Famous people born on June 24th
June 24 brings together an unusually wide-ranging set of birthday figures, spanning pioneering writers, game-changing musicians, world-class athletes, and influential public servants. The date mixes cultural innovators with thinkers who shaped economics, law, and science. From the page to the pitch to the laboratory, these lives show how many different kinds of impact can share a single calendar day.
Notable highlights
- Lionel Messi (1987) - Widely regarded as one of football's greatest, he combined record-setting scoring with elite playmaking and a trophy-laden career at club and international level.
- Philip Roth (1943) - A major American novelist whose sharp, often controversial explorations of identity and desire helped define postwar literary realism.
- Ambrose Bierce (1842) - Known for biting satire and "The Devil's Dictionary", his dark wit and Civil War stories left a lasting mark on American letters.
- Jeff Beck (1944) - A virtuoso guitarist celebrated for constantly reinventing his sound, from blues-rock roots to forward-looking fusion and instrumental experimentation.
- Mick Fleetwood (1942) - As Fleetwood Mac's co-founder and drummer, he anchored one of rock's most enduring bands through multiple eras and lineups.
- Terry Riley (1935) - A minimalist pioneer whose repeating patterns and improvisational approach influenced generations of contemporary and electronic musicians.
- Jack Dempsey (1895) - The "Manassa Mauler" became a boxing icon of the 1920s, helping turn heavyweight bouts into major mass-media spectacles.
- Victor Francis Hess (1883) - Nobel-winning physicist whose balloon experiments revealed cosmic rays, transforming understanding of radiation from beyond Earth.
- Robert Reich (1946) - Influential economist and former U.S. Labor Secretary known for making debates on inequality, wages, and work accessible to a wide public.
- Henry Ward Beecher (1813) - A famed 19th-century clergyman and orator whose sermons and activism shaped U.S. social reform debates, including antislavery advocacy.
On this day
- 1509 - Henry VIII is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey, beginning a reign that reshaped English politics and religion.
- 1793 - The first republican constitution of France (the Constitution of 1793) is adopted during the French Revolution.
- 1859 - The Battle of Solferino is fought, inspiring Henri Dunant's humanitarian efforts and leading to the creation of the Red Cross movement.
- 1948 - The Berlin Blockade begins as the Soviet Union cuts off land routes to West Berlin, prompting the Allied Berlin Airlift.
- 2010 - Julia Gillard becomes Prime Minister of Australia, the country's first woman to hold the office.