Famous people born on May 21st

May 21 gathers an unusually wide-ranging set of figures whose work spans art, literature, politics, science, and popular culture. The date links Renaissance craftsmanship with modern comedy, from courtly power to countercultural creativity. Together, these birthdays trace how ideas and styles travel across centuries, media, and continents.

Notable highlights

• Albrecht Durer (1471) - A Renaissance master who elevated printmaking with engravings that spread imagery and ideas across Europe.
• Alexander Pope (1688) - A defining voice of English satire whose heroic couplets shaped poetic style for generations.
• Philip II of Spain (1527) - Monarch of a vast global empire whose reign shaped European power politics and the Spanish Armada era.
• Henri Rousseau (1844) - Self-taught painter whose dreamlike jungle scenes helped pave the way for modern art movements.
• Andrei Sakharov (1921) - Nuclear physicist turned human-rights advocate whose dissent made him a symbol of conscience in the USSR.
• Robert Creeley (1926) - A central figure in postwar American poetry known for spare, conversational lines and the Black Mountain influence.
• Al Franken (1951) - Satirist who moved from sketch comedy to public service, bridging political humor and governance.
• Judge Reinhold (1957) - Character-actor staple of 1980s comedy whose everyman timing anchored ensemble hits.
• Hit-Boy (1987) - Producer-rapper whose crisp, modern beats helped define mainstream hip-hop’s 2010s sound.

On this day

• 1881 - The American Red Cross is founded by Clara Barton, launching a major humanitarian organization in the United States.
• 1927 - Charles Lindbergh takes off on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.
• 1932 - Amelia Earhart begins her solo transatlantic flight, becoming the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic.
• 1991 - Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated during an election campaign event.