Portal:Biography
Appearance
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A page from the first edition of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, published in 1563
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Third Volume of a 1727 edition of Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans printed by Jacob Tonson
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Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Cover of the first English publication, J. Parson's, London, 1793
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curriculum vitae (résumé), a biography presents a subject's life story, highlighting various aspects of their life, including intimate details of experience, and may include an analysis of the subject's personality. (Full article...)
Featured biographies
Today anniversaries
Pre-1600
- 1358 – Eleanor of Aragon, queen of John I of Castile (d. 1382)
- 1469 – Thomas Cajetan, Italian philosopher (d. 1534)
- 1523 – Jan Blahoslav, Czech writer (d. 1571)
- 1549 – Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, last Duke of Urbino (d. 1631)
- 1552 – Sengoku Hidehisa, Daimyō (d. 1614)
1601–1900
- 1608 – Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham (d. 1649)
- 1631 – Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, English politician, Treasurer of the Navy (d. 1712)
- 1633 – Jan de Baen, Dutch painter (d. 1702)
- 1705 – Nicolas Chédeville, French musette player and composer (d. 1782)
- 1726 – William Prescott, American colonel (d. 1795)
- 1744 – William Cornwallis, English admiral and politician (d. 1819)
- 1745 – Henry James Pye, English poet and politician (d. 1813)
- 1748 – Luther Martin, American politician (d. 1826)
- 1751 – Johann Heinrich Voss, German poet, translator, and academic (d. 1826)
- 1753 – Louis-Alexandre Berthier, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1815)
- 1756 – Angelica Schuyler Church, American socialite, sister-in-law to Alexander Hamilton (d. 1814)
- 1759 – Johann Christian Reil, German physician, physiologist, and anatomist (d. 1813)
- 1774 – Vicente Sebastián Pintado, Spanish cartographer, engineer, military officer and land surveyor of Spanish Louisiana and Spanish West Florida (d. 1829)
- 1784 – Judith Montefiore, British linguist, travel writer, philanthropist (d. 1862)
- 1792 – Eliza Courtney, French daughter of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (d. 1859)
- 1794 – William Carleton, Irish author (d. 1869)
- 1802 – Charles Auguste de Bériot, Belgian violinist and composer (d. 1870)
- 1819 – Alfred Escher, Swiss businessman and politician (d. 1882)
- 1839 – Benjamin Waugh, English activist, founded the NSPCC (d. 1908)
- 1844 – Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1906)
- 1844 – Joshua Slocum, Canadian sailor and adventurer (d. 1909)
- 1848 – E. H. Harriman, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1909)
- 1857 – A. P. Lucas, English cricketer (d. 1923)
- 1866 – Carl Westman, Swedish architect, designed the Stockholm Court House and Röhsska Museum (d. 1936)
- 1867 – Louise, Princess Royal of England (d. 1931)
- 1870 – Jay Johnson Morrow, American engineer and politician, 3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (d. 1937)
- 1874 – Mary Garden, Scottish-American soprano and actress (d. 1967)
- 1879 – Hod Stuart, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1907)
- 1880 – Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen, French author and poet (d. 1923)
- 1882 – Elie Nadelman, Polish-American sculptor (d. 1946)
- 1887 – Vincent Massey, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Governor General of Canada (d. 1967)
- 1888 – Georges Bernanos, French soldier and author (d. 1948)
- 1889 – Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and physician (d. 1948)
- 1893 – Elizabeth Holloway Marston, American psychologist and author (d. 1993)
- 1895 – Louis Zborowski, English race car driver and engineer (d. 1924)
- 1897 – Ivan Albright, American painter (d. 1983)
- 1898 – Ante Ciliga, Croatian politician, writer and publisher (d. 1992)
- 1899 – Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1992)
1901–present
- 1901 – René Dubos, French-American biologist and author (d. 1982)
- 1901 – Louis Kahn, American architect, designed the Salk Institute, the Kimbell Art Museum and the Bangladesh Parliament Building (d. 1974)
- 1901 – Muhammad Naguib, Egyptian general and politician, 1st President of Egypt (d. 1984)
- 1901 – Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (d. 1978)
- 1902 – Ansel Adams, American photographer and environmentalist (d. 1984)
- 1906 – Gale Gordon, American actor (d. 1995)
- 1912 – Pierre Boulle, French soldier and author (d. 1994)
- 1912 – Johnny Checketts, New Zealand flying ace of the Second World War (d. 2006)
- 1913 – Tommy Henrich, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
- 1914 – John Charles Daly, South African–American journalist and game show host (d. 1991)
- 1916 – Jean Erdman, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2020)
- 1918 – Leonore Annenberg, American businesswoman and diplomat (d. 2009)
- 1919 – James O'Meara, English soldier and pilot (d. 1974)
- 1920 – Karl Albrecht, German businessman, co-founded Aldi (d. 2014)
- 1921 – Buddy Rogers, American wrestler (d. 1992)
- 1923 – Victor G. Atiyeh, American businessman and politician, 32nd Governor of Oregon (d. 2014)
- 1923 – Forbes Burnham, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 2nd President of Guyana (d. 1985)
- 1923 – Rena Vlahopoulou, Greek actress (d. 2004)
- 1924 – Gloria Vanderbilt, American actress, fashion designer, and socialite (d. 2019)
- 1925 – Robert Altman, American director and screenwriter (d. 2006)
- 1925 – Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th Yokozuna (d. 1990)
- 1926 – Matthew Bucksbaum, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded General Growth Properties (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Gillian Lynne, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 2018)
- 1926 – Richard Matheson, American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Bob Richards, American Olympic track and field athlete (d. 2023)
- 1926 – María de la Purísima Salvat Romero, Spanish Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (d. 1998)
- 1927 – Roy Cohn, American lawyer and political activist (d. 1986)
- 1927 – Ibrahim Ferrer, Cuban singer and musician (d. 2005)
- 1927 – Hubert de Givenchy, French fashion designer (d. 2018)
- 1927 – Sidney Poitier, Bahamian-American actor, director, and diplomat (d. 2022)
- 1928 – Jean Kennedy Smith, American diplomat, 25th United States Ambassador to Ireland (d. 2020)
- 1929 – Amanda Blake, American actress (d. 1989)
- 1931 – John Milnor, American mathematician and academic
- 1932 – Adrian Cristobal, Filipino journalist and author (d. 2007)
- 1934 – Bobby Unser, American race car driver (d. 2021)
- 1935 – Ellen Gilchrist, American novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 2024)
- 1936 – Marj Dusay, American actress (d. 2020)
- 1936 – Larry Hovis, American actor and singer (d. 2003)
- 1936 – Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball player and coach
- 1937 – Robert Huber, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1937 – Roger Penske, American race car driver and businessman
- 1937 – Nancy Wilson, American singer and actress (d. 2018)
- 1939 – Herbert Kohler Jr., American businessman (d. 2022)
- 1940 – Jimmy Greaves, English footballer and TV pundit (d. 2021)
- 1941 – Lim Kit Siang, Malaysian lawyer and politician
- 1941 – Buffy Sainte-Marie, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
- 1942 – Phil Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
- 1942 – Mitch McConnell, American lawyer and politician
- 1942 – Claude Miller, French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
- 1943 – Antonio Inoki, Japanese wrestler, mixed martial artist, and politician (d. 2022)
- 1943 – Mike Leigh, English director and screenwriter
- 1944 – Robert de Cotret, Canadian economist and politician, 56th Secretary of State for Canada (d. 1999)
- 1944 – Lew Soloff, American trumpet player, composer, and actor (d. 2015)
- 1944 – Willem van Hanegem, Dutch footballer and coach
- 1945 – Alan Hull, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1995)
- 1946 – Brenda Blethyn, English actress
- 1946 – Sandy Duncan, American actress, singer, and dancer
- 1946 – J. Geils, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
- 1947 – Peter Osgood, English footballer (d. 2006)
- 1947 – Peter Strauss, American actor and producer
- 1948 – Pierre Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- 1948 – Jennifer O'Neill, American model and actress
- 1949 – Eddie Hemmings, English cricketer
- 1949 – Ivana Trump, Czech-American socialite and model (d. 2022)
- 1950 – Walter Becker, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)
- 1950 – Peter Marinello, Scottish footballer
- 1950 – Tony Wilson, English journalist and businessman (d. 2007)
- 1951 – Edward Albert, American actor (d. 2006)
- 1951 – Gordon Brown, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1951 – Randy California, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1997)
- 1951 – Phil Neal, English footballer and manager
- 1953 – Poison Ivy, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1954 – Jon Brant, American bass player
- 1954 – Anthony Head, English actor
- 1954 – Patty Hearst, American actress and author
- 1957 – Glen Hanlon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1958 – James Wilby, English actor
- 1959 – Scott Brayton, American race car driver (d. 1996)
- 1959 – David Corn, American journalist and author
- 1959 – Bill Gullickson, American baseball player
- 1960 – Joel Hodgson, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
- 1960 – Cándido Muatetema Rivas, Equatoguinean politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea (d. 2014)
- 1961 – Steve Lundquist, American swimmer
- 1962 – Dwayne McDuffie, American author, screenwriter, and producer, co-founded Milestone Media (d. 2011)
- 1963 – Charles Barkley, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1963 – Ian Brown, English singer-songwriter and musician
- 1963 – Joakim Nystrom, Swedish tennis player
- 1963 – Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Health
- 1963 – Cui Yongyuan, Chinese former anchor
- 1964 – Willie Garson, American actor and director (d. 2021)
- 1964 – Tom Harris, Scottish journalist and politician
- 1964 – Jeff Maggert, American golfer
- 1964 – French Stewart, American actor
- 1966 – Cindy Crawford, American model and businesswoman
- 1967 – Paul Accola, Swiss alpine skier
- 1967 – Kurt Cobain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1994)
- 1967 – David Herman, American comedian and actor
- 1967 – Andrew Shue, American actor and activist, founded Do Something
- 1967 – Lili Taylor, American actress
- 1969 – Kjell Ove Hauge, Norwegian school principal and track and field athlete
- 1969 – Siniša Mihajlović, Serbian footballer and manager (d. 2022)
- 1969 – Danis Tanović, Bosnian director and screenwriter
- 1971 – Jari Litmanen, Finnish footballer
- 1971 – Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby player (d. 2017)
- 1973 – Andrea Savage, American actress and comedian
- 1974 – Karim Bagheri, Iranian footballer and manager
- 1975 – Liván Hernández, Cuban-American baseball player
- 1975 – Brian Littrell, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1977 – Gail Kim, Canadian wrestler
- 1977 – Stephon Marbury, American basketball player
- 1978 – Lauren Ambrose, American actress
- 1978 – Jay Hernandez, American actor
- 1978 – Chelsea Peretti, American actress, comedian, writer, and singer-songwriter
- 1979 – Michael Zegen, American actor
- 1980 – Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby player
- 1980 – Luis Gabriel Rey, Colombian footballer
- 1980 – Artur Boruc, Polish footballer
- 1981 – Majandra Delfino, American actress and singer-songwriter
- 1981 – Tony Hibbert, English footballer
- 1983 – Jose Morales, Puerto Rican baseball player
- 1983 – Justin Verlander, American baseball player
- 1984 – Brian McCann, American baseball player
- 1984 – Trevor Noah, South African comedian, actor, and television host
- 1985 – Killian Dain, Northern Irish wrestler
- 1985 – Ryan Sweeney, American baseball player
- 1985 – Julia Volkova, Russian singer and actress
- 1986 – Julio Borbón, American baseball player
- 1987 – Luke Burgess, English rugby league player
- 1987 – Martin Hanzal, Czech ice hockey player
- 1987 – James Johnson, American basketball player
- 1987 – Daniella Pineda, American actress
- 1987 – Miles Teller, American actor
- 1988 – Ki Bo-bae, South Korean archer
- 1988 – Jiah Khan, Indian singer and actress (d. 2013)
- 1988 – Rihanna, Barbadian singer, songwriter and actress
- 1989 – Jack Falahee, American actor and singer-songwriter
- 1990 – Ciro Immobile, Italian footballer
- 1991 – Hidilyn Diaz, Filipino weightlifter
- 1991 – Angelique van der Meet, Dutch tennis player
- 1993 – Jurickson Profar, Curaçaoan baseball player
- 1994 – Kateryna Baindl, Ukrainian tennis player
- 1994 – Luis Severino, Dominican baseball player
- 1995 – Elle Purrier St. Pierre, American track and field athlete
- 1996 – Clarke Schmidt, American baseball player
- 1998 – Emam Ashour, Egyptian footballer
- 1999 – Jarrett Culver, American basketball player
- 2000 – Josh Sargent, American soccer player
- 2002 – Gavin Bazunu, Irish footballer
- 2003 – Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer
- 2004 – Jared McCain, American basketball player (Full article...)
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