1976 in the United States

1976 in the United States
Events from the year 1976 in the United States. Major events include Jimmy Carter defeating incumbent president Gerald Ford in the presidential election of that year, the incorporation of Apple Computer Company and Microsoft, and the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that Karen Ann Quinlan could be disconnected from her ventilator.
Incumbents
Federal government
President: Gerald Ford (R-Michigan)
Vice President: Nelson Rockefeller (R-New York)
Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger (Minnesota)
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Carl Albert (D-Oklahoma)
Senate Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield (D-Montana)
Congress: 94th
Events
January
January 5 – The Beatles associate Mal Evans is fatally shot by police amid a disturbance at his Los Angeles home.
January 14 – The Lutz family flees from 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, Long Island, New York, 28 days after having moved in on December 18, 1975, inspiring the story The Amityville Horror.
January 15 – Would-be Gerald Ford presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore is sentenced to life in prison.
January 18 – Super Bowl X in American football: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 21–17 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
January 19 – Jimmy Carter wins the Iowa Democratic Caucus.
January 23 – Hugo the Hippo, the first animated film of 20th Century Fox is released in theaters.
January 27 – The United States vetoes a United Nations resolution that calls for an independent Palestinian state.
January 30 – Live from Lincoln Center debuts on PBS.
February
February 5 – Nearly 2,000 students become involved in a racially charged riot at Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida; 30 students are injured in the 4-hour fray.
February 11 – Clifford Alexander, Jr. is confirmed as the first African-American Secretary of the United States Army.
February 12 – Actor Sal Mineo, known for his role in the film Rebel Without a Cause, is fatally stabbed in the alley behind his apartment building in West Hollywood, California, aged 37.
February 17 – The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) compilation is released. Globally, it will become probably the second best-selling album of all time, followed by the same band's Hotel California, released on December 8.
February 19 – Former Tower of Power vocalist Rick Stevens is arrested for murdering three men during a botched drug deal. He ultimately serves 36 years of a life sentence.
March
March – The Cray-1, the first commercially developed supercomputer, is released by Seymour Cray's Cray Research, with the first purchaser being the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
March 1 – Bradford Bishop allegedly murders five of his family members in Bethesda, Maryland. The crime goes undiscovered for 10 days and the suspect is never caught. From 2014 to 2018 he is on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
March 9–11 – Two coal mine explosions claim 26 lives at the Blue Diamond Coal Co. Scotia Mine in Letcher County, Kentucky.
March 14 – After eight years on NBC, The Wizard of Oz returns to CBS, where it will remain until 1999, setting what is likely a record at that time for the most telecasts of a Hollywood film on a commercial television network. (That record is broken by The Ten Commandments in 1996, which began its annual network telecasts on ABC in 1973, continuing be telecast by that network as of 2020.)
March 17 – Boxer Rubin Carter is retried in New Jersey for murder; his conviction is upheld on this occasion but will be overturned in 1985.
March 20 – Patty Hearst is found guilty of the armed robbery of a San Francisco bank in 1974.
March 27 – The first 4.6 miles of the Washington Metro subway system opens.
March 29 – The 48th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn and Gene Kelly, is held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, broadcast on ABC for the first time. Miloš Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest receives nine nominations and wins five awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Forman. Isabelle Adjani becomes the youngest actress to be nominated for Best Actress until 2004, while George Burns becomes the oldest actor to win Best Supporting Actor until 2012, as well as the oldest awardee in general until 1989 and the final person born in the 19th century to win an acting award.
March 31 – The New Jersey Supreme Court rules that persistent vegetative state patient Karen Ann Quinlan can be disconnected from her ventilator. She remains comatose and dies in 1985.
April
April 1
Conrail (Consolidated Rails Corporation) is formed by the U.S. government, to take control of 13 major Northeast Class-1 railroads that have filed for bankruptcy protection. Conrail takes control at midnight, as a government-owned and operated railroad until 1986, when it is sold to the public.
Apple Computer Company is formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in California.
April 13 – The United States Treasury Department reintroduces the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note on Thomas Jefferson's 233rd birthday as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.
May
May 11
President Gerald Ford signs the Federal Election Campaign Act.
An accident involving a tanker truck carrying anhydrous ammonia takes place in Houston, Texas, resulting in the deaths of 7 people.
May 21
The Yuba City bus disaster, the second-worst bus crash in U.S. history, leaves 28 students and one teacher dead.
The "Famous Fire" in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, destroys seven downtown structures, damages more than 12 others, and starts fires in at least 10 homes.
May 24
Washington, D.C. Concorde service begins.
The Judgment of Paris pits French vs. California wines in a blind taste-test in Paris, France. California wines win the contest, surprising the wine world and opening the wine industry to newcomers in several countries.
May 25 – President Gerald Ford defeats challenger Ronald Reagan in three Republican presidential primaries: Kentucky, Tennessee and Oregon.
May 30 – Indianapolis 500 automobile race: Johnny Rutherford wins the (rain-shortened) shortest race in event history to date, at 102 laps or 255 miles (408 km).
June
June 2 – A car bomb kills Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles.
June 5 – The Teton Dam collapses in southeast Idaho, killing 11 people.
June 13 – Savage thunderstorms roll through the state of Iowa spawning several tornadoes, including an F-5 tornado that destroys the town of Jordan, Iowa.
June 16 – Francis E. Meloy, Jr., the newly appointed United States Ambassador to Lebanon, is assassinated in Beirut.
June 17 – The National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association agree on the ABA-NBA merger.
June 20 – Hundreds of Western tourists are moved from Beirut and taken to safety in Syria by the U.S. military, following the murder of the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.
July
July 3 – Gregg v. Georgia: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that the death penalty is not inherently cruel or unusual and is a constitutionally acceptable form of punishment.
July 4
United States Bicentennial: From coast to coast, the United States celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The Puerto Rican Socialist Party leads 50,000 marchers in Philadelphia to demand a "Bicentennial Without Colonies" and independence for Puerto Rico.
July 6 – The first class of women at the United States Naval Academy is inducted in Annapolis, Maryland.
July 12
California State University, Fullerton massacre: seven people are shot and killed, and two others are wounded in a mass shooting on campus at California State University, Fullerton.
Barbara Jordan is the first African-American to keynote a political convention.
Price Club, as predecessor of Costco, a worldwide membership-registration-only retailer, is founded in California.
Family Feud debuts on ABC-TV.
July 15
Jimmy Carter is nominated for U.S. President at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.
Twenty-six Chowchilla schoolchildren and their bus driver are abducted and buried in a box truck within a quarry in Livermore, California. The captives dig themselves free after 16 hours. The quarry-owner's son and two accomplices are arrested for the crime.
July 18 – Nadia Comaneci, at this time a 14-year-old Romanian, makes history by becoming the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 for her routine on the uneven bars at the Montreal Olympics.
July 20
Viking program: The Viking 1 lander successfully lands on Mars, taking the first close-up color photos of the planet's surface.
Gary Gilmore is arrested for murdering two men in Utah.
July 26 – In Los Angeles, Ronald Reagan announces his choice of liberal U.S. Senator Richard Schweiker as his vice presidential running mate, in an effort to woo moderate Republican delegates away from President Gerald Ford.
July 27 – Delegates attending an American Legion convention at The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia begin falling ill with a form of pneumonia: this will eventually be recognised as the first outbreak of Legionnaires' disease and will end in the deaths of 29 attendees.
July 29 – In New York City, the "Son of Sam" pulls a gun from a paper bag, killing one and seriously wounding another, in the first of a series of attacks that terrorize the city for the next year.
July 30 – Caitlyn Jenner (at this time, Bruce Jenner) wins the gold medal in the men's decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
July 31
NASA releases the famous Face on Mars photo, taken by Viking 1.
The Big Thompson River in northern Colorado floods, destroying more than 400 cars and houses.
August
August 1 – The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers play their first football games.
August 2 – A gunman murders Andrea Wilborn and Stan Farr and injures Priscilla Davis and Gus Gavrel, in an incident at Priscilla's mansion in Fort Worth, Texas. T. Cullen Davis, Priscilla's estranged husband and one of the richest men in Texas, is tried and found not guilty in 1977.
August 4 – The first recognized outbreak of Legionnaires' disease kills 29 at the American Legion convention in Philadelphia.
August 7 – Viking program: Viking 2 enters into orbit around Mars.
August 8 – As part of the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger, a dispersal draft is conducted to assign teams for the players on the two ABA franchises which have folded.
August 10—13 – Hurricane Belle hits Long Island and southern New England. Twelve people are killed by the storm and damage is $100 million.
August 11 – A sniper rampage in Wichita, Kansas on a Holiday Inn results in 3 deaths while 7 others are wounded.
August 18 – At Panmunjom, North Korea, two United States soldiers are killed while trying to chop down part of a tree in the Korean Demilitarized Zone which has obscured their view.
August 19 – President Gerald Ford edges out challenger Ronald Reagan to win the Republican Party presidential nomination in Kansas City.
August 28 – Actress Anissa Jones, known for playing the child Buffy Davis in the late 60s–early 70s sitcom Family Affair, is found dead of an accidental overdose in Oceanside, California.
September
September 3 – Viking program: The Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars.
September 6
Cold War: Soviet Air Force pilot Lt. Viktor Belenko lands a MiG-25 jet fighter at Hakodate, on the island of Hokkaidō in Japan, and requests political asylum from the United States.
Frank Sinatra brings Jerry Lewis's former partner Dean Martin onstage, unannounced, at the 1976 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon in Las Vegas, Nevada, reuniting the comedy team for the first (and only) time in over 20 years.
September 17 – The space shuttle Enterprise is rolled out of a Palmdale, California hangar.
September 21 – Orlando Letelier is assassinated in Washington, D.C. by agents of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
September 23 – The first presidential debate of the 1976 presidential election takes place.
September 24 – Patty Hearst is sentenced to seven years in prison for her role in the armed robbery of a San Francisco bank in 1974 (an executive clemency order from President Jimmy Carter will set her free after only 22 months).
September 28 – American singer Stevie Wonder releases his hit album Songs in the Key of Life.
October
October 6 – In San Francisco, during his second televised debate with Jimmy Carter, President Gerald Ford stumbles when he declares that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" (there is at the time).
October 9 – Pittsburgh Pirates baseball pitcher Bob Moose is killed in a car crash in Ohio on his 29th birthday.
October 13 – The United States Commission on Civil Rights releases the report Puerto Ricans in the Continental United States: An Uncertain Future, that documents that Puerto Ricans in the United States have a poverty rate of 33 percent in 1974 (up from 29 percent in 1970), the highest of all major racial-ethnic groups in the country (not including Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory).
October 15 – The first ever vice presidential debate in the United States takes place between Bob Dole and Walter Mondale.
October 18 – Ford officially launches volume production of Fiesta car at its Valencia plant.
October 19 – The Copyright Act of 1976 extends copyright duration for an additional 20 years in the United States.
October 20 – The Mississippi River ferry MV George Prince is struck by a ship while crossing from Destrehan, Louisiana to Luling, Louisiana, killing 78 passengers and crew.
October 21 – The Cincinnati Reds sweep the New York Yankees in four games to win the 1976 World Series.
October 22 – Barbara Walters hosts the final presidential debate of the 1976 presidential election.
October 25 – Clarence Norris, the last known survivor of the Scottsboro Boys, is pardoned.
November
November 2 – U.S. presidential election, 1976: Jimmy Carter defeats incumbent Gerald Ford, becoming the first candidate from the Deep South to win since the Civil War.
November 4 – Mark Fidrych, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, wins 1976 Major League Baseball Rookie Of The Year Award.
November 15 – The first megamouth shark is discovered off Oahu in Hawaii.
November 25 – In San Francisco, The Band holds its farewell concert, The Last Waltz.
November 26 – Microsoft is officially registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico.
November 29 – The New York Yankees sign free agent Reggie Jackson to a five-year $3 million contract, setting the precedent for lucrative multi-year contracts for Major League Baseball players in years to come.
December
December 8 – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is established by the five Latinos in the United States Congress: Herman Badillo of New York, E. de la Garza and Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas, Edward R. Roybal of California, and the nonvoting Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, Baltasar Corrada del Rio.
December 20 – Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago since 1955, dies while in office.
Undated
California's sodomy law is repealed.
The New Jersey State Legislature passes legislation legalizing casinos in the shore town of Atlantic City commencing in 1978. After signing the bill into law, Governor Brendan Byrne declares "The mob is not welcome in New Jersey!" referring to the Mafia's influence at casinos in Nevada.
Thomas A. Minetree founds Bethesda Cancer Centers.
The Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) is established by the University of California (UC) in response to the State Legislature's recommendation to expand post-secondary opportunities to all of California's students including those who are first-generation, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and English-language learners.
Universe, a public domain film produced by Lester Novros for NASA, is released.
Marc Brown's children's picture book Arthur's Nose is published.
Ongoing
Cold War (1947–1991)
Détente (c. 1969–1979)
Capital punishment suspended by Furman v. Georgia (1972–1976)
1970s energy crisis (1973–1980)
Births
January
January 1
Latasha Harlins, African-American girl who’s killing served as a catalyst for the 1992 Los Angeles riots (died 1991)
Tank, R&B musician
January 2
Cletidus Hunt, football player
Phil Radford, environmental, clean energy and democracy leader
January 3 – Angela Yee, radio personality
January 4 – Ted Lilly, baseball player
January 5
Alex Arcadia, artist
Jason Brookins, football player
Matt Wachter, bassist for 30 Seconds to Mars (2001-2007) and Angels & Airwaves (2007-2019)
January 6
Roberto Bergersen, basketball player
Johnny Yong Bosch, actor, voice artist, martial artist and musician
Danny Pintauro, actor
January 8
Jenny Lewis, actress and singer for Rilo Kiley
Josh Meyers, actor and comedian, brother of Seth Meyers
Carl Pavano, baseball player
Kevin Yoder, politician
January 9 – Todd Grisham, sports broadcaster
January 10
Adam Burke, comedian
Adam Kennedy, baseball player
January 11
John Avery, football player
Alfonso Boone, football player
January 13 – Michael Peña, actor and musician
January 15
Meredith Bishop, actress
Dorian Missick, actor
January 16 – Carrie Keranen, voice actress
January 18 – Derek Richardson, actor
January 20
Wayne Bastrup, actor and musician
Elisabeth Bennington, politician
Michael Myers, football player
January 21
Chad Barnhardt, football player
Zbigniew Bzymek, Polish-born filmmaker
Mike Daisey, monologist, author, and actor
January 22
Jimmy Anderson, baseball player
David Bazan, indie rock singer/songwriter and frontman for Pedro the Lion and Headphones
James Dearth, football player
January 23 – Nan Whaley, politician, mayor of Dayton, Ohio (2014-2022)
January 24 – Maria Gabriela Brito, Venezuelan-born curator, art advisor, and author
January 25 – Stephanie Bellars, wrestling valet
January 27
Clint Ford, voice actor
Fred Taylor, football player
January 28 – Rick Ross, rapper
January 29 – Chris Castle, singer/songwriter and guitarist
January 30 – Andy Milonakis, internet and television personality
January 31
Buddy Rice, race car driver
Paul Scheer, actor and comedian
February
February 2
Ralph Biggs, American-born Belgian basketball player
Lori Beth Denberg, actress and comedian
February 3
Mequitta Ahuja, painter
Tim Heidecker, comedian
February 4 – Cam'ron, rapper
February 5
Martin D. Burke, chemist
Jaime Harrison, attorney and politician
Brian Moorman, football player
February 6
Ksenia Anske, Russian-born author and novelist
James Hiroyuki Liao, actor
Kim Zmeskal, Olympic gymnast
February 9
Steve Burguiere, radio producer and personality
Charlie Day, actor
February 10
Lance Berkman, baseball player and coach
Gonzalo Lopez, fugitive, mass murderer, and prison escapee (d. 2022)
February 11
Tony Battie, basketball player
Brice Beckham, actor
Jason Miyares, politician
February 12
Anna Benson, model
Jeff Brandes, politician
February 14
Big Smo, country rapper
Erica Leerhsen, actress
February 15
Barbara Birley, American-born British archaeologist and curator
Brandon Boyd, singer/songwriter and frontman for Incubus
February 16
Eric Byrnes, baseball player and analyst
Janet Varney, actress and comedian
February 17 – Scott Williamson, baseball player and coach
February 20
Steve Brown, yo-yo player
Chris Cillizza, journalist
February 21 – Frayser Boy, rapper
February 22 – Kurt Braunohler, comedian
February 23 – Scott Elarton, baseball player and coach
February 24
Crista Flanagan, actress and screenwriter
Zach Johnson, golfer
Matt Skiba, singer/songwriter, guitarist, and frontman for Alkaline Trio
February 25
Adrian Ballinger, British-born mountain climber and guide
Rashida Jones, actress, writer, model, and musician
February 26 – Dan Goldman, attorney and politician
February 27
Ryan Armour, golfer
Tony Gonzalez, football player
February 28
Ali Larter, actress and model
February 29
Ja Rule, rapper
Shane Johnson, actor
March
March 1
Marte Alexander, American-born Italian basketball player
Antron Brown, drag racer
March 3
Charlie Bethel, judge
Bobby Brooks, football player
Jill Tokuda, politician
March 4
Mack Bernard, Haitian-born politician
Sean Covel, producer
March 5 – 88-Keys, record producer and rapper
March 6 – Ken Anderson, wrestler
March 8 – Freddie Prinze Jr., actor
March 9 – Jeremiah Bishop, mountain bike racer
March 10 – Christa Pike, convicted murderer and the youngest woman to be sentenced to death
March 11 – Doug Brzezinski, football player
March 12
Hisham Bharoocha, musician and visual artist
Francesco Biancamano, football player
March 13
Marlon Barnes, football player
Josh Bidwell, football player
James Dewees, musician
Danny Masterson, actor
Jamie Pressnall, tap dancer and musician
March 14
Robert Baker, football player
Brian Quinn, actor
Merlin Santana, actor (d. 2002)
Corey Stoll, actor
March 15 – Katherine Brooks, writer and director
March 16
Nick Spano, actor
Blu Cantrell, R&B singer
March 17 – Brittany and Cynthia Daniel, actresses and twin sisters
March 18
Eugene Baker, football player
Justin Bolli, golfer
FanFan, American-born Taiwanese singer/songwriter
Eric Sorensen, meteorologist and politician
March 19
Derek Chauvin, police officer who murdered George Floyd
Andre Miller, basketball player
De'aundre Bonds, actor
March 20 – Chester Bennington, singer and frontman for Linkin Park (d. 2017)
March 21
Gabrielle Bell, British-born cartoonist
Rachael MacFarlane, actress and singer, sister of Seth MacFarlane
March 22
Rahim Abdullah, football player
Shawty Lo, rapper (d. 2016)
Kathryn Jean Lopez, journalist
Wayne Turner, basketball player
Kellie Shanygne Williams, actress
Reese Witherspoon, actress, producer and entrepreneur
March 23
Jayson Blair, disgraced The New York Times reporter known for plagiarism and fabrication
Michelle Monaghan, actress
Jeremy Newberry, football player
Keri Russell, actress
March 24
Aaron Brooks, football player
Peyton Manning, football player
March 25
Somy Ali, Pakistani-born Bollywood actress, writer, filmmaker, model, and activist
Corey Arnold, photographer
Terry Babcock-Lumish, professor, entrepreneur, and policymaker
Jim Bianco, musician, singer/songwriter, and producer
Matt Burke, football coach
Domenick Lombardozzi, actor
March 26
Blaise Alexander, automobile racing driver (d. 2001)
Amy Smart, actress and fashion model
March 27
Michael Adams, politician
Jeff Bates, businessman and co-founder of Slashdot
Matt Bertani, ice hockey coach
Brandon Johnson, politician, mayor of Chicago, Illinois (2023-present)
March 29
Scott Atchison, baseball player
Benjamin Bellas, artist
Jennifer Capriati, tennis player
March 30
Jessica Cauffiel, actress and singer
Ty Conklin, ice hockey player
March 31
Gabe Alberro, artist, writer, songwriter, and filmmaker
Josh Saviano, actor and lawyer
April
April 1
Troy Baker, actor and musician
Jamaal Bowman, politician
Evan Jones, actor
David Oyelowo, English-born actor
April 2
Adam F. Goldberg, writer and producer
Evan McMullin, CIA operations officer and political candidate
April 4 – James Roday, actor, director, and screenwriter
April 5
Alias, hip-hop producer and founder of Anticon (d. 2018)
Matt Blank, baseball player
Sterling K. Brown, actor
April 6
Sean Berens, ice hockey player and coach
Joseph Brent, musician
Candace Cameron Bure, actress
April 7
Kevin Alejandro, director
Eric Wareheim, comedian
April 9
Algebra, R&B singer
Serena Auñón-Chancellor, astronaut
Blayne Weaver, actor and filmmaker
April 10
Dann Battistone, tennis player
Robert J. O'Neill, Navy SEAL, news contributor, author, and the individual who killed Osama bin Laden
April 11 – Cory Brandan, singer and frontman for Norma Jean
April 13
John D. Anthony, politician
Jonathan Brandis, actor (d. 2003)
Glenn Howerton, actor
April 14
Mark Born, politician
Jericho Brown, poet and writer
Anna DeForge, basketball player
April 15
Jason Bonsignore, ice hockey player
Brock Huard, football player
April 16
Phil Baroni, mixed martial artist and wrestler
Lukas Haas, actor and musician
Kelli O'Hara, actress and singer
April 17 – Monet Mazur, actress
April 18
Adrian Alvarado, actor and writer
Octavia Blue, basketball player
Gavin Creel, actor and singer/songwriter
Melissa Joan Hart, actress, producer and director
Kevin Rankin, actor
April 19
Lionel Barnes, football player
Wyatt Cenac, actor, writer, and director
April 20 – Joey Lawrence, actor, musician, and game show host
April 21
Cecilia Ballí, journalist and anthropologist
Darrius Blevins, football player
April 22 – Mark Byington, basketball player and coach
April 23 – Cesar Blanco, politician
April 24
John Barnes, baseball player
George P. Bush, attorney and politician
Mike Garcia, politician
April 25 – Tim Duncan, basketball player
April 27
Chad Alban, ice hockey player
Blaze Ya Dead Homie, rapper
April 28 – Michael Carbonaro, actor, magician, and improv artist
April 29 – Max Abramson, politician
April 30 – Scott Savol, singer
May
May 1
Darius McCrary, actor
James Murray, actor
May 2 – Jeff Gutt, singer/songwriter and frontman for Stone Temple Pilots (2017-present)
May 3
D. J. Brigman, golfer
Guillermo E. Brown, multi-disciplinary performer
Jeff Halpern, ice hockey player
May 4
Michael Aronov, actor
Jason Michaels, baseball player
May 5 – Sage Stallone, actor, film director, producer, and distributor (d. 2012)
May 6
Alicka Ampry-Samuel, politician
Marshall Burt, railroader and politician
May 7
Calvin Booth, basketball player
Nick Butcher, field hockey player
Michael P. Murphy, U.S. Navy SEAL, First recipient of the Medal of Honor in the Afghanistan War (d. 2005)
May 8
Gonçalo Abecasis, Portuguese-born biomedical researcher
Luke Burbank, radio host and podcaster
Martha Wainwright, Canadian-born folk-pop singer
May 9 – Vanessa Alfano, journalist
May 10 – Rhona Bennett, actress, singer, and model
May 14
Cortney Lance Bledsoe, writer, poet, and book reviewer
Hunter Burgan, bassist for AFI
May 15
Michael Bishop, football player
Torraye Braggs, basketball player
Sashi Brown, football executive
Ryan Leaf, football player
Tyler Walker, baseball player
May 16 – Pat Bradley, basketball player
May 17 – Kandi Burruss, producer, television personality, singer/songwriter, and actress
May 18 – Lisa Byington, announcer, studio host, producer, and reporter
May 19
Carrie Barton, Olympic synchronized swimmer
Kevin Garnett, basketball player
May 20 – Louis Bullock, basketball player
May 21
Rocky Biddle, baseball player
Ryan Bittle, actor
May 22 – Chris Brazzell, football player
May 24 – Chris Bergson, guitarist and singer/songwriter
May 25
J. Michael Tatum, voice actor
Erinn Hayes, actress
Ethan Suplee, actor
Vincent Piazza, actor
May 28 – Liam O'Brien, actor
May 29
Maceo Baston, basketball player
Dawn Buth, tennis player
May 30 – Brad Finstad, politician
May 31 – Spencer Albee, singer/songwriter
June
June 1 – Angela Perez Baraquio, Miss America 2001
June 2
Syl Apps III, ice hockey player
Andre Barnett, entrepreneur, politician, and model
Earl Boykins, basketball player
June 3 – Jamie McMurray, race car driver
June 5
Aesop Rock, hip-hop artist
Torry Holt, football player and sportscaster
Joe Gatto, comedian
June 6 – Paul Broome, soccer player
June 7
Sean Aaberg, comic artist
Samantha Baggett, soccer player and coach
Necro, rapper
June 8
Eion Bailey, actor
Lindsay Davenport, tennis player
June 9
Kendra Horn, politician
Leslie Rutledge, politician, 21st Liuetenant Governor of Arkansas
June 10 – Charles White, chef
June 12 – Brian Anderson, skateboarder
June 14
Carmen Bricillo, football coach
Ryan Brownlee, baseball player and coach
June 16 – Tom Lenk, actor
June 18
Busbee, songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist (d. 2019)
Alana De La Garza, actress
Christina Pazsitzky, Canadian-born comedian, podcaster, writer, host, and television personality
Blake Shelton, country singer
June 19
Darnell Autry, football player
Scott Avett, singer/songwriter, banjo player, guitarist and pianist
Ryan Hurst, actor
June 20
Rob Mackowiak, baseball player and coach
Roy Nelson, mixed martial artist
June 21
Roxanne Avent, producer
Mark Blasdel, politician
Antonio Cochran, football player
June 22 – Mike O'Brien, actor, writer, and comedian
June 23
Wade Barrett, soccer player
Joe Becker, musician
Aaron Ruell, director, photographer, and actor
Brandon Stokley, football player
June 24
Rasheed Brokenborough, basketball player
Jay Kristopher Huddy, artist, filmmaker and video game designer
June 25
Matthew Axelson, U.S. Navy SEAL and Navy Cross recipient (d. 2005)
Neil Walker, Olympic swimmer
June 27
Leigh Nash, Christian singer/songwriter and vocalist for Sixpence None the Richer
Joseph Sikora, actor
June 28
Tony Ray Amati, convicted serial killer
Jason J. Lewis, voice actor
Seth Wescott, Olympic snowboarder
June 29 – Omar Doom, actor, musician, and artist
June 30
Angie Akers, volleyball player
Jason Bostic, football player
July
July 1
Thomas Sadoski, actor
Haaz Sleiman, Lebanese-born actor
July 2
Erin Burnett, news anchor
Tommy Pistol, actor and director
July 3 – Andrea Barber, actress
July 4
Layne Beaubien, Olympic water polo player
Jo Chen, Taiwanese-born comic book artist and writer
July 5
Bizarre, rapper
Jamie Elman, Canadian-born actor
Rufus Johnson, rapper
July 7
Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway, politician
Hamish Linklater, actor and playwright
July 8 – Iyari Limon, Mexican-born actress
July 9
Krondon, rapper and actor
Fred Savage, actor and director
July 10
Elijah Blue Allman, singer, guitarist, and frontman for Deadsy
JoJuan Armour, football player
Adrian Grenier, actor, musician, and director
Elissa Slotkin, politician
July 12
Kris Bergstrom, taiko player
Gwenda Bond, author
Kyrsten Sinema, politician
Tracie Spencer, R&B singer
July 15
Gabriel Iglesias, comedian, actor and producer
Jim Jones, rapper, member of hip hop group The Diplomats
July 16
Bobby Lashley, wrestler
Zak Smith, artist and adult film performer
July 17 –
Luke Bryan, country singer/songwriter
Colby Buzzell, author, blogger, and U.S. Amry soldier
Dagmara Domińczyk, Polish-born actress and author
Eric Winter, actor and fashion model
July 18 – Sebastian Blanck, musician and figurative painter
July 21 – Cori Bush, politician and Black Lives Matter activist
July 22 – Nino Alejandro, Philippine-born singer/songwriter
July 23
Charla Baklayan Faddoul, Syrian-born television personality
Tony Bevilacqua, guitarist for The Distillers
Matt Birk, football player
Anthony Blevins, football player
Stephanie Grisham, White House Press Secretary (2019-2020)
July 24
Chris Ahrens, Olympic rower
Rafer Alston, basketball player
Nate Bump, baseball player
Rashida Tlaib, politician
July 26 – Martha Roby, politician
July 27
Ryan Michelle Bathe, actress
Brandon Beane, football executive
July 28 – Jacoby Shaddix, singer, television personality, and frontman for Papa Roach
July 29
Abiola Abrams, author, podcaster, motivational speaker, and spiritual life coach
Peter Alexander, journalist
July 30 – Nigel Burton, football player, coach, and commentator
July 31
Marty Booker, football player
Rod Monroe, football player (d. 2017)
August
August 1
Robin Belcher, politician
Don Hertzfeldt, animator
August 3 – Scott Barry, MLB umpire
August 4 – Paul Goldstein, tennis player
August 5 – Napoleon Beazley, convicted murderer (d. 2002)
August 6
Roderick Blakney, American-born Bulgarian basketball player
Soleil Moon Frye, actress and producer
Travis Kalanick, businessman and computer programmer; co-founder of Uber
August 7
Nargiz Birk-Petersen, Azerbaijani-born lawyer, presenter, and model
Regina T. Boyce, politician
August 8
JC Chasez, singer and member of 'N Sync
Drew Lachey, singer and member of 98 Degrees
Nigél Thatch, actor
August 9 – Jessica Capshaw, actress
August 10 – Zach Azzanni, football coach
August 11
Jermaine Alfred, football player
Brendan Bayliss, singer, guitarist, and frontman for Umphrey's McGee
Will Friedle, actor, voice actor, writer, and comedian
August 12
Antoine Walker, basketball player
Wednesday 13, rock musician
August 14 – Alex Albrecht, television personality
August 16 – Terence Crutcher, African-American killed by police (d. 2016)
August 17
Matt Anderson, baseball player
Scott Halberstadt, actor
August 18
Teri Anulewicz, politician
Brian Bowles, baseball player
Jon Busch, soccer player and coach
Bryan Volpenhein, Olympic rower
August 19 – Michael M. Wartella, underground cartoonist
August 21
Sam Beall, chef and restaurateur (d. 2016)
Charles Berkeley, Olympic bobsledder
Alex Brooks, ice hockey player
August 23
Michael Bhatia, researcher on conflict resolution in war-torn countries (d. 2008)
Scott Caan, actor
August 25
Jensen Atwood, actor
Damon Jones, basketball player and coach
August 26 – Mike Colter, actor
August 27 – Jeremy Bates, football player
August 30 – Lillo Brancato, Jr., actor
September
September 1
Babydaddy, bassist, vocalist, and guitarist for Scissor Sisters
Cornelius Bonner, football player
Larry Brown, football player
September 3
Tony Bryant, football player
Jevon Kearse, football player
Chamath Palihapitiya, Sri Lankan-born Canadian-American venture capitalist, engineer, SPAC sponsor, and founder and CEO of Social Capital
September 4 – Brian Myrow, baseball player
September 5 – Chris Broach, guitarists/vocalists for Braid
September 6
Mike Amiri, fashion designer
Annet Artani, singer/songwriter
Brendon Ayanbadejo, football player
Mark Wilkerson, musician
September 7 – Stevie Case, video game celebrity
September 9 – Jack Brasington, tennis player
September 10 – Matt Morgan, wrestler and politician
September 11
Masih Alinejad, Iranian-born journalist and women's rights activist
Leilani Bishop, model
September 12
Amanda Adams, author, archaeologist, and fashion model
Bizzy Bone, rapper
LaVell Boyd, football player
September 13 – Ro Khanna, politician
September 14
Vlatko Andonovski, Yugoslavian-born soccer player and coach
Austin Basis, actor
September 15
Bacari Alexander, basketball player and coach
Nanette Barragán, politician
Rob Wiethoff, actor
September 16
Erik Aadahl, sound editor
Greg Buckner, basketball player
September 17
Samuel Aroutiounian, producer and entrepreneur
Nicole Reinhart, cyclist (d. 2000)
September 18
Jeremy Barnes, musician
Reggie Berg, ice hockey player
Angie Braziel, basketball player
Sophina Brown, actress
Steve Watkins, politician
September 19
Raja Bell, basketball player
Jay Electronica, rapper and producer
Alison Sweeney, actress and television host
September 20
Jaymi Bailey, soccer player
Jon Bernthal, actor
Brandon Burlsworth, football player (d. 1999)
September 22 – David Berkeley, singer/songwriter
September 23 – Faune A. Chambers, actress and dancer
September 24
Phil Bartlett, politician
Radha Blank, actress, filmmaker, playwright, rapper, and comedian
Ian Bohen, actor
Ben Broussard, baseball player
Erin Houchin, politician
Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, wrestling promoter, daughter of Vince McMahon
September 25
Charlotte Ayanna, actress and beauty pageant titleholder
Chauncey Billups, basketball player
Doug Bohaboy, tennis player
September 28 – Farah Alvin, actress
September 29 – Dave Aranda, football coach
September 30 – Dusty Johnson, politician
October
October 1
Danielle Bisutti, actress and singer
Brian McFayden, television personality
October 2
Eric Burlison, politician
Mandisa, gospel singer and American Idol contestant
October 3
Candy Apples, pornographic actress
Seann William Scott, actor and producer
October 4
Carla Harvey, singer/songwriter, model, and co-vocalist for Butcher Babies
Alicia Silverstone, actress
October 5 – Matt Hamill, mixed martial artist
October 7 – Taylor Hicks, singer and American Idol winner
October 8
Kelly Armstrong, politician
Blockhead, hip-hop record producer and DJ
Peter Stickles, actor
October 9
William Alexander, writer and academic
Sam Riegel, voice actor and director
Nick Swardson, actor, stand-up comedian, and screenwriter
October 10
Bob Burnquist, Brazilian-born skateboarder
Pat Burrell, baseball player
October 11
Emily Deschanel, actress
Dave Briggs, journalist
October 12
Ian Bell, media executive and CEO of Digital Trends
Tom Burke, football player
October 13 – Dave Knudson, guitarist
October 14 – Scott Bradley, racing driver
October 15
Jacob Bannon, singer and frontman for Converge
Michelle Beisner-Buck, NFL cheerleader and reporter
October 19
Jeff Austin, baseball player
Diego Bernal, politician
Omar Gooding, actor
Breaux Greer, Olympic javelin thrower
Desmond Harrington, actor
Pete Loeffler, singer, guitarist, and frontman for Chevelle
Michael Young, baseball player
October 20
Reidel Anthony, football player
Scott Blake, artist
Anna Boden, filmmaker
Dan Fogler, actor, comedian, and writer
October 21
Jaime Andrews, actress, producer, business director, and playwright
Albrey Battle, football player
Jeremy Miller, actor
October 22
Michael Barrett, baseball player
Brent Bartholomew, football player
Jon Foreman, singer/songwriter, guitarist, and frontman for Switchfoot
October 23
Trevor Engelson, producer
Ryan Reynolds, Canadian-born actor
October 24
Amy Allen, actress
Arturo Del Puerto, actor
October 25
Michelle Biloon, comedian
Kristin Rossum, toxicologist and convicted murderer
October 26 – Thurop Van Orman, animator and voice actor
October 29
Marcus Amaker, poet
Glenn Berggoetz, director, writer, and actor
Milena Govich, actress, director, singer, dancer, and musician
October 31
Seth Abramson, professor, attorney, author, political columnist, and poet
Piper Perabo, actress
November
November 1
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, football player and coach
Adah Almutairi, scientist and professor
John Bevan, figure skater
Chad Lindberg, actor
Sam Presti, basketball executive, general manager of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder since 2007
November 5
Sebastian Arcelus, actor
Jeff Klein, singer-songwriter and guitarist
Samuel Page, actor
Ben Quayle, lawyer and politician
November 6
Laurie Baker, ice hockey player
Chris Bell, football player
Jeremy Borseth, football player
Jace Bugg, golfer (d. 2003)
Rob Buyea, author
Troy Hambrick, football player
Mike Herrera, singer/songwriter, bassist, and frontman for MxPx, Tumbledown, and Goldfinger
Pat Tillman, football player, victim of friendly fire (d. 2004)
Sal Vulcano, actor and comedian
Wiley Wiggins, actor
November 7
Paul Boyd, Canadian-born journalist
Rob Caggiano, guitarist for Volbeat
November 9
Jamal Brooks, football player
Josh Kaufman, singer/songwriter, winner of The Voice (Season 6)
November 11
Allister Adel, attorney and politician (d. 2022)
Corey Atkins, football player
November 12
Matt Bowen, football player
Tevin Campbell, singer and actor
November 14
Tyson Ballou, model
Tiffiny Blacknell, lawyer
November 15
Malar Balasubramanian, pediatrician convicted of involuntary manslaughter (d. 2017)
Brian Banks, politician
November 16 – Trevor Brazile, rodeo competitor
November 17
Brandon Call, actor
Diane Neal, actress
November 18
Jessi Alexander, country singer/songwriter
Dominic Armato, voice actor, journalist, and food critic
November 19
Happy Anderson, actor
Eric Bostrom, motorcycle racer
Jesse Brinkley, boxer
Jack Dorsey, computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur, co-founder of Twitter
November 20 – Dominique Dawes, Olympic gymnast
November 21 – Yoon Ahn, fashion designer
November 22
Oliver Ackermann, rock musician and founder of Death by Audio
Kate Barber, field hockey player
November 23 – Page Kennedy, actor and rapper
November 24
Matt Brown, parathlete
Jorge Elorza, politician, mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
November 25
Aziza Baccouche, physicist and science filmmaker (d. 2021)
Donovan McNabb, football player
November 26
Keith Beach, soccer player
Maia Campbell, actress and singer
November 27 – Jaleel White, actor
November 28 – Adam Bernero, baseball player
November 29
Chris Akins, football player
Ricardo Almeida, mixed martial artist
Lindsay Benko, Olympic swimmer
Chadwick Boseman, actor and playwright (d. 2020)
Anna Faris, actress
Ehren McGhehey, stunt performer and actor
November 30 – Shawn Bryson, football player
December
December 1
Matthew Shepard, murder victim (d. 1998)
Laura Ling, journalist, imprisoned by North Korea in 2009
December 2 – Jamie Barnette, football player
December 3
Cornelius Griffin, football player
Scooter Page, actor, musician, and songwriter
December 4
Amie Comeaux, country music singer (d. 1997)
Greg Landsman, politician
December 5
Amy Acker, actress
Amanda Adkins, Olympic swimmer
C-Note, rapper
December 6 – Séverine Autesserre, French-born author and researcher
December 7
Mark Duplass, actor, screenwriter, and director
T.J. Lavin, BMX cyclist and television host
December 8 – Ryan Blackwell, basketball player and coach
December 9
Phil Armour, football player
Chris Booker, baseball player
Jimmy Brumbaugh, football player
December 10 – Tim Ashe, politician
December 11 – Shareef Abdur-Rahim, basketball player and president of the NBA G League since 2019
December 12 – Eric M. Bromwell, politician
December 14
Tammy Blanchard, actress
Leland Chapman, bail bondsman
December 16 – Ryan Aument, politician
December 17
Dan Hageman, screenwriter and television producer
Tracey Mann, politician
Takeo Spikes, football player
December 19 – Beau Archibald, basketball player and coach
December 20
Michael Binger, poker player
David Bronson, singer/songwriter
Aubrey Huff, baseball player and radio host
December 21
Christie Ambrosi, softball player
Lamont Bagby, politician
Andy Gipson, politician
December 23
Raheem Beyah, computer engineer, researcher, and educator
Kris Brown, football player
Jamie Noble, wrestler
December 24
Shalanda Baker, Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the US Department of Energy (2022-present)
Chris Bober, football player
December 27
Tim Arson, wrestler (d. 2015)
Aaron Stanford, actor
December 28
Brendan Hines, actor and singer
Joe Manganiello, actor
December 29
Thomas Blake, tennis player
Danny McBride, actor, comedian, and writer
December 31
Christopher B. Anderson, ecologist
Vanessa Kerry, physician and health care administrator
Chris Terrio, film director/screenwriter
Full date unknown
Kulsoom Abdullah, American-born Pakistani weightlifter
Hassan Abujihaad, U.S. Navy sailor convicted of terrorism
John Joseph Adams, science fiction and fantasy editor, critic, and publisher
Adunni Ade, American-born Nigerian actress and model
Golnar Adili, artist
Farooque Ahmed, convicted terrorist
Marc Alessi, politician
Kimberly Amato, actress and author
Ana Lily Amirpour, British-born director, screenwriter, producer, and actress
Ampichino, rapper and producer
Ning An, Chinese-born pianist
Angelina, singer
Sarah Aroeste, singer and composer
Huwaida Arraf, activist and lawyer
Elena Bajo, Spanish-born visual artist
Mishell Baker, writer
Benjamin Balint, author, journalist, educator, and translator
Simon Ball, ballet dancer
Ali Banisadr, Iranian-born artist
Mahmoud Reza Banki, Iranian-born scientist
Michael Baskette, music producer
Orca Bates, model
Matt Bauder, jazz musician
Naomi Beckwith, art curator
T. James Belich, playwright and actor
Frank Benson, artist
Ashley Berggren, basketball player
Mickey Bergman, Vice President and executive director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement
Josh Berk, author
Leah Berman, mathematician
Walead Beshty, British-born artist and writer
Jamila Bey, journalist
Jay Black, comedian
Libby Black, artist
Brad Boatright, musician, record producer, and mastering engineer
Anthony Boone, basketball player
Jeff Bourne, politician
James Brand, musician (d. 2010)
Jennie E. Brand, sociologist and social statistician
Jesse Brand, songwriter, musician, and actor
Ivan Brandon, comic book writer
Ryan Brasseaux, folklorist
Joey Brinson, wheelchair fencer
Sara Bronfman, daughter of Edgar Bronfman Sr., and member of NXIVM
Amanda Browder, installation artist
Josh Brown, singer and frontman for Day of Fire
John Bunn, wrongfully convicted man
Victoria Burge, artist
Dillon Burroughs, author
Shaun Butler, BMX rider
Kent Bye, podcaster and journalist
Vasili Byros, musicologist
Tonantzin Carmelo, actress
Brandon DiCamillo, television personality, actor, stunt performer, filmmaker, and musician
Loomis Fall, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician, actor, and stunt performer
Doug Larsen, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and politician (d. 2023)
Deron Miller, singer/songwriter, guitarist, and frontman for CKY (1998-2012)
Sarah Schechter, producer, co-founder of Berlanti-Schechter Films
Deaths
January 15 – Jim Graner, sports anchor (born 1919)
January 21 – John Gould Moyer, naval officer, 31st Governor of American Samoa (born 1893)
January 23 – Paul Robeson, bass baritone (born 1898)
January 31 – Ernesto Miranda, defendant in Miranda v. Arizona (born 1941)
February 1
Leland H. Jenks, economic historian (born 1892)
George Whipple, scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1878)
February 11
Lee J. Cobb, actor (born 1911)
John H. Hester, general (born 1886)
February 12 – Sal Mineo, film actor (born 1939)
February 13 – Lily Pons, operatic soprano (born 1898 in France)
February 22 – Florence Ballard, singer (The Supremes) (born 1943)
February 26 – Joseph Weil, con man (born 1875)
March 15 – Jo Mielziner, set and lighting designer (born 1901 in France)
March 17 – Andrew Tombes, comedian and character actor (born 1885)
March 25 – Josef Albers, Modernist painter (born 1888 in Germany)
April 4 – Harry Nyquist, information theory pioneer (born 1889 in Sweden)
April 5 – Howard Hughes, aviation pioneer, film director and millionaire recluse (born 1905)
April 9 – Phil Ochs, protest singer-songwriter (born 1940)
April 14 – William H. Hastie, judge and politician (born 1904)
June 6 – J. Paul Getty, industrialist (born 1892)
June 20 – Lou Klein, baseball player and coach (born 1918)
August 26 – Lotte Lehmann, soprano (born 1888 in Germany)
August 28 – Anissa Jones, TV actress (born 1958)
September 10 – Dalton Trumbo, screenwriter and novelist (born 1905)
October 9 – Bob Moose, baseball player (born 1947)
October 15 – Carlo Gambino, mafioso (born 1902 in Italy)
November 11 – Alexander Calder, sculptor (born 1898)
November 28 – Rosalind Russell, film actress (born 1907)
December 2 – Danny Murtaugh, baseball player and manager (born 1917)
December 3 – Mary Nash, actress (born 1884)
December 12 – Jack Cassidy, actor and singer (born 1927)
December 13 – Geneve L. A. Shaffer, realtor, lecturer and author (born 1888)
December 20 – Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago (born 1902)
See also
1976 in American television
List of American films of 1976
Timeline of United States history (1970–1989)
References
External links
1970s in the United States
United States
United States
Years of the 20th century in the United States