Famous People Born In 56

English playwright, poet, and actor William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He is also often called England's national poet. Many of his works have been translated into other languages and his plays continue to be produced till day. Popular during his lifetime, he acquired an iconic status after his death.

Inventor, engineer and futurist, Nikola Tesla, is best remembered for his contribution to the development of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. A prolific inventor, he had around 300 patents for his inventions. Even though he earned a considerable amount of money, he had poor money management skills and died a poor man.

One of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, Tom Hanks is known for both his comedic and dramatic roles. Making his breakthrough with leading roles in the 1980s, he went on to further cement his place in Hollywood in the 1990s by taking up poignant and sensitive roles. He is also a director, producer, and screenwriter. 

Counted amongst the greatest military commanders of all times, Alexander the Great successfully created one of the largest empires—from Macedonia to Persia and India—of the ancient world. The son of King of Macedonia, Philip II, he ascended the throne at the age of 20 and achieved unprecedented success before he died at the age of 33.  

A child prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is regarded as one of the greatest classical composers ever. A prolific composer, he had a profound influence on Western music. Many of his works are considered pinnacles of choral, symphonic, operatic, chamber, and concertante music. Before his death, at the age of 35, he had composed over 600 works.

Carrie Fisher was an American actress best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. Some of her other films notable film wereShampoo, Soapdish, The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally and The Women. She had issues with bipolar disorder and drug addiction and spoke publicly about it. She died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest while on a transatlantic flight.

An Italian astronomer, engineer, and physicist, Galileo Galilei is widely regarded as the father of observational astronomy, the father of the scientific method, the father of modern physics, and the father of modern science. He is credited with popularizing the telescope, which changed the course of history.

Considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, Larry Bird was part of the Dream Team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Bird helped his team Boston Celtics win three NBA championships. In 2018, MSN Sports named him the greatest Boston Celtics player ever.

American actor Bryan Cranston became a household name when he starred in the hit television series Breaking Bad. He won four Primetime Emmy Awards for the role. Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle and Sneaky Pete are some of his other notable series. He has also worked in many films and has received critical acclaim for movies like Trumbo and The Upside.

Bob Saget was an American actor, director, television host, and stand-up comedian. Renowned for his adult-oriented stand-up comedy routine, Saget hosted popular TV shows, such as America's Funniest Home Videos. Also known for his charity work, Bob Saget served as one of the members of the board of the non-profit organization, Scleroderma Research Foundation.

Actor and director, Mel Gibson is famous for action films like Lethal weapon. His directorial venture, Braveheart, in which he acted too, won him the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture. However, his alcoholism issues, drunken driving arrest and his anti-Jew statements landed him in trouble due to which he took a hiatus from Hollywood for a decade.

Regarded as the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud was a neurologist. Despite suffering criticism, psychoanalysis remains influential in the fields of psychology and psychiatry; such is the influence Freud has on humanities. Scholars believe that Freud is one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century and that his impact is comparable to that of Marxism and Darwinism.

King James I of England and Ireland was also the king of Scotland as James VI. Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, he believed in royal absolutism. He had major conflicts with the Parliament and its ever-growing powers, which eventually led to revolts against his successor, Charles I.

Anthony Bourdain was an American celebrity chef. He was also a renowned author, media personality and travel documentarian. His shows about the exploration of international culture and cuisine were very popular. Apart from writing several books on food and cooking and travel explorations, Bourdain also wrote fiction and historical non-fiction. In June 8, 2018, he died by suicide in France.

From presidential cabin of Princeton University to presidential office of the White House, Woodrow Wilson ushered a series of progressive reforms that changed the American politics forever. The 28th President of USA, Woodrow Wilson introduced several ground-breaking policies including the Federal Reserve Act. He played a key role in founding the first intergovernmental organisation—the League of Nations—for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

As a 16-year-old girl who loved surfing and sunbathing more than attending school, Bo Derek did not think twice before starting a sexual relationship with John Derek, 30 years her senior. She eventually starred in the comedy film, 10, and established herself as an actress. An animal welfare spokesperson and horse lover, Bo Derek continues to serve as an activist.

A soldier, lawyer and one of the founding Fathers of America, Aaron Burr rose to become the third Vice president of the United States. His turbulent political career, which included bitter rivalry with Alexander Hamilton, concluded when he mortally wounded Hamilton in a duel and was later charged with treason.

An Academy Award-winning actress, Geena Davis is also known for her work to fight gender bias, for which she was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. An ardent archer, who vied for a semifinals spot in the U.S. Olympic archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics, Geena supports the Women's Sports Foundation among other initiatives that support women.

Popular as Samantha Jones from the hit series Sex and the City, Golden Globe-winning actor Kim Cattrall found it difficult to recreate the same magic on screen, barring her performance in the 2014 comedy Sensitive Skin. Her comeback with the Fox series Filthy Rich in 2020 was commendable.

Sugar Ray Leonard is a former boxer and motivational speaker. Having won world titles in five different weight divisions during his boxing career, Leonard is widely considered one of the greatest boxers ever. Leonard was part of a group of boxers dubbed The Fabulous Four, which is credited with popularizing the lower weight classes in the post-Muhammad Ali era.

Francis Bacon was a Renaissance philosopher and author who was known as the Father of Empiricism, because of his belief in the scientific method and theory that scientific knowledge can only be created through inductive reasoning and experience. He was later knighted and served as the first Queen's counsel.

A popular American actress, Linda Hamilton is famous for being the first actress to portray the iconic Sarah Connor in the Terminator movie series. A brave woman, who has fought depression and bipolar disorder throughout her career, Hamilton suffered permanent hearing damage after firing a gun without using her ear plugs while filming Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Maureen McCormick is an American actress, author, and singer. She achieved popularity for playing Marcia Brady in the popular TV series The Brady Bunch. She then went on to reprise her role as Marcia Brady in several Brady Bunch spin-offs and films. McCormick's reputation as a bankable actress has suffered due to her own struggles with drug addiction and depression.

Dwight Yoakam is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is credited with popularizing honky tonk music, which he pioneered. In 2014, his song Guitars, Cadillacs was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 greatest country songs list. Yoakam has also starred in several films, such as Sling Blade, Panic Room, and The Minus Man.

The oldest of the popular Roberts siblings, Eric Roberts is an acclaimed American actor. In a career spanning more than four decades, Eric Roberts has gathered more than 596 credits, one of few actors to do so since the 1970s. Eric Roberts has been on the wrong side of the law on a couple of occasions for possession of drugs.

Mimi Rogers is an American actress and producer. She is credited with introducing Scientology to her ex-husband Tom Cruise, which later on to had a major impact on Tom's life. Also a former poker player, Mimi Rogers has competed in several poker tournaments and is currently on the board of directors of the World Poker Tour.

A charming socialite, Angelica Schuyler Church was the daughter of Continental Army General, Philip Schuyler, and wife of British MP, John Barker Church. During her lifetime, she interacted with and created lasting friendship with numerous personalities, from revolutionaries to artists and politicians, like Edmund Burke, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. She has been portrayed in the acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton.

Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to fly into space, as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. A qualified physician, she has served as a Peace Corps doctor, too. She has written several books and established a non-profit and a tech research organization.

Nobel Prize-winning playwright and author George Bernard Shaw was best known for his realism and his support for women’s rights and socialism. His ideas gave rise to the word “Shavian.” His drama Pygmalion inspired the musical My Fair Lady. His other notable works include Candida and Man and Superman.

Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, better known as Kenny G, is a best-selling jazz saxophonist who has sold over 75 million records and even owns a line of saxophones. He is also a certified pilot and a skilled golfer who has participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am seven times.

Regarded as one of the best tennis players from Sweden, Björn Borg won 11 Grand Slam singles titles during his playing career. He started off as a teenage sensation and helped popularize tennis during the 1970s. The 2017 film Borg vs McEnroe was inspired by his rivalry against John McEnroe.

Before she turned her peculiar inventions into a billion-dollar business empire, Joy Mangano had worked as an airline assistant and a waitress. Her best-known invention has been the Miracle Mop, a self-wringing mop made of plastic. She has also penned a memoir and has inspired the 2015 film Joy.

David Copperfield is a famous American magician. Such is his popularity that his TV specials have received 38 Emmy Award nominations, out of which they have won 21 awards. He also has 11 Guinness World Records under his belt. Also known for his charitable activities, Copperfield founded a rehabilitation program called Project Magic, which is used in over 1100 hospitals.

Henry Hudson was an English navigator and sea explorer best remembered for his explorations of modern-day Canada and the northeastern United States. He is credited with laying the foundation for the Dutch colonization near the Hudson River, which is named in his honor. During his final expedition, he became the first European to witness the Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait.