On this day · Capricorn

January 17 birthdays

338 notable historical figures were born on January 17, and 200 died on this day. Everyone born on January 17 is a Capricorn.

20% of January 17 birthdays work in Politics, more than any other field. More come from United States (74) than any other country.

Born on January 17

• Muhammad Ali (1942 to 2016. American boxer and activist (1942–2016))
• Jim Carrey (born 1962. Canadian and American actor (born 1962))
• Benjamin Franklin (1706 to 1790. American Founding Father and polymath (1706–1790))
• Michelle Obama (born 1964. First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017)
• Pietro Parolin (born 1955. Italian Catholic cardinal (born 1955))
• David Lloyd George (1863 to 1945. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922)
• Al Capone (1899 to 1947. American gangster and businessman (1899–1947))
• Anne Brontë (1820 to 1849. English novelist and poet (1820–1849))
• Genndy Tartakovsky (born 1970. Russian and American animator (born 1970))
• Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952 to 2023. Japanese composer (1952–2023))
• Krishnadevaraya (1471 to 1529. Emperor of Vijayanagara from 1509 to 1529)
• Emperor Norton (1811 to 1880. Self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States (1818–1880))
• Betty White (1922 to 2021. American actress and comedian (1922–2021))
• Stanisław II August (1732 to 1798. Ruler of Poland–Lithuania from 1764 to 1795)
• Katalin Karikó (born 1955. Hungarian-American biochemist (born 1955))
• Pope Pius V (1504 to 1572. Head of the Catholic Church from 1566 to 1572)
• Sheree North (1932 to 2005. American actress, dancer, and singer (1932–2005))
• Alain Badiou (born 1937. French philosopher (born 1937))
• Douglas Hyde (1860 to 1949. President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945)
• Nevil Shute (1899 to 1960. English novelist (1899–1960))
• José María Balcázar (born 1943. President of Peru since 2026)
• Philip the Bold (1342 to 1404. Duke of Burgundy from 1363 to 1404)
• Tabaré Vázquez (1940 to 2020. President of Uruguay (2005–2010; 2015–2020))
• Sandra Mason (born 1949. President of Barbados from 2021 to 2025)
• Anton Chekhov (1860 to 1904. Russian dramatist and author (1860–1904))
• David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (1871 to 1936. Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet (1871–1936))
• Carlos A. Giménez (born 1954. Cuban-American politician (born 1954))
• Nicolae Iorga (1871 to 1940. Romanian politician (1871–1940))
• Frederick III, Elector of Saxony (1463 to 1525. Elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525)
• D. R. Kaprekar (1905 to 1986. Indian recreational mathematician (1905–1986))
• 1st Duke of Suffolk (1517 to 1554. English nobleman)
• René Préval (1943 to 2017. President of Haiti (1996–2001, 2006–2011))
• Tatyana Yumasheva (born 1960. Russian politician (born 1960))
• Mao Xinyu (born 1970. Grandson of Mao Zedong)
• Robert Fludd (1574 to 1637. English mathematician and astrologer (1574–1637))
• Damian Green (born 1956. British politician (born 1956))
• Lukas Moodysson (born 1969. Swedish writer and film director)
• Elisbath Franziska of Austria (1831 to 1903. Austrian archduchess (1831–1903))
• Mohammad Shtayyeh (born 1958. Palestinian politician, academic and economist (born 1958))
• Mircea Snegur (1940 to 2023. President of Moldova from 1990 to 1997)
• Eartha Kitt (1927 to 2008. American singer and actress (1927–2008))
• Gyude Bryant (1949 to 2014. Head of state of Liberia from 2003 to 2006)
• Davíð Oddsson (1948 to 2026. Icelandic politician (1948–2026))
• Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870 to 1899. Princess of Bulgaria from 1893 to 1899)
• Antonio del Pollaiuolo (1429 to 1498. Italian painter, sculptor, and engraver (d. 1498))
• Paula Carrasco (born 1994. Chilean basketball player)
• James Earl Jones (1931 to 2024. American actor (1931–2024))
• Derek Hatton (born 1948. British politician (born 1948))
• Duane Hanson (1925 to 1996. American sculptor (1925–1996))
• Dan Tolkowsky (1921 to 2025. Israeli Air Force major general (1921–2025))
• Manasseh Sogavare (born 1955. Former Prime Minister of Solomon Islands)
• G. M. Syed (1904 to 1995. Pakistani politician (1904–1995))
• Charles Brockden Brown (1771 to 1810. American novelist, historian and editor)
• Leonhart Fuchs (1501 to 1566. German physician and botanist (1501–1566))
• André Rigaud (1761 to 1811. Haitian military leader (1761–1811))
• Dwyane Wade (born 1982. American basketball player (born 1982))
• Nikolay Pavlovich Ignatyev (1832 to 1908. Russian statesman and diplomat (1832–1908))
• Elizabeth Hay, Countess of Erroll (1801 to 1856. British aristocrat (1801–1856))
• Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily (1779 to 1849. Queen of Sardinia from 1821 to 1831)
• Ronald Firbank (1886 to 1926. English novelist (1886–1926))

Died on January 17

• Bobby Fischer (1943 to 2008. American chess grandmaster (1943–2008))
• Patrice Lumumba (1925 to 1961. Congolese politician and independence leader (1925–1961))
• Rutherford B. Hayes (1822 to 1893. President of the United States from 1877 to 1881)
• Theodosius I (347 to 395. Roman emperor from 379 to 395)
• Gjergj Kastrioti (1405 to 1468. Albanian warlord and military commander (1405–1468))
• Olav V (1903 to 1991. King of Norway from 1957 to 1991)
• Francis Galton (1822 to 1911. British eugenist, polymath, and behavioural geneticist (1822–1911))
• Mary Oliver (1935 to 2019. American poet (1935–2019))
• Barbara Jordan (1936 to 1996. American politician, lawyer, and educator (1936–1996))
• Amha Selassie (1916 to 1997. Emperor-in-exile of Ethiopia (1916–1997))
• Pyotr Krasnov (1869 to 1947. Russian Cossack general, historian and collaborator (1869–1947))
• Tomaso Albinoni (1671 to 1751. Italian composer (1671–1751))
• Camilo José Cela (1916 to 2002. Spanish novelist, poet, essayist (1916–2002))
• Sa'id of Egypt (1822 to 1863. Wāli of Egypt and Sudan (1822–1863))
• George Bancroft (1800 to 1891. American historian and statesman (1800–1891))
• Betty Smith (1896 to 1972. American playwright and novelist (1896–1972))
• Gustavo Rojas Pinilla (1900 to 1975. President of Colombia from 1953 to 1957)
• John Ray (1627 to 1705. British naturalist (1627–1705))
• Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat (1942 to 2025. 1st President of Mongolia from 1990 to 1997)
• Peter I of Cyprus (1328 to 1369. King of Cyprus from 1358 to 1369)
• Jyoti Prasad Agarwala (1903 to 1951. India writer and filmmaker (1903–1951))
• Tony Lloyd (1950 to 2024. British politician (1950–2024))
• Infanta Maria Teresa of Braganza (1793 to 1874. Princess of Beira)
• James Hood (1942 to 2013. African-American student at the University of Alabama (1942–2013))
• Andrei Shkuro (1887 to 1947. Russian lieutenant general (1887–1947))
• Giovanni Aldini (1762 to 1834. Italian physician and physicist (1762–1834))
• Albert Hourani (1915 to 1993. Lebanese-British historian (1915–1993))
• al-Mustansir I (1192 to 1242. 36th and Penultimate Abbasid Caliph (r. 1226–1242))
• Alice Auma (1956 to 2007. Ugandan Acholi spirit medium and revolutionary (1956–2007))
• Frederic W. H. Myers (1843 to 1901. English poet and essayist (1843–1901))

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