The 1920s

1926 100 years ago

Betsy Jolas, French composer

Elizabeth MacDonald Jolas is a French and American composer.

Betsy Jolas, French composer

1926 100 years ago

Jeri Southern, American jazz singer and pianist (died 1991)

Jeri Southern was an American jazz singer and pianist.

Jeri Southern, American jazz singer and pianist (died 1991)

1926 100 years ago

Elisabeth Beresford, English journalist and author (died 2010)

Elisabeth Beresford MBE, also known as Liza Beresford, was an English author of children's books. She is best known for creating The Wombles. Born into a literary family, she worke…

Elisabeth Beresford, English journalist and author (died 2010)

1926 100 years ago

Frank Finlay, English actor (died 2016)

Francis Finlay was an English actor. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Iago in Othello (1965). His first leading television role came in 1971 in Casanova…

Frank Finlay, English actor (died 2016)

1926 100 years ago

Clem Labine, American baseball player and manager (died 2007)

Clement Walter Labine was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) best known for his years with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960.

Clem Labine, American baseball player and manager (died 2007)

1926 100 years ago

János Rózsás, Hungarian author (died 2012)

János Rózsás was a Hungarian writer.

János Rózsás, Hungarian author (died 2012)

1926 100 years ago

Norman Wexler, American screenwriter (died 1999)

Norman Wexler was an American screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, Best Original Screenplay for Joe (1970) and Best Adapted Screenplay for Serpico (1973).

Norman Wexler, American screenwriter (died 1999)

1926 100 years ago

Stan Freberg, American puppeteer, voice actor, and singer (died 2015)

Stan Freberg was an American actor and entertainer.

Stan Freberg, American puppeteer, voice actor, and singer (died 2015)

1926 100 years ago

Richard Anderson, American actor and producer (died 2017)

Richard Norman Anderson was an American film and television actor. One of his best-known roles was his portrayal of Oscar Goldman, the boss of Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers in bot…

Richard Anderson, American actor and producer (died 2017)

1926 100 years ago

Denis Atkinson, Barbadian cricketer (died 2001)

Denis St Eval Atkinson was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches in the 1950s as an all-rounder, hitting 922 runs and taking 47 wickets. He also played first-class cri…

Denis Atkinson, Barbadian cricketer (died 2001)

1926 100 years ago

Marie-Claire Alain, French organist and educator (died 2013)

Marie-Claire Geneviève Alain-Gommier was a French organist, scholar and teacher best known for her prolific recording career, with 260 recordings, making her the most-recorded clas…

Marie-Claire Alain, French organist and educator (died 2013)

1926 100 years ago

Carol Ruth Vander Velde, American mathematician (died 1972)

Carol Karp, born Carol Ruth Vander Velde, was an American mathematician of Dutch ancestry best known for her work on infinitary logic. She also played viola in an all-women orchest…

Carol Ruth Vander Velde, American mathematician (died 1972)

1926 100 years ago

Betye Saar, American artist (died 2026)

Betye Irene Saar was an American artist known for her work in the medium of assemblage. She was a visual storyteller and an accomplished printmaker. Saar was a part of the Black Ar…

Betye Saar, American artist (died 2026)

1926 100 years ago

Aaron Klug, Lithuanian-English chemist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)

Sir Aaron Klug was a British biophysicist and chemist. He was a winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his development of crystallographic electron microscopy and his stru…

Aaron Klug, Lithuanian-English chemist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)

1926 100 years ago

Douglas Croft, American child actor (died 1963)

Douglas Croft was an American teen actor who is best remembered for being the first person to portray the DC Comics character Robin, the Boy Wonder, as well as his secret identity …

Douglas Croft, American child actor (died 1963)

1926 100 years ago

John Derek, American actor, director, and cinematographer (died 1998)

John Derek was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He appeared in such films as Knock on Any Door, All the King's Men, Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950), and The Ten Comm…

John Derek, American actor, director, and cinematographer (died 1998)

1926 100 years ago

Joe Jones, American R&B singer-songwriter and producer (died 2005)

Joseph Charles Jones was an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger, who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Jones is also generally credited with discovering t…

Joe Jones, American R&B singer-songwriter and producer (died 2005)

1926 100 years ago

Fidel Castro, Cuban lawyer and politician, ex-President of Cuba (died 2016)

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was a Cuban communist revolutionary and statesman who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president …

Fidel Castro, Cuban lawyer and politician, ex-President of Cuba (died 2016)

1926 100 years ago

René Goscinny, French author and illustrator (died 1977)

René Goscinny was a French comic editor and writer, who created the Asterix comic book series with illustrator Albert Uderzo. Born in France to a Jewish family from Poland, he spen…

René Goscinny, French author and illustrator (died 1977)

1926 100 years ago

Julius Katchen, American pianist and composer (died 1969)

Julius Katchen was an American concert pianist, possibly best known for his recordings of Johannes Brahms's solo piano works.

Julius Katchen, American pianist and composer (died 1969)

1926 100 years ago

Eddie Little Sky, American actor (died 1997)

Eddie Little Sky, also known as Edward Little, was an American actor. A citizen of the Oglala Lakota tribe Eddie had parts in 36 feature films and over 60 television shows, mainly …

Eddie Little Sky, American actor (died 1997)

1926 100 years ago

Sami Michael, Iraqi-Israeli author and playwright (died 2024)

Sami Michael was an Iraqi-Israeli author, having migrated from Iraq to Israel at the age of 23. From 2001, Michael was the President of The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (…

Sami Michael, Iraqi-Israeli author and playwright (died 2024)

1926 100 years ago

John Silber, American philosopher and academic (died 2012)

John Robert Silber was an American academician and candidate for public office. From 1971 to 1996, he was President of Boston University (BU) and, from 1996 to 2002, Chancellor. Fr…

John Silber, American philosopher and academic (died 2012)

1926 100 years ago

Buddy Greco, American singer and pianist (died 2017)

Armando Joseph "Buddy" Greco was an American jazz and pop singer and pianist who had a long career in the US and UK. His recordings have sold millions, including "Oh Look A-There A…

Buddy Greco, American singer and pianist (died 2017)