Famous people born on November 5th
November 5 brings together a striking range of creators, thinkers, and public figures whose work spans literature, economics, music, sport, and politics. The date is notable for voices that challenged prevailing ideas, whether through art that reshaped taste, research that reframed science, or activism that tested democracy. From classic stage and screen to modern entrepreneurship, these birthdays reflect both cultural flair and intellectual rigor.
Notable highlights
- Will Durant (1885) - Co-authored the sweeping The Story of Civilization, helping popularize big-picture history for mass audiences.
- John Berger (1926) - His influential book and series Ways of Seeing changed how generations think about images, power, and advertising.
- Eugene V. Debs (1855) - A landmark American labor leader who ran for president multiple times and became a symbol of dissent and workers rights.
- Jonny Greenwood (1971) - Radiohead guitarist whose adventurous film scores expanded the palette of modern cinematic music.
- John B. S. Haldane (1892) - A foundational figure in population genetics, linking Darwinian evolution with modern statistical biology.
- Jeffrey Sachs (1954) - Economist known for global development work and high-profile debates over poverty reduction and sustainable policy.
- Famke Janssen (1965) - Built an international screen career, balancing blockbuster franchises with independent and television roles.
- Art Garfunkel (1941) - Half of Simon & Garfunkel, celebrated for an iconic tenor that helped define 1960s folk-rock harmonies.
- Vivien Leigh (1913) - Delivered one of cinema's most enduring performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
- Tilda Swinton (1960) - Known for daring, transformative roles that blur genre boundaries across auteur cinema and mainstream films.
On this day
- 1605 - The Gunpowder Plot to blow up the English Parliament is uncovered, and the day becomes associated with Bonfire Night in the UK.
- 1872 - Suffragist Susan B. Anthony votes in the U.S. presidential election, a pivotal act of civil disobedience for women's voting rights.
- 1911 - Italy formally annexes Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (later part of modern Libya) during the Italo-Turkish War.
- 1937 - Adolf Hitler outlines expansionist ambitions in the Hossbach Memorandum, later used as evidence of Nazi planning for war.
- 2006 - Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death by an Iraqi court following his trial for crimes against humanity.