more of alexander's youth and date and place of birth

Portrait of Philip, from Welschbillig (Germany). Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Trier.	Youth A Macedonian youth Alexander was born in the summer of 356, probably in Pella, as the son of the Macedonian king Philip II (r. 360-336) and queen Olympias. Because the son later claimed to be the son of the supreme god, which he called Zeus or Ammon, stories about his procreation and birth were invented. (You can read them here.) In fact, these stories were unnecessary. Even without them, anyone would have known that the boy was born for greatness. Ancient authors often maintain that Macedonia was a poor, backward country, and that Philip brought it to civilization. E.g., Alexander's biographer Arrian of Nicomedia writes that king Philip found the Macedonians wandering about without resources, many of them clothed in sheepskins and pasturing flocks in the mountains, defending themselves with difficulty against other tribes. Instead, Philip gave them cloaks instead of sheepskins, brought them down from the mountains to the plains, made them city-dwellers and civilized them. And he made them a match in war for the neighboring barbarians (text).
Olympias (Archaeological Museum, Thessaloniki)	This may be a picturesque image, but it is simply incorrect. Earlier kings had founded cities in Macedonia, built roads, opened mines and invited Greek artists (e.g., the playwright Euripides) to come and live in Macedonia. However, the country, though potentially a superpower, was politically divided, and it is true that Philip, although technically an usurper, was the first to overcome the divisions and to realize Macedonia's potential. It must be stressed that this was comparatively easy, because the traditional powers were all in decline. Persia had temporarily lost Egypt and had to reconquer the ancient country along the Nile. Besides, it faced a civil war after 353, when the satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia, Artabazus, rebelled. Eventually, this rebellion was suppressed (Artabazus was exiled to Macedonia), but it had seriously weakened Persia's western border, and Philip was ready to pick up the fruits.
	The Greek powers were in decline, too. Sparta had lost Messenia, its economic base, and was still trying to recover. Thebes was fighting the Third Sacred War (357-346), which continued to drain its resources. Athens had founded a second empire, but was struggling to overcome some rebellious allies, who, worst of all, were invoking Persian help. Philip had free play. It would have been remarkable if he had failed to expand Macedonia.

http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander01.html