On this day · Taurus

May 16 birthdays

283 notable historical figures were born on May 16, and 177 died on this day. Everyone born on May 16 is a Taurus.

18% of May 16 birthdays work in Arts & Music, more than any other field. More come from United States (75) than any other country.

Born on May 16

• Janet Jackson (born 1966. American singer and songwriter (born 1966))
• Megan Fox (born 1986. American actress (born 1986))
• Pierce Brosnan (born 1953. Irish actor (born 1953))
• Henry Fonda (1905 to 1982. American actor (1905–1982))
• Andrzej Duda (born 1972. President of Poland from 2015 to 2025)
• Sacagawea (1788 to 1812. Native American explorer (c.1788 – 1812))
• Robert Fripp (born 1946. English musician (born 1946))
• Michael Kurilla (born 1966. Retired American general (b. 1966))
• Tamara de Lempicka (1898 to 1980. Polish painter (1894–1980))
• Adrienne Rich (1929 to 2012. American poet, essayist and feminist (1929–2012))
• Taejong (1367 to 1422. King of Joseon from 1400 to 1418)
• Levi P. Morton (1824 to 1920. Vice President of the United States from 1889 to 1893)
• Celâl Bayar (1883 to 1986. Turkish politician (1883–1986))
• John Conyers (1929 to 2019. American politician (1929–2019))
• Jack Morris (born 1955. American baseball pitcher (born 1955))
• Studs Terkel (1912 to 2008. American author, historian and broadcaster (1912–2008))
• Milutin Milanković (1879 to 1958. Serbian scientist and professor (1879–1958))
• Ephraim Katzir (1916 to 2009. President of Israel from 1973 to 1978)
• Emma Rothschild (born 1948. English historian (born 1948))
• Dawda Jawara (1924 to 2019. First president of the Gambia from 1970 to 1994)
• Edmund Kirby Smith (1824 to 1893. Confederate States Army general (1824–1893))
• al-Adid (1151 to 1171. Last Fatimid caliph (1160–1171) and imam)
• Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718 to 1799. Italian mathematician and philanthropist (1718–1799))
• Robert B. Wilson (born 1937. Economist and winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Economics)
• Nancy Roman (1925 to 2018. American astronomer (1925–2018))
• IU (born 1993. South Korean singer and actress (born 1993))
• Nicôle Lecky (born 1990. British actress)
• Roberto Iniesta (1962 to 2025. Musical artist)
• Yehiel De-Nur (1909 to 2001. Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor)
• Wendy C. Ortiz (born 1973. American writer, poet (born 1973))
• Margret Rey (1906 to 1996. Children's illustrator and writer (1906–1996))
• Ferdinand of Austria (1609 to 1641. Spanish and Portuguese prince (1609-1641))
• Juan Cortina (1824 to 1894. Mexican rancher, politician, outlaw and folk hero (1824–1894))
• Gheorghe Apostol (1913 to 2010. Romanian politician (1913–2010))
• Go Shiina (born 1974. Japanese composer (born 1974))
• Nathan Birnbaum (1864 to 1937. Austrian philosopher (1864–1937))
• Merton Miller (1923 to 2000. American economist and Nobel Laureate (1923–2000))
• Hobart R. Gay (1894 to 1983. United States Army general)
• Yu Xiaoguang (born 1981. Chinese canoeist, swimmer, composer and actor (born 1981))
• Sebastiano Baggio (1913 to 1993. Former Cardinal)
• Tucker Carlson (born 1969. American conservative political commentator (born 1969))
• John II of Cyprus (1418 to 1458. King of Cyprus from 1432 to 1458)
• Pierre Cuypers (1827 to 1921. Dutch architect)
• Prince Napoléon Lucien Charles Murat (1803 to 1878. Prince of Pontecorvo)
• Bruce Norris (born 1960. American dramatist)
• David Edward Hughes (1831 to 1900. British-American musician and inventor (1830–1900))
• Dafydd Williams (born 1954. Canadian astronaut, physician and public speaker (born 1954))
• Thérèse of France (1736 to 1744. French princess (1736–1744))
• Georg Bednorz (born 1950. German physicist (born 1950))
• Jónína Leósdóttir (born 1954. Icelandic writer (born 1954))
• Franklin Foer (born 1974. American journalist (born 1974))
• Krist Novoselic (born 1965. American rock musician (born 1965))
• John Robinson (bishop of Woolwich) (1919 to 1983. British biblical scholar, author and Anglican bishop (1919–1983))
• Hayes, Carlton J. H. (1882 to 1964. American historian)
• Alina Szapocznikow (1926 to 1973. Polish sculptor)
• Robert Dallek (born 1934. American historian (born 1934))
• Manton S. Eddy (1892 to 1962. United States Army general (1892–1962))
• Maximilian Voloshin (1877 to 1932. Russian poet (1901–1990))
• Tse Tsan-tai (1872 to 1938. Australian Chinese revolutionary (1872–1938))
• Grigor Dimitrov (born 1991. Bulgarian tennis player (born 1991))

Died on May 16

• Mehmed VI (1861 to 1926. Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1918 to 1922)
• I. M. Pei (1917 to 2019. Chinese-American architect (1917–2019))
• Bob Hawke (1929 to 2019. Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991)
• Joseph Fourier (1768 to 1830. French mathematician and physicist (1768–1830))
• Charles Perrault (1628 to 1703. French author (1628–1703))
• Mariana of Austria (1634 to 1696. Queen of Spain from 1649 to 1665)
• Levi P. Morton (1824 to 1920. Vice President of the United States from 1889 to 1893)
• Emperor Wu of Jin (236 to 290. Emperor of the Jin Dynasty from 266 to 290)
• Mily Balakirev (1836 to 1910. Russian composer and pianist (1837–1910))
• Saadia Gaon (882 to 942. 10th-century rabbi)
• Shah Begum (wife of Jahangir) (1570 to 1604. Chief consort of Mughal Emperor Jahangir)
• Modibo Keïta (1915 to 1977. First President of Mali from 1960 to 1968)
• Mary Douglas (1921 to 2007. British anthropologist (1921–2007))
• Emperor Suzong of Tang (711 to 762. Emperor of the Tang dynasty from 756 to 762)
• Frederick Gowland Hopkins (1861 to 1947. English biochemist (1861–1947))
• Pietro da Cortona (1596 to 1669. Italian painter and architect of the High Baroque (1596–1669))
• Louis Philippe, Crown Prince of Belgium (1833 to 1834. Heir apparent to Leopold I (1833–1834))
• Adham Khan (1531 to 1562. Mughal general (1531–1562))
• Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796 to 1862. English colonial theorist in Canada and New Zealand (1796–1862))
• Felicia Hemans (1793 to 1835. English poet (1793-1835))
• Andrew Bobola (1591 to 1657. Polish Catholic priest and saint (1591–1657))
• Grace Elliott (1754 to 1823. Scottish socialite, courtesan and memoirist)
• Liu Ji (1311 to 1375. Chinese philosopher and politician (1311–1375))
• Jim Henson (1936 to 1990. American puppeteer (1936–1990))
• Nicolae Rădescu (1874 to 1953. Romanian army officer and political figure (1874–1953))
• Jan Terlouw (1931 to 2025. Dutch politician, physicist and author (1931–2025))
• Ronnie James Dio (1942 to 2010. American heavy metal singer (1942–2010))
• Heinrich Rohrer (1933 to 2013. Swiss physicist (1933–2013))
• Ataga Khan (Mughal noble and general (died 1562))
• Casimir Pierre Périer (1777 to 1832. French statesman (1777–1832))

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