Famous people and celebrities born in 1908

We celebrate the remarkable individuals born in 1908. This year gave rise to a new generation of talent, including actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and more who have significantly impacted our world. Dive into the stories of these famous personalities, explore their journeys, and see how they've shaped culture and society since their birth year. Join us as we take a nostalgic trip back to 1908 and honor the stars who continue to shine brightly today.

Jan. 8 William Hartnell
William Hartnell was a prominent British actor best known for being the first actor to portray Doctor Who in the iconic BBC science fiction series from 1963 to 1966.
Jan. 9 Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir was a groundbreaking French philosopher, writer, and feminist theorist who profoundly influenced 20th-century intellectual thought. Her seminal work 'The Second Sex' is considered a foundational text in feminist philosophy. She was a key figure in existentialism and maintained a lifelong intellectual partnership with Jean-Paul Sartre. [bio]
Jan. 10 Bernard Lee
Renowned British actor famous for playing 'M' in multiple James Bond films during the Sean Connery and Roger Moore eras, a quintessential portrayal of the MI6 boss.
Jan. 11 Lionel Stander
Lionel Stander was an American character actor known for his distinctive gravelly voice and roles in television and film, most famously as Max in the popular 1980s TV series 'Hart to Hart'. He was also a notable victim of the Hollywood blacklist during the McCarthy era.
Jan. 15 Edward Teller
Hungarian-American physicist known as the 'father of the hydrogen bomb', Teller made groundbreaking contributions to nuclear physics, molecular physics, and spectroscopy. He played a crucial role in the Manhattan Project and developed significant theoretical frameworks in quantum mechanics and nuclear science.
Jan. 16 Ethel Merman
Legendary Broadway and Hollywood musical star renowned for her powerful voice and dynamic stage presence. She dominated musical comedy in the mid-20th century, starring in iconic shows like 'Anything Goes' and 'Annie Get Your Gun'. Her distinctive voice and charismatic performances made her a true entertainment icon.
Jan. 20 Paula Wessely
Prominent Austrian actress and film producer known for her significant contributions to mid-20th century European cinema, particularly in German-language films.
Feb. 7 Buster Crabbe
Olympic gold medalist swimmer and Hollywood actor known for adventure films and westerns, including playing Tarzan in a 1933 serial. He was a prominent athlete and screen star during the 1930s and 1940s.
Feb. 22 John Mills
Renowned British actor who had a distinguished career spanning several decades, winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1970 for 'Ryan's Daughter'. He was a versatile performer who made significant contributions to British cinema from the 1930s to the 1970s.
March 5 Rex Harrison
Legendary British actor renowned for his iconic role as Professor Henry Higgins in 'My Fair Lady'. He was a versatile performer who achieved significant success on both stage and screen, winning multiple prestigious awards including an Academy Award and three Tony Awards.
March 7 Anna Magnani
Legendary Italian actress known for her powerful performances in neorealist cinema. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for 'The Rose Tattoo' and was a prominent figure in mid-20th century Italian film. Her passionate acting style made her an iconic performer of her era.
March 17 Brigitte Helm
Famous German actress best known for her iconic role in Fritz Lang's groundbreaking silent film 'Metropolis' (1927), where she portrayed both Maria and her robot doppelganger.
March 20 Michael Redgrave
Renowned British stage and film actor known for his performances in classic movies like 'The Lady Vanishes' and 'The Browning Version'. He was a prominent figure in mid-20th century British cinema and theater.
March 23 Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford was a legendary Hollywood actress who starred in numerous classic films during the Golden Age of Cinema. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was known for her powerful performances and iconic screen presence.
March 25 David Lean
Legendary British film director renowned for epic masterpieces like 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', who significantly influenced cinema's visual storytelling in the mid-20th century.
March 29 Dennis O'Keefe
Versatile American actor and screenwriter known for his roles in film noir and comedy movies during the 1940s and 1950s.
April 2 Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen was a versatile American actor and dancer, best known for his iconic role as Jed Clampett in the immensely popular sitcom 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. He had a long and successful career in film and television spanning several decades.
April 5 Bette Davis
Legendary Hollywood actress who was a pivotal figure in American cinema, with 82 films and ten Oscar nominations. She won Best Actress awards for 'Dangerous' (1935) and 'Jezebel' (1938), establishing herself as one of the most influential actresses of her era.
April 9 Elizabeth Allan
British-American actress known for her roles in classic films like 'A Tale of Two Cities' and 'Camille', who was active during Hollywood's golden age.
April 22 Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert was a renowned American actor and performer, best known for his starring role in the popular sitcom Green Acres and as a versatile actor in film and television.
April 24 Marceline Day
Marceline Day was a prominent American silent film actress who appeared in numerous movies during the 1920s, representing the golden era of silent cinema.
April 25 Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow was a pioneering American broadcast journalist who revolutionized news reporting during World War II and the early television era. He was renowned for his courageous war correspondence and critical reporting during the McCarthy era. His work significantly shaped modern broadcast journalism. [bio]
April 28 Oskar Schindler
A heroic German industrialist who saved over 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factory, risking his own life to protect them from Nazi persecution. His extraordinary story was immortalized in Steven Spielberg's film 'Schindler's List'. [bio]
May 8 Arturo de Córdova
Arturo de Córdova was a prominent Mexican actor who starred in numerous classic films during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, known for his charismatic screen presence and versatile acting skills.
May 20 James Stewart
James Stewart was an iconic Hollywood actor known for his distinctive voice and memorable roles in classic films like 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'. He was a major star during the Golden Age of Hollywood and served as a bomber pilot during World War II. [bio]
May 23 John Bardeen
Groundbreaking American physicist who co-invented the transistor and developed the theory of superconductivity. He was a two-time Nobel Prize winner in Physics, making significant contributions to solid-state physics and electronics.
May 26 Robert Morley
Renowned British character actor known for comedic roles in classic films like 'The African Queen' and 'High Road to China', with a distinguished career spanning several decades.
May 28 Ian Fleming
British novelist and intelligence officer who created the iconic James Bond spy character, revolutionizing the espionage fiction genre. [bio]
May 30 Mel Blanc
Known as the 'Man of a Thousand Voices', Mel Blanc was a legendary voice actor who provided voices for iconic cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. He revolutionized animation voice acting and worked extensively with Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera.
May 31 Don Ameche
Versatile American actor and entertainer who excelled in film, vaudeville, and radio, starring in over 50 movies and notably directing 'The Story of Alexander Graham Bell' in 1939.
July 12 Milton Berle
Pioneering American comedian known as 'Mr. Television' who revolutionized television entertainment in the late 1940s and early 1950s. His weekly 'Texaco Star Theater' was a massive cultural phenomenon that helped popularize television as a medium. Berle was a comedic icon who significantly influenced early television programming.
July 12 Alain Cuny
Versatile French actor who transitioned from medicine to film, becoming a notable performer in several landmark European cinema classics. He collaborated extensively with Federico Fellini in iconic films like 'La Dolce Vita' and 'Satyricon'. Cuny was also known for his intellectual and artistic connections.
July 18 Lupe Velez
Mexican-American actress known for her fiery personality and prominent roles in Hollywood during the Golden Age of cinema, particularly in the 1930s and 1940s.
July 25 Jack Gilford
Jack Gilford was a renowned American character actor known for his comedic roles and distinctive performances in film and theater.
Aug. 13 Gene Raymond
American actor and singer who was active in film, television, and theater during the 1930s and 1940s. He was married to actress Jeanette MacDonald and had a notable career in Hollywood.
Aug. 21 David Farrar
British actor known for his roles in films like 'Beat Girl' and 'I Accuse', who was active during the mid-20th century cinema.
Aug. 30 Fred MacMurray
Renowned American actor famous for TV series 'My Three Sons' and classic films like 'Double Indemnity'. Successful in both comedy and dramatic roles during Hollywood's golden age.
Aug. 31 William Saroyan
William Saroyan was a prominent Armenian-American writer known for his poignant short stories and plays that captured the immigrant experience. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 for 'The Time of Your Life', which he famously declined. His works like 'The Human Comedy' remain significant contributions to 20th-century American literature.
Sept. 4 Edward Dmytryk
Prominent Hollywood film director known for directing classic films like 'The Caine Mutiny' and 'The Young Lions', who was also notably involved in the Hollywood blacklist era.
Sept. 13 Mae Questel
Famous American voice actress best known for voicing Betty Boop and Olive Oyl in numerous animated cartoons during the golden age of animation.
Sept. 15 Penny Singleton
Penny Singleton was a prominent American actress best known for voicing the cartoon character Blondie in the long-running film series and radio show. She had a successful career in film, radio, and television spanning several decades.
Oct. 3 Johnny Burke
Johnny Burke was a notable American songwriter known for his contributions to popular music in the mid-20th century.
Oct. 6 Carole Lombard
Iconic Hollywood screwball comedy actress of the 1930s who was married to Clark Gable and tragically died in a plane crash during a war bond tour in 1942.
Oct. 15 John Kenneth Galbraith
Renowned economist who wrote extensively about economic power, affluence, and social inequality, winning the Hillman Award in 1958 for his influential work.
Nov. 18 Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca was a pioneering American comedic actress who rose to fame on 'Your Show of Shows', a groundbreaking television comedy series. She was known for her distinctive physical comedy, expressive face, and Emmy Award-winning performances that helped define early television comedy.
Nov. 24 Libertad Lamarque
Renowned Argentinian singer and actress who was a prominent figure in Latin American cinema and music during the mid-20th century. She had a successful career spanning several decades in film and music, particularly in Argentina and Mexico.
Dec. 4 Alfred Hershey
Renowned American geneticist who, along with Martha Chase, conducted the groundbreaking Hershey-Chase experiment that conclusively demonstrated DNA as the carrier of genetic information. His work was pivotal in understanding molecular genetics and earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1969.
Dec. 20 Dennis Morgan
Dennis Morgan was a prominent American actor, leading man, and opera singer who starred in notable films like 'The Great Ziegfeld' and 'Kitty Foyle'. He was also a television pioneer, creating the series '21 Beacon Street' in 1958.
Dec. 25 Quentin Crisp
Iconic British gay writer and social provocateur who challenged societal norms through his flamboyant persona and groundbreaking memoir 'The Naked Civil Servant'. He became a symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility and self-acceptance during a deeply conservative era.
Dec. 28 Lew Ayres
Prominent American actor known for his roles in classic films like 'All Quiet on the Western Front' and 'Johnny Belinda', for which he received Oscar nominations. He was also famous for pioneering the Dr. Kildare film series in the late 1930s.