2003 in the United States

Events from the year 2003 in the United States.

Incumbents

Federal government

President: George W. Bush
President of the United States|Vice President]: Dick Cheney
Chief Justice: William Rehnquist
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Dennis Hastert
Senate Majority Leader:
Congress: 107th, 108th

Events

January

January - Sky marshals are introduced on U.S. airlines in an attempt to prevent hijackings.
January 3
* The 108th United States Congress is sworn in, including incoming freshmen Senators Saxby Chambliss, Lindsey Graham, John Sununu, Lamar Alexander, Elizabeth Dole, Norm Coleman, and Mark Pryor.
* The Ohio State University defeats the University of Miami in double-overtime in the Fiesta Bowl, 31–24, for the national Bowl Championship Series title.
January 4 - In American football, the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Green Bay Packers in a 27-7 upset, handing the Packers their first ever playoff loss at Lambeau Field.
January 8 - US Airways Express Flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing all 21 people aboard.
January 15 - Eldred v. Ashcroft: The Supreme Court of the United States allows the extension of copyright terms in the U.S.
January 16 - STS-107: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on what turns out to be its last flight.
January 19 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Royal Rumble pay-per-view event from the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
January 23 - The last signal is received from NASA's Pioneer 10 spacecraft, some 7.5 billion miles from Earth.
January 24 - The newly created United States Department of Homeland Security begins operations.
January 25 - An international group of volunteers leaves London for Baghdad to act as voluntary human shields, hoping to avert a U.S. invasion.
January 26 - Super Bowl XXXVII: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Oakland Raiders 48-21 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego to win their first Super Bowl title.
January 28 - State of the Union Address.
January 30 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The leaders of the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain release a statement demonstrating support for the United States' plans to invade Iraq.

February

February 1 - STS-107: Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon re-entry, killing all seven astronauts on board.
February 3 - John W. Snow is sworn in as the new Secretary of Treasury, succeeding Paul O'Neill.
February 4 - Four-year-old Sofia Juarez disappears in Kennewick, Washington.
February 5 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the UN Security Council on Iraq.
February 7 - An unsuccessful attempt is made to contact Pioneer 10.
February 20 - The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island claims the lives of 100 people.
February 26 - PixelBlocks are introduced at the American International Toy Fair in New York City.
February 27 - Fred Rogers, host of the children's television show Mister Rogers Neighborhood, dies of stomach cancer at the age of 74.

March

March 1
* The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the United States Customs Service, and the United States Secret Service move to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
* The Turkish parliament vetoes U.S. troop access to airbases in Turkey in order to attack Iraq from the north. The Bush administration starts working on Plan B, namely attacking Iraq from the south, through the Persian Gulf.
March 5 - Lockyer v. Andrade, Ewing v. California: In two separate opinions, the Supreme Court of the United States, by 5–4 margins, upholds California's "three strikes" law.
March 11 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi fighters threaten two U.S. U-2 surveillance planes, on missions for U.N. weapons inspectors, forcing them to abort their mission and return to base.
March 16 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The leaders of the United States, Britain, Portugal, and Spain meet at a summit in the Azores Islands. U.S. President Bush calls March 17 the "moment of truth", meaning that the "coalition of the willing" will make its final effort to extract a resolution from the U.N. Security Council, giving Iraq an ultimatum to disarm immediately or be disarmed by force.
March 17 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President George W. Bush gives an ultimatum: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons must either leave Iraq, or face military action at a time of the U.S.'s choosing.
March 18
* FBI agents raid the corporate headquarters of HealthSouth Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama, on suspicion of massive corporate fraud led by the company's top executives.
* About $1 billion is taken from Iraq's Central Bank by Saddam Hussein and his family, just hours before the United States begins bombing Iraq.
March 19 - The first American bombs drop on Baghdad after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his sons do not comply with U.S. President George W. Bush's 48-hour mandate demanding their exit from Iraq.
March 20 - The US-led Iraq War begins.
March 22 - The United States and the United Kingdom begin their shock and awe campaign, with a massive air strike on military targets in Baghdad.
March 23
*Hasan Akbar, a Muslim soldier with the 101st Airborne, kills two fellow soldiers in a grenade attack at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait.
* The 75th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Steve Martin, is held at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Rob Marshall's Chicago wins six awards out of 13 nominations, including Best Picture. Roman Polanski wins Best Director for The Pianist, though he does not attend due to a long-standing arrest warrant. The telecast garners over 33 million viewers, making it the least-watched and lowest-rated televised Oscar ceremony so far.
March 30
* Meigs Field Airport in Chicago, Illinois, is demolished overnight.
* World Wrestling Entertainment holds WrestleMania XIX at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington, drawing a crowd of 54,097.

April

April 3 - U.S. forces seize control of Saddam International Airport, changing the airport's name to Baghdad International Airport.
April 3-12 - Iraq War: US forces defeat the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Republican Guard in the Battle of Baghdad.
April 9 - Iraq War: U.S. forces seize control of Baghdad, ending the regime of Saddam Hussein.
April 13
*Iraq War: Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit falls to U.S. forces.
* President George W. Bush accuses Syria of possessing chemical weapons.
April 18 - Holes, directed by Andrew Davis is released in theaters.
April 21 - Retired U.S. Army General Jay Garner becomes Interim Civil Administrator of Iraq.
April 27 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Backlash pay-per-view event from the Worcester Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts.
April 29 - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld confirms that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Saudi Arabia where they have been stationed since the 1991 Gulf War.

May

May 1 - President George W. Bush lands on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, where he gives a speech announcing the end of major combat in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. A banner behind him declares "Mission Accomplished".
May 3 - The Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation in New Hampshire, crumbles after heavy rain.
May 4 - Top Thrill Dragster opens in Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio as the world's tallest, fastest roller coaster.
May 4-10 - a Tornado outbreak sequence spawns more tornadoes than any week in U.S. history; over 300 tornadoes are reported in 19 states.
May 13 – Kenny Chesney and Kelly Clarkson are tough acts to follow.
May 18 – World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Judgment Day pay-per-view from the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
May 21 – Ruben Studdard wins season 2 of American Idol.
May 23 - Dewey, the first deer cloned by scientists at Texas A&M University, is born.
May 25 - After docking in Miami at 05:00, the SS Norway is severely damaged by a boiler explosion at 06:30, killing seven and injuring 17 crew members. A few weeks later it is announced by Norwegian Cruise Line that she will never sail again as a commercial ocean liner.
May 28 - US President George W. Bush authorizes $350 billion worth of tax cuts over 10 years.
May 30 - Finding Nemo, Pixar Animation Studios' fifth feature film, is released in theaters, becoming the studio's biggest financial success up to that point.
May 31 - Eric Rudolph, perpetrator of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in 1996, is captured in Murphy, North Carolina.

June

June - As a result of the early 2000s recession, as well as the jobless recovery that followed, unemployment peaks at 6.3%, the highest since April 1994.
June 4 - Martha Stewart and her broker are indicted for using privileged investment information and then obstructing a federal investigation. Stewart also resigns as chairperson and chief executive officer of Martha Stewart Living.
June 14 - Ennis shooting: A gunman goes on a shooting spree in Madison County, Montana. The gunman kills one man and injures six others, before being involved in a chase and shootout with responding police. He is sentenced to 11 life terms, the longest prison sentence in Montana state history.
June 15
* The San Antonio Spurs win their second NBA Championship after defeating the New Jersey Nets, 88-77, in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals.
* World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Bad Blood pay-per-view event from the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas.
June 19 - The U.S. Census Bureau announces that with 37 million, Hispanics constitute the largest minority in the USA.
June 22 - The largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, Nebraska.
June 23 - Grutter v. Bollinger: The Supreme Court of the United States upholds affirmative action in university admissions.
June 26
* A senior Department of State chemical and biological weapons expert testifies to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee that he was pressured to modify intelligence reports about Iraq.
* Lawrence v. Texas: The U.S. Supreme Court declares sodomy laws unconstitutional.
June 29 - Chicago balcony collapse|A balcony collapse] in Chicago kills 13.
June 30 - In Irvine, California, Joseph Hunter Parker kills two Albertsons employees with a sword, before being shot to death by the police.

July

July 8 - Douglas Williams goes on a shooting rampage in a Lockheed Martin plant in Meridian, Mississippi, killing six and injuring eight before committing suicide.
July 9 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, directed by Gore Verbinski, is released in theaters as the first film in the Pirates of the Caribbean film Series.
July 14 - CIA leak scandal: The Washington Post columnist Robert Novak publishes the name of Valerie Plame, blowing her cover as a CIA operative.
July 22 - Uday and Qusay Hussein, sons of Saddam Hussein, are killed by the U.S. military in Iraq, after being tipped off by an informant.
July 26 - The electorate of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma approves a new constitution re-designating the tribe "Cherokee Nation" without "of Oklahoma" and specifically disenfranchising the Cherokee Freedmen.
July 27 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Vengeance pay-per-view event from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

August

August 1
*The social network Myspace launches.
*My Life as a Teenage Robot premieres on Nickelodeon.
August 14 - A widespread power outage affects the northeastern United States and South-Central Canada.
August 19 - Taylor Swift and Martina McBride with RCA record label RCA Records and RCA Nashville.
August 24 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its SummerSlam pay-per-view event from the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
August 25 - The Spitzer Space Telescope was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, during Delta II.
August 28 - Brian Douglas Wells, a pizza delivery man in Erie, Pennsylvania, is killed after a bomb fastened around his neck explodes. Wells was forced to rob a bank with the bomb collar on before it was detonated remotely.

September

September 7 - President Bush announces a request for $87 billion from Congress for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
September 17 - President Bush concedes there is no evidence linking Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
September 18 - Hurricane Isabel makes landfall as a Category 2 Hurricane on North Carolina's Outer Banks. It directly kills 16 people in the Mid–Atlantic area.
September 21 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Unforgiven pay-per-view event from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

October

October 4-December 15 - Kellie Pickler and Aaron Tippin in a state in South Carolina.
October 7 - 2003 [California gubernatorial recall election]: Voters recall Governor Gray Davis from office and elect actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed him.
October 9 - A redesigned $20 bill is first released, containing many new security features not found in older bills.
October 10 - Facing an investigation surrounding allegations of illegal drug use, American right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh publicly admits that he is addicted to prescription pain killers, and will seek treatment.
October 15 - The 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash kills 11 after one of its ferries slams into a pier.
October 19 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its No Mercy pay-per-view event from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
October 25
* The Florida Marlins defeat the New York Yankees in six games in the 2003 World Series to win their second World Series title.
* The Cedar Fire begins in San Diego County, burning 280,000 acres, 2,232 homes and killing 14.

November

November 1 - Walt Disney Pictures' 44th feature film, Brother Bear, is released to box office success but mixed-to-negative critical reception.
November 7 - Elf, directed by Jon Favreau, is released in theaters.
November 16 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Survivor Series pay-per-view event from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
November 18
* The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, rules anti-gay laws against same-sex marriage unconstitutional in Massachusetts.
* U.S. President George W. Bush makes a state visit to London in the midst of massive anti-war protests.
November 20
* Iraq War: End of Operation Iron Hammer, an attempt to end the Iraq insurgency.
* Michael Jackson is arrested on charges of child molestation. The singer faced similar charges in 1993 that were dropped after an out-of-court financial settlement was reached with the family of a boy. In light of the new accusations, the television network CBS chooses to pull the scheduled November 26 airing of a one-hour television special intended to promote Jackson's new greatest hits album, Number Ones.

December

December 1 - Boeing chairman and CEO Phil Condit resigns unexpectedly. He is replaced by Lewis Platt as non-executive chairman and Harry Stonecipher as president and CEO.
December 13 - Iraq War: End of Operation Red Dawn, resulting in the capture of Saddam Hussein in Tikrit.
December 14 - World Wrestling Entertainment holds its Armageddon pay-per-view event from the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida.
December 22 - The 6.6 San Simeon earthquake shook the central coast of California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII, leaving two dead and 40 injured, and causing $250–300 million in damage.
December 24
* At the request of the U.S. Embassy in Paris, the Government of France orders Air France to cancel several flights between France and the U.S. in response to terrorism concerns.
* A BSE outbreak in Washington state is announced. Several countries including Brazil, Australia, and Taiwan ban the import of beef from the United States.
December 31 - British Airways Flight 223, a Boeing 747-400 flying from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles, is held for security checks after landing due to intelligence suggesting a terrorist threat.

Ongoing

Births

January

January 1 - Nikhil Kumar, table tennis player
January 2 - Cyrus Arnold, actor
January 3
* Mitchell Budler, soccer player
* Kyle Rittenhouse, defendant acquitted of the Kenosha unrest shooting
* Joseph Zalinsky, soccer player
January 4
* Aleah Finnegan, gymnast
* Jaeden Martell, actor
January 6 - MattyBRaps, singer/songwriter, rapper, and dancer
January 7 - Abel Mendoza, soccer player
January 9
* Tyler Freeman, soccer player
* Graham Ivan Clark, cybercriminal
* Ricardo Pepi, soccer player
January 11 - Sota Kitahara, soccer player
January 13
* Christopher Garcia, soccer player
* Toby Kodat, tennis player
* Roald Mitchell, soccer player
* Reece Ushijima, Japanese-American racing driver
January 14 - Brittain Gottlieb, soccer player
January 16
* Tyler Boucher, hockey player
* Diana Davis, American-born Russian ice dancer
January 18 - Jonathan Perez, soccer player
January 19 - Katherine Valli, para badminton player
January 20 - J. J. McCarthy, football player
January 21 - Garren Stitt, actor and singer
January 22 - Michael Halliday, soccer player
January 23
* Adrián González, soccer player
* Selmir Miscic, soccer player
January 27
* Cooper Kinney, baseball player
* Gabriella Marte, American-born Dominican footballer
* Paul Son, soccer player
January 28 - Carson Hocevar, dirt track and stock car racing driver

February

February 1 - Sydney Mikayla, actress
February 2 - Dusty Henricksen, freestyle snowboarder
February 4 - Kyla Kenedy, actress
February 10
* Max Christie, basketball player
* Mauricio Cuevas, soccer player
February 13 - Tyler Wolff, Filipino soccer player
February 15 - Tamari Davis, sprinter
February 16
* Matthew Edwards, soccer player
* Kayden Pierre, soccer player
February 20
* Kristina García, American-born Dominican footballer
* Olivia Rodrigo, singer and actress
February 21
* Harry Ford, baseball player
* Samantha Gordon, football and soccer player
February 22
* Isra Hirsi, climate activist and daughter of U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
* Yuven Sundaramoorthy, racing driver
February 25
February 26 - Ethan Hardin, soccer player
February 28 - Hope Rose, indoor and field hockey player

March

March 1
* Yasmeen Fletcher, actress
March 6
* Walter Clayton Jr., college basketball player
* Millicent Simmonds, actress
March 8
* Montana Jordan, actor
* Gavin Krenecki, soccer player
* Ethan Peters, beauty blogger, makeup artist, and social media personality
March 9
* Andres Cardenas, soccer player
* Sunisa Lee, gymnast
March 10
* Sebastian Nava, soccer player
* Gabriella Pizzolo, actress and singer
* Elijah Wynder, soccer player
March 11 - Mikaela Jenkins, Paralympic swimmer
March 12
* Ashley Lin, Chinese-American figure skater
* Malina Weissman, actress and model
March 15 - Quinn Ewers, football player
March 19 - Chase Stillman, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
March 20 - Alex Monis, soccer player
March 23 - Jacob Greene, soccer player
March 26 - Bhad Bhabie, rapper, songwriter, and internet personality
March 27 - Grant Hampton, soccer player

April

April 1 - Jeremy Garay, soccer player
April 3 - Elsie Fisher, actress
April 4
* Caio Lauxtermann, gymnast
* Chase Petty, baseball player
April 5
* Jordan Bowers, gymnast
April 9
* Awonder Liang, chess prodigy
* Hayley Faith Negrin, actress
April 10 - Andrew Painter, baseball player
April 11 - Blake Pope, soccer player
April 12 - Omar Salim, American-born Hungarian taekwondo athlete
April 16
* Brynn Cartelli, singer
* Kahlil Watson, baseball player
April 17 - Dante Sealy, soccer player
April 19
* Caleel Harris, child actor and voice actor
* Jackson Merrill, baseball player
April 23 - Griffin Dillon, soccer player
April 28 - Daniel Edelman, soccer player
April 29

May

May 1 - Lizzy Greene, actress
May 2 - Chaz Lucius, ice hockey player
May 5 - Danny Leyva, soccer player
May 7 - Kevin Paredes, soccer player
May 8 - Logan Edra, breakdancer
May 10
* Marcus Ferkranus, soccer player
* Gavin George, classical pianist
May 11
* Kendall Brown, basketball player
* Daniel Flores, soccer player
May 13
* Jaxson Dart, football player
* Jabari Smith Jr., basketball player
May 14 - Javier Casas, soccer player
May 15 - Max Kaeser, race car driver
May 16
* Annie Flood, Paralympic volleyball player
* Collin McCamy, soccer player
* Cole Sillinger, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
* Bryan Okoh, American-born Swiss professional footballer
May 18 - Travis Hunter, American football player
May 19 - JoJo Siwa, dancer, singer, actress, and YouTube personality
May 20 - OsamaSon, rapper
May 21
* Erwin Martínez, soccer player
* Parker Retzlaff, stock car racing driver
May 24
* Rose Zhang, golfer
May 27 - Caden Clark, soccer player

June

June 1 - Emjay Anthony, actor and model
June 2 - Jeremy Ray Taylor, actor
June 3 - Nathan Bittle, basketball player
June 4 - Brady House, baseball player
June 10 - Lauren Hogg, activist
June 11 - Breanna Yde, actress
June 17
* Brian Gutiérrez, soccer player
* Elizabeth Yeager, indoor and field hockey player
June 19 - Frank Mozzicato, baseball player
June 20 - Hans Niemann, chess grandmaster
June 21 - Issa Mudashiru, soccer player
June 23
* Cole Dewhurst, soccer player
* Kaden Honeycutt, stock car racing driver
June 24 - Marcus Fiesel, murder victim
June 25 - Carson Williams, baseball player
June 26 - Sam Mayer, stock car racing driver
June 28 - Joshua Baez, baseball player
June 29 - Alexys Nycole Sanchez, child actress

July

July 1
* Storm Reid, actress
* Brynn Rumfallo, reality television cast member and dancer
July 5 - Terrell Ransom Jr., actor
July 7 - Jack McGlynn, soccer player
July 8 - Major Dodson, actor
July 11 - Sydney Lucas, child actress
July 12 - Jax Malcolm, actor
July 13 - Wyatt Oleff, actor
July 15 - Taylor Richardson, activist
July 19
* Tyler Downs, Olympic diver and social media personality
* Jacob Steinmetz, baseball player
July 21 - Marvin Gamez, soccer player
July 29 - Alejandro Alvarado Jr., soccer player

August

August 5 - Arquimides Ordonez, soccer player
August 6 - Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, basketball player
August 8 - Adam Lundegard, soccer player
August 10 - Joshua Saavedra, soccer player
August 14 - Tega Ikoba, soccer player
August 15 - Coby Jones, soccer player
August 18
* Max Charles, actor
* Hailey Owens, murder victim
August 22 - Christian Nydegger, soccer player
August 24
* Jalen Neal, soccer player
* Andre Zuluaga, soccer player
August 25 - AJ Griffin, basketball player
August 26
* Paxten Aaronson, soccer player
* Trevor Keels, basketball player
* Emma Rayne Lyle, actress
August 28
* Lexi Underwood, actress
* Quvenzhané Wallis, actress

Deaths

January

January 1 – Royce D. Applegate, actor and screenwriter
January 3 - Sid Gillman, American football player, coach and executive
January 4 - Sabine Ulibarrí, poet and critic
January 11 - Richard Simmons, actor
January 12
* Dean Amadon, ornithologist
* Maurice Gibb, British musician
January 15 - Doris Fisher, singer and songwriter
January 17
* Fritzi Burr, actress
* Richard Crenna, actor
January 20
* Al Hirschfeld, cartoonist
* Craig Kelly, snowboarder
* Nedra Volz, actress
January 23 - Nell Carter, singer and actress
January 25 – Robert Rockwell, actor
January 29 - Frank Moss, former United States Senator from Utah

February

February 1 – crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-107:
February 2 – Lou Harrison, American composer
February 3 – Lana Clarkson, actress and model
February 10
* Edgar de Evia, Mexican-born American photographer
* Ron Ziegler, White House Press Secretary
* Curt Hennig, American wrestler
February 16 – Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley
February 17 – Pete Schrum, American actor
February 19 – Johnny Paycheck, American singer and songwriter
February 20 – Orville Freeman, 29th Governor of Minnesota from 1955 through1959
February 21 – Julie Mitchum, American actress
February 23 – Howie Epstein, American musician and producer
February 27 – Fred Rogers, American educator, minister, songwriter, writer, and television host

March

March 2 – Hank Ballard, American singer and songwriter
March 3 – Ann A. Bernatitus, American U.S. Navy nurse
March 9 – Stan Brakhage, American filmmaker
March 12
* Howard Fast, American novelist
* Lynne Thigpen, American actress
March 14 – Amanda Davis, American writer and teacher
March 16 – Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist
March 20 – Sailor Art Thomas, American bodybuilder and wrestler
March 22 – Milton G. Henschel, American minister and executive
March 26 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American politician
March 30 – Michael Jeter, American actor
March 31 - Anne Gwynne, American actress

April

April 2 – Edwin Starr American soul singer
April 4 – Anthony Caruso, American actor
April 6 – David Bloom, American journalist
April 8 – Bing Russell, American actor
April 10 – Little Eva, American singer
April 11 – Cecil Howard Green, British-born American geophysicist and businessman
April 14 – Addie McPhail, American actress
April 17
* Robert Atkins, American physician
* Paul Getty, American-born British philanthropist
* Earl King, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist
April 16 – Graham Jarvis, Canadian actor
April 17 – Robert Atkins, American physician, namesake of the Atkins diet
April 20 – Ruth Hale, writer and actress
April 21 – Nina Simone, American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist
April 22 – Mike Larrabee, American Olympic athlete
April 26 – Peter Stone, American screenwriter

May

May 1 – Miss Elizabeth, American wrestling manager and valet
May 3 – Suzy Parker, American model and actress
May 9
* Carmen Filpi, American actor
* Russell B. Long, American politician
May 14
* Dave DeBusschere, American basketball player
* Robert Stack, American actor and television host
May 15 – June Carter Cash, American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedian, and writer
May 17 – Pop Ivy, American-Canadian football player and coach
May 24 – Rachel Kempson, British actress
May 26 – Kathleen Winsor, American writer
May 28 – Martha Scott, American actress

June

June 2
* Fred Blassie, American wrestler and manager
* Dick Cusack, American actor, filmmaker and humorist
* Burke Marshall, American civil rights lawyer
June 6 – Ken Grimwood, American writer
June 7 – Trevor Goddard, English actor
June 10 – Donald Regan, 66th United States Secretary of the Treasury
June 11
* David Brinkley, American television journalist
* William Marshall, American actor, singer, and director
June 12 – Gregory Peck, American actor
June 14 – Jimmy Knepper, American musician
June 15 – Hume Cronyn, Canadian-American actor
June 18 – Larry Doby, American baseball player and manager
June 20 – Bob Stump, American politician
June 21 – Leon Uris, American writer
June 23 – Maynard Jackson, American politician
June 25 – Lester Maddox, American politician
June 26 – Strom Thurmond, American politician
June 29 – Katharine Hepburn, American actress
June 30 – Buddy Hackett, American comedian and actor

July

July 1 – Herbie Mann, musician
July 4 – Barry White, singer and songwriter
July 6 – Buddy Ebsen, actor and dancer
July 12 – Benny Carter, musician
July 15 – Tex Schramm, American football executive
July 16
* Celia Cruz, Cuban-American singer
* Carol Shields, American-born Canadian writer
July 17 – Rosalyn Tureck, pianist and harpsichordist
July 25
* Erik Brann, American musician
* John Schlesinger, English director
July 27 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian
July 28 – Greg Guidry, American singer-songwriter
July 30 – Sam Phillips, record producer

August

August 3 – Roger Voudouris, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
August 4 – Frederick Chapman Robbins, American Nobel pediatrician and virologist
August 6 – Julius Baker, American flute player
August 9 – Gregory Hines, American actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer
August 11 – Herb Brooks, American hockey player and coach
August 21 – Wesley Willis, American musician
August 23 – Bobby Bonds, American baseball player
August 26 – Wilma Burgess, American country musician
August 28 – Brian Douglas Wells, criminal and murder victim
August 30 – Charles Bronson, American actor

September

September 1
* Rand Brooks, American actor
* John Gould, American humorist, essayist, and columnist
September 3 – Ma Dunjing, Chinese General, died in Los Angeles, California
September 5 – Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-American singer and actress
September 6 – Harry Goz, American actor
September 7 – Warren Zevon, American singer, songwriter, and musician
September 9
* Larry Hovis, American actor
* Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist
September 11
* Joe Hall Morris, American oral surgeon and university educator
* John Ritter, American actor and comedian
September 12 – Johnny Cash, American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor
September 13 – Frank O'Bannon, 47th Governor of Indiana from 1997 to 2003.
September 14 – John Serry Sr., Italian-American musician
September 16 – Sheb Wooley, American actor, singer, and songwriter
September 20 – Stanley Farfara, American actor
September 22 – Gordon Jump, American actor
September 25
* Franco Modigliani, Italian-American Nobel economist
* George Plimpton, American journalist, writer, and actor
* Edward Said, Palestinian-American literary critic
September 26 – Shawn Lane, American musician
September 27 – Donald O'Connor, American actor, singer, and dancer
September 28
* Althea Gibson, American tennis player
* Elia Kazan, Greek-American director
September 30 – Robert Kardashian, American attorney and businessman

October

October 3
* Florence Stanley, American actress
* William Steig, American cartoonist, illustrator, and writer
October 5
* Neil Postman, American writer, media theorist, and cultural critic
* Timothy Treadwell, American enthusiast, environmentalist, amateur naturalist, and documentary film maker
October 10 – Eugene Istomin, American pianist
October 12 – Bill Shoemaker, American jockey
October 17 – Janice Rule, American actress
October 19
* Margaret Murie, American environmentalist and author
* Road Warrior Hawk, American professional wrestler
October 20 – Jack Elam, American actor
October 21
* Fred Berry, American actor
* Elliott Smith, American singer, songwriter, and musician
October 22 – Tony Renna, American race car driver
October 25 – Robert Strassburg, American conductor, composer, musicologist, and music educator
October 27 – Rod Roddy, American television announcer
October 29 – Hal Clement, American writer
October 30 – Walter Trohan, American journalist
October 31 – Richard Neustadt, American political scientist

November

November 5
* Dorothy Fay, American actress
* Bobby Hatfield, American singer
November 6
* Crash Holly, American wrestler
* Spider Jorgensen, American baseball player and coach
November 9 – Art Carney, American actor
November 10 – Irv Kupcinet, American columnist and television personality
November 12
* Jonathan Brandis, American actor, director, and screenwriter
* Kay E. Kuter, American actor
* Penny Singleton, American actress
November 13 – Kellie Waymire, American actress
November 14
*Gene Anthony Ray, American actor, dancer, and choreographer
*Carding Castro, Filipino actor and comedian
November 15
* Dorothy Loudon, American actress and singer
* Laurence Tisch, American businessman, co-founded the Loews Corporation
* Speedy West, American guitarist and producer
November 17
* Arthur Conley, American singer
* Don Gibson, American country musician
November 18
* Patricia Broderick, American playwright and painter
* Michael Kamen, American composer, conductor, and songwriter
November 20 – Jim Siedow, American actor
* November 24 – Warren Spahn, American baseball player
November 26 – Soulja Slim, American rapper, songwriter, and murder victim
November 29 – Moondog Spot, American professional wrestler
November 30 – Gertrude Ederle, American swimmer

December

December 3 – Ellen Drew, American actress
December 4 – Iggy Katona, American race car driver
December 7
* Carl F. H. Henry, American theologian and publisher
* Azie Taylor Morton, 36th Treasurer of the United States
December 9 – Paul Simon, American politician
December 13 – William Roth, American politician
December 14 – Jeanne Crain, American actress
December 15 – George Fisher, American political cartoonist
December 16
* Madlyn Rhue, American actress
* Gary Stewart, American singer, songwriter, and musician
December 17 – Otto Graham, American football player and coach
December 19 – Hope Lange, American actress
December 22 – Dave Dudley, American singer
December 27
* Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
* Pete Alvarado, American animator and comic book artist
December 28 – Helen Kleeb, American actress
December 29 – Earl Hindman, American actor
December 30 – John Gregory Dunne, American writer, screenwriter, literary critic, and journalist