Famous people born on October 21st
October 21 has produced an unusually wide-ranging group of influential figures, spanning visionary writers, world-changing scientists, political leaders, and artists who reshaped music, film, and dance. The date also includes major names in sport, mathematics, and popular culture. Together, these birthdays reflect creativity in many forms, from poetic language to technological legacy and public life.
Notable highlights
- Ursula K. Le Guin (1929) - Reimagined modern fantasy and science fiction with morally complex worlds like Earthsea and the Hainish Cycle.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772) - A central Romantic voice whose poems and criticism helped define the imagination-driven literature of his era.
- Alfred Nobel (1833) - Inventor and industrialist whose fortune created the Nobel Prizes, permanently shaping how achievement is recognized worldwide.
- Benjamin Netanyahu (1949) - One of Israel's most prominent modern leaders, known for a long, high-profile tenure in national politics.
- Dizzy Gillespie (1917) - A bebop pioneer whose virtuoso trumpet style and big personality pushed jazz into a new, modern language.
- Carrie Fisher (1956) - Became a film icon as Princess Leia while also earning acclaim as a candid memoirist and script doctor.
- Kim Kardashian (1980) - Helped redefine celebrity entrepreneurship by turning reality TV fame into a major consumer brand ecosystem.
- Martin Gardner (1914) - Popularized recreational mathematics and skeptical inquiry, inspiring generations of problem-solvers and science communicators.
- Celia Cruz (1924) - The "Queen of Salsa" whose powerhouse voice and stage presence brought Afro-Caribbean music to global audiences.
- Leo Burnett (1891) - Advertising innovator who championed memorable brand mascots and storytelling that still influences marketing today.
On this day
- 1805 - The Battle of Trafalgar ends with a decisive British naval victory during the Napoleonic Wars.
- 1879 - Thomas Edison demonstrates the first practical incandescent light, a milestone in electrification.
- 1944 - World War II: American forces capture Aachen, the first major German city to fall to the Allies.
- 1967 - The March on the Pentagon draws tens of thousands to protest the Vietnam War.
- 2011 - Libya's National Transitional Council declares the country's liberation after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.