May 24
- 15 BC – Julius Caesar Germanicus, Roman commander (d. 19)
- 1084 – King David I of Scotland (d. 1153)
- 1494 – Pontormo, Italian painter (d. 1557)
- 1522 – John Jewel, English Bishop of Salisbury (d. 1571)
- 1544 – William Gilbert, English natural philosopher (d. 1603)
- 1616 – John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale (d. 1682)
- 1671 – Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1737)
- 1686 – Gabriel Fahrenheit, German inventor and thermometer maker (d. 1736)
- 1689 – Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea, English politician (d. 1769)
- 1743 – Jean-Paul Marat, French revolutionary (d. 1793)
- 1794 – William Whewell, English scientist and philosopher (d. 1866)
- 1803 – Alexander von Nordmann, Finnish zoologist (d. 1866)
- 1810 – Charles Clark, 24th Governor of Mississippi (d. 1877)
- 1810 – Abraham Geiger, German rabbi and scholar (d. 1874)
- 1816 – Emanuel Leutze, German-born painter (d. 1868)
- 1819 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (d. 1901)
- 1830 – Alexei Savrasov, Russian painter (d. 1897)
- 1836 – Joseph Rowntree, British social reformer (d. 1925)
- 1854 – John Riley Banister, American law officer and cowboy (d. 1918)
- 1855 – Arthur Wing Pinero, English playwright (d. 1934)
- 1863 – George Grey Barnard, American sculptor (d. 1938)
- 1868 – Charlie Taylor, American mechanic, associate with the Wright brothers (d. 1956)
- 1870 – Benjamin Cardozo, American jurist (d. 1938)
- 1870 – Jan Christiaan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1950)
- 1874 – Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1878)
- 1878 – Lillian Moller Gilbreth, American engineer (d. 1972)
- 1879 – H. B. Reese, American inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and founder of H. B. Reese Candy Co. (d. 1956)
- 1885 – Susan Sutherland Isaacs, English educational psychologist (d. 1948)
- 1886 – Paul Paray, French conductor and composer (d. 1979)
- 1887 – Edward "Mick" Mannock, Irish World War I pilot (d. 1918)
- 1891 – William F. Albright, American archeologist and Biblical scholar (d. 1971)
- 1895 – Samuel Irving Newhouse, American publisher (d. 1979)
- 1899 – Suzanne Lenglen, French tennis player (d. 1938)
- 1899 – Henri Michaux, French poet (d. 1984)
- 1900 – Lionel Conacher, Canadian athlete and politician (d. 1954)
- 1900 – Eduardo De Filippo, Italian actor and screenwriter (d. 1984)
- 1901 – José Nasazzi, Uruguayan footballer (d. 1968)
- 1903 – Milo Burcham, American aviator (d. 1944)
- 1905 – Michail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov, Russian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1984)
- 1909 – Wilbur Mills, U.S. House of Representative from Arkansas (d. 1992)
- 1911 – Barbara West, English survivor of the Titanic sinking (d. 2007)
- 1914 – Lilli Palmer, German-born actress (d. 1986)
- 1914 – Giuseppe Valdengo, Italian baritone (d. 2007)
- 1916 – Roden Cutler, Australian diplomat (d. 2002)
- 1923 – Siobhán McKenna, Irish actress (d. 1986)
- 1925 – Mai Zetterling, Swedish-born entertainer (d. 1994)
- 1926 – Stanley Baxter, Scottish actor
- 1928 – William Trevor, Irish writer
- 1930 – Hans-Martin Linde, German conductor
- 1931 – Michael Lonsdale, French actor
- 1932 – Arnold Wesker, English dramatist
- 1933 – Aharon Lichtenstein, French-born American Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva
- 1934 – Jane Byrne, 50th Mayor of Chicago
- 1934 – Barry Rose, English choir-trainer and organist
- 1935 – Joan Micklin Silver, American director
- 1936 – Harold Budd, American composer and poet
- 1937 – Archie Shepp, American jazz saxophonist
- 1937 – Roger Peterson, pilot who flew the plane on The Day the Music Died (d. 1959)
- 1938 – Tommy Chong, Canadian-born actor and comedian
- 1938 – David Viscott, American psychiatrist (d. 1996)
- 1940 – Joseph Brodsky, Russian-born poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
- 1941 – Bob Dylan, American singer and songwriter
- 1941 – George Lakoff, American linguist and political activist
- 1942 – Ali Bacher, South African cricketer and administrator
- 1942 – Ichirō Ozawa, Japanese politician
- 1943 – Gary Burghoff, American actor
- 1944 – Patti LaBelle, American R&B singer, songwriter and actress
- 1945 – Priscilla Presley, American actress
- 1946 – Irena Szewińska, Russian-born Polish sprinter
- 1947 – Martin Winterkorn, German automotive executive (Volkswagen Group)
- 1949 – Jim Broadbent, English actor
- 1949 – Sybil Danning, Austrian actress
- 1949 – Tomaž Pisanski, Slovenian mathematician
- 1950 – Larry Seidlin, American judge
- 1953 – Nell Campbell, American actress and singer
- 1953 – Alfred Molina, London-born Spanish-Italian actor
- 1953 – Klaus-Günter Stade, German footballer
- 1955 – Rosanne Cash, American singer
- 1955 – David Leonard, American guitarist, singer and songwriter
- 1956 – Michael Jackson, Northern Irish clergyman
- 1956 – Richard B. Bernstein, American constitutional and legal historian
- 1956 – Larry Blackmon, American singer (Cameo)
- 1959 – Pelle Lindbergh, Swedish hockey player (d. 1985)
- 1960 – Kristin Scott Thomas, English actress
- 1960 – Guy Fletcher, British keyboardist (Dire Straits)
- 1960 – Doug Jones, American actor
- 1962 – Gene Anthony Ray, American actor (d. 2003)
- 1962 – Héctor Camacho, Puerto Rican boxer
- 1963 – Ivan Capelli, Italian racing driver
- 1963 – Michael Chabon, American author
- 1963 – Joe Dumars, American basketball player
- 1963 – Kathy Leander, Swiss singer
- 1963 – Rich Rodriguez, American football coach
- 1964 – Adrian Moorhouse, British swimmer
- 1964 – Pat Verbeek, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1965 – John C. Reilly, American actor
- 1965 – Shinichiro Watanabe, Japanese anime director
- 1966 – Eric Cantona, French footballer
- 1966 – Ricky Craven, American NASCAR driver
- 1966 – Russell Kun, Nauruan politician
- 1967 – Carlos Hernández, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1967 – Eric Close, American actor
- 1967 – Steve McDonald, American bassist (Redd Kross)
- 1967 – Bruno Putzulu, French actor
- 1968 – Mo Willems, American author and screenwriter
- 1969 – Rich Robinson, American musician (Black Crowes)
- 1970 – Tommy Page, American singer
- 1971 – Kris Draper, Canadian ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings)
- 1972 – Greg Berlanti, American television writer and producer
- 1972 – Joanna Wiśniewska, Polish discus thrower
- 1973 – Bartolo Colón, Dominican baseball player
- 1973 – Dermot O'Leary, English television presenter
- 1973 – Ruslana, Ukrainian singer
- 1973 – Vladimír Šmicer, Czech footballer
- 1974 – Will Sasso, Canadian actor and comedian
- 1974 – Masahide Kobayashi, Japanese baseball player
- 1974 – Sébastien Foucan, French actor and free-runner
- 1975 – Marc Gagnon, Canadian short track speed skater
- 1975 – Yannis Goumas, Greek footballer
- 1975 – Maria Lawson, British singer
- 1976 – Alessandro Cortini, Italian multi-instrumentalist (Nine Inch Nails)
- 1976 – Catherine Cox, Australian netballer
- 1976 – Bob Maesen, Belgian flatwater canoer
- 1977 – Kym Valentine, Australian actress
- 1978 – Brian Ching, American footballer
- 1978 – Bryan Greenberg, American actor
- 1978 – Brad Penny, American baseball player
- 1978 – Johan Holmqvist, Swedish hockey player
- 1978 – Elijah Burke, American wrestler
- 1979 – Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
- 1979 – Frank Mir, American UFC fighter
- 1979 – Kareem McKenzie, American football player
- 1980 – Cecilia Cheung, Hong Kong actress and singer
- 1981 – Marketa Janska, Czech model
- 1982 – Issah Ahmed, Ghana football player
- 1982 – DaMarcus Beasley, American footballer
- 1983 – Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean model and actress (d. 2009)
- 1984 – Sarah Hagan, American actress
- 1984 – Brodney Pool, American football player
- 1984 – Ryan Wieber, American visual effects compositor and amateur filmmaker
- 1985 – Tim Bridgman, British racing driver
- 1985 – Giannis Kondoes, Greek footballer
- 1986 – Jordan Metcalfe, English actor
- 1986 – Mark Ballas, American professional dancer
- 1987 – Guillaume Latendresse, Canadian hockey player
- 1988 – Monica Lin Brown, American soldier
- 1988 – Artem Anisimov, Russian hockey player
- 1988 – Billy Gilman, American singer
- 1989 – Adel Taarabt, Moroccan footballer
- 1989 – Andrew Jordan, British racing driver
- 1990 – Joey Logano, American racing driver
- 1991 – Erika Umeda, Japanese singer
- 1992 – Travis T. Flory, American actor
- 1993 – Oliver Davis, American actor
- 1995 – Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein
May 23
- 1052 – King Philip I of France (d. 1108)
- 1100 – Emperor Qinzong of China (d. 1161)
- 1606 – Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish writer (d. 1682)
- 1617 – Elias Ashmole, English antiquarian (d. 1692)
- 1707 – Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist (d. 1778)
- 1718 – William Hunter, Scottish anatomist (d. 1783)
- 1729 – Giuseppe Parini, Italian writer (d. 1799)
- 1734 – Franz Anton Mesmer, Austrian physician/hypnotist (d. 1815)
- 1741 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian composer (d. 1801)
- 1790 – Jules Dumont d'Urville, French explorer (d. 1842)
- 1794 – Ignaz Moscheles, Bohemian composer and piano virtuoso (d. 1870)
- 1795 – Charles Barry, English architect (d. 1860)
- 1810 – Margaret Fuller, American journalist and feminist (d. 1850)
- 1820 – James Buchanan Eads, American engineer and inventor (d. 1887)
- 1820 – Lorenzo Sawyer, American jurist (d. 1891)
- 1824 – Ambrose Burnside, American Union Civil War general (d. 1881)
- 1834 – Carl Heinrich Bloch, Danish painter (d. 1890)
- 1844 – `Abdu'l-Bahá, Iranian religious figure (d. 1921)
- 1848 – Otto Lilienthal, German aviation pioneer (d. 1896)
- 1855 – Isabella Ford, English feminist and union activist (d. 1924)
- 1865 – Epitácio Pessoa, Brazilian politician (d. 1942)
- 1875 – Alfred P. Sloan, American automotive executive (d. 1966)
- 1879 – Elizabeth Gunn, New Zealand paediatrician (d. 1963)
- 1879 – Dezső Lauber, Hungarian sportsman (d. 1966)
- 1883 – Douglas Fairbanks, American actor (d. 1939)
- 1884 – Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist (d. 1965)
- 1887 – Thoralf Skolem, Norwegian mathematician (d. 1963)
- 1888 – Zack Wheat, American baseball player (d. 1972)
- 1889 – Ernst Niekisch, German politician (d. 1967)
- 1890 – Herbert Marshall, English actor (d. 1966)
- 1891 – Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1974)
- 1893 – Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist and paleontologist (d. 1977)
- 1895 – Billy Smith, English footballer (d. 1956)
- 1896 – Felix Martin Julius Steiner, German Waffen-SS officer (d. 1966)
- 1898 – Scott O'Dell, American author (d. 1989)
- 1898 – Josef Terboven, German Nazi official (d. 1945)
- 1900 – Hans Frank, German lawyer and Nazi official (d. 1946)
- 1906 – Pran Nath Thapar, Indian military officer (d. 1975)
- 1908 – John Bardeen, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1991)
- 1908 – Hélène Boucher, French aviatrix (d. 1934)
- 1910 – Margaret Wise Brown, American author (d. 1952)
- 1910 – Sir Hugh Casson, British architect and painter (d. 1999)
- 1910 – Scatman Crothers, American actor and musician (d. 1986)
- 1910 – Artie Shaw, American clarinetist and bandleader (d. 2004)
- 1911 – Paul Mayer, German Roman Catholic Cardinal (d. 2010)
- 1912 – Jean Françaix, French composer (d. 1997)
- 1912 – Betty Astell, English actress (d. 2005)
- 1912 – John Payne, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1913 – Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican singer
- 1917 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (d. 2008)
- 1918 – Denis Compton, English cricketer (d. 1997)
- 1919 – Avraham Drori, Polish-born Israeli politician (d. 1964)
- 1919 – Betty Garrett, American actress and dancer (d. 2011)
- 1919 – Robert Bernstein, American comic book writer (d. 1988)
- 1920 – Helen O'Connell, American singer (d. 1993)
- 1921 – James Blish, American author (d. 1975)
- 1921 – Humphrey Lyttelton, English musician (d. 2008)
- 1923 – Alicia de Larrocha, Spanish pianist (d. 2009)
- 1923 – Walter Wolfrum, German fighter pilot (d. 2010)
- 1924 – Karlheinz Deschner, German researcher and writer
- 1924 – Clyde King, American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
- 1925 – Joshua Lederberg, American molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
- 1925 – Mac Wiseman, American musician
- 1928 – Jeannie Carson, English actress and comedian
- 1928 – Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
- 1928 – Nigel Davenport, English actor
- 1928 – Pauline Julien, French Canadian singer (d. 1998)
- 1929 – Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress (d. 1982)
- 1930 – Friedrich Achleitner, German poet
- 1931 – Barbara Barrie, American actress
- 1933 – Joan Collins, English actress
- 1934 – Robert Moog, American inventor (d. 2005)
- 1935 – Lasse Strömstedt, Swedish writer (d. 2009)
- 1936 – Ingeborg Hallstein, German opera singer
- 1936 – Charles Kimbrough, American actor
- 1938 – Peter Preston, English journalist and author
- 1939 – Reinhard Hauff, German film director
- 1939 – Michel Colombier, French composer and songwriter (d. 2004)
- 1939 – Jack McCarthy, American poet
- 1940 – Giles Gordon, Scottish literary agent (d. 2003)
- 1942 – K. Raghavendra Rao, Indian film director
- 1942 – Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian philosopher
- 1943 – General Norman Johnson, American singer (Chairmen of the Board) (d. 2010)
- 1943 – Vicky Moscholiou, Greek singer (d. 2005)
- 1943 – Alan Walden, American rock music manager and promoter
- 1944 – John Newcombe, Australian tennis player
- 1945 – Padmarajan, Indian film director (d. 1991)
- 1946 – Frederik de Groot, Dutch actor
- 1946 – H. Paul Shuch, American SETI scientist
- 1947 – Bernard Comrie, English linguist
- 1947 – Ann Hui, Hong Kong film director
- 1947 – Jane Kenyon, American poet (d. 1995)
- 1948 – Reggie Cleveland, Canadian baseball player
- 1949 – Alan Garcia, Peruvian politician
- 1949 – Daniel DiNardo, American Roman Catholic cardinal
- 1950 – Martin McGuinness, Northern Irish politician
- 1951 – Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player
- 1951 – Antonis Samaras, Greek politician
- 1952 – Anne-Marie David, French singer
- 1953 – Dick Stellingwerf, Dutch politician
- 1954 – Marvin Hagler, American boxer
- 1954 – Hans Kruize, Dutch field hockey player
- 1955 – Luka Bloom, Irish singer/songwriter
- 1956 – Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician
- 1956 – Mark Shaw, New Zealand rugby footballer
- 1956 – Buck Showalter, American baseball player and manager
- 1956 – Albert Voorn, Dutch equestrian
- 1957 – Mark Arnold, American actor
- 1957 – Jimmy McShane, Northern Irish singer (Baltimora) (d. 1995)
- 1958 – Mitch Albom, American writer
- 1958 – Drew Carey, American actor, comedian, and game show host
- 1958 – François Feldman, French singer
- 1958 – Paul Street, American author and historian
- 1959 – Ryuta Kawashima, Japanese neuroscientist
- 1959 – Marcella Mesker, Dutch tennis player
- 1960 – Linden Ashby, American actor
- 1961 – Karen Duffy, American actress
- 1963 – Wally Dallenbach Jr., American race car driver and announcer
- 1963 – Gregg Hughes, American radio personality (The Opie and Anthony Show)
- 1964 – Ruth Metzler-Arnold, Swiss politician
- 1965 – Tom Tykwer, German film director
- 1965 – Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Spanish footballer
- 1965 – Athanasios Skourtopoulos, Greek basketball player and coach
- 1966 – Graeme Hick, English cricketer
- 1966 – Gary Roberts, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1966 – Ernst-Paul Hasselbach, Dutch TV host and producer
- 1967 – Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
- 1967 – Phil Selway, English drummer (Radiohead)
- 1968 – Guinevere Turner, American actress
- 1970 – Yigal Amir, Israeli assassin of Yitzhak Rabin
- 1970 – Nanette Burstein, American director/producer
- 1970 – Bryan Herta, American race car driver
- 1970 – Matt Flynn, American musician
- 1971 – Laurel Holloman, American actress
- 1971 – George Osborne, British Chancellor of the Exchequer
- 1972 – Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian racing driver
- 1973 – Jacopo Gianninoto, Italian musician
- 1973 – Maxwell, American singer
- 1973 – Mirjam Sterk, Dutch politician
- 1974 – Ken Jennings, American game show contestant
- 1974 – Jewel, American singer
- 1974 – Mónica Naranjo, Spanish singer
- 1974 – Charlie Yeung, Hong Kong actress and singer
- 1975 – Kim Sung-soo, South Korean actor
- 1976 – Kelly Monaco, American actress
- 1976 – Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer
- 1977 – Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
- 1977 – Annabel Kosten, Dutch freestyle swimmer
- 1978 – Mike González, American baseball player
- 1978 – Carolyn Moos, American model and professional basketball player
- 1978 – Scott Raynor, American drummer (blink-182)
- 1979 – Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1979 – Kirk Saarloos, American baseball player
- 1979 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player
- 1980 – Lane Garrison, American actor
- 1980 – Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
- 1980 – Gary Brackett, American football player
- 1981 – Gwenno Saunders, Welsh dancer and singer (The Pipettes)
- 1982 – Cyrill Gloor, Swiss footballer
- 1982 – Malene Mortensen, Danish singer
- 1982 – Tristan Prettyman, American musician
- 1983 – Heidi Range, English singer (Sugababes)
- 1983 – Alex Shelley, American professional wrestler
- 1984 – Adam Wylie, American actor
- 1984 – Sam Milby, Filipino-American actor and commercial model
- 1985 – Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
- 1985 – Wim Stroetinga, Dutch racing cyclist
- 1986 – Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
- 1988 – Morgan Pressel, American golfer
- 2005 – Jillian Ward, Filipino actress
- 1622 – Louis de Buade de Frontenac, French governor of New France (d. 1698)
- 1715 – François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis, French cardinal and statesman (d. 1794)
- 1724 – Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne, French explorer (d. 1772)
- 1770 – Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (d. 1840)
- 1772 – Ram Mohan Roy, Hindu reformer (d. 1833)
- 1783 – William Sturgeon, English physicist and inventor (d. 1850)
- 1808 – Gérard de Nerval, French writer (d. 1855)
- 1813 – Richard Wagner, German composer (d. 1883)
- 1823 – Solomon Bundy, American politician (d. 1889)
- 1823 – Isabella Glyn, British actress (d. 1889)
- 1841 – Catulle Mendès, French poet (d. 1909)
- 1844 – Mary Cassatt, American artist (d. 1926)
- 1844 – Abdul-Baha, Son of Baha'u'llah (d. 1921)
- 1849 – Louis Perrier, Swiss politician (d. 1913)
- 1859 – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, British physician and writer (d. 1930)
- 1874 – Daniel François Malan, Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1959)
- 1879 – Warwick Armstrong, Australian cricketer (d. 1947)
- 1879 – Alla Nazimova, Ukrainian-born actress, scriptwriter, and producer (d. 1945)
- 1885 – Giacomo Matteotti, Italian politician (d. 1924)
- 1885 – Toyoda Soemu, Japanese admiral (d. 1957)
- 1891 – Eddie Edwards, American jazz trombonist (d. 1963)
- 1900 – Yvonne de Gaulle, widow of Charles de Gaulle (d. 1979)
- 1901 – Maurice J. Tobin, 56th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1953)
- 1902 – Al Simmons, American baseball player (d. 1956)
- 1903 – Yves Rocard, French physicist (d. 1992)
- 1904 – Pyotr Sobolevsky, Soviet actor (d. 1977)
- 1904 – Paul Viiding, Estonian poet (d. 1962)
- 1907 – Hergé, Belgian comic-book creator (d. 1983)
- 1907 – Laurence Olivier, English stage and screen actor (d. 1989)
- 1908 – Rattana Pestonji, Thai filmmaker (d. 1970)
- 1908 – Horton Smith. American golfer (d. 1963)
- 1910 – Johnny Olson, American game show announcer (d. 1985)
- 1911 – Anatol Rapoport, Russian-born mathematical psychologist and pianist (d. 2007)
- 1912 – Herbert C. Brown, English-born chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
- 1914 – Vance Packard, American author (d. 1996)
- 1914 – Sun Ra, American musician (d. 1993)
- 1914 – Edward Arthur Thompson, British historian (d. 1994)
- 1917 – Georg Tintner, Austrian-born conductor (d. 1999)
- 1917 – Nathan Davis, American actor (d. 2008)
- 1917 – Daniel Nagrin, American modern dancer and choreographer (d. 2008)
- 1920 – Thomas Gold, Austrian astrophysicist (d. 2004)
- 1922 – Quinn Martin, American television producer (d. 1987)
- 1924 – Charles Aznavour, Armenian-French singer, actor, and composer
- 1925 – James King, American tenor (d. 2005)
- 1925 – Jean Tinguely, Swiss artist (d. 1991)
- 1927 – George Andrew Olah, Hungarian-born chemist, Nobel laureate
- 1927 – Michael Constantine, American actor
- 1927 – Phil Tucker, American director (d. 1985)
- 1928 – T. Boone Pickens, Jr., American businessman
- 1930 – Harvey Milk, American politician and civil rights activist (d. 1978)
- 1930 – Kenny Ball, British musician
- 1934 – Peter Nero, American musician
- 1934 – Arne Harris, American television sports director (d. 2001)
- 1935 – Ron Piché, Canadian baseball player
- 1936 – M. Scott Peck, American psychiatrist and writer (d. 2005)
- 1938 – Richard Benjamin, American actor
- 1938 – Susan Strasberg, American actress (d. 1999)
- 1940 – Bernard Shaw, American television journalist
- 1940 – Michael Sarrazin, Canadian actor (d. 2011)
- 1941 – Paul Winfield, American actor (d. 2004)
- 1941 – Sir Menzies Campbell, British politician
- 1941 – Martha Langbein, German athlete
- 1942 – Ted Kaczynski. American terrorist, known as the Unabomber
- 1942 – Calvin Simon, American musician (P Funk)
- 1942 – Barbara Parkins, Canadian actress
- 1943 – Tommy John, American baseball player
- 1943 – Betty Williams, Northern Irish political activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- 1943 – Gesine Schwan, German politician and science professor
- 1944 – Vaiko, Indian politician
- 1946 – Howard Kendall, English footballer and football manager
- 1946 – George Best, Northern Irish footballer (d. 2005)
- 1947 – Andreas Gerasimos Michalitsianos, Greek-American astronomer and a NASA astrophysicist (d. 1997)
- 1948 – Richard Baker, American politician
- 1950 – Alekos Alavanos, Greek politician
- 1950 – Bernie Taupin, English songwriter
- 1951 – Kenneth Bianchi, American serial killer
- 1952 – Bernhard Brinkmann, German politician
- 1953 – Doris Barnett, German politician
- 1953 – Cha Bum-Kun, Korean footballer
- 1955 – Jimmy Lyon, American guitarist (Eddie Money)
- 1955 – Dale Winton, British radio DJ and television presenter
- 1955 – Jerry Dammers, English musician (The Specials)
- 1955 – Chalmers "Spanky" Alford, American jazz guitarist (d. 2008)
- 1955 – Iva Davies, Australian rock star (Icehouse)
- 1956 – Al Corley, American actor and producer
- 1956 – Natasha Shneider, Russian-born musician (d. 2008)
- 1957 – Lisa Murkowski, American politician
- 1957 – Gary Sweet, Australian actor
- 1958 – Denise Welch, English actress and presenter
- 1959 – Steven Morrissey, English singer
- 1960 – Hideaki Anno, Japanese director
- 1961 – Mike Breen, American sportscaster
- 1961 – Ann Cusack, American actress
- 1962 – Brian Pillman, American professional wrestler (d. 1997)
- 1964 – Ashley Renee, American fetish model
- 1965 – Fanis Christodoulou, Greek basketball player
- 1966 – Kenny Hickey, American guitarist (Type O Negative)
- 1966 – Jose Mesa, Dominican baseball player
- 1967 – Brooke Smith, American actress
- 1967 – John Vanderslice, American musician
- 1968 – Randy Brown, American basketball player
- 1968 – Kevin Carolan, American actor and comedian
- 1968 – Graham Linehan, Irish television writer and director (Black Books, The IT Crowd)
- 1970 – Naomi Campbell, British model and actress
- 1970 – Pedro Diniz, Brazilian Formula One driver
- 1970 – Paddy Atkinson, English footballer and assistant manager
- 1971 – Manuel Ortiz, Mexican professional wrestler
- 1971 – Raimund Marasigan,Filipino Musician
- 1972 – Anna Belknap, American actress
- 1972 – Annabel Chong, Singapore-born pornographic actress
- 1972 – Alison Eastwood, American actress and model
- 1972 – Riley Dobi Noel, American convicted murderer (d. 2004)
- 1973 – Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Danish actor
- 1973 – Julián Tavárez, Dominican baseball player
- 1973 – Danny Tiatto, Australian footballer
- 1974 – John Bale, American baseball player
- 1974 – Sean Gunn, American actor
- 1974 – Graham Fenton, English footballer
- 1974 – A. J. Langer, American actress
- 1975 – Janne Niinimaa, Finnish ice-hockey player
- 1975 – Tracy Brookshaw, American professional wrestler and valet
- 1975 – Salva Ballesta, Spanish footballer
- 1976 – Daniel Erlandsson, drummer of Swedish death metal band Arch Enemy
- 1977 – Alastair Ralphs, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1977 – Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Irish hurler
- 1977 – Dre Bly, American football player
- 1977 – Tom Chambers, British actor
- 1977 – Vinnie Potestivo, American TV producer
- 1978 – Ginnifer Goodwin, American actress
- 1978 – Katie Price, British model and reality TV personality
- 1979 – Nadia Khan, Pakistani TV presenter
- 1979 – Maggie Q, American actress
- 1980 – Steven Baker, Australian Australian rules footballer
- 1980 – Rhett Fisher, American actor and musician
- 1980 – Chad Tracy, American baseball player
- 1980 – Lucy Gordon, British model and actress (d. 2009)
- 1981 – Bryan Danielson, American professional wrestler
- 1981 – Melissa Gregory, American figure skater
- 1981 – Jürgen Melzer, Austrian tennis player
- 1982 – Apolo Anton Ohno, American short track speed skater
- 1982 – Erin McNaught, Australian beauty paegent and TV presenter
- 1982 – Alex Smith, American football player
- 1983 – John Hopkins, American motorcycling racer
- 1984 – Joe Lauzon, American martial artist
- 1985 – Tranquillo Barnetta, Swiss footballer
- 1985 – CariDee English, American model
- 1985 – Graham Harrell, American football player
- 1985 – Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Luca Gentili, Italian footballer
- 1986 – Matt Jarvis, English international footballer
- 1987 – Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player
- 1988 – Emre Anuk, German footballer
- 1992 – Chinami Tokunaga, Japanese singer
May 21
- 1471 – Albrecht Dürer, German painter (d. 1528)
- 1527 – King Philip II of Spain (d. 1598)
- 1653 – Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria (d. 1697)
- 1664 – Giulio Alberoni, Italian cardinal (d. 1754)
- 1688 – Alexander Pope, English poet (d. 1744)
- 1755 – Alfred Moore, American judge (d. 1810)
- 1763 – Joseph Fouché, French statesman (d. 1820)
- 1775 – Lucien Bonaparte, French politician, soldier and academic (d. 1840)
- 1780 – Elizabeth Fry, British social reformer (d. 1845)
- 1792 – Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis, French scientist (d. 1843)
- 1799 – Mary Anning, British fossil collector and paleontologist (d. 9 March 1847).
- 1827 – William P. Sprague, American politician (d. 1899)
- 1832 – Elizabeth Storrs Mead, American educator (d. 1917)
- 1835 – František Chvostek, Moravian physician (d. 1884)
- 1843 – Charles Albert Gobat, Swiss politician (d. 1914)
- 1844 – Henri Rousseau, French artist (d. 1910)
- 1850 – Giuseppe Mercalli, Italian vulcanologist (d. 1914)
- 1851 – Léon Bourgeois, French statesman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (d. 1925)
- 1853 – Jacques Marie Eugène Godefroy Cavaignac, French politician (d. 1905)
- 1856 – José Batlle y Ordóñez, Uruguayan politician (d. 1929)
- 1860 – Willem Einthoven, Dutch physiologist; Nobel laureate (d. 1927)
- 1863 – Archduke Eugen of Austria, Austrian field marshal (d. 1954)
- 1864 – Princess Stephanie of Belgium (d. 1945)
- 1873 – Hans Berger, German neuroscientist (d. 1941)
- 1878 – Glenn Curtiss, American aviation engineer (d. 1930)
- 1880 – Tudor Arghezi, Romanian writer (d. 1967)
- 1884 – Manuel Pérez y Curis, Uruguayan poet (d. 1920)
- 1885 – Sophie of Schönburg-Waldenburg, wife of William, Prince of Albania (d. 1936)
- 1898 – Armand Hammer, American businessman and physician (d. 1990)
- 1898 – Charles Léon Hammes, Luxembourgian lawyer and jurist (d. 1967)
- 1901 – Manfred Aschner, German-born Israeli microbiologist (d. 1989)
- 1901 – Horace Heidt, American band leader (d. 1986)
- 1901 – Sam Jaffe, American film producer (d. 2000)
- 1901 – Suzanne Lilar, Belgian essayist and playwright (d. 1992)
- 1902 – Earl Averill, American baseball player (d. 1983)
- 1902 – Marcel Lajos Breuer, Hungarian-born architect (d. 1981)
- 1903 – Manly Wade Wellman, American writer (d. 1986)
- 1904 – Robert Montgomery, American actor (d. 1981)
- 1904 – Fats Waller, American pianist (d. 1943)
- 1907 – John C. Allen, American roller coaster designer (d. 1979)
- 1909 – François-Albert Angers, Quebec economist (d. 2003)
- 1912 – John Curtis Gowan, American psychologist (d. 1986)
- 1912 – Monty Stratton, American baseball player (d. 1982)
- 1912 – Akiva Vroman, Dutch-born Israeli geologist (d. 1989)
- 1913 – Gina Bachauer, Greek pianist (d. 1976)
- 1916 – Tinus Osendarp, Dutch runner (d. 2002)
- 1916 – Harold Robbins, American novelist (d. 1997)
- 1917 – Raymond Burr, Canadian actor (d. 1993)
- 1918 – Dennis Day, American singer and comedian (d. 1988)
- 1920 – Anthony Steel, British actor (d. 2001)
- 1920 – Forrest White, American musical instruments industry executive (d. 1994)
- 1921 – Andrei Sakharov, Russian physicist (d. 1989)
- 1921 – A.S. Douglas, British computer scientist (d. 2010)
- 1923 – Armand Borel, Swiss mathematician (d. 2003)
- 1923 – Ara Parseghian, American football coach
- 1923 – Vernon Biever, American photographer (d. 2010)
- 1924 – Peggy Cass, American actress (d. 1999)
- 1926 – Robert Creeley, American poet (d. 2005)
- 1928 – Tom Donahue, American disc jockey (d. 1975)
- 1929 – Alice Drummond, American actress
- 1930 – Malcolm Fraser, Australian politician
- 1933 – Maurice André, French trumpeter
- 1933 – Yevgeni Minaev, Soviet weightlifter (d. 1993)
- 1934 – Bengt I. Samuelsson, Swedish biochemist, Nobel laureate
- 1936 – Günter Blobel, German biologist, Nobel laureate
- 1939 – Heinz Holliger, Swiss oboist, composer and conductor
- 1941 – Martin Carthy, English folk singer and guitarist
- 1941 – Ronald Isley, American singer (The Isley Brothers)
- 1941 – Bobby Cox, American baseball manager and former player
- 1942 – Danny Ongais, American race car driver
- 1943 – Hilton Valentine, British guitarist (The Animals)
- 1944 – Marcie Blane, American singer
- 1944 – Mary Robinson, President of Ireland
- 1945 – Ernst Messerschmid, German astronaut
- 1947 – Bill Champlin, American singer
- 1947 – Jonathan Hyde, Australian-born actor
- 1948 – Leo Sayer, English singer and songwriter
- 1951 – Al Franken, American comedian and politician, junior senator of Minnesota
- 1952 – Mr. T, American actor
- 1954 – Marc Ribot, American guitarist and composer
- 1955 – Paul Barber, British field hockey player
- 1955 – Stan Lynch, American drummer (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
- 1957 – Bruce Buffer, American Mixed Martial Arts announcer
- 1957 – Nadine Dorries, British Conservative politician
- 1957 – Judge Reinhold, American actor
- 1957 – Renée Soutendijk, Dutch actress
- 1958 – Jefery Levy, American television director
- 1959 – Nick Cassavetes, American actor and director
- 1960 – Jeffrey Dahmer, American serial killer (d. 1994)
- 1960 – Kent Hrbek, American baseball player
- 1960 – Mohanlal, Indian actor
- 1960 – Jeffrey Toobin, American writer and political analyst
- 1960 – Vladimir Salnikov, Russian swimmer
- 1962 – Richard Caputo, American Author
- 1963 – Richard Appel, American writer
- 1963 – Kevin Shields, American-born Irish vocalist and guitarist (My Bloody Valentine)
- 1964 – Danny Bailey, English footballer
- 1964 – Danny Lee Clark, American football player
- 1964 – Nancy Benoit, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
- 1964 – Carolyn Lawrence, American actress
- 1967 – Lisa Edelstein, American actress
- 1967 – Chris Benoit, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 2007)
- 1967 – Blake Schwarzenbach, American musician (Jawbreaker, Jets to Brazil)
- 1968 – Julie Vega, Filipino child actress and singer (d. 1985)
- 1968 – Matthias Ungemach, German rower
- 1969 – Pierluigi Brivio, Italian footballer
- 1969 – Georgiy R. Gongadze, Ukrainian/Georgian journalist
- 1969 – Masayo Kurata, Japanese voice actress
- 1969 – George LeMieux, American politician
- 1970 – Dorsey Levens, American football player
- 1970 – Carl Veart, Australian soccer player
- 1972 – Adriano Cintra, Brazilian musician (CSS)
- 1972 – The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper (d. 1997)
- 1972 – Alesha Oreskovich, American model
- 1973 – Noel Fielding, British comedian
- 1974 – Fairuza Balk, American actress
- 1974 – Havoc, American rapper (Mobb Deep)
- 1975 – Lee Gaze, Welsh guitarist (Lostprophets)
- 1976 – Aditi Gowitrikar, Indian model, actress and physician
- 1976 – Deron Miller, American singer, guitarist and songwriter (CKY)
- 1976 – Kardinal Offishall, Canadian rapper
- 1977 – Quinton Fortune, South African footballer
- 1977 – Michael Fuß, German footballer
- 1977 – Ricky Williams, American football player
- 1978 – Adam Gontier, Canadian singer (Three Days Grace)
- 1978 – Jamaal Magloire, Canadian basketball player
- 1979 – Damián Ariel Álvarez, Argentinian footballer
- 1979 – Gaspard Augé, French DJ
- 1979 – Briana Banks, German-American pornographic actress and model
- 1979 – Jamie Hepburn, Scottish politician
- 1979 – James Clancy Phelan, Australian novelist
- 1979 – Scott Smith, American mixed martial arts fighter
- 1980 – Chris Raab, American television personality
- 1981 – Edson Buddle, American footballer
- 1981 – Josh Hamilton, American baseball player
- 1981 – Maximilian Mutzke, German singer and drummer
- 1982 – Brian Klemm, American guitarist and vocalist (Suburban Legends)
- 1983 – Veloso, Brazilian footballer
- 1984 – Lorena Ayala, Dutch/Spanish model
- 1984 – Brandon Fields, American football player
- 1984 – Sara Goller, German beach volleyball player
- 1985 – Mutya Buena, English singer (Sugababes)
- 1985 – Marco Carta, Italian singer
- 1985 – Mark Cavendish, Manx cyclist
- 1985 – Isa Guha, English cricketer
- 1985 – Kano, British rapper
- 1985 – Marie McCray, American adult actress
- 1985 – Andrew Miller, American baseball player
- 1985 – Alexander Dale Oen, Norwegian swimmer
- 1986 – Mario Mandžukić, Croatian footballer
- 1986 – Myra, American singer
- 1986 – Alexander Noyes, American drummer (Honor Society)
- 1988 – Park Gyuri, Korean singer/actress/disc jockey
- 1988 – Jonathan Howson, English footballer
- 1991 – Sarah Ramos, American actress
- 1992 – Hutch Dano, American actor
- 1992 – Olivia Olson, American singer and actress
- 1994 – Tom Daley, English diver and Olympian
