History of Today 11 July: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 11 July. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 11 July. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 11 July 2026, 01:00 AM

Important Events on 11 July in History

11 Jul 2021: Virgin Galactic launches its founder, Richard Branson, into space, the first company ever to do so. Read more
11 Jul 2015: Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán escapes from the maximum security Altiplano prison in Mexico, his second escape. Read more
11 Jul 2011: Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. Read more
11 Jul 2010: The Islamist militia group Al-Shabaab carries out multiple suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, killing 74 people and injuring 85 others. Read more
11 Jul 2010: In Johannesburg, Spain defeat the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to win their first FIFA World Cup title. Read more
11 Jul 2007: The Siege of Lal Masjid in Islamabad, Pakistan, ends after the Pakistan Army storms the mosque which had been occupied by Islamist militants. Read more
11 Jul 2006: Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. Read more
11 Jul 1995: Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins, lasting until 22 July. Read more
11 Jul 1991: Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. Read more
11 Jul 1990: Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. Read more
11 Jul 1983: A TAME airline Boeing 737-200 crashes near Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 passengers and crew on board. Read more
11 Jul 1982: Italy defeats West Germany 3–1 to win the FIFA World Cup. Read more
11 Jul 1979: America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. Read more
11 Jul 1978: Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. Read more
11 Jul 1977: Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Read more
11 Jul 1973: Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. Read more
11 Jul 1972: The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky starts. Read more
11 Jul 1971: The nationalization of all large copper mines in Chile is completed. Read more
11 Jul 1962: First transatlantic satellite television transmission. Read more
11 Jul 1962: Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth. Read more
11 Jul 1960: France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. Read more
11 Jul 1960: Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read more
11 Jul 1960: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, in the United States. Read more
11 Jul 1957: Prince Karim Husseini Aga Khan IV inherits the office of Imamat as the 49th Imam of Shia Imami Ismai'li worldwide, after the death of Sir Sultan Mahommed Shah Aga Khan III. Read more
11 Jul 1950: Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. Read more
11 Jul 1947: The Exodus 1947 heads to Palestine from France. Read more
11 Jul 1943: Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army within the Reichskommissariat Ukraine (Volhynia) peak. Read more
11 Jul 1943: World War II: Allied invasion of Sicily: German and Italian troops launch a counter-attack on Allied forces in Sicily. Read more
11 Jul 1941: The Northern Rhodesian Labour Party holds its first congress in Nkana. Read more
11 Jul 1940: World War II: Vichy France regime is formally established. Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of the French State. Read more
11 Jul 1936: The Triborough Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic. Read more
11 Jul 1934: Engelbert Zaschka of Germany flies his large human-powered aircraft, the Zaschka Human-Power Aircraft, about 20 meters at Berlin Tempelhof Airport without assisted take-off. Read more
11 Jul 1924: Eric Liddell won the gold medal in 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics, after refusing to run in the heats for 100m, his favoured distance, on a Sunday. Read more
11 Jul 1922: The Hollywood Bowl opens. Read more
11 Jul 1921: A truce in the Irish War of Independence comes into effect. Read more
11 Jul 1921: The Red Army captures Mongolia from the White Army and establishes the Mongolian People's Republic. Read more
11 Jul 1921: Former president of the United States William Howard Taft is sworn in as 10th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the only person ever to hold both offices. Read more
11 Jul 1920: In the East Prussian plebiscite the local populace decides to remain with Weimar Germany. Read more
11 Jul 1919: The eight-hour day and free Sunday become law for workers in the Netherlands. Read more
11 Jul 1914: Babe Ruth makes his debut in Major League Baseball. Read more
11 Jul 1914: The US Navy launches the USS Nevada (BB-36) as its first standard-type battleship. Read more
11 Jul 1906: Murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in the United States, inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. Read more
11 Jul 1899: Fiat founded by Giovanni Agnelli in Turin, Italy. Read more
11 Jul 1897: Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. Read more
11 Jul 1893: The first cultured pearl is obtained by Kōkichi Mikimoto. Read more
11 Jul 1893: A revolution led by the liberal general and politician José Santos Zelaya takes over state power in Nicaragua. Read more
11 Jul 1889: Tijuana, Mexico, is founded. Read more
11 Jul 1882: The British Mediterranean Fleet begins the Bombardment of Alexandria in Egypt as part of the Anglo-Egyptian War. Read more
11 Jul 1864: American Civil War: Battle of Fort Stevens; Confederate forces attempt to invade Washington, D.C. Read more
11 Jul 1848: Waterloo railway station in London opens. Read more
11 Jul 1836: The Fly-fisher's Entomology is published by Alfred Ronalds. The book transformed the sport and went to many editions. Read more
11 Jul 1833: Noongar Australian aboriginal warrior Yagan, wanted for the murder of white colonists in Western Australia, is killed. Read more
11 Jul 1804: A duel occurs in which the Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr mortally wounds former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Read more
11 Jul 1801: French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons makes his first comet discovery. In the next 27 years he discovers another 36 comets, more than any other person in history. Read more

Famous Births on 11 July

11 Jul 2002: Amad, Ivorian footballer Amad Diallo, sometimes known mononymously as Amad, is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Ivory Coast national team. Read more
11 Jul 1997: Ryan Rolison, American baseball player Ryan Perry Rolison is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies. He played college baseball for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Rockies in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2025. Read more
11 Jul 1996: Alessia Cara, Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Giada Caracciolo, known professionally as Alessia Cara, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She began posting covers of songs on YouTube at age 13. After uploading acoustic covers of songs such as "Love Yourself" and "Sweater Weather" online, she signed with EP Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings in 2014 and released her debut single, "Here", the following year. It peaked at number 19 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and was a sleeper hit in the US, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Read more
11 Jul 1995: Joey Bosa, American football player Joseph Anthony Bosa is an American professional football defensive end. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected third overall by the then San Diego Chargers in the 2016 NFL draft, where he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He is the son of former NFL player John Bosa and the older brother of current NFL player Nick Bosa. Read more
11 Jul 1995: Tyler Medeiros, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Tyler Medeiros is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer. Read more
11 Jul 1994: Bartłomiej Kalinkowski, Polish footballer Bartłomiej Kalinkowski is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for IV liga Masovia club Hutnik Warsaw. He started his senior career with Legia Warsaw. Read more
11 Jul 1994: Anthony Milford, Australian rugby league player Anthony Milford is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a five-eighth for the Souths Logan Magpies in the Intrust Super Cup. Read more
11 Jul 1994: Nina Nesbitt, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist Nina Lindberg Nesbitt is a Scottish singer and musician. She is best known for her UK and Scottish top 40 hit singles "Stay Out" and "Selfies". She also earned further recognition with her rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" which was featured in an advert for the department store John Lewis. Read more
11 Jul 1994: Lucas Ocampos, Argentinian footballer Lucas Ariel Ocampos is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Liga MX club Monterrey. Read more
11 Jul 1993: Rebecca Bross, American gymnast Rebecca Marie Bross is an American former artistic gymnast and six-time World Championship medalist. Read more
11 Jul 1993: Heini Salonen, Finnish tennis player Heini Salonen is a Finnish tennis player. Read more
11 Jul 1992: Mohamed Elneny, Egyptian footballer Mohamed Naser Elsayed Elneny is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for the Egypt national team. He is regarded as one of the best Egyptian players in history. Read more
11 Jul 1990: Mona Barthel, German tennis player Mona Barthel is a German tennis player.
On 18 March 2013, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 23. On 14 September 2015, she peaked at No. 63 in the doubles rankings. Read more
11 Jul 1990: Connor Paolo, American actor Connor Paolo is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Eric van der Woodsen on the CW's teen drama series Gossip Girl and Declan Porter on the ABC drama series Revenge. He has also appeared in two Oliver Stone films, Alexander (2004) and World Trade Center (2006). Read more
11 Jul 1990: Adam Jezierski, Polish-Spanish actor and singer Adam Jezierski Ros is a Polish-born actor based in Spain. He is known for playing lead role in the series Física o Química as Gorka Martínez Mora. Read more
11 Jul 1990: Patrick Peterson, American football player Patrick De'mon Peterson Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, where he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in the country, and the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back. He is regarded as one of the greatest cornerbacks of his era. Read more
11 Jul 1990: Caroline Wozniacki, Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish former professional tennis player. She has been ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA, holding the position for a total of 71 weeks. Wozniacki has won 30 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including a major at the 2018 Australian Open as well as the 2017 WTA Finals. Read more
11 Jul 1989: Tobias Sana, Swedish footballer Tobias Tigjani Sana is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Allsvenskan club Örgryte IS. Read more
11 Jul 1989: Travis Waddell, Australian rugby league player Travis Waddell is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who most recently played for the Souths Logan Magpies in the Intrust Super Cup. He plays as a hooker. He previously played for the Canberra Raiders, Newcastle Knights and most recently the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League. Read more
11 Jul 1989: Shimanoumi Koyo, Japanese sumo wrestler Shimanoumi Kōyō is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Shima, Mie. He debuted in sumo wrestling in July 2012 and made his makuuchi debut in May 2019. His highest rank has been maegashira 3. He wrestles for Kise stable. Read more
11 Jul 1988: Étienne Capoue, French footballer Étienne René Capoue is a French former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Read more
11 Jul 1988: Natalie La Rose, Dutch singer, songwriter and dancer Natalie Delia Louise La Rose is a Dutch singer. In 2013, she signed a recording contract with American rapper Flo Rida's International Music Group imprint and Republic Records. She is best known for her 2015 song "Somebody". Read more
11 Jul 1987: Shigeaki Kato, Japanese singer Shigeaki Kato is a Japanese musician, writer, actor and a member of the J-pop group NEWS, from ELOV-Label formerly known as Johnny's Entertainment. Read more
11 Jul 1986: Raúl García, Spanish footballer Raúl García Escudero is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or second striker. Read more
11 Jul 1986: Yoann Gourcuff, French footballer Yoann Miguel Gourcuff is a French former professional footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder. He could also be utilized as a withdrawn striker; he was described as a "playmaker of real quality", "an accomplished passer of the ball". He was widely characterized as one of the most promising French youth talents of his generation. His talent, playing style, tenacity on the pitch, technical skills, as well as precocious ability drew comparisons to Zinedine Zidane. Read more
11 Jul 1986: Ryan Jarvis, English footballer Ryan Robert Jarvis is an English footballer who plays for Southern League Premier Division Central side Leiston, where he plays as a midfielder. Read more
11 Jul 1985: Robert Adamson, American actor, director, and producer Robert Gillespie Adamson IV is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing the roles of Charles Antoni on the Freeform series Lincoln Heights , Phil Sanders on the TeenNick series Hollywood Heights (2012), and Noah Newman on the CBS Daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. Read more
11 Jul 1985: Orestis Karnezis, Greek footballer Orestis-Spyridon Karnezis is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
11 Jul 1984: Yorman Bazardo, Venezuelan baseball player Yorman Michael Bazardo Osorio is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. Read more
11 Jul 1984: Tanith Belbin, Canadian-American ice dancer Tanith Jessica Louise Belbin White is a Canadian American ice dancer and Olympic program host for NBC Sports. Though born in Canada, she holds dual citizenship and has competed for the United States since she began skating with Benjamin Agosto in 1998. With Agosto, Belbin is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, four-time World medalist, three-time Four Continents champion (2004–2006), and five-time U.S. champion (2004–2008). Read more
11 Jul 1984: Jacoby Jones, American football player (died 2024) Jacoby Rashi'd Jones was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Selected in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft by the Houston Texans, Jones also played with the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, and Pittsburgh Steelers before playing with the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League in 2017. Read more
11 Jul 1984: Joe Pavelski, American ice hockey player Joseph James Pavelski is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. Read more
11 Jul 1984: Morné Steyn, South African rugby player Morné Steyn is a South African former professional rugby union player who played as a fly-half. Read more
11 Jul 1983: Engin Baytar, German-Turkish footballer Engin Baytar is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a winger. Read more
11 Jul 1983: Peter Cincotti, American singer-songwriter and pianist Peter Cincotti is an American singer-songwriter. He began playing piano at the age of three. While in high school, he regularly performed in clubs throughout Manhattan. In 2003, Cincotti's debut album, produced by Phil Ramone, reached No. 1 on the Billboard jazz chart, making Cincotti the youngest musician to do so. This led to performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, L'Olympia, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Montreux Jazz Festival where he won an award in the piano competition. Cincotti's style blends pop, rock, blues, and jazz. Read more
11 Jul 1983: Marie Serneholt, Swedish singer and dancer Marie Eleonor Serneholt is a Swedish singer and model. She is a member of the Swedish pop band A*Teens which reunited in 2024, and briefly pursued a solo recording career after the band disbanded in 2004. Read more
11 Jul 1982: Chris Cooley, American football player Christopher Ken Cooley is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah State Aggies and was selected by the Redskins in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft. Read more
11 Jul 1981: Andre Johnson, American football player Andre Lamont Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Houston Texans. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, and was selected by the Texans third overall in the 2003 NFL draft. He is 11th all-time in NFL career receptions, and in NFL receiving yards. Playing his first 12 years with Houston, Johnson holds nearly every Texans receiving record. He was also a member of the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, playing one season with each team. Read more
11 Jul 1981: Susana Barreiros, Venezuelan judge Susana Virginia Barreiros Rodríguez is a Venezuelan judge, most notable for leading the case and sentencing against the opposition leader Leopoldo López. She was provisionally designated as Public Defender of Venezuela in 2015, until her resignation, which saw the role being given to Carmen Marisela Castro on 8 January 2019. Read more
11 Jul 1980: Tyson Kidd, Canadian wrestler Theodore James "TJ" Wilson, better known by the ring name Tyson Kidd, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a producer. Read more
11 Jul 1980: Kevin Powers, American soldier and author Kevin Powers is an American fiction writer, poet, and Iraq War veteran. Read more
11 Jul 1979: Raio Piiroja, Estonian footballer Raio Piiroja is an Estonian former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back for Pärnu/Kalev, Lelle, Flora, Vålerenga, Fredrikstad, Vitesse and Chengdu Blades. Read more
11 Jul 1978: Kathleen Edwards, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Kathleen Margaret Edwards is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, Failer, contained the singles "Six O'Clock News" and "Hockey Skates". Her next two albums – Back to Me and Asking for Flowers – both made the Billboard 200 list and reached the top 10 of Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart. In 2012, Edwards' fourth studio album, Voyageur, became Edwards' first album to crack the top 100 and top 40 in the U.S., peaking at No. 39 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and No. 2 in Canada. In 2012, Edwards' song "A Soft Place To Land" won the SOCAN Songwriting Prize, an annual competition that honours the best song written and released by 'emerging' songwriters over the past year, as voted by the public. Her musical sound has been compared to Suzanne Vega meets Neil Young. Read more
11 Jul 1978: Massimiliano Rosolino, Italian swimmer Massimiliano Edgar "Massi" Rosolino is an Italian retired competitive swimmer. Read more
11 Jul 1977: Brandon Short, American football player and sportscaster Brandon Darrell Short is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning consensus All-American honors in 1999. He played professionally for the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers of the NFL, and was a member the Giants' team that played in Super Bowl XXXV. He is currently Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at Round Hill Capital in London and a member of the Pennsylvania State University's board of trustees. Read more
11 Jul 1976: Eduardo Nájera, Mexican-American basketball player and coach Eduardo Alonso Nájera Pérez is a Mexican former professional basketball player who is currently a scout for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a pregame and postgame analyst on Mavericks Live on Fox Sports Southwest. Before being promoted to a scout with the Mavs, he was head coach of the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League. He is regarded as the greatest Mexican basketball player ever. Read more
11 Jul 1975: Willie Anderson, American football player Willie Aaron Anderson is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Bengals 10th overall of the 1996 NFL draft. A four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro selection, Anderson played his first 12 seasons with the Bengals. Read more
11 Jul 1975: Rubén Baraja, Spanish footballer and manager Rubén Baraja Vegas is a Spanish retired footballer, currently a manager. Read more
11 Jul 1974: Alanas Chošnau, Lithuanian singer-songwriter Alanas Chošnau is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter. From 1992–2001 and 2014–2018, he was the frontman of the band Naktinės Personos. From 2001 and 2009 and since 2019, Chošnau successfully developed a solo career. He won the 'Best Performer of the Year', 'Best Song', 'Best Video', 'Golden Disc' in the Lithuanian National Radio Awards. Chošnau is continuously named as one of the most played and most performing artists of Lithuania. Read more
11 Jul 1974: Hermann Hreiðarsson, Icelandic footballer and manager Hermann Hreiðarsson is an Icelandic former professional football player and coach. He played as a defender and spent 15 seasons in England, gaining a total of 332 appearances in the Premier League. Read more
11 Jul 1974: André Ooijer, Dutch footballer and coach André Antonius Maria Ooijer is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender for PSV, Blackburn Rovers, and Ajax. Read more
11 Jul 1974: Lil' Kim, American rapper and producer Kimberly Denise Jones, better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and model. Referred to as the "Queen of Rap", Lil' Kim is known for her sexually charged lyrics and presence, which influenced women in contemporary hip-hop. She is the second best-selling female rapper of all time with 45 million records sold, and is also a fashion icon for her risk-taking and luxurious approach to fashion. Read more
11 Jul 1973: Andrew Bird, American indie rock singer-songwriter and violinist Andrew Wegman Bird is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. His albums have spanned various genres including swing music, indie rock, and folk music. He is primarily known for his unique style of violin playing, accompanied by loop and effect pedals, whistling, and vocals. Read more
11 Jul 1973: Konstantinos Kenteris, Greek runner Konstantinos "Kostas" Kenteris, also spelled as Konstadinos "Costas" Kederis is a Greek former athlete. He won gold medals in the 200 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, the 2001 World Championships in Athletics and the 2002 European Championships in Athletics, making him the only European sprinter to win the gold medal in all three major competitions and the only European World Champion in the 200 metres races. Additionally, he has won two gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the European Cup, as well as three gold medals in the 200 metres at the Athens Grand Prix Tsiklitiria. He is also a 14-time golden medalist at the Greek Athletics Championships and a five-time golden medalist at the Greek Indoor Athletics Championships. He withdrew from the 2004 Summer Olympics, held in his home country, after a doping violation. Read more
11 Jul 1972: Cormac Battle, English-Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Cormac Battle is an Irish musician and radio presenter/producer. He is the vocalist and lead guitarist for the bands Kerbdog and Wilt,. . He Started a new show on RTE Gold from 18th of May, 2026. Read more
11 Jul 1972: Michael Rosenbaum, American actor Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and podcaster. He is known for portraying Lex Luthor on the television series Smallville, a role that TV Guide included in their 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time". Read more
11 Jul 1971: Leisha Hailey, American singer-songwriter and actress Leisha Hailey is an American actress and musician known for playing Alice Pieszecki in the Showtime Networks series The L Word and The L Word: Generation Q. Hailey first came to the public's attention as a musician in the pop duo the Murmurs and has continued her music career as part of the band Uh Huh Her. Currently, Hailey hosts podcast PANTS with fellow L Word star and close friend, Kate Moennig. Read more
11 Jul 1971: Scott Muller, Australian cricketer Scott Andrew Muller is a former Australian and Queensland cricketer of German ancestry. Read more
11 Jul 1970: Justin Chambers, American actor Justin Willman Chambers is an American actor and former model best known for his role as Dr. Alex Karev in Grey's Anatomy (2005–2020). Born in Ohio, he went to Southeastern High School, South Charleston, and later studied acting at New York's HB Studio. Chambers began modeling after being approached by a modeling scout in Paris. He went on to represent fashion brands including Calvin Klein, Armani, and Dolce & Gabbana. Chambers began his acting career with a recurring role in the soap opera Another World and made his feature film debut with a supporting role in the comedy drama Liberty Heights (1999). Read more
11 Jul 1970: Sajjad Karim, English lawyer and politician Sajjad Haider Karim is a British politician. He served as a Member of the European Parliament for the North West England between 2004 and 2019.
Karim was one of 10 members of the executive of European Movement UK and Chair of Conservative European Forum Trade. Read more
11 Jul 1970: Eric Owens, American opera singer Eric Owens is an American operatic bass-baritone. He has performed both in new works and reinterpreted classic repertoire. In 1996 he won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Read more
11 Jul 1969: Ned Boulting, British sports journalist and television presenter Norris Edward Boulting is a British sports journalist, television presenter and podcaster best known for his coverage of football, cycling and darts. Read more
11 Jul 1968: Michael Geist, Canadian journalist and academic Michael Allen Geist is a Canadian academic, and the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.
He is the editor of four books on copyright law and privacy law,
and he edits two newsletters on Canadian information technology and privacy law. Read more
11 Jul 1968: Daniel MacMaster, Canadian singer-songwriter (died 2008) Daniel Stewart MacMaster was a Canadian singer, who was lead vocalist for the Canadian/British hard rock band Bonham. Read more
11 Jul 1968: Esera Tuaolo, American football player Esera Tavai Tuaolo, nicknamed "Mr. Aloha", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers. Read more
11 Jul 1967: Andy Ashby, American baseball player and sportscaster Andrew Jason Ashby is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., Ashby batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and is the uncle to Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby. Read more
11 Jul 1967: Jhumpa Lahiri, Indian American novelist and short story writer Nilanjana Sudeshna "Jhumpa" Lahiri is a British-American author known for her short stories, novels, and essays in English and, more recently, in Italian. Read more
11 Jul 1966: Nadeem Aslam, Pakistani-English author Nadeem Aslam FRSL is a British Pakistani novelist. His debut novel, Season of the Rainbirds, won the Betty Trask and the Author's Club First Novel Award. His critically acclaimed second novel Maps for Lost Lovers won Encore Award and Kiriyama Prize; it was shortlisted for International Dublin Literary Award, among others. Colm Tóibín described him as "one of the most exciting and serious British novelists writing now". Read more
11 Jul 1966: Kentaro Miura, Japanese author and illustrator (died 2021) Kentaro Miura was a Japanese manga artist. He was best known for his dark fantasy series Berserk, which began serialization in 1989. By 2023, Berserk had over 60 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 2002, Miura received the Award for Excellence at the sixth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. Read more
11 Jul 1966: Rod Strickland, American basketball player and coach Rodney Strickland is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He is currently the head coach at Long Island University. Prior to LIU, he served as the program manager for the NBA G League's professional path. Strickland played college basketball for the DePaul Blue Demons, earning All-American honors. He had a long career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing from 1988 to 2005. Strickland was an assistant coach for the South Florida Bulls, under Orlando Antigua from 2014 to 2017. He formerly served in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari and was the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis under Calipari. He is the godfather of current NBA player Kyrie Irving.
Strickland was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame with the Class of 2008. Read more
11 Jul 1966: Ricky Warwick, Northern Irish musician Ricky Warwick is a Northern Irish musician and the lead singer of the rock bands Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy. He is also the frontman for the Scottish hard rock band The Almighty, with whom he achieved chart success in the UK throughout the 1990s. Warwick has released several solo albums, performed with a variety of other bands and artists, and fronts his own band, The Fighting Hearts, to showcase his solo material. Read more
11 Jul 1965: Tony Cottee, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster Antony Richard Cottee is an English former professional footballer and manager who now works as a television football commentator. Read more
11 Jul 1965: Ernesto Hoost, Dutch kick-boxer and sportscaster Ernesto Frits Hoost is a Dutch retired professional kickboxer. A four-time K-1 World Champion, Hoost is considered to be one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. Debuting in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where he came just one win short of the world title, Hoost announced his retirement thirteen years later on 2 December 2006 after the K-1 World GP Final tournament in Tokyo Dome, Japan. Hoost holds notable victories over Peter Aerts (4x), Branko Cikatić, Mirko Cro Cop (3x), Jérôme Le Banner (3x), Andy Hug (3x), Ray Sefo (3x), Musashi (2x), Mike Bernardo, Francisco Filho (2x), Sam Greco, Stefan Leko (3x), Mark Hunt, Cyril Abidi, and Glaube Feitosa. Read more
11 Jul 1965: Scott Shriner, American singer-songwriter and bass player Scott Gardner Shriner is an American musician best known as a member of the rock band Weezer, with whom he has recorded twelve studio albums. Joining the band in 2001, Shriner is the band's longest serving bass guitarist. Read more
11 Jul 1964: Craig Charles, English actor and TV presenter Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, comedian, presenter and DJ. He is best known for his roles as Dave Lister in the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf and Lloyd Mullaney in the soap opera Coronation Street (2005–2015). He presented the gladiator-style game show Robot Wars from 1998 to 2004, and narrated the comedy endurance show Takeshi's Castle. As a DJ, he appears on BBC Radio 6 Music. Read more
11 Jul 1963: Al MacInnis, Canadian ice hockey player and coach Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a defenceman for 23 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames (1981–1994) and St. Louis Blues (1994–2004). A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL entry draft, he went on to become a twelve-time All-Star. He was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player of the playoffs in 1989 after leading the Flames to the Stanley Cup championship. He was voted the winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 1999 as the top defenceman in the league while a member of the Blues. In 2017, MacInnis was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. Read more
11 Jul 1963: Dean Richards, English rugby player and coach Dean Richards is a rugby union coach and former player for Leicester Tigers, England and British & Irish Lions. He was most recently the Director of Rugby at Newcastle Falcons, a position he held for ten years between 2012 and 2022. Read more
11 Jul 1963: Lisa Rinna, American actress and talk show host Lisa Rinna is an American actress, television personality, author, and model. She portrayed Billie Reed on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives and Taylor McBride on Fox's television drama Melrose Place. Between 2014 and 2022, Rinna starred on Bravo's reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Other television credits include being a contestant on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice, ABC's Dancing with the Stars, and Peacock's The Traitors, as well as guest-starring roles on Entourage, Hannah Montana, Veronica Mars, Community, The Middle, and American Horror Stories. Rinna made her Broadway debut in Chicago as Roxie Hart in June 2007. Read more
11 Jul 1962: Gaétan Duchesne, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2007) Gaétan Joseph Pierre Duchesne was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played with the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He retired in 1995, then returned in 1996 and became a player-coach with the Quebec Rafales of the International Hockey League and later after retiring again in 1998, an assistant coach with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Read more
11 Jul 1962: Pauline McLynn, Irish actress and author Pauline McLynn is an Irish actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Mrs. Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless, Tip Haddem in the BBC One comedy Jam & Jerusalem, Yvonne Cotton in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, and Maggie Driscoll in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Read more
11 Jul 1962: Fumiya Fujii, Japanese music artist Fumiya Fujii is a Japanese musician, actor and former lead singer of The Checkers born in Kurume. His younger brother is Naoyuki Fujii, a musician and former sax player for The Checkers. His eldest son is Fuji TV announcer Kōki Fujii. He formerly belonged to Yamaha Music Foundation and Three Star Pro, and now he is part of a private agency, FFM Co. Read more
11 Jul 1961: Antony Jenkins, English banker and businessman Antony Peter Jenkins is a British business executive. Since 2016 he has been the chief executive officer of 10x Future Technologies, which he founded. He was the group chief executive of Barclays from August 2012 until July 2015. Jenkins is the current Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University. Read more
11 Jul 1960: David Baerwald, American singer-songwriter, composer, and musician David Francis Baerwald is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and musician. Read more
11 Jul 1960: Caroline Quentin, English actress Caroline Quentin is an English actress, broadcaster and television presenter. Quentin became known for her television appearances, portraying Dorothy in Men Behaving Badly (1992–1998), Maddie Magellan in Jonathan Creek (1997–2000), Kate Salinger in Kiss Me Kate (1998-2000) and DCI Janine Lewis in Blue Murder (2003–2009). Read more
11 Jul 1959: Richie Sambora, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Richard Stephen Sambora is an American musician, songwriter and singer. He was a member of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. Sambora was the band's lead guitarist; he also provided backing vocals and played a major role in the band's songwriting. In 2018, Sambora was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi. He reunited with his former bandmates for a performance at the induction ceremony. Read more
11 Jul 1959: Suzanne Vega, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American singer-songwriter of folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans 40 years. In the mid-1980s and 1990s, she released four singles that entered the Top 40 on the UK singles chart, "Marlene on the Wall", "Left of Center", "Luka" and "No Cheap Thrill". Read more
11 Jul 1958: Stephanie Dabney, American ballerina (died 2022) Stephanie Renee Dabney was an American dancer who performed as a prima ballerina with Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1979 through 1994. Dabney is best known for her performances in John Taras' The Firebird, which she performed all over the world, as well as at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Read more
11 Jul 1958: Mark Lester, English actor Mark Lester is an English former child actor who starred in a number of British and European films in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1968 he played the title role in the film Oliver!, a musical version of the stage production by Lionel Bart based on Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. He also made several appearances in many British television series. In 1977, after appearing in The Prince and the Pauper, an all-star international action adventure film, he retired from acting. In the 1980s, he trained as an osteopath specialising in sports injuries. Read more
11 Jul 1958: Hugo Sánchez, Mexican footballer, coach, and manager Hugo Sánchez Márquez is a Mexican former professional footballer and manager, who played as a forward. A prolific goalscorer known for his spectacular strikes and volleys, he is widely regarded as the greatest Mexican footballer of all time, one of the best players of his generation, and one of the greatest strikers of all time. In 1999, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics voted Sánchez the 26th best footballer of the 20th century, and the best footballer from the CONCACAF region. In 2004, Sánchez was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Read more
11 Jul 1957: Johann Lamont, Scottish educator and politician Johann MacDougall Lamont is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2011 to 2014. She was previously a junior Scottish Executive minister from 2004 to 2007 and Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2008 until her election to the leadership in 2011. In addition to her ministerial and leadership roles, she has been a campaigner on equality issues and violence against women throughout her political career. Read more
11 Jul 1957: Peter Murphy, English singer-songwriter Peter John Joseph Murphy is an English singer and songwriter. He is the vocalist for the post-punk band Bauhaus, which he co-founded with Daniel Ash in 1978. After Bauhaus disbanded, Murphy formed Dalis Car with Japan's bassist Mick Karn and released one album, The Waking Hour (1984). He went on to release a number of solo albums, including Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (1986) and Love Hysteria (1988). Read more
11 Jul 1957: Patsy O'Hara, Irish Republican hunger striker (died 1981) Patsy O'Hara was an Irish republican hunger striker and member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). O'Hara was one of 10 Irish republicans who died in the 1981 hunger strike. Read more
11 Jul 1957: Michael Rose, Jamaican singer-songwriter Michael Rose is a Jamaican reggae singer. He is most widely known for a successful tenure as the lead singer for Black Uhuru from 1977 to 1984, followed by a lengthy solo career. He has been praised as "one of Jamaica's most distinguished singers" and for launching a distinctive form of reggae singing that originated in his home neighborhood of Waterhouse in Kingston. Read more
11 Jul 1956: Amitav Ghosh, Indian-American author and academic Amitav Ghosh is an American writer. He won the 54th Jnanpith award in 2018, India's highest literary honour. Ghosh's ambitious novels use complex narrative strategies to probe the nature of national and personal identity, particularly of the people of India and South Asia. He has written historical fiction and non-fiction works discussing topics such as colonialism and climate change. Read more
11 Jul 1956: Robin Renucci, French actor and director Robin Renucci is a French film and television actor and film director. Read more
11 Jul 1956: Sela Ward, American actress Sela Ann Ward is an American actress. Her breakthrough TV role was as Teddy Reed in the NBC drama series Sisters (1991–96), for which she received her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994. She received her second Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for the leading role of Lily Manning in the ABC drama series Once and Again (1999–2002). Ward later had the recurring role of Stacy Warner in the Fox medical drama House, also starred as Jo Danville in the CBS police procedural CSI: NY (2010–13) and starred as Dana Mosier in the CBS police procedural series FBI (2018–19). Read more
11 Jul 1955: Balaji Sadasivan, Singaporean neurosurgeon and politician, Singaporean Minister of Health (died 2010) Balaji Sadasivan was a Singaporean politician and neurosurgeon. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Minister of State for the Ministry of the Environment (2001–2003), Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport (2001–2004); and subsequently Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Health (2004–2006), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006–2010) and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (2004–2008). He was also a Member of Parliament representing the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency from 2001 to 2010. Read more
11 Jul 1954: Julia King, English engineer and academic Julia Elizabeth King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge is a British engineer and a crossbench member of the House of Lords, where she chairs the Select Committee on Science and Technology. She is the incumbent chair of the Carbon Trust and the Henry Royce Institute, and was the vice-chancellor of Aston University from 2006 to 2016. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Piyasvasti Amranand, Thai businessman and politician, Thai Minister of Energy Piyasvasti Amranand, born 11 July 1953) is a former Thailand's Energy Minister between 9 October 2006 and 6 February 2008. He is former Secretary-General of the Thai National Energy Policy Office, Chairman of Kasikorn Asset Management, and Chairman of the Panel of Advisors to the CEO of Kasikornbank. He was President of Thai Airways International between October 2009 and June 2012 and Chairman of PTT Public Company Limited between July 2014 and 2018. He is currently Chairman of PTT Global Chemical plc., board member of Kasikorn Bank, board member of Pruksa Holding plc., and Chairman of Thai Airways Rehabilitation Plan Administrator. Piyasvasti plays active roles in three non-profit organizations as a founding and core member of the Energy Reform for Sustainability Group (ERS); Chairman of the Energy for Environment Foundation, a non-profit organization undertaking renewable energy and energy efficiency projects; and as president of the Ski and Snowboard Association of Thailand. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Angélica Aragón, Mexican film, television, and stage actress and singer Angélica Espinoza Stransky, known professionally as Angélica Aragón, is a Mexican film, television, and stage actress and singer. She is the daughter of Mexican composer José Ángel Espinoza ("Ferrusquilla"). Aragón is recognized for her performances in various Mexican films such as Cilantro y perejil (1997), Sexo, pudor y lágrimas (1999), and El crimen del Padre Amaro (2002), as well as in American productions like A Walk in the Clouds (1995) and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2002). She is also well known for starring in two notable Mexican telenovelas: Vivir un poco (1985) and Mirada de mujer (1997). Read more
11 Jul 1953: Peter Brown, American singer-songwriter and producer Peter Brown is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Brown was a popular performer in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His biggest success was the release of the LP in 1977 called A Fantasy Love Affair which produced the disco hits "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky with Me" and "Dance With Me". He wrote, with Robert Rans, Madonna's hit "Material Girl". Read more
11 Jul 1953: Suresh Prabhu, Indian accountant and politician, Indian Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu is an Indian politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1996 to 2009, representing Rajapur in the Lok Sabha. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Andhra Pradesh and Haryana from 2014 to 2022. Prabhu was PM Narendra Modi's Sherpa for the Group of 20 annual summit 2014-2015. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Patricia Reyes Spíndola, Mexican actress, director, and producer Patricia Verónica Núñez Reyes Spíndola is a Mexican actress, director, and producer. She has received four Ariel Awards, two for Best Actress, and two for Supporting Actress. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Leon Spinks, American boxer (died 2021) Leon Spinks was an American professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1978 after defeating Muhammad Ali in a split decision, in what is considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history. Spinks was later stripped of the WBC title for facing Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by a unanimous decision. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Mindy Sterling, American actress Mindy Lee Sterling is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has amassed multiple live action and voice-over credits across film and television. Her accolades include nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Ivan Toms, South African physician and activist (died 2008) Ivan Peter Toms was a South African physician, who battled the Apartheid era government as a prominent anti-Apartheid and anti-conscription activist. He opposed conscription by the South African Defence Force, and was a co-founder of the End Conscription Campaign. He ran a clinic in the Crossroads shanty town where he was the only physician for 60,000 people. He went on a hunger strike in 1985 after the government decided to bulldoze the settlement. Toms was also involved with gay rights activism in South Africa and was a founding member of the Lesbians and Gays Against Oppression. At the time of his death in 2008, Toms was serving as the Director of Health for the city of Cape Town, South Africa. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Bramwell Tovey, English-Canadian conductor and composer (died 2022) Bramwell Tovey was a British conductor and composer. Read more
11 Jul 1953: Paul Weiland, English director, producer, and screenwriter Paul Weiland OBE is an English film and television director, writer, and producer. Weiland is a director and producer of television commercials in the UK, having made over 500 commercials, including a popular and long-running series for Walkers crisps. He has also directed several British television series, including Alas Smith and Jones (1989–1992) and Mr. Bean (1991–1992). His feature film credits include Made of Honor (2008), Sixty Six (2006), Blackadder: Back & Forth (1999), Roseanna's Grave (1997), City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994) and Leonard Part 6 (1987). Read more
11 Jul 1952: Bill Barber, Canadian ice hockey player and coach William Charles Barber is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger for 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League (NHL). As part of the famed LCB line, Barber helped lead the Flyers to the franchise's two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. His 53 goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Flyers remains a franchise record that he shares with Rick MacLeish. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. He is currently a scouting consultant with the Flyers. Read more
11 Jul 1952: Stephen Lang, American actor and playwright Stephen Lang is an American stage and screen actor. He gained fame for his role as Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron's Avatar (2009), for which he won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. Lang reprised the role in the sequels. Read more
11 Jul 1951: Ed Ott, American baseball player and coach (died 2024) Nathan Edward Ott, nicknamed "Otter", was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1974 to 1981 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the California Angels. Ott was a member of the 1979 World Series champions with the Pirates. After his playing career, Ott was a coach for the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers. Read more
11 Jul 1950: Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pakistani physicist and academic Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy is a Pakistani nuclear physicist and author. He has been considered by many as one of the most vocal, progressive and liberal member of the Pakistani intelligentsia. Hoodbhoy is known for his opposition to nuclear weapons and vocal defence of secularism, freedom of speech, scientific temper and education in Pakistan. Read more
11 Jul 1950: J. R. Morgan, Welsh author and academic John Robert Morgan FLSW is a British academic working at Swansea University in Wales. He is primarily known for writing books on Classics, and for contributing to a number of journals, often with colourful views. Read more
11 Jul 1950: Bonnie Pointer, American singer (died 2020) Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer was an American singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters. Pointer scored several moderate solo hits after leaving the Pointer Sisters in 1977, including a disco cover of the Elgins' "Heaven Must Have Sent You" which peaked at number 11 on September 1, 1979. Read more
11 Jul 1947: Jeff Hanna, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer Jeffrey R. Hanna is an American singer-songwriter and performance musician, best known for his association with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His professional music career has spanned six decades. Read more
11 Jul 1947: Norman Lebrecht, English author and critic Norman Lebrecht is a British music journalist best known as the owner of the classical music blog Slipped Disc. His writings have been accused of sensationalism and criticized for their inaccuracies and tendency to gossip, while others have praised them as entertaining. Unlike other writers on music, Lebrecht rarely reviews concerts or recordings, preferring to report on the people and organizations who engage in classical music. He was described by Gilbert Kaplan as "surely the most controversial and arguably the most influential journalist covering classical music". Read more
11 Jul 1947: Bo Lundgren, Swedish politician Bo Axel Magnus Lundgren is a Swedish politician who served as the leader of the Moderate Party from 1999 to 2003. Lundgren also served as Minister for Sports from 1991 to 1994 and Director-General of the Swedish National Debt Office from 2004 to 2013. Read more
11 Jul 1946: Martin Wong, American painter (died 1999) Martin Wong was a Chinese-American painter of the late 20th century. His work has been described as a meticulous blend of social realism and visionary art styles. Wong's paintings often explored multiple ethnic and racial identities, exhibited cross-cultural elements, demonstrated multilingualism, and celebrated his queer sexuality. He exhibited for two decades at notable New York galleries including EXIT ART, Semaphore, and P.P.O.W., among others, before his death in San Francisco from an AIDS-related illness. P.P.O.W. continues to represent his estate. Read more
11 Jul 1944: Lou Hudson, American basketball player and coach (died 2014) Louis Clyde Hudson was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player, who was an All-American at the University of Minnesota and a six-time NBA All-Star, scoring 17,940 total points in 13 NBA seasons. Read more
11 Jul 1944: Michael Levy, Baron Levy, English philanthropist Michael Abraham Levy, Baron Levy, is a British life peer and former chartered accountant who was chairman and CEO of a large independent group of music companies. A long-standing friend of former prime minister Tony Blair, Levy was the chief fundraiser for the Labour Party under Blair and spent nine years as Blair's special envoy to the Middle East. Read more
11 Jul 1944: Patricia Polacco, American author and illustrator Patricia Barber Polacco is an American author and illustrator. Throughout her school years, Polacco struggled to learn to read but found relief by expressing herself through art. Polacco endured teasing and hid her disability until a school teacher recognized she could not read and began to help her. Her book Thank You, Mr. Falker is Polacco's retelling of this encounter and its outcome. She also wrote such books as Mr. Lincoln's Way and The Lemonade Club. Read more
11 Jul 1943: Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (died 2006) Richard George Carleton was a multiple Logie Award–winning Australian television journalist. Read more
11 Jul 1943: Howard Gardner, American psychologist and academic Howard Earl Gardner is an American developmental psychologist and the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University. He was a founding member of Harvard Project Zero in 1967 and held leadership roles at that research center from 1972 to 2023. Since 1995, he has been the co-director of The Good Project. Read more
11 Jul 1943: Tom Holland, American actor, director, and screenwriter Thomas Lee Holland is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and former actor. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, penning the screenplay for Psycho II (1983), the sequel to the classic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho; writing and directing the cult vampire film Fright Night (1985); and directing and co-writing Child's Play (1988), the first entry in the long-running Child's Play franchise. He also wrote and directed the Stephen King adaptations The Langoliers (1995) and Thinner (1996), and directed an episode of Masters of Horror (2007). Holland is a Saturn Award recipient for Best Writing for Fright Night, which also won the Avoriaz Dario Argento Award and the Fantasporto Critics' Award. Read more
11 Jul 1943: Peter Jensen, Australian metropolitan Peter Frederick Jensen is a retired Australian Anglican bishop, theologian and academic. From 1985 to 2001, he was principal of Moore Theological College. From 2001 to 2013, he was the Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of the Province of New South Wales in the Anglican Church of Australia. He retired on his 70th birthday, 11 July 2013. In late 2007, Jensen was one of the founding members of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which he served as General Secretary. He stepped down in early 2019 and was succeeded by Benjamin Kwashi, former archbishop of Jos in Nigeria. Read more
11 Jul 1943: Robert Malval, Haitian businessman and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Haiti Robert Malval is the former prime minister of Haiti. He served from 30 August 1993 to 8 November 1994. He was preceded by Marc Bazin and was succeeded by Smarck Michel. Read more
11 Jul 1943: Rolf Stommelen, German racing driver (died 1983) Rolf Johann Stommelen was a German racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1969 to 1978. In endurance racing, Stommelen was a four-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona with Porsche. Read more
11 Jul 1942: Darrell Eastlake, Australian sportscaster (died 2018) Darrell Eastlake was an Australian radio and television presenter, commentator and sports journalist, best known for his long association with the Nine Network. Prior to his media career, Eastlake worked as a Qantas baggage handler, before making surfboards and running a surf shop. His career in broadcasting began in the 1960s when he gave surf reports on Sydney radio station 2UW. Read more
11 Jul 1941: Bill Boggs, American journalist and producer William Boggs III is an American television host and journalist. Read more
11 Jul 1941: Henry Lowther, English trumpet player Thomas Henry Lowther is an English jazz trumpeter who also plays violin. Read more
11 Jul 1937: Pai Hsien-yung, Chinese-Taiwanese author Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai is a Taiwanese writer who has been described as a "melancholy pioneer". He was born in Guilin, Guangxi at the cusp of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Pai's father was the Kuomintang (KMT) general Bai Chongxi, whom he later described as a "stern, Confucian father" with "some soft spots in his heart." Pai was diagnosed with tuberculosis at the age of seven, during which time he would have to live in a separate house from his siblings. He lived with his family in Chongqing, Shanghai, and Nanjing before moving to the British-controlled Hong Kong in 1948 as CCP forces turned the tide of the Chinese Civil War. In 1952, Pai and his family resettled in Taiwan, where the KMT had relocated the Republic of China after defeat by the Communists in 1949. Read more
11 Jul 1935: Frederick Hemke, American saxophonist and educator (died 2019) Frederick L. Hemke (né Fred LeRoy Hemke Jr.; July 11, 1935 – April 17, 2019) was an American virtuoso classical saxophonist and influential professor of saxophone at Northwestern University. Hemke helped increase the popularity of classical saxophone, particularly among leading American composers, and raised recognition of the classical saxophone in solo, chamber, and major orchestral repertoire throughout the world. Throughout his career, Hemke built American saxophone repertoire through many composers including Muczynski, Creston, Stein, Heiden, and Karlins. Read more
11 Jul 1935: Oliver Napier, Northern Irish lawyer and politician (died 2011) Sir Oliver Napier was the first leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. In 1974 he served as the first and only Legal Minister and head of the Office of Legal Reform in the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive set up by the Sunningdale Agreement. Read more
11 Jul 1934: Giorgio Armani, Italian fashion designer, founded the Armani Company (died 2025) Giorgio Armani was an Italian fashion designer and founder of the Armani luxury fashion house. Widely regarded as among the most influential designers in contemporary fashion, Armani initially gained recognition for his work with fashion house Cerruti 1881, before founding his own label in 1975. He became known for minimalist, deconstructed silhouettes—especially his jackets and suits—which are said to have redefined masculine and feminine elegance in a contemporary form. Armani also played a pivotal role in shaping celebrity style, particularly red-carpet fashion. By the early 2000s, he was recognized as the most successful Italian designer, with his brand expanding into music, sport, and luxury hotels. Read more
11 Jul 1934: Clark R. Rasmussen, American politician (died 2024) Clark Ray Rasmussen was an American politician who represented Polk County in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967 as a member of the Democratic Party. Read more
11 Jul 1933: Jim Carlen, American football player and coach (died 2012) James Anthony Carlen III was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at West Virginia University (1966–1969) and Texas Tech University (1970–1974). He served as both the head football coach and athletic director of the University of South Carolina (1975–1981). Carlen compiled an overall career college football record of 107–69–6. Read more
11 Jul 1933: Frank Kelso, American admiral and politician, United States Secretary of the Navy (died 2013) Frank Benton Kelso II was an admiral of the United States Navy, who served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1990 to 1994. Read more
11 Jul 1932: Alex Hassilev, French-born American folk singer and musician (died 2024) Alex Hassilev was an American folk musician who was one of the founding members of the group The Limeliters. Educated at Harvard and the University of Chicago, he was also an actor with a number of film and television appearances to his credit. As a musician he played the guitar and the banjo and was fluent in several languages. After retiring from the Limeliters, Hassilev remained active in the field of record production. Read more
11 Jul 1932: Jean-Guy Talbot, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 2024) Jean-Guy Talbot was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Read more
11 Jul 1931: Dick Gray, American baseball player (died 2013) Richard Benjamin Gray was an American professional baseball player. He was an infielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals from 1958 through 1960. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 165 pounds (75 kg), he batted and threw right handed. Read more
11 Jul 1931: Thurston Harris, American doo-wop singer (died 1990) Thurston Harris was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1957 hit "Little Bitty Pretty One". Read more
11 Jul 1931: Tab Hunter, American actor and singer (died 2018) Tab Hunter was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for his blond hair and clean-cut good looks, Hunter starred in more than forty films. During the 1950s and 1960s, Hunter was a Hollywood heartthrob, acting in numerous roles and appearing on the covers of hundreds of magazines. His notable screen credits include Battle Cry (1955), The Girl He Left Behind (1956), Gunman's Walk (1958), Damn Yankees (1958), Polyester (1981), and Lust in the Dust (1985). Hunter also had a music career in the late 1950s; in 1957, he released the no. 1 hit single "Young Love". Hunter's 2005 autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star, was a New York Times bestseller. Read more
11 Jul 1931: Tullio Regge, Italian physicist and academic (died 2014) Tullio Eugenio Regge was an Italian theoretical physicist. Read more
11 Jul 1930: Jack Alabaster, New Zealand cricketer (died 2024) John Chaloner Alabaster was a New Zealand cricketer who played 21 Test matches for the country's national team between 1955 and 1972. A leg-spin bowler, he was the only New Zealander to play in each of the country's first four Test victories. In domestic cricket, he was often partnered at the crease for his provincial side Otago by his younger brother Gren, who bowled off-spin. A schoolteacher, he later served as Rector of Southland Boys' High School in Invercargill. Read more
11 Jul 1930: Harold Bloom, American literary critic (died 2019) Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world". After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995. Read more
11 Jul 1930: Mike Foster, American politician, 53rd Governor of Louisiana (died 2020) Murphy James "Mike" Foster Jr. was an American businessman and politician who served as the 53rd governor of Louisiana from 1996 to 2004. Read more
11 Jul 1930: Trevor Storer, English businessman, founded Pukka Pies (died 2013) Trevor Storer was a British businessman and founder of the Pukka Pies company in 1963, which was originally called Trevor Storer's Home Made Pies. He was the author of Bread Salesmanship, which became the training manual for Allied Bakeries in the 1960s. Originally making his pies in his own home, he built the company up until retiring at the age of 65, but remained chairman until his death. As of his time of his death, the company turned over £40 million a year. Read more
11 Jul 1930: Ezra Vogel, American sociologist (died 2020) Ezra Feivel Vogel was an American sociologist who wrote on modern Japan, China, and Korea. He was Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University. Read more
11 Jul 1929: Danny Flores, American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (died 2006) Daniel Flores, also known by his stage name Chuck Rio, was an American rock and roll saxophonist. He is best remembered for his self-penned song "Tequila", which he recorded with The Champs, the band of which he was a member at the time, and which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Read more
11 Jul 1929: David Kelly, Irish actor (died 2012) David Kelly was an Irish actor, entertainer, and dancer who had regular roles in several film and television works from the 1950s onwards. One of the most recognisable voices and faces of Irish stage and screen, he was known for his roles as Rashers Tierney in Strumpet City, Cousin Enda in Me Mammy, the builder Mr. O'Reilly in Fawlty Towers, Albert Riddle in Robin's Nest, and Grandpa Joe in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Another notable role was as Michael O'Sullivan in Waking Ned. Read more
11 Jul 1928: Greville Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone, Welsh-English lawyer and politician (died 2015) Greville Ewan Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone, was a British politician, barrister and writer. He became a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Leicester in the 1970 general election as a last-minute candidate, succeeding his father. He was an MP until 1997, and then elevated to the House of Lords. Never a frontbencher, Janner was particularly known for his work on Select Committees; he chaired the Select Committee on Employment for a time. He was associated with a number of Jewish organisations including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, of which he was chairman from 1978 to 1984, and was later prominent in the field of education about the Holocaust. Read more
11 Jul 1928: Bobo Olson, American boxer (died 2002) Carl "Bobo" Olson was an American boxer. He was the World Middleweight champion between October 1953 and December 1955, the longest reign of any champion in that division during the 1950s.
His nickname was based on his younger sister's mispronunciation of "brother". Read more
11 Jul 1928: Frank Rosenblatt, Psychologist and Computer Scientist, AI pioneer (died 1971) Frank Rosenblatt was an American psychologist notable in the field of artificial intelligence. He is sometimes called the father of deep learning for his pioneering work on artificial neural networks. Read more
11 Jul 1928: Andrea Veneracion, Filipina choirmaster (died 2014) Andrea Ofilada Veneracion was a Filipino choral conductor and a recipient of the 1999 National Artist for Music award. She founded the Philippine Madrigal Singers in 1963. She was also an adjudicator in numerous international choral competitions and was an active force in choral music before her massive stroke in 2005. Read more
11 Jul 1927: Theodore Maiman, American-Canadian physicist and engineer (died 2007) Theodore Harold Maiman was an American engineer and physicist who is widely credited with the invention of the laser. Maiman's laser led to the subsequent development of many other types of lasers. The laser was successfully fired on May 16, 1960. In a July 7, 1960, press conference in Manhattan, Maiman and his employer, Hughes Aircraft Company, announced the laser to the world. Maiman was granted a patent for his invention, and he received many awards and honors for his work. His experiences in developing the first laser and subsequent related events are recounted in his book, The Laser Odyssey, later being republished in 2018 under a new title, The Laser Inventor: Memoirs of Theodore H. Maiman. Read more
11 Jul 1927: Chris Leonard, English footballer (died 1987) Christopher Leonard was an English footballer who made 26 appearances in the Football League playing as a centre half for Darlington in the 1950s. He also played non-league football for South Shields. He died in Wearhead, County Durham in 1987. Read more
11 Jul 1927: Herbert Blomstedt, Swedish conductor Herbert Thorson Blomstedt is an American-born Swedish conductor of classical music. He was conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden, the San Francisco Symphony and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. At the age of 98, he continues to conduct concerts in Europe, the United States and Japan; although he cancelled several concerts since suffering a health issue whilst conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in May 2026. Read more
11 Jul 1926: Frederick Buechner, American minister, theologian, and author (died 2022) Carl Frederick Buechner was an American author, Presbyterian minister, preacher, and theologian. The author of thirty-nine published books, his career spanned more than six decades and encompassed many different genres. He wrote novels, including Godric , A Long Day's Dying and The Book of Bebb, his memoirs, including The Sacred Journey, and theological works, such as Secrets in the Dark, The Magnificent Defeat, and Telling the Truth. Read more
11 Jul 1925: Charles Chaynes, French composer (died 2016) Charles Augustin Chaynes was a French composer. Read more
11 Jul 1925: Nicolai Gedda, Swedish operatic tenor (died 2017) Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, better known as Nicolai Gedda, was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made his final operatic recording. Skilled at languages, he performed operas in French, Russian, German, Italian, English, Czech and Swedish, as well as one in Latin. In January 1958, he created the role of Anatol in the world premiere of Samuel Barber's Vanessa at the Metropolitan Opera. Having made some two hundred recordings, Gedda is one of the most widely recorded opera singers in history. His singing is best known for its beauty of tone, vocal control, and musical perception. Read more
11 Jul 1925: Peter Kyros, American lawyer and politician (died 2012) Peter Nicholas Kyros was an American attorney, politician, and lobbyist who served as a Democratic U.S. representative from Maine from 1967 to 1975. Read more
11 Jul 1925: Sid Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 2004) Sidney James Smith was a National Hockey League left winger who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs for 12 seasons. He was the Leafs team captain from 1955 to 1956. Read more
11 Jul 1924: César Lattes, Brazilian physicist and academic (died 2005) Cesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes, also known as César Lattes, was a Brazilian experimental physicist, one of the discoverers of the pion, a subatomic particle composed of a quark and an antiquark. Read more
11 Jul 1924: Brett Somers, Canadian-American actress and singer (died 2007) Brett Somers was a Canadian-American game-show personality, actress, and singer. Somers was best known as a panelist on the 1970s game show Match Game and for her recurring role as Blanche Madison opposite her real-life husband, actor Jack Klugman, on ABC's The Odd Couple. Read more
11 Jul 1924: Charlie Tully, Northern Irish footballer and manager (died 1971) Charles Patrick Tully was a Northern Irish football player and manager who played for Celtic. Read more
11 Jul 1924: Oscar Wyatt, American businessman (died 2025) Oscar Sherman Wyatt Jr. was an American businessman and self made millionaire. He was the founder of Coastal Corporation and a decorated bomber pilot in World War II. In 2007 the U.S. federal court in Manhattan tried him for illegally sending payments to Iraq under the Oil-for-Food Program. Read more
11 Jul 1923: Richard Pipes, Polish-American historian and academic (died 2018) Richard Edgar Pipes was an American historian who specialized in Russian and Soviet history. Pipes was a frequent interviewee in the press on the matters of Soviet history and foreign affairs. His writings also appear in Commentary, The New York Times, and The Times Literary Supplement. Read more
11 Jul 1923: Tun Tun, Indian actress and comedian (died 2003) Uma Devi Khatri, popularly known by her screen name Tun Tun, was an Indian playback singer and actress-comedian. She is often referred to as "Hindi cinema's first-ever comedienne". Read more
11 Jul 1922: Gene Evans, American actor (died 1998) Eugene Barton Evans was an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, television films, and feature films between 1947 and 1989. Read more
11 Jul 1922: Fritz Riess, German-Swiss racing driver (died 1991) Friedrich "Fritz" Riess or Rieß was a racing driver from Germany. He participated in one "Formula One" World Championship Grand Prix, the 1952 German Grand Prix on 3 August 1952, then run to Formula Two rules. He finished seventh, scoring no championship points as only the first five finishers scored points at that time. Read more
11 Jul 1920: Yul Brynner, Russian-American actor and dancer (died 1985) Yuliy Borisovich Briner, known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian and American actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical The King and I (1951), for which he won two Tony Awards, and later an Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1956 film adaptation. He played the role 4,625 times on stage, and became known for his shaved head, which he maintained as a personal trademark long after adopting it for The King and I. Read more
11 Jul 1920: Zecharia Sitchin, Russian-American author (died 2010) Zecharia Sitchin was an author of a number of books proposing an explanation for human origins involving ancient astronauts. Sitchin attributed the creation of the ancient Sumerian culture to the Anunnaki, which he claimed was a race of extraterrestrials from a planet beyond Neptune called Nibiru. He claimed that Sumerian mythology suggests that this hypothetical planet of Nibiru is in an elongated, 3,600-year-long elliptical orbit around the Sun. Sitchin's books have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 25 languages. Read more
11 Jul 1918: Venetia Burney, English educator, who named Pluto (died 2009) Venetia Katharine Douglas Burney was an English accountant and teacher. She is remembered as the first person to suggest the name Pluto for the dwarf planet discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. At the time, she was 11 years old. Read more
11 Jul 1918: Roy Krenkel, American illustrator (died 1983) Roy Gerald Krenkel, who often signed his work RGK, was an American illustrator who specialized in fantasy and historical drawings and paintings for books, magazines and comic books. Read more
11 Jul 1916: Mortimer Caplin, American tax attorney, educator, and IRS Commissioner (died 2019) Mortimer Maxwell Caplin was an American lawyer and educator, and the founding member of Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered. He served under President John F. Kennedy on the Task Force on Taxation and later as Commissioner of Internal Revenue. In 1963, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine, which credited him as a leading tax expert working closely with Treasury Secretary Henry H. Fowler. During World War II, he served in the United States Navy and took part in the invasion of Normandy. Later he served as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School and the University of Miami School of Law. His contributions were recognized with numerous honors, including the Légion d'honneur awarded by the president of the French Republic. Read more
11 Jul 1916: Hans Maier, Dutch water polo player (died 2018) Hans Maier was a Dutch water polo player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. Born in Madioen, Dutch East Indies, he was part of the Dutch team which finished fifth in the 1936 tournament, playing in all seven matches. He died in November 2018 at the age of 102. Read more
11 Jul 1916: Alexander Prokhorov, Australian-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2002) Alexander Mikhailovich Prokhorov was an Australian-born Soviet physicist and researcher whose work focused on quantum electronics. His most famous and well-known works were on optics and electromagnetic research. He was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964 with Charles Hard Townes and Nikolay Basov for his fundamental work that led to the development of the laser and the maser. Read more
11 Jul 1916: Reg Varney, English actor and screenwriter (died 2008) Reginald Alfred Varney was an English actor, entertainer and comedian. He is best remembered for having played the lead role of bus driver Stan Butler in the LWT sitcom On the Buses (1969–1973) and its three spin-off feature films. Having performed as a music hall entertainer, Varney first came to national recognition as factory foreman Reg Turner in the BBC sitcom The Rag Trade (1961–1963). He appeared in further sitcoms including Beggar My Neighbour (1966–1968) and On the Buses stardom facilitated overseas cabaret tours. Read more
11 Jul 1916: Gough Whitlam, Australian lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 21st Prime Minister of Australia (died 2014) Edward Gough Whitlam was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from December 1972 to November 1975. To date the longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he was notable for being the head of a reformist and socially progressive government that ended with his controversial dismissal by the then governor-general of Australia, Sir John Kerr, at the climax of the 1975 constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Australian prime minister to have been removed from office by a governor-general. Read more
11 Jul 1915: Leonard Goodwin, British protozoologist (died 2008) Leonard George Goodwin CMG FRS was a British protozoologist noted for his work on testing the effectiveness of chemical compounds in treating tropical diseases. He was born in London to a shoe shop manager, and became interested in nature thanks to holidays spent with his grandfather, a gamekeeper, and his uncle, a pharmacist. He was educated at William Ellis School before being accepted into University College London to study botany and zoology. After graduating he went to the College of the Pharmaceutical Society and studied pharmacy, graduating in 1935. He became a demonstrator at the college under J H Burn and at his urging took further degrees in medicine and physiology. Read more
11 Jul 1913: Paul Gibb, English cricketer (died 1977) Paul Antony Gibb was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1938 to 1946. He played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, Yorkshire and Essex, as a right-handed opening or middle order batsman and also kept wicket in many matches. Read more
11 Jul 1913: Cordwainer Smith, American sinologist, author, and academic (died 1966) Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger, known by his pen-name Cordwainer Smith, was an American author of science fiction. He was an officer in the US Army, a noted scholar of East Asia, and an expert in psychological warfare. He was one of science fiction's more influential authors despite his relatively limited output and his early death at the age of 53. Read more
11 Jul 1912: Sergiu Celibidache, Romanian conductor and composer (died 1996) Sergiu Celibidache was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures as principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Radio France, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and many other European orchestras such as the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra or the London Symphony Orchestra. Read more
11 Jul 1912: Peta Taylor, English cricketer (died 1989) Mary Isabella "Peta" Taylor, married name Mary Jager, was an English cricketer who played as a right-arm medium bowler. She appeared in seven Test matches for England between 1934 and 1937, including the first ever women's Test match. She played domestic cricket for various composite XIs, as well as South Women. Read more
11 Jul 1912: William F. Walsh, American captain and politician, 48th Mayor of Syracuse (died 2011) William Francis Walsh was a Republican-Conservative member of the United States House of Representatives from New York State. Read more
11 Jul 1911: Erna Flegel, German nurse who was still present in the Führerbunker when it was captured by Soviet troops (died 2006) Erna Flegel was a German nurse during World War II. In late April 1945 she worked at the emergency casualty station at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, and was one of the final occupants of the Führerbunker before she was captured by the Red Army on 2 May 1945. Read more
11 Jul 1910: Sally Blane, American actress (died 1997) Sally Blane was an American actress who appeared in more than 100 movies. Read more
11 Jul 1909: Irene Hervey, American actress (died 1998) Irene Hervey was an American film, stage, and television actress who appeared in over fifty films and numerous television series spanning her five-decade career. Read more
11 Jul 1909: Jacques Clemens, Dutch catholic priest (died 2018) Jacques Clemens was a Dutch Catholic priest. He was the parish priest of The Bultia from 1958. Between 2016 and his death on 7 March 2018, at the age of 108 he was thought to be the oldest living priest. Read more
11 Jul 1906: Harry von Zell, American actor and announcer (died 1981) Harry Rudolph Von Zell was an American announcer of radio programs, and an actor in films and television shows. He is best remembered for his work on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. Read more
11 Jul 1906: Herbert Wehner, German politician, Minister of Intra-German Relations (died 1990) Richard Herbert Wehner was a German politician. A former member of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), he joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) after World War II. He served as Federal Minister of Intra-German Relations from 1966 to 1969 and thereafter as chairman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag until 1983. Read more
11 Jul 1905: Betty Allan, Australian statistician and biometrician (died 1952) Frances Elizabeth Allan was an Australian statistician. She was known as the first statistician at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), as "the effective founder of the CSIRO Division of Mathematics and Statistics", and for her advocacy of biometrics. Read more
11 Jul 1904: Niño Ricardo, Spanish guitarist and composer (died 1972) Manuel Serrapí Sánchez, better known as Niño Ricardo, was a Flamenco composer, considered by some sources as the most accomplished flamenco player of his day. He played a significant part in the evolution of the flamenco guitar. He lived in the city center of Sevilla. A child guitar prodigy, his early audiences referred to him as the son of Ricardo, leading to his stage-name Niño [de] Ricardo. Read more
11 Jul 1903: Rudolf Abel, English-Russian colonel and Soviet spy (died 1971) William August Fisher, better known by the alias Rudolf Ivanovich Abel, was a Soviet intelligence officer. He adopted his alias to alert his Soviet KGB handlers when he was arrested in the USA on charges of espionage by the FBI in 1957. Read more
11 Jul 1903: Sidney Franklin, American bullfighter (died 1976) Sidney Franklin was the first American to become a successful matador, the most senior level of bullfighter. Read more
11 Jul 1902: Samuel Goudsmit, Dutch-American physicist (formulated concept of electron spin) (died 1978) Samuel Abraham Goudsmit was a Dutch-American physicist famous for jointly proposing the concept of electron spin with George Eugene Uhlenbeck in 1925. Read more
11 Jul 1901: Gwendolyn Lizarraga, Belizean businesswoman, activist, and politician (died 1975) Gwendolyn Margaret Lizarraga, MBE commonly known as Madam Liz, was a Belizean businesswoman, women's rights activist and politician. She was the first woman elected to the British Honduras Legislative Assembly and the first woman to serve as a government minister in British Honduras, now Belize. Read more
11 Jul 1899: Wilfrid Israel, German businessman and philanthropist (died 1943) Wilfrid Berthold Jacob Israel was an Anglo-German businessman and philanthropist, born into a wealthy Anglo-German Jewish family, who was active in the rescue of Jews from Nazi Germany, and who played a significant role in the Kindertransport. Read more
11 Jul 1899: E. B. White, American essayist and journalist (died 1985) Elwyn Brooks White was an American writer, essayist, and a contributing editor for The New Yorker magazine. He was also the author of highly popular books for children: Stuart Little (1945), Charlotte's Web (1952), and The Trumpet of the Swan (1970). Read more
11 Jul 1897: Bull Connor, American police officer (died 1973) Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor was an American politician who was Commissioner of Public Safety for the city of Birmingham, Alabama, for more than two decades. A lifelong member of the Democratic Party, he strongly opposed the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Under the city commission government, Connor had responsibility for administrative oversight of the Birmingham Fire Department and the Birmingham Police Department, which also had their own chiefs. Read more
11 Jul 1895: Dorothy Wilde, English author and poet (died 1941) Dorothy Ierne Wilde, known as Dolly Wilde, was an English socialite, made famous by her family connections and her reputation as a witty conversationalist. Her charm and humour made her a popular guest at salons in Paris between the wars, standing out even in a social circle known for its flamboyant talkers. Read more
11 Jul 1894: Erna Mohr, German zoologist (died 1968) Erna W. Mohr was a German zoologist who made contributions to ichthyology and mammalogy. Mohr was long associated with the Zoological Museum Hamburg, where she was successively head of the Fish Biology Department, Department of Higher Vertebrates, and Curator of the Vertebrate Department. She was a member of the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and held an honorary doctorate from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Read more
11 Jul 1892: Thomas Mitchell, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (died 1962) Thomas John Mitchell was an American character actor, writer, and theater director. He is considered one of the both greatest supporting and character actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood and a leading man on Broadway. Read more
11 Jul 1888: Carl Schmitt, German philosopher and jurist (died 1985) Carl Schmitt was a German jurist and political theorist. An authoritarian conservative theorist, he was noted as a critic of parliamentary democracy, liberalism, and cosmopolitanism. Read more
11 Jul 1886: Boris Grigoriev, Russian painter and illustrator (died 1939) Boris Grigoriev was a painter, graphic artist, and writer. Read more
11 Jul 1882: James Larkin White, American miner, explorer, and park ranger (died 1946) James Larkin White was a cowboy, guano miner, cave explorer, and park ranger for the National Park Service. He is best remembered as the discoverer, early promoter and explorer of what is known today as Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico. Read more
11 Jul 1881: Isabel Martin Lewis, American astronomer and author (died 1966) Isabel Martin Lewis was an American astronomer who was the first woman hired by the United States Naval Observatory as assistant astronomer. In 1918, Lewis was elected a member of the American Astronomical Society. She was also a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Read more
11 Jul 1880: Friedrich Lahrs, German architect and academic (died 1964) Johann Ludwig Friedrich Lahrs was a German architect and professor. Read more
11 Jul 1875: H. M. Brock, British painter and illustrator (died 1960) Henry Matthew Brock was a British illustrator and landscape painter of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He was one of four artist brothers, all of them illustrators, who worked together in their family studio in Cambridge. Read more
11 Jul 1866: Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine (died 1953) Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, later Princess Henry of Prussia, was the third child and third daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her paternal grandparents were Prince Charles of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Elisabeth of Prussia. She was the wife of Prince Henry of Prussia, a younger brother of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and her first cousin. The SS Prinzessin Irene, a liner of the North German Lloyd was named after her. Read more
11 Jul 1850: Annie Armstrong, American missionary (died 1938) Annie Walker Armstrong was a lay Southern Baptist denominational leader instrumental in the founding of the Woman's Missionary Union. Read more
11 Jul 1849: N. E. Brown, English plant taxonomist and authority on succulents (died 1934) Nicholas Edward Brown was an English plant taxonomist and authority on succulents. He was also an authority on several families of plants, including Asclepiadaceae, Aizoaceae, Labiatae and Cape plants. Read more
11 Jul 1846: Léon Bloy, French author and poet (died 1917) Léon Bloy was a French Catholic novelist, essayist, pamphleteer, and satirist, known additionally for his eventual defense of Catholicism and for his influence within French Catholic circles. Read more
11 Jul 1836: Antônio Carlos Gomes, Brazilian composer (died 1896) Antônio Carlos Gomes was a Brazilian composer notable for being the first New World composer whose work was accepted by Europe. He was the only non-European who was successful as an opera composer in Italy, during the "golden age of opera" contemporary to Verdi and Puccini, and the first composer of non-European lineage to be accepted into the classic tradition of music. Read more
11 Jul 1834: James Abbott McNeill Whistler, American-English painter and illustrator (died 1903) James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". Read more
11 Jul 1832: Charilaos Trikoupis, Greek lawyer and politician, 55th Prime Minister of Greece (died 1896) Charilaos Trikoupis was a Greek politician who served as a Prime Minister of Greece seven times from 1875 until 1895. Read more
11 Jul 1826: Alexander Afanasyev, Russian ethnographer and author (died 1871) Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev was a Russian Slavist and ethnographer best known for publishing nearly 600 East Slavic and Russian fairy and folk tales, one of the largest collections of folklore in the world. This collection was not restricted to Great Russia, but included folk tales from what are now Ukraine and Belarus as well. The first edition of his collection was published in eight volumes from 1855 to 1867, earning him the reputation of being the Russian counterpart to the Brothers Grimm. Read more
11 Jul 1811: William Robert Grove, Welsh physicist and inventor of the first fuel cell (died 1896) Sir William Robert Grove, FRS FRSE was a Welsh judge and physical scientist. He anticipated the general theory of the conservation of energy, and was a pioneer of fuel cell technology. He invented the Grove voltaic cell. Read more

Notable Deaths on 11 July

11 Jul 2025: Martin Cruz Smith, American author and screenwriter (born 1942) Martin William Smith, known professionally as Martin Cruz Smith, was an American writer of mystery and suspense fiction, mostly in an international or historical setting. He was best known for his 11-book series featuring Russian investigator Arkady Renko, who was introduced in 1981 with Gorky Park and last appeared in Hotel Ukraine (2025). Read more
11 Jul 2024: Shelley Duvall, American actress (born 1949) Shelley Alexis Duvall was an American actress and producer known for her distinctive screen presence, portrayals of eccentric characters, and later productions in children's programming. Her accolades include a Cannes Award and a Peabody Award, in addition to nominations for a British Academy Film Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Four of Duvall's films have been preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" as of 2025. Read more
11 Jul 2024: Monte Kiffin, American football coach (born 1940) Monte George Kiffin was an American football coach. He is widely considered to have been one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history. Father of the widely imitated "Tampa 2" defense, Kiffin's concepts are among the most influential in modern college and pro football. Read more
11 Jul 2024: Stanley Tshabalala, South African soccer player and coach (born 1949) Stanley "Screamer" Tshabalala was a South African soccer player, coach and administrator. Read more
11 Jul 2023: Milan Kundera, Czech-French writer (born 1929) Milan Kundera was a Czech and French novelist. Kundera went into exile in France in 1975, acquiring citizenship in 1981. His Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked in 1979, but he was granted Czech citizenship in 2019. Read more
11 Jul 2021: Charlie Robinson, American actor (born 1945) Charlie Robinson was an American stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role on the NBC sitcom Night Court as Macintosh "Mac" Robinson, the clerk of the court and a Vietnam War veteran. Read more
11 Jul 2021: Renée Simonot, French actress (born 1911) Jeanne Renée Deneuve, known professionally as Renée-Jeanne Simonot, was a French actress and voice artist. Partially italian, she was married to actor Maurice Dorléac, the mother of actresses Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac and the grandmother of actor Christian Vadim and actress Chiara Mastroianni. Read more
11 Jul 2020: Marc Angelucci, American attorney and men's rights activist, Vice-president of the National Coalition for Men (born 1968) Marc Etienne Angelucci was an American attorney, men's rights activist, and the vice-president of the National Coalition for Men (NCFM). As a lawyer, he represented several cases related to men's rights issues, and the most prominently, National Coalition for Men v. Selective Service System, in which the federal judge declared the male-only selective-service system unconstitutional. He was found murdered at his home on July 11, 2020. Read more
11 Jul 2020: Frank Bolling, American baseball second baseman (born 1931) Francis Elmore Bolling was an American baseball second baseman who played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves from 1954 until 1966. He batted and threw right-handed, and was the younger brother of shortstop Milt Bolling. Read more
11 Jul 2017: Jim Wong-Chu, Canadian poet (born 1949) Jim Wong-Chu was a Canadian activist, community organizer, poet, author, editor, and historian. Wong-Chu is one of Canada's most celebrated literary pioneers. He was a community organizer known for his work in establishing organizations that contributed to highlighting Asian arts and culture in Canada. He also co-edited several anthologies featuring Asian Canadian writers. Read more
11 Jul 2015: Giacomo Biffi, Italian cardinal (born 1928) Giacomo Biffi was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop Emeritus of Bologna, having served as archbishop there from 1984 to 2003. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1985. Read more
11 Jul 2015: Satoru Iwata, Japanese game programmer and businessman (born 1959) Satoru Iwata was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer and producer. Beginning in 2002, Iwata served as the fourth president of Nintendo, as well as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo of America from 2013 until his death in 2015. Iwata was a major contributor in broadening the appeal of video games by focusing on novel and entertaining games rather than top-of-the-line hardware. Read more
11 Jul 2015: André Leysen, Belgian businessman (born 1927) André Leysen was a Belgian businessman. In 1951, he married Anne Ahlers, daughter of a shipping family from Bremen, Germany. Together they have four children: Bettina, Christian, Thomas, and Sabina. Read more
11 Jul 2014: Charlie Haden, American bassist and composer (born 1937) Charles Edward Haden was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playing in jazz, evolving a style that sometimes complemented the soloist, and other times moved independently, liberating bassists from a strictly accompanying role. Read more
11 Jul 2014: Carin Mannheimer, Swedish author and screenwriter (born 1934) Carin Mannheimer was a Swedish dramatist, screenwriter, author and film director, born in Osby, Sweden. She garnered acclaim with Rapport om kvinnor, which was published in 1969. The book is a collection of interviews with Swedish women from the working class. This was during a time period of awakening feminism in Sweden when women were assumed to want to work outside the home. The interviews, however, revealed that many women did not want to work outside the home, would have preferred to care for their children but had no economic choice. For this reason, Mannheimer was criticized by the women's movement in Sweden, and the book established her reputation as a social critic. Read more
11 Jul 2014: Bill McGill, American basketball player (born 1939) Bill "the Hill" McGill was an American basketball player best known for inventing the jump hook. McGill was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1962 NBA draft out of the University of Utah, with whom he led the NCAA in scoring with 38.8 points per game in the 1961–1962 season. Read more
11 Jul 2014: Tommy Ramone, Hungarian-American drummer and producer (born 1949) Thomas Erdelyi, known professionally as Tommy Ramone, was a Hungarian-American musician. He was the drummer for the influential punk rock band the Ramones from its debut in 1974 to 1978, later serving as its producer, and was the longest-surviving original member of the Ramones. Read more
11 Jul 2014: John Seigenthaler, American journalist and academic (born 1927) John Lawrence Seigenthaler was an American journalist, writer, and political figure. He was known as a prominent defender of First Amendment rights. Read more
11 Jul 2014: Randall Stout, American architect, designed the Taubman Museum of Art (born 1958) Randall Paul Stout was an American architect based in Los Angeles. He was an environmentally sensitive architect who earned a national reputation by designing dynamically shaped forms that are inviting and artistic without being static. Stout used light, shadow, form, and materials that contributed to shaping an architecture that heightens awareness of space and a sense of discovery. He applied his concepts to civic, educational, commercial, and urban planning projects, but was best known for regional museums. Read more
11 Jul 2013: Emik Avakian, Iranian-American inventor (born 1923) Emik Avakian was an Armenian American inventor and owner of numerous patents including breath-operated computer, a mechanism that facilitates putting wheelchairs on automobiles, and a self operating robotic wheel that converts manual wheel chairs into automatic. Many of his inventions were geared towards the improvement of disabled people's lives, and he won many awards recognizing these efforts. Read more
11 Jul 2013: Egbert Brieskorn, German mathematician and academic (born 1936) Egbert Valentin Brieskorn was a German mathematician who introduced Brieskorn spheres and the Brieskorn–Grothendieck resolution. Read more
11 Jul 2013: Eugene P. Wilkinson, American admiral (born 1918) Eugene Parks "Dennis" Wilkinson was a United States Navy officer. He was selected for three historic command assignments. The first, in 1954, was as the first commanding officer of USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine. The second was as the first commanding officer of USS Long Beach, America's first nuclear surface ship. The third was in 1980 when he was chosen as the first President and CEO of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) from which he retired in 1984. Read more
11 Jul 2009: Reg Fleming, Canadian-American ice hockey player (born 1936) Reginald Stephen "Reggie, the Ruffian" Fleming was a professional hockey player in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres. He also played for the Chicago Cougars of the World Hockey Association, as well as with a number of minor league teams in other professional leagues. His professional career spanned over 20 years. He was known as an aggressive and combative player who could play both forward and defence, as well as kill penalties. Read more
11 Jul 2009: Arturo Gatti, Italian-Canadian boxer (born 1972) Arturo Gatti was a Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2007. He was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight title from 1995 to 1998, and the World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight title from 2004 to 2005. He also participated in The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year a total of four times. He announced his retirement on July 14, 2007. After his death in 2009, Gatti was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on December 10, 2012, in his first year of eligibility, becoming the tenth Canadian boxer to be so inducted. Read more
11 Jul 2009: Ji Xianlin, Chinese linguist and paleographer (born 1911) Ji Xianlin was a Chinese Indologist, linguist, paleographer, historian and writer who has been honored by the governments of both India and China. Ji was proficient in many languages including Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, English, German, French, Russian, Pali and Tocharian, and translated many works. He published a memoir, The Cowshed: Memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, about his persecution during the Cultural Revolution. Read more
11 Jul 2008: Michael E. DeBakey, American surgeon and educator (born 1908) Michael Ellis DeBakey was an American general and cardiovascular surgeon, scientist and medical educator who became Chairman of the Department of Surgery, President, and Chancellor of Baylor College of Medicine at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. His career spanned nearly eight decades. Read more
11 Jul 2007: Glenda Adams, Australian author and academic (born 1939) Glenda Emilie Adams was an Australian novelist and short story writer, probably best known as the winner of the 1987 Miles Franklin Award for Dancing on Coral. She was a teacher of creative writing, and helped develop writing programs. Read more
11 Jul 2007: Lady Bird Johnson, American beautification activist; 43rd First Lady of the United States (born 1912) Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson was the first lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States. She had previously been the second lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, when her husband was vice president under President John F. Kennedy. Read more
11 Jul 2007: Alfonso López Michelsen, Colombian lawyer and politician, 32nd President of Colombia (born 1913) Alfonso López Michelsen was a Colombian politician and lawyer who served as the 25th President of Colombia from 1974 to 1978. He was nicknamed "El Pollo", a popular Colombian idiom for people with precocious careers. Read more
11 Jul 2007: Ed Mirvish, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, founded Honest Ed's (born 1914) Yehuda Edwin "Honest Ed" Mirvish, was an American-Canadian businessman, philanthropist and theatrical impresario who lived in Toronto, Ontario. He is known for his flagship business, Honest Ed's, a landmark discount store in downtown Toronto, and as a patron of the arts, instrumental in promoting live theatre in Toronto. Read more
11 Jul 2006: Barnard Hughes, American actor (born 1915) Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes was an American actor. His most successful roles came after middle age, and he was often cast as a dithering authority figure or grandfatherly elder. He won the 1978 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play. Read more
11 Jul 2006: Bronwyn Oliver, Australian sculptor (born 1959) Bronwyn Joy Oliver was an Australian sculptor whose work primarily consisted of metalwork. Her sculptures are admired for their tactile nature, aesthetics, and technical skills demonstrated in their production. Read more
11 Jul 2006: John Spencer, English snooker player and sportscaster (born 1935) John Spencer was an English professional snooker player. One of the most dominant players of the 1970s, he won the World Snooker Championship three times, in 1969, 1971 and 1977. He worked as a snooker commentator for the BBC from 1978 to 1998 and served for 25 years on the board of the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), including a stint as chairman from 1990 until his retirement from the board in 1996. Read more
11 Jul 2005: Gretchen Franklin, English actress and dancer (born 1911) Gretchen Gordon Franklin was an English actress and dancer with a career in show business spanning over 70 years. She played Ethel Skinner in the long-running BBC1 soap opera EastEnders on a regular basis from 1985 until 1988. Following this, she made intermittent returns to the show, her appearances becoming increasingly infrequent and brief. Her final appearance was in 2000, marking the demise of her character. Read more
11 Jul 2005: Shinya Hashimoto, Japanese professional wrestler (born 1965) Shinya Hashimoto was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter and actor. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in the mid-1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s. Read more
11 Jul 2005: Jesús Iglesias, Argentinian racing driver (born 1922) Jesús Ricardo Iglesias, was a racing driver from Argentina. He initially competed with some success in long distance races in Argentina with a Chevrolet Special, before being invited to drive one of the works Gordini Type 16s in the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix. He qualified 17th out of 22 competitors, but had to retire on lap 38 due to transmission failure, although he also seemed to be on the brink of exhaustion because of the boiling heat. Read more
11 Jul 2005: Frances Langford, American actress and singer (born 1913) Frances Langford was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. Read more
11 Jul 2004: Laurance Rockefeller, American financier and philanthropist (born 1910) Laurance Spelman Rockefeller was an American businessman, financier, philanthropist, and conservationist. Rockefeller was the third son and fourth child of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. As a trustee of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, he provided venture capital for Intel, Apple Computer, Piasecki Helicopter, and many other successful start-ups. Rockefeller was known for his involvement in wilderness preservation, ecology and the protection of wildlife. His work helped the establishing of a new conservation ethic, and received the Lady Bird Johnson Conservation Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1997. Read more
11 Jul 2004: Renée Saint-Cyr, French actress and producer (born 1904) Renée Saint-Cyr was a French actress. Born Marie-Louise Catherine Eugénie Renée Vittore, she appeared in more than 60 films between 1933 and 1994. She was the mother of Georges Lautner, who also achieved fame in the film business, albeit as a director. Read more
11 Jul 2003: Zahra Kazemi, Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer (born 1948) Zahra "Ziba" Kazemi-Ahmadabadi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photojournalist. She gained notoriety for her arrest in Iran and the circumstances in which she was held by Iranian authorities, in whose custody she was killed. Kazemi's autopsy report revealed that she had been raped and tortured by Iranian officials while she was at Evin Prison, located within the capital city of Tehran. Read more
11 Jul 2001: Herman Brood, Dutch musician and painter (born 1946) Hermanus "Herman" Brood was a Dutch musician, painter, actor and poet. As a musician he achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and was called "the greatest and only Dutch rock 'n' roll star". Later in life he started a successful career as a painter. Read more
11 Jul 2000: Pedro Mir, Dominican lawyer, author, and poet (born 1913) Pedro Julio Mir Valentín was a Dominican poet and writer, named Poet Laureate of the Dominican Republic by Congress in 1984, and a member of the generation of "Independent poets of the 1940s" in Dominican poetry. Read more
11 Jul 2000: Robert Runcie, English archbishop (born 1921) Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie, was an English Anglican bishop. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991, having previously been Bishop of St Albans. He travelled the world widely to spread ecumenicism and worked to foster relations with both Protestant and Catholic churches across Europe. He was a leader of the Liberal Anglo-Catholicism movement. He came under attack for expressing compassion towards bereaved Argentines after the Falklands War of 1982, and generated controversy by supporting women's ordination. Read more
11 Jul 1999: Helen Forrest, American singer (born 1917) Helen Forrest was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music. She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era, thereby earning a reputation as "the voice of the name bands." Read more
11 Jul 1999: Jan Sloot, Dutch computer scientist and electronics technician (born 1945) The Sloot Digital Coding System (SDCS) is an alleged technique for data encoding claimed to have been invented in 1995 by Romke Jan Bernhard Sloot (1944–1999), an electronics engineer in the Netherlands. Sloot claimed his system could represent an entire feature film with only one kilobyte of data, a level of compression which is mathematically impossible according to Shannon's source coding theorem. Read more
11 Jul 1998: Panagiotis Kondylis, Greek philosopher and author (born 1943) Panagiotis Kondylis was a Greek philosopher, intellectual historian, translator and publications manager who principally wrote in German, in addition to translating most of his work into Greek. He can be placed in a tradition of thought best exemplified by Thucydides, Niccolò Machiavelli and Max Weber. Read more
11 Jul 1994: Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research (born 1942) Gary Arlen Kildall was an American computer scientist and microcomputer entrepreneur. During the 1970s, Kildall created the operating system CP/M among other operating systems and programming tools, and subsequently founded Digital Research, Inc. to market and sell his software products. He is considered a pioneer of the personal computer revolution. Read more
11 Jul 1991: Mokhtar Dahari, Malaysian footballer and coach (born 1953) Dato' Mohd Mokhtar bin Dahari was a Malaysian professional footballer who played for Selangor. He is considered a legendary footballer in Malaysian history. FIFA acknowledged his 89 goals in international matches and took his team to an World Football Elo Ratings of 61 in 1977. A prolific forward, he was nicknamed Supermokh due to his playing skills and strength. Mokhtar is the all-time top scorer for the Malaysian national team. Read more
11 Jul 1989: Laurence Olivier, English actor, director, and producer (born 1907) Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave and Ralph Richardson made up a quartet of male actors who dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles in a career spanning six decades. Late in his career, Olivier had considerable success in television roles. Read more
11 Jul 1987: Avi Ran, Israeli footballer (born 1963) Avi Ran was a goalkeeper at the Israeli football club Maccabi Haifa. Widely considered one of the greatest football players in Israel, he had a promising future which was cut short by a fatal accident. Read more
11 Jul 1987: Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, American rabbi and scholar (born 1901) Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman was a Russian-born American Talmudic scholar and rabbi who founded and served as rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. Read more
11 Jul 1983: Ross Macdonald, American-Canadian author (born 1915) Kenneth Millar, known mainly by the pseudonym Ross Macdonald, was an American-Canadian writer of crime fiction. He is best known for his series of hardboiled novels set in Southern California and featuring private detective Lew Archer. Since the 1970s, Macdonald's works have received attention in academic circles for their psychological depth, sense of place, use of language, sophisticated imagery and integration of philosophy into genre fiction. Brought up in the province of Ontario, Canada, Macdonald eventually settled in the state of California, where he died in 1983. Read more
11 Jul 1979: Claude Wagner, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (born 1925) Claude Wagner was a Canadian judge and politician in the province of Quebec, Canada. Throughout his career, he was a Crown prosecutor, professor of criminal law and judge. Read more
11 Jul 1976: León de Greiff, Colombian poet and educator (born 1895) Francisco de Asís León Bogislao de Greiff Haeusler, was a Colombian poet known for his stylistic innovations and deliberately eclectic use of obscure lexicon. Best known simply as León de Greiff, he often used different pen names. The most popular were Leo le Gris and Gaspar Von Der Nacht. De Greiff was one of the founders of Los Panidas, a literary and artistic group established in 1915 in the city of Medellín. Read more
11 Jul 1974: Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet Nobel Prize laureate (born 1891) Pär Fabian Lagerkvist was a Swedish author who received the 1951 Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more
11 Jul 1971: John W. Campbell, American journalist and author (born 1910) John Wood Campbell Jr. was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of Astounding Science Fiction from late 1937 until his death and was part of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Campbell wrote
"super-science" space opera under his own name and other stories under his primary pseudonym, Don A. Stuart. Campbell also used the pen names Karl Van Kampen and Arthur McCann. His novella Who Goes There? (1938) was adapted as the films The Thing from Another World (1951) and The Thing (1982); as well as a prequel The Thing (2011). Read more
11 Jul 1971: Pedro Rodríguez, Mexican racing driver (born 1940) Pedro Rodríguez de la Vega was a Mexican racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1963 to 1971. Rodríguez won two Formula One Grands Prix across nine seasons. In endurance racing, Rodríguez won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 with Ford, and was a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona with Porsche. Read more
11 Jul 1967: Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (born 1917) Guy Favreau was a Canadian lawyer, politician and judge. Read more
11 Jul 1966: Delmore Schwartz, American poet and short story writer (born 1913) Delmore Schwartz was an American poet and short story writer. Read more
11 Jul 1959: Charlie Parker, English cricketer, coach, and umpire (born 1882) Charles Warrington Leonard Parker was an English cricketer, who stands as the third highest wicket taker in the history of first-class cricket, behind Wilfred Rhodes and Tich Freeman. Read more
11 Jul 1937: George Gershwin, American pianist, songwriter, and composer (born 1898) George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swanee" (1919) and "Fascinating Rhythm" (1924), the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928), the jazz standards "Embraceable You" (1928) and "I Got Rhythm" (1930) and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935), which included the hit "Summertime". His Of Thee I Sing (1931) was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, although as composer, he did not participate in reception of the award. Read more
11 Jul 1929: Billy Mosforth, English footballer and engraver (born 1857) William Mosforth was an English footballer who played either as an inside or outside left. Born in Sheffield he played for several Sheffield clubs but the majority of his career was spent at The Wednesday. He later joined Sheffield United, playing in their first season in existence before retiring in 1890. He won nine caps for England between 1877 and 1882, which was a record at the time, scoring three goals for his country. Read more
11 Jul 1909: Simon Newcomb, Canadian-American astronomer and mathematician (born 1835) Simon Newcomb was a Canadian–American astronomer, applied mathematician, and autodidactic polymath. He served as Professor of Mathematics in the United States Navy and at Johns Hopkins University. Born in Nova Scotia, at the age of 19 Newcomb left an apprenticeship to join his father in Massachusetts, where the latter was teaching. Read more
11 Jul 1908: Friedrich Traun, German sprinter and tennis player (born 1876) Friedrich Adolf "Fritz" Traun was a German athlete and tennis player. Born into a wealthy family, he participated in the 1896 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in men's doubles. He committed suicide after being accused of fathering a child out of wedlock. Read more
11 Jul 1905: Muhammad Abduh, Egyptian jurist and scholar (born 1849) Muḥammad ʿAbduh was an Egyptian Islamic scholar, judge, and Grand Mufti of Egypt. He was a central figure of the Arab Nahḍa and Islamic Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Read more
11 Jul 1897: Patrick Jennings, Irish-Australian politician, 11th Premier of New South Wales (born 1831) Sir Patrick Alfred Jennings, was an Irish-Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales. Read more
11 Jul 1844: Yevgeny Baratynsky, Russian philosopher and poet (born 1800) Yevgeny Abramovich Baratynsky was a Russian poet. He was lauded by Alexander Pushkin as the finest Russian elegiac poet. After a long period when his reputation was on the wane, Baratynsky was rediscovered by Russian Symbolism poets as a supreme poet of thought. Read more
11 Jul 1825: Thomas P. Grosvenor, American soldier and politician (born 1744) Thomas Peabody Grosvenor was a United States representative from New York. Read more
11 Jul 1806: James Smith, Irish-American lawyer and politician (born 1719) James Smith was an Irish-born American lawyer and surveyor. As a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence during his term as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, he is remembered as a Founding Father of the United States. Read more

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