Explore 6096 historical events from 1940–1949.
Alan Irwin Menken is an American composer and conductor. Over his career he has received numerous accolades including winning eight Academy Awards, a Tony Award, eleven Grammy Awar…
Alan Menken, American pianist and composer
Lasse Artturi Virén is a Finnish former long-distance runner, winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. Virén recaptured the image of the "Flying Finns" prom…
Lasse Virén, Finnish runner and police officer
Clive Edward Butler Rice was a South African international cricketer. An all-rounder, Rice ended his First Class cricket career with a batting average of 40.95 and a bowling averag…
Clive Rice, South African cricketer and coach (died 2015)
Wasyl Ihor Medwit, O.S.B.M. was a Polish-born Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarch, Titular Bishop of Hadriane since 30 March 1994. Before it, from 30 March 1994 until 30 September 19…
Wasyl Medwit, Polish-born Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarch (died 2024)
Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor and comedian. He achieved global recognition for starring as Cosmo Kramer on the NBC television sitcom Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998. He …
Michael Richards, American actor and comedian
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai former politician, businessman, and police officer who served as the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 until his overthrow in 2006. Since 2009 …
Thaksin Shinawatra, Thai businessman and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Thailand
Roger Meddows Taylor is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He achieved international fame as the drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Queen. As a drumme…
Roger Taylor, English singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer
Maury Alan Chaykin was an American and Canadian actor. Described as "one of the most recognizable faces in Canadian cinema," he was best known for his portrayal of Rex Stout's dete…
Maury Chaykin, American-Canadian actor (died 2010)
André Dupont is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Philadelp…
André Dupont, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Roderick "Rory" MacDonald is a Scottish songwriter and musician. He was bassist, and a primary song writer, for Celtic rock band Runrig, alongside his younger brother, Calum MacDo…
Rory MacDonald, Scottish singer-songwriter and bass player
Maureen Therese McGovern is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her renditions of the songs "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure; "We M…
Maureen McGovern, American singer and actress
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986, most notably as an integral member of …
Vida Blue, American baseball player and sportscaster (died 2023)
Randall Wallace is an American screenwriter, film director and producer who came to prominence by writing the screenplay for the historical drama film Braveheart (1995). His work o…
Randall Wallace, American screenwriter and producer
Robert Fleming Rankin is a prolific British author of comedic fantasy novels. Born in Parsons Green, London, he started writing in the late 1970s, and first entered the bestsellers…
Robert Rankin, English author and illustrator
Leslie Easterbrook is an American actress and producer. She played Sgt./Lt./Capt. Debbie Callahan in the Police Academy films and Rhonda Lee on the television series Laverne & Shir…
Leslie Easterbrook, American actress
Jorge Jamil Mahuad Witt is an Ecuadorian lawyer, academic and former politician who served the 41st president of Ecuador from 1998 until he was deposed in a coup in 2000. He previo…
Jamil Mahuad, Ecuadorian lawyer and politician, 51st President of Ecuador
Richard Royall "Duck" Baker IV is an American acoustic fingerstyle guitarist who plays in a variety of styles: jazz, blues, gospel, ragtime, folk, and Irish and Scottish music. He …
Duck Baker, American guitarist
Dame Sonia Rosemary Susan Proudman, DBE, styled The Hon. Mrs Justice Proudman, was a judge of the High Court of England and Wales.
Sonia Proudman, English lawyer and judge (died 2023)
Ann Leslie Godoff was an American editor and publisher. She was the president of Random House and the founder of Penguin Press.
Ann Godoff, American book editor, publisher and founder of Penguin Press
Simon Frederick St George Kirke is an English musician who was the co-founder, drummer, and only continuous member of the rock supergroup Bad Company. Prior to forming Bad Company,…
Simon Kirke, English drummer
Michael Jackson is an American former professional basketball player. After a collegiate career at the Cal State University Los Angeles where he was an All-Pacific Coast Athletic A…
Mike Jackson, American basketball player
Sir Joseph Alan Meale is a former British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mansfield from 1987 to 2017. He was the longest-standing MP in Mansfield…
Alan Meale, English journalist and politician
Bettina Mary Arndt is an Australian writer and commentator who specialises in sex and gender issues. Starting as a sex therapist, she established her career in the 1970s publishing…
Bettina Arndt, Australian writer and commentator
Kurmanbek Sali uulu Bakiyev is a Kyrgyzstani politician who served as the second president of Kyrgyzstan from 2005 until his removal from office as a result of the Kyrgyz Revolutio…
Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Kyrgyzstani politician, 2nd President of Kyrgyzstan