Famous Birthdays on December 12

Birthdays 1 - 200 of 264

• 1298 Albert II, Duke of Austria, born in Habsburg Castle, Swabia (d. 1358)
• 1574 Anne of Denmark, daughter of Danish King Frederik II and Queen Consort of James I of England, born in Skanderborg Castle, Skanderborg, Denmark (d. 1619)
• 1579 Heinrich Steuccius, German composer, born in Weissenfels, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1645)

• 1610 Basil of Ostrog [Saint Vasilije], Serbian Orthodox bishop, born in Mrkonjići (d. 1671)
• 1630 Olof Rudbeck, Swedish scientist, writer and composer, born in Västerås, Sweden (d. 1702)
• 1659 Francesco Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect and designer, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1739)
• 1660 Peter Rabus, Dutch poet and translator (Liberated Britanje) (d. 1702)
• 1685 Lodovico Giustini, Italian composer, born in Pistoia, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (d. 1743)
• 1712 Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Imperial Army field marshal, born in Lunéville, Duchy of Lorraine (d. 1780)
• 1715 Gennaro Manna, Italian composer, born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, House of Habsburg (now Italy) (d. 1779)

• 1731 Erasmus Darwin, influential English physician, poet, philosopher, and botanist (grandfather of Charles Darwin), born in Newark-on-Trent, England (d. 1807)

• 1779 Madeleine Sophie Barat, French saint and founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart, born in Joigny, Burgundy, France (d. 1865)
• 1783 Ner Alexander Middleswarth, American politician, born in New Jersey (d. 1865)
• 1786 William L. Marcy, American statesman, born in Southbridge, Massachusetts (d. 1857)
• 1791 Marie-Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma and second wife of Napoleon, born in Hofburg, Vienna, Austria (d. 1847)
• 1792 Alexandros Ypsilanti, Greek resistance fighter, born in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (d. 1828)
• 1799 Karl Briullov, Russian painter, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1852)
• 1801 John of Saxony, King of Saxony (1854-73) translated Divina Commedia, born in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1873)
• 1805 Henry Wells, American businessman and founder (American Express Co & Wells Fargo & Co), born in Thetford, Vermont (d. 1878)
• 1806 Stand Watie, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Calhoun, Georgia (d. 1871)
• 1818 Paul Octave Hébert, American Brigadier General and 14th Governor of Louisiana, born in Plaquemine, Louisiana (d. 1880)

• 1830 Joseph O. Shelby, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 1897)
• 1832 Abraham Carel Wertheim, Dutch banker and philanthropist, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1897)
• 1833 Matthias Hohner, German manufacturer (harmonica), born in Trossingen, Germany (d. 1902)
• 1835 Georges Jean Pfeiffer, French composer, born in Versailles, France (d. 1908)
• 1838 Sherburne Wesley Burnham, American astronomer (binary stars), born in Thetford, Vermont (d. 1921)
• 1845 Bruce Price, American architect, born in Cumberland, Maryland (d. 1903)
• 1848 William Kissam Vanderbilt, American businessman, born in New Dorp, Staten Island, New York (d. 1920)
• 1853 Johan Petter Johansson, Swedish inventor and industrialist (modern adjustable spanner), born in Vårgårda, Sweden (d. 1943)
• 1859 Edward R. Bradley, American businessman and horse owner (1st to own 4 Kentucky Derby winners), born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (d. 1946)
• 1859 Maurice Donnay, French playwright (Lovers), born in Paris (d. 1945)

• 1864 Paul Elmer More, American critic and essayist, born in Saint Louis, Missouri (d. 1937)
• 1866 Alfred Werner, Swiss chemist (Nobel 1913), born in Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France (d. 1919)
• 1870 Walter Benona Sharp, American oil tycoon, born in Tipton County, Tennessee (d. 1912)
• 1874 Volter Kilpi, Finnish writer (Alastalon salissa), born in Kustavi, Finland (d. 1939)
• 1875 Desideer Stracke, Flemish jesuit and literature historian, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1970)

• 1876 Alvin Kraenzlein, American track and field athlete (4 Olympic gold 1900), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1928)
• 1879 Friedrich Christian Christiansen, German Luftwaffe officer (WWII - Chief Military Commander in the Netherlands; WWI - flying ace), and war criminal, born in Wyk auf Föhr, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, German Empire (d. 1972)
• 1879 Laura Hope Crews, American actress (Camille; Gone With The Wind), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1942)
• 1879 Percy Fletcher, British composer, best known for his brass and military band music, and musical director, born in Derby, England (d. 1932)
• 1886 Owen Moore, Irish actor (She Done Him Wrong), born in County Meath, Ireland (d. 1939)
• 1887 Kurt Magnus Atterberg, Swedish composer, born in Gothenburg, Sweden (d. 1974)
• 1887 Nigel Haig, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; 1,000 runs and 100 wickets 1921, 27, 29 Middlesex CCC), born in London, England (d. 1966)
• 1889 Václav Štěpán, Czech pianist and composer, born in Pečky, Austria-Hungary (d. 1944)
• 1891 Buck Jones [Charles F Gebhart], American Western actor (Just Pals, Forbidden Trails, War Horse), born in Vincennes, Indiana (d. 1942)
• 1892 Herman Potočnik, Slovenian rocket engineer, born in Pula, Austria-Hungary (d. 1929)
• 1893 Edward G. Robinson [Goldenberg], Romanian actor (Double Indemnity, The Stranger, The Ten Commandments), born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 1973)
• 1896 Eslanda Goode, American anthropology, civil rights activist and actor under Paul Robeson, born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1965)
• 1897 Leonora Summers [Lillian Hill], American vaudeville and silent film actress [Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ; Hoboken To Hollywood), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1976)
• 1900 Mária Telkes, Hungarian-American biophysicist ('the Sun Queen' who invented solar energy technologies), born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (d. 1995) [1]

• 1902 Howard Koch, American playwright and screenwriter, born in New York City (d. 1995)
• 1902 Koloman Sokol, Slovak painter, born in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia (d. 2003)
• 1903 Enid Balint-Edmonds, British psychoanalyst, born in London (d. 1994)
• 1904 Jim Christy, South African cricket batsman (10 Tests; top score 103 1932; Transvaal, Queensland), born in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa (d. 1971)
• 1905 Manès Sperber, Austrian-French writer (Like a Tear in the Ocean: A Trilogy), born in Zabolotiv, Ukraine (d. 1984)
• 1905 Rellys [Henri Marius Bourrelly], French actor (Letters from My Windmill), born in Marseille (d. 1991)
• 1906 William Pahlmann, American interior designer (4 Season restaurant, NYC), born in Pleasant Mound, Illinois (d. 1987)
• 1907 Fred Elizalde, Spanish Filipino composer, born in Manila, Philippines (d. 1979)
• 1907 Frederik van Heek, Dutch sociologist, born in Enschede, Netherlands (d. 1987)
• 1907 Roy Douglas, English composer and arranger (Tomorrow We Live-At Dawn We Die), born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England (d. 2015)
• 1909 Armand Boni, Flemish poet and writer, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1991)
• 1909 Karen Morley, American actress (Scarface), born in Ottumwa, Iowa (d. 2003)
• 1913 Eve Lister, British film and television actress (No Limit, Hyde Park), born in Brighton, Sussex, England (d. 1997)
• 1913 Ferenc Csik, Hungarian swimmer (Olympics gold medal 100m freestyle 1936), born in Kaposvár, Hungary (d. 1945)
• 1913 Hal Dickinson, American singer (Modernaires), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1970)
• 1913 Stanley Bate, English composer, born in Plymouth, England (d. 1959)
• 1914 Buzzie Bavasi, American MLB executive (Brooklyn & LA Dodgers), born in New York City (d. 2008)
• 1914 Denis Begbie, South African cricketer (South African batsman in five Tests 1948-50), born in Middelburg, Transvaal, South Africa (d. 2009)

• 1917 Edward Firth Henderson, British diplomat and arabist, born in Bristol (d. 1995)
• 1918 Joe Williams [Joseph Goreed], American jazz singer (Everyday I Have the Blues), born in Cordele, Georgia (d. 1999)
• 1918 Nilda Pinto, Curacao writer (Nanzi), born in Otrobanda (d. 1954)
• 1919 Dan DeCarlo, American cartoonist (Archie Comics), born in New Rochelle, New York (d. 2001)
• 1919 Olivia Barclay, British astrologer (revival of traditional forms of astrology in the late 20th century), born in Essex, England (d. 2001)
• 1920 Dick James [Leon Vapnick], British dance band vocalist and Beatles' music publisher (Northern Songs), born in London, England (d. 1986)
• 1920 Fred Kida, Japanese-American comics artist, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2014)
• 1922 Arthur R. Hawkins, American naval aviator and flying ace (WW II, downed 14 Japanese planes), born in Zavalla, Texas (d. 2004)

• 1923 Bob Dorough, American jazz vocalist, pianist, composer, songwriter, arranger, and producer (Schoolhouse Rock!; Too Much Coffee Man), born in Cherry Hill, Arkansas (d. 2018)
• 1923 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)
• 1923 Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam [Yewubdar Guèbrou], Ethiopian nun, pianist, and composer ("The Homeless Wanderer"), born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (d. 2023)
• 1923 John Pulman, English snooker player (World Champion 1957-68; News of the World Snooker Tournament 1954, 57, 58), born in Teignmouth, England (d. 1998)
• 1923 Ken Kavanagh, Australian motorcycle road racer (5 x GP wins; first Australian to win a Grand Prix race), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2019)

• 1924 Francis Miroglio, French composer (Extensions), born in Marseille, France (d. 2005)
• 1924 Nevit Kodallı, Turkish composer, born in Mersin, Turkey (d. 2009)
• 1925 (Michael) "Dodo" Marmarosa, American big band and bebop jazz pianist, composer, and arranger (Artie Shaw), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2002)
• 1925 Ahmad Shamlou, Iranian poet (The Book of Alley), born in Tehran, Iran (d. 2000)
• 1925 Cora Lee Johnson, American social activist for rural poor, born in Georgia (d. 2021)
• 1925 Dattu Phadkar, Indian cricketer (pace bowling all-rounder for India), born in Kolhapur, India (d. 1985)
• 1925 Ghulam Guard, Indian cricket medium pace bowler (2 Tests, 3 wickets; Bombay, Gujarat), born in Surat, India (d. 1978)
• 1925 Vladimir Shainsky, Soviet and Russian composer, born in Kyiv, Ukraine (d. 2017)
• 1926 Laurie Davidson, New Zealand yacht designer (Black Magic 1995; Team New Zealand 2000; America's Cup HOF 2007), born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2021)
• 1927 Robert Noyce, American inventor (co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel Corporation in 1968), born in Burlington, Iowa (d. 1990)
• 1928 (Henry) Lionel Blair [Ogus], Canadian-British choreographer, tap dancer, actor, and television presenter., born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2021)
• 1928 Chinghiz Aitmatov, Soviet-Kyrgyz author and best-known figure in Kyrgyzstan's literature (Jamila), born in Kirghiz ASSR, Soviet Union (d. 2008)
• 1928 Helen Frankenthaler, American abstract expressionist artist (Arden), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2011)
• 1928 Lionel Blair [Ogus], Canadian choreographer (Give Us a Clue), born in Montréal, Québec
• 1928 Lonesome Sundown [Cornelius Green III], American blues singer and guitarist, born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (d. 1995)
• 1929 John Osborne, English playwright (Entertainer, Look Back in Anger, Luther), born in London (d. 1994)
• 1929 Toshiko Akiyoshi, Japanese jazz pianist and composer, born in Liaoyang, Manchuria, Republic of China
• 1930 Bill Beutel, American journalist and anchor (ABC), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2006)
• 1930 Friedrich Voss, German composer and pianist, born in Halberstadt, Germany
• 1931 Ali-Akbar Sa'idi Sirjani, Iranian writer and journalist, born in Sirjan, Kerman (d. 1994)

• 1933 Manu Dibango, Cameroonian musician (Soul Makossa), born in Douala, French Cameroon (d. 2020)
• 1934 Habib Hassan Touma, Palestinian composer, born in Nazareth, Israel (d. 1998)
• 1934 Miguel de la Madrid, President of Mexico (1982-1988), born in Colima, Mexico (d. 2012)
• 1935 Al Harrington [born Tausau Ta'a], Samoan-American actor (Hawaii Five-O, 1969-75 -"Ben"; Hawaii Five-O, 2011-18 - "Mamo"), born in Pago Pago, American Samoa (d. 2021)
• 1936 Bengt Emil Johnson, Swedish author and composer, born in Saxdalen, Sweden (d. 2010)
• 1936 Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper (Olympic gold 1960), born in Timișoara, Romania (d. 2016)
• 1936 Mary McGee (née Connor), American motorsport pioneer (sports car racer, 1957-64; motorcycle road racer, 1960-63; motocross racer, 1963-76 and 2000-12), born in Juneau, Alaska
• 1936 Reggie Young, American session guitarist (The Memphis Boys), born in Caruthersville, Missouri (d. 2019) [1]
• 1936 Samuel Weems, American lawyer (disbarred), Armenian genocide denier, and writer, born in Hazen, Arkansas (d. 2003)
• 1936 Wally Dallenbach Sr., American auto racer (Champ Car Series 1973 runner-up; Motorsports HOF of America), born in East Brunswick, New Jersey (d. 2024)
• 1937 Buford Pusser, American sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, born in Finger, Tennessee (d. 1974)
• 1937 Connie Francis [Concetta Franconero], American singer and actress (Where the Boys Are), born in Newark, New Jersey
• 1937 Philip Ledger, British organist, composer, conductor, and academic (King's College Cambridge), born in Bexhill-on-Sea, England (d. 2012)
• 1938 Joel Chadabe, American electronic music composer, born in New York City (d. 2021)

• 1940 Sharad Pawar, Indian politician (founded Nationalist Congress Party in 1999), born in Baramati, Bombay Presidency, British India
• 1940 Shirley Englehorn, American golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 1970), born in Caldwell, Idaho (d. 2022)
• 1941 Liesbeth List, Dutch actress and vocalist (Theodorakis), born in Bandoeng, Dutch East Indies (d. 2020)
• 1941 Nikolai Osyanin, Russian soccer striker (3 caps; PFC Krylia Sovetov Kuibyshev, FC Spartak Moscow), born in Sobolevskoye, Russia (d. 2022)
• 1941 Terry Kirkman, American rock vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist (The Association - "Windy"; "Cherish"), and later substance abuse counselor, born in Salina, Kansas (d. 2023)
• 1941 Tim Hauser, American jazz singer (The Manhattan Transfer - "Boy From New York City"), born in Troy, New York, (d. 2014)
• 1943 Dickey Betts, American rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer (The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man"; "Jessica"), born in West Palm Beach, Florida (d. 2024) [1]
• 1943 E. Jean Carroll, American journalist known for her "Ask E. Jean" column, who sued Donald Trump, born in Detroit, Michigan
• 1943 Grover Washington Jr., American jazz saxophonist (Mr Magic), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1999)
• 1943 Pete Livesey, English rock climber, born in Huddersfield, England (d. 1998)
• 1944 (Alejandro) "Alex" Acuña, Peruvian-American session and touring drummer and percussionist (Weather Report; Lee Ritenour; Joni Mitchell), educator and producer, born in Pativilca, Peru
• 1944 Jean Doré, Canadian politician (39th Mayor of Montreal), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2015)
• 1944 Kenneth Cranham, Scottish actor (Hellbound: Hellraiser II), born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
• 1944 Rob Tyner [Robert Derminer], American hard rock singer (MC5 - Kick Out The Jams), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1991)
• 1945 Alan Ward, English rock musician (Elton Motello), and audio engineer, born in Nottingham, England
• 1945 Karl Edward Wagner, American sci-fi author (Bloodstone, Night Winds), born in Knoxville, Tennessee (d. 1994)
• 1945 Susi Hush, English television producer, born in Thurgoland, Yorkshire (d. 1995)
• 1945 Tony Williams, American jazz drummer (Miles Davis), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1997)
• 1946 Denny Dias, American rock guitarist (Steely Dan, 1972-77), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• 1946 George Santopietro, American restaurateur, and husband of TV personality Vanna White (1986-2002), born in Beverly Hills, California
• 1946 Marlous Fluitsma, Dutch actress (De Prooi; Apart; Alle Dagen Feest), born in Zuthphen, Netherlands
• 1947 Irving Azoff, American entertainment executive and artist manager (REO Speedwagon; The Eagles), born in Danville, Illinois
• 1948 Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Portuguese politician (President of Portugal 2016-), born in Lisbon, Portugal
• 1948 Ray Jackson, British folk-rock mandolin and harmonica player (Lindisfarne, 1970-90), born in Wallsend, Northumberland, England
• 1949 Bill Nighy, English actor (The Men's Room, Gideon's Daughter), born in Caterham, Surrey, England
• 1949 Ricardo Luis Carreras, American bantamweight boxer (Olympic bronze 1972), born in New York City
• 1950 Billy Smith, Canadian Hockey HOF goaltender (Vezina Trophy 1982; Conn Smythe Trophy 1983; Stanley Cup 1980, 81, 82, 83; NY Islanders), born in Perth, Ontario

• 1950 Richard Galliano, French jazz, tango, and classical accordionist, born in Cannes, France
• 1951 Anatoly Alyabyev, Russian biathlete (Olympic gold USSR 20km individual, 4 × 7.5km relay 1980), born in Danilkovo, Russia (d. 2022)
• 1951 Caren Kaye, American actress (My Tutor, Blansky's Beauties), born in New York City
• 1951 Richard Davidson, American psychologist, born in Brooklyn, New York
• 1951 Steven Alan Hawley, American NASA astronaut (STS 41-D, 61-C, 31, 82), born in Ottawa, Kansas
• 1952 Ajit De Silva, Sri Lankan cricket spin bowler (4 Tests), born in Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka
• 1952 Cathy Rigby (McCoy), American gymnast (Olympics, 1968 & 1972), stage actress (Peter Pan), and sports commentator, born in Long Beach, California
• 1952 Herb Dhaliwal, Canadian politician, born in Chiheru, Punjab, India
• 1952 Sarah Douglas, British actress (Conan; Superman II; Falcon Crest), born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
• 1953 Bruce Kulick, American rock guitarist and singer (KISS, 1984-96; Union, 1997-2002), born in Brooklyn, New York
• 1953 Evette Benton, American soul session and touring vocalist (Sweethearts of Sigma; Patti Labelle), born in Camden, New Jersey (d. 2021)
• 1954 Liz Claman, American television anchor (Countdown to the Closing Bell), born in Beverly Hills, California
• 1955 Eddy Schepers, Belgian professional cyclist, born in Tienen, Belgium
• 1955 Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Greek businesswoman and president of the bidding and organizing committee for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, born in Heraklion, Greece
• 1956 Ana Alicia Ortiz, Mexican-American actress (Melissa-Falcon Crest), born in Mexico City
• 1956 Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist (won Young Rider Classification of Tour de France 1980), born in Rijbergen, Netherlands
• 1957 Cy Curnin, British rock vocalist (The Fixx - "One Thing Leads To Another"; "Saved By Zero"), born in Wimbledon, England
• 1957 Robert Lepage, French Canadian playwright, born in Quebec, Canada
• 1957 Sheila E.[scovedo], American singer, drummer and percussionist (Krush Grove, Holly Rock), born in Oakland, California
• 1958 Sheree J. Wilson, American actress (Our Family Honor, Dallas), born in Rochester, Minnesota
• 1959 Belouis Some [Neville Keighley], British new wave and pop singer (Some People; Round and Round), born in England
• 1959 Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Indian cricketer (big-hitting Indian opener), born in Madras, India
• 1959 Scott D. Vangen, American astronaut, born in Granite Falls, Minnesota
• 1960 Amal Silva, Sri Lankan cricketer (Sri Lankan wicket-keeper in 9 Tests 1983-88), born in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
• 1960 Jaap van Zweden, Dutch violinist and concert master, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 1960 Q Lazzarus [Diane Luckey], American new-wave singer-songwriter (Goodbye Horses), born in Neptune, New Jersey (d. 2022)
• 1961 Daniel O'Donnell, Irish singer and television presenter, born in Donegal, Ireland
• 1961 Julie Giroux, American classical composer (My Soul to Keep; Bookmarks from Japan), born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts
• 1962 Holly Gagnier, American actress (One Life to Live), born in Los Angeles, California
• 1962 Nadeem Ghauri, Pakistani cricketer (bowled in Test for Pak v Australia 1990), born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
• 1962 Ray Brown, American NFL football guard, 1986-2005 (Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, and 2 other teams), and coach, 2006-18, born in Marion, Arkansas

• 1963 Ai Orikasa, Japanese voice actress and singer, born in Tokyo, Japan
• 1963 Eric Schenkman, American-Canadian rock and blues guitarist (The Spin Doctors, 1988-94 - "Pocket Full of Kryptonite"), born in Massachusetts
• 1963 Juan Carlos Varela, President of Panama (2014-), born in Panama City
• 1963 Teresa Blake, American actress (Gloria Marsh-All My Children), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• 1964 Haywood Jeffires, American NFL wide receiver (Houston Oilers), born in Greensboro, North Carolina
• 1964 Rockin' Jeff [Jeff Aaron Brown], British rock musician (The Pasadenas - "Riding on a Train"), born in England
• 1964 Sabu [Terry Michael Brunk], American professional wrestler, born in Staten Island, New York
• 1965 Laurie Grover-Tavares, American biathlete (Olympics 1994), born in Newark, New Jersey
• 1965 Russell Batiste Jr., American drummer The Meters, 1989-2000; The Funky Meters, 2000-15; Vida Blue), born in New Orleans (d. 2023)
• 1966 Jim Sandlak, NHL right wing (Vancouver Canucks), born in Kitchener, Ontario
• 1966 Kouichi Nagano, Japanese voice actor, born in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
• 1966 Royce Gracie, Brazilian martial artist, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 1967 David Szott, American NFL guard (KC Chiefs), born in Passaic, New Jersey

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