Discover the most famous people born in 1939. The list includes people like Marvin Gaye, Ian McKellen, Lee Harvey Oswald, Lee Majors, Tina Turner and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, journalists, composers and economists born in 1939. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Australia & Canada and many more countries.
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Birthdate: 26th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nutbush, Tennessee, United States
Died: May 24, 2023
Known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner was one of the best-selling recording artists of all time and had a very long and successful career. Let's Stay Together, What's Love Got to Do with It, Private Dancer and Golden Eye are some of her chartbuster songs. She was also a songwriter and had acted in films too.
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Marvin Gaye(Known as the 'Prince of Soul' and Popular for His Song 'Sexual Healing')
Birthdate: 2nd April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Died: April 1, 1984
American singer Marvin Gaye is one of the most successful black artists ever and his albums have sold in millions. His success reached great heights with the 1972 song What's Going On. The 1982 single Sexual Healing was the biggest hit of his career and was a chartbuster. He was tragically shot dead by his father after a family altercation.
Birthdate: 25th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Considered a British cultural icon, Ian McKellen is one of the most respected and decorated actors of all time. An openly gay actor, his work as an LGBT activist has been as impressive as his illustrious acting career. At the 1991 New Year Honours, he was knighted for services to performing arts.
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Paul Hogan(Famous For His Role as Michael 'Crocodile' Dundee From the 'Crocodile Dundee' Film Series)
Birthdate: 8th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Paul Hogan is an Australian actor and television presenter. He is credited with popularizing the Crocodile Dundee film series with his award-winning portrayal of Michael "Crocodile" Dundee in the movie series. Such is his popularity in Australia that Hogan was made a member of the Order of Australia for service to entertainment and tourism.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 7th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Francis Ford Coppola is an American filmmaker. Widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers ever, Francis Ford Coppola was a prominent figure in the Hollywood Renaissance filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. A much revered and celebrated filmmaker, he is credited with directing some of the greatest films of all time, including The Godfather movie series.
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John Cleese(Co-Founder of the Comedy Troupe ‘Monty Python’)
Birthdate: 27th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom
Before stepping into sketch comedy with Monty Python's Flying Circus, John Cleese wrote scripts for Broadway and West End shows. A Cambridge law graduate, John has had a species of lemurs named after him, owing to his love for the animal. His dark humor is part of his signature style.
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Dusty Springfield(Singer, Artist, Cleric)
Birthdate: 16th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: West Hampstead, London,England
Died: March 2, 1999
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Ralph Lauren(Fashion Designer, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the ‘Ralph Lauren Corporation’)
Birthdate: 14th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Fashion designer and businessman Ralph Lauren is the founder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar fashion enterprise. Beginning his career as a salesman for a tie company, he went on to launch his own fashion lines and established himself as a popular name in the fashion industry within years. He is known to be a generous philanthropist.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 18th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ottawa, Canada
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet and novelist. Her works encompass themes, such as religion and myth, climate change, and gender and identity. An award-winning writer, many of Atwood's works have been made into films and television series; her work, The Handmaid's Tale, has had several adaptations. Perhaps, Margaret Atwood's most important contribution is her invention of the LongPen device.
Birthdate: 1st September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Lily Tomlin is an American comedian, actress, singer, and writer. Tomlin has earned several award nominations for her performance in films and TV series, such as Nashville and Grace and Frankie. Anopenly lesbian actress, Lily Tomlin serves as an inspiration to the LGBTQ community.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 1st April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pound Ridge, New York, United States
A veteran actress with a career spanning over half a century, Ali MacGraw first came to prominence in the 1970s after acting in many popular action and romantic films. She was also active on the stage and in TV shows. Besides acting, she has been an animal rights advocate throughout her life.
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Paul Sorvino(Actor and Singer Known for His Role as ‘Paulie Cicero’ in the Film ‘Goodfellas’)
Birthdate: 13th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died: July 25, 2022
Paul Sorvino, father of actors Mira and Michael Sorvino, is best known as Paulie Cicero from the movie Goodfellas and Phil Cerreta from the series Law & Order. A skilled sculptor, too, he specializes in bronze. He owns a brand of pasta sauces and is a co-owner of Janson-Beckett Cosmeceuticals.
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John Amos(Actor)
Birthdate: 27th December
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Birthdate: 23rd April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wyandotte, Michigan, United States
Lee Majors is an American actor known for his performance in TV series like The Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy. Majors is credited with inspiring the popular song Midnight Train to Georgia. He serves as an inspiration to orphans around the world as he established himself in Hollywood after he was orphaned at the age of one.
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Wes Craven(Film director, Screenwriter)
Birthdate: 2nd August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Died: August 30, 2015
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Harvey Keitel(American Actor Best Known For Playing Morally Ambiguous Characters)
Birthdate: 13th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Harvey Keitel is an American actor best known for playing morally ambiguous characters. He is also known for his association with director Martin Scorsese, appearing in six of his movies since 1967. Harvey Keitel has played important roles in popular movies like Taxi Driver, The Last Temptation of Christ, Pulp Fiction, and National Treasure.
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Valerie Harper(Best Known for Her Role as ‘Rhoda Morgenstern’ on the Sitcom ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’)
Birthdate: 22nd August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Suffern, New York, United States
Died: August 30, 2019
Valerie Harper is best remembered as Rhoda Morgensternfrom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off, Rhoda, with the role winning her four Emmys. She also hosted Nova and was seen asValerie Hogan in the sitcom Valerie. She also earned a Tony nomination for the play Looped.
Birthdate: 12th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, United States
George Hamilton is a veteran American actor who has been active in the entertainment industry for almost seven decades during which he has appeared in hundreds of films and TV shows. In his youth, he was considered a fashion icon for his debonair style. A victim of child sexual abuse, he overcame a rough childhood to become a successful and popular personality.
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Grace Slick(Retired Singer-Songwriter - Was A Key Figure in San Francisco's Early 'Psychedelic Music' Scene in the Mid-1960s)
Birthdate: 30th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Highland Park, Illinois, United States
Grace Slick is a retired singer-songwriter. Slick played an important role in the psychedelic music scene that flourished in San Francisco during the mid-1960s. One of the earliest female rock stars, Slick played a key role in the development of rock music during the 1960s. She was named among the Greatest Women of Rock N Roll by VH1 in 1999.
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Richard Kiel(Best Known for His Role in the Movie 'Happy Gilmore')
Birthdate: 13th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died: September 10, 2014
Richard Kiel is best remembered for his towering frame of 7 feet 2 inches, which led him to play villainous roles such as Jaws in the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. Fans also loved him for his iconic role of Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 15th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine, debuted with his father’s movie Rio Grande, at age 11. He later starred in films such as Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. He also hosted The Monte Carlo Show and the 1990 reboot of Tic-Tac-Dough.
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Ernie Davis(American Football Player Who Was the First African American to Win the Heisman Trophy)
Birthdate: 14th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New Salem-Buffington, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: May 18, 1963
Footballer Ernie Davis was the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. The Syracuse University player was later drafted by the NFL team Cleveland Browns. However, he died of leukemia at 23, without playing a single professional game. His story inspired the movie The Express: The Ernie Davis Story.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 26th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Scott Glenn is an American actor who has portrayed prominent roles in films, such as Urban Cowboy, The Hunt for Red October, and The Silence of the Lambs. Also known for his contribution to the TV industry, Glenn has appeared in TV films like Homeland Security and Code Breakers.
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Mike Ditka(Former American Football Player Who Has Won an NFL Title as a Player, Assistant Coach & Head Coach)
Birthdate: 18th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Carnegie, Pennsylvania, United States
Mike Ditka, nicknamed “Iron Mike,” was a star footballer for the Chicago Bears, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys. He has coached the Cowboys and has also trained the Bears to win the Super Bowl XX. He has also worked as a sports broadcaster for ESPN and NBC.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 10th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Black Mountain, North Carolina, United States
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Larry Linville(Best Known for His Role as ‘Major Frank Burns’ on the TV Series ‘M*A*S*H’)
Birthdate: 29th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Ojai, California, United States
Died: April 10, 2000
Larry Linville was an American actor best known for playing Major Frank Burns in the popular war comedy-drama TV series, M*A*S*H. His portrayal of an ill-tempered, civilian doctor in the series earned him wide recognition. Surprisingly, he declined an offer to renew his contract for two more seasons to pursue other roles, but couldn't emulate the success achieved through M*A*S*H.
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Sal Mineo(Best Known for His Role as ‘John "Plato" Crawford’ in the Film ‘Rebel Without a Cause’)
Birthdate: 10th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: February 12, 1976
Sal Mineo was an American actor, director, and singer. He is best remembered for playingJohn Crawford in the 1955 drama film, Rebel Without a Cause, for which he received an Academy Awardnomination, becoming the fifth-youngest nominee under the Best Supporting Actor category.
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Mike Farrell(Actor & Public Speaker Known for His Role in the TV Series M*A*S*H)
Birthdate: 6th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Mike Farrell is an American actor known for playing, Captain B.J. Hunnicutt, in the popular war comedy-drama TV series, M*A*S*H. Farrell's journey from being born into a working-class family to becoming a famous Hollywood actor is quite inspiring. Also a political and social activist, Farrell has worked on several activist campaigns. In 2001, he was honored with PETA's Humanitarian Award.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 10th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Blackpool, England
Died: April 1, 2015
Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of the Beatles singer John Lennon, met John at a calligraphy class. They divorced on the grounds of adultery, after John started dating Japanese artist Yoko Ono. Cynthia married thrice later, and even released a memoir and a biography, detailing her relationship with John Lennon.
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Cleavon Little(Known for His Role as ‘Dr. Jerry Noland’ in the TV Series ‘Temperatures Rising’)
Birthdate: 1st June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chickasha, Oklahoma, United States
Died: October 22, 1992
Cleavon Little was an American actor best known for his performance in a musical titled Purlie, for which he received a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. Also known for his work in TV, Little received a Primetime Emmy Award in 1989 for appearing in one of the episodes of the NBC sitcom Dear John.
Birthdate: 17th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Union Springs, Alabama, United States
Died: October 5, 1992
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Melinda Dillon(Best Known for Her Roles in the Films: ‘A Christmas Story’ and ‘Absence of Malice’)
Birthdate: 13th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hope, Arkansas, United States
Died: January 9, 2023
Melinda Dillon is an American actress whose performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which marked her Broadway debut, earned her a Tony Award nomination in 1963. She then went on to earn two Academy Award nominations for delivering powerful performances in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Absence of Malice.
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Neil Sedaka(One of the Best Selling Pop Singer-Songwriter Known for His Hits 'Oh! Carol' and 'Calendar Girl')
Birthdate: 13th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Singer, pianist, and composer Neil Sedaka initially co-founded the group The Tokens. Most of his collaborations have been with lyricists Phil Cody and Howard Greenfield. He has delivered hits such as Breaking Up Is Hard to Do and Bad Blood. He also launched free online mini-concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Phil Everly(Singer)
Birthdate: 19th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: January 3, 2014
Birthdate: 1st July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Park Ridge, Illinois, United States
Died: August 8, 2013
A multifaceted personality, Karen Black was an actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. In the 1970s, she appeared in many major studio and independent films, mostly playing eccentric and unconventional characters. She became known as a figure of New Hollywood. Her career spanned five decades and she continued working until shortly before her death.
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Ginger Baker(Former Drummer known for co-founder and occasional vocalist of the rock band Cream)
Birthdate: 19th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lewisham, South London, England
Died: October 6, 2019
Birthdate: 5th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Claudette Colvin is an American retired nurse aide and pioneer of the civil rights movement during the 1950s. She was arrested at age 15, when she refused to give up her seat in a crowded bus to a white woman. This occurred several months before the more renowned Rosa Parks incident, which helped spark the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955.
Birthdate: 21st August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: June 4, 2021
Clarence Williams III is best known as Linc Hayes from the show The Mod Squad. He had previously been part of the U.S. Army. A talented stage actor, he earned a Tony nomination for Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. He played Philby in the Hallmark movie series Mystery Woman.
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Ray Manzarek(Keyboardist and founding member of The Doors, an iconic rock band that was prevalent from 1965 until 1973.)
Birthdate: 12th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: May 20, 2013
Birthdate: 18th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States
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F. Murray Abraham(Actor)
Birthdate: 24th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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Joel Schumacher(Director, screenwriter, producer)
Birthdate: 29th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: June 22, 2020
Birthdate: 9th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Michael Learned is best known as Olivia Walton from the long-running series The Waltons and won three Emmys for her role. She won another Emmy for playing Nurse Mary Benjamin in the medical drama Nurse. She has appeared on stage and in movies such as Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
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Rick Rescorla(British American Private Security Specialist Who Saved Thousands of Lives During 9/11)
Birthdate: 27th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Died: September 11, 2001
Rick Rescorla was a British American police officer, soldier, private security specialist, and educator. He is best remembered for saving thousands of lives by anticipating the 9/11 attacks and implementing evacuation procedures while serving as the director of security for the banking and financial services firm, Morgan Stanley, at the ill-fated WTC on September 11. Rescorla died during the attacks.
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Mark Margolis(Actor)
Birthdate: 26th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Don Williams(Singer-Songwriter)
Birthdate: 27th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Floydada, Texas, United States
Died: September 8, 2017
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Seamus Heaney(Poet, Playwright & Translator Who Received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: 13th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Castledawson, Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Died: August 30, 2013
Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet, translator, and playwright. One of the most respected poets of his generation, Heaney was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. He also won other prestigious awards, such as the Eric Gregory Award. Several years after his death, Seamus Heaney is still considered one of the main contributors to poetry in Ireland.
Birthdate: 27th April
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Northamptonshire, England
Died: September 3, 2015
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Dixie Carter(Film Actress)
Birthdate: 25th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: McLemoresville, Tennessee, United States
Died: April 10, 2010
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Lee Trevino(One of the Greatest Players in Golf History)
Birthdate: 1st December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Garland, Texas, United States
Lee Trevino who dominated the golf course in the 1970s has six major championship titles to his credit in his prolific career. The Mexican-American who is affectionately nicknamed Supermex for his exploits with the golf club and The Merry Mex for his humour, features in the World Golf Hall of Fame. He appeared in a sports comedy film.
