Famous People Born in 1942

Stephen Hawking

Cambridge physicist who revealed that black holes emit radiation and wrote the bestseller A Brief History of Time despite motor neurone disease

Theoretical physicist known for his work on black holes and the bestselling book A Brief History of Time.

Photo: NASA · Public domain

Paul McCartney

Singer, bassist and co-songwriter of the Beatles, writer of Yesterday and Hey Jude, who later led Wings and a long solo career

Singer-songwriter and co-founder of The Beatles, one of the most successful composers in popular music.

Photo: Raph_PH · CC BY 2.0

Joe Biden

46th President of the United States, previously Barack Obama's vice president and a senator for Delaware for 36 years

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American retired politician who served as the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Adam Schultz · Public domain

Muammar Gaddafi

Libyan army officer who seized power in 1969 and ruled for 42 years until he was overthrown and killed in 2011

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (c. 1942 – 20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician, and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until his overthrow by Libyan rebel forces in 2011 during the First Libyan Civil War.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Hamza Turkia, © European Union, 2010 · CC BY 4.0

Muhammad Ali

Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion who called himself The Greatest and refused the Vietnam draft on principle

Muhammad Ali ( ah-LEE; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "the Greatest", he is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bernard Gotfryd · Public domain

Jimi Hendrix

American guitarist who revolutionised rock with Purple Haze, All Along the Watchtower and his Woodstock Star-Spangled Banner

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Original photographer unknown · Public domain

Amitabh Bachchan

Indian film star of Sholay and Deewaar, known as Bollywood's Angry Young Man and host of Kaun Banega Crorepati

Amitabh Bachchan (né Srivastava; born 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, playback singer, and producer who primarily works in Hindi cinema. Widely considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, he has starred in over 200 films.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: File:Amitabh Bacchan and Shrinivas Kulkarni.jpg : Shrinivaskulkarni1388 derivative work: Junior Jumper · CC BY-SA 4.0

Hu Jintao

Chinese Communist Party leader and President of China from 2002 to 2012, a decade of rapid growth and the Beijing Olympics

Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a retired Chinese politician who served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, president of China from 2003 to 2013, chairman of the Party Central Military Commission (CMC) from 2004 to 2012 and chairman of the State Central Military…

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Pete Souza · Public domain