Famous people born on August 25th
August 25 brings together an unusually wide-ranging set of birthdays, spanning stage and screen icons, boundary-pushing writers, and influential figures in politics and public life. The date also stands out for musicians and composers who helped define whole eras of sound, alongside athletes and models who broke new ground in their fields. Across centuries, August 25 births reflect both popular culture star power and lasting historical impact.
Notable highlights
- Sean Connery (1930) - The original James Bond whose blend of charisma and grit reshaped the modern spy hero.
- Tim Burton (1958) - A director with a signature gothic-fantastical style that made “Burtonesque” a genre unto itself.
- Leonard Bernstein (1918) - Composer-conductor who bridged Broadway and the concert hall, expanding audiences for classical music.
- Althea Gibson (1927) - A barrier-breaking tennis champion whose victories helped open elite sports to greater inclusion.
- Wayne Shorter (1933) - Jazz saxophonist and composer whose adventurous writing influenced generations from bebop to fusion.
- Taslima Nasrin (1962) - Writer and outspoken secular feminist whose work sparked global debate on freedom of expression.
- George C. Wallace (1919) - Alabama governor whose career became a central, controversial thread in U.S. civil-rights era politics.
- Blake Lively (1987) - Actress and producer who transitioned from teen television fame to varied film roles and entrepreneurship.
- Elvis Costello (1954) - Songwriter celebrated for sharp lyricism and for crossing punk, pop, soul, and orchestral collaboration.
- Allan Pinkerton (1819) - Founder of the Pinkerton Agency, a pioneering force in private detective work and security.
On this day
- 1530 - Ivan IV, later known as Ivan the Terrible, is born, eventually becoming the first ruler crowned Tsar of Russia.
- 1718 - French settlers found New Orleans, which grows into a major cultural and economic hub of the Gulf Coast.
- 1825 - Uruguay declares independence from Brazil, a key step in the region’s 19th-century nation-building.
- 1944 - Paris is liberated from German occupation during World War II, marking a pivotal moment in the liberation of France.
- 1989 - Voyager 2 makes its closest approach to Neptune, delivering humanity’s first detailed images of the distant planet.