What happened on May 16 ?

1490 - Duke Albert of Prussia (d. 1568)

1578 - Everard Digby, English conspirator (d. 1606)

1611 - Pope Innocent XI (d. 1689)

1710 - William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, English politician (d. 1782)

1718 - Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician (d. 1799)

1763 - Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, French pharmacist (d. 1829)

1801 - William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, bought Alaska at 2 ¢/acre (d. 1872)

1827 - Pierre Cuypers, Dutch architect (d. 1921)

1845 - Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Russian microbiologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1916)

1891 - Richard Tauber, Austrian tenor (d. 1948)

1898 - Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-born painter (d. 1980)

1905 - Henry Fonda, American actor (d. 1982)

1906 - Alfred Pellan, French Canadian painter (d. 1988)

1906 - Margret Rey, author and illustrator (d. 1996)

1910 - Olga Berggolts, Russian poet (d. 1975)

1910 - Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter (d. 1972)

1912 - Studs Terkel, American writer

1913 - Woody Herman, American musician and band leader (d. 1987)

1917 - Juan Rulfo, Mexican novelist (d. 1986)

1919 - Liberace, American pianist (d. 1987)

1920 - Martine Carol, French actress (d. 1967)

1923 - Merton Miller, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate

1927 - Nílton Santos, Brazilian football player

1928 - Billy Martin, baseball player and coach (d. 1989)

1929 - Adrienne Rich, American writer

1930 - Betty Carter, American jazz singer (d. 1998)

1930 - Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist (d. 2000)

1931 - Natwar Singh, Indian politician

1936 - Roy Hudd, British radio and television actor

1936 - Karl Lehmann, German Catholic cardinal

1944 - Billy Cobham, American virtuoso drummer

1945 - Nicky Chinn, songwriter (The Sweet, Suzi Quatro)

1946 - Robert Fripp, English guitarist (King Crimson)

1946 - Roger Earl, British rock drummer (Savoy Brown, Foghat)

1948 - Judy Finnegan, British TV presenter, Richard & Judy

1950 - J. Georg Bednorz, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate

1950 - Ray Condo, Canadian rockabilly musician

1953 - Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor

1955 - Olga Korbut, Russian gymnast

1955 - Jack Morris, baseball player

1955 - Hazel O'Connor, British singer

1955 - Debra Winger, American actress

1961 - Charles Wright, American professional wrestler known as "The Godfather"

1963 - Mercedes Echerer, Austrian actress and politician

1963 - Rosie Perez, American actress

1965 - Krist Novoselic, American bassist (Nirvana)

1966 - Janet Jackson, American singer

1966 - Scott Reeves, American actor and singer

1966 - Thurman Thomas, American football player

1969 - Tucker Carlson, American television commentator

1969 - Tracey Gold, American actress

1969 - Steve Lewis, American athlete

1970 - Gabriela Sabatini, Argentine tennis player

1970 - Danielle Spencer, Australian singer and actress

1971 - David Boreanaz, American actor

1973 - Tori Spelling, American actress

1974 - Laura Pausini, Italian pop singer

1977 - Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Canadian hockey player

1983 - Kyle Wellwood, Canadian hockey player

1985 - Anja Mittag, German footballer

1985 - Corey Perry, Canadian hockey player

1987 - Scott Peters, Australian cricketer