Famous birthdays by year

Famous People Born in 1940

Born in 1940? Meet the well-known people who share your birth year, from the biggest names to the ones you might not expect, month by month.

Turning 86 in 2026 · Chinese zodiac: Year of the Dragon

The 1940s

The most famous people born in 194081

1940–1980

John Lennon

Singer-songwriter who co-founded the Beatles with Paul McCartney and later wrote the peace anthem Imagine

Singer-songwriter and co-founder of The Beatles, later a peace activist.

MusicWould be 86

View profile Photo (modified): Bob Gruen / Capitol Records · Public domain

1940–2022

Pelé

Brazilian footballer who won three World Cups and scored more than 1,000 goals, widely hailed as one of the greatest players ever

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

SportsWould be 86

View profile Photo (modified): Unknown author · Public domain

1940–1973

Bruce Lee

Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor of Enter the Dragon who founded Jeet Kune Do and brought kung fu films to the world

Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, actor, and filmmaker.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

FilmWould be 85

View profile Photo (modified): National General Pictures · Public domain

b. 1940

Al Pacino

American actor famed as Michael Corleone in The Godfather and Tony Montana in Scarface, who won an Oscar for Scent of a Woman

Alfredo James Pacino ( pə-CHEE-noh; Italian:; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

FilmAge 86

View profile Photo (modified): Embajada de EEUU en la Argentina · CC BY 2.0

1940–2011

Wangari Muta Maathai

Kenyan environmentalist who founded the Green Belt Movement and became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize

Wangarĩ Maathai (1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011) was a Kenyan social, environmental, and political activist who founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on planting trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

PoliticsWould be 86

View profile Photo (modified): Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0

1940–1996

Joseph Brodsky

Russian poet expelled from the Soviet Union in 1972 who became US Poet Laureate and won the Nobel Prize in Literature

Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996), anglicized as Joseph, was a Russian and American poet and essayist.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

LiteratureWould be 86

View profile Photo (modified): Anefo / Croes, R.C. · CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

b. 1940

Muhammad Yunus

Bangladeshi economist who founded the Grameen Bank, pioneered microcredit and won the Nobel Peace Prize

Muhammad Yunus (Bengali: মুহাম্মদ ইউনূস; born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi economist and statesman. Yunus pioneered the modern concept of microcredit and microfinance, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScienceAge 86

View profile Photo (modified): University of Salford Press Office · CC BY 2.0

b. 1940

J. M. Coetzee

South African-born novelist of Disgrace and Life & Times of Michael K who won two Booker Prizes and the Nobel

John Maxwell Coetzee (born 9 February 1940) is a South African and Australian novelist, essayist, and translator. The recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, Coetzee is one of the most critically acclaimed and decorated authors in the English language.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

LiteratureAge 86

View profile Photo (modified): Mariusz Kubik, http://www.mariuszkubik.pl · CC BY 2.5

Born in 1940, month by month

January
- Gao Xingjian (January 4) · Nobel Prize-winning author of the novel Soul Mountain
- Brian David Josephson (January 4) · Nobel Prize-winning physicist who predicted the Josephson effect
- Tabaré Vázquez (January 17) · Twice-elected President of Uruguay and a leading medical oncologist
- John Hurt (January 22) · Acclaimed British actor known for The Elephant Man and Alien
- Joachim Gauck (January 24) · Former President of Germany and anti-communist civil rights activist
- Carlos Slim (January 28) · Mexican business magnate and former world's richest person
February
- George A. Romero (February 4) · Filmmaker regarded as the father of the modern zombie movie
- Toshihide Maskawa (February 7) · Nobel Prize-winning physicist who studied the origin of broken symmetry
- Tony Tan Keng Yam (February 7) · Seventh President of Singapore and former cabinet minister
- J. M. Coetzee (February 9) · South African-born novelist of Disgrace and Life & Times of Michael K who won two Booker Prizes and the Nobel
- Saparmyrat Nyýazow (February 19) · Former President of Turkmenistan known for his eccentric and authoritarian rule
- Peter Fonda (February 23) · American actor and screenwriter best known for the film Easy Rider
- Denis Law (February 24) · Prolific Scottish forward and Manchester United star
- Mario Andretti (February 28) · Successful racing driver and Formula One World Champion
- I. Bartholomeos (February 29) · Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians
March
- Rudi Dutschke (March 7)
- Raul Julia (March 9)
- Chuck Norris (March 10) · martial arts champion turned action film star who became an international icon through 1980s films and Walker, Texas Ranger
- Nancy Pelosi (March 26) · American politician who became the first woman Speaker of the House and steered the Affordable Care Act through Congress
- James Caan (March 26) · American actor known for playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather
April
- Wangari Muta Maathai (April 1) · Kenyan environmentalist who founded the Green Belt Movement and became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize
- Herbie Hancock (April 12) · Legendary jazz pianist and pioneer of electronic fusion music
- Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (April 13) · Nobel Prize-winning author of French and Mauritian heritage
- Max Mosley (April 13)
- Julie Christie (April 14) · Oscar-winning British actress known for Darling and Doctor Zhivago
- Penelope Coelen (April 15)
- Margrethe II of Denmark (April 16) · Queen of Denmark for 52 years and an accomplished artist and illustrator who abdicated in favour of her son in 2024
- Al Pacino (April 25) · American actor famed as Michael Corleone in The Godfather and Tony Montana in Scarface, who won an Oscar for Scent of a Woman
- Giorgio Moroder (April 26)
May
- Angela Carter (May 7) · English novelist and short-story writer best known for The Bloody Chamber, her darkly feminist retellings of classic fairy tales
- Alan Kay (May 17) · Computing pioneer who helped develop the graphical user interface
- Joseph Brodsky (May 24) · Russian poet expelled from the Soviet Union in 1972 who became US Poet Laureate and won the Nobel Prize in Literature
June
- Kip S. Thorne (June 1) · Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist who researched gravitational waves and black holes
- Constantine II of Greece (June 2) · Last King of the Hellenes who reigned until the monarchy's abolition
- Tom Jones (June 7) · Legendary Welsh singer of hits such as Delilah and It's Not Unusual
- Nancy Sinatra (June 8) · Singer and actress famous for These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
- George Akerlof (June 17) · Nobel Prize-winning economist known for his work on market uncertainty
- Eugen Drewermann (June 20)
- Abbas Kiarostami (June 22) · Award-winning Iranian film director known for Taste of Cherry
- Wilma Rudolph (June 23) · American sprinter who won three gold medals at one Olympics
- Stuart Sutcliffe (June 23) · Original bassist for the Beatles and talented abstract painter
- Muhammad Yunus (June 28) · Bangladeshi economist who founded the Grameen Bank, pioneered microcredit and won the Nobel Peace Prize
July
- Jerzy Buzek (July 3) · Former Prime Minister of Poland and European Parliament president
- Nūrsūltan Nazarbaev (July 6) · Former steelworker who led Kazakhstan for nearly 30 years and moved its capital to Astana
- Ringo Starr (July 7) · Drummer of the Beatles who sang Yellow Submarine and With a Little Help from My Friends and narrated Thomas the Tank Engine
- Patrick Stewart (July 13) · Actor known for his roles in Star Trek and X-Men
- Peter Mutharika (July 18) · Lawyer and politician who served as the President of Malawi
- Pina Bausch (July 27) · German choreographer and pioneer of the expressive Tanztheater style
August
- Martin Sheen (August 3) · American actor known for The West Wing and Apocalypse Now
- Abdurrahman Wahid (August 4) · First democratically elected President of Indonesia
- Dennis Tito (August 8) · American businessman who became the first self-funded space tourist
- Rajendra K. Pachauri (August 20)
- Thomas A. Steitz (August 23) · American biochemist who received a Nobel Prize for studying the ribosome
September
- Annie Ernaux (September 1) · Nobel Prize-winning French author known for her autobiographical works
- Eduardo Galeano (September 3) · Uruguayan writer and journalist who authored Open Veins of Latin America
- Raquel Welch (September 5) · Film actress and international icon of the 1960s and 1970s
- Dario Argento (September 7) · Italian director famous for influential horror and thriller films
- Brian De Palma (September 11) · Film director known for thrillers such as Carrie and Scarface
- Tarō Asō (September 20) · Former Japanese Prime Minister and veteran Liberal Democratic Party politician
- Burhanuddin Rabbani (September 20) · Former President of Afghanistan and leader of the Northern Alliance
- Anna Karina (September 22) · Danish-French actress known for her roles in French New Wave cinema
- Michel Temer (September 23) · Former President of Brazil and constitutional lawyer
- Fatema Mernissi (September 28) · Moroccan writer and a leading figure in Islamic feminism
October
- Milena Dravić (October 5) · Prolific Yugoslav and Serbian actress with a career spanning several decades
- John Lennon (October 9) · Singer-songwriter who co-founded the Beatles with Paul McCartney and later wrote the peace anthem Imagine
- Cliff Richard (October 14) · British pop singer with hits spanning several decades
- Michael Gambon (October 19)
- Pelé (October 23) · Brazilian footballer who won three World Cups and scored more than 1,000 goals, widely hailed as one of the greatest players ever
November
- Saul Kripke (November 13) · Influential American philosopher and logician known for Naming and Necessity
- Qaboos bin Said Al Said (November 18) · Long-serving Sultan who transformed and modernised Oman
- Arieh Warshel (November 20) · Nobel Prize-winning chemist who pioneered computer models for complex chemical systems
- Terry Gilliam (November 22) · Film director and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe
- Bruce Lee (November 27) · Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor of Enter the Dragon who founded Jeet Kune Do and brought kung fu films to the world
December
- Richard Pryor (December 1) · American comedian and actor known for his observational style
- John Cale (December 3) · Welsh musician and founding member of the Velvet Underground
- Dionne Warwick (December 12) · Legendary American singer of Walk On By and Heartbreaker
- Frank Zappa (December 21) · American composer and guitarist who led the Mothers of Invention and released more than 60 albums of satirical, experimental music
- Mamnoon Hussain (December 23) · Industrialist who served as the twelfth President of Pakistan
- Anthony Fauci (December 24) · Immunologist and advisor to multiple US presidents on public health
- Edward C. Prescott (December 26) · Nobel Prize-winning economist known for his work on macroeconomics
- Teruki Miyamoto (December 26) · Japanese international footballer who played as a midfielder

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