Famous people and celebrities born in 1905

We celebrate the remarkable individuals born in 1905. 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 1905 and honor the stars who continue to shine brightly today.

Jan. 3 Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was a pioneering Chinese American actress, widely regarded as the first Chinese American movie star in Hollywood. She gained international recognition in both silent film and talkies, breaking barriers for Asian American actors in the U.S. and Europe. [bio]
Jan. 4 Sterling Holloway
Sterling Holloway was an American actor and voice actor, celebrated for his distinctive, high-pitched voice. He is best known for providing the voice of Winnie the Pooh in Disney's animated adaptations, as well as voicing characters in films such as 'The Jungle Book' (Kaa the snake), 'The Aristocats' (Roquefort the mouse), and 'Alice in Wonderland' (the Cheshire Cat). Holloway had … [bio]
Jan. 12 Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter was an American country music singer and actor, celebrated for his pioneering contributions to both the country music genre and Western films. He rose to fame in the 1930s and 1940s as a 'singing cowboy' in numerous Hollywood films and became a founding member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. [bio]
Jan. 13 Kay Francis
Kay Francis was an American film and stage actress, considered one of the most prominent female stars of the 1930s, known for her roles in sophisticated dramas and comedies during the early sound era of Hollywood. [bio]
Jan. 13 Jack London
Jack London was a prolific American novelist, journalist, and social activist, best known for his adventure novels 'The Call of the Wild'...
Jan. 19 Oveta Hobby
Pioneering American politician and government official who served as the first female Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under...
Jan. 21 Christian Dior
Christian Dior was a legendary French fashion designer, best known for founding the House of Dior and revolutionizing 20th-century fashion with the launch of his 'New Look' in 1947. His elegant and innovative designs brought a new era of glamour and femininity to post-war fashion and established Dior as a leading global brand. [bio]
Jan. 25 Maria Trapp
Austrian-American musician immortalized by 'The Sound of Music', who transformed from a novice to the matriarch of the famous Trapp Family...
Jan. 30 Greta Nissen
Greta Nissen was a Norwegian-American film and stage actress, best known for her work during the 1920s and 1930s in both European and Hollywood films. [bio]
Feb. 1 Emilio Segrè
Renowned Italian-American physicist and Nobel Prize laureate who made significant contributions to nuclear physics and the discovery of...
Feb. 2 Ayn Rand
Influential Russian-American philosopher and novelist who developed the philosophical system of Objectivism.
Feb. 14 Thelma Ritter
Thelma Ritter was an acclaimed American actress known for her distinctive voice, comedic timing, and memorable performances in both film and television. Renowned as one of the finest character actresses of the 20th century, she was best known for her roles in classic Hollywood films and her record-tying number of Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. [bio]
Feb. 27 Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone was an American actor best known for his work in both film and theater during Hollywood's Golden Age. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the film 'Mutiny on the Bounty' (1935). [bio]
March 3 Marie Glory
Marie Glory was a French actress best known for her work during the silent and early sound eras of French cinema, with a career spanning several decades. [bio]
March 12 Takashi Shimura
Renowned Japanese actor famous for his iconic roles in Akira Kurosawa's classic films 'Rashomon' and 'Seven Samurai', who significantly...
March 18 Robert Donat
Robert Donat was an acclaimed English actor best known for his performances in classic films such as 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' and Alfred Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps'. Active primarily during the 1930s to 1950s, Donat was celebrated for his versatility and distinctive voice, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' (1939). [bio]
March 23 Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford was a highly influential American actress and dancer, renowned for her commanding screen presence and versatility. She became one of Hollywood's most prominent leading ladies during the Golden Age of cinema, earning critical acclaim and widespread fame for roles in films such as 'Mildred Pierce,' for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. [bio]
March 23 Lale Andersen
Lale Andersen was a German singer and songwriter, best known internationally for her rendition of the famous World War II song 'Lili Marleen.' Her emotive interpretation of the song made her an iconic figure during the war years. [bio]
March 29 Philip Ahn
Philip Ahn was a pioneering Korean American actor recognized for being one of the first Asian-American film actors in Hollywood, with a career spanning more than four decades. He appeared in over 180 films and television shows, most notably for his role as Master Kan on the television series 'Kung Fu.' [bio]
April 24 Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren was an American poet, novelist, literary critic, and educator, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'All the King's Men' and for being the only person to win Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and poetry. [bio]
May 1 Henry Koster
Henry Koster was a prominent German-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his influential work in Hollywood, particularly from the 1930s through the 1960s. He directed numerous successful films, including 'The Bishop’s Wife', 'Harvey', and 'The Robe', a landmark as the first film released in CinemaScope. [bio]
May 11 Mikhail Sholokhov
Prominent Russian novelist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1965 for his epic works depicting the life of Cossacks in Southern...
May 15 Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten was a prominent American film, stage, and television actor known for his roles in classic movies during the 1940s and 1950s. He was widely recognized for his collaborations with Orson Welles and his performances in influential films such as 'Citizen Kane' and 'The Third Man.' [bio]
May 16 Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda was an acclaimed American film and stage actor with a career spanning five decades. Renowned for his naturalistic style and ability to portray principled, upstanding characters, Fonda is remembered as one of Hollywood's leading men and the patriarch of the Fonda acting dynasty. [bio]
May 19 Natalie Kingston
Natalie Kingston was an American actress who gained fame in the silent film era and into the early sound era. She is best known for her roles in comedies, particularly as the female lead in the 1928 'Tarzan the Mighty' film serial. [bio]
June 21 Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre was a renowned French philosopher, playwright, novelist, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, widely recognized as one of the key figures in 20th-century existentialism and phenomenology. [bio]
July 5 Isa Miranda
Isa Miranda was a renowned Italian actress who became an international star in the 1930s and 1940s. She was acclaimed for her talent and versatility, working in both European and Hollywood films, and was one of the first Italian actresses to achieve worldwide fame. [bio]
July 15 Dorothy Fields
Pioneering American lyricist and songwriter who wrote lyrics for numerous Broadway musicals and Hollywood films, collaborating with...
July 29 Clara Bow
Clara Bow was a pioneering American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era and became the leading sex symbol of the 1920s. Revered as the original 'It Girl,' her charismatic on-screen presence and vivacity helped define the flapper image in popular culture. [bio]
July 29 Thelma Todd
Thelma Todd was an American actress and comedian best known for her work in early sound films of the 1920s and 1930s. She appeared in over 120 feature films and shorts, often known for her comedic talent and partnerships with major comedy stars. [bio]
Aug. 2 Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an acclaimed American film, television, and stage actress, best known for her sophisticated and witty roles, particularly as Nora Charles in the 'Thin Man' film series. Over a career spanning eight decades, she became one of Hollywood's most beloved leading ladies. [bio]
Aug. 4 Dolores del Rio
Dolores del Río was a pioneering Mexican actress who became one of the most important female figures of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, as well as one of the first Latin American stars to achieve international fame in Hollywood. She was renowned for her beauty, elegance, and dramatic talent, appearing in both silent and sound films. [bio]
Sept. 5 Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler was a Hungarian-British author and journalist, best known for his novel 'Darkness at Noon' and his works on political philosophy and 20th-century intellectual history. [bio]
Sept. 18 Eddie Anderson
Eddie Anderson was an American comic actor best known for his role as 'Rochester Van Jones' on the long-running radio and television program "The Jack Benny Program". He was one of the most prominent African American comic actors of his era, recognized for his distinctive gravelly voice and comedic timing. [bio]
Sept. 18 Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo was a renowned Swedish-American film actress, celebrated as one of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Known for her enigmatic persona, expressive acting, and performances in both silent and talking films, Garbo remains an enduring icon of the silver screen. [bio]
Oct. 7 Andy Devine
Andy Devine was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy voice and comedic roles in film and television, particularly from the 1930s through the 1960s. [bio]
Nov. 5 Joel McCrea
Joel McCrea was an American actor best known for his work in Westerns and adventure films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Over his five-decade career, McCrea appeared in more than 90 films and became known for his understated style and robust screen presence. [bio]
Nov. 19 Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey was a renowned American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known for his smooth trombone playing and led one of the most popular swing bands in the 1930s and 1940s. [bio]
Nov. 26 Norah Baring
Norah Baring was an English actress best known for her roles in British silent and early sound films, most notably Alfred Hitchcock's 'Murder!' (1930). She was active during the late 1920s and early 1930s and was recognized for her emotive acting style and presence on screen. [bio]
Dec. 5 Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger was an influential Austro-Hungarian-born American film director, producer, and actor renowned for his work in Hollywood during the mid-20th century. Known for tackling taboo subjects in his films, he established himself with innovative filmmaking and challenging the Motion Picture Production Code. [bio]
Dec. 11 Gilbert Roland
Gilbert Roland was a Mexican-American actor known for his long and varied career in Hollywood, spanning from the silent film era into the 1980s. He gained fame with his roles in both English and Spanish language films, particularly for his portrayals of romantic Latin lovers and for the Cisco Kid series. [bio]
Dec. 17 Simo Häyhä
Legendary Finnish sniper known as 'White Death' during the Winter War, credited with over 500 confirmed kills, making him the deadliest...
Dec. 24 Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes was a legendary American business magnate, aviator, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist. He became one of the most influential and wealthiest figures of the 20th century, revolutionizing both the aviation industry and Hollywood filmmaking. Hughes was also notorious for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle in his later years, which has been widely documented. [bio]
Dec. 25 Fernand Gravey
Fernand Gravey was a Belgian-born French actor known for his prolific film career spanning both French and English-language cinema from the 1920s through the 1970s. [bio]