We remember famous people born this day, November 2, in history, including Hollywood leading man Burt Lancaster.
1974
PRODIGY, U.S. rapper who was one half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep with Havoc, is born in Hempstead, Long Island, New York. The duo achieved their first large success with the 1995 album “The Infamous.” The album was about Havoc growing up in New York City’s Queensbridge Houses. The duo’s third album, “Hell on Earth,” debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard charts in 1996. The album also was based on the duo’s street life. Their most recent album was 2014’s “The Infamous Mobb Deep.” Read more
1963
PARK YOUNG-SEOK, South Korean mountaineer who went missing in 2011 while attempting a new route on Annapurna, is born.
1944
KEITH EMERSON, British keyboardist and founding member of the prog-rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, is born in Todmorden, England. Emerson formed Emerson, Lake & Palmer, sometimes referred to as ELP, with guitarist Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer in 1970. Each member had achieved success with prior bands, so ELP became known as a supergroup. They received a record contract after their breakthrough performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. Read more
1942: Shere Hite, sex educator and feminist who issued the groundbreaking Hite Reports that explored human sexuality and focused on women’s experiences, is born in St. Joseph, Missouri.
1938: Jay Black, lead singer for Jay and the Americans, who had 1960s hits including “Come a Little Bit Closer” and “Cara Mia,” is born in Queens, New York.
1937
EARL CARROLL, U.S. singer remembered best as the lead singer for the 1950s group the Cadillacs, is born in New York, New York.
1936
ROSE BIRD, U.S. jurist who was the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of California, is born near Tucson, Arizona.
JACK STARRETT, U.S. actor known for his role as Gabby Johnson in the movie “Blazing Saddles,” is born in Refugio, Texas.
1932
RONALD SPROAT, U.S. screenwriter who was the head writer for the television series “Dark Shadows,” is born in the United States.
1931
PHIL WOODS, U.S. jazz saxophonist who played a memorable solo in Billy Joel’s hit “Just the Way You Are,” is born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He also played the alto sax solo on Steely Dan’s “Doctor Wu” from their 1975 album “Katy Lied,” as well as Paul Simon’s “Have a Good Time” from the 1975 album “Still Crazy After All These Years.” “There was a very specific reason Phil played on nearly every album I’ve made since 1956,” record producer Quincy Jones said, calling him “the best jazz alto sax player there was,” according to Woods’ obituary by the AP. Read more
1929
AMAR BOSE, U.S. entrepreneur who founded the Bose Corp., which is known for audio speakers and headphones, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bose started a research program in physical acoustics and psychoacoustics, leading to the development of patents in acoustics, electronics, nonlinear systems, and communication theory, according to his 2013 obituary by The Associated Press. “As long as there are interesting problems to solve, I’ll stay active,” Bose said in a 2005 interview. Read more
1927
Steve Ditko, comics artist who co-created the characters of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, is born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
1926
CHARLIE WALKER, U.S. country musician and Grand Ole Opry member, is born in Copeville, Texas.
1924
RUDY VAN GELDER, U.S. jazz recording engineer considered one of the most important in jazz history, is born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
1921
SHEPARD MENKEN, U.S. actor who appeared on “I Love Lucy” and “I Spy,” , is born in New York, New York.
BILL MOSIENKO, Canadian hockey player known for scoring the fastest hat trick in history, is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1919
WARREN STEVENS, U.S. actor who appeared on more than 150 prime-time shows from the 1950s until the 1980s, is born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.
1917
1915
SIDNEY LUFT, U.S. show business figure who was the third husband of actress Judy Garland, is born in New York, New York.
1914
JOHNNY VANDER MEER, U.S. baseball player known for being the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw two consecutive no-hitters, is born in Prospect Park, New Jersey.
RAY WALSTON, U.S. actor who starred in many film and television productions including “My Favorite Martian,” is born in New Orleans, Louisiana. For the generation that watched Walston play Uncle Martin on “My Favorite Martian,” the actor may as well have had antennae growing out of his head – he was that strongly identified with the role. But when “My Favorite Martian” was canceled after its third season, Walston’s fans learned that he was so much more than a Martian. A versatile actor, he went on to a wide variety of roles, both light and serious. Read more
1913
BURT LANCASTER, U.S. actor who starred in “Elmer Gantry” and “From Here to Eternity,” is born in Manhattan, New York. Initially uninspired by acting, Lancaster auditioned for – and won – a role in Broadway’s short-lived “A Sound of Hunting” after returning home from his military service. He caught the eye of agent Harold Hecht, who got him his first movie role in 1946’s “The Killers.” Lancaster and Hecht later teamed up to form a highly successful production company. Read more
1908
BUNNY BERIGAN, U.S. jazz trumpeter who rose to fame during the Swing era as a member of Benny Goodman‘s band, is born in Hilbert, Wisconsin.
1905
JAMES DUNN, U.S. actor who won an Academy Award for his role in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” and starred in the 1950s sitcom “It’s a Great Life,” is born in New York, New York.
1903
TRAVIS JACKSON, U.S. Major League Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop for the New York Giants who hit over .300 six times and was considered one of the best defensive players in the league, is born in Waldo, Arkansas.
1892
ALICE BRADY, U.S. film actress during the silent era who won an Oscar in 1938, is born in New York, New York.
1865
WARREN G. HARDING, U.S. politician who was the 29th president of the United States from 1921 until 1923, is born in Blooming Grove, Ohio.
1837
ÉMILE BAYARD, French illustrator known for his drawing of Cosette for Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Misérables,” is born in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Seine-et-Marne, France.
1795
JAMES K. POLK, U.S. politician who was the 11th president of the United States from 1845 until 1849, is born in Pineville, North Carolina.
1755
MARIE ANTOINETTE, Austrian-born queen of France from 1774 until her beheading in 1792, is born in Vienna, Austria.
1734
DANIEL BOONE, U.S. pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States, is born in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Discover notable people who died this day in history including wrestling legend the Fabulous Moolah.
