History of Today 21 July: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 21 July. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 21 July. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 21 July 2026, 01:00 AM

Important Events on 21 July in History

21 Jul 2025: A Bangladesh Air Force Chengdu FT-7BGI crashes shortly after takeoff into Milestone School campus in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 35 people and injuring 173. Read more
21 Jul 2024: U.S. President Joe Biden announces he will no longer seek a second term and withdraws from the 2024 election, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as she launches her own presidential campaign. Read more
21 Jul 2023: The Barbenheimer phenomenon begins as two major motion pictures, Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy Barbie and Christopher Nolan's epic biographical thriller Oppenheimer, are released in theaters on the same day and audiences, instead of creating a rivalry between the extremely dissimilar films, instead attend and praise both as an informal, surreal double feature. Read more
21 Jul 2019: Yuen Long attack or "721 incident" in Hong Kong. Triad members indiscriminately beat civilians returning from protests while police failed to take action. Read more
21 Jul 2012: Erden Eruç completes the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world. Read more
21 Jul 2011: NASA's Space Shuttle program ends with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Read more
21 Jul 2010: U.S. President Barack Obama signs the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Read more
21 Jul 2008: Ram Baran Yadav is declared the first President of Nepal. Read more
21 Jul 2005: Four attempted bomb attacks by Islamist extremists disrupt part of London's public transport system. Read more
21 Jul 2001: At the conclusion of a fireworks display on Okura Beach in Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan, 11 people are killed and more than 120 are injured when a pedestrian footbridge connecting the beach to JR Asagiri Station becomes overcrowded and people leaving the event fall down in a domino effect. Read more
21 Jul 1995: Third Taiwan Strait Crisis: The People's Liberation Army begins firing missiles into the waters north of Taiwan. Read more
21 Jul 1990: Taiwan's military police forces mainland Chinese illegal immigrants into sealed holds of a fishing boat Min Ping Yu No. 5540 for repatriation to Fujian, causing 25 people to die from suffocation. Read more
21 Jul 1983: The world's lowest temperature in an inhabited location is recorded at Vostok Station, Antarctica at −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F). Read more
21 Jul 1979: Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk actor, becomes the first Native American to have a star commemorated in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Read more
21 Jul 1977: The start of the four-day-long Libyan–Egyptian War. Read more
21 Jul 1976: Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the British ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, is assassinated by the Provisional IRA. Read more
21 Jul 1973: In Lillehammer, Norway, Mossad agents kill a waiter whom they mistakenly thought was involved in the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre. Read more
21 Jul 1972: The Troubles: Bloody Friday: The Provisional IRA detonate 22 bombs in central Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom in the space of 80 minutes, killing nine and injuring 130. Read more
21 Jul 1970: After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam in Egypt is completed. Read more
21 Jul 1969: Apollo program: At 02:56 UTC, astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the Moon, followed 19 minutes later by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. Read more
21 Jul 1964: A series of racial riots break out in Singapore. In the next six weeks, 23 die with 454 others injured. Read more
21 Jul 1961: Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 4 Mission: Gus Grissom piloting Liberty Bell 7 becomes the second American to go into space (in a suborbital mission). Read more
21 Jul 1961: Alaska Airlines Flight 779 crashes near Shemya Air Force Base in Shemya, Alaska killing six. Read more
21 Jul 1960: Sirimavo Bandaranaike is sworn in as prime minister of Ceylon, becoming the world's first democratically elected female head of government. Read more
21 Jul 1959: NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, is launched as a showcase for Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" initiative. Read more
21 Jul 1959: Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green becomes the first African-American to play for the Boston Red Sox, the last team to integrate. He came in as a pinch runner for Vic Wertz and stayed in as shortstop in a 2–1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Read more
21 Jul 1954: First Indochina War: The Geneva Conference partitions Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. Read more
21 Jul 1952: The 7.3 Mw Kern County earthquake strikes Southern California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing 12 and injuring hundreds. Read more
21 Jul 1951: Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 3505 disappears while flying from Vancouver to Tokyo. The aircraft and its 37 occupants are never found. Read more
21 Jul 1949: The United States Senate ratifies the North Atlantic Treaty. Read more
21 Jul 1944: World War II: Battle of Guam: American troops land on Guam, starting a battle that will end on August 10. Read more
21 Jul 1944: World War II: Claus von Stauffenberg and four fellow conspirators are executed for the July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Read more
21 Jul 1936: Spanish Civil War: The Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia is constituted, establishing an anarcho-syndicalist economy in Catalonia. Read more
21 Jul 1925: Scopes Trial: In Dayton, Tennessee, high school biology teacher John T. Scopes is found guilty of teaching human evolution in class and fined $100. Read more
21 Jul 1925: Malcolm Campbell becomes the first man to exceed 150 mph (241 km/h) on land. At Pendine Sands in Wales, he drives Sunbeam 350HP built by Sunbeam at a two-way average speed of 150.33 mph (242 km/h). Read more
21 Jul 1920: The "Belfast Pogrom" begins two years of violence with the expulsion of thousands of Catholic shipyard, factory and linen mill workers from their jobs. Read more
21 Jul 1919: The dirigible Wingfoot Air Express crashes into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in Chicago, killing 12 people. Read more
21 Jul 1907: The passenger steamer SS Columbia sinks after colliding with the steam schooner San Pedro off Shelter Cove, California, killing 88 people. Read more
21 Jul 1904: Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, becomes the first man to break the 100 mph (161 km/h) barrier on land. He drove a 15-liter Gobron-Brillié in Ostend, Belgium. Read more
21 Jul 1877: After rioting by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers and the deaths of nine rail workers at the hands of the Maryland militia, workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stage a sympathy strike that is met with an assault by the state militia. Read more
21 Jul 1873: At Adair, Iowa, Jesse James and the James–Younger Gang pull off the first successful train robbery in the American Old West. Read more
21 Jul 1865: In the market square of Springfield, Missouri, Wild Bill Hickok shoots and kills Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first western showdown. Read more
21 Jul 1861: American Civil War: First Battle of Bull Run: At Manassas Junction, Virginia, the first major battle of the war begins and ends in a victory for the Confederate army. Read more
21 Jul 1832: Signature of the treaty of Constantinople between the Britain, France, Russia and the Ottoman Empire, which outlines the borders of the new kingdom of Greece. Read more
21 Jul 1831: Inauguration of Leopold I of Belgium, first king of the Belgians. Read more

Famous Births on 21 July

21 Jul 2006: Endrick, Brazilian footballer Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa Pessoa, known mononymously as Endrick, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Read more
21 Jul 2005: Bub Carrington, American basketball player Carlton Kaleel "Bub" Carrington III is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft before being traded to the Wizards during the draft. Read more
21 Jul 2000: Erling Haaland, Norwegian footballer Erling Braut Haaland is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Norway national team. Regarded as one of the best players in the world and the greatest Norwegian player of all time, he is known for his speed, strength, positioning, and finishing inside the box. Read more
21 Jul 2000: Lia, South Korean singer Choi Ji-su, better known by her stage name Lia (리아), is a South Korean singer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Itzy, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2019. Read more
21 Jul 1999: Evan McPherson, American football player Evan McPherson mick-FEAR-suhn; is an American professional football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators before being drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft, the only kicker to be selected that year. Read more
21 Jul 1998: Maggie Lindemann, American singer-songwriter. Margaret Elizabeth Lindemann is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2016 breakout single "Pretty Girl", which peaked at number 4 in Sweden, number 6 in Ireland, and number 8 in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Following the song, Lindemann transitioned her music into a more alternative sound. She then released her debut EP, Paranoia (2021). Her debut album, Suckerpunch, was released on September 16, 2022. Read more
21 Jul 1998: Marie Bouzkova, Czech tennis player Marie Bouzková is a Czech professional tennis player. She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 22 achieved on 22 June 2026, and a best doubles ranking of No. 15, reached on 6 May 2024. Read more
21 Jul 1996: Mikael Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian footballer Mikael Norø Ingebrigtsen is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a winger for Danish 1st Division club Kolding IF. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Jude Adjei-Barimah, Italian-American football player Jude Adjei-Barimah is an Italian former American football cornerback. He played college football at Bowling Green. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Jessica Barden, English actress Jessica Amy Barden is an English actress. Beginning her career as a child actress, Barden is most notable for her role as Alyssa Foley in the Channel 4 comedy-drama The End of the F***ing World (2017–2019). She received a British Independent Film Award nomination for her performance in Scarborough (2018). Read more
21 Jul 1992: Julia Beljajeva, Estonian épée fencer Julia Beljajeva is an Estonian right-handed épée fencer. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Burak Çelik, Turkish actor and model Burak Çelik is a Turkish actor, model and beauty pageant titleholder. He was best known for playing the role of Goktuğ in Kuruluş Osman and Mahir Denizhan in Sevgili Geçmiş. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Da$H, American rapper Darien Corey Dash, Jr., known professionally as Dash, is an American rapper. Apart from his solo career, he was a member of Heir Global, alongside former friend and collaborator, Retch. Dash is also an affiliate of ASAP Mob, making his first high-profile appearance on their debut mixtape Lords Never Worry, in 2012. He frequently works with record producer Mordecai Beats, with whom he released the mixtape La Cienega (2012). Da$h has also collaborated with several prominent rappers in the hip-hop industry, including Ab-Soul, Action Bronson, Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples, Suicideboys, and Mac Miller. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Giovanni De Gennaro, Italian slalom canoeist Giovanni De Gennaro is an Italian slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2008, specializing in K1 and kayak cross. He is a three time Olympian and an Olympic champion in the K1 event from the 2024 Summer Olympics. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Charlotte de Witte, Belgian DJ and record producer Charlotte Aloïs de Witte is a Belgian DJ and record producer, best known for her "dark and stripped-back" brand of acid techno and minimal techno. She has previously performed under the alias Raving George. She is the founder of the labels KNTXT and Époque. De Witte's music is known to embody raw and gritty elements which attract both techno purists and new listeners. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Dawid Dryja, Polish volleyball player Dawid Dryja is a Polish professional volleyball player, a bronze medallist at the 2015 European League and named the Best Middle Blocker of the tournament. At the professional club level, he plays for Jastrzębski Węgiel. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Rachael Flatt, American figure skater Rachael Elizabeth Flatt is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2008 World Junior champion, a winner of four silver medals on the Grand Prix series, and the 2010 U.S. national champion. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Marcus Harris, Australian cricketer Marcus Sinclair Harris is an Australian cricketer who has represented Australia in Test cricket. A left-handed opening batter, Harris plays for Victoria and Lancashire in domestic cricket. He made his Test debut for the Australia national cricket team in December 2018 against India. He was a member of the Australian team that won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Jonathon Jennings, American Canadian football player Jonathon Jennings is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the BC Lions and Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. Jennings made his professional debut for the Lions in 2015. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Dante Marini, American soccer player Dante Marini is an American former soccer player. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Henry Owens, American baseball pitcher Henry Cole Owens is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Andrew Rayel, Moldovan DJ and producer Andrei Rață, better known by his stage name Andrew Rayel, is a Moldovan producer and DJ. Initially releasing his music on Armada Music, Rayel founded the label "inHarmony Music" on 22 September 2017, where his role is label chief and head of A&R. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Yuka Sato, Japanese javelin thrower Yuka Sato is a Japanese athlete specialising in the javelin throw. She represented her country at the 2019 World Championships without qualifying for the final. Earlier in her career she won a bronze medal at the 2011 Asian Championships. Read more
21 Jul 1992: Miles Ukaoma, American-born Nigerian hurdler Miles Ukaoma is an American-born Nigerian hurdler. In 2016, Miles Ukaoma qualified for the 400 metres hurdles event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, He competed in the 400 metres hurdles event at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing narrowly missing the semifinals. His personal best in the 400 metres hurdles is 48.84 seconds set in Warri in 2015. Read more
21 Jul 1991: Sara Sampaio, Portuguese model Sara Pinto Sampaio is a Portuguese model and actress, best known for being a Victoria's Secret Angel. She is a Giorgio Armani beauty ambassador and works for Calzedonia. Read more
21 Jul 1990: Franck Elemba, Congolese shot putter Franck Dannique Elemba Owaka is a Republic of the Congo athlete competing in the shot put. He represented his country at the 2014 World Indoor Championships and 2015 World Championships, as well as team Africa at the 2010 and 2014 Continental Cup. Read more
21 Jul 1990: Chris Martin, English footballer Christopher Joseph Martin is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
21 Jul 1990: Jason Roy, South African-English cricketer Jason Jonathan Roy is an English cricketer who played for England in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket, and previously played for the Test team. In domestic cricket, he represents Surrey, and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. Read more
21 Jul 1990: Erislandy Savón, Cuban amateur heavyweight boxer Erislandy Savón Cotilla is a Cuban heavyweight amateur boxer. He won the 91 kg/201 lbs title at the 2008 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships, the 2009 Pan American Championships at Super Heavyweight and also the AIBA World Boxing Championships 2015 and 2017 in Heavyweight. Read more
21 Jul 1989: Rory Culkin, American actor Rory Hugh Culkin is an American actor known for his roles in You Can Count on Me (2000), Signs (2002), Scream 4 (2011), Columbus (2017), and Lords of Chaos (2018). He has also appeared on television series such as Waco (2018), Under the Banner of Heaven (2022), and the Black Mirror (2023) episode "Beyond the Sea." In 2025, his short film Dear Shop Girl premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival. Read more
21 Jul 1989: Marco Fabián, Mexican footballer Marco Jhonfai Fabián de la Mora is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Ranger's. He is an Olympic gold medalist. Read more
21 Jul 1989: Juno Temple, English actress Juno Temple is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the comedy series Ted Lasso (2020–present) and in the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo (2023–2024). She earned Primetime Emmy Award nominations for both, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination for the latter. She also portrayed Teddy Paine in the superhero film Venom: The Last Dance (2024). Read more
21 Jul 1989: Jamie Waylett, British actor Jamie Michael Waylett is an English former actor. His only film role to date is that of Vincent Crabbe in six of the eight Harry Potter films. In 2012, he was imprisoned for two years for his participation in the 2011 England riots. Read more
21 Jul 1989: Jasmine Cephas Jones, English actress and singer Jasmine Cephas Jones is an English actress and singer. The daughter of actor Ron Cephas Jones, she studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She has received a Grammy Award and Emmy Award. Read more
21 Jul 1988: KB, American rapper Kevin Elijah Burgess, better known by his stage name KB, is an American Christian rapper and music executive from St. Petersburg, Florida. He is the leader of the hip-hop group HGA. Burgess signed a solo artist contract with Reach Records in 2010. The label has released several projects, including the Who Is KB? mixtape in 2011, Weight & Glory, on July 17, 2012, 100 EP on March 4, 2014, Tomorrow We Live on April 21, 2015, and Today We Rebel on October 20, 2017. He was formerly a member of the label collective formerly 116 clique shortened to 116. Read more
21 Jul 1988: DeAndre Jordan, American basketball player Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies. Read more
21 Jul 1988: Chris Mitchell, Scottish footballer (died 2016) Christopher Philip Mitchell was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. Read more
21 Jul 1987: Peter Doocy, American journalist Peter James Doocy is an American senior White House correspondent and co-anchor of The Sunday Briefing for Fox News. Read more
21 Jul 1987: Bilel Mohsni, French footballer Bilel Mohsni is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Read more
21 Jul 1987: Jesús Zavala, Mexican footballer Jesús Eduardo Zavala Castañeda is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Read more
21 Jul 1986: Anthony Annan, Ghanaian footballer Anthony Gildas Kofi Annan is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for DJK Arminia Lirich. Read more
21 Jul 1986: Rebecca Ferguson, American-English singer-songwriter Rebecca Caroline Ferguson is an English soul singer and songwriter. In 2010, Ferguson finished as the runner-up in the seventh series of The X Factor. She later released her debut album titled Heaven in December 2011. The album peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, and went onto achieve another three top three albums with: Freedom (2013), Lady Sings the Blues (2015), and Superwoman (2016). She cites Aretha Franklin, Kings of Leon, Christina Aguilera, and Amy Winehouse among her influences. Read more
21 Jul 1986: Jason Thompson, American basketball player Jason Carlton Thompson is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League. He was a starting center playing college basketball for the Rider Broncs from 2004 to 2008, and was drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He holds the record for most games played with the Kings during their tenure in Sacramento. Read more
21 Jul 1986: Betty Gilpin, American actress Elizabeth "Betty" Gilpin is an American actress. She portrayed Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan in the Netflix comedy series GLOW (2017–2019), for which she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also starred as Dr. Carrie Roman in the Showtime comedy-drama series Nurse Jackie (2013–2015). In 2023, she starred in the lead role as a nun who battles A.I. in the Peacock science-fiction series Mrs. Davis. She most recently guest-starred in the 2026 Apple TV comedy-horror series Widow's Bay as Sarah Westcott Warren, wife of the town's founder, Richard Warren, for which she received her fourth Emmy awards nomination in the category of Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Read more
21 Jul 1985: Mati Lember, Estonian footballer Mati Lember is a retired Estonian football player who played in different Estonian association football teams, with a small experience in the Estonia national football team between 2004–2007. He used to play in the position of defensive midfielder. He is 1.75 metres (5.7 ft) tall and weighs 72 kilograms (159 lb). Read more
21 Jul 1985: Von Wafer, American basketball player Vakeaton Quamar "Von" Wafer is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles. Read more
21 Jul 1984: Jurrick Juliana, Dutch footballer Jurrick Juliana is a Curaçaoan former professional footballer who played as a forward. Read more
21 Jul 1984: Liam Ridgewell, English footballer Liam Matthew Ridgewell is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He was primarily a centre back but could also play at left back. He is an assistant coach with the Portland Timbers. Read more
21 Jul 1983: Kellen Winslow II, American football player Kellen Boswell Winslow II is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow, he played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, he won the John Mackey Award and earned unanimous All-American in 2003. He was selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2004 NFL draft. Read more
21 Jul 1982: Jason Cram, Australian swimmer Jason Cram is an Australian freestyle swimmer. Read more
21 Jul 1982: Mao Kobayashi, Japanese newscaster and actress (died 2017) Mao Kobayashi was a Japanese freelance newscaster and actress. She was also one of Fuji TV's weathercasters. Read more
21 Jul 1981: Paloma Faith, English singer-songwriter and actress Paloma Faith Blomfield is an English singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. After signing with Epic Records in 2008, Faith released her debut album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (2009), which produced the UK top-twenty singles "Stone Cold Sober" and "New York". Her second album, Fall to Grace (2012), charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, earned her two Brit Award nominations, and spawned her first UK top-ten single "Picking Up the Pieces" and the top-twenty cover version of INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart". Read more
21 Jul 1981: Anabelle Langlois, Canadian figure skater Anabelle Langlois is a Canadian pair skater. She is the 2008 Canadian Figure Skating Champion with Cody Hay and the 2002 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships silver medallist with Patrice Archetto. Read more
21 Jul 1981: Joaquín, Spanish footballer Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez, known mononymously as Joaquín, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right winger. Read more
21 Jul 1981: Blake Lewis, American musician, American Idol contestant Blake Colin Lewis is an American musician and actor who was the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. His major label debut album A.D.D. was released on December 4, 2007, through 19 Recordings and Arista Records. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released. The album landed on number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 as its highest peak position with 97,500 copies sold in its debut, and has sold over 350,000 copies. After the release of his second single "How Many Words", which peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs, Lewis was dropped by Arista Records. Lewis eventually signed with Tommy Boy Records. Read more
21 Jul 1981: Romeo Santos, American singer-songwriter Anthony "Romeo" Santos is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first rose to prominence as the lead vocalist and frontman of the bachata group Aventura, one of the most influential Latin music bands of the 2000s. Santos later established a successful solo career, achieving seven number-one songs on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart and eighteen number-one hits on the Tropical Airplay chart. He has sold over 24 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time. Read more
21 Jul 1981: Stefan Schumacher, German cyclist Stefan Schumacher is a German former professional road racing cyclist. Schumacher won the bronze medal in the road race at the 2007 UCI Road World Championships, two stages in the 2006 Giro d'Italia and two stages in the 2008 Tour de France. After positive results on doping products in the 2008 Tour de France and the 2008 Summer Olympics, he received a suspension for two years, later reduced by some months. After his suspension, he came back as a professional cyclist before retiring in 2017. Read more
21 Jul 1980: Jon Dorenbos, American football player Jonathan Paul Dorenbos is an American former professional football player and magician who was a long snapper in the National Football League (NFL), earning two Pro Bowl selections. Read more
21 Jul 1980: Justin Griffith, American football player Justin Montrel Griffith is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Read more
21 Jul 1980: Sandra Laoura, French skier Sandra Laoura is a French freestyle skier of Algerian origin who competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Laoura won bronze in the women's moguls event. Read more
21 Jul 1980: CC Sabathia, American baseball player Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees. Sabathia batted and threw left-handed. Read more
21 Jul 1980: Yvonne Sampson, Australian journalist and sportscaster Yvonne Sampson is an Australian television sports presenter and commentator. Read more
21 Jul 1980: Heath Scotland, Australian rules footballer Heath Scotland is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He played for Collingwood and Carlton, appearing in two AFL Grand Finals during his time with Collingwood. He was awarded the Best and Fairest for the Carlton Football Club in 2012. His professional career ended in 2014. Read more
21 Jul 1979: David Carr, American football player David Duke Carr is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Carr played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs, winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Sammy Baugh Trophy in 2001. He was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL draft and was the franchise's first draft selection. Read more
21 Jul 1979: Tamika Catchings, American basketball player Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American former professional basketball player who played her entire 15-year career for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Widely considered as one of the greatest female basketball players and one of the most decorated players in WNBA history, Catchings has won a WNBA championship (2012), WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2011), WNBA Finals MVP Award (2012), five WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards, four Olympic gold medals, the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2002), and an NCAA championship with the University of Tennessee Lady Vols (1998). She is one of only 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold and a WNBA Championship. She has also been selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams, 12 All-WNBA teams, 12 All-Defensive teams and led the league in steals eight times. In 2011, Catchings was voted in by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time, and would be named to two more all-time WNBA teams, the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021. Read more
21 Jul 1979: Luis Ernesto Michel, Mexican footballer Luis Ernesto Michel Vergara is a Mexican football manager and a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Michel has captained both Guadalajara and the Mexico national team in official matches, captaining the latter in the 2011 Copa América. Read more
21 Jul 1979: Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer Andriy Viktorovych Voronin is a Ukrainian professional football manager and a former player. Read more
21 Jul 1978: Justin Bartha, American actor Justin Lee Bartha is an American actor. In film, Bartha has played Riley Poole in the National Treasure film series and Doug Billings in The Hangover trilogy. His television roles include David Sawyer in the NBC comedy series The New Normal as well as Colin Morrello in the CBS All Access legal and political drama The Good Fight. Read more
21 Jul 1978: Anderson da Silva Gibin, Brazilian footballer Anderson da Silva Gibin, sometimes known as Anderson PB, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Clube Náutico Marcílio Dias. Read more
21 Jul 1978: Josh Hartnett, American actor Joshua Daniel Hartnett is an American actor. He began his career on ABC's drama series Cracker (1997–1998), after which he became known as a teen idol through starring parts in films such as Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, The Faculty, The Virgin Suicides (1999), Pearl Harbor, O, Black Hawk Down, and 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002). Read more
21 Jul 1978: Julian Huppert, English academic and politician Julian Leon Huppert is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament for Cambridge from 2010 to 2015. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he had previously served as a member of the Cambridgeshire County Council for East Chesterton. Read more
21 Jul 1978: Damian Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer Damian Robert Nesta Marley is a Jamaican reggae singer. The youngest son of Bob Marley, he is the recipient of four Grammy Awards. Read more
21 Jul 1978: Gary Teale, Scottish footballer Gary Stewart Teale is a Scottish professional football player and coach. Read more
21 Jul 1977: Paul Casey, English golfer Paul Alexander Casey is an English golfer who is a member of LIV Golf. He has also played on the US-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009, he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Ranking. Read more
21 Jul 1976: Cori Bush, American politician Cori Anika Bush is an American politician, nurse, pastor, and Black Lives Matter activist who served as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 1st congressional district from 2021 to 2025. She is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. Read more
21 Jul 1976: Jalmari Helander, Finnish film director and screenwriter Jalmari Helander is a Finnish screenwriter and film director. He is known for the 2010 film Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, the 2014 action-adventure Big Game starring Samuel L. Jackson, and the 2022 WWII action film Sisu. Before turning to feature films, Helander directed several short films and award-winning television commercials. In 2025, it was announced that Helander would direct John Rambo, the upcoming prequel to First Blood (1982) in the Rambo franchise. Read more
21 Jul 1976: Jaime Murray, English actress Jaime Erica Murray is an English actress. She is known for playing Stacie Monroe in the BBC series Hustle (2004–2012), Lila West in the Showtime series Dexter (2007), Gaia in the Starz miniseries Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011), Olivia Charles in The CW series Ringer (2011–2012), Helena G. Wells in the Syfy series Warehouse 13 (2010–2014), Stahma Tarr in the Syfy series Defiance (2013–2015), Fiona/the Black Fairy in the ABC series Once Upon a Time (2016–2017), Antoinette in The CW series The Originals (2018), and Nyssa al Ghul in Gotham (2019). Read more
21 Jul 1975: Christopher Barzak, American author and educator Christopher Barzak is an American author. He has published many short stories, beginning with "A Mad Tea Party" in Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet in 1999. In 2007 he published his debut novel, One for Sorrow, which won the 2008 Crawford Award, and was a nominee for the 2008 Great Lakes Book Award as well as Logo TV's NewNowNext Awards. His second novel, The Love We Share Without Knowing, was a 2008 James Tiptree Jr. Award finalist and a 2009 Nebula Awards finalist for Best Novel. His first full-length short story collection, Before and Afterlives, was the recipient of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Single-Author Collection in 2013. Read more
21 Jul 1975: David Dastmalchian, American actor David Dastmalchian is an American actor, writer, and producer, known especially for his work in science fiction and superhero films and television series. He has had roles in three films directed by Denis Villeneuve: Prisoners (2013); Blade Runner 2049 (2017); and Dune (2021), in which he portrayed Piter De Vries. He stars as Gurathin in the Apple TV+ series Murderbot (2025) and appears as Mr. 3 in the Netflix series One Piece (2026). Read more
21 Jul 1975: Cara Dillon, Irish singer-songwriter Cara Elizabeth Dillon is a Northern Irish folk singer. Read more
21 Jul 1975: Ravindra Pushpakumara, Sri Lankan cricketer Deshabandu Karuppiahyage Ravindra Pushpakumara, or Ravindra Pushpakumara, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer of Tamil – Sinhalese mixed ancestry. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He was a key member of Sri Lanka's 1996 Cricket World Cup winning team. Read more
21 Jul 1975: Mike Sellers, American football player Michael Sellers is a former American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He was the youngest import player to sign a Canadian Football League (CFL) deal in the history of the football league when he played at 19 years old for the Edmonton Eskimos. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the NFL's Washington Redskins, and also played for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Read more
21 Jul 1974: Geoff Jenkins, American baseball player and coach Geoffrey Scott Jenkins is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers (1998–2007) and Philadelphia Phillies (2008). He is fourth on the Brewers’ all-time career home run list, trailing only Hall-of-Famer Robin Yount, 2011 National League (NL) MVP Ryan Braun, and former All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder. Following his playing career, Jenkins was on the coaching staff of the 2013 Peoria Explorers of the now-defunct Independent Freedom Pro Baseball League. Read more
21 Jul 1974: René Reinumägi, Estonian actor, director, and screenwriter René Reinumägi is an Estonian film director, scriptwriter and actor. With Jaak Kilmi he shares nomination for Grand Prix Asturias at the Gijón International Film Festival, nomination for Golden St. George and the winning of Special Jury Prize at the 26th Moscow International Film Festival in 2004. Read more
21 Jul 1972: Kimera Bartee, American baseball player (died 2021) Kimera Anotchi Bartee was an American professional baseball outfielder and coach. Bartee played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies from 1996 to 2001. He coached in the minor leagues and returned to MLB as a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017. He later coached for the Philadelphia Phillies, before rejoining the Tigers as first base coach in 2021. Read more
21 Jul 1972: Korey Cooper, American singer and guitarist Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife John Cooper and Korey Cooper along with Jen Ledger and Seth Morrison. The band has released twelve studio albums, two of which, Collide and Comatose, received Grammy nominations. Two of their albums, Comatose and Awake, are certified Platinum and Double Platinum respectively by the RIAA, while Rise and Unleashed are certified Gold as of June 29, 2020. Four of their songs, "Monster", "Hero", "Awake and Alive", and "Feel Invincible", are certified Multi-Platinum, while another three, "Whispers in the Dark", "Comatose", and "The Resistance" are certified Platinum, and another five, "Rebirthing", "Not Gonna Die", "The Last Night", "Legendary", and "Stars" are certified Gold. Read more
21 Jul 1972: Catherine Ndereba, Kenyan marathon runner Catherine Nyambura Ndereba is a retired Kenyan marathon runner. Between 2003 and 2008, she finished in the top two in five successive global championship marathons. Ndereba has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, becoming Kenya's first female multi-medalist. She is also a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and a two-time winner of the Chicago Marathon. It was at the latter in 2001 that she broke the women's marathon world record with a time of 2:18:47. Read more
21 Jul 1971: Emmanuel Bangué, French long jumper Emmanuel Bangué is a French long jumper, best known for finishing fourth at the 1996 Olympic Games. His personal best is 8.25 metres, achieved in September 1996 in Tomblaine. Read more
21 Jul 1971: Charlotte Gainsbourg, English-French actress and singer Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg is a French and British actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress and singer Jane Birkin and French singer Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song "Lemon Incest" at the age of 12, she released an album with her father at the age of 15. More than 20 years passed before Gainsbourg released albums as an adult, to commercial and critical success. She has acted in many films, including collaborations with Lars von Trier, and received two César Awards and Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award, among many nominations. Read more
21 Jul 1971: Nitzan Shirazi, Israeli footballer and manager (died 2014) Nitzan Shirazi was an Israeli association football player and manager. Read more
21 Jul 1970: Michael Fitzpatrick, American singer-songwriter Michael Sean "Fitz" Fitzpatrick, known professionally as FITZ, is a French-American musician, who is the lead vocalist of the indie pop/neo-soul band Fitz and the Tantrums. Read more
21 Jul 1969: Godfrey, American comedian and actor Godfrey Chukwuma Ndubuisi Danchimah Jr., known mononymously as Godfrey, is an American comedian and actor who has appeared on BET, VH1, Comedy Central, and feature films, such as Soul Plane, Original Gangstas, Zoolander, and Johnson Family Vacation. He was also a spokesperson for 7 Up during their "7up yours" advertising campaign, and a cast member on the first season of The It Factor, a reality television series. Read more
21 Jul 1969: Klaus Graf, German race car driver Klaus Graf is a German professional racing driver. He is the son of rally driver Peter Graf. He lived in the United States while competing in the American Le Mans Series with Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. He resulted LMP1 class champion in 2012 and 2013, and runner-up in 2010 and 2011. Read more
21 Jul 1969: Emerson Hart, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Emerson Hart is a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and producer. He is the lead singer and songwriter of the alternative rock band Tonic. Read more
21 Jul 1969: Isabell Werth, German equestrian Isabell Werth is a German equestrian who has competed in dressage at seven Olympic Games —1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2016, 2020, 2024— winning the gold medal in the team event in all seven, and one gold and six silver medals in the individual event. She stands alone in having medals from seven Olympics, or across a span of 32 years; her 14 medals are the most for any German or equestrian. She also has numerous titles in the World and European Championships and World Cups. Read more
21 Jul 1968: Brandi Chastain, American soccer player and sportscaster Brandi Denise Chastain is an American retired soccer player, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold-medalist, coach, sports broadcaster, and co-founder of Bay FC, the professional soccer club representing the Bay Area in the National Women's Soccer League. She played for the United States national team from 1988 to 2004. In her 192 caps on the team, she scored 30 goals playing primarily in the defender and midfielder positions. She scored a World Cup–winning penalty shootout goal against China in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final. In 2023, Brandi co-founded Bay FC alongside fellow former USWNT and professional club players Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner. Read more
21 Jul 1968: Aditya Srivastava, Indian actor Aditya Srivastava is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films, television and theatre. He is best known for his role as Senior Inspector Abhijeet in India's longest-running television police procedural C.I.D. He has also portrayed pivotal roles in the Bollywood films Satya, Gulaal, Lakshya, Paanch, Black Friday, Kaalo, Super 30 and Dil Se Pooch Kidhar Jana Hai. Read more
21 Jul 1968: Lyle Odelein, Canadian ice hockey player Lyle Theodore Odelein is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for eight National Hockey League (NHL) teams in 16 seasons, and was the inaugural captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Read more
21 Jul 1966: Arija Bareikis, American actress Arija Allison Bareikis is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Officer Chickie Brown in the TV crime drama Southland. She is also known for the films Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and The Purge. Read more
21 Jul 1966: Sarah Waters, Welsh author Sarah Ann Waters is a Welsh novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society and featuring lesbian protagonists, such as Tipping the Velvet (1998) and Fingersmith (2002). Both novels were adapted into TV mini-series by BBC in 2002 and 2005 respectively. The latter novel was also adapted into the South Korean film The Handmaiden (2016). Read more
21 Jul 1965: Guðni Bergsson, Icelandic footballer and lawyer Guðni Bergsson is an Icelandic former professional footballer and former president of the Icelandic Football Association from 2017 to 2021. Read more
21 Jul 1965: Mike Bordick, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster Michael Todd Bordick is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2003 with four teams: the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays. Read more
21 Jul 1964: Steve Collins, Irish boxer and actor Stephen Collins is an Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1986 to 1997. Known as the Celtic Warrior, Collins is the most successful male Irish boxer in recent professional boxing history, having held the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles simultaneously and never losing a fight as champion. Read more
21 Jul 1964: Ross Kemp, English actor and producer Ross James Kemp is an English actor, author, reporter and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. His other roles include Graham Lodsworth in Emmerdale and Detective Inspector Monk in Birds of a Feather. Kemp presented the BAFTA Award–winning documentary television series Ross Kemp on Gangs (2004–2009). Read more
21 Jul 1964: Jens Weißflog, German ski jumper and journalist Jens Weißflog is an East German and later German former ski jumper. He is one of the best and most successful ski jumpers in the history of the sport. He is a two time olympic and nordic world ski champion; also overall world winner. Read more
21 Jul 1963: Kevin Poole, English footballer and manager Kevin Poole is an English football coach and former professional footballer who is the goalkeeping coach at Solihull Moors. Read more
21 Jul 1963: Giant Silva, Brazilian basketball player, mixed martial artist, and wrestler Paulo César da Silva is a Brazilian former national basketball player for the Brazilian national basketball team and later mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Giant Silva. He stands 2.18 m and weighs 175 kg (386 lb). A super-heavyweight wrestler, he was both a face and a heel in several professional wrestling promotions. Known for his great height, in 2014 he was described as the sixth tallest professional wrestler in history. Read more
21 Jul 1962: Lee Aaron, Canadian rock singer (Metal Queen) Lee Aaron is a Canadian rock singer. She had several hits in the 1980s and early 1990s, such as "Metal Queen", "Whatcha Do to My Body", and "Sex with Love". Read more
21 Jul 1962: Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale, English businessman Victor Olufemi Adebowale, Baron Adebowale, is the former Chief Executive of the social care enterprise Turning Point and the current Chair of the NHS Confederation, and was one of the first individuals to become a People's Peer. Read more
21 Jul 1961: Morris Iemma, Australian politician, 40th Premier of New South Wales Morris Iemma is an Australian former politician who was the 40th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 3 August 2005 to 5 September 2008. Read more
21 Jul 1961: Jim Martin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist James Blanco Martin is an American guitarist who played with the rock band Faith No More from 1984 until late 1993 having played on their first four albums: We Care a Lot, Introduce Yourself, The Real Thing, and Angel Dust. Read more
21 Jul 1960: Amar Singh Chamkila, Indian singer-songwriter (died 1988) Amar Singh Chamkila was an Indian singer and musician of Punjabi music. Chamkila's vivid language, high-pitched vocals, and novel compositions accompanied by tumbi made him popular. His music was influenced by the Punjabi village life in which he grew up. Read more
21 Jul 1960: Veselin Matić, Serbian basketball player and coach Veselin Matić also known by his nickname Toza, is a Serbian professional basketball coach, who last served as the head coach of India men's national basketball team. Read more
21 Jul 1960: Fritz Walter, German footballer Fritz Walter is a German former professional footballer who played as a striker, and who was nicknamed "Little Fritz". Born in Mannheim, he is of no relation to German legend of the same name Fritz Walter. Read more
21 Jul 1959: Gene Miles, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster Gene Miles is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative centre, he played his club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership before joining the Brisbane Broncos in 1988 and later captained in 1990. Read more
21 Jul 1959: Reha Muhtar, Turkish journalist Reha Muhtar was a Turkish anchorman, columnist and television reporter. Read more
21 Jul 1959: Paul Vautin, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster Paul Vautin, nicknamed Fatty, is a former Australian rugby commentator and former professional rugby league player, captain and coach. He has provided commentary for the Nine Network's coverage of rugby league since joining the network in 1992 and also hosted The Footy Show from its beginnings in 1994 opposite co-host Peter Sterling, until 2017. An Australian Kangaroos Test and Queensland State of Origin representative lock or second-row forward, Vautin played club football in Brisbane with Wests, before moving to Sydney in 1979 to play with Manly-Warringah, whom he would captain to the 1987 NSWRL premiership. He also played for Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, and in England for St Helens. Read more
21 Jul 1958: Dave Henderson, American baseball player and sportscaster (died 2015) David Lee Henderson, nicknamed "Hendu", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and Kansas City Royals during his 14-year career, primarily as an outfielder. Read more
21 Jul 1957: Stefan Löfven, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Sweden Kjell Stefan Löfven is a Swedish politician who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 2014 to 2021 and as Leader of the Social Democratic Party from 2012 to 2021. He is currently serving as President of European Socialists since 2022. Read more
21 Jul 1957: Jon Lovitz, American comedian, actor, and producer Jonathan Michael Lovitz is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990, for which he was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Read more
21 Jul 1956: Michael Connelly, American author Michael Joseph Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller, including 10 with both those characters.
Connelly is the bestselling author of 42 novels and one work of non-fiction, with over 74 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages. His first novel, The Black Echo, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly's 1997 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of Connelly's novel The Lincoln Lawyer starred Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. Connelly was the President of the Mystery Writers of America from 2003 to 2004. Read more
21 Jul 1955: Howie Epstein, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 2003) Howard Norman Epstein was an American musician best known as a bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Read more
21 Jul 1955: Dannel Malloy, American lawyer and politician, 88th Governor of Connecticut Dannel Patrick Malloy is an American politician who served as the 88th governor of Connecticut from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he chaired the Democratic Governors Association from 2016 to 2017. He is currently Chancellor of the University of Maine System, a position he has held since July 2019. Read more
21 Jul 1955: Taco, Indonesian-born Dutch singer and entertainer Taco Ockerse, also known mononymously as Taco, is an Indonesian-born Dutch musician, actor and entertainer who started his career in Germany. He scored a global hit song in 1982 with a version of "Puttin' On the Ritz". Read more
21 Jul 1955: Béla Tarr, Hungarian film director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2026) Béla Tarr was a Hungarian film director, screenwriter and producer. His films are distinguished by their stark black-and-white visuals, extended long takes, languid pacing, and an absence of traditional plotting. They explore existential themes and often focus on marginalized, desperate characters in bleak landscapes. He became known as a founding figure of the slow cinema genre, most notably with his influential 1994 film Sátántangó. That film is often in scholarly polls of the greatest films ever made. Read more
21 Jul 1953: Eric Bazilian, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer Eric Michael Bazilian is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer. Bazilian is a founding member of the rock band the Hooters. He wrote "One of Us", a song first recorded by Joan Osborne in 1995. Read more
21 Jul 1953: Jeff Fatt, Australian keyboard player and actor Jeffrey Wayne Fatt is an Australian musician and actor. He was a member of the children's group The Wiggles from its founding in 1991 to 2012, and was also in the 1980s and 1990s pop band The Cockroaches with fellow Wiggle Anthony Field. Read more
21 Jul 1953: Bernie Fraser, New Zealand rugby player Bernard Gabriel Fraser is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He played 124 games for Wellington, and 55 games, including 23 test matches, for New Zealand. Read more
21 Jul 1953: Brian Talbot, English footballer and manager Brian Ernest Talbot is an English former football player and manager. He was capped six times for the England national team. Read more
21 Jul 1952: John Barrasso, American physician and politician John Anthony Barrasso III is an American physician and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wyoming, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Wyoming State Senate from 2003 to 2007. In 2025, he became Senate majority whip, the second-ranking Senate Republican. Read more
21 Jul 1952: Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Malaysian economist Ahmad Husni bin Mohamad Hanadzlah is a former Second Minister of Finance of Malaysia. He was appointed on 10 April 2009 when Najib Razak became Prime Minister. He was also the Member of Parliament for Tambun for five terms from April 1995 to May 2018. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a major component party in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Read more
21 Jul 1952: Phil Russell, Canadian ice hockey player Phillip Douglas Russell is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played over one thousand games in the National Hockey League. Russell featured in the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals with the Chicago Blackhawks. Read more
21 Jul 1951: Richard Gozney, English politician and diplomat, 30th Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, 139th Governor of Bermuda Sir Richard Hugh Turton Gozney is a British career diplomat who served as governor and commander in chief of Bermuda from 2007 to 2012, and as the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man from 2016 to 2021. Read more
21 Jul 1951: Robin Williams, American actor and comedian (died 2014) Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created spontaneously and portrayed in drama and comedy films, he is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. Williams received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and six Golden Globe Awards, as well as five Grammy Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005. Read more
21 Jul 1950: Ubaldo Fillol, Argentinian footballer and coach Ubaldo Matildo Fillol, nicknamed el Pato, is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He took part in the 1974, 1978 and 1982 World Cups representing the Argentina national team. He also played in the South American qualifiers for the 1986 World Cup, but he was finally not chosen for the final team that played in Mexico. He is considered one of the best Argentine goalkeepers ever. Read more
21 Jul 1950: Susan Kramer, Baroness Kramer, English politician, Minister of State for Transport Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer PC is a British politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010. A member of the Liberal Democrats, she was their Treasury Spokesperson from 2015 to 2017 and 2017 to 2019. Read more
21 Jul 1950: Robert Walls, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (died 2025) Robert Walls was an Australian rules footballer who represented Carlton and Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1960s and 1970s. Read more
21 Jul 1949: Christina Hart, American playwright and actress Christina Hart is an American film producer, film director, playwright and retired actress. She teaches acting at the Hollywood Court Theater. Read more
21 Jul 1949: Hirini Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter and poet (died 2003) Hirini (Sid) Melbourne was a Māori composer, singer, university lecturer, poet and author who was notable for his contribution to the development of Māori music and the revival of Māori culture. He played traditional instruments and his waiata (songs) have preserved traditions and used Māori proverbs. He received the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of his services to Māori music. He was from Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu Māori tribes. Read more
21 Jul 1948: Art Hindle, Canadian actor and director Arthur Hindle is a Canadian actor and television director. He won the Gemini Award for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for his portrayal of news director Mike Fennell on the CTV drama E.N.G. (1989–94). His other notable television roles include Jeff Farraday on Dallas (1981–82), Harry Dobbs on North of 60 (1996–97), Pete Braga on Paradise Falls (2001–08), and Grandpa Hobbie on Holly Hobbie (2021–23). Read more
21 Jul 1948: Cat Stevens, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens or Yusuf/Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion streams. His musical career has explored folk, rock, pop, and, later in his career, Islamic music. Following two decades in which he performed only music which met strict religious standards, he returned to making secular music in 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. He has received two honorary doctorates and awards for promoting peace as well as other humanitarian awards. Read more
21 Jul 1948: Garry Trudeau, American cartoonist Garretson Beekman Trudeau is an American cartoonist best known for creating the Doonesbury political satirical comic strip. Read more
21 Jul 1947: Chetan Chauhan, Indian cricketer and politician (died 2020) Chetan Pratap Singh Chauhan was a cricketer who played 40 Test matches for India. He played Ranji Trophy for Maharashtra and Delhi. Chauhan played most of his international cricket in the late 1970s and was the regular opening partner of Sunil Gavaskar during that period. Chetan Chauhan was appointed Chairman of NIFT from June 2016 to June 2017. He was also twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, in 1991 and 1998. From 2018 to 2020, he was minister for youth and sports in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Read more
21 Jul 1946: Ken Starr, American lawyer and judge, 39th Solicitor General of the United States (died 2022) Kenneth Winston Starr was an American lawyer and judge who as independent counsel authored the Starr Report, which served as the basis of the impeachment of Bill Clinton. He headed an investigation of members of the Clinton administration, known as the Whitewater controversy, from 1994 to 1998. Starr previously served as a federal appellate judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1983 to 1989 and as the U.S. solicitor general from 1989 to 1993 during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. Read more
21 Jul 1946: Timothy Harris, American author, screenwriter and producer Timothy Hyde Harris is an American author, screenwriter and producer. He has been publishing works of fiction since the late 1960s and has been involved in filmmaking since the early 1980s. For his work in film, Harris has been nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay as well as an Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production. Read more
21 Jul 1945: Wendy Cope, English poet, critic, and educator Wendy Cope is a contemporary English poet. She read history at St Hilda's College, Oxford. She now lives in Ely, Cambridgeshire, with her husband, the poet Lachlan Mackinnon. Read more
21 Jul 1945: Geoff Dymock, Australian cricketer Geoffrey Dymock is an Australian former international cricketer. He played in 21 Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1980. On his debut, he took five wickets in the second innings against New Zealand in Adelaide in 1974. He was the third bowler to dismiss all eleven opposition players in a Test match, and remains one of only six bowlers to have achieved this. Read more
21 Jul 1945: Barry Richards, South African cricketer Barry Anderson Richards is a former South African first-class cricketer. A right-handed "talent of such enormous stature", Richards is considered one of South Africa's most successful batsmen. He was able to play only four Test matches – all against Australia – before South Africa's exclusion from the international scene in 1970. In that brief career, against a competitive Australian attack, Richards scored 508 runs at the high average of 72.57. Richards' contribution in that series was instrumental in the 4–0 win that South Africa inflicted on the side, captained by Bill Lawry. His first century, 140, was scored in conjunction with Graeme Pollock's 274 in a famous 103-run partnership. Mike Procter, whose South African and English career roughly paralleled that of Richards, was prominent in that series as a bowler. Read more
21 Jul 1944: John Atta Mills, Ghanaian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Ghana (died 2012) John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was a Ghanaian politician and legal scholar who served as the 11th president of Ghana from 2009 until his death in 2012. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the governing party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 Ghanaian presidential election. He was previously the third vice president from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings, and he contested unsuccessfully in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was the first Ghanaian head of state to die in office. Read more
21 Jul 1944: Buchi Emecheta, Nigerian author and academic (died 2017) Buchi Emecheta was a Nigerian writer, whose work includes novels, plays, autobiography, and children's books. She was best known for her 1974 novel, Second Class Citizen. Her other novels include The Bride Price (1976), The Slave Girl (1977), and The Joys of Motherhood (1979). Emecheta has been characterized as "the first successful black woman novelist living in Britain after 1948". Read more
21 Jul 1944: Paul Wellstone, American academic and politician (died 2002) Paul David Wellstone was an American academic, author, and politician. He represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002, sixteen days before that year's election for the seat. A member of the Democratic Party (DFL), Wellstone was a leader of the populist and progressive wings of the party. Read more
21 Jul 1943: Fritz Glatz, Austrian race car driver (died 2002) Friedrich "Fritz" Glatz was an Austrian racing driver from Vienna. He raced under the pseudonyms Pierre Chauvet and Frederico Careca as well as a number of others. Read more
21 Jul 1943: Edward Herrmann, American actor (died 2014) Edward Kirk Herrmann was an American actor, director, and writer. He was best known for his portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt in both the miniseries Eleanor and Franklin (1976) and 1982 film musical Annie, Richard Gilmore in Amy Sherman-Palladino's comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls (2000–2007), and a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on The History Channel and in such PBS productions as Nova. He was also known in the 1990s as a spokesman for Dodge automobiles. Read more
21 Jul 1943: Henry McCullough, Northern Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter (died 2016) Henry Campbell Liken McCullough was a musician and singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland. He was best known for his work as a member of Spooky Tooth, the Grease Band and Paul McCartney and Wings. He also performed and recorded as a solo artist and session musician. Read more
21 Jul 1943: Robert Shrum, American author and political advisor Robert M. Shrum is the director of the Center for the Political Future and the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics at the University of Southern California, where he is a professor of political science in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He is a former American political consultant, who has worked on numerous Democratic campaigns, including as senior advisor to the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004 and to the Gore-Lieberman campaign in 2000. Shrum wrote the famous speech Ted Kennedy gave at the 1980 Democratic National Convention conceding to and supporting President Jimmy Carter. He has been described as "the most sought-after consultant in the Democratic Party." Shrum served as speechwriter to New York Mayor John V. Lindsay from 1970 to 1971, speechwriter to Senator George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign and speechwriter and press secretary to Senator Edward M. Kennedy from 1980 to 1984 and political consultant until 2009. Read more
21 Jul 1943: Bill Flett, Canadian ice hockey player (died 1999) William Mayer Flett was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames. Flett then moved to the World Hockey Association, playing with the Edmonton Oilers, returning to the NHL with the Oilers in the 1979–80 NHL season. Read more
21 Jul 1942: Mallikarjun Kharge, Indian politician, 98th President of the Indian National Congress Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge is an Indian politician and lawyer from the Indian state of Karnataka serving as the President of the Indian National Congress since 2022 and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha since 2021. He has been a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since 2020. He has been re-elected for Rajya Sabha in June 2026. Read more
21 Jul 1942: Mike Hegan, American baseball player and commentator (died 2013) James Michael Hegan was an American professional baseball player, who later worked as a sports commentator. In Major League Baseball (MLB) he was a first baseman and outfielder, and played for three different American League (AL) franchises between 1964 and 1977. He was the son of longtime Cleveland Indians catcher Jim Hegan. Read more
21 Jul 1940: Jim Clyburn, American politician, former House Majority Whip James Enos Clyburn is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 6th congressional district. First elected in 1992, Clyburn is serving his 17th term, representing a congressional district that includes most of the majority-black precincts in and around Columbia and Charleston, as well as most of the majority-black areas outside Beaufort and nearly all of South Carolina's share of the Black Belt. Since Joe Cunningham's departure in 2021, Clyburn has been the only Democrat in South Carolina's congressional delegation as well as the dean of the state's delegation since 2011 after fellow Democrat John Spratt lost re-election. Read more
21 Jul 1940: Denis Menke, American baseball player and coach (died 2020) Denis John Menke was an American professional baseball infielder and coach. He played all or parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974. He played for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1962–67), Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds (1972–73), all of the National League. He was elected to the National League All-Star team in 1969 and 1970. Read more
21 Jul 1939: Jamey Aebersold, American saxophonist and educator Wilton Jameson "Jamey" Aebersold is an American publisher, educator, and jazz saxophonist. His Play-A-Long series of instructional books and CDs, using the chord-scale system, the first of which was released in 1967, are an internationally renowned resource for jazz education. His summer workshops have educated students of all ages since the 1960s. Read more
21 Jul 1939: Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (died 2015) Kim Vincent Fowley was an American record producer, songwriter, and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed the Runaways in the 1970s. He has been described as "one of the most colorful characters in the annals of rock & roll", as well as "a shadowy cult figure well outside the margins of the mainstream". Read more
21 Jul 1939: John Negroponte, English-American diplomat, 23rd United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Dimitri Negroponte is an American diplomat. In 2018, he was a James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. He is a former J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of International Affairs at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. Prior to this appointment, he served as a research fellow and lecturer in international affairs at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, United States Deputy Secretary of State (2007–2009), and the first ever Director of National Intelligence (2005–2007). Read more
21 Jul 1938: Les Aspin, American captain and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Defense (died 1995) Leslie Aspin Jr. was an American Democratic Party politician and economist who served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district from 1971 to 1993 and as the 18th United States Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. Read more
21 Jul 1938: Anton Kuerti, Austrian-Canadian pianist, composer, and conductor Anton Emil Kuerti, OC is an Austrian-born Canadian pianist, music teacher, composer, and conductor. He has developed international recognition as a solo pianist. Read more
21 Jul 1938: Janet Reno, American lawyer and politician, 79th United States Attorney General (died 2016) Janet Wood Reno was an American lawyer and public official who served as the 78th United States attorney general from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. A member of the Democratic Party, Reno was the second-longest serving attorney general, behind only William Wirt, and the first woman to serve in the position. Read more
21 Jul 1937: Eduard Streltsov, Soviet footballer (died 1990) Eduard Anatolyevich Streltsov was a Soviet footballer who played as a forward for Torpedo Moscow and the Soviet national team during the 1950s and 1960s. A powerful and skilful attacking player, he scored the fourth-highest number of goals for the Soviet Union and has been called "the greatest outfield player Russia has ever produced". He is sometimes dubbed "the Russian Pelé". Read more
21 Jul 1935: Norbert Blüm, German businessman and politician (died 2020) Norbert Blüm was a German politician who served as a federal legislator from North Rhine-Westphalia, chairman of the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia (1987–1999), and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. Read more
21 Jul 1935: Moe Drabowsky, Polish-American baseball player and coach (died 2006) Myron Walter Drabowsky was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago White Sox. A noted practical joker, Drabowsky engaged in such antics as leaving snakes in teammates' lockers or phoning the opposing team's bullpen to tell a pitcher to warm up. He batted and threw right-handed. Read more
21 Jul 1934: Chandu Borde, Indian cricketer and manager Chandrakant Gulabrao "Chandu" Borde is an Indian former cricketer who played Test cricket for India between 1958 and 1969. Following his retirement, he became a cricket administrator and twice served as India's chairman of selectors. Read more
21 Jul 1934: Jonathan Miller, English actor, director, and author (died 2019) Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, comedian and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 1950s, he came to prominence in the early 1960s in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett. He popularized anatomy in The Body in Question. Read more
21 Jul 1933: John Gardner, American novelist, essayist, and critic (died 1982) John Champlin Gardner Jr. was an American novelist, essayist, literary critic, and university professor, who wrote the popular 1971 novel Grendel, a retelling of the Beowulf myth from the monster's point of view. Read more
21 Jul 1932: Kaye Stevens, American singer and actress (died 2011) Kaye Stevens was an American singer and actress. Her big break in show business came at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, when the headliner for the night, Debbie Reynolds, became ill and Stevens filled in for the night. She then went on to do small shows in New York City at the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room and the Waldorf Astoria, and Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. Read more
21 Jul 1931: Sonny Clark, American pianist and composer (died 1963) Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Read more
21 Jul 1931: Plas Johnson, American saxophonist (died 2026) Plas John Johnson Jr. was an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He also performed on alto and baritone sax as well as various flutes and clarinets. Read more
21 Jul 1931: Leon Schidlowsky, Chilean-Israeli painter and composer (died 2022) Jorge León Schidlowsky Gaete was a Chilean and Israeli composer and painter. He wrote music for orchestra, chamber ensemble, choir, and instruments including the piano, violin, cello, flute, mandolin, guitar, harp, organ. About 65 pieces were written in graphic notation. His compositions have been performed in numerous countries, with orchestra conductors including Aldo Ceccato, Clytus Gottwald, Erhard Karkoschka, Herbert Kegel, Lukas Foss, Zubin Mehta and Hermann Scherchen. The scores of his graphic music have been shown in exhibitions such as Staatsgalerie Stuttgart and the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum in Ludwigshafen. Schidlowsky worked as a professor of composition both in Chile and Israel, influencing many students. Read more
21 Jul 1930: Anand Bakshi, Indian poet and songwriter (died 2002) Anand Bakshi was an Indian poet and lyricist. He won Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist four times during his career. He wrote more than 6,000 film songs in more than 300 films. Read more
21 Jul 1930: Helen Merrill, American singer Helen Merrill is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording Helen Merrill, was an immediate success and associated her with the first generation of bebop jazz musicians. After an active 1950s and 1960s, Merrill spent time recording and touring in Europe and Japan, falling into obscurity in the United States. In the 1980s and 1990s, she was recorded by EmArcy, JVC and Verve, and her performances in America revived her profile. Read more
21 Jul 1929: Bob Orton, American wrestler (died 2006) Robert Keith Orton Sr. was an American professional wrestler. The patriarch of the Orton wrestling family, his two sons Bob Orton Jr. and Barry Orton, and grandson Randy Orton, have all wrestled professionally. To distinguish between him and his son, he is also known as Bob Orton Sr. Bob Orton Sr. was often referred to by his nickname "The Big O". Read more
21 Jul 1928: Sky Low Low, Canadian wrestler (died 1998) Marcel Gauthier was a Canadian professional midget wrestler who wrestled under the ring name Sky Low Low. Read more
21 Jul 1926: Paul Burke, American actor (died 2009) Paul Raymond Burke was an American actor, best known for his lead roles in two 1960s ABC television series, Naked City and 12 O'Clock High. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of New York Police Department detective Adam Flint in Naked City. Read more
21 Jul 1926: Norman Jewison, Canadian actor, director, and producer (died 2024) Norman Frederick Jewison was a Canadian filmmaker. He is known for directing films which addressed topical social and political issues, often making controversial or complicated subjects accessible to mainstream audiences. Among numerous other accolades, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times in three separate decades, for In the Heat of the Night (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Moonstruck (1987). He was nominated for an additional four Oscars, three Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, and won a BAFTA Award. He received the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences's Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1999. Read more
21 Jul 1926: Rahimuddin Khan, Pakistani general and politician, 7th Governor of Balochistan (died 2022) Rahimuddin Khan was a Pakistani four-star general who served as the fourth Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army from 1984 to 1987. He also served as the seventh Governor of Balochistan, from 1978 to 1984, and briefly as the 16th Governor of Sindh in 1988. Read more
21 Jul 1926: Bill Pertwee, English actor (died 2013) William Desmond Anthony Pertwee was an English actor. He played Chief ARP Warden Hodges in Dad's Army and P.C. Wilson in You Rang, M'Lord?. Read more
21 Jul 1926: Karel Reisz, Czech-English director and producer (died 2002) Karel Reisz was a Czech-born British filmmaker and film critic, one of the pioneers of the new realist strain in British cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. Two of the best-known films he directed are Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), a classic of kitchen sink realism, and the romantic period drama The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981). Read more
21 Jul 1925: Johnny Peirson, Canadian hockey player (died 2021) John Frederick Peirson was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who was a winger for 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins from 1946 to 1958. After retiring he became a commentator for the Bruins, serving in that role for more than two decades. Read more
21 Jul 1924: Don Knotts, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter (died 2006) Jesse Donald Knotts was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also played Ralph Furley on the sitcom Three's Company from 1979 to 1984. He starred in multiple comedic films, including leading roles in The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964) and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966). In 2004, TV Guide ranked him number 27 on its "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" list. Read more
21 Jul 1923: Rudolph A. Marcus, Canadian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2026) Rudolph Arthur Marcus was a Canadian-born American chemist who received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his contributions to the theory of electron transfer reactions in chemical systems". Marcus theory, named after him, provides a thermodynamic and kinetic framework for describing one electron outer-sphere electron transfer. He was a professor at Caltech, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science. Read more
21 Jul 1923: Queenie Watts, English actress and singer (died 1980) Queenie Watts was an English actress of film and television, as well as an occasional singer. She was noted for her broad cockney accent. Read more
21 Jul 1922: Philomena Franz, German Romani author (died 2022) Philomena Franz was a Sinti writer and activist from Germany, who was a survivor of the Romani Holocaust, having been imprisoned in Auschwitz. She later published works that recounted her experiences and was recognised as a significant voice in Romani literature. Read more
21 Jul 1922: Kay Starr, American singer (died 2016) Kay Starr was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multiple genres, such as pop, jazz, and country, but her roots were in jazz. Her 1952 song "Wheel of Fortune" was a smash hit, and later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Additionally, she had big hits with "Allez-Vous-En" and "If You Love Me " in 1953 and 1954, respectively. Read more
21 Jul 1922: Mollie Sugden, English actress (died 2009) Isabel Mary Sugden, known professionally as Mollie Sugden, was an English actress and comedienne. She was best known for being an original cast member in the British sitcom Are You Being Served? (1972–1985) as senior saleswoman Mrs. Slocombe and appeared reprising the character in the AYBS spin-off Grace & Favour (1992–1993). Read more
21 Jul 1921: James Cooke Brown, American sociologist and author (died 2000) James Cooke Brown was an American sociologist and science fiction author. He is notable for creating the constructed language Loglan and for designing the Parker Brothers board game Careers. Read more
21 Jul 1921: John Horsley, English actor (died 2014) John Lovell Horsley was an English actor. Read more
21 Jul 1921: Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, Zulu sangoma (died 2020) Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa was a Zulu sangoma from South Africa. He was known as an author of books that draw upon African mythology, traditional Zulu folklore, extraterrestrial encounters and his own personal encounters. His last work was a graphic novel called the Tree of Life Trilogy based on his writings of his most famous book, Indaba my Children. In 2018 he was honoured with an USIBA award presented by the South African Department of Arts and Culture, for his work in indigenous wisdom. Read more
21 Jul 1920: Constant Nieuwenhuys, Dutch painter, sculptor, and illustrator (died 2005) Constant Anton Nieuwenhuys, better known as Constant, was a Dutch painter, sculptor, graphic artist, author and musician. Read more
21 Jul 1920: Isaac Stern, Russian-American violinist and conductor (died 2001) Isaac Stern was an American violinist. Read more
21 Jul 1920: Jean Daniel, Algerian-French journalist and author (died 2020) Jean Daniel Bensaid was a French journalist and author. He was the founder and executive editor of Le Nouvel Observateur weekly now known as L'Obs. Read more
21 Jul 1917: Alan B. Gold, Canadian lawyer and jurist (died 2005) Alan Bernard Gold was the chief justice of the Quebec Superior Court from 1983 to 1992. Read more
21 Jul 1914: Aleksander Kreek, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (died 1977) Aleksander Kreek was an Estonian track and field athlete who specialised in the shot put. He was the 1938 European champion in the shot put – one of only two Estonian men to achieve the feat, alongside Arnold Viiding. He was twice a medallist at the International University Games. Read more
21 Jul 1911: Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author and theorist (died 1980) Herbert Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian philosopher whose work is among the cornerstones of the study of media theory. Raised in Winnipeg, McLuhan studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of Cambridge. He began his teaching career as a professor of English at several universities in the United States and Canada before moving to the University of Toronto in 1946, where he remained for the rest of his life. He is known as "the father of media studies". Read more
21 Jul 1911: Umashankar Joshi, Indian author, poet, and scholar (died 1988) Umashankar Jethalal Joshi was an Indian poet, scholar and writer known for his contributions to Gujarati literature. He wrote most of his works in Gujarati. Read more
21 Jul 1908: Jug McSpaden, American golfer and architect (died 1996) Harold Lee "Jug" McSpaden was an American professional golfer, and golf course architect. Read more
21 Jul 1903: Russell Lee, American photographer and journalist (died 1986) Russell Werner Lee was an American photographer and photojournalist, best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) during the Great Depression. His images documented the ethnography of various American classes and cultures. Lee was known for his technical innovation, particularly his use of direct flash photography to capture indoor environments that other photographers of the era avoided. Read more
21 Jul 1903: Roy Neuberger, American businessman and financier, co-founded Neuberger Berman (died 2010) Roy Rothschild Neuberger was an American financier who contributed money to raise public awareness of modern art through his acquisition of pieces he deemed worthy. He was a co-founder of the investment firm Neuberger Berman. Roy Neuberger served for several decades as Honorary Trustee, Benefactor, and member of the Department of Modern Art's Visiting Committee at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Read more
21 Jul 1900: Isadora Bennett, American theatre manager and modern dance publicity agent (died 1980) Isadora Bennett was an American publicity agent for modern dance theatre. Her work has been considered significant for establishing modern dance. Her clients included Martha Graham, José Limón, José Greco, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Joffrey Ballet. Read more
21 Jul 1899: Hart Crane, American poet (died 1932) Harold Hart Crane was an American poet. Inspired by the Romantics and his fellow Modernists, Crane wrote highly stylized poetry, often noted for its complexity. His collection White Buildings (1926), featuring "Chaplinesque", "At Melville's Tomb", "Repose of Rivers" and "Voyages", helped to cement his place in the avant-garde literary scene of the time. The long poem The Bridge (1930) is an epic inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge. Read more
21 Jul 1899: Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, short story writer, and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1961) Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized for his adventurous lifestyle and outspoken, blunt public image. Some of his seven novels, six short-story collections and two non-fiction works have become classics of American literature, and he was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more
21 Jul 1898: Sara Carter, American singer-songwriter (died 1979) Sara Elizabeth Carter was an American country music musician, singer, and songwriter. Remembered mostly for her deep, distinctive, mature singing voice, she was the lead singer on most of the recordings of the historic Carter Family act in the 1920s and 1930s. In her earliest recordings her voice was pitched very high. Read more
21 Jul 1896: Sophie Bledsoe Aberle, American anthropologist, physician and nutritionist (died 1996) Sophie Bledsoe Aberle was an American anthropologist, physician and nutritionist known for her work with Pueblo people. She was one of two women first appointed to the National Science Board. Read more
21 Jul 1893: Hans Fallada, German author (died 1947) Hans Fallada was a German writer of the first half of the 20th century. Some of his better known novels include Little Man, What Now? (1932) and Every Man Dies Alone (1947). His works belong predominantly to the New Objectivity literary style, a style associated with an emotionless reportage approach, with precision of detail, and a veneration for 'the fact'. Fallada's pseudonym derives from a combination of characters found in Grimms' Fairy Tales: The titular protagonist of Hans in Luck, and Fallada the magical talking horse in The Goose Girl. Fallada was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1936, and 1939. Read more
21 Jul 1891: Julius Saaristo, Finnish javelin thrower and soldier (died 1969) Juho Julius Saaristo was a Finnish track and field athlete. He won two medals at the 1912 Olympics: a silver in conventional javelin throw and gold in the two-handed javelin throw, a one-time Olympic event in which the total was a sum of best throws with the right hand and with the left hand. He finished fourth in the javelin throw at the 1920 Olympics. Saaristo held the Finnish national title in the javelin in 1910, 1911 and 1919. Read more
21 Jul 1890: Howie Shanks, American baseball player (died 1941) Howard Samuel Shanks was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1912 to 1925 for the Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees. Read more
21 Jul 1885: Jacques Feyder, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1948) Jacques Feyder was a Belgian film director, screenwriter and actor who worked principally in France, but also in the US, Britain and Germany. He was a director of silent films during the 1920s, and in the 1930s he became associated with the style of poetic realism in French cinema. He adopted French nationality in 1928. Read more
21 Jul 1882: David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (died 1967) David Davidovich Burliuk was a Russian poet, artist and publicist of Ukrainian origin associated with the Futurist and Neo-Primitivist movements. Burliuk has been described as "the father of Russian Futurism." Read more
21 Jul 1880: Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak astronomer, general, and politician (died 1919) Milan Rastislav Štefánik was a Slovak politician, diplomat, aviator and astronomer. During World War I, he served at the same time as a general in the French Army and as Minister of War for Czechoslovakia. As one of the leading members of the Czechoslovak National Council, he contributed decisively to the cause of Czechoslovak sovereignty, since the status of Czech- and Slovak-populated territories was one of those in question until shortly before the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918. His personal motto was "To Believe, To Love, To Work". Read more
21 Jul 1875: Charles Gondouin, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (died 1947) Charles Gondouin was a French rugby union player and tug of war competitor who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal. Gondouin studied at the Lycée Condorcet, then worked as a sports journalist. He also participated in the tug of war competition and won a silver medal as a member of French team. He was killed on Christmas Eve when he was struck by a motorist in Paris while returning from a meeting for a racing club in France. Read more
21 Jul 1870: Emil Orlík, Czech painter, etcher, and lithographer (died 1932) Emil Orlik was a Czech-German painter, etcher and lithographer. He lived and worked in Prague, Austria and Germany. Read more
21 Jul 1866: Carlos Schwabe, Swiss Symbolist painter and printmaker (died 1926) Carlos Schwabe was a Swiss Symbolist painter and printmaker. Read more
21 Jul 1863: C. Aubrey Smith, English-American cricketer and actor (died 1948) Sir Charles Aubrey Smith was an English test cricketer and actor of stage and screen. During his acting career, he acquired a niche as the officer-and-gentleman type, as in the first sound version of The Prisoner of Zenda (1937). In Hollywood, he organised British actors into a cricket team, much intriguing local spectators. Read more
21 Jul 1858: Maria Christina of Austria, Queen Consort of King Alfonso XII of Spain, Queen Regent of Spain (died 1929) Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria was Queen of Spain as the second wife of Alfonso XII. She was queen regent during the vacancy of the throne between her husband's death in November 1885 and the birth of their son Alfonso XIII in May 1886, and subsequently also until her son came of age in May 1902. Read more
21 Jul 1858: Lovis Corinth, German painter (died 1925) Lovis Corinth was a German artist and writer whose mature work as a painter and printmaker realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism. Read more
21 Jul 1858: Alfred Henry O'Keeffe, New Zealand painter and educator (died 1941) Alfred Henry O'Keeffe, was a New Zealand artist and art teacher, who spent the majority of his life in Dunedin. During the first quarter of the twentieth century, he was one of the few New Zealand artists to engage with new ideas while staying in New Zealand. At this time most adventurous New Zealand painters, such as Frances Hodgkins, went overseas. He has sometimes been described as a Vasari – a recorder of artists and their doings – based upon his published recollections, which are the only first hand published account of that milieu. Read more
21 Jul 1816: Paul Reuter, German-English journalist, founded Reuters (died 1899) Paul Julius Reuter, later ennobled as Freiherr von Reuter, was a German-born British entrepreneur who was a pioneer of telegraphy and news reporting. He was a reporter, media owner, and the founder of the Reuters news agency, which became part of the Thomson Reuters conglomerate in 2008. Read more
21 Jul 1811: Robert Mackenzie, Scottish-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of Queensland (died 1873) Sir Robert Ramsay Mackenzie, 10th Baronet was a pastoralist and politician in Queensland, Australia. He was Premier of Queensland, Australia from August 1867 to November 1868. Read more
21 Jul 1810: Henri Victor Regnault, French chemist and physicist (died 1878) Henri Victor Regnault was a French chemist and physicist best known for his careful measurements of the thermal properties of gases. He was an early thermodynamicist and was mentor to William Thomson in the late 1840s. He never used his first given name, and was known throughout his lifetime as Victor Regnault. Read more
21 Jul 1808: Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian historian, academic, and politician (died 1864) Simion Bărnuțiu was a Romanian historian, academic, philosopher, jurist, and liberal politician. A leader of the 1848 revolutionary movement of Transylvanian Romanians, he represented its Eastern Rite Catholic wing. Bărnuțiu lived for a large part of his life in Moldavia, and was for long a professor of philosophy at Academia Mihăileană and at the University of Iași. Read more

Notable Deaths on 21 July

21 Jul 2025: Pau Alsina, Spanish motorcycle rider (born 2008) Pau Alsina was a Spanish motorcycle racer. He died from injuries sustained in an accident at MotorLand Aragón. He was competing in the 2025 FIM JuniorGP World Championship at the time of his death. Read more
21 Jul 2023: Tony Bennett, American singer (born 1926) Anthony Dominick Benedetto, known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Bennett was named a National Endowments for the Arts Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree. He founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York, along with Exploring the Arts, a non-profit arts education program. He sold more than 50 million records worldwide and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Read more
21 Jul 2020: Annie Ross, Scottish-American singer and actress (born 1930) Annie Ross was a British-born American singer and actress, best known as a member of the influential jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. She helped pioneer the vocalese style of jazz singing, with a style described by critic Dave Gelly as "a kind of dreamy watchfulness that is a definition of 1950s hip." In 2010, she was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. Read more
21 Jul 2020: Andrew Mlangeni, South African political activist (born 1925) Andrew Mokete Mlangeni, also known as Percy Mokoena, Mokete Mokoena, and Rev. Mokete Mokoena, was a South African political activist and anti-apartheid campaigner who, along with Nelson Mandela and others, was imprisoned after the Rivonia Trial. Read more
21 Jul 2018: Alene Duerk, U.S. Navy first female admiral (born 1920) Alene Bertha Duerk became the first female admiral in the U.S. Navy in 1972. She was also the director of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps from 1970 to 1975. She is a 1974 recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award of Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Read more
21 Jul 2017: John Heard, American film and television actor (born 1946) John Matthew Heard Jr. was an American actor. He made his debut appearance in film with the ensemble Between the Lines (1977). He appeared in a number of successful films, including Heart Beat (1980), Cutter's Way (1981), Cat People (1982), After Hours (1985), Beaches (1988), Deceived (1991), and as Peter McCalister in Home Alone (1990) and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1999 for his recurring role as corrupt police detective Vin Makazian on The Sopranos (1999–2004). Read more
21 Jul 2016: Dennis Green, American football player and coach (born 1949) Dennis Earl Green was an American professional football coach. During his National Football League (NFL) career, Green coached the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 2001 and the Arizona Cardinals from 2004 to 2006. He coached the Vikings to eight playoff appearances in nine years, despite having seven different starting quarterbacks in those postseasons. He was posthumously inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor in 2018. Read more
21 Jul 2015: Robert Broberg, Swedish singer-songwriter (born 1940) Robert Zero Karl Oskar Broberg, originally Robert Karl Oskar Broberg – born in the Råsunda district of Solna parish in Stockholm County, died in Gustav Vasa (district) parish in Stockholm – was a Swedish singer, comedian, artist, composer, musician and painter. Read more
21 Jul 2015: E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (born 1931) Edgar Lawrence Doctorow was an American novelist, editor, and professor, best known for his works of historical fiction.
He wrote twelve novels, three volumes of short fiction and a stage drama, including the award-winning novels Ragtime (1975), Billy Bathgate (1989), and The March (2005). These, like many of his other works, placed fictional characters in recognizable historical contexts, with known historical figures, and often used different narrative styles. His stories were recognized for their originality and versatility, and Doctorow was praised for his audacity and imagination. Read more
21 Jul 2015: Nicholas Gonzalez, American physician (born 1947) Nicholas James Gonzalez was a New York–based physician known for developing the Gonzalez regimen, an alternative cancer treatment. Gonzalez's treatments were based on his belief that pancreatic enzymes were the body's main defense against cancer and could be used as a cancer treatment. His methods have been generally rejected by the medical community, and he has been characterized as a quack and fraud by other doctors and health fraud watchdog groups. In 1994 Gonzalez was reprimanded and placed on two years' probation by the New York State Medical Board for "departing from accepted practice". Read more
21 Jul 2015: Czesław Marchaj, Polish-English sailor and academic (born 1918) Czesław Antony Marchaj, often known in the West as C.A. Marchaj or Tony Marchaj, was a Polish-British yachtsman whose published scientific studies of the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics of sailing boats have been influential on yacht, sail and rig designers. He was the author of Sailing Theory and Practice and approximately 60 other publications on sailing. He was a member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), and he was awarded the Silver Medal of The International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Read more
21 Jul 2015: Dick Nanninga, Dutch footballer (born 1949) Dirk Jacobus Willem "Dick" Nanninga was a Dutch footballer who played as a forward. At club level, he played for Dutch sides BV Veendam, Roda JC and MVV Maastricht. He also had a short spell with Hong Kong club Seiko. At international level, he represented the Netherlands at the 1978 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1980. Read more
21 Jul 2014: Louise Abeita, Isleta Pueblo (Native American) writer, poet, and educator (born 1926) Louise Abeita Chewiwi was a Pueblo writer, poet and educator who was an enrolled member of Isleta Pueblo. Read more
21 Jul 2014: Dan Borislow, American businessman, invented the magicJack (born 1961) Daniel Marc Borislow was an American entrepreneur, sports team owner, inventor, and thoroughbred horse breeder. Borislow was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and attended Widener University. In 1989, he founded Tel-Save, Inc. to resell access to AT&T long distance lines. Borislow took the company public in 1995, and two years later brokered a $100 million deal with AOL at the "Cafe L’Europe," Palm Beach. In early 1998, Tel-Save had sales of $300 million and was valued by Wall Street investors at $2 billion. However, due to the financial strain of paying off the AOL deal, Tel-Save lost $221 million in 1999, and Borislow sold his stock for approximately $300 million and retired. Read more
21 Jul 2014: Lettice Curtis, English engineer and pilot (born 1915) Eleanor Lettice Curtis was an English aviator, flight test engineer, air racing pilot, and sportswoman. Read more
21 Jul 2014: Hans-Peter Kaul, German lawyer and judge (born 1943) Hans-Peter Kaul was a German international law scholar and former diplomat and lawyer. From 11 March 2003 until 1 July 2014, he served as Judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. At the ICC, Kaul was President of the Pre-Trial Division from 2004 until March 2009 and again in 2014, and he was the Court's Second Vice-President from 2009 to 2012. In 2014, he resigned from the ICC for health reasons but his condition became worse and he died on 21 July 2014. Read more
21 Jul 2014: Rilwanu Lukman, Nigerian engineer and politician (born 1938) Rilwanu Lukman was a Nigerian engineer who held several ministerial positions in the Nigerian Federal government before becoming Secretary General of OPEC from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2000. He died on 21 July 2014. On 18 December 2008, Lukman was appointed Minister of Petroleum Resources by Nigerian president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, holding office until March 2010. Read more
21 Jul 2014: Kevin Skinner, New Zealand rugby player and boxer (born 1927) Kevin Lawrence Skinner was a rugby union player from New Zealand who won 20 full caps for the All Blacks, two of them as captain. He was also a heavyweight boxer, winning the New Zealand championship in 1947. Read more
21 Jul 2013: Andrea Antonelli, Italian motorcycle racer (born 1988) Andrea Antonelli was an Italian motorcycle racer. He was killed in an accident at the Moscow Raceway, whilst competing for Team Go Eleven Kawasaki in the Supersport World Championship. Read more
21 Jul 2013: Lourembam Brojeshori Devi, Indian martial artist (born 1981) Lourembam Brojeshori Devi was an Indian judoka who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Read more
21 Jul 2013: Det de Beus, Dutch field hockey player (born 1958) Anna Maria Bernadette "Det" de Beus in the Netherlands. Born in Utrecht, she was the first goalkeeper in women's field hockey to wear a mask. Read more
21 Jul 2013: Luis Fernando Rizo-Salom, Colombian-French composer and educator (born 1971) Luis Fernando Rizo-Salom was a Colombian composer of contemporary classical music who lived and worked in Paris since 1999. He was also a high performance athlete, member of the French hang gliding team. Read more
21 Jul 2013: Fred Taylor, American football player and coach (born 1920) Fred Alvin Taylor was an American football player and coach. He served as head coach at Texas Christian University from 1967 to 1970, compiling a record of 15–25–1 before he was fired following the 1970 season. Read more
21 Jul 2012: Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author (born 1941) Alexander Claud Cockburn was a Scottish-born Irish-American political journalist and writer. Cockburn was brought up by British parents in Ireland, and lived and worked in the United States from 1972. Together with Jeffrey St. Clair, he edited the political newsletter CounterPunch. Cockburn also wrote the "Beat the Devil" column for The Nation, and another column for The Week in London, syndicated by Creators Syndicate. Read more
21 Jul 2012: Marie Kruckel, American baseball player (born 1924) Marie Ann Kruckel ["Kruck"] was an American outfielder and pitcher who played from 1946 through 1949 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 130 lb (59 kg), she batted and threw right-handed. Read more
21 Jul 2012: Ali Podrimja, Albanian poet and author (born 1942) Ali Podrimja was an Albanian poet. He was born in Gjakova, at the time part of Italian-controlled Albania under Italy. Read more
21 Jul 2012: James D. Ramage, American admiral and pilot (born 1916) James D. "Jig Dog" Ramage was a Naval Aviator in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War, and was a driving force in putting nuclear-capable attack aircraft aboard aircraft carriers. Before retirement he attained the rank of rear admiral. Read more
21 Jul 2012: Angharad Rees, English-b. Welsh actress (born 1944) Angharad Rees was a Welsh actress, best known for her British television roles during the 1970s and in particular her leading role as Demelza in the 1970s BBC TV costume drama Poldark. Read more
21 Jul 2012: Don Wilson, English cricketer and coach (born 1937) Donald Wilson was an English cricketer, who played in six Test matches for England from 1964 to 1971. His first-class cricket career, which lasted from 1957 to 1974, was spent with Yorkshire County Cricket Club and he later became a noted cricket coach. He was born in Settle, Yorkshire and died at York. Read more
21 Jul 2010: Luis Corvalán, Chilean educator and politician (born 1916) Luis Nicolás Corvalán Lepe was a Chilean politician, teacher, and writer. He was the general secretary of the Communist Party of Chile (PCCh) for more than three decades and was twice elected to the Senate of Chile. Read more
21 Jul 2010: Ralph Houk, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1919) Ralph George Houk, nicknamed "the Major", was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New York Yankees from 1961 to 1963, when his teams won three consecutive American League pennants and the 1961 and 1962 World Series championships. In 1961 he became the second rookie manager to win 100 games in a season and third rookie manager to win a World Series. He was the first manager to win World Series titles in his first two seasons and the first manager since Hughie Jennings to win three pennants in his first three seasons. Read more
21 Jul 2010: John E. Irving, Canadian businessman (born 1932) John Ernest Irving CM was a Canadian businessman, the youngest son of the industrialist K. C. Irving and his wife, Harriet Lila Irving. Read more
21 Jul 2008: Donald Stokes, English businessman (born 1914) Donald Gresham Stokes, Baron Stokes was an English industrialist. He was the head of British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC) from 1968 to 1975. Read more
21 Jul 2007: Dubravko Škiljan, Croatian linguist and academic (born 1949) Dubravko Škiljan was a Croatian linguist known for his work on Classical philology and semiotics. Read more
21 Jul 2006: Mako Iwamatsu, Japanese-American actor and singer (born 1933) Makoto Iwamatsu was a Japanese-American actor, credited mononymously in almost all of his acting roles as simply Mako . His career in film, on television, and on stage spanned five decades and 165 productions. He was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. Read more
21 Jul 2006: Ta Mok, Cambodian soldier and monk (born 1926) Ta Mok, also known as Nguon Kang, was a Cambodian military chief who was a senior figure in the genocidal Khmer Rouge and the leader of the national army of Democratic Kampuchea. He was also known as Brother Number Five or the Butcher. He was captured along the Cambodia–Thailand border in March 1999 by Cambodian government forces while on the run with a small band of followers; he was held in government custody until his death in 2006 while awaiting his war crimes trial. Read more
21 Jul 2005: Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer and actor (born 1941) John William "Long John" Baldry was a British and Canadian musician and actor. In the 1960s, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including the Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Beatles. Before achieving stardom, Rod Stewart and Elton John were members of bands led by Baldry. He enjoyed pop success in 1967 when "Let the Heartaches Begin" reached No. 1 in the UK, and in Australia where his duet with the American singer Kathi McDonald, a cover of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", reached No. 2 in 1980. Read more
21 Jul 2005: Lord Alfred Hayes, English-American wrestler and manager (born 1928) Alfred George James Hayes was an English professional wrestler, manager and commentator, best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Federation between 1982 and 1995 where he was known as Lord Alfred Hayes. Hayes was distinguished by his "Masterpiece Theatre diction" and "Oxford accent". Read more
21 Jul 2004: Jerry Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (born 1929) Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned 49 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was considered one of film music's most innovative and influential composers. He was nominated for eighteen Academy Awards, six Grammy Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards, nine Golden Globe Awards, and four British Academy Film Awards. Read more
21 Jul 2004: Edward B. Lewis, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918) Edward Butts Lewis was an American geneticist, a corecipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He helped to found the field of evolutionary developmental biology. Read more
21 Jul 2003: John Davies, English-New Zealand runner and coach (born 1938) John Llewellyn Davies was a New Zealand Olympic bronze medallist and president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC). Read more
21 Jul 2002: Esphyr Slobodkina, Russian-American author and illustrator (born 1908) Esphyr Solomonovna Slobodkina was a Russian-born American artist, author, and illustrator, best known for her classic children's picture book Caps for Sale. Slobodkina was a celebrated avant garde artist and feminist in the middle part of the 20th century. Read more
21 Jul 2000: Marc Reisner, American environmentalist and author (born 1948) Marc Reisner was an American environmentalist and writer best known for his book Cadillac Desert, a history of water management in the American West. Read more
21 Jul 1998: Alan Shepard, American admiral, pilot, and astronaut (born 1923) Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was an American astronaut. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space and, in 1971, he became the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon, at age 47. Read more
21 Jul 1998: Robert Young, American actor and singer (born 1907) Robert George Young was an American film, television, and radio actor best known for his leading roles as Jim Anderson, the father character, in Father Knows Best and the physician Marcus Welby in Marcus Welby, M.D. (ABC). Read more
21 Jul 1997: Olaf Kopvillem, Estonian-Canadian conductor and composer (born 1926) Olaf Kopvillem was a prominent Estonian World War II refugee. Having settled in Canada, he engaged in the organisation of Estonian exile activities there, and is known for his numerous humorous covers of well-known songs. Read more
21 Jul 1994: Marijac, French author and illustrator (born 1908) Jacques Dumas, better known as Marijac, was a French comics writer, artist, and editor. Read more
21 Jul 1991: Paul Warwick, English race car driver (born 1969) Paul Jason Warwick was a British racing driver. Read more
21 Jul 1982: Dave Garroway, American journalist and actor (born 1913) David Cunningham Garroway was an American radio and television host on NBC. He was the host of Garroway at Large from 1949 to 1951, the founding host and anchor of Today from 1952 to 1961, and the host of The Dave Garroway Show from 1953 to 1954. His radio work included host of The Dave Garroway Show from 1947 to 1955 and Monitor from 1955 to 1961. His easygoing and relaxing style belied a lifelong battle with depression. Garroway was honored for his contributions to radio and television with a star for each on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame, the city where he spent part of his teenaged years and early adulthood. Read more
21 Jul 1977: Lee Miller, American model and photographer (born 1907) Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, Lady Penrose was an American photographer and photojournalist. Miller was a fashion model in New York City in the 1920s before going to Paris, becoming a fashion and fine-art photographer there. Read more
21 Jul 1972: Ralph Craig, American sprinter and sailor (born 1889) Ralph Cook Craig was an American track and field athlete. He was the winner of the sprint double at the 1912 Summer Olympics. Read more
21 Jul 1972: Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Bhutanese king (born 1928) Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was King of Bhutan from 30 March 1952 until his death in 1972. Read more
21 Jul 1970: Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov, Russian anthropologist and sculptor (born 1907) Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov was a Soviet archaeologist, and anthropologist who discovered the Mal'ta–Buret' culture and developed the first technique of forensic sculpture based on findings of anthropology, archaeology, paleontology, and forensic science. He studied the skulls and meticulously reconstructed the faces of more than 200 people, ranging from the earliest excavated Homo sapiens and neanderthals, to the Middle Ages' monarchs and dignitaries, including emperor Timur (Tamerlane), Yaroslav the Wise, Ivan the Terrible, and Friedrich Schiller. Read more
21 Jul 1970: Bob Kalsu, American football player and lieutenant (born 1945) James Robert Kalsu was an American professional football player who was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round selection in the 1968 NFL/AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL). Kalsu joined the U.S. Army as an officer after the 1968 season and was killed in action in the Vietnam War in 1970. Read more
21 Jul 1968: Ruth St. Denis, American dancer and choreographer (born 1878) Ruth St. Denis was an American pioneer of modern dance, introducing eastern ideas into the art and paving the way for other women in dance. She was inspired by the Delsarte advocate Genevieve Stebbins. St. Denis was the co-founder in 1915 of the American Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts. She taught notable performers including Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey. In 1938, she founded the pioneering dance program at Adelphi University. She published several articles on spiritual dance and the mysticism of the body. Read more
21 Jul 1967: Jimmie Foxx, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1907) James Emory Foxx, nicknamed "Double X" and "the Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies. A tremendous power hitter, Foxx retired with the second most home runs, behind only Babe Ruth, and fifth-most runs batted in (RBI). His greatest seasons were with the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox, where he hit a then-record 30 or more home runs in 12 consecutive seasons and drove in more than 100 runs in 13 consecutive years. Read more
21 Jul 1967: Albert Lutuli, South African academic and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1898) Albert John Luthuli was a South African anti-apartheid activist, traditional leader, and politician who served as the President-General of the African National Congress from 1952 until his murder in 1967. Read more
21 Jul 1967: Basil Rathbone, South African-American actor and singer (born 1892) Philip St. John Basil Rathbone was an English actor. Born in South Africa and raised in Derbyshire, he rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films. Read more
21 Jul 1966: Philipp Frank, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher, Vienna Circle member (born 1884) Philipp Frank was an Austrian-American physicist, mathematician and philosopher of the early-to-mid 20th century. He was a logical positivist, and a member of the Vienna Circle. He was influenced by Mach and was one of the Machists criticised by Lenin in Materialism and Empirio-criticism. Read more
21 Jul 1952: Pedro Lascuráin, Mexican politician, president for 45 minutes on February 13, 1913. (born 1856) Pedro José Domingo de la Calzada Manuel María Lascuráin Paredes was a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 38th president of Mexico for 45 minutes on 19 February 1913, the shortest presidency in history. The grandson of Mariano Paredes, the 15th president of Mexico, Lascuráin previously served as Mexico's foreign secretary for two terms and was the director of a small law school in Mexico City for 16 years. Read more
21 Jul 1948: Arshile Gorky, Armenian-American painter and illustrator (born 1904) Arshile Gorky was an Armenian-American painter. At first influenced by Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Gorky's later work presaged and exerted a seminal influence on abstract expressionism. Along with Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning, Gorky has been hailed as one of the most powerful American painters of the 20th century. Gorky's experience as a survivor of the Armenian genocide had a crucial influence on his work. Read more
21 Jul 1946: Gualberto Villarroel, Bolivian soldier and politician, 45th President of Bolivia (born 1908) Gualberto Villarroel López was a Bolivian military officer who served as the 39th president of Bolivia from 1943 to 1946. A reformist, sometimes compared with Argentina's Juan Perón, he is nonetheless remembered for his alleged fascist sympathies and his violent demise. Read more
21 Jul 1944: Claus von Stauffenberg, German soldier who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler (born 1907) Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of Operation Valkyrie. Read more
21 Jul 1943: Charley Paddock, American runner and actor (born 1900) Charles William Paddock was an American athlete and two-time Olympic champion. Read more
21 Jul 1943: Louis Vauxcelles, French art critic (born 1870) Louis Vauxcelles was a French art critic. He is credited with coining the terms Fauvism (1905) and Cubism (1908). He used several pseudonyms in various publications: Pinturrichio, Vasari, Coriolès, and Critias. Read more
21 Jul 1941: Bohdan Lepky, Ukrainian poet and scholar (born 1872) Bohdan Teodor Nestor Sylvestrovych Lepky was a Ukrainian writer, poet, scholar, public figure, and artist. Read more
21 Jul 1938: Owen Wister, American lawyer and author (born 1860) Owen Wister was an American writer. His novel The Virginian, published in 1902, helped create the cowboy as a folk hero in the United States and built Wister's reputation as the "father of Western fiction." He was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. The Western Writers of America renamed the Saddleman Award for best book of the year to the Owen Wister Award, and Mount Wister in Wyoming was named in his honor. Read more
21 Jul 1932: Bill Gleason, American baseball player (born 1858) William G. Gleason was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1882 through 1889 for three different teams of the American Association. Listed at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), 170 lb., Gleason batted and threw right-handed. His older brother, Jack Gleason, was also a ballplayer. Read more
21 Jul 1928: Ellen Terry, English actress (born 1847) Dame Alice Ellen Terry was an English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Read more
21 Jul 1920: Fiammetta Wilson, English astronomer and educator (born 1864) Fiammetta Wilson was a British astronomer elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1916. Read more
21 Jul 1899: Robert G. Ingersoll, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (born 1833) Robert Green Ingersoll, nicknamed "the Great Agnostic", was an American lawyer, writer, and orator during the Golden Age of Free Thought, who campaigned in defense of agnosticism. Read more
21 Jul 1889: Nelson Dewey, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Wisconsin (born 1813) Nelson Webster Dewey was an American lawyer, land speculator, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the first governor of Wisconsin, and also served in the Wisconsin Senate and served several years in the Wisconsin Territory government before Wisconsin achieved statehood. He was also particularly important in the development of Cassville, Wisconsin, which he had at one time hoped to make the state capitol. Read more
21 Jul 1880: Hiram Walden, American general and politician (born 1800) Hiram Walden was an American businessman and politician from New York. He was most notable for his service as a United States representative from 1849 to 1851. Read more
21 Jul 1878: Sam Bass, American outlaw (born 1851) Samuel Bass was a 19th-century American train robber, outlaw, and outlaw gang leader. Notably, he led a gang of six that robbed a Union Pacific train in Nebraska in September 1877, stealing $60,000 worth of gold. To date, this is the biggest train robbery to have been committed in the USA. He died as a result of wounds sustained in a gun battle with law enforcement officers. Read more
21 Jul 1868: William Bland, Australian surgeon and politician (born 1789) William Bland was a prominent public figure in the colony of New South Wales. A surgeon by profession, he arrived in Australia as a convict but played an important role in the early years of Australian healthcare, education and science. Read more

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