Actor River Phoenix (born Aug. 23, 1970). Best known for his role in the hit 1986 movie 'Stand by Me,' River Phoenix died of a heroin overdose when he was 23 in front of the famous Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room in 1993. Phoenix came from a family of actors, most notably brother Joaquin Phoenix, of 'Gladiator' and 'Walk the Line' fame.
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Actor Sean Connery (born Aug. 25, 1930)
Actor Sean Connery (born Aug. 25, 1930). This Scottish actor was the first James Bond, starring in 'Dr. No,' 'From Russia With Love,' 'Goldfinger' and other 007 flicks. Sir Sean Connery also played Indy's dad in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.'
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
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Talk show host Regis Philbin (born Aug. 25, 1931)
Talk show host Regis Philbin (born Aug. 25, 1931). Best known for hosting a morning talk show, 'Live With Regis and Kelly,' TV personality Regis Philbin also hosted the game show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' when it first launched. He hosted a talk show (in different formats) for almost 30 years.
Photo by Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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President Lyndon Baines Johnson, (born Aug. 27, 1908)
President Lyndon Baines Johnson, (born Aug. 27, 1908). The 36th president of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson, was elected to the vice presidency in 1960 and became president when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act into law.
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Actor Paul Reubens ('Pee Wee Herman.' (born Aug. 27, 1952)
Actor Paul Reubens ('Pee Wee Herman.' (born Aug. 27, 1952). This actor is best known for his alter ego, Pee-wee Herman. Paul Reubens starred in 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure,' but his career stalled when he was arrested for indecent exposure in 1991.
Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images
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Actress Ingrid Bergman (born Aug. 29, 1915)
Actress Ingrid Bergman (born Aug. 29, 1915). Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982) is best known for starring in the film classic 'Casablanca' opposite Humphrey Bogart. She won two Academy Awards and several nominations.
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Pop star Michael Jackson (Aug. 29 1958)
Pop star Michael Jackson (Aug. 29 1958). American superstar Michael Jackson created one of the best-selling albums of all time, 'Thriller,' in 1982. The King of Pop died in 2009 of a drug-induced cardiac arrest.
Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images
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Actor Richard Gere (Aug. 31, 1949)
Actor Richard Gere (Aug. 31, 1949). Hollywood leading man Richard Gere has thrilled women worldwide with his roles in 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' 'Pretty Woman' and 'Chicago.' He has one son with his wife, actress Carey Lowell, and was previously married to supermodel Cindy Crawford.
Photo by Jude Domski/WireImage
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Singer Gloria Estefan (born Sept. 1, 1957)
Singer Gloria Estefan (born Sept. 1, 1957). As the lead singer for the Miami Sound Machine, and as a solo artist, Gloria Estefan has built a career spanning decades. In March 1990 she broke her back in a terrible car accident but has made a complete recovery.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Heart Truth
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Pro football player Terry Bradshaw (born Sept. 2, 1948)
Pro football player Terry Bradshaw (born Sept. 2, 1948). One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Terry Bradshaw is also known as a sports commentator, author and actor. He's been married and divorced three times.
Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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Actor Charlie Sheen (born Sept. 3, 1965)
Actor Charlie Sheen (born Sept. 3, 1965). The former star of TV's 'Two and a Half Men' (and son of actor Martin Sheen), Charlie Sheen is as famous for his offscreen antics as for his onscreen work. His drug and alcohol use and adventures with adult film stars he calls the Goddesses are well known.
Photo by Gus Ruelas/REUTERS
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Notorious Russian leader Ivan the Terrible. (Born Sept. 4, 1530)
Notorious Russian leader Ivan the Terrible. (Born Sept. 4, 1530). Known as Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV was a Russian prince known for his rages, depression and mental illness. During his autocratic rule, he terrorized many Russian families and killed his own son during an argument.
Photo from a private collection, English School Bridgeman
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Actor Bob Newhart (born Sept. 5, 1929)
Actor Bob Newhart (born Sept. 5, 1929). Known for his dry wit, comedian Bob Newhart starred in three TV series: 'The Bob Newhart Show' (1971-1978), 'Newhart' (1982-1990) and 'Bob' (1992). Comedians revere him for his seemingly simple but devastatingly funny remarks.
Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images
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Actress Raquel Welch (born Sept. 5, 1940)
Actress Raquel Welch (born Sept. 5, 1940). Famous throughout her life for her beauty, actress Raquel Welch made her mark as a sex symbol in the 1966 film 'One Million Years B.C.' She appeared opposite Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 hit 'Legally Blonde' and was part of the MAC Cosmetics Beauty Icon series in 2007.
Photo by Paul Redmond/WireImage
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Musician Buddy Holly (born Sept. 7, 1936)
Musician Buddy Holly (born Sept. 7, 1936). American rock musician Buddy Holly (famous for 'That'll Be the Day') remains a musical influence many years after his untimely death. Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash in 1959.
Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns
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Soul singer Otis Redding (born Sept. 9, 1941)
Soul singer Otis Redding (born Sept. 9, 1941). (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay' is singer and songwriter Otis Redding's most famous song. Redding was killed in a plane crash in 1967, when he was only 26 years old.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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Actor Michael Keaton (born Sept. 9, 1951)
Actor Michael Keaton (born Sept. 9, 1951). Familiar for his roles in 'Beetlejuice' and 'Mr. Mom,' actor Michael Keaton also played Batman long before Christian Bale did. In 'Batman' (1989) and 'Batman Returns' (1992), Keaton made the superhero an edgy, gloomy character.
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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Actor Adam Sandler (born Sept. 9, 1966)
Actor Adam Sandler (born Sept. 9, 1966). Comedian Adam Sandler is a prolific filmmaker. His movies include 'Grown Ups,' 'Bedtime Stories,' 'Happy Gilmore' and '50 First Dates.'
Photo by Jason Merritt, Getty Images
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Golfer Arnold Palmer (born Sept. 10, 1929)
Golfer Arnold Palmer (born Sept. 10, 1929). This golfer is known as the King. Arnold Palmer won 92 tournaments during his career, including winning the Masters four times.
Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images
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Author O. Henry (William Sydney Porter). (Born Sept. 11, 1862)
Author O. Henry (William Sydney Porter). (Born Sept. 11, 1862). The lovely and famous story 'The Gift of the Magi' was the work of the author William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), who wrote under the name O. Henry. He chronicled the lives of everyday New Yorkers in his stories.
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Performer Nell Carter (born Sept. 13, 1948)
Performer Nell Carter (born Sept. 13, 1948). Singer and actress Nell Carter (1948-2003) is famous for her 1980s sitcom 'Gimme a Break!' She was also well known for her theater work, including 'Ain't Misbehavin',' which won her a Tony Award.
Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage
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President William H. Taft (born Sept. 15, 1857)
President William H. Taft (born Sept. 15, 1857). The 27th United States president was William Howard Taft (1909-1913). He later was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Photo courtesy of the National Archives/Newsmakers
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Mystery author Agatha Christie (born Sept. 15, 1880)
Mystery author Agatha Christie (born Sept. 15, 1880). Called the Queen of Crime, Dame Agatha Christie (1880-1976) is the best-selling mystery writer of all time. Many of her books and plays feature the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, or the elderly sleuth Miss Marple.
AP Photo
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King Louis XIV of France (born Sept. 16, 1638)
King Louis XIV of France (born Sept. 16, 1638). Known as the Sun King, Louis XIV of France succeeded to the throne when he was 4 years, 8 months old. He built the palace at Versailles. He died in 1715.
Archive Photos/Archive Photos/Getty Images
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Actress Lauren Bacall (born Sept. 16, 1924)
Actress Lauren Bacall (born Sept. 16, 1924). Legendary American actress Lauren Bacall starred in many notable films with her husband, Humphrey Bogart (who was 25 years older than she was). Their films included 'To Have and Have Not' and 'The Big Sleep.'
Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
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Actress Greta Garbo (Sept. 18, 1905)
Actress Greta Garbo (Sept. 18, 1905). Known as 'The Face,' Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990) is renowned for her roles in 'Mata Hari' and 'Anna Karenina.' Her beauty and unforgettable film presence are known as 'The Garbo Mystique.'
Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images
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Actor Jeremy Irons (born Sept. 19, 1948)
Actor Jeremy Irons (born Sept. 19, 1948). Familiar to American audiences for voicing the role of Scar in 'The Lion King,' British actor Jeremy Irons has had a long career, including the TV series 'The Borgias.'
Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
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Lesley Lawson, 'Twiggy.' (born Sept. 19, 1949)
Lesley ‘Twiggy’ Lawson (born Sept. 19, 1929). One of the first supermodels, 'Twiggy' (her real name is Lesley Lawson) was the face of London's 'Swinging Sixties' scene. Her thin build and wide eyes gave her an iconic look.
Express Newspapers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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The Alexander Mosaic
The Alexander Mosaic. This 19-foot-by-10-foot mosaic was discovered in Pompeii. The mosaic depicts the battle of Issus, 333 B.C., between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia.
Photo by DEA/M.Carrieri/De Agostini/Getty Images
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Novelist Upton Sinclair (born Sept. 20, 1878)
Novelist Upton Sinclair (born Sept. 20, 1878). Activist and author Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) is best known for writing 'The Jungle,' a novel about immigrant workers in Chicago meatpacking houses. Public furor over the meat industry (sparked by the book) led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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Actress Sophia Loren (Sept. 20, 1934)
Actress Sophia Loren (Sept. 20, 1934). One of the world's great beauties, Italian-American actress Sophia Loren was a major film star from the 1950s through the 1970s. Her movies include 'Desire Under the Elms,' 'It Started in Naples' and 'Two Women.'
Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
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Science fiction author H.G. Wells (born Sept. 21, 1866)
Science fiction author H.G. Wells (born Sept. 21, 1866). British author H.G. Wells (1866-1946) was a pioneer in the field of science fiction. His famous works include 'The War of the Worlds,' 'The Invisible Man' and 'The Island of Dr. Moreau.'
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Television star Larry Hagman (born Sept. 21, 1931)
Television star Larry Hagman (born Sept. 21, 1931). Actor Larry Hagman was best known for playing J.R. Ewing Jr. in the TV series 'Dallas' in the 1980s.
Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
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Bestselling author Stephen King (born September 21, 1947)
American writer Stephen King's books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. His work includes 'Carrie,' 'The Shining,' 'Salem's Lot' and 'Misery.'
Photo by Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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Actor Bill Murray (September 21, 1950)
American actor Bill Murray's career includes the comedy classics 'Stripes' and 'Ghostbusters,' as well as more serious films like 'Lost in Translation,' which earned him an Oscar nomination.
Photo by Matt Carr/Getty Images
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Rock star Joan Jett (born September 22, 1960)
Groundbreaking rock star Joan Jett is the leader of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. She's had nine Top 40 singles, including 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' and 'I Love Rock 'N' Roll.'