August 2, 1942

1942Isabel Allende, Chilean-American novelist, essayist, essayist^[†]

Isabel Angélica Allende Llona is a Chilean-American writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the magical realism genre, is known for novels such as The House of the Spirits and City of the Beasts, which have been commercially successful. Allende has been called "the world's most widely read Spanish-language author." In 2004, Allende was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 2010, she received Chile's National Literature Prize. President Barack Obama awarded her the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1942Leo Beenhakker, Dutch football manager (died 2025)^[†]

Leo Beenhakker was a Dutch football player and coach. Nicknamed "Don Leo" for his role in Spanish football, he had an extensive and successful career both at club and international level.

1942Juan Formell, Cuban singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2014)^[†]

Juan Climaco Formell Cortina was a Cuban bassist, composer, and arranger, best known as the director of Los Van Van. He was a creator of popular danceable music and credited with bringing electronic instrumentation into the Cuban musical form.

1942Nell Irvin Painter, American author and historian^[†]

Nell Irvin Painter is an American historian notable for her works on United States Southern history of the nineteenth century. She is retired from Princeton University as the Edwards Professor of American History Emerita. She has served as president of the Organization of American Historians and as president of the Southern Historical Association. She was appointed as chair of the MacDowell board of directors in 2020.