Origins & Early Life

Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous accolades including the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, a Grammy Award, and a Golden Globe. In 2020 he was listed at number 3 on The Irish Times's list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Harris received two Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his performances in This Sporting Life (1963), and The Field (1990). Other notable roles include in The Guns of Navarone (1961), Red Desert (1964), A Man Called Horse (1970), Cromwell (1970), Unforgiven (1992), Gladiator (2000), and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). He gained cross-generational acclaim for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films: Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Chamber of Secrets (2002), the latter of which was his final film role. He portrayed King Arthur in the 1967 film Camelot based on the Lerner and Loewe musical of the same name. For his performance, he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He reprised...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alfred von Tirpitz — Contemporary (Died in 1930) (1930): Architect of the modern German battle fleet and naval expansionist.
• Alfred Wegener — Contemporary (Died in 1930) (1930): Pioneering geophysicist known for proposing the theory of continental drift.
• Ali al-Sistani — Contemporary (Born in 1930) (1930): Leading Twelver Shia scholar and Grand Ayatollah of Najaf, Iraq.
• Abba Eban — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Alexander Prokhorov — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Soviet physicist renowned for foundational work in quantum electronics and laser development.
• Astrid Lindgren — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Iconic Swedish children's author, celebrated for imaginative tales and advocacy.
• Abby Stein — Shared historical date (10-01 · Born) (1991): Israeli-American author, rabbi, and activist who speaks on faith and gender identity.
• Al Oerter — Shared historical date (10-01 · Died) (2007): Four-time Olympic champion in the discus throw, pioneering athletic consistency.
• Abebe Bikila — Shared historical date (10-25 · Died) (1973): Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion, known for his barefoot victories in Rome and Tokyo.
• Anne Tyler — Shared historical date (10-25 · Born) (1941): Acclaimed American novelist celebrated for detailed characters and domestic realism.
• 1930 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1930
• October 1 (10-01) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 1
• 2002 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2002
• October 25 (10-25) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 25