Famous people born on September 8th
September 8 gathers an especially wide-ranging set of birthdays, spanning centuries of art, politics, spirituality, and popular culture. The date connects poets and playwrights with headline-making public servants and globally recognized performers. From Renaissance literature to modern music and film, these lives show how influence can travel through words, leadership, and stagecraft.
Notable highlights
- Siegfried Sassoon (1886) - A leading World War I poet whose searing, antiwar verse helped shape modern British literature.
- Swami Sivananda (1887) - Indian spiritual teacher who popularized practical yoga and devotion through prolific writing and ashram-based service.
- Peter Sellers (1925) - Chameleonic comic actor best known for Inspector Clouseau, blending voices and physical comedy into timeless screen personas.
- Patsy Cline (1932) - Country music pioneer whose crossover hits and vocal phrasing expanded the genre's mainstream reach.
- Michael Frayn (1933) - Playwright and novelist celebrated for precision-crafted comedy and intellectual depth, including the backstage farce "Noises Off".
- Alan Dundes (1935) - Influential folklorist who brought rigorous analysis to everyday stories, jokes, and cultural rituals.
- Bernie Sanders (1941) - U.S. senator whose campaigns made economic inequality and universal healthcare central topics in modern American politics.
- Pink (1979) - Pop-rock superstar known for acrobatic live shows, a raspy powerhouse voice, and a streak of genre-bending songwriting.
On this day
- 1565 - The Spanish found St. Augustine in Florida, the oldest continuously inhabited European-established city in the continental United States.
- 1664 - New Amsterdam is renamed New York after English forces take control, reshaping the future of the colony and its metropolis.
- 1941 - The Siege of Leningrad begins during World War II, one of the longest and deadliest sieges in modern history.
- 1966 - Star Trek premieres on NBC, launching a lasting science-fiction franchise with major cultural impact.