BSA birthday twins: Eight famous people born on Feb. 8

Happy birthday, Boy Scouts of America!

The nation’s top youth-serving organization was born Feb. 8, 1910. That’s the date William D. Boyce incorporated the BSA. (What time did that happen? Find out here.)

Who else shares a birthday with the Boy Scouts of America?

Here are eight notable names, along with the year each was born.

Jules Verne (1828)

The French novelist is best known for writing the adventure novels Journey to the Center of the EarthTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days.

According to UNESCO, Verne is the world’s second-most-translated author, trailing only Agatha Christie.

Verne died in 1905 at age 77.

Jack Lemmon (1925)

This long-serving actor won two Oscars and was nominated for six more. His two wins: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Save the Tiger (1973) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Mister Roberts (1955).

Other favorites from his five decades in acting: The ApartmentSome Like It HotGlengarry Glen Ross and Grumpy Old Men.

Lemmon died in 2001 at age 76.

James Dean (1931)

The actor gained fame for his roles in Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant.

His tragic death in a car crash — at just 24 years old — made him even more of a Hollywood legend. Forbes has reported that Dean’s estate still earns $5 million a year.

John Williams (1932)

You’ve heard John Williams’ music even if you’ve never seen his face. Williams has composed the score for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time.

That includes Star WarsE.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, JawsThe Force AwakensThe Empire Strikes BackReturn of the Jedi, Jurassic Park and The Phantom Menace.

He’ll also compose the music for the next Star Wars film: The Last Jedi.

John Grisham (1955)

The author of legal thrillers like The FirmA Time to Kill and The Pelican Brief has sold more than 300 million copies of his books.

Many of his novels have been adapted into films and televisions shows.

Alonzo Mourning (1970)

This NBA center was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

That recognition cemented the legacy of this seven-time All-Star who won a championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat.

“Zo” has made an impact off the court, too, including his work with charities like Athletes for Hope, which he co-founded.

Cecily Strong (1984)

As a regular on Saturday Night Live since 2012, Cecily Strong has played a number of crazy characters over the years — both fictional and inspired by real people.

A talented impressionist, she has portrayed Fran Drescher, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alanis Morissette, Sofia Vergara and others.

Bethany Hamilton (1990)

This professional surfer turned tragedy into triumph when she survived a 2003 shark attack.

She lost her left arm to the shark but later returned to the waves and has enjoyed a successful career.

Her autobiography was turned into the 2011 film Soul Surfer.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.