Famous people and celebrities born in 1900

We celebrate the remarkable individuals born in 1900. This year gave rise to a new generation of talent, including actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and more who have significantly impacted our world. Dive into the stories of these famous personalities, explore their journeys, and see how they've shaped culture and society since their birth year. Join us as we take a nostalgic trip back to 1900 and honor the stars who continue to shine brightly today.

Jan. 2 William Haines
William Haines was an American film actor and interior designer. He achieved prominence as a leading man in silent and early talking films during the 1920s and 1930s. Haines was also noted for his later success as an interior designer after leaving Hollywood. [bio]
Jan. 20 Colin Clive
Colin Clive was an English stage and screen actor best known for his iconic portrayal of Dr. Henry Frankenstein in the classic horror films 'Frankenstein' (1931) and 'Bride of Frankenstein' (1935). [bio]
Jan. 25 Theodosius Dobzhansky
Renowned geneticist who made fundamental contributions to evolutionary biology, helping to integrate Darwinian theory with modern genetics...
Jan. 27 Hyman Rickover
Admiral Hyman Rickover was a pioneering naval officer who revolutionized naval technology by developing nuclear-powered submarines and...
Jan. 28 Alice Neel
Alice Neel was a prominent American portrait painter known for her emotionally charged and psychologically penetrating works that captured...
Feb. 5 Adlai Stevenson
Adlai Stevenson II was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 31st Governor of Illinois and twice as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in the 1950s. He later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the administration of President John F. Kennedy. [bio]
Feb. 22 Luis Buñuel
Influential Spanish surrealist filmmaker who pioneered avant-garde cinema, collaborating with Salvador Dalí and creating groundbreaking...
March 2 Kurt Weill
Renowned German-American composer who revolutionized modern opera through his collaboration with Bertolt Brecht, creating groundbreaking...
March 8 Howard Aiken
Howard Aiken was a pioneering computer scientist who played a crucial role in the early development of computing technology.
March 19 Frédéric Joliot-Curie
French chemist who, together with his wife Irène Joliot-Curie, won the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for producing synthesized radioactive...
March 24 Erich Fromm
Renowned German social psychologist, psychoanalyst, and humanistic philosopher who significantly influenced 20th-century critical theory and...
April 5 Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy was an acclaimed American actor known for his naturalistic style and versatility, often regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of American cinema. [bio]
April 25 Wolfgang Pauli
Wolfgang Pauli was a groundbreaking Austrian-born physicist who made fundamental contributions to quantum mechanics.
April 26 Charles Richter
Charles Richter was a pioneering American seismologist who developed the Richter scale, a groundbreaking method for measuring earthquake...
May 12 Helene Weigel
Helene Weigel was an Austrian-German actress and artistic director, best known for her work in the theatre and for her marriage and professional partnership with playwright Bertolt Brecht. She played a crucial role in the development and direction of the Berliner Ensemble, one of Germany's most influential theatre companies. [bio]
May 17 Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was a prominent Iranian Shia Muslim religious and political leader who led the Iranian Revolution in 1979,...
June 9 Fred Waring
Fred Waring was a renowned American musician, bandleader, and radio-television personality, often referred to as 'The Man Who Taught America How to Sing.' He was best known for his ensemble, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, which popularized choral music in the United States throughout the 20th century. [bio]
June 22 Catherine Hessling
Catherine Hessling was a French actress and model best known for her work in early French cinema and for being the muse and wife of director Jean Renoir. She appeared in several films directed by Renoir in the 1920s, including 'Nana' (1926). [bio]
June 25 Lord Louis Mountbatten
Lord Louis Mountbatten was a prominent British naval officer and statesman who played a crucial role in British imperial history, serving as...
June 30 Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Renowned French writer, poet, aristocrat, journalist, and pioneering aviator, best known for his novella 'The Little Prince'.
July 2 Tyrone Guthrie
Tyrone Guthrie was a renowned English theatrical director, known for his innovative contributions to both British and international theatre, and for founding several influential theatres. [bio]
July 10 Evelyn Laye
Evelyn Laye was a renowned English actress and singer, celebrated for her performances in musical comedy and operetta during the early to mid-20th century. Her career spanned stage, film, and television, making her one of Britain's most beloved musical theatre stars. [bio]
July 12 Chhabi Biswas
Chhabi Biswas was a renowned Indian actor known for his work in Bengali cinema. He gained prominence for his powerful performances and became one of the most respected actors in Bengali film during the mid-20th century. [bio]
Aug. 4 Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was a legendary jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader who revolutionized jazz music.
Aug. 4 Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the Queen Mother of the United Kingdom, wife of King George VI, and mother of Queen Elizabeth II.
Aug. 4 Mother Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the wife of King George VI and mother of Queen Elizabeth II.
Aug. 8 James Pierce
James Pierce was an American actor best known for his portrayal of Tarzan in the silent film era. He later voiced the character in a radio series and had a notable career in early Hollywood. [bio]
Aug. 25 Hans Adolf Krebs
Renowned German biochemist who won the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on metabolic cycles, particularly the citric acid cycle...
Sept. 13 Gladys George
Gladys George was an American actress known for her work in both stage and film, particularly during the 1930s and 1940s. She was acclaimed for her dramatic roles and her distinctive voice. [bio]
Sept. 24 Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini was an Iranian politician, revolutionary, and religious leader, best known as the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its Supreme Leader from 1979 until his death in 1989. His leadership in the 1979 Iranian Revolution led to the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy and the establishment of a theocratic government rooted in Islamic principles. [bio]
Oct. 3 Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfe was a prominent American novelist of the early 20th century, renowned for his introspective and vividly descriptive works. His writing is characterized by its deeply autobiographical nature and lyrical style, most notably in his novel 'Look Homeward, Angel.' [bio]
Oct. 7 Heinrich Himmler
A key Nazi leader who was one of the primary architects of the Holocaust, serving as Reichsführer of the SS and playing a central role in...
Oct. 9 Alastair Sim
Alastair Sim was a famed Scottish actor known for his distinctive voice and expressive performances. He is best remembered for his roles in classic British cinema, particularly as Ebenezer Scrooge in the widely acclaimed 1951 adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol.' [bio]
Oct. 10 Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes was an acclaimed American actress whose career spanned eight decades. Often referred to as the 'First Lady of American Theatre,' she achieved success on Broadway, in film, and on television, earning all four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (making her one of the few EGOT winners). [bio]
Oct. 17 Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur was an acclaimed American actress best known for her roles in classic films of the 1930s and 1940s, particularly in screwball comedies and Frank Capra's iconic works. Her distinctive husky voice and comedic timing made her a standout presence in Hollywood's Golden Age. [bio]
Oct. 30 Ragnar Granit
Nobel Prize-winning Finnish-Swedish physiologist who made groundbreaking contributions to understanding visual perception.
Nov. 3 Adi Dassler
Adi Dassler was a pioneering German entrepreneur who founded Adidas, transforming athletic footwear and sportswear globally.
Nov. 8 Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Mitchell was an American novelist best known for writing 'Gone with the Wind,' one of the most popular books in American literature and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. [bio]
Nov. 15 Aaron Copland
A renowned American composer who is considered one of the most important figures in 20th-century classical music.
Nov. 25 Rudolf Höss
Duplicate entry for Rudolf Höss, Nazi SS officer and Auschwitz commandant.
Nov. 26 Helen Gahagan
Helen Gahagan was an American actress, opera singer, and politician, best known for her service as a U.S. Representative from California and for being the first Democratic woman elected to Congress from California. [bio]
Dec. 6 Agnes Moorehead
Agnes Moorehead was an American actress best known for her work in radio, film, television, and the stage. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Endora on the television series 'Bewitched' and was highly respected for her versatile performances throughout a career that spanned over five decades. [bio]
Dec. 23 Marie Bell
Marie Bell was a prominent French actress and theatre director, known for her influential performances on stage and screen throughout the 20th century. [bio]