William the Silent

William the Silent or William the Taciturn, more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he is also known as Father of the Fatherland.

24 April 1533

Born on the same birth day (24 April): Billy Gould • Clement Freud • Dejan Savić • Dieter Grau • Eddie Hart (sprinter) • Eric Snow • Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua • Jan Vertonghen • Jan Veselý • John de Mol Jr. • Karen Asrian • Luisa Cappiani • Olivia Gadecki • Peter Cresswell (judge) • President of Mexico • Rein Taaramäe • Stephen Wiltshire • Todd Jones • Tomitaro Makino • Tommy Docherty • Toomas Tohver

Born in the same month (April 1533): Claudio Merulo • Giulio della Rovere