Famous people and celebrities born in 1940

We celebrate the remarkable individuals born in 1940. 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 1940 and honor the stars who continue to shine brightly today.

• Jan. 22 John Hurt

  British actor who is widely recognized for his tv roles as quentin crisp, the famous homosexual, in "the naked civil servant" (tv) and caligula, in "i, claudius" (tv). his 1980 performance as "the elephant man" earned him an oscar nomination. he also performed brilliantly in the 1979 film "the alien". his first appearance on screen was in 1962, when hurt …

• Jan. 29 Katharine Ross

  Katharine ross is an american actress known for her roles in iconic films such as the graduate and butch cassidy and the sundance kid.

• Feb. 17 Vicente Fernández

  Vicente Fernández is a Mexican singer, actor, and businessman who founded the successful Grupo Fernández conglomerate.

• Feb. 19 Smokey Robinson

  Smokey robinson is a legendary american singer, songwriter, and record producer known for his role as the founder and frontman of the motown vocal group the miracles, as well as for his solo career.

• Feb. 23 Peter Fonda

  American actor, screenwriter, and producer. peter fonda, the son of actor henry fonda, and frances seymour's wife, was raised in an emotionally deprived environment by a depressed mother and an absentee father. at six years old, he was sent to boarding school. he then experienced the trauma of his mother's suicide while she was receiving treatment for depression. the death …

• March 9 Raul Julia

  Raul Julia was a Puerto Rican actor known for his roles in films like 'The Addams Family' and 'Kiss of the Spider Woman.'

• March 10 Chuck Norris

  American actor who made a successful career out of his martial arts skills. he was born into a difficult family and was raised on a oklahoma farm. as a child, his family moved 15 times in search of a better life. he was half-cherokee, half-irish and had no confidence until he learned martial arts.

• March 26 James Caan

  American actor. on-screen since 1963, after a prior apprenticeship on stage. his first role on stage was $37.50 per week. his films include "irma la douce", "rollerball", and "the godfather".

• April 12 Herbie Hancock

  American composer and musician. hancock was a jazz pianist of his generation and rose to prominence in 1962 with "takin’ off," his debut album. it included his hit song "watermelon man." hancock, a two-time grammy nominee, was the soundtrack composer for the oscar-winning film "round midnight," in 1986.

• April 25 Al Pacino

  American actor. he is one of the most successful stars of his generation, but he remains a mysterious, private figure. he has received eight academy award nominations, and won one for "scent of a woman." he is a very shy man, even though he plays tough roles.

• May 5 Lance Henriksen

  Lance henriksen is an american actor known for his roles in popular films such as 'aliens' and 'the terminator'.

• May 10 Wayne Dyer

  American motivational speaker and author of self-help. his 1976 book, your erroneous areas (1976), was sold in an estimated 35,000,000 copies. it is one the most popular books ever. he was married three more times and had eight kids.

• May 17 Adel Imam

  Adel imam is an egyptian actor known for his comedic roles in film and television.

• June 7 Tom Jones

  A welsh-american singer who has sold more than 24 million records. jones exudes a masculine energy that causes a strong reaction in women, both on television and live. in the early 1970s, he starred in "here's tom jones," a tv series. his most notable performances on stage, mostly in las vegas, have been the source of his fame. jones weighed …

• June 8 Nancy Sinatra

  American singer and author, she is the eldest child of frank sinatra, her famous crooner father, and nancy sinatra, his wife. she is best known for her hit song "these boots were made for walking". she also had a brief singing and film career.

• July 7 Ringo Starr

  British singer, actor, and drummer. starr was the mop-top with the sweet sad eyes. he displayed his comedy skills in the 1964 film "a hard day's night" and 1965's "help".

• July 13 Patrick Stewart

  British-american actor. he was a trained shakespearean thespian and is best known for his role as captain jean luc picard in star trek's sci-fi adventure series, 1987-1994. he was attractive and balanced and had a busy 1995. he played in "let it be me" as well as a gay role on "jeffrey." he also mounted a one-man show at the …

• July 18 James Brolin

  American actor. the handsome, 6'4" actor was a star in the hit tv series marcus welby. he won the emmy award for best supporting actor in a drama in 1970 and won the golden globe in 1972 for best supporting artist in a television series.

• Aug. 3 Martin Sheen

  American actor who starred in over a dozen box office hits including "gandhi", "blind ambition", and "apocalypse now" 1979. he suffered a near-fatal heart attack while on the latter. in the 2000 award-winning tv series, "west wing," he played the role of u.s. president josiah bartlet.

• Aug. 19 Jill St. John

  Jill st. john is an american actress known for her roles in popular films such as 'diamonds are forever' and 'the lost world'.

• Sept. 5 Raquel Welch

  American actress with beautiful body (37-22-36), that graced the covers of 92 european magazines and 16 american magazines in 1966. from 1964, she was the first to appear onscreen in schlock films like "one million b.c." and "myra breckenridge." she performed a polished las vegas nightclub act in 1978.

• Oct. 9 John Lennon

  British singer, lennon is an icon in popular culture. he became a superstar in the rock 'n roll band, "the beatles", and then went on to a solo career reflecting the turbulent times. the beatles, also known as the "fab four," arrived in america and took the country by storm during the "british invasion." with two million copies of "i …

• Oct. 14 Cliff Richard

  British singer, musician, performer and actor. he is also a philanthropist. with sales of more than 21 million albums in the uk, he is the third most-sold singles artist. he has also sold over 250 million records around the world.

• Oct. 18 Jacques Higelin

  French musician and singer of pop. many of his songs were removed from french radio stations early in his career due to his controversial left views. he has become most influential and popular since the 70's.

• Nov. 4 Marlène Jobert

  Algerian-born french stage actress and film star, algerian-born. she was born to a french military dad and a jewish mom. in 1966, she appeared in "the thief in paris" on film and first performed on stage in 1963.

• Nov. 22 Terry Gilliam

  American writer, producer and animator. he is also the set-designer. gilliam is regarded as one of the most visual and enigmatic writer-directors in hollywood. gilliam has mastered the art of blending fantastic fantasy and naked reality, creating stunning visual designs. gilliam's film "the fisher king" was a major-stream success after he decided to stay outside hollywood.

• Nov. 27 Bruce Lee

  Chinese-american actor, martial arts expert and actor who was a martial arts expert. he portrayed grace and heroism in films that featured his martial arts. his first film from china was a huge success in america, and led to american films. his films became a cult favorite among action-loving youths and he was embraced by fan clubs all over the …

• Dec. 1 Richard Pryor

  American actor and comedian. he was a brash, sharp star of tv, films, and night clubs who thrived on chaos. he was elected to the comedy hall of fame. his low-life humor and earthy humor earned him great popularity. he won two grammy's for comedy albums and appeared in tv specials and movies as a guest star. he was also …

• Dec. 12 Dionne Warwick

  American singer and recording artist. she was awarded a grammy on the 3/12/1969 and a second on the 3/16/1971, and a grammy for pop and blues in 1980. warwick has released nearly 60 records since "donaeur(tm]t make me over" reached the top of the charts in early 1963.