October 16, 1959

1959Kevin Brennan, Welsh journalist and politician^[†]

Kevin Denis Brennan, Baron Brennan of Canton, is a Welsh politician. A member of the Labour Party, he served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff West from 2001 to 2024. He served as a minister of state at both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families from 2009 to 2010.

1959Brian Harper, American baseball player^[†]

Brian David Harper is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball. He played for seven teams, with his most consistent tenure being with the Minnesota Twins, where he for played six seasons in his sixteen season career. He was the starting catcher when the Twins won the 1991 World Series; Harper batted .381, the best among all regular Minnesota batters. He most recently served as the hitting coach of the Double-A Erie SeaWolves.

1959Gary Kemp, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor^[†]

Gary James Kemp is an English songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the new wave band Spandau Ballet.

1959Philip Maini, Northern Irish mathematician at the University of Oxford^[†]

Philip Kumar Maini is a Northern Irish mathematician. Since 1998, he has been the Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Oxford and is the director of the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology in the Mathematical Institute.

1959Tessa Munt, English lawyer and politician^[†]

Tessa Jane Munt (née Vasey) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She is the Member of Parliament for Wells and Mendip Hills in Somerset, having previously been elected as the MP for Wells from 2010 to 2015 and serving as the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable. As a councillor on Somerset Council, she was the executive member for Children, Families and Education from 2022 until 2023.

1959Jamie Salmon, English-New Zealand rugby player and sportscaster^[†]

James Lionel Broome Salmon is an English rugby union centre who uniquely appeared in international matches for both New Zealand and England.

1959Erkki-Sven Tüür, Estonian flute player and composer^[†]

Erkki-Sven Tüür is an Estonian composer.

1959John Whittingdale, English politician^[†]

Sir John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Maldon since 1992 and Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care since July 2024. He previously served as Culture Secretary from 2015 to 2016. Whittingdale was most recently Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries and Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure from May to December 2023, during the maternity leave of Julia Lopez.

1959Minor Hall, American drummer (born 1897)^[†]

Minor Hall, better known as Ram Hall, was an American jazz drummer active on the New Orleans jazz scene. He was the younger brother of Tubby Hall.

1959George Marshall, American general and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Defense, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1880)^[†]

George Catlett Marshall Jr. was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, then served as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense under Truman. Winston Churchill lauded Marshall as the "organizer of victory" for his leadership of the Allied victory in World War II. During the subsequent year, he attempted but failed to avoid the impending continuation of the Chinese Civil War. As Secretary of State, Marshall advocated for a U.S. economic and political commitment to post-war European recovery, including the Marshall Plan that bore his name. In recognition of this work, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953, the only Army general ever to receive the honor.