by Greg Schwartz

Created on: March 21, 2010

April, as one of the 12 standard months of the calendar year, has just as much chance of being the birth month of a famous person as any other month.  Here are some famous people who were lucky enough to be born in April:

- Abraham Maslow

Abraham Maslow, of "Maslow's hierarchy of needs" fame, was a noted psychologist born on April 1st, 1908.  If the term "self-actualization" rings a bell, you can thank Abraham Maslow (and your high school or college Intro to Psych teacher) for that.

- Alec Guinness

No, this isn't the guy who invented that beer that looks like motor oil.  Alec Guinness was a British actor, born on April 2nd, 1914 - mere months before World War I broke out.  (Though that's probably just a coincidence....)  You might know him from obscure films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Star Wars.

- Hans Christian Andersen

Also born on April 2nd (though it was over a hundred years earlier, in 1805), Hans Christian Andersen is considered by many to be one of the great writers of children's stories.  Not to be confused with the title character from "Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates," this particular Hans left the world many immortal tales, including "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Ugly Duckling."  

- Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola was born on April 7th, 1939.  Though to many he is known only as Nicolas Cage's uncle, Coppola was actually famous in his own right.  This unknown filmmaker directed all three of The Godfather movies, and even managed to snag himself five Academy Awards over the course of his career.

- Don Mattingly

Born on April 20th, 1961, Don Mattingly was the New York Yankees' first baseman for over 10 years.  Though he won nine Gold Glove Awards over the length of his career and was voted American League MVP in 1985, Mattingly is more fondly remembered for his mustache.

- Uma Thurman

Perhaps best known for her role in The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Uma Thurman is a popular actress.  She was born on April 29th, 1970.  Without her, My Super Ex-Girlfriend may not have been the box office smash that it was.

All of the above birth dates have been verified by no less than two different websites, so you know they have to be right.  But just the same, you should probably look the dates up in a real book before making any high-stakes wagers.

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