britain, actor Conrad Veidt was cast as a Nazi villain in quite a few films. Best known for his roles in Casablanca and The Thief of Baghdad, he died playing his favorite sport, golf, at an LA golf course. 

Known for his use of the montage as a leading element in his films, Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein of Battleship Potemkin and Ivan the Terrible fame was also fond of close-up shots. He often used an ensemble of amateur actors and also included haiku-inspired elements in his work.

German banker Hjalmar Schacht was appreciated for his role in saving the Weimar Republic from inflation and later served as the Reichsminister of Economics under Adolf Hitler. Following as assassination attempt on Hitler, her was imprisoned, but was later freed and then set up his own bank in Düsseldorf.