January 31: Today's Notable Birthdays

Is January 31st your birthday? Was someone special to you born on January 31st? With whom will you choose to celebrate this excellent occasion?

If today is your birthday, then you are in excellent company.

(If someone you love is celebrating another year today, why not forward this list to the birthday boy or girl? Click SHARE at the bottom of this page to email the entire article with your "Happy Birthday" message.)

January 31st was the birth date of several notable (or even notorious) individuals. Here they are:

January 31st Birthdays: Famous Artists

Austrian composer Franz Schubert (Death and the Maiden, Erlkonig, Die Schone Mullerin, The Trout, Unfinished Symphony and Die Winterreise) was born on January 31, 1797.

January 31st Birthdays: Famous Athletes

Shirley Babashoff, American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist (1972 and 1976), was born on January 31, 1957.

Ernest (Ernie) Banks, American professional baseball player (Chicago Cubs) and home run hitting champ, was born on January 31, 1931.

Swedish Grand Prix race car driver Jo Bonnier was born on January 31, 1930.

American heavyweight boxer and world record holder (for the oldest world champion heavyweight boxer) Arnold Raymond (Jersey Joe Walcott) Cream was born on January 31, 1914.

Jack Roosevelt (Jackie) Robinson, American professional baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers), was born on January 31, 1919. In 1981, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp featuring Jackie Robinson, the first African-American in major league baseball.

American professional baseball player Lynn Nolan Ryan (California Angels, Houston Astros, New York Mets and Texas Rangers) was born on January 31, 1947.

January 31st Birthdays: Famous Authors and Journalists

American author Zane Grey (The Last of the Plainsmen, The Spirit of the Border and Riders of the Purple Sage) was born on January 31, 1872.

Ben Jonson, British Renaissance poet, actor and playwright (The Alchemist, Bartholomew Fair and Volpone), was born on January 31, 1574.

Norman Kingsley Mailer, American author (Advertisements for Myself, Ancient Evenings, The Armies of the Night, The Executioner's Song, The Naked and the Dead and Tough Guys Don't Dance), Village Voice co-founder and Pulitzer Prize winner (1968 and 1979), was born on January 31, 1923. Norman Mailer was married six times.

American theologian, Catholic monk, poet and author Thomas (Father M. Louis) Merton (Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Contemplation in a World of Action, Disputed Questions, Faith and Violence, Figures for an Apocalypse, The Journals of Thomas Merton, Mystics and Zen Masters, New Seeds of Contemplation, Seeds of Contemplation, The Seven Storey Mountain, The Sign of Jonas, The Silent Life, The Strange Islands, The Tears of the Blind Lions and The Waters of Siloe) was born on January 31, 1915.

Kenzaburo Oe, Japanese author (The Day He Himself Shall Wipe My Tears Away, An Echo of Heaven, A Healing Family, Hiroshima Notes, Nip the Buds Shoot the Kids, A Personal Matter, The Pinch Runner Memorandum, A Quiet Life, Rouse Up O Young Men of the New Age, The Silent Cry, Somersault and Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness) and Nobel Prize winner (1994), was born on January 31, 1935.

American author John O'Hara (Appointment in Samarra, Butterfield 8, The Ewings, From the Terrace, The Lockwood Concern, Pal Joey, A Rage to Live and Ten North Frederick) was born on January 31, 1905.

January 31st Birthdays: Famous Business Leaders

Robert Morris, Jr., British-American financier and American patriot, was born on January 31, 1734. Robert Morris signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. He has been called "The Financier of the Revolution" for funding much of the American effort.

January 31st Birthdays: Famous Performers

John G. Agar, American actor (Body Bags, Curse of the Swamp Creatures, Fort Apache, Hand of Death, Invisible Invaders, The Magic Carpet, The Mole People, Revenge of the Creature, Sands of Iwo Jima, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Tarantula), was born on January 31, 1921. John Agar married actresses Shirley Temple and Loretta Barnett Combs. Rock singer Frank Zappa mentioned John Agar in his song, "The Radio Is Broken."

Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (Die Die My Darling,The Little Foxes,Lifeboat and Stage Door Canteen), was born on January 31, 1903.

American pop keyboardist and singer Harry Wayne (K.C.) Casey (KC and the Sunshine Band) was born on January 31, 1951.

American singer ("Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"), voice-over artist (Thumbelina), author (Just Lucky I Guess) and actress (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Hello Dolly and Thoroughly Modern Millie) Carol Channing was born on January 31, 1921.

Alfred Arnold (Mario Lanza) Cocozza, American singer )"Be My Love" and "The Loveliest Night of the Year") and actor (Because You're Mine, For the First Time, The Great Caruso, That Midnight Kiss, Serenade, Seven Hills of Rome, The Student Prince and The Toast of New Orleans), was born on January 31, 1921.

British rock guitarist and singer Lloyd Cole (Lloyd Cole and the Commotions) was born on January 31, 1961.

Amelia Fiona J. (Minnie) Driver, British actress (Circle of Friends, Good Will Hunting, Grosse Pointe Blank, The Phantom of the Opera and Return to Me), was born on January 31, 1970.

American actor John Carroll Dye (Promised Land, Touched by an Angel and Tour of Duty) was born on January 31, 1963.

American actor (The Amazing Dobermans, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, City on Fire, The Eleventh Hour, Good Guys Wear Black, Great White, Hunter, The Investigators, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Killer Fish, Marooned, Mr. Novak, The Naked City, Snow Treasure and When Time Ran Out) and voice-over artist (Jonathan Livingston Seagull) James Grover Franciscus was born on January 31, 1934.

Jeff Hanneman, American heavy metal rock guitarist (Slayer), was born on January 31, 1964.

American comedian, singer ("Alabamy Bound," "Dinah," "Ida," "If You Knew Susie like I Know Susie," "Ma He's Makin' Eyes at Me" and "Makin' Whoopee"), television personality (The Colgate Comedy Hour) and actor (Ali Baba Goes to Town, If You Knew Susie, Kid Boots, Roman Scandals, Special Delivery and Whoopee) Israel (Eddie Cantor) Iskowitz was born on January 31, 1892. Eddie Cantor was known as Banjo Eyes and The Apostle of Pep. In 1957, Eddie Cantor received an honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Alan (Al Doughty) Jaworski, British rock bassist (Jesus Jones), was born on January 31, 1966.

Terry Alan Kath, American rock guitarist and singer (Chicago), was born on January 31, 1946.

American actress Joanne Letitia (Joanne Dru) LaCock (3 Ring Circus, 711 Ocean Drive, Abie's Irish Rose, All the King's Men, The Light in the Forest, Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell, My Pal Gus, The Pride of St. Louis, Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Sylvia, Thunder Bay and Wagon Master) was born on January 31, 1922. Joanne Dru was the sister of television personality Peter Marshall.

American actor Anthony M. LaPaglia (Balibo, The Client, Empire Records, Frasier, Innocent Blood, Lantana, Looking for Alibrandi, Murder One, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Summer of Sam and Without a Trace) was born on January 31, 1959.

John Joseph (Johnny Rotten) Lydon, British punk rock guitarist, saxophonist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter (Public Image Ltd. and The Sex Pistols), was born on January 31, 1956.

American actress Kelly Colleen Lynch (At Last, Bright Lights Big City, Charlie's Angels, Cocktail, Curly Sue, Drugstore Cowboy, Heaven's Prisoners, The L Word, Mr. Magoo, Road House, Vitruosity and White Man's Burden) was born on January 31, 1959.

Stuart Margolin, American actor (Death Wish, Futureworld, Kelly's Heroes and The Rockford Files) and film director (Salt Water Moose and The Sweetest Gift), was born on January 31, 1940. Stuart Margolin's brother is television producer Arnold Margolin. He is not related to actress Janet Margolin.

American comedian and television personality (The Garry Moore Show, I've Got a Secret and To Tell the Truth) Thomas Garrison (Garry Moore) Morfit, III, was born on January 31, 1915.

Robert (Bobby) Moynihan, American comedian and actor (Saturday Night Live), was born on January 31, 1977.

Charlie Musselwhite, American blues harpist, singer and bandleader, was born on January 31, 1944.

Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, Ben Casey, The Birds, The Bob Newhart Show, The Boys Are Back, Dr. Kildare, The Geisha Boy, Good Morning Miami, If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium, Nightingales, Oh God Book 2, The Queen of Mean, Rome Adventure, Spirited Away and The Ugly Dachshund) and voice-over artist (The Lion King II: Simba's Pride), Suzanne Pleshette married actors Troy Donahue and Tom Poston.

Australian actress Amanda Lee (Portia de Rossi) Rogers (Ally McBeal and Arrested Development) was born on January 31, 1973.

Jean Merilyn Simmons, British actress (The Actress, The Big Country, Elmer Gantry, Great Expectations, Guys and Dolls, Hamlet, North and South, The Robe, Spartacus, The Thorn Birds and Young Bess), was born on January 31, 1929. Jean Simmons was married to actor Stewart Granger and film director Richard Brooks.

British rock guitarist Philip Geoffrey (Phil Manzanera) Targett-Adams (Roxy Music) was born on January 31, 1951.

American rock singer ("Cry Me a River" and "Sexyback"), television personality (The Mickey Mouse Club) and actor (Alpha Dog and

Black Snake Moan) Justin Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981. Justin Timberlake was a member of the pop group *NSYNC.

Eliot Torres, American Latin-rock percussionist (Salvador), was born on January 31, 19--.

Glynn Russell Turman, American actor (Attica, Buffalo Soldiers, Cooley High, A Different World, Freedom Song, Gremlins, A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Minstrel Man, Peyton Place, Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad, A Raisin in the Sun, The River Niger, Together Brothers and The Wire), was born on January 31, 1946. Glynn Turman was married to soul singer Aretha Franklin.

American actress Jessica Walter (Arrested Development, Bare Essence, Dinosaurs, The Execution, The Flamingo Kid, For the People, Play Misty for Me, She's Dressed to Kill, Temptress and Three's a Crowd) was born on January 31, 1941.

Kerry Washington, American model and actress (The Dead Girl, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Human Stain, I Think I Love My Wife, The Last King of Scotland, Little Man, Magical Make-Over, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Our Song, Ray, Save the Last Dance and She Hate Me), was born on January 31, 1977. Kerry Washington married actor David Moscow.

January 31st Birthdays: Famous Scientists

French parachuting pioneer and maker Andre-Jacques Garnerin was born on January 31, 1769.

Charles Green, British hot air ballooning pioneer, was born on January 31, 1785.

Irving Langmuir, American chemist, physicist and Nobel Prize winner (1932), was born on January 31, 1881. Irving Langmuir invented the tungsten filament lamp/

American mathematician, logician, chessmaster and puzzlemaker Sam Loyd (Sam Loyd's Book of Tangram Puzzles) was born on January 31, 1841. Sam Loyd was known for creating mind-bending puzzles, such as his "Trick Donkey."

Rudolf Mossbauer, German physicist and Nobel Prize winner (1961), was born on January 31, 1929.

Theodore William Richards, American atomic chemist and Nobel Prize winner (1914), was born on January 31, 1868.

January 31st Birthdays: Famous World (and Other) Leaders

Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Queen of the Netherlands, was born on January 31, 1938.

Henry Graaf Carton de Wiart, Belgian Premier, was born on January 31, 1869.

Bohemian Premier Franz Anton graaf von Kolowrat was born on January 31, 1778.

Swedish sociologist, diplomat, author (Crisis in the Population Question) and Parliamentarian Alva Reimer Myrdal was born on January 31, 1902. Alva Myrdal received the Nobel Peace Price in 1982.

Do you know any others who are celebrating birthdays on January 31st?

If you know additional notable people (including yourself) who may be celebrating a birthday on January 31st, please indicate so in a comment below. Thank you!

Happy Birthday, January 31st.

Other Notable Birthdates:

Click here to check other calendar dates for notable birthdates.

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