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

Famous People Born in December 1923

  • Dec 1 Morris [Maurice De Bevere], Belgian cartoonist (Lucky Luke), born in Kortrijk, Belgium (d. 2001)
  • Dec 1 Stansfield Turner, American admiral and CIA director (1977-81), born in Highland Park, Illinois (d. 2018)

Maria Callas (1923-1977)

Dec 2 American soprano (Carmen), born in New York City

  • Dec 2 Meshulam Riklis, Turkish-born Israeli businessman and husband of Pia Zadora, born in Istanbul, Turkey (d. 2019)
  • Dec 3 Tom Fears, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end and coach (NFL champion 1951; First-team All-Pro, NFL receiving yards leader 1950; LA Rams), born in Guadalajara, Mexico (d. 2000)
  • Dec 3 Trevor Bailey, English cricket all-rounder, writer and broadcaster (61 Tests, 1 x 100, 10 x 50, HS 134no, 132 wickets; BBC), born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England (d. 2011)
  • Dec 4 Charles Keating, American district attorney (Los Angeles California), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2014)
  • Dec 4 Eagle Keys, American Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker and coach (Grey Cup champion 1949, 54-56, 66; Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan R'riders), born in Tompkinsville, Kentucky (d. 2012)
  • Dec 4 John Krish, British documentary filmmaker (Let My People Go), born in London (d. 2016)
  • Dec 5 Johnny Pate, American jazz bassist (Stuff Smith, James Moody), pop, soul and R&B arranger and producer (The Impressions, Peabo Bryson), born in Chicago Heights, Illinois
  • Dec 5 Vladimir Tendryakov, Russian writer (Three, Seven, Ace), born in Makarovskaya, Vologda Oblast (d. 1984)
  • Dec 7 Alan Ford, American swimmer (world 100m freestyle record 55.4; Olympic silver 1948), born in Panama Canal Zone, Panama (d. 2008)
  • Dec 7 Ted Knight [Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka], American actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Ted Baxter"; Too Close for Comfort), born in Terryville, Connecticut (d. 1986)
  • Dec 8 Joe Burke, American baseball executive (president KC Royals 1981-92), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1992)
  • Dec 8 Rudolph Pariser, American physical and polymer chemist (molecular orbital computation), born in Harbin, China (d. 2021)
  • Dec 10 Abelardo Quinteros, Chilean composer (Horizon carré; Cantos al espejo), born in Valparaiso, Chile
  • Dec 10 Harold Gould, American character actor (The Sting, The Golden Girls, Rhoda, Big Bus), born in Schenectady, New York (d. 2010)
  • Dec 10 Jorge Semprún, Spanish-French writer (2nd mort de R Mercader, Z), born in Madrid, Spain (d. 2011)
  • Dec 10 Linda Hayes [Bertha Williams], American R&B singer (Yes I Know), born in Linden, New Jersey (d. 1998)
  • Dec 11 Betsy Blair [Elizabeth Boger], American actress (Marty, A Double Life), born in Cliffside Park, New Jersey (d. 2009)

Bob Barker (1923-2023)

Dec 12 American TV game show host (The Price is Right, 1972-2007; Truth or Consequences, 1956-75), actor (Happy Gilmore), and animal rights activist, born in Darrington, Washington [1]

  • Dec 12 Bob Dorough, American jazz vocalist, pianist, composer, songwriter, arranger, and producer (Schoolhouse Rock!; Too Much Coffee Man), born in Cherry Hill, Arkansas (d. 2018)
  • Dec 12 David Leon Kaplan, American-Canadian music professor (University of Saskatchewan, 1960-82), conductor (Saskatoon Symphony, 1962-72), and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2015)
  • Dec 12 Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam [Yewubdar Guèbrou], Ethiopian nun, pianist, and composer ("The Homeless Wanderer"), born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (d. 2023)
  • Dec 12 John Pulman, English snooker player (World Champion 1957-68; News of the World Snooker Tournament 1954, 57, 58), born in Teignmouth, England (d. 1998)
  • Dec 12 Ken Kavanagh, Australian motorcycle road racer (5 x GP wins; first Australian to win a Grand Prix race), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2019)
  • Dec 13 Antoni Tapies, Spanish painter, sculptor and theorist (Dau al Set), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2012)
  • Dec 13 Frankie Fraser, English gangster who spent 42 years in jail, born in London, England (d. 2014)
  • Dec 13 Fred van der Spek, Dutch 2nd chamber member (PSP), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2017)
  • Dec 14 Gerard Reve, Dutch writer (Evenings, Dear Guys), born in Amsterdam (d. 2006)
  • Dec 14 Irving "Sully" Boyar, American actor (Dog Day Afternoon, Car Wash), born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (d. 2001)
  • Dec 15 Freeman Dyson, American physicist (known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering), born in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England (d. 2020)
  • Dec 15 Uziel Gal, Israeli firearm designer (Uzi submachine gun), born in Weimar, Germany (d. 2002)
  • Dec 15 Valentin Varennikov, Soviet-Russian general and statesman, born in Krasnodar, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (d. 2009)
  • Dec 16 (Silvio) "Tip" Marugg, Antillian poet and writer (Weekend Pilgrimage), born in Willemstad, Curaçao (d. 2006)
  • Dec 16 Menahem Pressler, Israeli-American classical pianist (Beaux Arts Trio, 1955-2008), and educator (Indian University, 1955-2023), born in Magdeburg, Germany (d. 2023)
  • Dec 16 Werner Haentjes, German conductor and composer of operas and film scores, born in Bocholt, Germany (d. 2001)
  • Dec 17 Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian (d. 2006)
  • Dec 18 Lotti van der Gaag, Dutch sculptor and painter, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1999)
  • Dec 19 Gordon Jackson, Scottish actor (Upstairs, Downstairs, The Professionals, The Great Escape), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1990)
  • Dec 19 Luigi Innocenti, Italian motorbike and auto tycoon (Lambretta), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1995)
  • Dec 21 Intizar Hussain, Urdu writer and columnist, born in Dibai, Bulandshahr (d. 2016) (approx. date)
  • Dec 21 Wataru Misaka, American basketball point guard (first non-white player, first player of Asian descent in BAA [later known NBA]; NY Knicks), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 2019)
  • Dec 22 Heinz Bernhard [Löwenstein], German-born British actor and director (Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof), born in Nuremberg, Germany (d. 1994)
  • Dec 22 Joseph Muhler, American biochemist and dentist (developed Crest - 1st fluoride toothpaste), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana (d. 1996) [1]
  • Dec 23 Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist and radio host, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2008)
  • Dec 23 James Stockdale, American admiral (Vietnam) andRoss Perot's 1992 running mate, born in Abingdon, Illinois (d. 2005)
  • Dec 23 Kenneth Lamb, English broadcaster, born in Croydon, England (d. 1995)
  • Dec 23 Leonard B. Stern, American television screenwriter (The Honeymooners; The Phil Silvers Show: Get Smart), and producer, born in New York City (d. 2011)
  • Dec 23 Lucas Mangope, 1st president of Bophuthatswana (1977-94) (d. 2018)
  • Dec 23 Milt Okun, American music producer, conductor, and arranger (John Denver; Peter, Paul and Mary), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2016)
  • Dec 23 Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver, born in Zárate, Argentina (d. 1954)
  • Dec 23 Ruth Roman, American actress (Strangers on a Train, Knots Landing, Dallas), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1999)
  • Dec 24 George Patton IV, American general in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2004)
  • Dec 24 Iron Mike DiBiase, American wrestler, born in New York City (d. 1969)
  • Dec 24 Wilton S Mkwayi, South African ANC leader, born in Middledrift, Eastern Cape (d. 2004)
  • Dec 25 Louis Lane, American conductor (Akron, 1959-83; Lake Erie Opera, 1964-72), and educator (Cleveland Institute, 1982-2004), born in Eagle Pass, Texas (d. 2016)
  • Dec 27 Serge Collot, French violist (Paris Opera, 1957-86; Le Trio à Cordes Français, 1960-92), and music educator (Conservatoire de Paris, 1969-89), born in Paris, France (d. 2015)
  • Dec 28 Andrew Duggan, American character actor (Secret War of Harry Frigg, Winds of War), born in Franklin, Indiana (d. 1988)
  • Dec 29 (Myron) "Mike" Nussbaum, American stage and screen character actor (David Mamet works), and director, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2023)
  • Dec 30 Frank Motley, American R&B and jazz double-trumpeter and bandleader (The Motley Crew), born in Cheraw, South Carolina (d. 1998)
  • Dec 30 Sara Lidman, Swedish author (Jag Och Min Son, Samtal in Hanoi), born in Missenträsk, Sweden (d. 2004)

About December 1923

How Old? 100 years old
Generation: Greatest Generation
Leap Year: No

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