Famous people born on April 7th
April 7 has produced an unusually wide-ranging roster of creators, public thinkers, and performers whose work spans literature, music, film, politics, journalism, and science. From Romantic poetry and social philosophy to modern cinema and global pop culture, the date reflects both enduring classics and boundary-pushing innovation. It is a birthday lineup that connects the page, the screen, the stage, and the public square.
Notable highlights
- William Wordsworth (1770) - A central voice of English Romanticism whose nature-focused verse helped redefine poetry for the modern era.
- Francis Ford Coppola (1939) - A New Hollywood architect who reshaped American filmmaking with epic, character-driven storytelling.
- Jackie Chan (1954) - A global action-comedy star celebrated for integrating stunt work, physical humor, and meticulous fight choreography.
- Billie Holiday (1915) - A transformative jazz singer known for emotional phrasing and songs that became cultural touchstones.
- Gabriela Mistral (1889) - Nobel Prize-winning poet and educator whose work expanded the international reach of Latin American literature.
- Russell Crowe (1964) - An actor recognized for intense, grounded performances across historical epics and contemporary dramas.
- David Frost (1939) - A pioneering TV interviewer whose long-form conversations made political and cultural news feel immediate.
- Bob Metcalfe (1946) - An engineer and entrepreneur closely associated with Ethernet, a foundational technology of modern networking.
- Ravi Shankar (1920) - A sitar virtuoso who brought Indian classical music to vast new audiences through collaborations and landmark concerts.
- Jerry Brown (1938) - A long-serving American political figure known for policy experimentation and a distinctive, independent public style.
On this day
- 1795 - France adopts the metric system, accelerating the spread of standardized measurement.
- 1948 - The World Health Organization is established, and the date later becomes observed as World Health Day.
- 1969 - The Internet's precursor ARPANET begins taking shape as networked computing research expands in the United States.
- 1994 - The Rwandan genocide begins following the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana.