Famous people born on April 26th
April 26 stands out for an unusually wide range of influential voices, from ancient-statecraft and foundational philosophy to world-changing drama, cinema, and modern technology. The date brings together thinkers who shaped how we reason, artists who redefined storytelling, and performers who became global icons. It is also a day linked to innovators whose work helped measure and map the modern world.
Notable highlights
- William Shakespeare (1564) - The Stratford-born playwright whose tragedies, comedies, and histories became the backbone of English-language theater.
- Marcus Aurelius (121) - Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, remembered for Meditations and a reign tested by war and plague.
- Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889) - A defining figure in analytic philosophy, transforming debates on language, meaning, and logic from the Tractatus to later work.
- Jet Li (1963) - Martial-arts superstar who brought wushu precision to international action cinema through hits like Hero and Lethal Weapon 4.
- Charles Francis Richter (1900) - Co-developer of the Richter magnitude scale, which became a shorthand for describing earthquake size worldwide.
- Marc Andreessen (1971) - Co-author of Mosaic and later a major tech investor, helping push the early web into mainstream use.
- Carol Burnett (1933) - Variety and sketch-comedy trailblazer whose long-running TV show set a standard for ensemble comedy.
- Ma Rainey (1886) - The "Mother of the Blues", whose recordings helped define classic blues style and its stage presence.
- Eugene Delacroix (1798) - French Romantic painter celebrated for dynamic color and movement, including the iconic Liberty Leading the People.
- Channing Tatum (1980) - Actor and producer who moved from dance-driven breakout roles to blockbuster franchises and comedy-dramas.
On this day
- 1865 - John Wilkes Booth is killed in Virginia, ending the manhunt after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
- 1937 - The Spanish town of Guernica is bombed during the Spanish Civil War, later inspiring Picasso's famous painting.
- 1986 - The Chernobyl nuclear disaster begins in Ukraine, becoming one of history's most consequential nuclear accidents.
- 1994 - South Africa holds the first day of its first multiracial democratic elections, marking the end of apartheid-era rule.