National Hugging Day in the US;
Saint Agnes' Eve everywhere.
Births:
1338 -- Charles V (the Wise) king of France (1364-80)
1571 -- John I Pontanus physicist/historian (Amsterdam)
1659 -- Adriaen van der Werff Dutch portrait painter/engraver/architect
1735 -- Johann Gottfried Eckard composer
1743 -- John Fitch inventor (had a working steamboat years before Fulton)
1751 -- Josephus Andreas Fodor composer
1759 -- Johan Valckenaer Dutch politician/patriot
1762 -- Giuseppe Antonio Silvani composer
1771 -- Arnold A Buyskes Dutch Vice-Admiral/colonial director
1775 -- Manuel Garcia composer
1796 -- John Gelinde van Blom Frisian notary/author
1801 -- Ramon Vilanova y Barrera composer
1813 -- John C Frémont Pathfinder, map maker/explorer (western US)/Governor (AZ)
1814 -- Thomas Attwood Walmisley composer
1815 -- Horace Wells dentist (pioneered use of medical anesthesia)
1821 -- John Cabell Breckinridge (D) 14th US Vice Pressident (1857-61)/Major-General (Confederacy)
1823 -- Alexandre Edouard Goria composer
1824 -- Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson Lt-General 2nd Corps (ANV, Confederacy)
1829 -- Oscar II Frederik King of Sweden (1872-1907)/Norway (-1905)/poet
1833 -- Norman Willis union leader (Britain's Trades Union Congress)
1840 -- Sophia Louisa Jex-Blake pioneer English woman physician
1848 -- Henri Duparc French composer
1855 -- John M Browning US, weapons manufacturer
1859 -- Antoni Wincenty Rutkowski composer
1865 -- Heinrich E Albers-Schönberg German röntgenologist (German what?)
1867 -- James Marcus actor (Eagle, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Lone Avenger)
1867 -- Maxime Weygand French General/Governor-General (Algeria)
1875 -- John Lindworsky German jesuit/psychologist (Der Wille)
1878 -- Egon Friedell Austria, journalist/actor/writer (Der Partylowe)
1883 -- Olav Aukrust Norway, poet
1884 -- Katie Sandwina Germany, legendary woman weight-lifter
1884 -- Roger Nash Baldwin founder of American Civil Liberties Union
1885 -- Umberto Nobile Italian General
1887 -- Alfred Henry Ackley composer
1887 -- Wolfgang Köhler German/US Gestalt psychologist (Mentality of Apes)
1889 -- Pitirim A Sorokin Russian/US sociologist (Social mobility)
1891 -- Francisco Lazaro Portuguese runner
1891 -- Nikolay Semyonovich Golovanov composer
1891 -- Timothy Mather Spelman composer
1897 -- J Carrol Naish New York City NY, actor (Charlie Chan - Adventures of Charlie Chan)
1898 -- John George Syria, actor (Kolb - Adventures of Fu Manchu)
1898 -- Avery Claflin composer
1904 -- Richard P Blackmur Massachusetts, critic/poet (Anni Mirabiles, Good European)
1904 -- Joseph Ford McGuinn Brooklyn NY, actor (Dick Tracy's G-Men)
1905 -- Christian Dior Normandy France, fashion designer (long-skirted look)
1906 -- John Putz journalist
1908 -- Bengt Strömgren Göteborg Sweden, astrophysicist (studied gas cloud)
1909 -- Todor Skalovski composer
1910 -- Patsy Kelly Brooklyn NY, actress (Cowboy & the Lady)
1912 -- Konrad Bloch Germany, biochemist (studied cholesterol-Nobel prize 1964)
1915 -- Alan Hewitt New York City NY, actor (Detective Brennan-My Favorite Martian)
1917 -- Rohan Butler historian
1918 -- Geoffrey Dawes physiologist
1919 -- Jinx Falkenburg Barcelona Spain, actress (Masquerade Party)
1920 -- Donald Cuthbert Coleman economic historian
1920 -- Errol Walton Barrow PM of Barbados
1921 -- Todor Popov composer
1922 -- Jean P Vroom Dutch sculptor
1923 -- Judith Merril Josephine Juliet Grossman, sci-fi writer
1924 -- Benny Hill Southampton England, comedian (Benny Hill Show)
1924 -- Telly Savalas Garden City NJ, actor (Acapulco, Kojak)
1930 -- Valentin Ignatyevich Filatyev Russia, cosmonaut
1933 -- William Wrigley III chewing gum mogul (Wrigleys)
1939 -- Wolfman Jack , Brooklyn NY, DJ (Midnight Special)
1940 -- Jack Nicklaus Columbus OH, golfer (Player of Year 1967,72,73,75,76)
1941 -- Placido Domingo Madrid Spain, opera tenor (Pinkerton-Madame Butterfly)
1941 -- Richie Havens Brooklyn NY, folk singer
1941 -- Edwin Starr Charles Hatcher, US singer (War)
1942 -- Mac Davis Lubbock TX, singer/actor (Mac Davis Show, North Dallas 40)
1945 -- Chris Britton rocker (Troggs-Rock & Roll Goldmine)
1946 -- Vincent Placoly Martinique, writer (L'eau-de-mort guildive)
1947 -- Jill Eikenberry New Haven CT, actress (Ann Kelsey-LA Law, Manhattan Project)
1947 -- Jimmy Ibbotson Penn, country singer (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
1950 -- Billy Ocean Leslie S Charles, Trinidad, singer (Suddenly, Caribbean Queen)
1950 -- Joseph R Tanner Danville IL, astronaut (STS 66, 82, sk 97)
1950 -- Richie Ranno rocker
1955 -- Peter Fleming New Jersey, tennis player (US Open Doubles 1979, 81, 83)
1957 -- Geena (Virginia) Davis Wareham MA, actress (Beetlejuice, The Fly)
1957 -- Shaukat Dukanwala cricketer (Baroda off-spinner, UAE World Cup 1996)
1961 -- Sherry Ramsay Stauton VA, actress (Trish Mason-As the World Turns)
1961 -- Gabrielle Carteris Phoenix AZ, actress (Andrea-Beverly Hills 90210)
1963 -- Detlef Schrempf Germany, NBA forward (Mavericks, Pacers, Supersonics)
1963 -- Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon Nigeria, NBA center (Rockets, Olympics-gold-96)
1963 -- Jessie Hester NFL player (St Louis Rams)
1965 -- Tania Abitbol Madrid Spain, LPGA golfer (1994 US Women's Open-4th)
1967 -- Ulf Stenlund Sweden, tennis star
1968 -- Charlotte Ross Chicago, actress (Eve-Days of Our Lives)
1972 -- Shelley Looney ice hockey forward (USA, Olympics-98)
1976 -- Emma Lee Bunton "Baby Spice", Finchley London, vocalist (Spice Girls)
1980 -- Aubrie Rippner Los Angeles CA, tennis star (1995 USTA National Girls 18)
1980 -- Truffle (noder).