(a milestone in the history)

born on May 2nd
1360 - Yongle (Nanjing, CHINA) - Emperor of China (d. 1424)
1437 - Filippo Buonaccorsi (Callimachus) (San Gimignano, Siena, ITALY) - Italian then Polish humanist (d. 1496)
1451 - René II (Angers, FRANCE) - Duke of Lorraine (d. 1508)
1551 - William Camden (London, UNITED KINGDOM) - English historian (d. 1623)
1601 - Athanasius Kircher (Geisa, GERMANY) - German Jesuit scholar (d. 1680)
1660 - Alessandro Scarlatti (Palermo, ITALY) - composer (d. 1725)
1695 - Jean-Nicolas Servan (Florence, ITALY) - French architect and painter (d. 1766)
1702 - Friedrich Christoph Oetinger (Göppingen, GERMANY) - German theologian (d. 1782)
1729 - Catherine II (Stettin, PRUSSIA, now POLAND) - Russian empress (d. 1796)
1740 - Elias Boudinot (Philadelphia, USA) - patriot and philanthropist (d. 1821)
1754 - Vicente Martín y Soler (Valencia, SPAIN) - composer (d. 1896)
1772 - Novalis (Friedrich Leopold Freiherr von Hardenberg) (Wiederstedt, GERMANY) - poet (d. 1801)
1773 - Henrik Steffens (Stavanger, NORWAY) - German-Norwegian phylosopher (d. 1845)
1791 - Atanasio Girardot (San Jerónimo, COLOMBIA) - Colombian patriot (d. 1813)
1802 - Heinrich Gustav Magnus (Berlin, GERMANY) - German chemist and phisician (d. 1870)
1810 - Hans Christian Lumbye (Copenhagen, DENMARK) - Danish composer (d. 1874)
1828 - Désiré Charnay (Fleurie, FRANCE) - archaeologist (d. 1915)
1843 - Carl Michael Ziehrer (Vienna, AUSTRIA) - composer (d. 1922)
1853 - Antonio Maura (Palma de Mallorca, SPAIN) - Spanish statesman (d. 1925)
1859 - Jerome K. Jerome (Walsall, UNITED KINGDOM) - writer (d. 1927)
1860 - Theodor Herzl (Budapest, HUNGARY) - Zionist leader (d. 1904)
1865 - Clyde Fitch (Elmira, NY, USA) - American playwright (d. 1909)
1869 - Tyrone Power sr. (London, UNITED KINGDOM) - actor (d. 1931)
1873 - Salvatore Francesco Sini (Sarule, Nuoro, Italy) - lawyer and author of the lyrics of No Potho Reposare (d.. 1954)
1884 - Elijah McCoy (Colchester, Ontario, CANADA) - inventor (d. 1929)
1885 - Hedda Hopper (Hollidayburg, PA, USA) - gossip columnist, journalist, actress (d. 1966)
1886 - Gottfried Benn (Mansfeld, Pregnitz, GERMANY) - lyricist, dramatist, narrator and essayist (d. 1956)
1887 - Vernon Castle (Vernon BLYTHE) (Norwich, UNITED KINGDOM) - dancer (d. 1918)
1887 - Eddie Collins (Millerton, MI, USA) - baseball player (d. 1951)
1890 - E. E. Smith (Edward Elmer SMITH) (Sheboygan, WISCONSIN, USA) - science fiction writer (d. 1965)
1892 - Manfred Von Richtofen (Breslau, GERMANY, now POLAND) - "Red Baron" pilot "ace of aces" (d. 1918)
1894 - Mariano Montes Mora (Portillo de Toledo, SPAIN) - Spanish torero (d. 1926)
1895 - Lorenz Hart (New York, USA) lyricist (d. 1943)
1897 - Gregorio Prieto (Valdepeñas, SPAIN) - Spanish painter (d. 1992)
1903 - Benjamin McLane Spock (New Haven, CT, USA) - pediatrist (d. 1998)
1904 - Bing Crosby (Harry Lills) (Tacoma, WA, USA) - actor, singer (d. 1977)
1906 - Aileen Riggin Soule (Newport, RI, USA) - US swimmer (d. 2002)
1907 - Pinky Lee (Pincus Leff) (St. Paul, PA, USA) vaudeville performer, children's television host (d. 1993)
1910 - Alexander Bonnyman (Atlanta, GA, USA) - U.S. Marine (d. 1943)
1910 - Maksim Munzuk (Mezhegyei, Tyva, RUSSIA) - actor (in Dersu Uzala by Akira Kurosawa) (d. 1999)
1912 - Axel Cäsar Springer (Hamburg-Altona, GERMANY) - publisher (d. 1985)
1913 - Nigel Patrick (London, UNITED KINGDOM) actor (d. 1981)
1915 - Doris Fisher (New York City, USA) songwriter (d. 2003)
1919 - Miguel Siguan Soler (Barcelona, SPAIN) - Spanish psychologist and researcher (d. 2010)
1920 - Jean-Marie Auberson (Chavornay, SWITZERLAND) - Swiss conductor (d. 2004)
1921 - Satyajit Ray (Calcutta, INDIA) Indian director (d. 1992)
1922 - Serge Reggiani (Reggio Emilia, ITALY) - French actor and singer (d. 2004)
1922 - A.M. (Abraham Michael) Rosenthal (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, CANADA) - Canadian-born newspaper editor (d. 2006)
1923 - Patrick John Hillery (Milltown Malbay, IRELAND) - Irish statesman and physician (d. 2008)
1924 - Theodore Bikel (Vienna, AUSTRIA) actor, singer (d. 2015)
1925 - Roscoe Lee Browne (Woodbury, New Jersey, USA) - actor (d. 2007)
1925 - John Neville (London, UNITED KINGDOM) - British theater actor and art director (d. 2011)
1927 - Frederick Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr (Dunn, North Carolina, USA) - guitarist (d. 2005)
1929 - Edouard Balladur (Izmir, TURKEY) - former French prime Minister
1930 - Giacinto Pannella (a.k.a. Marco) (Teramo, ITALY) - Italian political leader (d. 2016)
1935 - Luis Suarez (La Coruña - SPAIN) - Spanish footballer, then trainer (d. 2023)
1935 - Faisal II (Baghdad, IRAQ) - last king of Iraq (d. 1958)
1935 - Lance LeGault (Chicago, IL, USA) - American actor (d. 2012)
1936 - Michael Rabin (Breslau, GERMANY, now POLAND) - American violinist (d. 1972)
1936 - Engelbert Humperdinck (Gerry DORSEY) (Madras, INDIA) - English singer
1937 - Lorenzo Music (Brooklyn, New York, USA) - writer, producer (d. 2001)
1938 - Moshoeshoe II (Thabang, BASUTOLAND now LESOTHO) - Paramount Chief then king of Lesotho (d. 1996)
1939 - Sumio Iijima (Saitama, JAPAN) - Japanese physicist
1941 - Franco Scoglio (Lipari, Messina, ITALY) - football trainer (d. 2005)
1942 - Jacques Rogge (Ghent, BELGIUM) - former International Olympic Committee president (2001-2013)
1945 - Bianca Jagger (Managua, NICARAGUA) - actress
1946 - David Suchet (London, UNITED KINGDOM) - actor
1946 - Lesley Gore (New York City, USA) - singer (d. 2015)
1947 - Giorgio Cagnotto (Turin, ITALY) - Italian diver
1948 - Jeannine Altmeyer (La Habra, CA, USA) - U.S. soprano of Swiss nationality
1948 - Larry Gatlin (Odessa, TX, USA) - American musician and songwriter
1949 - Alan Titchmarsh (Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire, ENGLAND) - gardener, TV presenter, writer
1950 - Lou Gramm (Lou Grammatico) (Rochester, NY, USA) - US singer (Foreigner)
1952 - Campbell McComas (Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA) - Australian impersonator (d. 2005)
1952 - Christine Baranski (Buffalo, NY, USA) - American actress
1953 - Valery Gergiev (Moscow, RUSSIA) - Russian-born conductor
1954 - Bianca Rossi (Ponzano Veneto, Treviso, ITALY) - Italian basketball player
1955 - Donatella Versace (Reggio Calabria, ITALY) - fashion designer
1956 - David Rhodes (London, UNITED KINGDOM) - English guitarist
1958 - Giuseppe Dossena (Milan, ITALY) - Italian footballer, then trainer
1959 - Zoé Valdés (La Habran, CUBA) - Cuban writer
1961 - Andrea Gaddini (Savona, ITALY) - myself
1961 - Steve James (Cannock, UNITED KINGDOM) -English snooker player
1961 - Stephen Daldry (Dorset, UNITED KINGDOM) - english director, actor and producer
1962 - Jimmy White (London, UNITED KINGDOM) - English snooker player
1962 - Ray Traylor aka The Big Boss Man (Marietta, GA, USA) - professional wrestler
1969 - Brian Lara (Cantaro, Santa Cruz, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO) Trinidadian cricketet
1971 - Erick Reyes, Peruvian urbanist
1972 - The Rock (Dwayne Douglas Johnson) (Hayward, CA, USA) - WWE professional wrestler turned actor
1975 - David Beckham (Leytonstone, London, UNITED KINGDOM) English footballer
1977 - Kalle Palander (Tornio, FINLAND) - Finnish skier
1978 - Steve Bays Canadian musician (Hot Hot Heat)
1979 - Roman Lyashenko (Murmansk, RUSSIA) - Russian hockey player
1980 - Francesco Facchinetti aka DJ Francesco (Milan, ITALY) - Italian musician
1980 - Troy Murphy (Morristown, NJ, USA) - American basketball player
1980 - Zat Knight (Solihull, UNITED KINGDOM) - English footballer
1982 - Lorie (Laure Pester) (Le Plessis-Bouchard, FRANCE) - French singer
1983 - Tina Maze (Slovenj Gradec, SLOVENIA) - Slovenian skier
1984 - Saulius Mikoliunas (Vilnius, LITHUANIA) - Lithuanian footballer
1984 - Rose Falcon (New York City, USA) actress, singer
1985 - Sarah Hughes (Manhasset, New York, USA) figure skating champion
1985 - Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV, USA) - American race car driver
1987 - Nana Kitade (Sapporo, JAPAN) - Japanese singer
2015 - Charlotte of Cambridge (London, UNITED KINGDOM) - British princess

Main events which happened on May 2nd
1519 - Leonardo da Vinci dies in Amboise (France)
1808 - A popular revolt against the French occupation breaks out in Madrid
1857 - The author Alfred de Musset dies in Paris (France)
1897 - Romeo Frezzi is killed by the police in a jail in Rome
1945 - The Soviet troops burst into Berlin
1982 - Falklands War: the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano is sunk, 322 people are killed.
2020 - The Kabyle smusician Idir (Hamid Cheriet) dies in Paris (born in 1949).

page created on: September 14th 2007 and last updated: July 9th, 2023