Celebrities born on this day, and famous people who are celebrating their birthdays today include Edward Jenner, Dennis Hopper, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Idi Amin. Other notable personalities and legends on today’s famous birthday list for May 17, 2026 include James Ole Kiyiapi, Bill Paxton, Bob Saget, Nikki Reed, Kandi Burruss, and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
Wondering whose birthday is it today? We have a list of legends and notable individuals whose birthday is today. They include famous TV personalities, films and TV actors and actresses, influencers and social media celebrities, sportspeople, and politicians. Moreover, they are from all over the world and of all ages, including child actors and child celebrities.
Today's famous birthday list for May 17, 2026
Died aged 73
English physician, scientist, father of immunology, and creator of the world's first vaccine, the smallpox vaccine
Died aged 61
American actor who starred on Big Love (2006–2011), The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), True Lies (1994), Titanic (1997)
Died aged 65
American actor, comedian, host of America's Funniest Home Videos (1989–1997), acted as Danny Tanner on sitcom Full House
37 years old
American actress whose famous shows include as Rosalie Hale in romantic vampire films The Twilight Saga
70 years old
American former professional boxer and one of the greatest boxers of all time
49 years old
American singer, actress, TV personality famous in reality TV series The Real Housewives of Atlanta, & a member of R&B group Xscape
Died aged 78
Dictator & 3rd president of Uganda from the military coup of 1971 (overthrow of Milton Obote) to his overthrow in 1979 by Yusuf Kironde Lule
Died aged 74
American actor and director whose famous films include Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956), Easy Rider (1969)
52 years old
Indian-American actor with roles in Heroes, Covert Affairs, Beauty and the Beast, and Never Have I Ever TV series
65 years old
Kenyan academic, associate professor at Moi University, and politician who ran for president in the 2013 general elections
What is the date today?
Today is Sunday the 17th of May. It is the 137th day of 2026.
There are 228 days until the end of the year, and today's zodiac sign is Taurus in Western astrology.
Celebrity Birthdays by Month
Here are more notable personalities by the month they were born. Famous January birthday legends include U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, both of whom delivered some of the most famous motivational speeches in history.
It is also the birth month of Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson, former U.S First Lady Michelle Obama, and talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. Legendary reggae singer Bob Marley was born in February, while famous Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o, physicist Albert Einstein and singer Lady Gaga are famous March birthdays.
The fourth month is the birth month of Queen Elizabeth II, and martial artist legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Notable people born in May include the famous Americans Marco Rubio (U.S. secretary of state), and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Notable Personalities born in June, July and August
Famous June birthdays include president Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, while famous African and renowned South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, English actress Helen Mirren, and The Terminator actor Arnold Schwarzenegger top the list of July birthdays personalities.
Presidents Barack Obama & Bill Clinton, legendary athlete Usain Bolt, and musicians Whitney Houston & Michael Jackson were born in August.
September, October, November and December prominent birthdays
Current head of the Catholic Church Pope Leo XIV, singer Beyoncé, and actresses Zendaya, Idris Elba and Sydney Sweeney are September celebrities, while Titanic actress Kate Winslet and TV personality Kim Kardashian were born in October.
November has Bruce Lee, Scarlett Johansson, and former U.S. president Joe Biden, while in December we have French footballer Kylian Mbappé, singers Christina Aguilera and Nicki Minaj, and the late Pope Francis, among others.
