1714 – Rainieri De Calzabigi, Italian poet and librettist who was a close friend of Casanova.
1791 – Augustin-Eugène Scribe, French dramatist whose works dominated the Parisian stage for more than 30 years.
1798 – Adam Bernard Mickiewicz, Romantic poet, dramatist, essayist, translator, and political activist; considered Poland’s greatest poet.
1818 – Eliza Cook, English author and poet.
1869 – Henriëtte Roland Holst-van der Schalk, Dutch poet and socialist party leader.
1907 – I.F. Stone, American investigative journalist and author.
1910 – Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr, American science fiction author, poet, and playwright; an influential figure in sword-and-sorcery fantasy.
1911 – Malcolm MacEwen, Scottish journalist and editor.
1927 – Mary Higgins Clark (full name Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark Conheeney), prolific Edgar Award-winning American author of bestselling mysteries and suspense novels.
1969 – Mark Millar, comic book author.
1973 – Stephenie Meyer, American author of the popular “Twilight” teen series of vampire romance novels.