Halloween has become a truly global phenomenon, and is marked by parties and parades around the world. One theory holds that many Halloween traditions derived from Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain. For some people, Oct. 31 means a lot more than trick-or-treating and jack-o’-lanterns – it’s their birthday.
Using IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, and other sources, 24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of 36 celebrities – from actors and professional athletes to royalty – who were born on Halloween, celebrated on Oct. 31 every year.
Christopher Columbus’s early life is obscure, but scholars believe he was born in Genoa between Aug. 25 and Oct. 31, 1451, earning him a place on our list. To some he was a heroic explorer and navigator, and the “discoverer” of America; to others he was a brutal exploiter whose actions resulted in the decimation of indigenous peoples. A less controversial explorer and navigator, astronaut Michael Collins, was also born on Halloween – some 480 years later, in 1931.
Actor Stephen Rea, who’s known for his serious and sorrowful face, was a Halloween baby. So was actor John Candy, who was known for his goofiness. “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson was born on October 31, 1961. U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. arrived the same day.
Our list includes two hip-hop musicians who were born a year apart. Adam Horovitz was born on Oct., 1966. Better known as Ad-Rock or King Ad-Rock, he was a member of the Beastie Boys. Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, was born a year later. His megahit “Ice Ice Baby” was based on “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie. (Here are some other famous people born on major holidays.)
Christopher Columbus
> Born in: 1451
> Known for being a(n): Explorer
John Keats
> Born in: 1795
> Known for being a(n): Poet
Juliette Gordon Low
> Born in: 1860
> Known for being a(n): Founder of Girl Scouts USA
Lee Grant
> Born in: 1925
> Known for being a(n): Actress, (“In the Heat of the Night”)
Michael Collins
> Born in: 1930
> Known for being a(n): Astronaut
Dan Rather
> Born in: 1931
> Known for being a(n): Journalist
Ron Rifkin
> Born in: 1939
> Known for being a(n): Actor
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David Allen Ogden Stiers
> Born in: 1942
> Known for being a(n): Actor and conductor
Stephen Rea
> Born in: 1946
> Known for being a(n): Actor
Deidre Hall
> Born in: 1947
> Known for being a(n): Actress
Jane Pauley
> Born in: 1950
> Known for being a(n): Journalist
John Candy
> Born in: 1950
> Known for being a(n): Actor
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Zaha Hadid
> Born in: 1950
> Known for being a(n): Architect
Nick Saban
> Born in: 1951
> Known for being a(n): College football coach
Neal Stephenson
> Born in: 1959
> Known for being a(n): Writer
Peter Jackson
> Born in: 1961
> Known for being a(n): Film director
Larry Mullen Jr.
> Born in: 1961
> Known for being a(n): Musician
Rob Schneider
> Born in: 1963
> Known for being a(n): Comedian, actor
Dermot Mulroney
> Born in: 1963
> Known for being a(n): Actor
Fred McGiff
> Born in: 1963
> Known for being a(n): Former baseball player
Marco van Basten
> Born in: 1964
> Known for being a(n): Retired soccer player and manager
Adam Horovitz
> Born in: 1966
> Known for being a(n): Musician
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Vanilla Ice
> Born in: 1967
> Known for being a(n): Rapper / TV personality
Adam Schlesinger
> Born in: 1967
> Known for being a(n): Musician
Ruben Fleischer
> Born in: 1974
> Known for being a(n): Filmmaker
Piper Perabo
> Born in: 1976
> Known for being a(n): Actress
Frank Iero
> Born in: 1981
> Known for being a(n): Musician
Mike Napoli
> Born in: 1981
> Known for being a(n): Former baseball player
Justin Chatwin
> Born in: 1982
> Known for being a(n): Actor
Vanessa Marano
> Born in: 1992
> Known for being a(n): Actress
Letitia Wright
> Born in: 1993
> Known for being a(n): Actress
Marcus Rashford
> Born in: 1997
> Known for being a(n): Soccer player
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Holly Taylor
> Born in: 1997
> Known for being a(n): Actress
Sydney Park
> Born in: 1997
> Known for being a(n): Actress
Willow Smith
> Born in: 2000
> Known for being a(n): Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s daughter, singer
Leonor, Princess of Asturias
> Born in: 2005
> Known for being a(n): Heir to the Spanish throne