Famous Birthdays on February 29

Ann Lee (1736-1784)

American founder of the Shakers, born in Manchester, England

1784 Leo von Klenze, German architect (New Hermitage), born in Buchladen (d. 1864)

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

Italian composer (Barber of Seville, William Tell), born in Pesaro, Italy

1812 Hermann Hirschboch, German composer and music critic, born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia (now Germany) (d. 1888)
1812 Sir James Wilson, Premier of Tasmania (d. 1880, also on 29 February)
1820 Adolf Schimon, Austrian German composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1887)
1828 Antonio Guzmán Blanco, Military leader, diplomat and politician, President of Venezuela (1870-77, 1879-84, 1886-87), born in Caracas, Great Colombia (d. 1899)
1836 Dickey Pearce, American baseball shortstop (pioneer shortstop position; introduced bunt) and manager (NY Mutuals, St. Louis Brown Stockings), born in Brooklyn, NY (d. 1908)

John Philip Holland (1840-1914)

Irish engineer and father of the modern submarine, born in Liscannor, Ireland

1840 William Harvey Carney, American Civil War soldier (first African-American to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor), born in Norfolk, Virginia (d. 1908)
1852 Frank Gavan Duffy, Australian barrister and judge (High Court of Australia, 1913-35, and Chief Justice of Australia, 1931-35), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1936)
1860 Herman Hollerith, American inventor (1st electric tabulating machine), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1929)
1884 Alfred Sendrey, American composer and musicologist, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1976)
1892 Augusta Savage (née Fells), African-American sculptor and equal rights advocate, born in Green Cove Springs, Florida (d. 1962) [1]
1896 Morarji Desai, Indian politician and activist, 4th Prime Minister of India (1977-79), born in Bhadeli, British India (d. 1995)
1896 Stanley Swash, British businessman (CEO of Woolworths) (d. 1997)
1896 William A. Wellman, American film director (Star is Born 1937), born in Brookline, Massachusetts (d. 1975)
1896 Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, Swiss composer, born in Zurich (d. 1984)
1904 Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausen, longest ever personal name, born in Bergedorf, Germany (d. 1997) disputed date
1904 Alan Richardson, Scottish composer and pianist, born in Edinbugh, Scotland (d. 1978)
1904 Jimmy Dorsey, American big band jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (Green Eyes; Tangerine; Pennies From Heaven), born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania (d. 1957)
1904 John "Pepper" Martin, American baseball utility (MLB All-Star 1933–35, 37; World Series 1931, 34; NL stolen base leader 1933, 34, 36; St. Louis Cardinals), born in Temple, Oklahoma (d. 1965)
1904 Rukmini Devi Arundale (née Sastri), Indian dancer, educator (co-founder of Kalakshetra Academy), politician (Member or Parliament, 1952-62), and animal rights activist, born in Madurai, Madras Presidency, British India (d. 1986)
1908 Alf Gover, English cricket fast bowler (4 Tests; Surrey CCC) and coach (Frank Tyson, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Ian Bishop; Surrey), born in Epsom, Surrey, England (d. 2001)
1908 Balthus [Balthazar Klossowski], French Polish painter (Valerie), born in Paris, France (d. 2001)
1908 Bob Pearce, American wrestler (Olympic gold bantamweight freestyle 1932), born in Wyaconda, Missouri (d. 1996)
1920 Arthur Franz, American actor (The Caine Mutiny; Invaders From Mars; Young Lions), born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey (d. 2006)
1920 Ivan Petrov [Krauze], Russian-Soviet operatic bass (Bolshoi Theatre, 1942-70), and educator, born in Irkutsk, Siberia (d. 2003)
1920 James Mitchell, American dancer and actor (All My Children, Bloomer Girl), born in Sacramento, California (d. 2010)
1920 Louise Wood, American director of Girl Scouts of USA (1961-72), born in Mankato, Minnesota (d. 1988)
1920 Michèle Morgan, French actress (Passage to Marseille), born in Neuilly-sur-Seine (d. 2016)
1920 Rudy Cafaro, American jazz guitarist, born in Middle Village, New York (d. 2000)
1924 Al Rosen, American baseball third baseman (MLB All-Star 1952–55; World Series 1948; AL MVP 1953; Cleveland Indians) and executive (NL Executive of the Year 1989), born in Spartanburg, South Carolina (d. 2015)
1924 David Beattie, New Zealand judge, Governor-General of NZ (1980-85), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2001)
1928 Alan Loveday, New Zealand and British violinist, born in Palmerston North, New Zealand (d. 2016)
1928 Joss Ackland, British actor (Queenie, To Kill a Priest), born in London, England (d. 2023) [1]
1928 McHenry Boatwright, American operatic singer, born in Tennille, Georgia (d. 1994)
1928 Tempest Storm [Annie Blanche Banks], American burlesque and film performer, born in Eastman, Georgia (d. 2021)
1928 Terry Lewis, Australian disgraced police officer (Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, 1976-87), and convict (corruption, forgery), born in Australia (d. 2023)
1932 Gavin Stevens, Australian cricket batsman (4 Tests, HS 28; South Australia), born in Adelaide, Australia
1932 Gene Golub, American mathematician (d. 2007)
1932 Jaguar [Sérgio Jaguaribe], Brazilian cartoonist, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1932 Masten Gregory, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1961, 65 [Jochen Rindt]), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1985)
1932 Reri Grist, African-American musical theater and operatic coloratura soprano (West Side Story - "Somewhere"; Zurich Opera, 1962-66; Bayerische Staatsoper, 1965-87; New York Metropolitan Opera, 1966-79), born in New York City
1936 Alex Rocco, American actor (The Godfather, The Famous Teddy Z), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d. 2015)
1936 Don Sutherin, American Canadian Football HOF defensive back/placekicker (Grey Cup 1963, 65, 68, 69; Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Rough Riders), born in Empire, Ohio (d. 2022)

Henri Richard (1936-2020)

Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (record 11 Stanley Cups; 9 x NHL All Star; Montreal Canadiens), born in Montreal, Quebec

1936 Jack R Lousma, American USMC Colonel, naval aviator, and NASA astronaut (Skylab 3; STS-3), born in Grand Rapids Michigan
1940 Billy Turner Jr., American thoroughbred trainer (Triple Crown 1977 Seattle Slew), born in Rochester, New York (d. 2021)
1940 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople (1991- ), born in Zeytinliköy, Imbros, Turkey
1940 Gretchen Christopher, American singer (The Fleetwoods), born in Olympia, Washington
1944 David Briggs, American record producer (Neil Young and Crazy Horse), born in Douglas, Wyoming (d. 1995)
1944 Dennis Farina, American actor (Get Shorty, Law & Order, Crime Story), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2013)
1944 Ene Ergma, Estonian politician
1944 Geoff Nicholls, British rock keyboardist (Black Sabbath, 1980-2013), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2017)
1944 John Niland, American NFL offensive guard (6 x Pro Bowl; 3 x All-Pro; Super Bowl 1971; Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles), born in Quincy, Massachusetts
1944 Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Italian illustrator
1944 Phyllis Frelich, American actor (Love is Never Silent), born in Devil's Lake, North Dakota
1948 Jirō Akagawa, Japanese novelist (Ghost Train), born in Fukuoka, Japan
1948 Nikolai Pimenov, Russian rower (World C'ship gold coxless pairs 1981, 85, 86; Olympic silver 1976), born in Moscow, Russia
1948 Patricia [Anne] McKillip, American sci-fi author (Fool's Run)
1948 Yuri Pimenov, Russian rower (World C'ship gold coxless pairs 1981, 85, 86; Olympic silver 1976), born in Moscow, Russia
1952 Bart Stupak, American politician (Rep-D-Michigan 1993-2011), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1952 Raisa Smetanina, Soviet cross country skier (Olympic gold 10k & 4x5k relay 1976; 10k 1980; 4x5k relay 1992), born in Mokhcha, Russia
1952 Raúl González, Mexican racewalker (Olympic gold 50k 1984; WR 1978 3:45:52 & 3:41:20), born in China, Nuevo León, Mexico
1952 Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush, American television personality
1952 Susan Sennett, American actress (Big Bad Mama), born in Santa Monica, California
1952 Tim[othy] Powers, American sci-fi author (Last Call, Declare), born in Buffalo, New York
1956 (Jonathan) "Jono" Coleman, British-Australian television and radio, writer, and comedian, born in Hackney, England (d. 2021)
1956 Aileen Wuornos, American serial killer whose life portrayed in film "Monsters", born in Troy, Michigan (d. 2002)
1956 J. Randy Taraborrelli, American celebrity journalist
1956 Jonathan Coleman, Anglo-Australian entertainer
1960 Khaled [Ibrahim], Algerian world music and raï singer-songwriter and musician ("Didi"; "Aicha"), born in Oran, Algeria
1960 Lucian Grainge, American executive (CEO Universal Music Group, most important person in music industry - Billboard), born in London, England
1960 Richard Ramirez, American serial killer (Night Stalker), born in El Paso, Texas (d. 2013)
1960 Tony Robbins, American motivational speaker
1964 Guy Leech, Australian iron man (World Ironman C'ship 1986; World Ocean Paddling C'ship 1994; 7 x Uncle Toby's Super Series; 2 x Coolangatta Gold), born in Sydney, Australia
1964 Henrik Sundström, Swedish tennis player (World #6 singles 1984), born in Lund, Sweden
1964 Jahred [Jared Gomes], Afro-Brazilian-American rapper and singer (Hed PE; The Clue), born in California
1964 James RB Ogilvy, son of English princess Alexandra
1968 Bryce Paup, American football linebacker (First-team All-Pro & NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1995; Pro Bowl 1994–97; GB Packers, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings), born in Jefferson, Iowa
1968 Eugene Volokh, American law professor
1968 Frank Woodley, Australian comedian
1968 Gareth Farr, New Zealand percussionist, and composer (From the Depths Sound the Great Sea Gongs; Chemin des Dames), born in Wellington, New Zealand
1968 Gonzalo Lira, Chilean-American novelist
1968 Naoko Iijima, Japanese actress
1972 Antonio Sabato Jr, actor (Jagger Cates-General Hospital)
1972 Dave Williams, American rock singer (Drowning Pool), born in White Plains, New York (d. 2002)
1972 Johnny Rabb, American drummer (Collective Soul, 2012-present), and 1st to hit over 1,000 beats in 60 seconds, born in Fairfax, Virginia

Pedro Sánchez (52 years old)

1972 Spanish economist and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (2018-), born in Madrid, Spain

Ja Rule (48 years old)

1976 American rapper (Between Me and You, Always on Time) and actor, born in New York City

1976 Katalin Kovács, Hungarian canoeist (Olympic gold K-2 500m 2004, 2008; K-4 500m 2012; 30 x gold ICF Canoe Sprint World C'ships), born in Budapest, Hungary
1980 Chris Conley, American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist (Saves the Day), born in Princeton. New Jersey
1980 Clinton Toopi, New Zealand rugby league centre (22 Tests; Auckland Warriors, Leeds Rhinos), born in Stratford, New Zealand
1980 Simon Gagné, Canadian ice hockey left wing (Winter Olympics gold 2002; World Cup gold 2004; NHL All Star 2001, 2007; Philadelphia Flyers), born in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada
1980 Taylor Twellman, American soccer forward (30 caps; New England Revolution), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
1984 Cam Ward, Canadian ice hockey goalie (Stanley Cup 2006, Carolina Hurricanes; Conn Smythe Trophy 2006; NHL All Star 2011; World C'ship gold 2007), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
1984 Cullen Jones, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m freestyle 2008; 4x100m medley relay 2012), born in New York City
1988 Joel Kim Booster. American comedian, actor and writer (Fire Island), born in Jeju Island, South Korea