August 31 - Births

Births

• 12 – Gaius Caligula, Roman Emperor (d. 41)
• 161 – Commodus, Roman Emperor (d. 192)
• 1569 – Jahangir, Mughal Emperor of India (d. 1627)
• 1602 – Countess Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, wife of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (d. 1675)
• 1652 – Ferdinand Charles, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (d. 1708)
• 1663 – Guillaume Amontons, French physicist and instrument maker (d. 1705)
• 1721 – George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol, British statesman (d. 1775)
• 1741 – Jean Paul Egide Martini, French composer (d. 1816)
• 1767 – Henry Joy McCracken, Irish political activist, founder of the Society of United Irishmen (d. 1798)
• 1802 – Husein Gradaščević, Bosnian general (d. 1834)
• 1821 – Hermann von Helmholtz, German scientist (d. 1894)
• 1822 – Galusha A. Grow, American politician (d. 1907)
• 1834 – Amilcare Ponchielli, Italian composer (d. 1886)
• 1842 – Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, American publisher, journalist, suffragist and civil rights leader (d. 1924)
• 1843 – Georg von Hertling, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1919)
• 1870 – Maria Montessori, Italian educator (d. 1952)
• 1871 – James E. Ferguson, American politician, 26th Governor of Texas (d. 1944)
• 1878 – Frank Jarvis, American sprinter (d. 1933)
• 1879 – Alma Mahler, Austrian socialite, wife of composer Gustav Mahler (d. 1964)
• 1879 – Emperor Taisho of Japan (d. 1926)
• 1880 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (d. 1962)
• 1885 – DuBose Heyward, American playwright (d. 1940)
• 1893 – Lily Laskine, French harpist (d. 1988)
• 1894 – Albert Facey, Australian writer (d. 1982)
• 1896 – Félix-Antoine Savard, Canadian priest and novelist (d. 1982)
• 1897 – Fredric March, American actor (d. 1975)
• 1900 – Gino Lucetti, Italian anarchist (d. 1943)
• 1903 – Arthur Godfrey, American television host (d. 1983)
• 1903 – Vladimir Jankélévitch, French philosopher (d. 1985)
• 1905 – Sanford Meisner, American actor and teacher (d. 1997)
• 1907 – Augustus F. Hawkins, American politician (d. 2007)
• 1907 – Ramon Magsaysay, 7th President of the Philippines (d. 1957)
• 1907 – William Shawn, American editor (d. 1992)
• 1907 – Altiero Spinelli, Italian advocate of European federalism (d. 1986)
• 1908 – William Saroyan, American novelist (d. 1981)
• 1911 – Edward Brongersma, Dutch politician, writer and political activist (d. 1998)
• 1913 – Sir Bernard Lovell, English radio astronomer
• 1913 – Helen Levitt, American photographer (d. 2009)
• 1914 – Richard Basehart, American actor (d. 1984)
• 1916 – Daniel Schorr, American journalist (d. 2010)
• 1916 – Danny Litwhiler, American baseball player and coach
• 1916 – John S. Wold, American politician
• 1918 – Alan Jay Lerner, American lyricist (d. 1986)
• 1919 – Amrita Preetam, Indian poet and author (d. 2005)
• 1920 – Gustavo Adolfo Palma, Guatemalan singer (d. 2010)
• 1920 – G. D. Spradlin, American actor
• 1921 – Raymond Williams, Welsh academic (d. 1988)
• 1924 – Buddy Hackett, American actor and comedian (d. 2003)
• 1928 – Jaime Sin, Philippine cardinal and patriot (d. 2005)
• 1928 – James Coburn, American actor (d. 2002)
• 1931 – Jean Béliveau, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1931 – Noble Willingham, American actor (d. 2004)
• 1934 – Nikos Xanthopoulos, Greek actor
• 1935 – Eldridge Cleaver, American political activist (d. 1998)
• 1935 – Frank Robinson, American baseball player and manager
• 1937 – Warren Berlinger, American actor
• 1937 – Bobby Parker, American blues-rock guitarist
• 1938 – Martin Bell, British journalist
• 1938 – Murray Gleeson, Chief Justice of Australia
• 1939 – Jerry Allison, American drummer (The Crickets)
• 1940 – Jack Thompson, Australian actor
• 1940 – Roger Newman, British-born American television actor and writer (d. 2010)
• 1941 – William DeWitt, Jr., American businessman
• 1943 – Leonid Ivashov, Russian general
• 1944 – Roger Dean, English artist
• 1944 – Clive Lloyd, Guyanese West Indies cricketer
• 1944 – Jos LeDuc, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 1999)
• 1945 – Van Morrison, Northern Irish singer-songwriter
• 1945 – Itzhak Perlman, Israeli violinist
• 1946 – Jerome Corsi, American writer
• 1947 – Mona Marshall, American voice actress
• 1947 – Luca di Montezemolo, Italian businessman
• 1947 – Yumiko Ōshima, Japanese manga artist
• 1947 – Somchai Wongsawat, 26th Prime Minister of Thailand
• 1948 – Harald Ertl, Austrian racing driver (d. 1982)
• 1948 – Lowell Ganz, American screenwriter
• 1948 – Ken McMullen, English film director
• 1948 – Holger Osieck, German footballer and coach
• 1948 – Rudolf Schenker, German guitarist (Scorpions)
• 1949 – Richard Gere, American actor
• 1949 – H. David Politzer, American physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1952 – Herbert Reul, German politician
• 1953 – Miguel Ángel Guerra, Argentine racing driver
• 1953 – György Károly, Hungarian author
• 1953 – Pavel Vinogradov, Russian cosmonaut
• 1954 – Julie Brown, American actress, singer-songwriter and screenwriter
• 1955 – Edwin Moses, American hurdler
• 1955 – Gary Webb, American journalist (d. 2004)
• 1955 – Olek Krupa, Polish actor
• 1956 – Maria Balazova, Slovak painter
• 1956 – Masashi Tashiro, Japanese television performer
• 1957 – Colm O'Rourke, Irish footballer and commentator
• 1957 – Gina Schock, American drummer (The Go-Go's)
• 1957 – Glenn Tilbrook, English singer and guitarist (Squeeze)
• 1958 – Serge Blanco, French rugby union footballer
• 1959 – Ralph Krueger, Canadian ice hockey coach
• 1960 – Vali Ionescu, Romanian long jumper
• 1960 – Chris Whitley, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
• 1962 – Dee Bradley Baker, American voice actor
• 1963 – Reb Beach, American guitarist (Winger, Whitesnake)
• 1963 – Todd Carty, Irish actor
• 1963 – Sonny Silooy, Dutch footballer
• 1964 – Raymond P. Hammond, American poet and editor
• 1965 – Daniel Bernhardt, Swiss actor
• 1965 – Céline Bonnier, French-Canadian actress
• 1965 – Willie Watson, New Zealand cricketer
• 1966 – Jan Einar Thorsen, Norwegian alpine skier
• 1967 – Nigel Avery, New Zealand weightlifter
• 1967 – Jonathan Cake, British actor
• 1967 – Gene Hoglan, American drummer (Devin Townsend, Strapping Young Lad, Testament, Fear Factory)
• 1967 – Anita Moen, Norwegian cross-country skier
• 1968 – Valdon Dowiyogo, Nauruan politician and Australian football player
• 1968 – Hideo Nomo, Japanese baseball player
• 1969 – Nathalie Bouvier, French alpine skier
• 1969 – Andrew Cunanan, American spree killer (d. 1997)
• 1969 – Jonathan LaPaglia, Australian actor
• 1969 – Javagal Srinath, Indian cricketer
• 1970 – Deborah Gibson, American singer
• 1970 – Nikola Gruevski, 6th Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
• 1970 – Queen Rania of Jordan
• 1970 – Arie van Lent, Dutch-born German footballer
• 1970 – Amy Stein, American photographer
• 1970 – Zack Ward, Canadian actor
• 1971 – Pádraig Harrington, Irish golfer
• 1972 – Chris Tucker, American actor and comedian
• 1973 – Scott Niedermayer, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1974 – Andriy Medvedev, Ukrainian tennis player
• 1975 – Craig Cumming, New Zealand cricketer
• 1975 – John Grahame, American ice hockey player
• 1975 – Daniel Harding, British conductor
• 1975 – Sara Ramírez, American actress
• 1975 – Takahiro Suwa, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1976 – Vincent Delerm, French singer-songwriter, pianist and composer
• 1976 – Roque Júnior, Brazilian footballer
• 1976 – Radek Martínek, Czech ice hockey player
• 1977 – Jeff Hardy, American wrestler
• 1977 – Ian Harte, Irish footballer
• 1977 – Craig Nicholls, Australian singer and guitarist (The Vines)
• 1978 – Philippe Christanval, French footballer
• 1979 – Clay Hensley, American baseball player
• 1979 – Mickie James, American professional wrestler
• 1979 – Mark Johnston, Canadian swimmer
• 1979 – Simon Neil, Scottish singer and guitarist (Biffy Clyro)
• 1979 – Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film music composer
• 1979 – Ramón Santiago, Dominican baseball player
• 1980 – Joe Budden, American rapper
• 1981 – Dwayne Peel, Welsh rugby union footballer
• 1981 – Steve Saviano, American ice hockey player
• 1982 – Ian Crocker, American swimmer
• 1982 – Chris Duhon, American basketball player
• 1982 – Lien Huyghebaert, Belgian sprinter
• 1982 – Josh Kroeger, American baseball player
• 1982 – Alexei Mikhnov, Ukrainian-born Russian ice hockey player
• 1982 – José Manuel Reina, Spanish footballer
• 1982 – Michele Rugolo, Italian racing driver
• 1983 – Larry Fitzgerald, American football player
• 1984 – Matti Breschel, Danish road bicycle racer
• 1984 – Ted Ligety, American alpine skier
• 1984 – Charl Schwartzel, South African golfer
• 1985 – Andrew Foster, Australian rules footballer
• 1986 – Feng Tianwei, Singaporean table tennis player
• 1987 – Petros Kravaritis, Greek footballer
• 1987 – Ondřej Pavelec, Czech ice hockey player