Birthdays Date 1939 April | History by KabAstro

Ali MacGraw (85 years old)

Apr 1 American actress (Love Story, Goodbye Columbus), born in Pound Ridge, New York

Apr 1 Nick Peters, American Baseball Hall of Fame writer (Oakland Tribune, Sacramento Bee, Berkeley Gazette, San Francisco Chronicle), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2015)

Phil Niekro (1939-2020)

Apr 1 American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (knuckleballer; no-hitter 1973; 5 x MLB All Star; 5 x Gold Glove; Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves), born in Blaine, Ohio

Apr 1 Rudolph Isley, American rock singer (Isley Brothers, 1954-89 - "Shout"; "Twist and Shout"; "It's Your Thing"), and minister, born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2023) [1]
Apr 1 Vitali Davydov, Russian ice hockey defenceman (Olympic gold 1964, 68, 72; HC Dynamo Moscow), born in Moscow, Russia
Apr 2 Glen Dale [Richard Garforth], British rock guitarist (The Fortunes, 1963-66 - "You've Got Your Troubles"; "Here It Comes Again" ), born in Deal, Kent, England (d. 2019)
Apr 2 Lise Thibault, 27th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, born in Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Quebec

Marvin Gaye (1939-1984)

Apr 2 American soul singer-songwriter ("It Takes Two"; What's Going On"; "Let's Get It On"), born in Washington, D.C.

Apr 3 Catalino "Lino" Brocka, Filipino film director (Macho Dancer, Jaguar), born in Pilar, Sorsogon, Philippines (d. 1991)
Apr 3 François de Roubaix, French film score composer, born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France (d. 1975)
Apr 3 Stefan Yanev, Bulgarian soccer midfielder (Cherno More Varna 228 games) and broadcaster (BNT; 17 books on Bulgarian football), born in Varna, Bulgaria (d. 2024)
Apr 3 Vitaliy Davidov, Soviet ice hockey player (Olympic gold 1964, 68, 72), born in Moscow
Apr 4 Danny Thompson, British double bassist (Blues Incorporated; Pentangle; Richard Thompson; John Martyn), born in Teignmouth, England
Apr 4 Ernie Terrell, American boxer (WBA heavyweight champion 1965-67), born in Belzoni, Mississippi (d. 2014)
Apr 4 Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, described as the "father of South African jazz" ("Grazing in the Grass"; "Soweto Blues"; Sarafina!), and anti-apartheid activist, born in Witbank, South Africa (d. 2018)

JoAnne Carner (85 years old)

Apr 4 American golfer (US Women's Open 1971, 1976), born in Kirkland, Washington

Apr 4 Major Lance, American soul singer ("The Monkey Time"; "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um"), born in Winterville, Mississippi (d. 1994) [some sources give year as 1941 or 1942]
Apr 5 Andrew Buxton, British businessman (Barclays Bank: CEO, 1992–93; Chairman, 1993–99)
Apr 5 Crispian St. Peters [Robin Peter Smith], British pop singer (The Pied Piper; No No No), born in Swanley, Kent, England (d. 2010)
Apr 5 David Winters, American choreographer and director (Steve Allen Comedy Hour), born in London, England
Apr 5 Ronald "Ronnie" White, American singer (The Miracles - "Shop Around"), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1995)
Apr 6 André Ouellet, French Canadian politician
Apr 6 Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, American blues guitarist, and singer, born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2019)
Apr 6 Eugeniusz Faber, Polish soccer forward (36 caps; Ruch Chorzów, Lens), born in Chorzów, Poland (d. 2021)
Apr 7 Brett Whiteley, Australian artist, born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1992)

David Frost (1939-2013)

Apr 7 British TV host (That Was the Week That Was), born in Tenterden, England

Apr 7 Donald L Holmquest, astronaut, born in Dallas, Texas

Francis Ford Coppola (85 years old)

Apr 7 American director (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now), born in Detroit, Michigan

Apr 7 Gary Kellgren, American music producer who co-founded The Record Plant studios, born in Shenandoah, Iowa (d. 1977)
Apr 9 Hugo Villanueva, Chilean soccer defender (21 caps; Universidad de Chile 133 games), born in Santiago, Chile (d. 2024)
Apr 9 Michael Learned, American actress (Olivia in The Waltons, Nurse), born in Washington, D.C.
Apr 10 Alan Rothenberg, American lawyer and sports executive, born in Detroit, Michigan
Apr 10 Daniel Oliver, American CEO (Federal Trade Commission), born in New York City
Apr 10 Penny Vincenzi [Hannaford], British novelist (An Absolute Scandal, Spoils of Time trilogy), born in Bournemouth, England (d. 2018)
Apr 11 Louise Lasser, American actress (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman - "Mary Hartman"), born in New York City

Alan Ayckbourn (85 years old)

Apr 12 English playwright and director, born in London, England

Apr 12 Johnny Raper, Australian rugby league lock (33 Tests, 6 World Cup games; Newtown RLFC, St. George RLFC; Inaugural RL "Immortal") and coach (St. George, RLFC, Cronulla RLFC), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2022)
Apr 12 Peter Giger, Swiss progressive rock and jazz percussionist and bandleader (Dzyan), born in Zurich, Switzerland
Apr 13 Barbara-Rose Collins, American politician (Rep-D-Michigan), born in Detroit, Michigan
Apr 13 Paul Sorvino, American stage and screen actor (Goodfellas; Law and Order, 1991-92; Dick Tracy, That's Life), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2022)

Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

Apr 13 Irish poet and playwright (Nobel Prize in Literature 1995), born in Castledawson, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland [1] [2]

Apr 13 Wijnie Jabaaij, Dutch politician (PvdA), born in Dordrecht, Netherlands (d. 1995)
Apr 14 Jennifer Fowler, British classical composer, born in Bunbury, Australia
Apr 15 Marty Wilde, English pop singer-songwriter ("A Teenager In Love"), and father of rocker Kim Wilde, born in London, England
Apr 16 Boris Dvornik, Croatian actor, born in Split, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (d. 2008)
Apr 16 Donald MacCormick, British broadcaster, born in Scotland (d. 2009)
Apr 16 Dusty Springfield [Mary O'Brien], British pop vocalist ("I Only Want To Be With You"; "Son Of A Preacher Man"), born in West Hampstead, London (d. 1999)
Apr 16 John DeLaFose, American French speaking zydeco musician, born in Duralde, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana (d. 1994)
Apr 16 Margaretha de Boer, Dutch politician (PvdA), born in Amsterdam
Apr 16 Reinier Lucassen, Dutch painter (Kuifje contra James Union), born in Amsterdam
Apr 18 Glen Hardin, American rock and country piano player, and arranger (The Crickets), born in Wellington, Texas
Apr 18 Thomas J. Moyer, American judge and Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court (1987-2010), born in Sandusky, Ohio (d. 2010)

Ali Hosseini Khamenei (85 years old)

Apr 19 2nd Supreme Leader of Iran (1989-) and the 3rd President of Iran (1981-89), born in Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran

Apr 19 Clay Shaw, American politician (Rep-R-FL, 1981-2007), born in Miami, Florida (d. 2013)
Apr 19 Ellen Weston, American actress (Betty-SWAT), born in New York City
Apr 19 Michael Macaulay, South African cricketer (Tvl, W Prov, OFS, NE Tvl, E Prov & S Afr), born in Durban, Natal
Apr 20 Camille Dimmer, Luxembourgish soccer forward (19 caps; FC Claravallis, Anderlecht, R. Crossing Club Molenbeek, Red Boys Differdange), born in Clervaux, Luxembourg (d. 2023)
Apr 20 Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norwegian Prime Minister (1981-82, 1986-89, 1990-96) and Director-General of the World Health Organization, born in Bærum, Norway
Apr 20 Peter S. Beagle, American novelist and screenwriter (The Last Unicorn), born in New York City
Apr 21 Helen Prejean, American writer
Apr 21 John McCabe, British composer and pianist, born in Liverpool, England (d. 2015)
Apr 22 Alann Steen, American journalist and educator, and political hostage (Beirut, 1987-91), born in New York City (d. 2018)
Apr 22 Jason Miller, American actor and writer (Exorcist, Light of Day), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania (d. 2001)
Apr 22 John Foley, Bristish Lieutenant General
Apr 22 Yury Sharov, Russian fencer (Olympic gold Soviet Union, team foil 1964, silver 1968), born in Saratov, Russia (d. 2021)
Apr 23 Bill Hagerty, British editor (People), born in Ilford, London
Apr 23 David Birney, American stage and screen actor (Bridget Loves Bernie; St Elsewhere, 1982-83), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2022)
Apr 23 Lee Majors [Harvey Lee Yeary], American film and TV actor ($6,000,000 Man, The Fall Guy), born in Wyandotte, Michigan
Apr 23 Patrick Williams, American composer, arranger, and conductor, born in Bonne Terre, Missouri
Apr 23 Ray Peterson, American singer ("Tell Laura I Love Her"), born in Denton, Texas (d. 2005)
Apr 25 Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield, English photographer (d. 2005)
Apr 25 Tarcisio Burgnich, Italian soccer defender (66 caps; Internazionale 358 games) and manager (Como, Genoa), born in Ruda, Italy (d. 2021)
Apr 25 Ted Kooser, American poet and US Poet Laureate, born in Ames, Iowa
Apr 27 Jerry Mercer, Canadian rock drummer (April Wine), born in Montreal, Quebec
Apr 27 João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira, Bissau-Guinean politician (President of Guinea-Bissau, 1980-99 & 2005-09), born in Bissau, Portuguese Guinea (d. 2009)
Apr 27 Judy Carne, English comedienne and actress (Laugh-In, Love on a Rooftop), born in Northampton, England (d. 2015)
Apr 27 Stanislaw Dziwisz, Polish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop of Kraków, born in Raba Wyżna, Poland
Apr 30 Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, American composer (1st woman composer to win Pulitzer Prize for Music, 1983), born in Miami, Florida
Apr 30 Pieter van Vollenhoven, husband of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, born in Schiedam, Netherlands