On this day · Leo

August 21 birthdays

280 notable historical figures were born on August 21, and 164 died on this day. Everyone born on August 21 is a Leo.

17% of August 21 birthdays work in Science, more than any other field. More come from United States (76) than any other country.

Born on August 21

• Usain Bolt (born 1986. Jamaican sprinter (born 1986))
• Robert Lewandowski (born 1988. Polish footballer (born 1988))
• Scott Bessent (born 1962. American businessman and government official (born 1962))
• Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930 to 2002. British princess (1930–2002))
• William IV (1765 to 1837. King of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1837)
• Stephen Hillenburg (1961 to 2018. American animator and educator (1961–2018))
• Sergey Brin (born 1973. American computer scientist (born 1973))
• Paetongtarn Shinawatra (born 1986. Prime Minister of Thailand from 2024 to 2025)
• Mohammed VI of Morocco (born 1963. King of Morocco since 1999)
• Bo Burnham (born 1990. American comedian and musician (born 1990))
• Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (1858 to 1889. Heir to the Austrian throne (1858–1889))
• Philip II (1165 to 1223. King of France from 1180 to 1223)
• John Carmack (born 1970. American computer programmer and video game developer (born 1970))
• Craig Counsell (born 1970. American baseball player and manager (born 1970))
• Thomas S. Monson (1927 to 2018. President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (1927–2018))
• Theyazin bin Haitham (born 1990. Crown Prince of Oman (born 1990))
• Ismat Chughtai (1911 to 1991. Indian writer and filmmaker (1915–1991))
• Lili Boulanger (1893 to 1918. French composer (1893–1918))
• Donald Dewar (1937 to 2000. First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2000)
• James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick (1670 to 1734. French-English army officer (1670–1734))
• Afonso VI (1643 to 1683. King of Portugal from 1656 to 1683)
• Wilhelm Ostwald (1853 to 1932. German chemist and philosopher (1853–1932))
• Wilt Chamberlain (1936 to 1999. American basketball player (1936–1999))
• Festus Mogae (1939 to 2026. President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008)
• Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725 to 1805. French painter (1725–1805))
• William Murdoch (1754 to 1839. Scottish engineer and inventor (1754–1839))
• Brad Thor (born 1969. American thriller novelist)
• Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (born 1996. Stateside Puerto Rican hurdler (born 1996))
• Lindsey Davis (born 1949. English novelist)
• Robert Stone (novelist) (1937 to 2015. American writer (1937 – 2015))
• Steve Alten (born 1959. American science-fiction author)
• Kenny Rogers (1938 to 2020. American country singer (1938–2020))
• Asher Brown Durand (1796 to 1886. American painter (1796–1886))
• Sabina Berman (born 1955. Mexican poet, playwright and film director)
• ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni (1540 to 1615. Indian writer, historian, and translator (1540–1615))
• Perry Christie (born 1943. Bahamian politician (born 1943))
• Hayden Panettiere (born 1989. American actress (born 1989))
• Sharon M. Draper (born 1948. American author and educator (born 1948))
• Gustavo Noboa (1937 to 2021. President of Ecuador from 2000 to 2003)
• Endre Szemerédi (born 1940. Hungarian-American mathematician)
• John L. Hall (born 1934. American physicist (born 1934))
• Giorgi Kvinitadze (1874 to 1970. Georgian military commander)
• Joshua Hassan (1915 to 1997. Gibraltarian politician & 1st and 3rd Chief Minister and 1st Mayor of Gibraltar)
• Ahmad al-Ghashmi (1941 to 1978. President of North Yemen from 1977 to 1978)
• Hélène van Zuylen (1863 to 1947. French socialite, author, auto racing pioneer)
• L. Rafael Reif (born 1950. Venezuela American academic administrator (born 1950))
• Parhez Banu Begum (1611 to 1675. Mughal princess (1611–1675))
• Jiří Paroubek (born 1952. Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (2005–2006))
• Ashley Chin (born 1982. Musical artist)
• Shawn Bratton (born 1968. U.S. Space Force general officer)
• Dondi E. Costin (born 1964. American pastor, U.S. Air Force major general, and Liberty university president)
• Ivan Stang (born 1954. American writer (born 1953))
• Alexander Chee (born 1967. American writer (born 1967))
• Serj Tankian (born 1967. Armenian-American singer (born 1967))
• Aja Monet (born 1987. American contemporary poet and activist)
• Sachiko Eto (1947 to 2012. Japanese serial killer and cult leader)
• Prince Günther Victor (1852 to 1925. Prince of Schwarzburg)
• Andrés Manuel López Beltrán (born 1986. Mexican politician (born 1986))
• Tobias Furneaux (1735 to 1781. 18th-century English navigator and explorer)
• X. J. Kennedy (1929 to 2026. American poet (1929–2026))

Died on August 21

• Leon Trotsky (1879 to 1940. Soviet politician and revolutionary (1879–1940))
• Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910 to 1995. Indian-American physicist (1910–1995))
• Xianfeng Emperor (1831 to 1861. Emperor of China from 1850 to 1861)
• Sobhuza II (1899 to 1982. King of Swaziland from 1899 to 1982)
• Baldwin II of Jerusalem (1060 to 1131. King of Jerusalem from 1118 to 1131)
• Robert Moog (1934 to 2005. American electronic music pioneer (1934–2005))
• James Wilson (Founding Father) (1742 to 1798. Founding Father of the United States (1742–1798))
• Alfonso VII (1105 to 1157. King of León, Castile, and Galicia from 1126 to 1157)
• Ugyen Wangchuck (1862 to 1926. King of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926)
• Sophia Magdalena of Denmark (1746 to 1813. Queen of Sweden from 1771 to 1792)
• Benjamin Thompson (1753 to 1814. British military officer, scientist and inventor)
• Dimitrie Cantemir (1674 to 1723. Moldavian statesman and prince (1673–1723))
• William Thurston (1946 to 2012. American mathematician (1946–2012))
• Claude-Louis Navier (1785 to 1836. French engineer and physicist (1785–1836))
• Juan Álvarez (1790 to 1867. President of Mexico in 1855)
• Al-Muktafi (875 to 908. 17th Abbasid Caliph (r. 902–908))
• Nico Diederichs (1903 to 1978. President of South Africa from 1975 to 1978)
• Emperor Kōbun (648 to 672. Emperor of Japan in 672)
• Gheorghe Apostol (1913 to 2010. Romanian politician (1913–2010))
• Aladdin al-Droubi (1870 to 1920. Syrian politician)
• Qurratulain Hyder (1927 to 2007. Indian Urdu writer (1928-2007))
• Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan (1655 to 1693. Irish army officer)
• Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari (1892 to 1961. Islamic scholar (1892–1961))
• Alphonse, Count of Poitou and Toulouse (1220 to 1271. 13th-century French nobleman)
• Constant Lambert (1905 to 1951. British composer and ballet director (1905–1951))
• Misael Pastrana Borrero (1923 to 1997. Colombian lawyer and politician (1923–1997))
• Yitzhak Sadeh (1890 to 1952. Israeli general (1890–1952))
• Kiyonao Ichiki (1892 to 1942. Japanese general)
• Alexander of Hales (1175 to 1245. English theologian and philosopher (c.1185–1245))
• George Cabot Lodge (1873 to 1909. American poet (1873–1909))

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