On This Day
This Day in History: (31-May)
Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (d. 1509)
Philipp II, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1504)
Manuel I of Portugal (d. 1521)
Alessandro Allori, Italian painter (d. 1607)
Jerzy Radziwiłł, Catholic cardinal (d. 1600)
Feodor I of Russia (d. 1598)
Nur Jahan, Empress consort of the Mughal Empire (d. 1645)
John George II, Elector of Saxony (d. 1680)
Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, King of Poland (d. 1673)
Patriarch Dositheos II of Jerusalem (d. 1707)
Jean-Pierre Christin, French physicist, mathematician, and astronomer, invented the Celsius thermometer (d. 1755)
Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, Austrian archbishop (d. 1812)
Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud, French lawyer and politician (d. 1793)
Andrea Appiani, Italian painter and educator (d. 1817)
Ludwig Tieck, German poet, author, and critic (d. 1853)
Johann Georg Baiter, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1887)
Adye Douglas, English-Australian cricketer and politician, 15th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1906)
John Albion Andrew, American lawyer and politician, 25th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1867)
Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (d. 1892)
Hijikata Toshizō, Japanese commander (d. 1869)
Henry Sidgwick, English economist and philosopher (d. 1900)
John Cox Bray, Australian politician, 15th Premier of South Australia (d. 1894)
William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Canadian-Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (d. 1924)
Francisco Moreno, Argentinian explorer and academic (d. 1919)
Julius Richard Petri, German microbiologist, invented the Petri dish (d. 1921)
Pope Pius XI (d. 1939)
Graham Wallas, English socialist, social psychologist, and educationalist (d. 1932)
Walter Sickert, English painter (d. 1942)
Francis Younghusband, Indian-English captain and explorer (d. 1942)
John Ringling, American entrepreneur; one of the founders of the Ringling Brothers Circus (d. 1936)
Frances Alda, New Zealand-Australian soprano (d. 1952)
Sándor Festetics, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of War (d. 1956)
Lauri Kristian Relander, Finnish politician, 2nd President of Finland (d. 1942)
Robert Richards, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of South Australia (d. 1967)
Saint-John Perse, French poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
Michel Kikoine, Belarusian-French painter (d. 1968)
Erich Neumann, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1951)
Konstantin Paustovsky, Russian poet and author (d. 1968)
Gregor Strasser, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1934)
Fred Allen, American comedian, radio host, game show panelist, and author (d. 1956)
Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author (d. 1993)
Lucile Godbold, American Olympic athlete (d. 1981)
Alfredo Antonini, Italian-American conductor and composer (d. 1983)
Don Ameche, American actor (d. 1993)
Art Coulter, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 2000)
Maurice Allais, French economist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American experimental physicist (d. 1997)
Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer and educator (d. 2006)
Bert Haanstra, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1997)
Bernard Lewis, English-American historian and author
Lloyd Quarterman, African American chemist (d. 1982)
Robie Macauley, American editor, novelist and critic (d. 1995)
Edna Doré, English actress (d. 2014)
Andrew Grima, Anglo-Italian jewellery designer (d. 2007)
Howard Reig, American radio and television announcer (d. 2008)
Alida Valli, Austrian-Italian actress and singer (d. 2006)
Denholm Elliott, English-Spanish actor (d. 1992)
Ellsworth Kelly, American painter and sculptor (d. 2015)
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (d. 2005)
Julian Beck, American actor and director (d. 1986)
James Eberle, English admiral
Michael Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, English lieutenant and banker
Pankaj Roy, Indian cricketer (d. 2001)
Menahem Golan, Israeli director and producer (d. 2014)
Clint Eastwood, American actor, director, musician, and producer
John Robert Schrieffer, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Shirley Verrett, American soprano and actress (d. 2010)
Ed Lincoln, Brazilian pianist, bassist, and composer (d. 2012)
Jay Miner, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 1994)
Henry B. Eyring, American religious leader, educator, and author
Jim Hutton, American actor (d. 1979)
Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand
Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003)
John Prescott, British sailor and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Peter Yarrow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Terry Waite, English humanitarian and author
Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Ukrainian hammer thrower and coach
Augie Meyers, American musician and singer-songwriter
Gilbert Shelton, American illustrator
June Clark, Welsh nurse and educator
Louis Ignarro, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Sharon Gless, American actress
Joe Namath, American football player, sportscaster, and actor
Samantha Juste, English singer and television host (d. 2014)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
Laurent Gbagbo, Ivorian academic and politician, 4th President of Côte d'Ivoire
Bernard Goldberg, American journalist and author
Ted Baehr, American publisher and critic
Steve Bucknor, Jamaican cricketer and umpire
Krista Kilvet, Estonian journalist, politician, and diplomat (d. 2009)
Debbie Moore, English model and businesswoman
Junior Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Gabriele Hinzmann, German discus thrower
Svetlana Alexievich, Belarusian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate
John Bonham, English musician, songwriter and drummer (d. 1980)
Martin Hannett, English bass player, guitarist, and record producer (d. 1991)
Duncan Hunter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician
Tom Berenger, American actor
Jean Chalopin, French director, producer, and screenwriter, founded DIC Entertainment
Gregory Harrison, American actor
Edgar Savisaar, Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior
Karl-Hans Riehm, German hammer thrower
Karl Bartos, German singer-songwriter and keyboard player
Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, Finnish actor and screenwriter
Linda Riordan, English politician
Lynne Truss, English journalist and author
Thomas Mavros, Greek footballer
Vicki Sue Robinson, American actress and singer (d. 2000)
Bruce Adolphe, American pianist, composer, and scholar
Tommy Emmanuel, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susie Essman, American actress, comedian, and screenwriter
Fritz Hilpert, German drummer and composer
John Young, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
Jim Craig, American ice hockey player
Andrea de Cesaris, Italian race car driver (d. 2014)
Phil Wilson, English politician
Greg Adams, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman
Chris Elliott, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
Peter Winterbottom, English rugby player
Ray Cote, Canadian ice hockey player
Justin Madden, Australian footballer and politician
Lea Thompson, American actress, director, and producer
Corey Hart, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
David Leigh, holder of the Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry at the University of Manchester
Viktor Orbán, Hungarian politician, 38th Prime Minister of Hungary
Wesley Willis, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (d. 2003)
Leonard Asper, Canadian lawyer and businessman
Stéphane Caristan, French hurdler and coach
Yukio Edano, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs
Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, American rapper and producer
Todd McKenney, Australian entertainer
Brooke Shields, American model, actress, and producer
Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lankan cricketer and referee
Sandrine Bonnaire, French actress
Phil Keoghan, New Zealand television host and producer
Kenny Lofton, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
John Connolly, Irish journalist and author
Paolo Sorrentino, Italian director and screenwriter
Diana Damrau, German operatic soprano
Frode Estil, Norwegian skier
Antti Niemi, Finnish footballer and coach
Archie Panjabi, English actress
Dave Roberts, American baseball player and coach
Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Japanese comedian and singer
Chad Campbell, American golfer
Tristram Hunt, English historian and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Mac Suzuki, Japanese baseball player
Colin Farrell, Irish actor
Matt Harpring, American basketball player and sportscaster
Theodoros Baev, Bulgarian-Greek volleyball player
Domenico Fioravanti, Italian swimmer
Scott Klopfenstein, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player
Eric Christian Olsen, American actor
Joachim Olsen, Danish shot putter and politician
Moses Sichone, Zambian footballer
Petr Tenkrát, Czech ice hockey player
Jean-François Gillet, Belgian footballer
Mikael Antonsson, Swedish footballer
Daniele Bonera, Italian footballer
Andy Hurley, American musician
Jake Peavy, American baseball player
Andrew Bailey, American baseball player
Milorad Čavić, Serbian swimmer
Nate Robinson, American basketball player
Jordy Nelson, American football player
Robert Gesink, Dutch cyclist
Bas Dost, Dutch footballer
Marco Reus, German footballer
Erik Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
Azealia Banks, American rapper
Michaël Bournival, Canadian ice hockey player
Laura Ikauniece, Latvian heptathlete