1514 – Andreas Vesalius, physician and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy; considered the founder of modern anatomy.
1779 – Horace Smith, English poet and novelist who once competed against Percy Shelley in a sonnet-writing contest.
1829 – Alexander Smith, Scottish poet of the Spasmodic school who also wrote essays, magazine articles, and a novel, and edited a volume of Burns.
1931 – Bob Shaw, science-fiction author from Northern Ireland.
1933 – Edward Bunker, American author of crime fiction; screenwriter.
1945 – Connie Willis, American science-fiction author known for her time-travel books; winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula awards.
1949 – Susan Shwartz, American author of science fiction, alternate history, and fantasy; multiple Hugo and Nebula winner.
1951 – Susan Elaine Eisenhower, author and consultant who is an expert on international security, space policy, energy, and U.S.-Russian relations
1962 – Machi Tawara, Japanese poet, writer, and translator who is credited with revitalizing the tanka poetic form for modern Japanese audiences.
1965 – Nicholas Sparks, bestselling American novelist and screenwriter.
1968 – Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning Dominican-American writer, editor, and professor.
1974 – Joe Abercrombie, Locus Award-winning British fantasy writer and film editor.
