18 historically significant individuals born on August 4. August 4 is the birth date of several historical figures, such as Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792), Nobel Prize-winning author Knut Hamsun (1859), and jazz musician Louis Armstrong (1901). Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, born in 1912, is noted for rescuing Hungarian Jews during World War II. Zanzibar's first president, Abeid Karume, was born in 1905.
Total Born
18
Countries
14
Top Century
20th· 12
Top Field
politician
4 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
Giorgio Parisi
1948 – PresentNobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (2021)
cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr
1974 – PresentInfluential Shia cleric and politician who leads the Sadrist Movement, one of Iraq's largest political blocs. He commands significant popular support among Iraq's Shia majority and has been a major power broker in post-2003 Iraqi politics.
association football player
Antonio Valencia
1985 – PresentProfessional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United from 2009 to 2019, earning over 100 caps for the Ecuador national team.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (12)
19th (5)
18th C.20th C.
20th Century
12Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Giorgio Parisi
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (2021)
Muqtada al-Sadr
clericpolitician
Influential Shia cleric and politician who leads the Sadrist Movement, one of Iraq's largest political blocs. He commands significant popular support among Iraq's Shia majority and has been a major power broker in post-2003 Iraqi politics.
Antonio Valencia
association football player
Professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United from 2009 to 2019, earning over 100 caps for the Ecuador national team.
Mark Milligan
association football player
Australian footballer who captained the national team and played as a defensive midfielder for clubs including Melbourne Victory and Hibernian.
Abeid Karume
ministerpolitician
First President of Zanzibar (1964-1972) who led the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964 and played a crucial role in the union between Zanzibar and Tanganyika to form Tanzania.
Louis Armstrong
film actorjazz musician
American jazz musician, trumpeter and singer (1901–1971)
Barack Obama
academiccommunity organizer
President of the United States from 2009 to 2017 (born 1961)
Raoul Wallenberg
architectbanker
Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II by issuing protective passports and disappeared in Soviet custody in 1945.
Pumpuang Duangjan
actorsinger
Thai singer who pioneered the luk thung genre and became known as the 'Queen of Luk Thung' before her death at age 31.
Fredrik Reinfeldt
economistpolitician
Swedish Moderate Party leader who served as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2014, implementing center-right economic policies and labor market reforms.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
politician
Spanish Socialist politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2004 to 2011, leading the country through economic challenges.
Timur Safin
fencer
Russian sabre fencer who won team gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and multiple World Championship medals.
19th Century
5Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Dámaso Berenguer, 1st Count of Xauen
military personnelminister
Spanish general and politician (1873-1953)
Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
aristocratconsort
Queen consort of the British Empire from 1936 to 1952; mother of Elizabeth II (1900–2022)
Arthur Raymond Penfold
botanistchemist
Botanist (1890-1980)
Alfonsas Petrulis
Catholic priestjournalist
Lithuanian priest and journalist (1873–1928)
Knut Hamsun
criticnovelist
Norwegian novelist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 for his influential works including Hunger and Growth of the Soil.
18th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Percy Bysshe Shelley
librettistlinguist
English Romantic poet who wrote influential works including Ozymandias and Prometheus Unbound, advocating for political and social reform. He was expelled from Oxford University for publishing a pamphlet on atheism and died at age 29 in Italy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on August 4?
Louis Armstrong, the jazz trumpeter and singer, was born on August 4, 1901. He had a significant impact on jazz music and popular culture, becoming one of the most recognizable musicians of the 20th century.
What famous poets were born on August 4?
Percy Bysshe Shelley, a major English Romantic poet, was born on August 4, 1792. Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920, was also born on this date in 1859.
Are there any historical figures born on August 4?
Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II, was born on August 4, 1912. Abeid Karume, the first President of Zanzibar, was also born on this date in 1905.