Famous Birthdays on December 20

Birthdays 1 - 200 of 225

• 1494 Oronce Finé, French mathematician & cartographer, born in Briançon, France (d. 1555)
• 1537 John III, King of Sweden (1568-92), born in Östergötland, Sweden (d. 1592)
• 1539 Paulus Melissus, humanist Neo-Latin writer, translator, and composer, born in Mellrichstadt, Duchy of Bavaria (d. 1602)

• 1566 Edward Wightman, English radical Anabaptist, born in Burton upon Trent (d. 1612)
• 1576 Jan Sarkander, Polish-Czech Roman Catholic priest, martyr, and saint, born in Skoczów, Bohemia (now in Poland) (d. 1620)
• 1579 John Fletcher, English Jacobean playwright (followed Shakespeare as playwright for the Kings Men), born in Rye, England (d. 1625)
• 1594 Giovanni Battista de Gagliano, Italian composer, born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (d. 1651)
• 1606 Christoph Schultze, German composer, born in Berlin, Margraviate of Brandenburg (d. 1683)
• 1626 Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff, German statesman, born in Herzogenaurach, Germany (d. 1692)
• 1629 Pieter de Hoogh, Dutch Golden Age painter, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1684)
• 1659 François Fagel, Dutch statesman and collector (coins and medals), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1746)
• 1717 Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes, French statesman and diplomat, born in Dijon, France (d. 1787)

• 1729 František Xaver Pokorný Czech violinist and composer, born in Městec Králové, Lands of the Bohemian Crown (d. 1794)
• 1758 Othon Joseph Vandenbroek, Flemish horn player and composer, born in Ypres, Austrian Netherlands (d. 1832)
• 1774 Guillaume-Perre-Antoine Gatayes, French composer and guitarist, born in Paris, France (d. 1846)
• 1786 Pietro Raimondi, Italian composer, born in Rome, Papal States (d. 1853)
• 1792 Nicolas Charlet, French painter, born in Paris, France (d. 1845)
• 1807 Richard Lucian Page, US Navy officer (Confederate Army), born in Clarke County, Virginia (d. 1901)
• 1808 Thomas Tinsley Craven, Commander (Union Navy), (d. 1887)
• 1809 Friedrich Karl Kuhmstedt, German composer, born in Oldisleben, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (d. 1858)
• 1812 Achille Peri, Italian composer and conductor, born in Reggio Emilia, Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) (d. 1880)
• 1813 Samuel Jordan Kirkwood, American politician (Gov-Iowa)/US Sect of Interior (1881-82), born in Harford Country, Maryland (d. 1894)
• 1819 John Geary, American lawyer and politician (1st SF postmaster; 1st mayor), born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania (d. 1873)
• 1825 Romeyn Beck Ayres, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Manheim, New York (d. 1888)
• 1833 Samuel Mudd, American physician (imprisoned for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth), born in Charles Country, Maryland (d. 1883)
• 1838 Edwin Abbott Abbott, English schoolmaster and theologian (Flatland), born in Marylebone, United Kingdom (d. 1926)
• 1841 Ferdinand Buisson, French academic and pacifist (Nobel Peace Prize, 1927), born in Paris, France (d. 1932)
• 1858 Jan Toorop, Dutch-Indonesian painter (3 Brides), born in Purworejo Regency, Indonesia (d. 1928)
• 1859 Antonius Derkinderen, Dutch painter and artist, born in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (d. 1925)
• 1860 Dan Leno [George Wild Galvin], English comedian and stage actor, born in Somers Town, London (d. 1904)
• 1861 Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian painter, born in Ljubljana, Slovenia (d. 1926)
• 1865 Elsie De Wolfe, American socialite and interior decorator, born in New York City (d. 1950)
• 1865 Maud Gonne, English-born Irish revolutionary, born in Tongham, United Kingdom (d. 1953)
• 1867 Pudge Heffelfinger, American College Football Hall of Fame guard (3 x All American, Yale; first professional player 1892) and coach (Cal, Lehigh, Minnesota), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1954)

• 1869 Charley Grapewin, American actor (The Wizard of Oz; Libeled Lady), born in Xenia, Ohio (d. 1956)
• 1871 Henry Kimball Hadley, American composer and conductor, born in Somerville, Massachusetts (d. 1937)
• 1872 Lorenzo Perosi, Italian priest and sacred oratorio composer, born in Tortona, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1956)
• 1873 Kan'ichi Asakawa, Japanese historian, writer, and peace activist, born in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (d. 1948)
• 1875 T. F. Powys, British novelist and short-story writer (Captain Patch, Goat Green), born in Shirley, Derbyshire (d. 1953)
• 1876 J. Van Oudshoorn [Jan Koos Feylbrief], Dutch writer (Maze of Senses), born in the Hague, Netherlands (d. 1951)
• 1876 Walter Sydney Adams, American astronomer (director of Mount Wilson), born in Antioch, Turkey (d. 1956)

• 1884 Max Blokzijl, Dutch singer, journalist, and Nazi collaborator, born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands (d. 1946)
• 1886 Domingo Julio Gómez Garcia, Spanish composer, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1973)
• 1886 Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1909-11, 19), born in Healdsburg, California (d. 1974)
• 1888 Fred Merkle, American baseball figure, born in Watertown, Wisconsin (d. 1958)
• 1889 Božidar Širola, Croatian composer, born in Žakanje, Croatia (d. 1956)
• 1890 Yvonne Arnaud, French-born pianist, singer and actress (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), born in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France (d. 1958)

• 1895 Susanne Langer, American philosopher and educator (Philosophy in a New Key), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 1985)

• 1899 John Sparkman, American politician (Sen-D-Alabama 1946-79, Rep-D-Alabama 1937-46), born in Hartselle, Alabama (d. 1985)
• 1900 Gabby Hartnett, American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher (MLB All Star 1933–38; NL MVP 1935; Chicago Cubs) and manager (Chicago Cubs), born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island (d. 1972)
• 1901 Louis Kahn, American architect (Salk Institute), born in Pärnu, Estonia (d. 1974) [or Feb 20]
• 1901 Robert J. Van de Graaff, American engineer and physicist (Mobility of Gaseous Ions), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (d. 1967)
• 1902 George Edward Alexander Windsor, British nobleman (Duke of Kent), and RAF officer, born in York Cottage, United Kingdom (d. 1942)
• 1902 Max Lerner, American journalist (NY Post) and educator, born in Minsk, Russia (d. 1992)
• 1902 Sidney Hook, American philosopher (The Paradoxes of Freedom), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1989)
• 1904 Hans Burkhardt, Swiss-American abstract artist, born in Basel, Switzerland (d. 1994)
• 1905 Albert Dekker, American stage and screen character actor (Dr. Cyclops; Beau Geste; The Wild Bunch), and politician, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1968)
• 1905 Bill O'Reilly, Australian cricketer, slow-medium leg-spin bowler (144 test wickets at 22.59) and newspaper columnist, born in White Cliffs, Australia (d. 1992)
• 1906 Dick White, British intelligence officer (Director General of MI5 1953–1956; Head of the Secret Intelligence Service 1956–1968), born in Tonbridge, Kent (d. 1993)
• 1906 Irving Krick, American meteorologist and inventor, born in San Francisco, California (d. 1996)
• 1906 Lowell Gilmore, American actor (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Living Christ Series), born in St. Paul, Minnesota (d. 1960)
• 1907 Paul Francis Webster, American lyricist ("Love Is A Many Splendored Thing"; "The Shadow Of Your Smile"; "I Got It Bad, And That Ain't Good"), born in New York City (d. 1984)
• 1908 Dennis Morgan, American actor (Kitty Foyle), born in Prentice, Wisconsin (d. 1994)
• 1908 Francis Turner, American civil engineer (oversaw the Interstate Highway System), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 1999)
• 1908 Julio César Brero [or Giulio Cesare], Italian-born Argentine composer and lawyer (Novella), born in Milan, Italy (d. 1973)
• 1908 Norman Hackforth, British musician and radio broadcaster (Noel Coward; Twenty Questions), born in Bihar, British India (d. 1996)
• 1909 Vagn Holmboe, Danish neo-classical composer (Sinfonia rustica), born in Horsens, Jutland (d. 1996)
• 1909 Vakkom Majeed, Indian freedom fighter and politician, born in the Kingdom of Travancore (d. 2000)
• 1911 Hortense Calisher, American novelist (President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters), born in New York City (d. 2009)
• 1913 Jozef Kresánek, Slovak composer and musicologist, born in Čičmany, Kongdom of Hungary (now Slovakia) (d. 1986)
• 1915 Aziz Nesin, Turkish writer and humorist, born in Heybeliada, Ottoman Empire (d. 1995)
• 1916 Michel Chartrand, French Canadian union activist, born in Outremont, Quebec (d. 2010)
• 1917 Audrey Totter, American actress (Carpetbaggers, Set-Up, The Unsuspected), born in Joliet, Illinois (d. 2013)
• 1917 David Bohm, American physicist, philosopher, and neuropsychologist, born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (d. 1992)
• 1921 George Roy Hill, American Academy Award-winning film director (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; The Sting; Slap Shot; A Little Romance; The World According to Garp), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 2002)
• 1922 Charita Bauer, American actress (The Guiding Light, Aldrich Family), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 1985)
• 1922 Denny Vaughan, Canadian pianist, singer, arranger and orchestra leader (The Smothers Brothers Show; Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 1972) [1]
• 1924 Errol John, Trinidadian actor and playwright (A Man from the Sun, The Nun's Story, Assault on a Queen), born in Port of Spain, Trinidad (d. 1988)
• 1924 Judy LaMarsh, Canadian lawyer, politician (Member of Parliament, 1960-68), author, and broadcaster (CBC Radio), born in Chatham-Kent, Ontario (d. 1980)
• 1925 Benito Lorenzi, Italian footballer, born in Buggiano, Italy (d. 2007)
• 1925 Bob de Moor, Belgian comics creator and artist (Kuifje, Lion of Flanders), born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1992)
• 1925 Vlastimir Nikolovski, Macedonian composer, born in Prileb, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (now North Macedonia) (d. 2001)
• 1926 David Levine, American artist (New York Review of Books caricatures), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2009)
• 1926 Geoffrey Howe, British politician (Chancellor and Foreign Secretary under Thatcher), born in Aberavon, Glamorganshire (d. 2015)
• 1926 Otto Graf Lambsdorff, German politician (Free Democratic Party), born in Aachen, Germany
• 1927 Jim Simpson, American sportscaster, (NBC, ESPN), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2016)
• 1927 Kim Young-sam, South Korean politician and democratic activist (President of South Korea 1993-98), born in Geojedo, Geoje, South Korea (d. 2015)
• 1928 Charles Donald Adams, British bass-baritone opera singer (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,; Gilbert and Sullivan For All), born in Bristol, United Kingdom (d. 1996)
• 1928 Jack Christiansen, American NFL football player. 1951-58 (Detroit Lions - 3 x Champion, 5 X Pro Bowl), NFL and college coach (San Francisco 49ers, Stanford University), born in Sublette, Kansas (d. 1986)
• 1929 Carlo Fassi, Italian figure skating coach (Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, Robin Cousins, Jill Trenary) and skater (World C'ship bronze men's singles 1953), born in Milan, Italy (d. 1997)
• 1929 Milan Panić, Serbian-American politician and humanitarian, born in Belgrade, Serbia
• 1931 Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers, American actress (Cyrano de Bergerac, The Wild Wild West), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2007)
• 1932 John Hillerman, American actor (Magnum PI; Chinatown; Blazing Saddles), born in Denison, Texas (d. 2017)
• 1932 Neil Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey linesman (1,744 NHL games; Hockey Hall of Fame), born in Plympton, Ontario (d. 2020)
• 1933 Gordon Getty, American composer, businessman, and heir of J. Paul Getty, born in Los Angeles, California
• 1933 Jean Carnahan, US politician and writer (Missouri, Senator 2001–2002), born in Washington, D.C.
• 1933 Rik Van Looy, Belgian cyclist (world champion, 1961), born in Grobbendonk, Belgium
• 1935 Khalid "Billy" Ibadulla, Pakistani cricket batsman (4 Tests; 1 x 100; Warwickshire, Otago) and broadcaster (TVNZ), born in Lahore, Pakistan
• 1936 Judy Henske, American folk singer (High Flying Bird), born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (d. 2022)
• 1938 John Harbison, American composer (The Flight Into Egypt; The Great Gatsby), born in Orange, New Jersey
• 1939 Bill Keith, American bluegrass, country, and session banjoist, and tuning instrument tuner inventor, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2015)
• 1939 Dianne Arndt, American artist and photographer, born in Springfield, Massachusetts
• 1939 Kathryn Joosten, American actress (Desperate Housewives), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2012)
• 1939 Kim Weston, American soul singer (with Marvin Gaye - "It Takes Two"), born in Detroit, Michigan
• 1939 Klaus Schweizer, German composer, born in Albstadt, Germany
• 1940 Larry Willis, American jazz pianist and composer, born in New York City (d. 2019)
• 1941 Michael Hurley, American folk singer-songwriter ("The Tea Song"), born in Bucks Country, Pennsylvania [1]
• 1942 Bob Hayes, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1964) and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver (3 x Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2002)
• 1942 Héctor Pulido, Mexican football midfielder (43 caps; Cruz Azul, Club Jalisco AC), born in Numaran, Mexico (d. 2022)
• 1943 Angel Tompkins, American actress (Gloria-Search), born in Albany, California
• 1943 Walter "Wolfman" Washington, American funk, R&B, and blues guitarist (Johnny Adams; The Roadmasters), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2022)
• 1944 Bobby Colomby, American rock drummer (Blood Sweat & Tears - "Spinning Wheel"), born in New York City
• 1944 Gernot Wolfgruber, Austrian writer, born in Gmünd, Lower Austria
• 1944 Jean Fergusson, English actress, born in Wakefield, United Kingdom
• 1945 Peter Criss [George Peter John Criscuola], American drummer and singer (Kiss - "Beth"), born in Brooklyn, New York

• 1946 Doug Lubahn, American session psychedelic rock and jazz-fusion bassist (The Doors; Pierce Arrow; Billy Squier), born in the USA (d. 2019)
• 1946 John Spencer, American actor (LA Law, West Wing), born in New York City (d. 2005)
• 1946 Lesley Judd, British child actress, dancer, television presenter (Blue Peter, 1972-79), and radio host (BBC's Woman's Hour, 1982-88), born in London, England

• 1947 Gigliola Cinquetti, Italian pop singer (Eurovision, 1964), born in Verona, Italy
• 1948 Abdulrazak Gurnah, Zanzibar born British writer (2021 Nobel Prize for Literature), born in Zanzibar
• 1948 Alan Parsons, British music producer (The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot) and recording engineer (The Dark Side of the Moon; Let it Be), born in London, England
• 1948 Stevie Wright, Australian singer with the Easybeats ("Friday On My Mind"), born in Leeds, West Yorkshire (d. 2015)
• 1949 Cecil Cooper, American baseball player, born in Brenham, Texas
• 1949 Claudia Jennings [Mary Ellen Chestrerton], American actress and Playboy playmate (Nov 1969, Playmate of the year 1970), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 1979)
• 1949 Soumaïla Cissé, Malian politician, born in Timbuktu, Mali
• 1950 Bill Clement, Canadian NHL hockey forward, 1971-82 (Stanley Cup, 1974, 1975 - Philadelphia Flyers, and 2 other teams), and broadcaster (ESPN, NBC), born in Buckingham, Quebec
• 1950 Don Heffington, American touring and session drummer, singer, songwriter and producer (Lone Justice; Watkins Family Hour; Emmylou Harris), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2021)
• 1951 Gilbert Montagné, French pop piano player and singer ("The Fool"), born in Paris, France
• 1951 Peter May, Scottish novelist and scriptwriter, born in Glasgow, United Kingdom
• 1952 Jenny Agutter, English actress (Logan's Run, Equus, Amy), born in Taunton England
• 1952 Sergio Vastano, Italian actor (Nightclub, Prete Bello), born in Rome, Italy
• 1954 Michael Badalucco, American actor, born in Brooklyn, New York
• 1954 Sandra Cisneros, American writer, born in Chicago, Illinois
• 1955 Ed Kuepper, Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter (The Saints), born in Bremen, Germany
• 1955 Pierre Bokma, Dutch actor (Avonden, Leedvermaak), born in Paris, France
• 1955 Sammy Mitchell, US programmer (Qedit/TSE/Semware)
• 1956 Anita Ward, American R&B and disco singer ("Ring My Bell"), born in Memphis, Tennessee [some sources cite year as 1957]
• 1956 Blanche Baker, American actress, Carroll Baker's Daughter (French Postcard), born in New York City
• 1956 Guy Babylon, American keyboard player (Elton John) and arranger, born in New Windsor, Maryland (d. 2009|)
• 1956 Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Mauritanian 8th President of Mauritania (2009-present), born in Akjoujt, French West Africa
• 1957 Anna Vissi, Greek-Cypriot singer, born in Pyla, Cyprus
• 1957 Arturs Maskats, Latvian classical composer and music director (Dailes Theatre; Latvian National Opera, 1996-2013), born in Valmiera, Latvia
• 1957 Billy Bragg, English folk-rock singer-songwriter ("Greetings To The New Brunette"; "Sexuality"; "California Stars"), born in Barking, Essex, England
• 1957 Joyce Hyser, American actress, born in New York City
• 1957 Mike Watt, American rock bassist (Firehose), born in Portsmouth, Virginia
• 1957 Pat Fish [Huntrods], British guitarist (The Jazz Butcher), born in London, England (d. 2021)
• 1958 Steve Sailer, American political commentator
• 1959 Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, Prime Minister of Poland, born in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland
• 1960 Carolyn Seaward, Miss United Kingdom (1979), born in Devonshire, England
• 1960 Nalo Hopkinson, Jamaican-Canadian writer (Brown Girl in the Ring; The Salt Roads), born in Kingston, Jamaica
• 1960 Piet Keur, Dutch soccer player and trainer (SC Heerenveen, AZ), born in Zandvoort, Netherlands
• 1961 Gale Gilbert, NFL quarterback (San Diego Chargers), born in Red Bluff, California
• 1961 Mohammad Fouad, Arab singer and actor, born in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt
• 1961 Nate Newton, NFL guard (Dallas Cowboys), born in Orlando, Florida
• 1962 Thomas Newberry, NFL guard (Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Onalaska, Wisconsin
• 1963 Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, born in Madrid, Spain
• 1963 Karen Moncrieff, American actress (Xtro 3, Days of Our Lives), born in Sacramento, California
• 1963 Pam Casale, American tennis player (Marco Island finals 1985), born in Camden, New Jersey
• 1965 Robert Cavanah, Scottish actor, born in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
• 1966 Chris Robinson, American rock singer (Black Crowes - "Hard To Handle"), born in Atlanta, Georgia
• 1966 Ed de Goey, Dutch soccer goalie (Feyenoord), born in Gouda, South Holland
• 1966 Matt Neal, British motor racing driver, born in Stourbridge, United Kingdom
• 1966 Myrra Malmberg, Swedish pop singer, actress, and photographer, born in Farsta, Stockholm
• 1966 Paul Ritter [Simon Paul Adams], British actor (Friday Night Dinner; Chernobyl; Quantum of Solace), born in Gravesend, Kent, England (d. 2021)
• 1966 Tim Hauck, NFL safety and coach (Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks), born in Butte, Montana
• 1967 Duncan Kennedy, American luger (Olympics 1994), born in Burlington, California
• 1968 Joe Cornish, British comedian, born in Westminster, United Kingdom
• 1969 Bobby Phills, NBA guard (Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets), born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• 1970 Grant Flower, Zimbabwean cricket batsman (67 Tests, 6 x 100, HS 201no; Mashonaland, Leicestershire CCC, Essex CCC), born in Harare, Zimbabwe
• 1970 Nicole DeBoer, Canadian actress, born in Toronto, Ontario

• 1970 Tony Semple, NFL guard (Detroit Lions), born in Springfield, Illinois
• 1970 Travis Green, Canadian NHL center (NY Islanders; Toronto Maple Leafs; World C'ship gold 1997) and coach (Vancouver Canucks), born in Castlegar, Canada
• 1971 Jerry Ellison, American NFL running back, 1994-99 (Tampa Bay Bucs), born in Augusta, Georgia
• 1972 Anders Odden, Norwegian musician, born in Stavanger, Norway
• 1972 Jan Caloun, Czech hockey forward (Team Czech Olympic gold 1998), born in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
• 1973 Cory Stillman, Canadian NHL center (Calgary Flames), born in Peterborough, Ontario
• 1973 Jenny Boucek, WNBA guard (Cleveland Rockers), born in Nashville, Tennessee
• 1973 Muadianvita Kazadi, American football linebacker (St Louis Rams), born in Zaire
• 1974 Augie Ojeda, American baseball infielder (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Los Angeles, California
• 1974 Die [Daisuke Andou], Japanese heavy metal rock guitarist (Dir En Grey), born in Mie, Japan
• 1975 Bartosz Bosacki, Polish footballer, born in Poznań, Poland
• 1975 Jaydy Michel, Mexican model, born in Guadalajara, Mexico
• 1976 Adam Powell, Welsh computer programmer and game designer (Neopets), born in Newport, Wales
• 1976 Aubrey Huff, American baseball player, born in Marion, Ohio
• 1976 Jang Hyuk, Korean actor, born in Busan, South Korea
• 1976 Ramon Stoppelenburg, Dutch traveler and author, born in Leiden, Netherlands
• 1977 David Feldman, Brazilian-Israeli jazz and bossa nova pianist, arranger, and composer, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 1978 Andrei Markov, Russian ice hockey player, born in Voskresensk, Moscow Oblast, Russia
• 1978 Geremi Njitap, Cameroon footballer, born in Bafoussam, Cameroon
• 1979 David DeJesus, American baseball player, born in Brooklyn, New York
• 1979 Michael Rogers, Australian cyclist, born in Barham, Australia
• 1980 Ashley Cole, English soccer defender (107 caps; Arsenal 156 games, Chelsea 229 games, LA Galaxy), born in London, England

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