What happened on July 17 ?

1487 - Ismail I, Shah of Persia (d. 1524)

1674 - Isaac Watts, English hymnwriter (d. 1748)

1698 - Pierre Louis Maupertuis, French mathematician (d. 1759)

1744 - Elbridge Gerry, Vice President of the United States (d. 1814)

1745 - Petr Alekseevich Pahlen, Russian general (d. 1826)

1797 - Hippolyte Delaroche, French painter (d. 1856)

1831 - Xianfeng, Emperor of China (d. 1861)

1839 - Ephraim Shay, American inventor (d. 1916

1888 - Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Israeli writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970)

1889 - Erle Stanley Gardner, American lawyer and author (Perry Mason) (d. 1970)

1893 - Marvin Pierce, Women's magazine publisher (d. 1969)

1894 - Josef Hyrtl, Austrian anatomist (b. 1810)

1899 - James Cagney, American actor (d. 1986)

1899 - Erle Stanley Gardner, American author (d. 1970)

1901 - Bruno Jasie?ski, Polish poet (d. 1938)

1902 - Christina Stead, Australian novelist (d. 1983)

1911 - Ted Anderson, English footballer (d.1979)

1912 - Art Linkletter, Canadian television host

1917 - Phyllis Diller, American comedian

1917 - Red Sovine, American country music singer (d. 1980)

1917 - Lou Boudreau, Major League baseball player and manager (d. 2001)

1918 - Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio, President of Guatemala (d. 2003)

1920 - Juan Antonio Samaranch, Spanish chairman of the International Olympic Committee

1920 - Kenneth Wolstenholme, English sports commentator (d. 2002)

1921 - Franti?ek Zvarík, Slovakian actor

1928 - Vince Guaraldi, American musician and composer (d. 1976)

1935 - Diahann Carroll, First African American to star on a long-running network television series.

1935 - Peter Schickele, American composer, author, and radio host

1935 - Donald Sutherland, Canadian actor

1941 - Spencer Davis, British singer and guitarist (Spencer Davis Group)

1941 - Jürgen Flimm, German theatre director and manager

1942 - Tim Brooke-Taylor, English comedian

1944 - Carlos Alberto, Brazilian football player

1945 - Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia

1947 - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

1949 - Terence "Geezer" Butler, British musician and lyricist (Black Sabbath)

1949 - Snyder Rini, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands for eight days

1949 - Charlie Steiner, American sports broadcaster

1952 - David Hasselhoff, American actor and musician

1952 - Phoebe Snow, singer and songwriter

1952 - Nicolette Larson, American singer (d. 1997)

1955 - Paul Stamets, American mycologist and environmentalist

1956 - Bryan Trottier, Canadian/American ice hockey player

1954 - Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany

1954 - J. Michael Straczynski, American author

1957 - Fern Britton, British television presenter

1960 - Mark Burnett, English-born television producer

1960 - Jan Wouters, Dutch football player and manager

1963 - Matti Nykänen, Finnish ski jumper

1963 - Letsie III, King of Lesotho

1965 - Craig Morgan, American singer

1968 - Bitty Schram, American actress

1971 - Cory Doctorow, Canadian author and activist

1971 - Corey Feldman, Jewish American actor

1973 - Eric Moulds, American football player

1975 - Konnie Huq, English television presenter

1975 - Cécile De France, Belgian actress

1977 - M.I.A., British rapper

1980 - Ryan Miller, American hockey player

1983 - Ryan Guettler, professional Australian BMX rider

1985 - Tom Fletcher, British singer (McFly)