April 1st Birthdays
If you were born on April 1st you share an April Fool’s Day celebrity birthday with these famous people:
Don Hastings (nee Donald Francis Michael Hastings)
American singer, TV screenwriter (Guiding Light; As The World Turns), actor of films & TV (Dr. Bob Hughes on As The World Turns 1960-2010 & Our Private World; Jack Lane on The Edge of Night, Captain Video and His Video Rangers), born April 1, 1934. Brother of Bob Hastings. (Don Hastings 1957 Decoy)
American actress of TV (Katy Grant on Dan August; Ironside; Bonanza; The Farmer’s Daughter; Star Trek; Adam-12; It Takes a Thief; Police Story; The Name of the Game; Tarzan; Profiles in Courage) and movies (Our Man Flint; Airport; Terminal Island), born April 1, 1935. (Ena Hartman 1970 Dan August)
Ali MacGraw (nee Elizabeth Alice MacGraw)
American author (Moving Pictures), fashion model (Vogue), actress of movies (Goodbye Columbus; Love Story; The Getaway; Players; Convoy; Murder Elite; Glam) & TV (The Winds of War; Dynasty), born April 1, 1939. Ex of Steve McQueen, Robert Evans. (Ali MacGraw 1972: National General Pictures)
Annette O’Toole (married Michael McKean)
American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress of television (Martha Kent on Smallville; Nash Bridges; Dottie Thorson on The Huntress; Halt and Catch Fire; Bright Promise; Stand By Your Man; Virgin River) and movies (48 Hrs.; Superman III; King of the Gypsies), born April 1, 1952. (Annette O’Toole 1970 Dan August)
Michael Praed (nee Michael David Prince)
English actor of TV (Frank Clayton on Emmerdale; Prince Michael of Moldavia on Dynasty; Robin Hood; Crown Prosecutor; The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne) and movies (Nightflyers; Darkness Falls; This Town; Son of Darkness: To Die for II), born April 1, 1960. (Michael Praed 1985 Dynasty Promo: ABC)
Scott Stevens (nee Ronald Scott Stevens)
Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame NHL defenceman (Washington Capitals; St. Louis Blues; New Jersey Devils), New Jersey Devils captain, and 2000 Conn Smythe Trophy winner (Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP), born April 1, 1964. (Scott Stevens 2003 Photo: Jennifer Smith / White House)
Grammy & Emmy-winning American producer, commentator, actress & host of radio, podcasts (Bag Man; Ultra), & TV (The Rachel Maddow Show; Vesper Fairchild on Batwoman), and best-selling non-fiction author (Blowout; Drift; Bag Man) born April 1, 1973. (Rachel Maddow 2002: Gina from Kent, WA, USA)
(Debbie Reynolds 1959 | Wallace Beery 1932: Tchetchet)
Happy Birthday to everyone celebrating their birthday on April 1st!
Remember These April 1st Famous Birthdays
Rudolph Isley (brother of Kelly, Vernon, & Ronnie Isley)
American singer for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group The Isley Brothers (Shout Part 1; This Old Heart of Mine; It’s Your Thing; I Turned You On; Love the One You’re With; That Lady; Fight the Power; Make Me Say it Again Girl; Busted; She’s Gone; Got to Have You Back; Let’s Go, Lets Go, Let’s Go) (born Apr. 1, 1939 – died Oct. 11, 2023; age 84). (Ronald Isley 1962 Painting: A. Hamilton)
Rusty Staub (nee Daniel Joseph Staub)
American Major League Baseball player, Major League Baseball right fielder & first baseman (Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers), 6-time MLB All-Star, TV color commentator, and member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (born Apr. 1, 1944 – died Mar. 29, 2018; age 73). (Rusty Staub 1969 Photo: Benoit Brouillette)
Jane Powell (nee Suzanne Lorraine Burce; married Dickie Moore)
American singer, dancer and actress of TV (Growing Pains; The Red Skelton Hour) & movies (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; Royal Wedding; Three Sailors and a Lady; Two Weeks with Love; A Date With Judy; Athena; Hit the Deck; The Female Animal; Deep in My Heart; Luxury Liner) (born Apr. 1, 1929 – died April 16, 2021; age 92). Ex of Patrick Nerney, Geary Steffen.(Jane Powell 1954)
Phil Niekro (nee Philip Henry Niekro; “Knucksie“)
American Baseball of Fame Major League Baseball knuckleball pitcher (Milwaukee Braves; New York Yankees; Cleveland Indians; Toronto Blue Jays; Atlanta Braves), 5-time Gold Glove & 1980 Roberto Clemente Award-winner, and 5-time MLB All Star (born Apr. 1, 1939 – died Dec. 26, 2020; age 81). Phil Niekro had cancer when he died. (Phil Niekro 1984 Photo: New York Yankees)
Debbie Reynolds (nee Mary Frances Reynolds; mother of Carrie Fisher)
American actress of TV (Will & Grace; The Debbie Reynolds Show) & films (My Six Loves; Singin’ in the Rain; Tammy and the Bachelor; How the West was Won; The Unsinkable Molly Brown; The Singing Nun; Susan Slept Here; Athena; The Tender Trap) (born Apr. 1, 1932 – died Dec. 28, 2016; age 84). Ex of Eddie Fisher. Debbie Reynolds died of a stroke. (Debbie Reynolds 1960s: Pixabay)
Gordon Jump (nee Alexander Gordon Jump)
American character actor of TV (Arthur Carlson on WKRP in Cincinnati & The New CKRP in Cincinnati; Lou Grant; Soap; Growing Pains; The Doris Day Show; The Partridge Family; Get Smart) and movies (born Apr. 1, 1932 – died Sept. 22, 2003; age 71). Gordon Jump had pulmonary fibrosis and died of respiratory failure. (Gordon Jump 1978 Photo: CBS)
Edgar Wallace (nee Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace)
British reporter (Reuters, Daily Mail), short story author (Sanders of the River), novelist (The Four Just Men; Mystery of Room 13; The Gaunt Stranger; The Frog; The Case of the Frightened Lady; The Mind of Mr. Reeder), and screenwriter (King Kong; The Hound of the Baskervilles) (born Apr. 1, 1875 – died Feb. 10, 1932; age 56). (Edgar Wallace 1932: Associated Press)
Toshiro Mifune
Japanese actor of movies (Seven Samurai; Inchon!; 1941; Winter Kills; Midway; Paper Tiger; Rashomon; Grand Prix; Hell in the Pacific; Red Sun; The Bushido Blade; The Challenge) and TV (Lord Yoshi Toranaga on Shōgun) (born Apr. 1, 1920 – died Dec. 24, 1997; age 77). Toshiro Mifune died of multiple organ failure. (Toshiro Mifune 1954 Photo: Eiga Sekai Publications, Inc.)
Kathleen Key (nee Kitty Lanahan; aka Kathleen Keys)
American silent film actress (A Lover’s Oath; Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ; College Days; The Flaming Frontier; St. Elmo; The Phantom of the North; The Beautiful and Damned; Golf Widows; Hey! Hey! Cowboy; The Trouble Shooter; The Rookie’s Return; Revelation; The Sea Hawk) and 1923 WAMPAS Baby Star (born Apr. 1, 1903 – died Dec. 22, 1954; age 51). (Kathleen Key 1926: C. S. Bull)
Otto von Bismarck (aka Otto, Prince of Bismarck; “The Iron Chancellor”)
Prussian-German statesman, Prussian ambassador to Russia & France, he abolished the German Confederation and united Germany; 1st chancellor of the German Empire, he passed social welfare laws (Sickness Insurance; Accident Insurance; Old Age and Disability Insurance); autobiography author (born Apr. 1, 1815 – died July 30, 1898; age 83). (Otto von Bismarck 1858)
Anne McCaffrey
American-Irish Science Fiction Hall of Fame sci-fi and fantasy novelist (The White Dragon; Dragonriders of Pern series; Crystal Singer trilogy; Weyr Search; Dragonflight; Dragonquest; The Renegades of Pern; The Dolphins of Pern; Dragon’s Kin; Sky Dragons) (born Apr. 1, 1926 – died Nov. 21, 2011; age 85). Anne McCaffrey died of a stroke. (Anne McCaffrey 2005 Photo: Anna Creech)
Ken Reardon (nee Kenneth Joseph Reardon)
Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame NHL defenceman with the Montreal Canadiens, NHL scout, farm team manager, and VP of the Montreal Canadiens, with 6 Stanley Cup wins (1946, 1956, 1957-1960) (born Apr. 1, 1921 – died Mar. 15, 2008; age 86). Cause of death for Ken Reardon is unknown. (Ken Reardon 1962 Montreal Canadiens Photo)
Wallace Beery (brother of Noah Beery Sr; uncle of Noah Beery Jr.)
Oscar-winning American film actor (The Champ; The Last of the Mohicans; A Date With Judy; So Big; Robin Hood; Casey at the Bat; Stairs of Sand; Hell Divers; Tugboat Annie; Soldiers of Fortune; Grand Hotel; China Seas) (born Apr. 1, 1885 – died Apr. 15, 1949; age 64). Ex of Gloria Swanson. Wallace Beery died of a heart attack. (Wallace Beery 1933 Dinner at Eight Trailer)
Ned Glass (nee Nusyn Glass; married Kitty McHugh)
Polish-American actor of TV (Bridget Loves Bernie; Julia; The Phil Silvers Show; Gunsmoke; Mr. Terrific; Please Don’t Eat the Daisies; Trapper John, M.D.; Zane Grey Theater; The Fugitive; Peter Gunn) & films (Storm Warning; Experiment in Terror; The Bad and the Beautiful) (born Apr. 1, 1906 – died June 15, 1984; age 78). Ned Glass died after a long illness. (Ned Glass 1961 Charade)
Lon Chaney (nee Leonidas Frank Chaney; “Man of a Thousand Faces“)
American silent film actor & make-up artist (The Phantom of the Opera; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; The Unknown; The Unholy Three; Tell It To The Marines; The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin; The Miracle Man; London After Midnight; Laugh, Clown, Laugh) (born Apr. 1, 1883 – died 1930; age 47). Father of Lon Chaney Jr. (nee Creighton Chaney). (Lon Chaney 1930)
American actor of Broadway stages, TV (Another World; The Edge of Night; Hawk), radio (The Parker Family; The Adventures of Dick Cole; The Adventures of Charlie Chan; The Life of Mary Sothern; Chick Carter, Boy Detective; Suspense; CBS Radio Mystery Theater), & films (Penrod and Sam; Charly) (born Apr. 1, 1917 – died oct. 28, 1980; age 63). (Leon Janney 1932: Elmer Fryer)
Eddy Duchin (nee Edwin Frank Duchin; aka Eddie Duchin)
American decorated WWII US Navy Lt. Commander, 1930s-1940s orchestra bandleader, pianist, radio performer & recording artist (So You’re the One; Ol’ Man Mose; How Do I Rate With You; You Are My Lucky Star), inspiration for The Eddy Duchin Story film (born Apr. 1, 1909 – died Feb. 9, 1951; age 41). Eddy Duchin died of acute myelogenous leukemia. (Eddy Duchin 1932: Radio Stars)
George Grizzard (nee George Cooper Grizzard Jr.)
Tony & Emmy Award-winning American actor of stage, TV (The Adams Chronicles; Law & Order), and movies (Advise & Consent; From the Terrace; Bachelor Party; Happy Birthday, Wanda June; Comes a Horseman; Seems Like Old Times) (born Apr. 1, 1928 – died Oct. 2, 2007; age 79). George Grizzard died of lung cancer complications. (George Grizzard 1960 Thriller)
Queen Isabella I of Spain (aka Isabella the Catholic Monarch)
Queen of Castile & Aragon; married King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Financed Christopher Columbus. Mother of Isabella & Maria (Queens of Portugal), Joanna (Queen of Castile & Aragon), & Catherine (Queen of England, 1st wife of Henry VIII); daughter of King John II of Castile & Queen Isabella of Portugal (born Apr. 1, 1451 – died Nov. 26, 1504; age 53). (Queen Isabella I c. 1469)
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