| | 1013 - Hermannus Contractus, learned monk (d. 1054) |
| | 1501 - Isabella of Burgundy, wife of Christian II of Denmark (d. 1526) |
| | 1504 - Heinrich Bullinger, Swiss religious reformer (d. 1575) |
| | 1552 - Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1612) |
| | 1634 - Johannes Camphuys, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1695) |
| | 1635 - Robert Hooke, English scientist (d. 1703) |
| | 1670 - Giovanni Bononcini, Italian composer (d. 1747) |
| | 1718 - Saverio Bettinelli, Italian writer (d. 1808) |
| | 1720 - Gilbert White, English ornithologist (d. 1793) |
| | 1797 - Immanuel Hermann Fichte, German philosopher (d. 1879) |
| | 1811 - William Makepeace Thackeray, English author (d. 1863) |
| | 1821 - Pauline Garcia-Viardot, French mezzo-soprano and composer (d. 1910) |
| | 1837 - Vasil Levski, Bulgarian revolutionary (d. 1873) |
| | 1845 - Tristan Corbière, French poet (d. 1875) |
| | 1848 - William Gilbert Grace, English cricketer (d. 1915) |
| | 1853 - Hendrik Lorentz, Dutch physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928) |
| | 1862 - Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich, Russian general (d. 1933) |
| | 1867 - Margaret Brown,The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Titanic survivor (d. 1932) |
| | 1864 - Phillip Snowden, British politician (d. 1937) |
| | 1881 - Larry McLean, baseball player (d. 1921) |
| | 1884 - Alberto di Jorio, former head of the Vatican Bank and secretary of the 1958 conclave (d. 1979) |
| | 1887 - Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian politician and traitor (d. 1945) |
| | 1890 - Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1983) |
| | 1892 - Arthur Friedenreich, Brazilian football player (d. 1969) |
| | 1894 - Isaac Babel, Ukrainian writer (d. 1940) |
| | 1900 - Nathalie Sarraute, French writer (d. 1999) |
| | 1902 - Jessamyn West, American writer (d. 1984) |
| | 1902 - Chill Wills, American actor (d. 1978) |
| | 1906 - S. I. Hayakawa, American semanticist and politician (d. 1992) |
| | 1906 - Clifford Odets, American writer (d. 1963) |
| | 1908 - Lupe Vélez, Mexican actress (d. 1944) |
| | 1909 - Andrei Gromyko, Soviet diplomat and President (d. 1989) |
| | 1909 - Mohammed Daoud Khan, President of Afghanistan (d. 1978) |
| | 1911 - Hume Cronyn, Canadian actor (d. 2003) |
| | 1913 - Red Skelton, American actor and comedian (d. 1997) |
| | 1914 - Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (d. 2000) |
| | 1916 - Johnny Hopp, baseball player (d. 2003) |
| | 1917 - Henri Salvador, French singer |
| | 1918 - Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate |
| | 1921 - John Glenn, Mercury Seven astronaut and United States Senator from Ohio |
| | 1922 - Thomas Kuhn, American philosopher (d. 1996) |
| | 1923 - Jerome H. Lemelson, American inventor (d. 1997) |
| | 1925 - Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete |
| | 1927 - Kurt Masur, Silesian-born conductor |
| | 1929 - Dick Button, American figure skater |
| | 1929 - Screamin' Jay Hawkins, American singer (d. 2000) |
| | 1930 - Burt Kwouk, English actor |
| | 1933 - Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet |
| | 1935 - Jayendra Saraswathi, Hindu religious leader |
| | 1937 - Roald Hoffman, Polish-born chemist, Nobel Prize laureate |
| | 1937 - Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (d. 2005) |
| | 1938 - Paul Verhoeven, Dutch film director |
| | 1939 - Dion DeMucci, American singer |
| | 1939 - Brian Auger, British musician |
| | 1940 - James Brolin, American actor |
| | 1940 - Joe Torre, baseball player and manager |
| | 1941 - Martha Reeves, American singer |
| | 1942 - Adolf Ogi, member of the Swiss Federal Council |
| | 1947 - Steve Forbes, American entrepreneur and politician |
| | 1947 - Steven W. Mahoney, Canadian politician |
| | 1948 - Hartmut Michel, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate |
| | 1950 - Sir Richard Branson, British entrepreneur |
| | 1950 - Jack Layton, Canadian politician |
| | 1951 - Elio Di Rupo, Belgian politician |
| | 1954 - Ricky Skaggs, American country/bluegrass musician |
| | 1957 - Nick Faldo, English golfer |
| | 1960 - Anne-Marie Johnson, American actress |
| | 1961 - Elizabeth McGovern, American-born actress |
| | 1962 - Jack Irons, American drummer Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| | 1963 - Martín Torrijos Espino, President of Panama |
| | 1963 - Mike Greenwell, baseball player |
| | 1963 - Al Snow, American professional wrestler |
| | 1967 - Vin Diesel, American actor |
| | 1969 - Masanori Murakawa, Japanese professional wrestler |
| | 1971 - Penny Hardaway, American basketball player |
| | 1975 - Torii Hunter, baseball player |
| | 1975 - Daron Malakian, American guitarist (System of a Down) |
| | 1977 - Dylan Lane, American television host |
| | 1978 - Ben Sheets, baseball player |
| | 1979 - Deion Branch, football player |
| | 1979 - Joey Mercury, American professional wrestler |
| | 1980 - Kristen Bell, American actress |
| | 1982 - Priyanka Chopra, Indian actress and Miss World 2000 |
| | 1982 - Ryan Cabrera, American musician and TV host |
| | 1998 - Nixzmary Brown, child abuse icon (d.2006) |