24 July

Simón Bolívar

Alexandre Dumas

Ira Aldridge

Alphonse Mucha

E. F. Benson

Robert Graves

Amelia Earhart

Chief Dan George

Zelda Fitzgerald

Bella Abzug

Peter Yates

Ruth Buzzi

Heinz

Chris Sarandon

Michael Richards

Lynda Carter

Chris Smith

Gus Van Sant

Joe McGann

Cleo Rocos

Julie Graham

Jennifer Lopez

Eric Szmanda

Danny Dyer

Summer Glau

Anna Paquin

Elisabeth Moss

1783

 Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader. Bolívar played a key role in Latin America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire, and is today considered one of the most influential politicians in the history of the Americas. Born Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco in Caracas, Venezuela. (d. 1830)

1802

 Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas (24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas, père, was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure including The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Three Musketeers. Translated into nearly 100 languages, these have made him one of the most widely read French authors in history. Born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie in Villers-Cotterêts. (d. 1870)

1807

 Ira Aldridge
Ira Aldridge (July 24, 1807 – August 7, 1867) was an American and later British stage actor and playwright who made his career after 1824 largely on the London stage and in Europe, especially in Shakespearean roles. Aldridge is the only actor of African-American descent among the 33 actors of the English stage honoured with bronze plaques at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. Born Ira Frederick Aldridge in New York City. (d. 1867)

1860

 Alphonse Mucha
Alphonse Mucha (24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), often known in English and French as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known best for his distinct style. Born Alfons Maria Mucha in Ivančice, Moravia (the present Czech Republic). (d. 1939)

1867

 E. F. Benson
E F Benson (24 July 1867 – 29 February 1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist and short story writer, known professionally as E.F. Benson. Best known as the author of the Mapp and Lucia novels. Born Edward Frederic Benson in Berkshire, England. (d. 1940)

1895

 Robert Graves
Robert Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, scholar/translator/writer of antiquity specializing in Classical Greece and Rome, and novelist. Well known for popular historical novels such as I, Claudius and his memoir of his early life Good-Bye to All That. Born Robert von Ranke Graves in Wimbledon. (d. 1985)

1897

 Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart (July 24, 1897 – disappeared July 2, 1937) was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first aviatrix (female pilot) to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for this record. She set many other records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. Born Amelia Mary Earhart in Atchison, Kansas. (d. 1937)

1899

 Chief Dan George
Chief Dan George, OC (July 24, 1899 – September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a Coast Salish band located on Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was also an author, poet, and an Academy Award-nominated actor. He appeared in films Little Big Man and The Outlaw Josey Wales. Born Geswanouth Slahoot in North Vancouver, Canada. (d. 1981)

1900

 Zelda Fitzgerald
Zelda Fitzgerald (July 24, 1900 – March 10, 1948) was an American novelist and the wife of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Born Zelda Sayre in Montgomery, Alabama. (d. 1948)

1920

 Bella Abzug
Bella Abzug (July 24, 1920 – March 31, 1998), nicknamed “Battling Bella”, was an American lawyer, U.S. Representative, social activist and a leader of the Women’s Movement. Born Bella Savitsky Abzug in New York City. (d. 1998)

1929

 Peter Yates
Peter Yates (24 July 1929 – 9 January 2011) was an English film director and producer. Summer Holiday (1963), his first film as director, was a vehicle for Cliff Richard. Robbery (1967), a crime thriller, is a fictionalised version of the Great Train Robbery of 1963. This led to Bullitt (1968). Born Peter James Yates in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. (d. 2011)

1936

 Ruth Buzzi
Ruth Buzzi (born July 24, 1936) is an American comedienne and actress of theatre, film, and television. She is especially known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973. Born Ruth Ann Buzzi in Westerly, Rhode Island.

1942

 Heinz
Heinz (24 July 1942 – 7 April 2000) was a German-born bassist and singer. He was also known as a member of instrumental group The Tornados, famous for their multi-million selling hit “Telstar”. Heinz’s biggest-selling solo hit was “Just Like Eddie”. Born Heinz Burt in Detmold, Free State of Lippe, Germany. (d. 2000)

 Chris Sarandon
Chris Sarandon (born July 24, 1942) is an American actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Leon in Dog Day Afternoon. Born in Beckley, West Virginia.

1949

 Michael Richards
Michael Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, widely known for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld. During the show’s run, he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series three times. Born Michael Anthony Richards in Culver City, California.

1951

 Lynda Carter
Lynda Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress and singer, best known for being Miss World USA 1972 and as the star of the 1970s television series The New Original Wonder Woman (1975-77) and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman (1977-79). Born Linda Jean Córdova Carter in Phoenix, Arizona.

 Chris Smith
Chris Smith,Baron Smith of Finsbury PC (born 24 July 1951) is a British politician; a former Member of Parliament (MP) and Cabinet Minister and a current peer. For the majority of his career he was a Labour Party member. He was one of the first openly gay British MPs, coming out in 1984, and in 2005, the first MP to acknowledge that he is HIV positive. Born Christopher Robert Smith in Barnet, London.

1952

 Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director — for Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008) — and won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant (2003). Born Gus Green Van Sant in Louisville, Kentucky.

1958

 Joe McGann
Joe McGann (born 24 July 1958) is an English actor. His most well known role is the lead role of Charlie Burrows, the “housekeeper” in the TV comedy series The Upper Hand (1990-1996). Born Joseph McGann in Kensington, Liverpool, Lancashire, England.

1962

 Cleo Rocos
Cleo Rocos (born 24 July 1962) is a UK-based comedy actress, television/theatre producer, presenter and businesswoman, who starred alongside Kenny Everett on The Kenny Everett Television Show. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

1965

 Julie Graham
Julie Graham (born 24 July 1965) is a Scottish television and film actress. She portrayed Jean in the 2012 series The Bletchley Circle. Graham has appeared in the Scottish television crime drama, Shetland since 2014. Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland.

1969

 Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American entertainer, businesswoman, producer and philanthropist. With records sales of 75 million and a cumulative film gross of over $2 billion, Lopez is regarded as the most influential Hispanic performer in the United States, as well as the highest-paid Latin actress. Born Jennifer Lynn Lopez in The Bronx, New York.

1975

 Eric Szmanda
Eric Szmanda (born July 24, 1975) is an American actor. He portrays Greg Sanders in the television crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, a role he has held since the show began in 2000. Born Eric Kyle Szmanda in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1977

 Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer (born on 24 July 1977), is an English actor and media personality. In 2013, he joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in the role of Mick Carter. Born Daniel John Dyer in Canning Town, London.

1981

 Summer Glau
Summer Glau (born July 24, 1981) is an American actress. She is known for playing River Tam in Firefly and Serenity, and Cameron in the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles series. Born Summer Lyn Glau in San Antonio, Texas.

1982

 Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor, known for her roles as Zoey Bartlet, the youngest daughter of President Josiah Bartlet, on the NBC television series The West Wing (1999–2006); Peggy Olson, secretary-turned-copywriter on the AMC series, Mad Men (2007–2015), which earned her six Emmy Awards nominations and one Golden Globe nomination; and Det. Robin Griffin in the BBC miniseries Top of the Lake (2013), the last of which won her a Golden Globe and Satellite Awards for Best Actress in a Miniseries and/or TV film. Born Elisabeth Singleton Moss in Los Angeles, California.

 Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin (born 24 July 1982) is a Canadian-born New Zealand film, television and theatre actress. Paquin’s debut film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11. She later appeared in a number of successful films, including Fly Away Home, She’s All That, Almost Famous and the X-Men franchise. Paquin is well known for her role as Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood, for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama in 2008. Born Anna Hélène Paquin in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.