Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

Famous People Born in December 1908

  • Dec 1 Georgios Kasassoglou, Greek violinist, composer (Four Preludes on The Return from The Front; Clouds), educator and arts advocate, born in Athens, Greece (d. 1984)
  • Dec 2 Hy Gardner, American newspaper columnist (New York Herald Tribune, 1951-66), and television panelist, born in New York City (d. 1989)
  • Dec 2 Robert F. Simon, American actor (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; Operation Petticoat; M*A*S*H), born in Mansfield, Ohio (d. 1992)
  • Dec 2 Rufus "Rufe" Davis, American actor (Cocoanut Grove, Trail Blazers, Gangs of Sonora), born in Vinson, Oklahoma (d. 1974)
  • Dec 3 Edward Underdown, British actor (Beat the Devil, Thunderball), born in London, England (d. 1989)
  • Dec 3 Halsey Stevens, American composer (Triskelion), born in Scott, New York (d. 1989)
  • Dec 3 Nigel Balchin, English author (Business for Pleasure), born in Potterne, England (d. 1970)
  • Dec 4 A. D. Hershey, American biologist, worked with bacteriophages (Nobel 1969), born in Owosso, Michigan (d. 1997)

Baby Face Nelson (1908-1934)

Dec 6 American bank robber and gangster who killed more FBI agents than any other criminal, born in Chicago, Illinois

  • Dec 6 Pierre Graber, Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1970–1978), born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (d. 2003)
  • Dec 7 Jacques Gans, Dutch author and journalist, born in Hilversum, Netherlands (d. 1972)
  • Dec 7 John Doeg, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1930), born in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico (d. 1978)
  • Dec 8 John Volpe, American politician (61st and 63rd Governor of Massachusetts) and U.S. Secretary of Treasury (1969-73), born in Wakefield, Massachusetts (d. 1994)
  • Dec 9 William Edward Hanford, American chemist (discovered process of making polyurethanes), born in Bristol, Pennsylvania (d. 1996) [1]
  • Dec 10 Arnold van Ruler, Dutch theologist, born in Apeldoorn, Netherlands (d. 1970)
  • Dec 10 Olivier Messiaen, French composer (L'Ame en Bourgeon; St Francois d'Assise), born in Avignon, France (d. 1992)
  • Dec 11 Elliott Carter, American classical composer and winner of two Pulitzer prizes, born in New York City (d. 2012)
  • Dec 13 Van Heflin [Emmett Evan Heflin Jr], American stage, screen, and radio actor (Johnny Eager; Shane; Madame Bovary; 3:10 to Yuma), born in Walters, Oklahoma (d. 1971)
  • Dec 13 Victor Babin, Russian-American concert pianist (Vronsky & Babin), composer, and educator (Cleveland Institute, 1961-72), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1972)
  • Dec 14 (Moritz) "Morey" Amsterdam, American comedian, cellist, and actor (The Dick Van Dyke Show - "Buddy"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1996)
  • Dec 14 Claude Davey, Welsh rugby union footballer, born in Garnant, Wales (d. 2001)
  • Dec 14 Laurence Naismith, British actor (Diamonds Are Forever, Camelot, Persuaders), born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, England (d. 1992)
  • Dec 14 Mária Szepes, Hungarian author (The Red Lion), born in Budapest (d. 2007)
  • Dec 16 Remedios Varo, Spanish-Mexican surrealist artist (Eyes on the table, Useless Science or the Alchemist), born in Anglès, Spain (d. 1963) [1]

Willard Libby (1908-1980)

Dec 17 American chemist who developed radiocarbon dating (Nobel 1960), born in Grand Valley, Colorado

  • Dec 17 William Brocklesby Wordsworth, English composer, born in London, England (d. 1988)
  • Dec 18 Celia Johnson, English actress (Happy Breed, Brief Encounter), born in Richmond, Surrey (d. 1982)
  • Dec 20 Dennis Morgan, American actor (Kitty Foyle), born in Prentice, Wisconsin (d. 1994)
  • Dec 20 Francis Turner, American civil engineer (oversaw the Interstate Highway System), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 1999)
  • Dec 20 Julio César Brero [or Giulio Cesare], Italian-born Argentine composer and lawyer (Novella), born in Milan, Italy (d. 1973)
  • Dec 20 Norman Hackforth, British musician and radio broadcaster (Noel Coward; Twenty Questions), born in Bihar, British India (d. 1996)
  • Dec 21 Pat Weaver, American radio advertising executive (started Today show), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2002)
  • Dec 22 Marius Duintjer, Dutch architect (Kolenkit), born in Veendam, Netherlands (d. 1983)
  • Dec 22 Max Bill, Swiss architect and artist (Ruban Sans Fin), born in Winterthur, Switzerland (d. 1994)
  • Dec 23 Yousuf Karsh, American Canadian portrait photographer (Life Magazine), born in Mardin, Ottoman Empire (d. 2002)
  • Dec 24 Cladys "Jabbo" Smith, American jazz trumpet pioneer, born in Pembroke, Georgia (d. 1991)
  • Dec 25 Helen Twelvetrees, American actress (State's Attorney, Painted Desert), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1958)
  • Dec 25 Jan Seidel, Czech composer, born in Nymburk, Bohemia (d. 1998)
  • Dec 25 Jo-Jo Moore, American baseball left fielder (MLB All Star 1934–38, 40; World Series 1933; NY Giants), born in Gause, Texas (d. 2001)
  • Dec 25 Quentin Crisp, English author (d. 1999)
  • Dec 25 Zora Arkus-Duntov, Belgian-American automotive engineer, known as "the Father of the Corevette", born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1996)
  • Dec 26 Ralph Hill, American athlete (Olympic silver 5,000m 1932; same time as winner Lauri Lehtinen), born in Klamath Falls, Oregon (d. 1994)
  • Dec 27 Louis de Bourbon, Dutch poet (Black Banners), born in Arnhem, Netherlands (d. 1975)
  • Dec 28 Felicja Blumental, Polish-Brazilian concert pianist (Villa-Lobos' Piano Concerto No. 5; Penderecki's Partita for Harpsichord), born in Warsaw, Poland, Russian Empire (d. 1991)
  • Dec 28 Lew Ayres, American actor (All Quiet on Western Front; Holiday; Dr Kildare (films); Johnny Belinda), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1996)
  • Dec 29 Claire Dodd, American actress (Lady, In the Navy), born in Des Moines, Iowa (d. 1973)
  • Dec 29 Gerben Sonderman, Dutch test pilot (Fokker), born in Drachten, Netherlands (d. 1955)
  • Dec 31 John Kirby [Kirk], American jazz double-bassist and tuba player (Benny Goodman; "Undecided"), born in Winchester, Virginia (d. 1952)
  • Dec 31 Marko Rothmuller, Croatian composer, born in Slavonski Brod, Croatia (d. 1993)
  • Dec 31 Simon Wiesenthal, Jewish-Austrian holocaust survivor & Nazi hunter (Wiesenthal Center), born in Buchach, Ukraine (d. 2005)

About December 1908

How Old? 115 years old
Generation: Greatest Generation
Leap Year: Yes

Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Signs: Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21), Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)