October 21 birthdays

1772 SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE English poet

Coleridge was a member of the Lake poets and was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England, along with his friend William Wordsworth. He wrote the poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and Kubla Khan.

1833 ALFRED NOBEL Swedish chemist

Nobel held 355 patents in his lifetime, but is best known for inventing dynamite, which was patented in 1867. He bequeathed his fortune to establish the annual prize that bears his name.

1929 GEORGE STINNEY American boy

An African American boy, Stinney was convicted and executed at the age of 14 for the murder of two white girls in Alcolu, South Carolina. A reexamination of the case started in 2004. The proceedings were eventually vacated as an unfair trial in 2014.

1940 MANFRED MANN British rocker

Born in South Africa, Mann is best known as a founding member of the bands Manfred Mann, Manfred Mann Chapter Three and Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. There were a string of hits, including Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Mighty Quin and Blinded by the Light.

1942 JUDITH SHEINDLIN

American TV personality Known professionally as Judge Judy, Sheindlin passed the New York State bar examination in 1965 and became a prosecutor in the family court system. From 1996 to 2021, she presided over her own reality courtroom TV series.

1949 BENJAMIN NETANYAHU Israeli Prime Minister

Netanyahu served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999. He again held the position from 2009 until 2021. Born in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu was the first prime minister born in Israel.

Judith Sheindlin.

1956 CARRIE FISHER American actor

Carrie was the daughter of actor Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. She was best known for the role of Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. Other film credits include When Harry Met Sally.