- 1552 - Alexander Barclay, English poet died
- 1580 - Luís de Camões, Portuguese poet died
- 1863 - Louis Couperus, Dutch novelist born
- 1911 - Terence Rattigan, British playwright born
- 1915 - Saul Bellow, American writer born
- 1928 - Maurice Sendak, American writer born
- 1949 - Sigrid Undset, Norwegian writer died
- 1982 - Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German author died
- 1991 - Vercors, French writer died
