Born 1934

Ron Nessen (1934–2025), press secretary for Gerald Ford

Ron Nessen was a journalist best known for serving as press secretary for President Gerald Ford in the years immediately following the Watergate scandal, when American trust in government institutions was at a low point.

Bob Uecker (1934–2025), Milwaukee Brewers broadcasting legend

Bob Uecker was a former major league baseball catcher who became the longtime broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as a comedic actor known for “Mr. Belvedere” and “Major League.”

Claude Jarman Jr. (1934–2025), star of The Yearling

Claude Jarman Jr. was a former child star, best known for his performance in the 1946 movie “The Yearling.” 

Lorraine O’Grady (1934–2024), conceptual artist and cultural critic

Lorraine O’Grady was a conceptual artist and cultural critic who won acclaim late in life for her mixed-media work, which often explored race and cultural identity, especially from the perspective of a Black woman in the United States.

Maggie Smith (1934–2024), star of Downton Abbey and Harry Potter

Maggie Smith was an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony-winning actress known for roles in “Downton Abbey” and the “Harry Potter” series, along with dozens of other notable movies, television shows, and stage performances.

James Sikking (1934–2024), Hill Street Blues, Doogie Howser actor

James Sikking was an actor best known for playing Lt. Howard Hunter on “Hill Street Blues” and the father of show namesake “Doogie Howser, M.D.” 

Sen. Jim Inhofe (1934–2024), U.S. senator from Oklahoma

Sen. Jim Inhofe was a U.S. senator from Oklahoma for nearly three decades who served in public office in one form or another for nearly 60 years overall.

Robert Towne (1934–2024), screenwriter behind Chinatown

Robert Towne was an acclaimed screenwriter best known for his Oscar-winning screenplay for “Chinatown,” as well as “Days of Thunder,” “Mission: Impossible” and other noted films.

Bill Cobbs (1934–2024), actor known for Night at the Museum

Bill Cobbs was an actor known for many of his nearly 200 roles on film and TV, including parts in “Night at the Museum,” “Demolition Man,” “The Bodyguard,” “The West Wing,” and "I’ll Fly Away.” 

C. Gordon Bell (1934–2024), helped bring computers into homes

C. Gordon Bell was an electrical engineer who worked on some of the world’s first small-profile computers and, as a result, helped usher in the era of the home PC.

Frank Wakefield (1934–2024), bluegrass mandolin virtuoso

Frank Wakefield was a bluegrass mandolinist and songwriter who innovated new techniques on his instrument.

David Pryor (1934–2024), U.S. senator and Arkansas governor

David Pryor was a Democratic politician who served as governor of Arkansas in the 1970s, as well as representing the state in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. 

Joseph Brennan (1934–2024), former governor of Maine

Joseph Brennan was the 70th governor of Maine and a former state Attorney General who also served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Maryse Condé (1934–2024), icon of Caribbean literature 

Maryse Condé was a French author best known for her work focused on the African diaspora, especially in the Caribbean, as explored in her best known novel, “Ségou.”

Daniel Kahneman (1934–2024), Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist 

Daniel Kahneman was a Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist, psychologist, and author of the best-selling book on modern economic theory, “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” 

Pete Rodriguez (1934–2024), I Like It Like That bandleader and pianist 

Pete Rodriguez was the bandleader and pianist for Pete Rodriguez y Su Conjunto, known for their 1967 boogaloo hit, “I Like it Like That.” 

Edward Bond (1934–2024), socially-conscious playwright and director

Edward Bond was a playwright and theater director whose often socially conscious work included “Saved,” “Narrow Road to the Deep North,” “Lear,” and “The Sea.” 

N. Scott Momaday (1934–2024), Pulitzer-winning Native American author

N. Scott Momaday was a Kiowa author, essayist, and poet whose novel, “House Made of Dawn,” won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and helped spark the Native American Renaissance movement in literature.

Gerald McGinnis (1934–2024), inventor of the CPAP machine

Gerald E. “Jerry” McGinnis was a biomedical engineer who invented the CPAP machine and founded several medical technology companies, including Respironics and Lanz Medical Products.

Roger Donlon (1934–2024), first Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient 

Roger Donlon was a U.S. Army veteran who was given the Medal of Honor for his valor in the Vietnam War.

Lt. Col. Bob Pardo (1934–2023), daring aviator known for Pardo's Push

Bob Pardo was an aviator and military fighter pilot whose efforts to get his wingman’s heavily damaged Phantom fighter jet out of enemy airspace over Vietnam became known as Pardo’s Push.0

Suzanne Shepherd (1934–2023), actress from GoodFellas, the Sopranos

Suzanne Shepherd was an actress, teacher, and stage director who appeared in “The Sopranos,” “Mystic Pizza,” “Uncle Buck,” and “Requiem for a Dream,” and is perhaps best known for playing Karen’s mother in the gangster classic, “GoodFellas.” 

Renata Scotto (1934–2023), operatic soprano icon

Renata Scotto was a singer, teacher, and opera director who was widely considered one of the greatest sopranos of her generation.

Joí£o Donato (1934–2023), Brazilian bossa nova pianist 

Joí£o Donato was a bossa nova composer and pianist who performed with such greats as and . 

Peter Nero (1934–2023), Grammy-winning Philly Pops conductor 

Peter Nero was a Grammy Award-winning pianist, well-known as the conductor of Philly Pops for more than three decades and often interpreting popular music through jazz and classical styles.

Alan Arkin (1934–2023), Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine star

Alan Arkin was an actor known for roles in films including “Wait Until Dark” (1967) “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992), and “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Thomas Buergenthal (1934–2023), prominent human rights advocate

Thomas Buergenthal was a Holocaust survivor who went on to become an attorney, judge, and scholar, and an influential advocate for human rights.

Marlene Hagge-Vossler (1934–2023), last surviving LPGA founder

Marlene Hagge-Vossler was one of the 13 women who co-founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950, the last of the group to survive.

Barry Humphries (1934–2023), comedian known for Dame Edna persona 

Barry Humphries was an Australian comedian and actor best known for his characters, the flamboyant Dame Edna Everage and the boorish Sir Les Patterson.

Norman Reynolds (1934–2023), production designer for Star Wars

Norman Reynolds won two Academy Awards and was nominated for four others for his production design work on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises.

Paco Rabanne (1934–2023), space age fashion designer

Paco Rabanne was a fashion designer known for his space age designs in unusual materials, such as metal and plastic.

David Durenberger (1934–2023), U.S. senator from Minnesota

David Durenberger was a Republican U.S. senator from Minnesota who served for 16 years.

Yoshio Yoda (1934–2023), Fuji in “McHale’s Navy”

Yoshio Yoda was an actor best known for playing Fuji in the classic sitcom “McHale’s Navy.”

Dorothy Tristan (1934–2023), actress in “Klute,” “Scarecrow”

Dorothy Tristan was an actress and screenwriter known for performances in movies including “Klute” and “Scarecrow.”

Don Christopher (1934–2022), California’s garlic king

Don Christopher was the Garlic King, owner of the California ranch that is the largest garlic producer in the country.

George Newall (1934–2022), “Schoolhouse Rock” co-creator

George Newall was the last surviving co-creator of the iconic “Schoolhouse Rock” series of educational cartoon shorts.

Rita Gardner (1934–2022), Broadway actress in “The Fantasticks,” “A Family Affair”

Rita Gardner was an actress who originated the role of Luisa in the long-running show “The Fantasticks.”

Louise Fletcher (1934–2022), played Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

Louise Fletcher was an actress who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Raymond Briggs (1934–2022), children’s author known for “The Snowman”

Raymond Briggs was a British author and illustrator of graphic novels and children’s books including the beloved classic “The Snowman.”

Sam Gooden (1934–2022), founding member of The Impressions

Sam Gooden was an original member and baritone voice for the legendary Chicago soul group The Impressions.   

Bill Russell (1934–2022), Boston Celtics legend

Bill Russell was a legendary center for the Boston Celtics known for his defense who won five NBA MVP awards.

Maureen Arthur (1934–2022), “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” star

Maureen Arthur was an actress known for her performance as Hedy LaRue in “How to succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Gino Cappelletti (1934–2022), Patriots Hall of Famer

Gino Cappelletti was a wide receiver and placekicker for the original Boston Patriots of the AFL who was the league’s MVP in 1964.   

Leonid Kravchuk (1934–2022), first president of independent Ukraine

Leonid Kravchuk was the first president of Ukraine after it gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Stanislav Shushkevich (1934–2022), first leader of post-Soviet Belarus

Stanislav Shushkevich was the first head of state of an independent Belarus after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Orrin Hatch (1934–2022), long-serving U.S. Senator from Utah

Orrin Hatch was a Republican U.S. senator from Utah, the longest-serving Republican in U.S. Senate history and the longest-serving senator from Utah in Senate history.

Guitar Shorty (1934–2022), legendary blues guitarist influenced Jimi Hendrix  

Guitar Shorty was a legendary blues guitarist who influenced Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy.

Kathryn Hays (1934–2022), actress known for “As the World Turns,” “Star Trek”

Kathryn Hays was an actress who starred as Kim Sullivan Hughes on “As the World Turns” for more than 30 years.

Akira Takarada (1934–2022), star of original “Godzilla”

Akira Takarada was a Japanese actor who starred in the original “Godzilla” movie in 1954.