May 1: Today's Notable Birthdays

Is May 1st your birthday? Was someone special to you born on May 1st? With whom will you choose to celebrate this excellent occasion, your May Day birthday?

If today is your May Day 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.)

May 1st was the birth date of several notable (or even notorious) individuals. Here they are, the May Day birthday celebrants:

May 1st - May Day Birthdays: Famous Artists

Wesley Wales (Wes) Anderson, American film director, was born on May 1, 1969. Wes Anderson has directed Bottle Rocket, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Hotel Chevalier, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, My Best Friend, The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore.

American portrait artist Cecilia Beaux was born on May 1, 1855.

George Inness, American painter (Delaware Valley, Peace and Plenty and Spring Blossoms), was born on May 1, 1825.

American civil engineer and architect Benjamin Latrobe was born on May 1, 1764. Benjamin Latrobe designed and built the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Leo Sowerby, American composer (The Canticle of the Sun) and Pulitzer Prize winner (1946), was born on May 1, 1895.

Chinese film director John Woo Yu-Sen (A Better Tomorrow, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Hard Boiled, Hard Target, The Killer and Mission: Impossible 2) was born on May 1, 1946. John Woo developed the comic book series Seven Brothers.

May 1st - May Day Birthdays: Famous Athletes

Greta Andersen, Danish swimmer and Olympic gold medalist (1948), was born on May 1, 1927.

American professional football player Clifford Franklin (Cliff) Battles was born on May 1, 1910. Cliff Battles played for the Boston Braves, Boston Redskins and Washington Redskins.

Charles Philip (Chuck) Bednarik, American professional football player, was born on May 1, 1925. Chuck Bednarik played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

American horse racing jockey Steven Cauthen was born on May 1, 1960. In 1978, Steven Cauthen rode Affirmed to win the Triple Crown of thoroughbred horse racing, by placing first in the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes.

Jerry Heard, American professional golfer, was born on May 1, 1947.

American professional football player Curtis James Martin, Jr., was born on May 1, 1973. Curtis Martin played for the New England Patriots and New York Jets.

Ollie Genoa Matson, II, American professional football player (Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles), was born on May 1, 1930. In 1952, Ollie Matson won Olympic silver and bronze medals in track.

Valentin Muratov, Russian gymnast and Olympic gold medalist (1956), was born on May 1, 1946.

American professional baseball player Charles Hugh O'Brien was born on May 1, 1960. Charlie O'Brien played for the Anaheim Angels, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays.

Archie Williams, runner and Olympic gold medalist (1936), was born on May 1, 1915.

May 1st - May Day Birthdays: Famous Authors and Journalists

Joseph Addison, British Parliamentarian, poet, essayist (The Guardian, The Freeholder, The Spectator and The Tatler) and author (The Campaign, Cato, The Drummer, Remarks on Italy and Rosamund), was born on May 1, 1672.

French philosopher, paleontologist, monk and author Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Activation of Energy, The Divine Milieu, The Future of Man, Human Energy, Hymn of the Universe, Letters from a Traveller and The Phenomenon of Man) was born on May 1, 1881.

Giovanni Guareschi, Italian author (Don Camillo and Peppone), was born on May 1, 1908.

Joseph Heller, American author (Catch as Catch Can, Catch-22, Closing Time,Dirty Dingus Magee, God Knows, Good As Gold, Now and Then, Picture This, Sex and the Single Girl, Something Happened and We Bombed in New Haven), was born on May 1, 1923.

American author Bobbie Ann Mason (In Country and Spence and Lila) wasborn on May 1, 1940.

Terry Southern, American screenwriter (The Cincinnati Kid, Dr. Strangelove, Easy Rider and The Loved One) was born on May 1, 1924.

May 1st - May Day Birthdays: Famous Business Leaders

American financier (World Bank) Eugene Black was born on May 1, 1898.

Mary Harris Jones, Irish-American labor organizer, was born on May 1, 1830. Known as Mother Jones and The Miner's Angel, Mary Harris Jones was cofounder of the Industrial Workers of the World.

May 1st - May Day Birthdays: Famous Performers

American actor Ray Aranha (Bodyguards, City Hall, City of Hope, Dead Man Walking, Deconstructing Harry, Hallelujah, The Heights, The Kid and Married People) was born on May 1, 1939.

Douglas Barr, American actor (Deadly Blessing, Designing Women, The Fall Guy, Lady Boss, Temptation, The Unseen, When the Whistle Blows and The Wizard), was born on May 1, 1949.

American actress Julie Benz (Angel andDexter) was born on May 1, 1972.

Giovanni (John) Beradino, American professional baseball player (Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Browns) and actor, was born on May 1, 1917. John Beradino appeared in Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige, General Hospital, I Led Three Lives, Moon of the Wolf and The New Breed.

Shelley Lynn Phillips Breen, American contemporary Christian singer (Point of Grace), was born on May 1, 1969.

American Gospel singer Tina Campbell (Mary Mary) was born on May 1, 1974. Gospel singer Erica Campbell is Tina Campbell's sister.

Martha (Calamity Jane) Canary, American marksman and Wild West entertainer, was born on May 1, 1852.

Judy Collins, American pop singer ("Amazing Grace," "Both Sides Now" and "Send in the Clowns"), was born on May 1, 1939.

American rock bassist Johnny Colt (The Black Crowes) was born on May 1, 1966.

Rita Coolidge, American pop singer ("All Time High," "Higher and Higher," "We're All Alone" and "You"), was born on May 1, 1945.

American pop and rock guitarist Steve Farris (Mr. Mister) was born on May 1, 1957.

Ezekial Dann Florek, American actor, was born on May 1, 1950. Dann Florek has appeared in Angel Heart, Beautiful Joe, Copy That, Eddie Macon's Run, Exiled, Five Corners, Flight of the Intruder, The Flintstones, Focus Room, Getting Even with Dad, Hard Rain, An Innocent Man, L.A. Law, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Moon Over Parador, Sweet Liberty and Thira.

Gwyllyn Samuel Newton (Glenn) Ford, Canadian actor, was born on May 1, 1916. Glenn Ford appeared in Big Heat, The Blackboard Jungle, Cade's County, Cimarron, Don't Go Near the Water, Final Verdict, Midway and The Teahouse of the August Moon.

American R&B and rock bassist and singer Nick Fortuna (The Buckinghams) was born on May 1, 1946.

Wayne (The Train) Hancock, American country music singer ("87 Southbound," "Juke Joint Jumpin'" and "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs"), was born on May 1, 1965.

American model and actress Joy Patricia Harmon was born on May 1, 1943. Joy Harmon appeared in Cool Hand Luke, Tell It to Groucho and Village of the Giants.

James (Sonny James) Loden, American country music singer and actor (Hillbilly in a Haunted House, Las Vegas Hillbillies, Nashville Rebel and Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar), was born on May 1, 1929. Known as The Southern Gentleman, Sonny James had several hit songs, including "First Date," "First Kiss," "First Love" and "Young Love."

British-Indian actress Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous, The New Avengers, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Sapphire and Steel and Sensitive Skin) was born on May 1, 1946.

Stephen Macht, American actor (Cagney and Lacey and Knots Landing), was born on May 1, 1942.

American actor Darius McCrary (15 Minutes, Big Shots, Family Matters,Freedom, Kingdom Come and Mississippi Burning) was born on May 1, 1976.

Samuel Timothy (Tim) McGraw, American country music singer and actor (Flicka), was born on May 1, 1967. Tim McGraw, who married country music singer Faith Hill, is the son of professional baseball player Tug McGraw. The most popular Tim McGraw songs include "The Cowboy in Me," "Don't Take the Girl," "Down on the Farm," "I Like It I Love It," "If You're Reading This," "Indian Outlaw," "It's Your Love," "I've Got Friends That Do," "Last Dollar - Fly Away," "Live Like You Were Dying," "My Best Friend," "My Little Girl," "My Next Thirty Years," "Nothin' to Die For," "Something Like That" and ""Where the Green Grass Grows."

Romanian actress Maia Morgenstern (The Oak and The Passion of the Christ) was born on May 1, 1962.

Cory Morrow, American country music guitarist, singer and songwriter ("Beat of Your Heart," "He Carries Me" and "Texas on My Mind"), was born on May 1, 1972.

Irish actor Dan O'Herlihy (Fail-Safe, Halloween 3, The Last Starfighter and RoboCop) was born on May 1, 1919.

Jack Paar, American television personality (The Jack Paar Show and The Tonight Show), was born on May 1, 1918.

American R&B and rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Ray Parker, Jr. ("Who Ya Gonna Call - Ghostbusters"), was born on May 1, 1954.

Ben Rayls, American rock drummer (ATS - All Together Separate), was born on May 1, 1974.

Charlie Schlatter, American actor (18 Again, Bright Lights Big City, The Delinquents, Diagnosis: Murder, Ferris Bueller, Heartbreak Hotel, Out at the Wedding, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow and Resurrection Mary) and voice-over artist (The Batman, Bratz, Loonatics Unleached, Pet Alien, Robotboy, Sonic the Hedgehog and Superman: The Animated Series), was born on May 1, 1966.

American singer and radio personality (The Kate Smith Show) Kate Smith was born on May 1, 1909. Kate Smith's most popular songs included "God Bless America" and "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain."

Phil Smith, British new wave saxophonist (Haircut 100), was born on May 1, 1959.

American rock and jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player Jerry Weiss (Blood Sweat and Tears) was born on May 1, 1946.

D'arcy Elizabeth Wretzky, American alternative rock bassist (The Smashing Pumpkins), was born on May 1, 1968.

May 1st - May Day Birthdays: Famous Scientists

Malcolm Scott Carpenter, American astronaut (Aurora 7 and Mercury 7), was born on May 1, 1925.

William Lilly, British astrologer, was born on May 1, 1602.

British naturalist John Woodward was born on May 1, 1665.

May 1st - May Day Birthdays: Famous World (and Other) Leaders

Magnus VI Lagabuter, King of Norway, was born on May 1, 1238.

Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Tikhonov was born on May 1, 1905.

Arthur Wellesley, British Prime Minister, was born on May 1, 1769. Arthur Wellesley led British troops to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte at the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.

Do you know any others who are celebrating May Day birthdays on May 1st?

If you know additional notable people (including yourself) who may be celebrating a May Day birthday on May 1st, please indicate so in a comment below. Thank you!

Happy May Day Birthday, May 1st. And Happy May Day to all.

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