20 February

Enzo Ferrari

Gale Gordon

James O’Meara

Gloria Vanderbilt

Robert Altman

Sidney Poitier

Hubert de Givenchy

Ken Jones

Bobby Unser

Larry Hovis

Jimmy Greaves

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Mike Leigh

Brenda Blethyn

Sandy Duncan

J. Geils

Peter Osgood

Peter Strauss

Jennifer O’Neill

Ivana Trump

Tony Wilson

Gordon Brown

Phil Neal

Eva Rueber-Staier

Anthony Head

Patty Hearst

Imogen Stubbs

James Wilby

Cindy Crawford

Kurt Cobain

Rihanna

1898

 Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (20 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. He was widely known as “il Commendatore”. Born Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari in Modena, Kingdom of Italy. (d. 1988)

1906

 Gale Gordon
Gale Gordon (February 20, 1906 – June 30, 1995) was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball’s longtime television foil – and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball’s second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show. He also co-starred as the second Mr. Wilson in Dennis the Menace. Born Charles Thomas Aldrich Jr in New York, New York. (d. 1995)

1919

 James O’Meara
James O’Meara, DSO, DFC & Bar (20 February 1919 – 5 July 1974) was a Royal Air Force officer and fighter pilot of the Second World War. He became a flying ace during the Battle of Britain while flying the Supermarine Spitfire, and by war’s end was credited with 11 kills, two shared victories, one unconfirmed destroyed, four probables, 11 damaged and one shared damaged. Born James Joseph O’Meara in Barnsley, Yorkshire. (d. 1974)

1924

 Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, and her paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, each sought custody of her and control over her trust fund. Born Gloria Laura Vanderbilt in Manhattan, New York City. (d. 2019)

1925

 Robert Altman
Robert Altman (February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. A five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized Altman’s body of work with an Academy Honorary Award. His films MASH (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), and Nashville (1975) have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Altman is one of the few filmmakers whose films have won the Golden Bear at Berlin, the Golden Lion at Venice, and the Golden Palm at Cannes. Born Robert Bernard Altman in Kansas City, Missouri. (d. 2006)

1927

 Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE (February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. In 1964, Poitier became the first Bahamian and first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. In 1967 he starred in three successful films, all of which dealt with issues involving race and race relations: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, making him the top box-office star of that year. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Born in The Bahamas. (d. 2022)

 Hubert de Givenchy
Hubert de Givenchy (20 February 1927 – 10 March 2018) was a French fashion designer who founded the house of Givenchy in 1952. He was famous for having designed much of the personal and professional wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn and clothing for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1970. Born Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy in Beauvais, France. (d. 2018)

1930

 Ken Jones
Ken Jones (20 February 1930 – 13 February 2014) was an English actor. He appeared in many films and television programmes and played a lead character in the British sitcom The Squirrels (1974-77), but may be best-known for his role as ‘Horrible’ Ives in Porridge. Born in Liverpool. (d. 2014)

1934

 Bobby Unser
Bobby Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. He is one of ten drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 three or more times. Unser participated in 2 Formula One Grands Prix. Born Robert William Unser in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (d. 2021)

1936

 Larry Hovis
Larry Hovis (February 20, 1936 – September 9, 2003) was an American singer and actor best known for playing Sergeant Carter on the 1960s television sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. Born in Wapato, Washington. (d. 2003)

1940

 Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves (20 February 1940 – 19 September 2021) was an England international footballer who played as a forward. He is England’s fourth highest international goalscorer (44 goals), Tottenham Hotspur’s highest ever goalscorer (266 goals), the highest goalscorer in the history of English top-flight football (357 goals), and has also scored more hat-tricks (six) for England than anyone else. He finished as the First Division’s top scorer in six seasons. He is a member of the English Football Hall of Fame. Born James Peter Greaves in Manor Park, England. (d. 2021)

1941

 Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC (born February 20, 1941) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Sainte-Marie’s well-known songs include the theme song of the popular movie Soldier Blue. Born Beverly Sainte-Marie in Piapot Plains Cree First Nation Reserve, Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada.

1943

 Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh OBE FRSL (born 20 February 1943) is an English writer and director of film and theatre. His well-known films include the comedy-dramas Life is Sweet (1990) and Career Girls (1997), the Gilbert and Sullivan biographical film Topsy-Turvy (1999), and the bleak working-class drama All or Nothing (2002). His most notable works are the black comedy-drama Naked (1993), for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA and Palme d’Or-winning drama Secrets & Lies (1996), the Golden Lion winning working-class drama Vera Drake (2004), and the Palme d’Or nominated biopic Mr. Turner (2014). Born in Brocket Hall, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England.

1946

 Brenda Blethyn
Brenda Blethyn, OBE (20 February 1946) is an English film, television, and stage actress. She is known for her role in Mike Leigh’s award-winning 1996 drama film Secrets & Lies, and, since 2011, for her performance in the title role of the television series Vera. Blethyn has received two Academy Award nominations, two SAG Award nominations, two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one. In addition, she has won a BAFTA, an Empire Award and has earned a Theatre World Award and both a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for her theatrical work. Born Brenda Anne Bottle in Ramsgate, Kent, England.

 Sandy Duncan
Sandy Duncan (born February 20, 1946) is an American singer, dancer, comedienne and actress of stage and television. She is known for her performances in the Broadway revival of Peter Pan and in the sitcom The Hogan Family. Duncan has been nominated for three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Born Sandra Kay Duncan in Henderson, Texas.

 J Geils
J Geils (February 20, 1946 – April 11, 2017) was an American guitarist. He was known as the leader of The J. Geils Band. Their big hit was “Centerfold”, which sat at number one for six weeks. Born John Warren Geils Jr in New York City. (d. 2017)

1947

 Peter Osgood
Peter Osgood (20 February 1947 – 1 March 2006) was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England in the early 1970s. Born Peter Leslie Osgood in Clewer, Buckinghamshire, England. (d. 2006)

 Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss (born February 20, 1947) is an American television and film actor, known for his roles in several television miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s. He won an Emmy Award for his role on the 1979 made-for-television movie The Jericho Mile. Born Peter Lawrence Strauss in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

1948

 Jennifer O’Neill
Jennifer O’Neill (born February 20, 1948) is a Brazilian American actress, model, author and speaker, known for her role in the 1971 film Summer of ’42 and modelling for CoverGirl cosmetics starting in the 1970s. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

1949

 Ivana Trump
Ivana Marie Trump (February 20, 1949 – July 14, 2022) was a model and businesswoman, who was the first wife of Donald Trump. They married in 1977 and divorced in 1992. They had three children together, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. Born Ivana Marie Zelníčková in Zlín, Czechoslovakia. (d. 2022)

1950

 Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was an English record label owner, radio and television presenter, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC. Wilson was the man behind some of Manchester’s most successful bands. He was one of the five co-founders of Factory Records and the founder and manager of the Haçienda nightclub. Wilson was known as “Mr Manchester”. Born Anthony Howard Wilson in Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire. (d. 2007)

1951

 Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown FRSE (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Blair Government from 1997 to 2007. Brown was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015, first for Dunfermline East and later for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. Born James Gordon Brown in Giffnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

 Phil Neal
Phil Neal (born 20 February 1951) is an English retired footballer who played for Northampton Town, Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers as a full back. He is one of the most successful English players of all time, having won eight First Divisions, four League Cups, five FA Charity Shields, four European Cups, one UEFA Cup and one UEFA Super Cup during his eleven years at Liverpool. He later returned to Bolton Wanderers as manager, leading them to victory in the Football League Trophy. Born Philip George Neal in Irchester, Northamptonshire, England.

 Eva Rueber-Staier
Eva Rueber-Staier (born February 20, 1951) is an Austrian actress, TV Host, model and beauty queen who won Miss World 1969. She played General Gogol’s assistant Rublevitch in the Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, and Octopussy. Born in Bruck an der Mur, Austria.

1954

 Patty Hearst
Patty Hearst (born February 20, 1954), granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, became internationally known for events following her 1974 kidnapping and physical violation by a domestic American terrorist group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army. Hearst was found nineteen months after being abducted, by which time she was a fugitive wanted for serious crimes. At her trial, the prosecution suggested that she had joined the Symbionese Liberation Army of her own volition. Hearst said she had been raped and threatened with death. She was found guilty of bank robbery. Hearst’s sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter and she was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton. Born Patricia Campbell Hearst in San Francisco, California.

 Anthony Head
Anthony Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in the Gold Blend couple television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend, and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Uther Pendragon in Merlin, and the Prime Minister in Little Britain. Born Anthony Stewart Head in Camden Town, London, England.

1958

 James Wilby
James Wilby (born 20 February 1958) is an English film, television and theatre actor. He is known to an international audience for roles in Maurice (1987), for which he received Venice Film Festival’s Best Actor award with co-star Hugh Grant. He then starred in A Handful of Dust (1988), for which he won the Bari Film Festival Best Actor award. He also appeared in Howards End (1992) and Gosford Park (2001). Born James Jonathon Wilby in Rangoon, Burma.

1961

 Imogen Stubbs
Imogen Stubbs, Lady Nunn (born 20 February 1961) is an English actress and writer. On TV she has appeard in The Browning Version, The Rainbow, Agatha Christie’s Marple and Death in Paradise. In July 2004, Stubbs’s play We Happy Few, directed by her husband, Sir Trevor Nunn, opened at the Gielgud Theatre, London. Born in Rothbury, Northumberland, England.

1966

 Cindy Crawford
Cyndy Crawford (born February 20, 1966) is an American supermodel and actress. Her years of success at modeling made her an international celebrity that has led to roles in television and film, and work as a spokesperson. Born Cynthia Ann Crawford in DeKalb, Illinois.

1967

 Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Cobain is remembered as one of the most iconic rock musicians in alternative music. Cobain formed the band Nirvana who found success with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from their second album Nevermind (1991). Nirvana was labeled “the flagship band” of Generation X. Born Kurt Donald Cobain in Aberdeen, Washington. (d. 1994)

1988

 Rihanna
Rihanna (born 20 February 1988) is a Barbadian singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Many of her songs rank among the world’s best-selling singles of all time, including the singles “Umbrella”, “Take a Bow”, and “Disturbia”. Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with 250 million records sold worldwide. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Saint Michael, Barbados.