List of Famous people who born in 1921

Héctor Abad Gómez was a Colombian prominent medical doctor, university professor, and human rights leader whose holistic vision of healthcare led him to found the Colombian National School of Public Health. He developed practical public health programs for the poor in Medellín. The increasing violence and human rights abuses of the 1970s and 1980s led him to fight for social justice in his community, but his political views put him at odds with those in power and Abad was killed in 1987. He and other great defenders of the human rights of the time shows us the importance of standing up against injustice and fight for the respect for human rights, despite staggering opposition. His son said he learned something from his father that the murderers don't know how to do: to use words to express the truth – a truth that will last longer than their lie.

Nancy Davis Reagan was an American film actress and the second wife of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. She was the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

Simone Signoret was a German-born French actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, in addition to nominations for two Golden Globe Awards.

Paulo Reglus Neves Freire (1921–1997) was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who was a leading advocate of critical pedagogy. He is best known for his influential work Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which is generally considered one of the foundational texts of the critical pedagogy movement.

Verghese Kurien, known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India, was a social entrepreneur whose "billion-litre idea", Operation Flood, made dairy farming India's largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment sector providing a third of all rural income. It made India the world's largest milk producer, doubled the milk available for each person, and increased milk output four-fold in 30 years.

Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE, known professionally as Deborah Kerr, was a Scottish film, theatre and television actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and holds the record for an actress most nominated in the lead actress category without winning.

Betty Gleadle, known by the stage name Liz Smith, was an English character actress, known for her roles in BBC sitcoms, including as Annie Brandon in I Didn't Know You Cared (1975–1979), the sisters Bette and Belle in 2point4 Children (1991–1999), Letitia Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley (1994–1996) and Norma Speakman ("Nana") in The Royle Family. She also played Zillah in Lark Rise to Candleford (2008) and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1984 film A Private Function.

Sophia Magdalena Scholl was a German student and anti-Nazi political activist, active within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany.

Paul Schäfer Schneider was the founder and leader of a sect and agricultural commune of 300 German immigrants called Colonia Dignidad —later renamed Villa Baviera—located in the south of Chile, about 340 km south of Santiago from 1961-2005. Aside from severe human right abuses of his followers, and sexual abuse of 200 boys, pedophile Schäfer colluded with the Pinochet regime with weapon smuggling, contract torture and dozens of executions. After 40 years of terror, a handful of Chilean boys brought the end to his reign of terror. Living underground for 8 years, he spent the last 5 years of life in prison in Chile.

Judy Holliday was an American actress, comedienne and singer.