1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project, the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South Africa, and the Baltic states declaring independence from the Soviet Union amidst Perestroika. Yugoslavia's communist regime collapses amidst increasing internal tensions and multiparty elections held within its constituent republics result in separatist governments being elected in most of the republics marking the beginning of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Also in this year began the crisis that would lead to the Gulf War in 1991 following the Iraq invasion and the largely internationally unrecognized annexation of Kuwait. This annexation resulted in a crisis in the Persian Gulf involving the issue of the sovereignty of Kuwait and fears by Saudi Arabia over Iraqi aggression against their oil fields near Kuwait. This led to Operation Desert Shield being enacted with an international coalition of military forces being built up on the Kuwaiti-Saudi border with demands for Iraq to peacefully withdraw from Kuwait. Also in this year, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after more than 11 years.
1990 was an important year in the Internet's early history. In the fall of 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server and the foundation for the World Wide Web. Test operations began around December 20 and it was released outside CERN the following year. 1990 also saw the official decommissioning of the ARPANET, a forerunner of the Internet system and the introduction of the first content web search engine, Archie, on September 10.
September 14, 1990 saw the first case of successful somatic gene therapy on a patient.
Due to the early 1990s recession that began that year and uncertainty due to the collapse of the socialist governments in Eastern Europe, birth rates in many countries stopped rising or fell steeply in 1990. In most western countries the Echo Boom peaked in 1990; fertility rates declined thereafter.
Encyclopædia Britannica, which ceased printing in 2012, saw its highest all time sales in 1990; 120,000 volumes were sold that year. The number of librarians in the United States also peaked around 1990.
Events
January
- January 1
- * Poland becomes the first country in Eastern Europe to begin abolishing its state socialist economy. Poland also withdraws from the Warsaw Pact.
- * Glasgow begins its year as European Capital of Culture.
- * The first Internet companies catering to commercial users, PSINet and EUnet begin selling Internet access to commercial customers in the United States and Netherlands respectively.
- January 3 - United States invasion of Panama: General Manuel Noriega is deposed as leader of Panama and surrenders to the American forces.
- January 4 - Two trains collide in Sangi, Pakistan, killing between 200 and 300 people and injuring an estimated 700 others.
- January 7 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed to the public because of safety concerns.
- January 11 - Singing Revolution: In the Lithuania SSR, 300,000 demonstrate for independence.
- January 12-19 - Most of the remaining 50,000 Armenians are driven out of Baku in the Azerbaijan SSR during the Baku pogrom.
- January 13 - Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia.
- January 15
- * The National Assembly of Bulgaria votes to end one party rule by the Bulgarian Communist Party.
- * Thousands storm the Stasi headquarters in East Berlin in an attempt to view their government records.
- * Martin Luther King Day Crash - Telephone service in Atlanta, St. Louis, and Detroit, including 9-1-1 service, goes down for nine hours, due to an AT&T software bug.
- January 17 - Smith & Wesson introduces the.40 S&W cartridge.
- January 20
- * Cold War: Black January - Soviet troops occupy Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, under the state of emergency decree issued by Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, and kill over 130 protesters who were demonstrating for independence. The Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic declares its independence from the USSR.
- * Clashes break out between Indian troops and Muslim separatists in Kashmir.
- * The government of Haiti declares a state of emergency, under which it suspends civil liberties, imposes censorship, and arrests political opponents. The state of siege is lifted on January 29.
- January 22
- * The League of Communists of Yugoslavia votes to give up its monopoly on power.
- * Robert Tappan Morris is convicted of releasing the Morris worm.
- January 25
- * Avianca Flight 52 crashes into Cove Neck, Long Island, New York after a miscommunication between the flight crew and JFK Airport officials, killing 73 people on board.
- * Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto gives birth to a girl, becoming the first modern head of government to bear a child while in office.
- * Pope John Paul II begins an eight-day tour of Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
- January 25–26 - The Burns' Day storm kills 97 in northwestern Europe.
- January 27 - The city of Tiraspol in the Moldavian SSR briefly declares independence.
- January 28 - Four months after their exit from power, the Polish United Workers' Party votes to dissolve itself and reorganize itself as the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland.
- January 29
- * The trial of Joseph Hazelwood, former skipper of the Exxon Valdez, begins in Anchorage, Alaska. He is accused of negligence that resulted in America's second worst oil spill to date.
- January 31
- * Globalization - The first McDonald's in Moscow, Russian SFSR opens 8 months after construction began on May 3, 1989. 8 months later the first McDonald's in Mainland China is opened in Shenzhen.
- * President of the United States George H. W. Bush gives his first State of the Union address and proposes that the U.S. and the Soviet Union make deep cuts to their military forces in Europe.
February
- February/March - 100,000 Kashmiri Pandits leave their homeland in Jammu and Kashmir's Valley after being targeted by Islamist extremists.
- February - Smoking is banned on all cross-country flights in the United States.
- February 2 - Apartheid: F. W. de Klerk announces the unbanning of the African National Congress and promises to release Nelson Mandela.
- February 7
- * The Communist Party of the Soviet Union votes to end its monopoly of power, clearing the way for multiparty elections.
- * In the Tajik SSR, rioting breaks out against the settlement of Armenian refugees there.
- February 9 - ADtranz low floor tram world's first completely low-floor tram introduced in Bremen.
- February 10
- * President of South Africa F. W. de Klerk announces that Nelson Mandela will be released the next day.
- * Las Cruces Bowling Alley massacre: 2 people walked into the 10 Pin Alley in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and shot seven people, four of whom were killed. The case is currently unsolved.
- February 11 - Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison, near Cape Town, South Africa, after 27 years behind bars.
- February 12 - Representatives of NATO and the Warsaw Pact meet in Ottawa for an "Open Skies" conference. The conference results in agreements about superpower troop levels in Europe and on German reunification.
- February 13
- * German reunification: An agreement is reached for a two-stage plan to reunite Germany.
- * Drexel Burnham Lambert files for bankruptcy protection, Chapter 11.
- February 14 - The Pale Blue Dot photograph of Earth is sent back from the Voyager 1 probe after completing its primary mission, from around 5.6 billion kilometers away.
- February 15
- * The United Kingdom and Argentina restore diplomatic relations after 8 years. The UK had severed ties in response to Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands, a British Dependent Territory, in 1982.
- * In Cartagena, Colombia, a summit is held between President of the United States George H. W. Bush, President of Bolivia Jaime Paz Zamora, President of Colombia Virgilio Barco Vargas, and President of Peru Alan García. The leaders pledge additional cooperation in fighting international drug trafficking.
- February 25 - The Sandinistas are defeated in the Nicaraguan elections, with Violeta Chamorro elected as the new president of Nicaragua, replacing Daniel Ortega.
- February 26 - The USSR agrees to withdraw all 73,500 troops from Czechoslovakia by July, 1991.
- February 27 - Exxon Valdez oil spill: Exxon and its shipping company are indicted on 5 criminal counts.
- February 28 - President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega announces a cease-fire with the U.S.-backed contras.
March
- March 1
- * A fire at the Sheraton Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, kills 16 people.
- * Steve Jackson Games is raided by the U.S. Secret Service, prompting the later formation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
- * The Royal New Zealand Navy discontinues its daily rum ration.
- * Luis Alberto Lacalle, a grandson of the late politician and diplomat Luis Alberto de Herrera, is sworn in as President of Uruguay.
- March 3 - The International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition, a group of six explorers from six nations, completes the first dog sled crossing of Antarctica.
- March 8 - The Nintendo World Championships were held within the Fair Park's Automobile Building, kickstarting an almost year long gaming competition across 29 American cities.
- March 9
- * Police seal off Brixton in South London after another night of protests against the poll tax.
- * Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells confirms he will rescind Newfoundland's approval of the Meech Lake Accord.
- March 10 - Prosper Avril is ousted in a coup in Haiti, eighteen months after seizing power.
- March 11 - Singing Revolution: The Lithuanian SSR declares independence from the Soviet Union with the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania
- March 11-13 - The March 1990 Central United States tornado outbreak produces 64 tornadoes across six US states, including four violent F4/F5 tornadoes. The outbreak leaves 2 dead, 89 injured, and causes over $500 million in damages.
- March 12 – Cold War: Soviet soldiers begin leaving Hungary under terms of an agreement to withdraw all Soviet troops by June 1.
- March 13 - The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union approves changes to the Constitution of the Soviet Union to create a strong U.S.-style presidency. Mikhail Gorbachev is elected to a five-year term as the first-ever President of the Soviet Union on March 15.
- March 15
- * Iraq hangs British journalist Farzad Bazoft for spying. Daphne Parish, a British nurse, is sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment as an accomplice.
- * Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first executive president of the Soviet Union.
- * Singing Revolution: The Soviet Union announces that Lithuania's declaration of independence is invalid.
- * Fernando Collor de Mello takes office as President of Brazil, Brazil's first democratically elected president since Jânio Quadros in 1961. The next day, he announces a currency freeze and freezes large bank accounts for 18 months.
- March 18
- * Twelve paintings and a Shang dynasty vase, collectively worth $100 to $300 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts by two thieves posing as police officers. This is the largest art theft in US history, and the paintings have not been recovered.
- * Cold War: East Germany holds its first free elections.
- March 20 - Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering.
- March 21 - After 75 years of South African rule since World War I, Namibia becomes independent.
- March 24 - 1990 Australian federal election: Bob Hawke's Labor Government is re-elected with a reduced majority, narrowly defeating the Liberal/National Coalition led by Andrew Peacock.
- March 25
- * In New York City, a fire due to arson at an illegal social club called "Happy Land" kills 87.
- * Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie announces his intention to retire at the end of the year.
- * In the Hungarian parliamentary election, Hungary's first multiparty election since 1948, the Hungarian Democratic Forum wins the most seats.
- March 26 - The 62nd Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, with Driving Miss Daisy winning Best Picture.
- March 27 - The United States begins broadcasting Radio y Televisión Martí to Cuba.
- March 28 - U.S. President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal.
- March 30 - Singing Revolution: After its first free elections on March 18, the Estonian SSR declares the Soviet rule to have been illegal since 1940 and declares a transition period for full independence.
- March 31 - "The Second Battle of Trafalgar": A massive anti-poll tax demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London, turns into a riot; 471 people are injured, and 341 are arrested.
April
- April 1
- * The Community Charge takes effect in England and Wales amid widespread protests
- * Strangeways Prison riot: The longest prison riot in Britain's history begins at Strangeways Prison in Manchester, and continues for 3 weeks and 3 days, until April 25.
- * The 1990 United States Census begins. There are 248,709,873 residents in the U.S.
- April 6 - Robert Mapplethorpe's "The Perfect Moment" show of nude and homoerotic photographs opens at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, in spite of accusations of indecency by Citizens for Community Values.
- April 7
- * Iran–Contra affair: John Poindexter is found guilty of 5 charges for his part in the scandal; the convictions are later reversed on appeal.
- *Scandinavian Star, a Bahamas-registered ferry, catches fire en route from Norway to Denmark, leaving 158 dead.
- April 8
- * In Nepal, Birendra of Nepal lifts a ban on political parties following violent protests.
- * In the Greek legislative election, the conservative New Democracy wins the most seats in the Hellenic Parliament; its leader, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, becomes Prime Minister of Greece on April 11.
- * In the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Republic of Slovenia holds Yugoslavia's first multiparty election since 1938. After the election, a center-right coalition led by Lojze Peterle forms Yugoslavia's first non-Communist government since 1945.
- April 9 - Comet Austin, the brightest comet visible from Earth since 1975, makes its closest approach to the sun.
- April 12 - Lothar de Maizière becomes prime minister of East Germany, heading a conservative coalition that favors German reunification.
- April 13 - Cold War: The Soviet Union apologizes for the Katyn massacre.
- April 14 - Junk bond financier Michael Milken pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges. He agreed to pay US$500 million in restitution and was sentenced on November 21 to 10 years in jail.
- April 20 - 17 year old Christopher Kerze goes missing in Eagan, Minnesota. He remains missing as of December 2019.
- April 22
- * Lebanon hostage crisis: Lebanese kidnappers release American educator Robert Polhill, who had been held hostage since January 1987.
- * Earth Day 20 is celebrated by millions worldwide.
- April 24
- * Cold War: West Germany and East Germany agree to merge currency and economies on July 1.
- *STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.
- * President of Zaire Mobutu Sese Seko lifts a 20-year ban on opposition parties.
- April 25 - Violeta Chamorro is sworn in as President of Nicaragua, the first woman elected in her own right as a head of state in the Americas.
- April 28 - Liverpool F.C. win their 18th and as to date last English Football League Title when they beat Queens Park Rangers 2–1 at Anfield thanks to goals from Ian Rush and John Barnes. Their nearest challengers Aston Villa can only draw 3–3 at home to Norwich City.
- April 30 - Lebanon hostage crisis: Lebanese kidnappers release American educator Frank H. Reed, who had been held hostage since September 1986.
May
- May 1 - The former Episcopal Church in the Philippines is granted full autonomy and raised to the state of an Autocephalous Anglican province and renamed the Episcopal Church of the Philippines.
- May 2 - In London, a man brandishing a knife robs a courier of bearer bonds worth £292 million.
- May 2–4 - First talks between the government of South Africa and the African National Congress.
- May 4 - Singing Revolution: The Latvian SSR declares independence from the Soviet Union.
- May 6–13 - Pope John Paul II visits Mexico.
- May 8
- * Singing Revolution: The Estonian SSR restores the formal name of the country, the Republic of Estonia, as well as other national emblems.
- * Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier assumes office as President of Costa Rica.
- May 9 - In South Korea, police battle anti-government protesters in Seoul and two other cities.
- May 12 - Jeanne Calment surpasses Augusta Holtz to become the oldest verified person ever.
- May 13
- * In the Philippines, gunmen kill two United States Air Force airmen near Clark Air Base on the eve of talks between the Philippines and the United States over the future of American military bases in the Philippines.
- * The Dinamo–Red Star riot took place at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, Croatia between the Bad Blue Boys and the Delije.
- May 15
- * Singing Revolution: The pro-Soviet Intermovement attempts to take power in Tallinn, Estonia, but are forced down by local Estonians.
- *Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh is sold for a record $82.5 million.
- May 16 - Johnny Gill releases his most successful single to date, "My, My, My".
- May 17 - The World Health Organization removes homosexuality from its list of diseases.
- May 18 - German reunification: East Germany and West Germany sign a treaty to merge their economic and social systems, effective July 1.
- May 19 - The US and the USSR agree to end production of chemical weapons and to destroy most of their stockpiles of chemical weapons.
- May 20 - Cold War: The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.
- May 21 - In Kashmir, a Kashmiri Islamic leader is assassinated and Indian security forces open fire on mourners carrying his body, killing at least 47 people.
- May 22
- * Cold War: The leaders of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen announce the unification of their countries as the Republic of Yemen.
- May 27
- * In the Burmese general election, Burma's first multiparty election in 30 years, the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi wins in a landslide, but the State Law and Order Restoration Council nullifies the election results.
- * In the Colombian presidential election, César Gaviria is elected President of Colombia; he takes office on August 7.
- May 29
- * Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Ottawa for a 29-hour visit.
- * Boris Yeltsin is elected as the first ever elected president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
- * European Bank for Reconstruction and Development founded.
- May 30 - George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev begin a four-day summit meeting in Washington, D.C.
June
- June - Joanne Rowling gets the idea for Harry Potter while on a train from Manchester to London Euston railway station. She begins writing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone which will be completed in 1995 and published in 1997.
- June 1
- * Cold War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production and begin destroying their respective stocks.
- * Members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army shoot and kill Major Michael Dillon-Lee and Private William Robert Davies of the British Army. Dillon-Lee is killed outside his home in Dortmund, Germany and Davies is killed at a railway station in Lichfield, England.
- June 2 – The Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak spawns 88 confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, killing 12; 37 tornadoes occur in Indiana, eclipsing the previous record of 21 during the Super Outbreak of April 1974.
- June 4 - Violence breaks out in the Kirghiz SSR between the majority Kyrgyz people and minority Uzbeks over the distribution of homestead land.
- June 7
- * Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad is elected Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'.
- * Nickelodeon Studios opens
- * Universal Studios Orlando opens
- June 8
- * The 1990 FIFA World Cup begins in Italy. This was the first broadcast of digital HDTV in history; Europe would not begin HDTV broadcasting en masse until 2004.
- * Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Shamir ends 88 days with only an acting government by forming a coalition of right-wing and religious parties led by Shamir's Likud party.
- June 8–9 - In the Czechoslovakian parliamentary election, Czechoslovakia's first free election since 1946, the Civic Forum wins the most seats but fails to secure a majority.
- June 9 - Mega Borg oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston, Texas.
- June 10
- * Alberto Fujimori is elected President of Peru; he takes office on July 28.
- * First round of the Bulgarian Constitutional Assembly election sees the Bulgarian Socialist Party win a majority. The second round of voting is held June 17.
- June 11 - Sri Lankan Civil War: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam massacre over 600 unarmed police officers in the Eastern Province.
- June 12
- * Cold War: The Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty.
- * In the Algerian local elections, Algeria's first multiparty election since 1962, the Islamic Salvation Front wins control of more than half of municipalities and 32 of Algeria's 48 provinces.
- June 13 - Cold War - The destruction of the Berlin Wall by East Germany officially starts, 7 months after it was opened the previous November.
- June 13–15 - June 1990 Mineriad: Clashes break out in Bucharest between supporters and opponents of the ruling National Salvation Front.
- June 15 - Dublin Regulation on treatment of applications for right of asylum under European Union law agreed.
- June 17–30 - Nelson Mandela tours North America, visiting 3 Canadian and 8 U.S. cities.
- June 19 - The Communist Party of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is founded in Moscow.
- June 21 - The 7.4 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake affects northern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X, killing 35,000–50,000, and injuring 60,000–105,000.
- June 22 - Cold War: Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled.
- June 23 - In Canada, the Meech Lake Accord of 1987 dies after the Manitoba and Newfoundland legislatures fail to approve it ahead of the deadline.
- June 24 - Kathleen Young and Irene Templeton are ordained as priests in St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, becoming the first female Anglican priests in the United Kingdom.
July
- July 1 - German reunification: East Germany and West Germany merge their economies, the West German Deutsche Mark becoming the official currency of the East also. The Inner German border also ceases to function.
- July 2
- * 1990 Hajj stampede: A stampede in a pedestrian tunnel leading to Mecca kills 1,426.
- * A U.S. District Court acquits Imelda Marcos on racketeering and fraud charges.
- July 5 - In Kenya, riots erupt against the Kenya African National Union's monopoly on power.
- July 6
- * President of Bulgaria Petar Mladenov resigns over accusations that he ordered tanks to disperse anti-government protests in December 1989.
- * Somali President Siad Barre's bodyguards massacre anti-government demonstrators during a soccer match; 65 people are killed, more than 300 seriously injured.
- July 7–8 - In tennis, Martina Navratilova of the United States wins the 1990 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles and Stefan Edberg of Sweden wins the 1990 Wimbledon Championships - Men's Singles.
- July 8 - 1990 FIFA World Cup Final : West Germany defeats Argentina 1–0 to win the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
- July 9–11 - The 16th G7 summit is held in Houston, Texas.
- July 11 - Terrorists blow up a passenger bus travelling from Kalbajar to Tartar in Azerbaijan. 14 people are killed, 35 wounded.
- July 12 - Foster v British Gas plc decided in the European Court of Justice, a leading case on the definition of the "state" under European law.
- July 16 - 1990 Luzon earthquake: An earthquake measuring kills more than 1,600 in the Philippines.
- July 22 - First round of the Mongolian legislative election, the first multiparty ever held in Mongolia; the Mongolian People's Party wins by a wide margin after the second round of voting on July 29.
- July 25
- * George Carey, Bishop of Bath and Wells, is named as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England.
- * The Serb Democratic Party declares the sovereignty of the Serbs in Croatia.
- July 26 - U.S. President George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act, designed to protect disabled Americans from discrimination.
- July 27
- * The parliament building and a government television house in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago are stormed by the Jamaat al Muslimeen in a coup d'état attempt which lasts five days. Approximately 26 to 30 people are killed and several are wounded.
- * Cold War: Belarus declares its sovereignty, a key step toward independence from the Soviet Union.
- July 28 - Alberto Fujimori becomes president of Peru.
- July 30 - British politician and former Member of Parliament Ian Gow is assassinated by a Provisional Irish Republican Army car bomb outside his home in England.
August
- August 1
- * The National Assembly of Bulgaria elects Zhelyu Zhelev as the first non-Communist President of Bulgaria in 40 years.
- * RELCOM is created in the Soviet Union by combining several computer networks. Later in August, the Soviet Union got its first connection to the Internet.
- August 2
- * Gulf War: Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.
- * The first ban of smoking in bars in the US is passed in San Luis Obispo, California.
- August 6
- * Gulf War: The United Nations Security Council orders a global trade embargo against Iraq in response to its invasion of Kuwait.
- * President of Pakistan Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismisses Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, accusing her of corruption and abuse of power.
- * The South African government and ANC begin talks on ending Apartheid in South Africa.
- August 7
- * U.S. President Bush orders U.S. combat planes and troops to Saudi Arabia to prevent a possible attack by Iraq.
- * Prime Minister of India V. P. Singh announces plan to reserve 49% of civil service jobs for lower-caste Hindus. The plan triggers riots, leaving at least 70 dead by September.
- August 8
- * Iraq announces its formal annexation of Kuwait.
- * The government of Peru announces an austerity plan that results in huge increases in the price of food and gasoline. The plan sets off days of rioting and a national strike on August 21.
- August 10
- * Egypt, Syria, and 10 other Arab states vote to send military forces to Saudi Arabia to discourage an invasion from Iraq.
- * A passenger bus, traveling along the route "Tbilisi-Agdam", is blown up; 20 people died and 30 were injured. The organizers of the crime were Armenians A. Avanesian and M. Tatevosian who were brought to criminal trial.
- August 12
- * In South Africa, fighting breaks out between the Xhosa people and the Zulu people; more than 500 people are killed by the end of August.
- *"Sue", the best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever found, is discovered near Faith, South Dakota by Sue Hendrickson.
- August 19 - Leonard Bernstein conducts his final concert, ending with Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
- August 21 - Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone send peacekeepers to intervene in the First Liberian Civil War.
- August 22 - U.S. President Bush calls up U.S. military reservists for service in the Persian Gulf Crisis.
- August 23 - East Germany and West Germany announce they will unite on October 3.
- August 24
- * The Armenian SSR declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
- * Northern Ireland writer Brian Keenan is released from Lebanon after being held hostage for nearly 5 years.
- * Indonesian commercial television network SCTV was established as the nation's third television station after RCTI, and also debuted as local television channel in Surabaya. During its earlier days, SCTV was the rival for RCTI, the first commercial television network. SCTV begans broadcasting nationwide from Jakarta by January 29, 1991.
- August 26 - In Sofia, protesters set fire to the headquarters of the governing Bulgarian Socialist Party.
- August 28 - The Plainfield Tornado strikes the towns of Plainfield, Crest Hill, and Joliet, Illinois, killing 29 people.
September
- September 1–10 - Pope John Paul II visits Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Ivory Coast.
- September 2 - Cold War: Transnistria declares its independence from the Moldavian SSR; however, the declaration is not recognized by any government.
- September 4 - Geoffrey Palmer resigns as Prime Minister of New Zealand and is replaced by Mike Moore.
- September 4–6 - Premier of North Korea Yon Hyong-muk meets with President of South Korea Roh Tae-woo, the highest level contact between leaders of the two Koreas since 1945.
- September 5 - Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Army soldiers massacre 158 civilians.
- September 6 - In Myanmar, the State Law and Order Restoration Council orders the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and five other political dissidents.
- September 9
- * U.S. President Bush and Soviet President Gorbachev meet in Helsinki to discuss the Persian Gulf crisis.
- * First Liberian Civil War: Liberian president Samuel Doe is captured by rebel leader Prince Johnson and killed in a filmed execution.
- * Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Army soldiers massacre 184 civilians in Batticaloa.
- September 10 - The first Pizza Hut opens up in the Soviet Union.
- September 11
- * Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush delivers a nationally televised speech in which he threatens the use of force to remove Iraqi soldiers from Kuwait.
- * First Pizza Hut opens in the People's Republic of China, nearly 3 years after the first KFC opened there in 1987.
- September 12
- * Cold War: The two German states and the Four Powers sign the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany in Moscow, paving the way for German reunification.
- * A judge in Australia orders the arrest of media tycoon Christopher Skase, former owner of the Seven Network, after he fails to give evidence in a liquidator's examination of failed shipbuilding company Lloyds Ships Holdings, an associate of Skase's Qintex Australia Ltd.
- September 17 - In what is now regarded as a landmark event in regards to women in journalism, reporter Lisa Olson was sexually harassed by multiple New England Patriots players while trying to conduct a locker room interview.
- September 18
- * The International Olympic Committee awards the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta.
- * Provisional Irish Republican Army assassination attempt on the life of Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Terry at his home near Stafford, England. Hit by at least 9 bullets, the former Governor of Gibraltar survives, as does his wife, Lady Betty Terry, who is also shot.
- September 24 - The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union grants Gorbachev special powers for 18 months to secure the Soviet Union's transition to a market economy.
- September 27 - David Souter is confirmed to serve on the Supreme Court, replacing retiring Justice William Brennan.
- September 29 - Washington, D.C.'s National Cathedral is finished.
- September 29–30 - The United Nations World Summit for Children draws more than 70 world leaders to United Nations Headquarters.
October
- October - Tim Berners-Lee begins his work on the World Wide Web, 19 months after his seminal 1989 outline of what would become the Web concept.
- October 1 - The rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front invades Rwanda from Uganda, marking the start of the Rwandan Civil War.
- October 2 - According to The Civil Aviation of China official announced, Two commercial plane collide onto runway in Baiyun Airport of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, total death toll number was 128 persons, 53 persons were wounded, 97 persons were rescue with safed.
- October 3 - Cold War: East Germany and West Germany reunify into a single Germany.
- October 4 - Moro conflict: Rebel forces seize two military posts on the island of Mindanao, Philippines before surrendering on October 6.
- October 8
- * Israeli–Palestinian conflict: In Jerusalem, Israeli police kill 17 Palestinians and wound over 100 near the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount.
- * Globalization: The first McDonald's restaurant is opened in Mainland China in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong. Since 1979, Shenzhen has been a Special economic zone.
- October 13 - Lebanese Civil War: Syrian military forces invade and occupy Mount Lebanon, ousting General Michel Aoun's government. This effectively consolidates Syria's 14 year occupation of Lebanese soil.
- October 14 - Composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein dies of a heart attack at his home in New York City at the age of 72.
- October 15
- * Cold War: Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and reform his nation.
- * South Africa ends segregation of libraries, trains, buses, toilets, swimming pools, and other public facilities.
- October 17 - A peace agreement which formally ended 28 years of Sarawak Communist insurgency in Malaysia was signed by North Kalimantan Communist Party insurgents.
- October 22 - Nizhny Novgorod restores its official name from Gorky, Volga Federal District, Russia.
- October 24
- * In the Pakistani general election, Prime Minister Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party loses power to a center-right coalition government led by the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad party.
- * Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti revealed the existence of the Operation Gladio, a clandestine NATO "stay-behind" operation in Italy during the Cold War.
- October 27
- * Cold War: The Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz SSR selects Askar Akayev as the republic's first president.
- * The New Zealand general election is won by the New Zealand National Party, and its leader, Jim Bolger, becomes prime minister.
- October 29 - In Norway, the government headed by Prime Minister of Norway Jan P. Syse collapses.
- October 30 - The first transatlantic fiber optic cable TAT-8 fails, causing a slowdown of Internet traffic between the United States and Europe.
November
- November - The earliest known portable digital camera sold in the United States ships.
- November 1 - Mary Robinson defeats odds-on favorite Brian Lenihan to become the first female President of Ireland.
- November 2 - British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky Television plc merge to form BSkyB as a result of massive losses.
- November 3 - Gro Harlem Brundtland assumes office as Prime Minister of Norway.
- November 5 - Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the far-right Kach movement, is shot dead after a speech at a New York City hotel.
- November 6 - Nawaz Sharif is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
- November 7
- * Indian Prime Minister Singh resigns over losing a confidence vote in the Parliament of India, having lost the support of Hindus who want a Muslim mosque in Ayodhya torn down to build a Hindu temple.
- * The final military parade to mark the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution takes place in the USSR.
- November 9
- * A new constitution comes into effect in the Kingdom of Nepal, establishing multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy; this is the culmination of the 1990 People's Movement.
- * The Parliament of Singapore enacts the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.
- November 10 - Chandra Shekhar becomes Prime Minister of India as head of a minority government.
- November 12
- * Akihito is enthroned as the 125th emperor of Japan following the death of his father on January 7, 1989.
- * Tim Berners-Lee publishes a more formal proposal for the World Wide Web.
- November 13
- * The first known web page is written.
- * In New Zealand, David Gray kills 13 people in what will become known as the Aramoana massacre.
- November 14 - Germany and Poland sign a treaty confirming the border at the Oder–Neisse line.
- November 15
- *STS-38: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on a classified U.S. military mission.
- * President Bush signed new Clean Air Act, focused on urban pollution and cancer-causing emissions from industrial sources.
- November 17 - Soviet President Gorbachev proposes a radical restructuring of the Soviet government, including the creation of a Federal Council to be made up of the heads of the 15 Soviet republics.
- November 19–21 - The leaders of Canada, the United States, and 32 European states meet in Paris to formally mark the end of the Cold War.
- November 21
- * Charter of Paris for a New Europe signed.
- * Agreement for decriminalization of homosexual acts between consenting adults in Queensland, Australia.
- November 22 - Margaret Thatcher announces she will not contest the second ballot of the leadership election for the Conservative Party.
- November 25 - Lech Wałęsa and Stanisław Tymiński win the first round of the first Polish presidential election.
- November 27 - Women's suffrage is introduced in the last Swiss half-canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden.
- November 28
- * Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew resigns and is replaced by Goh Chok Tong.
- * The first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher, resigns after 11 years and is replaced by John Major.
- November 29
- * Gulf War: The United Nations Security Council passes UN Security Council Resolution 678, authorizing military intervention in Iraq if that state does not withdraw its forces from Kuwait and free all foreign hostages by Tuesday, January 15, 1991.
- * Prime Minister of Bulgaria Andrey Lukanov and his government of former communists resign under pressure from strikes and street protests.
December
- December 1
- * Channel Tunnel workers from the United Kingdom and France meet 40 metres beneath the English Channel seabed, establishing the first land connection between Great Britain and the mainland of Europe for around 8,000 years.
- * President of Chad Hissène Habré is deposed by the Patriotic Salvation Movement and replaced as president by its leader Idriss Déby.
- December 2 - The German federal election is won by Helmut Kohl, who becomes Chancellor of Germany.
- December 3
- * At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 collides with Northwest Airlines Flight 299 on the runway, killing 8 passengers and 4 crew members on Flight 1482.
- * Mary Robinson begins her term as President of Ireland, becoming the first female to hold this office.
- December 6
- * Saddam Hussein releases a group of Western hostages he captured.
- * President Hussain Muhammad Ershad of Bangladesh is forced to resign following massive protests; he is replaced by Shahabuddin Ahmed, who becomes interim president.
- December 7
- * In Brussels, trade talks fail because of a dispute between the U.S. and the European Union over farm export subsidies.
- * The National Assembly of Bulgaria elects Dimitar Iliev Popov as Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
- December 9
- * Slobodan Milošević elected President of Serbia in first round, general elections won by his Socialist Party.
- * Lech Wałęsa wins the 2nd round of Poland's first presidential election.
- December 11 - Fall of communism in Albania: Ramiz Alia, leader of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, following massive demonstrations by students and workers, announces that a free national election will be held next spring of 1991 with political parties other than the Party of Labour permitted; an opposition Democratic Party is formed the following day.
- December 16 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide is elected president of Haiti, ending 3 decades of military rule.
- December 20
- * Eduard Shevardnadze announces his resignation as Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs
- * Tim Berners-Lee completes the test for the first webpage at CERN.
- December 22
- * The first constitution of the Republic of Croatia is adopted.
- * The Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia become independent, after the termination of their trusteeship.
- * The Polish government-in-exile is dissolved in London after being in exile since 1939.
- December 23 - In the Slovenian independence referendum, 88.5% of the overall electorate, with the turnout of 93.3%, support independence of the country.
- December 24 - Ramsewak Shankar is ousted as President of Suriname by a military coup.
- December 25 - Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is commissioned.
- December 31 - Russian Garry Kasparov holds his title by winning the World Chess Championship match against his countryman Anatoly Karpov.
World population
Births
January
- January 1
- *Xavier Avery, American baseball player
- * Julia Glushko, Israeli tennis player
- * Ali Maâloul, Tunisian footballer
- January 2 - Karel Abraham, Czech motorcycle racer
- January 3
- * Yoichiro Kakitani, Japanese footballer
- * Maximilian Karner, Austrian footballer
- January 4
- * Toni Kroos, German footballer
- * Alberto Paloschi, Italian footballer
- January 5
- * Leroy Fer, Dutch footballer
- * Yoseob, Korean pop singer
- January 6
- * Sandro Cortese, German motorcycle racer
- * Abhinav Mukund, Indian cricketer
- * Natalie Palamides, American actress
- * Alex Teixeira, Brazilian footballer
- January 7
- * Liam Aiken, American actor
- * Elene Gedevanishvili, Georgian figure skater
- * Camryn Grimes, American actress
- * Michael Sam, American football player
- * Gregor Schlierenzauer, Austrian ski jumper
- January 8
- * Robin Olsen, Swedish footballer
- * Scott Pye, Australian racing driver
- * Xu Xin, Chinese table tennis player
- January 9
- * Justin Blackmon, American football player
- * Oteng Oteng, Batswana boxer
- * Todor Skrimov, Bulgarian male volleyball player
- * Melissa Ricks, Filipino-American actress
- * Son Ji-hyun, South Korean actress and singer
- January 10
- * Facundo Gambandé, Argentine actor and singer
- * Tao Li, Singaporean Olympic swimmer
- * Renan Buiatti, Brazilian volleyball player
- * Aishwarya Rajesh, Indian actress
- * Mirko Bortolotti, Italian racing driver
- January 11 - Ryan Griffin, American footballer
- January 12 - Sergey Karjakin, Ukrainian chess player
- January 13 - Liam Hemsworth, Australian actor
- January 14
- * Grant Gustin, American actor and singer
- * Áron Szilágyi, Hungarian fencer
- * Mikee Lee, Filipino actor, model and host
- January 15
- * Chris Warren, American actor
- * Luke Willson, American football player
- January 16 - Simon Porte Jacquemus, French fashion designer
- January 17 - Tom Bosworth, British race walker
- January 18
- * Nacho, Spanish footballer
- * Gift Ngoepe, South African-born baseball player
- January 21
- * George Finn, Georgian actor
- * Kelly Rohrbach, American model and actress
- * Jacob Smith, American actor
- January 22
- * Alizé Cornet, French tennis player
- * Logic, American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer
- January 23 - Artsem Mikhalenka, Belarusian singer
- January 24
- * Mao Abe, Japanese singer-songwriter
- * Ermin Bičakčić, Bosnian footballer
- January 25 - Natalie Hall, Canadian actress
- January 26
- * Rupan Bal, Canadian–Indian YouTuber, actor, director and comedian
- * Christopher Massey, American actor, comedian, and rapper
- * Kherington Payne, American dancer and actress
- * Peter Sagan, Slovakian road bicycle racer
- January 27 - Nicholas Bett, Kenyan track and field athlete
- January 28 - Luce, French actress/singer
- January 29 - MacKenzie Porter, Canadian actress and singer
- January 30
- * Eiza González, Mexican actress and singer
- * Mitchell Starc, Australian cricketer
- * Jake Thomas, American actor
- January 31 - Nate Augspurger, American rugby union player
February
- February 1
- * Laura Marling, British singer-songwriter
- * Hersi Matmuja, Albanian singer
- February 2 - Clara Alonso, Argentine actress, singer, and television hostess
- February 3 - Sean Kingston, American singer
- February 4
- * Zach King, American videos maker
- * Nairo Quintana, Colombian road bicycle racer
- * Haruka Tomatsu, Japanese voice actress
- February 5
- * Luis Cardona, Guatemalan football player
- * Kim Ji-soo, South Korean singer
- February 6
- * Jermaine Kearse, American football player
- * Dominic Sherwood, English actor and model
- February 7
- * Anna Abreu, Finnish pop singer
- * Jacksepticeye, Irish YouTuber
- * Dalilah Muhammad, American hurdler
- * Steven Stamkos, Canadian ice hockey player
- February 8
- * Yacine Brahimi, French-Algerian footballer
- * Christian Madsen, American actor
- * Ben Schnetzer, American actor
- * Klay Thompson, American basketball player
- February 9
- * Fyodor Smolov, Russian footballer
- * Camille Winbush, American actress
- February 10 - Sooyoung, Korean singer
- February 11
- * Javier Aquino, Mexican footballer
- * Q'orianka Kilcher, German-born American actress and activist
- February 12 - Robert Griffin III, American football player
- February 13
- * Gyaincain Norbu, 11th Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism according to some sources
- * Kevin Strootman, Dutch footballer
- February 14
- * Brett Dier, Canadian actor
- * Jake Weary, American actor
- February 15 - Masashi Ebinuma, Japanese judoka
- February 16 - The Weeknd, Canadian musician
- February 17 - Bea Rose Santiago, Filipino model
- February 18
- * Choi Soo-young, South Korean singer, actress, and songwriter
- * Bryan Oviedo, Costa Rican footballer
- * Park Shin-hye, South Korean actress
- February 19
- * Ryad Boudebouz, French-Algerian footballer
- * Luke Pasqualino, English actor
- * Saad Al Sheebi, Qatari footballer
- February 20
- * Ciro Immobile, Italian footballer
- * Anjli Mohindra, English actress
- February 21
- * David Addy, Ghanaian footballer
- * Mattias Tedenby, Swedish ice hockey player
- February 22
- * Kyle Greig, American soccer player
- * Paige Lawrence, Canadian pair skater
- * Travis Releford, American professional basketball player
- February 23
- * Shelby Blackstock, American race car driver
- * Tom Brandt, American soccer player
- * Kevin Connauton, Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman
- * Olivia Jean, American singer
- * Marco Scandella, Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman
- February 24
- * Jason Coats, American professional baseball outsider
- * Caleb McSurdy, American football linebacker
- * Derek Wolfe, American football defensive end
- February 25
- * Younès Belhanda, French-Moroccan footballer
- * Ehsan Hajsafi, Iranian footballer
- February 26
- * Chris Banjo, American football safety
- * Jojo Mason, Canadian country music singer-songwriter
- * José Melchor, Mexican professional footballer
- * Tristan Tafel, Canadian freestyle skier
- February 27
- * Lindsey Morgan, American actress
- * Megan Young, Filipino-American actress, model, television host, and beauty pageant contestant
- February 28
- * Georgina Leonidas, English actress
- * Anna Muzychuk, Ukrainian chess player
March
- March 1 - James Lomas, British actor
- March 2
- * Laura Harrier, American actress and model
- * Cadet, English rapper
- * Lee Hong-gi, Korean singer
- * Tiger Shroff, Indian actor
- March 3
- * Sebastian Gregory, Australian actor and musician
- * Celina Ree, Danish singer
- March 4
- * Andrea Bowen, American actress
- * Draymond Green, American basketball player
- March 5
- * Danny Drinkwater, English footballer
- * Marco Ureña, Costa Rican footballer
- March 6
- * Derek Drouin, Canadian athlete
- * Esti Ginzburg, Israeli model
- March 7
- * Choi Jong-hoon, Korean singer
- * Abigail and Brittany Hensel, American conjoined twins
- * Daniel Samonas, Canadian actor
- March 8
- * Rémy Cabella, French footballer
- * Kristinia DeBarge, American singer-songwriter
- * Petra Kvitová, Czech tennis player
- March 9
- * Daley Blind, Dutch footballer
- * YG, American rapper and actor
- March 10 – Ryan Nassib, American football quarterback
- March 11
- * Reiley McClendon, American actor
- * Jon Richt, American football coach and former player
- * Ryan Rua, American professional baseball outfielder
- March 12
- * Alessio Curcio, Italian professional football player
- * Trey Diller, Former American football wide receiver
- * Kyle Norris, Former Canadian football linebacker
- * Vanessa Pose, Venezuelan actress
- * Cole Sulser, American professional baseball pitcher
- March 13 - Sasha Clements, Canadian actress
- March 14
- * Joe Allen, Welsh footballer
- * Thali García, Mexican actress
- * Kolbeinn Sigþórsson, Icelandic footballer
- March 15 – Lauren Barfield, American volleyball player
- March 16 – Maps Maponyane, South African television presenter
- March 17 - Hozier, Irish singer-songwriter
- March 18
- * Michael J. Knowles, American conservative political commentator
- * Luke Tarsitano, American actor
- March 19 - Maddy Hill, English actress
- March 20
- * Stacy Martin, French actress
- * Marcos Rojo, Argentine footballer
- March 21
- * Nicolás Uriarte, Argentinian volleyball player
- * Mandy Capristo, German singer-songwriter, dancer, and model
- March 22 – Sophie Caldwell, American cross-country skier
- March 23
- * Jaime Alguersuari, Spanish Formula One driver
- * Princess Eugenie of York, British princess
- March 24
- * Aljur Abrenica, Filipino actor, dancer, model and singer
- * Keisha Castle-Hughes, Australian-born New Zealand actress
- * Starlin Castro, American baseball player
- March 25 – Kiowa Gordon, American actor
- March 26
- * Carly Chaikin, American actress
- * Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor
- * Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian footballer
- * Romain Saïss, French-Moroccan footballer
- * Xiumin, South Korean singer and actor
- March 27
- *Kimbra, New Zealand singer and actress
- * Nicolas Nkoulou, Cameroonian footballer
- *Ben Hunt, Australian rugby league player
- March 28
- * Zoella, English youtuber and vlogger
- March 29 – Timothy Chandler, German-American soccer player
- March 30
- * Lee Gi-kwang, Korean singer
- * Thomas Rhett, American singer and songwriter
- * Corey Cott, American actor and singer
- * Cassie Scerbo, American actress, singer and dancer
- March 31
- * Bang Yong-guk, South Korean rapper
- * Lyra McKee, Northern Irish journalist
- * Tommy Smith, English-New Zealand footballer
April
- April 1 - Justin Hamilton, Croatian-American football player
- April 2
- * Yevgeniya Kanayeva, Russian gymnast
- * Miralem Pjanić, Bosnian footballer
- April 3
- * Karim Ansarifard, Iranian footballer
- * Lovre Kalinić, Croatian footballer
- April 4
- * Andreas Muñoz, Spanish actor
- * Sasha Spielberg, American actress
- April 5
- * Kim Jung-hyun, South Korean actor
- * Haruma Miura, Japanese actor and singer
- April 6 - Charlie McDermott, American actor
- April 7
- * Nickel Ashmeade, Jamaican sprinter
- * Sorana Cîrstea, Romanian tennis player
- April 8
- * Freddie, Hungarian singer
- * Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer
- * Bai Yu, Chinese actor
- April 9
- * Ram Bahadur Bomjon, Nepalese Buddhist
- * Kristen Stewart, American actress and director
- April 10
- * Ben Amos, English footballer
- * Maren Morris, American country singer
- * Alex Pettyfer, English actor
- * Valerio Scanu, Italian pop rock singer
- April 11
- * Martin Escudero, Filipino actor, model and television personality
- * Darrius Garrett, American-Rwandan professional basketball player
- April 12 - Hiroki Sakai, Japanese footballer
- April 13 - Anastasija Sevastova, Latvian tennis player
- April 14 - Juan Francisco Estrada, Mexican professional boxer
- April 15
- * Julien Lyneel, French volleyball player
- * Aoxuan Lee, Chinese singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, and Electone player
- * Emma Watson, English actress, model, and activist
- April 16
- * Lily Loveless, British actress
- * Tony McQuay, American sprinter
- * Lorraine Nicholson, American actress and director
- * Arthur Zanetti, Brazilian artistic gymnast
- April 17
- * Astrit Ajdarević, Swedish professional football player
- * Sol Rodríguez, Argentinian actress and model
- April 18
- * Anna van der Breggen, Dutch cyclist
- * Britt Robertson, American actress
- * Wojciech Szczęsny, Polish football player
- April 19
- * Kim Chiu, Filipino actress
- * Héctor Herrera, Mexican footballer
- * Kim Himchan, South Korean singer
- April 20 - Lu Han, South Korean singer
- April 21 - Bree Essrig, American actress
- April 22 - Machine Gun Kelly, American rapper
- April 23 - Dev Patel, British actor
- April 24
- * Kim Tae-ri, South Korean actress
- * Carly Pearce, American country singer
- April 25
- * Jan-Lennard Struff, German tennis player
- * Jean-Éric Vergne, French Formula 1 driver
- April 26 - Jonathan dos Santos, Mexican footballer
- April 27 - Lou de Laâge, French television actress
- April 28 - Chelsea Stewart, American soccer player
- April 29 - Bradford Burgess, American basketball player
- April 30 - T-Hawk, Japanese professional wrestler
May
- May 1 - Caitlin Stasey, Australian actress
- May 2
- * Paul George, American basketball player
- * Kay Panabaker, American actress
- May 3
- * Miranda Chartrand, Canadian singer
- * Brooks Koepka, American professional golfer
- May 4 - Andrea Torres, Filipino actress
- May 5
- * Matteo Ciacci, Sammarinese politician; former Captain Regent of San Marino
- * [Lee Kang-won, South Korean male volleyball player
- * Hannah Davis, American model
- May 6 – Moses Storm, American writer and comedian
- May 7 – Jonathan Zlotnik, Massachusetts House of Representatives
- May 8
- * Marcel Keller Gil, Portuguese male indoor volleyball player
- * Anastasia Fesikova, Russian swimmer
- * Kemba Walker, American basketball player
- May 9 – John McEntee, American political advisor
- May 10
- * Brandun DeShay, American rapper and record producer
- * Maxine Medina, Filipino actress and model
- * Lauren Potter, American actress
- May 11 – Taylor Fletcher, American Nordic combined skier
- May 12
- * Florent Amodio, French figure skater
- * Etika, YouTube personality
- May 14 - Sasha Spielberg, American musician
- May 15 - Lee Jong-hyun, Korean singer
- May 16
- * Deniz Akdeniz, Australian actor
- * Thomas Brodie-Sangster, British actor
- * Marc John Jefferies, American actor
- May 17
- * Ross Butler, American actor
- * Leven Rambin, American actress
- May 18
- * Heo Ga-yoon, South Korean singer and actress
- * Luke Kleintank, American actor
- * Yuya Osako, Japanese footballer
- May 20 - Josh O'Connor, English actor
- May 22 - Lance Serrano, Filipino actor, commercial model and gym instructor
- May 24
- * Félix Moati, French actor, film director and screenwriter
- * Joey Logano, American race car driver
- * Yuya Matsushita, Japanese singer, dancer, and actor
- May 25
- * Ryan Sherriff, American professional baseball pitcher
- * Jarred Cosart, American former professional baseball pitcher
- May 26
- * Eric Griffin, American basketball player
- * Umar Akmal, Pakistani cricketer
- May 27
- * Chris Colfer, American actor
- * Leo Deluglio, Argentine actor and singer
- May 28
- * Jonas Hector, German footballer
- * Kyle Walker, English footballer
- May 29 - Davit Gharibyan, Armenian model, actor, director, host and publisher
- May 30
- * Dean Collins, American actor
- * Josef Šural, Czech footballer
- * Yoona, Korean singer
- May 31
- * Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, Canadian politician
- * Phillipa Soo, American actress and singer
June
- June 2
- * Kristiina Brask, Finnish pop singer
- * Brittany Curran, American actress and singer
- * Jack Lowden, Scottish actor
- June 4
- * Zac Farro, American musician, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
- * Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc.
- June 5 - Junior Hoilett, Canadian soccer player
- June 6
- * Karma, Bhutanese archer
- * Raisa Andriana, Indonesian singer
- * Ryan Higa, American comedian, YouTuber and actor
- June 7
- * Adam Silvera, American author
- * Iggy Azalea, Australian recording artist
- * Allison Schmitt, American swimmer
- June 8 - Luke Baines, American actor
- June 9
- * Matthias Mayer, Austrian Olympic alpine skier
- * Lauren Socha, English actress
- June 10
- * Tristin Mays, American actress and singer
- * Niamh Perry, Irish actress and singer
- June 11 - Christophe Lemaitre, French sprinter
- June 12
- * Kevin Wu, American blogger, activist, and humanitarian
- * Jrue Holiday, American basketball player
- June 13 - Aaron Taylor-Johnson, English actor
- June 15 - Denzel Whitaker, American actor
- June 16
- * Austin Krajicek, American tennis player
- * John Newman, English singer
- June 17
- * Alan Dzagoev, Russian footballer
- * Jordan Henderson, English international footballer
- * Laura Wright, English singer
- June 18
- * Jeremy Irvine, English actor
- * Sandra Izbașa, Romanian gymnast and Olympic gold medalist
- * Christian Taylor, American triple jumper
- June 19
- * Ashly Burch, American actress, singer, and writer
- * Jason Dy, Filipino singer
- June 20
- * Ding Ning, Chinese table tennis player
- * Jacob Wysocki, American actor and comedian
- June 21
- * Ričardas Berankis, Lithuanian tennis player
- * Nicolás Maduro Guerra, Venezuelan politician
- * Knowledge Musona, Zimbabwean footballer
- * Håvard Nordtveit, Norwegian football player
- June 22
- * T. J. DiLeo, American-German basketball player
- * Kei Inoo, Japanese singer and actor
- June 23
- * Lim Ji-yeon, South Korean actress
- * Vasek Pospisil, Canadian tennis player
- June 25 - Andi Eigenmann, Filipina actress and model
- June 26 - Filip Novák, Czech football player
- June 27 - Angelia Ong, Filipino–Chinese model
- June 28
- * Jasmine Richards, Canadian actress
- * Malhar Thakar, Indian actor
- June 29
- * Harish Kalyan, Indian actor
- * Subaru Kimura, German-Japanese voice actor
- * Sayuri Sugawara, Japanese singer
- June 30
- * Jaka Blažič, Slovenian basketball player
- * Bryan Nickson Lomas, Malaysian diver
- * N, South Korean singer and actor
July
- July 1 - Dan Mayo, Israeli drummer, composer. and educator
- July 2
- * Grey Henson, American actor, dancer, and singer
- * Kayla Harrison, American judoka
- * Roman Lob, German recording artist
- * Margot Robbie, Australian actress
- * Danny Rose, English footballer
- July 4 - David Kross, German actor
- July 5
- * David Manoyan, Armenian football player
- * Arron Villaflor, Filipino actor and dancer
- July 6
- * Jeremy Suarez, American actor
- * Jurijus Veklenko, Lithuanian singer-songwriter
- July 7 - Amadeus Serafini, American actor
- July 8
- * Randy Brown, American-Jamaican mixed martial artist
- * Kevin Trapp, German footballer
- July 9
- * Fábio, Brazilian footballer
- * Sosuke Ikematsu, Japanese actor
- * Rafael, Brazilian footballer
- * Sung Joon, South Korean actor and model
- July 10
- * Mike LiPetri, American politician
- * Portia Clark, Zambian pop singer, songwriter, and philanthropist
- * Elliot Knight, British actor
- * Sung Joon, South Korean actor and model
- July 11
- * Dan Colman, American professional poker player
- * Feroze Khan, Pakistani actor and model
- * Connor Paolo, American actor
- * Patrick Peterson, American football player
- * Kelsey Sanders, American actress
- * Caroline Wozniacki, Danish tennis player
- July 12 - Rachel Brosnahan, American actress
- July 13 - Jonathan Mensah, Ghanaian footballer
- July 14
- * Izwan Mahbud, Singaporean footballer
- * Ian Nepomniachtchi, Russian chess grandmaster
- July 15
- * Olly Alexander, English actor and singer
- * Alexander Calvert, Canadian actor
- * Tyler Honeycutt, American basketball player
- * Damian Lillard, American basketball player
- July 16
- * James Maslow, American actor and singer
- * Wizkid, Nigerian singer-songwriter
- July 17 - Jonty Usborne, British radio engineer
- July 18
- * Saúl Álvarez, Mexican boxer
- * Anders Konradsen, Norwegian footballer
- July 19
- * Steven Anthony Lawrence, American actor
- * Darlington Nagbe, Liberian-American soccer player
- July 20 - Dominic Roque, Filipino actor and model
- July 21
- * Satyajeet Dubey, Indian actor
- * Franck Elemba, Congolese athlete
- * Fabrice N'Sakala, Congolese-democratic footballer
- * Erislandy Savón, Cuban boxer
- July 23 - Kevin Reynolds, Canadian figure skater
- July 24
- * Daveigh Chase, American actress
- * Jay McGuiness, British singer
- July 25 - Mubarak Wakaso, Ghanaian footballer
- July 27
- * Victoria Aveyard, American writer
- * Indiana Evans, Australian actress
- * Kriti Sanon, Indian actress
- * David Storl, German track and field athlete
- July 28 - Soulja Boy, American rapper
- July 29
- * Penny Bae Bridges, American actress
- * Munro Chambers, Canadian actor
- * Matt Prokop, American actor
- * Anna Selezneva, Russian model
- * Oleg Shatov, Russian footballer
- * Shin Se-kyung, Korean actor
- July 30 - Chris Maxwell, Welsh footballer
- July 31 - Ido Levy, Israeli footballer
August
- August 1
- * Jean Hugues Gregoire, Mauritian swimmer
- * Elton Jantjies, South African rugby player
- * Jack O'Connell, English actor
- August 2 - Eddie Generazio, American author and musician
- August 3
- * James Baxter, British actor
- * Jourdan Dunn, British model
- August 5 - Álex Rodríguez, Panamanian footballer
- August 6 - Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson, Icelandic footballer
- August 7 - Tom Beugelsdijk, Dutch footballer
- August 8
- * Vladimír Darida, Czech footballer
- * Abel Hernández, Uruguayan footballer
- * Tommy Bracco, American actor, reality television star and Broadway performer
- * Oti Mabuse, South African dancer
- * Aleksandra Szwed, Polish actress
- * Kane Williamson, New Zealand cricketer
- August 9
- * Bill Skarsgård, Swedish actor
- * Emily Tennant, Canadian actress
- * Adelaide Kane, American Actress
- August 10
- * Lucas Till, American actor
- * Will Brittain, American actor
- * Tai Woffinden, English speedway rider
- August 12
- * Enzo Pineda, Filipino actor
- * Mario Balotelli, Italian footballer
- * Wissam Ben Yedder, French footballer
- August 13
- * Shila Amzah, Malaysian singer-songwriter
- * DeMarcus Cousins, American basketball player
- August 15
- * Jennifer Lawrence, American actress
- * Nyusha, Russian singer
- August 17 - Rachel Hurd-Wood, British actress
- August 20
- * Omar El Kaddouri, Belgian-Moroccan footballer
- * Bradley Klahn, American tennis player
- * Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Dutch swimmer
- August 21 - Bo Burnham, American comedian
- August 22 - Adam Thielen, American football player
- August 24
- * Elizabeth Debicki, Australian actress
- * Aloysius Pang, Singaporean actor
- August 25
- * Aras Bulut İynemli, Turkish actor
- * Salif Sané, French-Senegalese footballer
- August 27
- * Tori Bowie, American athlete
- * Luuk de Jong, Dutch footballer
- * Taylor Mitchell, Canadian singer
- * Madison Welch, English glamour model
- August 28
- * Katie Findlay, Canadian actress
- * Bojan Krkić, Spanish footballer
- August 29
- * Patrick van Aanholt, Dutch footballer
- * Nicole Gale Anderson, American actress
September
- September 2 - Merritt Patterson, Canadian actress
- September 3
- * Abbas Ali, Pakistani footballer
- * Bianca Bin, Brazilian actress
- September 4
- * Olha Kharlan, Ukrainian fencer
- * Danny Worsnop, British musician
- September 5 - Yuna Kim, South Korean figure skater
- September 6
- * Matt McAndrew, American singer-songwriter
- * John Wall, American basketball player
- September 8
- * Matt Barkley, American football player
- * Dianne Doan, Canadian actress
- * Ella Rae Peck, American actress
- September 9
- * Melody Klaver, Dutch actress
- * Klaudia Tiitsmaa, Estonian actress
- September 10
- * Eddy Martin, American actor
- * Chandler Massey, American actor
- September 13
- * Jamie Anderson, American snowboarder
- * Luciano Narsingh, Dutch footballer
- September 14
- * Douglas Costa, Brazilian footballer
- * Alex and Sam Lowes, English twin brother motorcycle racers
- September 15
- * Aaron Mooy, Australian footballer
- * Matt Shively, American actor
- September 19
- * Mário Fernandes, Brazilian-Russian footballer
- * Saki Fukuda, Japanese actress
- * Kieran Trippier, English footballer
- September 20
- * Erich Gonzales, Filipina actor and dancer
- * Phillip Phillips, American singer
- * John Tavares, Canadian ice hockey player
- September 21
- * Cory Wade Hindorff, American model, actor, singer, songwriter and Gay activist and spokesperson
- * Laurent Alvarez, Swiss figure skater
- * Ivan Dorschner, Filipino actor and host
- * Allison Scagliotti, American actress, musician, and director
- * Christian Serratos, American actress
- September 23
- * Marigona Dragusha, Kosovan model
- * Agustín Sierra, Argentine actor
- * Çağatay Ulusoy, Turkish actor and model
- September 25
- * Mao Asada, Japanese figure skater
- * Edie Campbell, English model
- September 27
- * Lola Kirke, English-born American actress and singer
- * Dion Lewis, American football player
- September 28 - Kirsten Prout, Canadian actress
- September 29 - Doug Brochu, American actor, comedian and voice actor
- September 30 - Dominique Aegerter, Swiss Grand prix motorcycle racer
October
- October 1
- * Hazal Kaya, Tukish actress
- * Anthony Lopes, French-Portuguese footballer
- October 2 - Samantha Barks, Manx singer and actress
- October 3
- * Michele Morrone, Italian actor, model and singer
- * Johan Le Bon, French cyclist
- * Rhian Ramos, Filipino actress
- October 4 - Sergey Shubenkov, Russian hurdler
- October 6 - Hotaru Yamaguchi, Japanese footballer
- October 7
- * Sebastián Coates, Uruguayan footballer
- * Ayla Kell, American actress
- * Thunder, South Korean pop singer
- October 11 - Sebastian Rode, German footballer
- October 12
- * Brock Coyle, American football player
- * Henri Lansbury, English footballer
- * Melody, Spanish singer
- October 13 - Bailey Noble, American actress
- October 14 - Raquel Diaz, American singer, model, and professional wrestler
- October 15 - Jeon Ji-yoon, South Korean rapper, songwriter, and actress
- October 16
- * Sam Bennett, Irish cyclist
- * Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, Icelandic singer
- * Tim Nedow, Canadian track and field athlete
- October 18
- * Óscar Opazo, Chilean footballer
- * Carly Schroeder, American actress
- October 19
- * Samantha Munro, American actress
- * Samuel Nascimento, Brazilian actor, singer, and dancer
- * Ciara Renée, American actress
- October 20 - Galadriel Stineman, American actress
- October 21 - Ricky Rubio, Spanish basketball player
- October 22
- * Ashley Fiolek, American motocross racer
- * Jonathan Lipnicki, American actor and producer
- October 23 - Paradise Oskar, Finnish singer-songwriter
- October 24
- * Kirby Bliss Blanton, American actress
- * İlkay Gündoğan, German footballer
- October 25
- * Sara Chafak, Finnish beauty pageant
- * Austin Peralta, American jazz musician and composer
- * Ryan Preece, American Race Car Driver
- October 27 - Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson, Icelandic footballer
- October 28 - Youssef Msakni, Tunisian footballer
- October 29
- * Ender Inciarte, Venezuelan baseball player
- * Amarna Miller, Spanish porn actress
- * Eric Saade, Swedish pop singer
- * Carlson Young, American actress
- October 30 - Jorge López, Chilean actor
- October 31
- * JID, American rapper
- * Emiliano Sala, Argentine footballer
November
- November 2
- * Kévin Tillie, French volleyball player
- * Kendall Schmidt, American actor and singer
- November 3 - Polo Morín, Mexican actor and model
- November 4 - Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Canadian actor
- November 6
- * Dorothea Barth Jörgensen, Swedish model
- * Kris, South Korean singer
- * André Schürrle, German footballer
- November 7
- * Joy Burke, Taiwanese basketball player
- * Matt Corby, Australian singer
- * David de Gea, Spanish footballer
- * Marisa Siketa, Australian actress
- November 8 - SZA, American R&B singer
- November 9
- * Hodgy Beats, American rapper and record producer
- * Christine Michael, American football player
- November 10
- * Vanessa Ferrari, Italian gymnast
- * Aron Jóhannsson, American soccer player
- * Leo, South Korean singer-songwriter
- November 11
- * Tom Dumoulin, Dutch road bicycle racer
- * Georginio Wijnaldum, Dutch footballer
- November 12 - Florent Manaudou, French swimmer
- November 13 - Kathleen Herles, American voice actress
- November 14
- * Roman Bürki, Swiss footballer
- * Jessica Jacobs, Australian actress and singer
- November 15 - Kanata Hongō, Japanese actor
- November 16 - Arjo Atayde, Filipino actor
- November 17 - Shanica Knowles, American actress and singer
- November 20 - Zack Martin, American football player
- November 22
- * Jang Dong-woo, South Korean singer and dancer
- * Seo Eunkwang, South Korean singer
- November 23
- * Eddy Kim, Korean singer
- * Nick Williams, American football player
- November 24 - Sarah Hyland, American actress
- November 26
- * Rita Ora, English singer
- * Danny Welbeck, English footballer
- November 27
- * Blackbear, American hip hop musician, singer, composer, and record producer
- * Josh James, British singer
- November 28
- * Sena Acolatse, American professional ice hockey player
- * Dedryck Boyata, Belgian footballer
- * Holly Hale, Welsh model
- November 29
- * Diego Boneta, Mexican actor and singer-songwriter
- * Lee Min-hyuk, South Korean singe
- * Sheldon Richardson, American football player
- November 30 - Magnus Carlsen, Norwegian chess grandmaster
December
- December 1 - Chanel Iman, American model
- December 2
- * Abra, Filipino hip hop artist and occasional actor
- * Jamille Matt, Jamaican footballer
- * Hikaru Yaotome, Japanese idol
- December 3
- * Christian Benteke, Congolese-Belgian footballer
- * Sharon Fichman, Canadian-Israeli tennis player
- * Fausto Rossi, Italian footballer
- December 6 - Elizabeth Bruenig, American journalist
- December 8 - Miguel Ángel Mayé, Equatoguinean football defender
- December 10 - Shoya Tomizawa, Japanese motorcycle rider
- December 11
- * He Zi, Chinese diver
- * Adrienne Murphy, Irish model
- December 12 - Seungri, South Korean singer
- December 13
- * Corey Anderson, New Zealand cricketer
- * Anton Hysén, Swedish footballer
- December 16 - Aziz Behich, Australian footballer
- December 17
- * Graham Rogers, American actor
- * Folashade Abugan, Nigerian sprinter
- * John Rooney, English footballer
- December 18 - Lara Scandar, Egyptian singer
- December 20
- * Denis Cheryshev, Russian footballer
- * JoJo, American singer and actress
- * Bugzy Malone, English grime rapper
- December 22 - Jean-Baptiste Maunier, French actor
- December 23 - Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress and singer
- December 24 - Marcus Jordan, American college basketball player
- December 26
- * Andy Biersack, American singer-songwriter
- * Aaron Ramsey, Welsh footballer
- December 27 - Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player
- December 28
- * Marcos Alonso, Spanish footballer
- * David Archuleta, American singer
- December 29 - Sofiane Hanni, French-Algerian footballer
- December 30
- * Fénix, Mexican luchador
- * Joe Root, English cricketer
- * Bruno Henrique, Brazilian footballer
- December 31
- * Patrick Chan, Canadian figure skater
- * Zhao Jing, Chinese swimmer
Date unknown
- Ellen Arkbro, Swedish avant-garde composer
Deaths
January
- January 2 – Alan Hale Jr, American actor
- January 4
- * Alberto Lleras Camargo, Colombian politician, 20th President of Colombia
- * Harold Eugene Edgerton, American electrical engineer
- January 5 – Arthur Kennedy, American actor
- January 6
- * Ian Charleson, British actor
- * Pavel Cherenkov, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- January 7 – Bronko Nagurski, Canadian-American football player
- January 8
- * Jaime Gil de Biedma, Spanish poet
- * Terry-Thomas, English actor and comedian
- January 9
- * Northern Calloway, American actor
- * Bazilio Olara-Okello, Ugandan military officer and statesman
- January 10 – Lyle R. Wheeler, American art director
- January 14 – Mani Madhava Chakyar, Indian performing artist
- January 15 – Gordon Jackson, British actor
- January 17 – Charles Hernu, French politician
- January 18 - Melanie Appleby, British musician
- January 19
- * Arthur Goldberg, American Justice of the Supreme Court
- * Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian mystic
- * Herbert Wehner, German Social Democratic politician
- January 20
- * Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, 30th Prime Minister of Japan
- * Barbara Stanwyck, American actress
- January 22
- * Mariano Rumor, Italian politician, 39th Prime Minister of Italy
- * Roman Vishniac, Russian-American photographer
- January 23 – Allen Collins, American musician
- January 24
- * Madge Bellamy, American actress
- * Araken Patusca, Brazilian footballer
- January 25
- * Dámaso Alonso, Spanish poet
- * Ava Gardner, American actress
- January 26 – Lewis Mumford, American historian of science
February
- February 2
- * Paul Ariste, Estonian linguist
- * Mel Lewis, American jazz musician
- February 7 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American composer
- February 8 - Del Shannon, American musician and singer
- February 14
- * José Luis Panizo, Spanish footballer
- * Jean Wallace, American actress
- February 15
- * Henry Brandon, German-American actor
- * Ulf Johansson, Swedish actor
- February 16 – Keith Haring, American pop artist
- February 17 – Erik Rhodes, American actor
- February 19
- * Otto E. Neugebauer, Austrian-born American mathematician and historian of science
- * Michael Powell, British director
- February 23
- * José Napoleón Duarte, Salvadoran politician, 39th President of El Salvador
- * James M. Gavin, American general
- February 24
- * Malcolm Forbes, American publisher
- * Sandro Pertini, Italian Socialist politician, 7th President of Italy
- * Johnnie Ray, American singer
March
- March 5 – Gary Merrill, American actor
- March 12 – Philippe Soupault, French poet
- March 13
- * Bruno Bettelheim, American child psychologist
- * Karl Münchinger, German conductor
- * Michael Stewart, Baron Stewart of Fulham, British politician
- March 15 – Tom Harmon, American football player and broadcaster
- March 17
- * Capucine, French actress and fashion model
- * Ric Grech, British musician
- March 19 – Andrew Wood, American musician
- March 20 – Lev Yashin, Russian footballer
- March 22 – Gerald Bull, Canadian scientist
April
- April 2 – Aldo Fabrizi, Italian actor
- April 3 – Sarah Vaughan, American jazz vocalist
- April 6
- * James MacNabb, British Olympic rower
- * Alfred Sohn-Rethel, German economist and philosopher
- April 7 – Ronald Evans, American astronaut
- April 8 – Ryan White, American AIDS activist
- April 10 – Fortune Gordien, American Olympic athlete
- April 13 – Luis Trenker, South Tyrolean film producer, director, writer, actor, and architect
- April 14
- * Ahmed Balafrej, Moroccan politician, Foreign Minister and 2nd Prime Minister of Morocco
- * Sabicas, Spanish guitarist
- April 15 – Greta Garbo, Swedish-American actress
- April 17 – Ralph Abernathy, American civil rights activist
- April 18
- * Gory Guerrero, American wrestler
- * Frédéric Rossif, French film and television director
- * Robert D. Webb, American film director
- April 19 – Marco Aurelio Robles, Panamanian politician, 20th President of Panama
- April 20 – Horst Sindermann, East German politician, 3rd Prime Minister of the German Democratic Republic
- April 21 – Erté, French Art Deco artist
- April 22 – Albert Salmi, American actor
- April 23 – Paulette Goddard, American actress
- April 25 – Dexter Gordon, American jazz saxophonist
May
- May 3 – Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow
- May 5 – Walter Bruch, German electrical engineer
- May 6 – Charles Farrell, American actor
- May 7 – Prince Andrew of Yugoslavia
- May 8
- * Luigi Nono, Italian composer
- * Tomás Ó Fiaich, Irish Roman Catholic prelate
- May 10
- * Susan Oliver, American actress
- * Walker Percy, American writer
- May 12 – Andrei Kirilenko, Soviet politician
- May 16
- * Sammy Davis Jr., American actor, dancer, and singer
- * Jim Henson, Muppets creator, American puppeteer, and filmmaker
- May 18 – Jill Ireland, English actress
- May 22 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer
- May 25 – Vic Tayback, American actor
- May 29 – Hussein bin Onn, Malay politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia
- May 31 – Willy Spühler, Swiss politician
June
- June 2 – Rex Harrison, English actor
- June 3 – Robert Noyce, American businessman and inventor
- June 4
- * Stiv Bators, American singer
- * Jack Gilford, American actor
- June 5 – Vasili Kuznetsov, Soviet politician, provisional head of the State
- June 7 – Alfredo Poveda, Ecuadorean military officer and statesman, interim President of Ecuador
- June 8 – José Figueres Ferrer, Costa Rican politician, 32nd President of Costa Rica
- June 11 – Vaso Čubrilović, Yugoslav politician
- June 12 – Terence O'Neill, 4th Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
- June 13 – Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistani stateswoman, First Lady of Pakistan
- June 20 – Ina Balin, American actress
- June 22 – Ilya Frank, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- June 24 – Germán Suárez Flamerich, 50th President of Venezuela
- June 29 – Irving Wallace, American writer
July
- July 4 – Phil Boggs, American Olympic diver
- July 7 – Cazuza, Brazilian poet, singer and composer
- July 8 – Howard Duff, American actor
- July 15 – Margaret Lockwood, English actress
- July 18
- * Yves Chaland, French cartoonist
- * Yun Posun, South Korean politician, 2nd President of the Republic of Korea
- July 19 – Eddie Quillan, American actor
- July 20 – Sergei Parajanov, Georgian-Armenian film director
- July 22 – Manuel Puig, Argentinian writer
- July 23 – Kenjiro Takayanagi, Japanese television engineer
- July 26 - Brent Mydland, American keyboardist for The Grateful Dead
- July 27 - Bobby Day, American rock and roll and R&B musician
- July 29 – Bruno Kreisky, Austrian Social Democratic politician, 17th Chancellor of Austria
- July 31 – Fernando Sancho, Spanish actor
August
- August 1 – Norbert Elias, German Jewish sociologist
- August 6 – Jacques Soustelle, French politician and anthropologist
- August 9 – Joe Mercer, English footballer
- August 12 – Dorothy Mackaill, British-born American actress
- August 15 – Viktor Tsoi, Russian singer, actor, and poet
- August 17 – Pearl Bailey, American singer and actress
- August 18 – B. F. Skinner, American psychologist
- August 22 – Luigi Dadaglio, Italian cardinal
- *Boris Shcherbina, Soviet politician, crisis management supervisor of the Chernobyl disaster
- August 23 – David Rose, British-born American songwriter, composer, and arranger
- August 24 – Sergei Dovlatov, Russian author
- August 26 – Mário Pinto de Andrade, Angolan politician and poet
- August 27
- * Luigi Beccali, Italian Olympic athlete
- * Raymond St. Jacques, American actor
- * Stevie Ray Vaughan, American guitarist
September
- September 1 – Geir Hallgrímsson, Icelandic politician, 16th Prime Minister of Iceland
- September 2 – John Bowlby, British psychologist and psychiatrist
- September 4 – Irene Dunne, American actress
- September 6
- * Tom Fogerty, American musician
- * Len Hutton, English cricketer
- September 7
- * Ahti Karjalainen, 28th Prime Minister of Finland
- * A. J. P. Taylor, English historian
- September 9
- * Nicola Abbagnano, Italian philosopher
- * Samuel Doe, Liberian military officer and statesman, 21st President of Liberia
- September 19 – Hermes Pan, American choreographer
- September 21 – Xu Xiangqian, Communist military leader in the People's Republic of China, former Defense minister
- September 26 – Alberto Moravia, Italian novelist
- September 30 – Patrick White, Australian writer, Nobel Prize laureate
October
- October 1 – Curtis LeMay, United States Air Force general
- October 3 – André Grabar, historian of Romanesque art and the art of the Eastern Roman Empire
- October 4 – Jill Bennett, British actress
- October 5 – Peter Taylor, English footballer and manager
- October 7 – Rashid bin Said Al-Maktoum, Vice-President and 2nd Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates and Emir of Dubai
- October 8 – Juan José Arévalo, Guatemalan politician, 24th President of Guatemala
- October 13 – Lê Đức Thọ, Vietnamese general and politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- October 14 – Leonard Bernstein, American composer and conductor
- October 15 – Delphine Seyrig, French actress
- October 16 – Art Blakey, American jazz musician
- October 20 – Joel McCrea, American actor
- October 21 – Dany Chamoun, Lebanese politician
- October 22 – Louis Althusser, French philosopher
- October 26 – William S. Paley, American media executive
- October 27
- * Xavier Cugat, American band leader
- * Jacques Demy, French film director
- * Ugo Tognazzi, Italian actor
- October 29 – William French Smith, 74th United States Attorney General
November
- November 3 – Mary Martin, American actress and singer
- November 4 – David Stirling, British army officer, founder of the SAS
- November 5 – Meir Kahane, American rabbi and political figure
- November 7 – Lawrence Durrell, British writer
- November 11
- * Sadi Irmak, Turkish politician, 17th Prime Minister of Turkey
- * Yiannis Ritsos, Greek poet
- November 12 – Eve Arden, American actress
- November 13 – Don Chaffey, British film director
- November 17 – Robert Hofstadter, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- November 19 – Georgy Flyorov, Soviet nuclear physicist
- November 23
- * Roald Dahl, Welsh writer
- * Nguyễn Văn Tâm, South Vietnamese politician, 4th Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam
- November 24 – Dodie Smith, English novelist and playwright
- November 26 – Feng Youlan, Chinese philosopher
- November 27 – David White, American actor
December
- December 1
- * Sergio Corbucci, Italian film director
- * Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Indian diplomat and politician
- December 2
- * Aaron Copland, American composer
- * Robert Cummings, American actor
- December 4 – Naoto Tajima, Japanese Olympic athlete
- December 6 – Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia
- December 7
- * Reinaldo Arenas, Cuban writer
- * Joan Bennett, American actress
- December 8
- * Tadeusz Kantor, Polish painter, assemblage designer and theatre director
- * Boris Kochno, Russian poet, dancer, and librettist
- * Martin Ritt, American film director
- December 9 – Mike Mazurki, American actor and wrestler
- December 10 – Armand Hammer, American business tycoon
- December 11 – Concha Piquer, Spanish singer and actress
- December 13 – Alice Marble, American tennis champion
- December 14 – Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss writer
- December 18 – Anne Revere, American actress
- December 23 – Wendell Scott, American race car driver
- December 24 – Thorbjørn Egner, Norwegian author
- December 31 – Vasily Lazarev, Soviet cosmonaut
Nobel Prizes
- Physics - Jerome Isaac Friedman, Henry Way Kendall, and Richard Edward Taylor
- Chemistry - Elias James Corey
- Physiology or Medicine - Joseph Murray, E. Donnall Thomas
- Literature - Octavio Paz
- Peace - Mikhail Gorbachev
- Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel - Harry Markowitz, Merton Miller, William F. Sharpe
Fields Medal
- Vladimir Drinfeld, Vaughan Jones, Shigefumi Mori, Edward Witten