Famous people born on September 9th
September 9 stands out for its breadth: towering novelists and poets share the date with political power brokers, pioneering scientists, and globally recognized screen stars. The mix spans centuries, from early modern statecraft to modern computing and contemporary film. With 38 notable births, the day offers a surprisingly rich cross-section of culture, ideas, and public life.
Notable highlights
- Leo Tolstoy (1828) - The Russian novelist whose "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" reshaped realist fiction and moral philosophy.
- Cardinal Richelieu (1585) - Chief minister to Louis XIII who centralized French power and steered France through the Thirty Years' War.
- Dennis Ritchie (1941) - Co-created the C programming language and helped build Unix, foundations of modern software engineering.
- Adam Sandler (1966) - Comedy actor-producer whose long-running career spans "Saturday Night Live" to major film and streaming hits.
- Hugh Grant (1960) - British actor strongly associated with romantic comedies, from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" onward.
- Akshay Kumar (1967) - One of Bollywood's most prolific leads, known for action-comedy versatility and blockbuster consistency.
- Michelle Williams (1980) - Acclaimed actress recognized for emotionally precise performances across independent film and awards contenders.
- Cesare Pavese (1908) - Italian poet and novelist whose diaries and fiction captured modern alienation and postwar disillusionment.
- Sol LeWitt (1928) - Conceptual art pioneer who elevated the idea and instruction set as the artwork itself.
- Joe Theismann (1949) - NFL quarterback who later became a prominent sports broadcaster and analyst.
On this day
- 1513 - Explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first European recorded to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas.
- 1776 - The Second Continental Congress officially adopted the name "United States of America" in formal documents.
- 1948 - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was formally established.
- 1976 - Mao Zedong died, marking a pivotal turning point in modern Chinese political history.