Famous Birthdays on December 26

Birthdays 1 - 200 of 228

• 1194 Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (1220-50), King of the Romans (Germany), Sicily and Jerusalem, born in Lesi, Italy (d. 1250)
• 1532 Guilielmus Xylander, German classical scholar (d. 1576)
• 1536 Yi I, Korean Confucian scholar (d. 1584)

• 1618 Elisabeth of the Palatinate, German philosopher and abbess (corresponded with René Descartes), born in Heidelberg (d. 1680)
• 1633 Charles Emmanuel Biset, Flemish painter, born in Mechelen (d. between 1693–1713)
• 1636 Justine Siegemund, Silesian midwife (1st woman to publish a German medical text - The Court Midwife), born in Rohnstock, Lower Silesia (d. 1705) [1]
• 1646 Robert Bolling, English settler in Virginia (d. 1709)
• 1660 Peter Schenck, German Dutch engraver and cartographer, baptized in Elberfeld (d. 1711)

• 1687 Johann Georg Pisendel, German violinist and composer, born in Cadolzburg, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1755)
• 1716 Jean François de Saint-Lambert, French poet (d. 1803)
• 1716 Thomas Gray, English poet (Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard), born in Cornhill, England (d. 1771)
• 1723 Friedrich Melchior, baron von Grimm, German writer (d. 1807)
• 1731 Anthony Ziesenis, Dutch architect and sculptor (Town Hall of Westzaan) (d. 1801)
• 1737 Prince Josias of Coburg, Austrian general (d. 1815)
• 1738 Thomas Nelson, American member of Continental Congress (signer of Declaration of Independence), plantation owner and Virginia militia general, born in Yorktown, Virginia (d. 1789)
• 1751 Clement Hofbauer, Austrian missionary and saint (d. 1820)
• 1762 Franz Wilhelm Tausch, German clarinetist, composer, and teacher, born in Heidelberg, Margraviate of Baden (d. 1817)
• 1770 Pierre Cambronne, French general (Waterloo, Elba), born in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, France (d. 1842)
• 1771 Heinrich Joseph von Collin, Austria dramatist and poet (Regulus), born in Vienna (d. 1811)
• 1771 Julie Clary, queen consort of Naples (d. 1845)
• 1780 Mary Fairfax Somerville, British mathematician (d. 1872)
• 1782 Filaret Drozdov, Metropolitan of Moscow (d. 1867)

• 1793 Franz Hünten, German pianist and composer, born in Koblenz, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1819)
• 1797 Hans Skramstad, Norwegian pianist and composer, born in Toten, Norway (d. 1839)
• 1805 Joseph Léon Gatayes, French harpist and composer, born in Paris (d. 1877)
• 1808 Albert Grisar, Belgian composer, born in Antwerp (d. 1869)
• 1809 William Nelson Pendleton, American Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 1883)
• 1812 Wilhelm Volkmar, German composer, born in Bad Hersfeld, Germany (d. 1887)
• 1815 Israel Bush Richardson, American Major General (Union Army), born in Fairfax, Vermont (d. 1862)
• 1819 E. D. E. N. Southworth, American novelist (d. 1899)

• 1820 Gustavus Adolphus Smith, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (d. 1885)
• 1824 Augustus Louis Chetlain, American Major General (Union Army), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1914)
• 1826 Franz Coenen, Dutch violinist and composer, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1904)
• 1826 Martinus Nijhoff, Dutch publisher (Van Dale) and founder (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers), born in Arnhem, Netherlands (d. 1894)

• 1837 Morgan Bulkeley, American politician (US Senator - Connecticut 1905-11) and Baseball HOF administrator (NL President 1876), born in East Haddam, Connecticut (d. 1922)
• 1849 Samuel "Sam" van Beem, Flemish actor (Fanfan la Tulipe), born in Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1912)
• 1853 René Bazin, French novelist (d. 1932)
• 1855 Arnold Mendelssohn, German composer, born in Ratibor, Province of Silesia (now Poland) (d. 1933)
• 1858 Tup Scott, Australian cricket batsman and captain (8 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 102; Victoria), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1910)
• 1859 Johan Frans van Bemmelen, Dutch zoologist, born in Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1956)
• 1859 William Stephens, U.S. political figure (d. 1944)
• 1861 Friedrich Engel, German mathematician (group theory), born in Lugau, Saxony, German Federation (d. 1941)
• 1862 Alexander Amfiteatrov, Russian-Italian journalist, newspaper editor, novelist, and historian, born in Kaluga, Russia (d. 1923)
• 1869 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, born in Illinois (d. 1958)
• 1872 Norman Angell, British politician/cowboy/journalist, Nobel laureate (1933), (d. 1967)
• 1873 Hubert Cuypers, Dutch organist, composer, and choir conductor (Minstrels), born in Baexem, Netherlands (d. 1960)
• 1873 Karel Moor, Czech composer and conductor, born in Belgrade (d. 1945)
• 1878 Isaiah Bowman, American geographer (co-founder of the Geographical Review), born in Waterloo, Ontario (d. 1950)
• 1879 Armen Tigran Tigranyan, Armenian music composer and conductor, born in Alexandropol, Armenia (d. 1950)
• 1879 Julius Weismann, German pianist, conductor, and composer (Schwanenweiß), born in Freiburg im Breisgau (d. 1950)
• 1883 Carl Ahues, German Chess Master (1950), born in Bremen, Germany (d. 1968)
• 1883 Frank Debenham, Australian geographer and geologist, born in Bowral, Australia (d. 1965)
• 1884 Félix Éboué, French colonial administrator, born in Cayenne, French Guiana (d. 1944)
• 1887 Arthur Ernest Percival, British Army officer (d. 1966)
• 1890 Uncle Charlie Osborne, American fiddler (d. 1992)

• 1893 Evgeny Karlovich Tikotsky, Polish/Belorussian composer, born in St. Petersburg (d. 1970)

• 1893 Yury Nikolayevich Tyulin, Russian composer and music theorist, born in Reval, Russian Empire (d. 1976)
• 1894 Antonio Molina, Filipino composer, conductor and music administrator (Ana Maria, Hatinggabi), born in Quiapo, Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines (d. 1980)
• 1894 Jean Toomer, American writer (d. 1967)
• 1897 Willy Corsari, Dutch writer (the Dutch Agatha Christie) and actor, born in Jette, Belgium (d. 1998)
• 1901 Victor Hely-Hutchinson, British composer (Carol Symphony), born in Cape Town, Cape Colony (d. 1947)
• 1902 Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan, Russian painter (d. 1980)
• 1903 Elisha Cook Jr, American actor (Maltese Falcon, Shane, Magnum PI), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1995)
• 1904 Alenjo Carpentier, Cuban-French writer (Guerra del Tiempo), born in Lausanne, Switzerland (d. 1980)
• 1904 Young Stribling, American boxer (vs Max Schmeling, Ring Magazine fight of the year 1931), born in Bainbridge, Georgia (d. 1933)
• 1908 Ralph Hill, American athlete (Olympic silver 5,000m 1932; same time as winner Lauri Lehtinen), born in Klamath Falls, Oregon (d. 1994)
• 1910 Imperio Argentina, Argentine actress and singer, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2003)
• 1910 Lucy Faithfull, British children's campaigner, born in South Africa (d. 1996)
• 1910 Marguerite Churchill, American stage and screen actress (Dracula's Daughter; The Big Trail), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2000)
• 1911 Renato Guttuso, Italian painter (Flight From Etna; Crucifixion), theater set designer, and politician, born in Bagheria, Sicily, Italy (d. 1987)
• 1911 Steve Kordek, American pinball machine designer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2012)
• 1912 Arsenio Lacson, Filipino journalist and politician (Mayor of Manila, 1952-62), born in Talisay, Philippines (d. 1962)
• 1912 Gordon Onslow Ford, English surrealist painter, born in Wendover, England (d. 2003)
• 1913 Frank Swift, English soccer goalkeeper and journalist (19 caps; Manchester City 376 games; died Munich air disaster), born in Blackpool, Lancashire (d. 1958)
• 1914 Annemarie Wendl, German actress (Lindenstraße, Der Seitensprung), born in Trostberg, Germany (d. 2006)
• 1914 Richard Widmark, American actor (Madigan, Murder on the Orient Express, Judgement at Nuremberg), born in Sunrise Township, Minnesota (d. 2008)
• 1915 H. A. Gomperts, Dutch writer (Duck on Attic), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1998)
• 1915 Una Mae Carlisle, American jazz pianist and singer ("Walkin' By The River"), born in Xenia, Ohio; (d. 1956)
• 1916 Helmut Eder, Austrian composer, born in Linz (d. 2005)
• 1917 Rose Mary Woods, American secretary to Richard Nixon (claimed to have erased part of Watergate tapes by accident), born in Sebring, Ohio (d. 2005)
• 1918 George Rallis, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2006)
• 1920 Gote Carlid, Swedish composer, born in Hogbo near Sandviken (d. 1953)
• 1921 John Severin, American comic book artist (Hulk, Mad Magazine), born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 2012)

• 1922 Iain Watson Gallaway, New Zealand sports broadcaster (Radio Sport; Halberg Award) and author ("Not a Cloud in the Sky"), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 2021)
• 1922 Norman Orentreich, American dermatologist known as "the father of modern hair transplantation", born in New York City (d. 2019)
• 1922 Richard Mayes, British actor (Doctor Who, Emmerdale), born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England (d. 2006)
• 1924 Frank Broyles, American collegiate athlete, and administrator (University of Arkansas Athletic Director, 1974-2007), born in Decatur, Georgia (d. 2017)
• 1924 Glenn Davis, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1946; National C'ship 1944, 45, 46; Army; NFL: LA Rams), born in Claremont, California (d. 2005)
• 1925 Baron Baker, Jamaican-born British activist, born in Port Antonia, Jamaica (d. 1996)
• 1926 Ali Javan, Iranian American physicist and inventor (Helium-Neon Laser), born in Tehran, Iran (d. 2016) [1]
• 1926 Earle Brown, American composer (open form), born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts (d. 2002)
• 1926 Edgar D Ngoyi, South African ANC leader (17 yrs in Robbeneiland Jail)
• 1926 Zlatko Pibernik, Croatian composer and music teacher, born in Zagreb, Croatia (d. 2010)
• 1927 Alan King [Irwin Kniberg], American comedian and actor (Anderson Tapes; Memories of Me), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2004)
• 1927 Bill Yeoman, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (University of Houston 1962-86; record 160–108–8), born in Elnora, Indiana (d. 2020)
• 1927 Denis Quilley, British actor (Anything Goes; The Lady's Not For Burning; Masada), born in London, England (d. 2003)
• 1927 Stu Miller, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1952-68 (St. Louis Cardinals; New York/San Francisco Giants, and 3 other teams), born in Northampton, Massachusetts (d. 2015)
• 1929 Régine [Zylberberg], French singer and nightclub owner, born in Anderlecht, Belgium (d. 2022)
• 1930 Donald Moffat, British actor (Kent-Logan's Run), born in Plymouth, Devon (d. 2018)
• 1930 Jean Ferrat, French singer-songwriter, born in Vaucresson, France (d. 2010)
• 1930 Sayed Mutawli imam ad-Darsh, scholar/broadcaster
• 1931 Thomas Eden Binkley, American lutenist and early music scholar, born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1995)
• 1932 Don Furner, Australian rugby league forward (1 Test) and coach (Australia 15 Tests; Eastern Suburbs, Canberra Raiders), born in Condobolin, Australia (d. 2020)
• 1932 Walter Leblanc, Belgian avant-garde painter and visual artist, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1986)
• 1933 Billy Bean, American jazz guitarist (John Lewis; Herbie Mann; Bud Shank), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012)
• 1933 Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street (1969-2018), born in Waltham, Massachusetts (d. 2019)
• 1933 Ugly Dave Gray, Australian television personality
• 1934 Martín Pando, Argentine soccer forward (11 caps; Argentinos Juniors, River Plate), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2021)
• 1935 Abdul "Duke" Fakir, American rock vocalist (Four Tops), born in Detroit, Michigan
• 1935 Barbara J Jacket, US athletic coach (Olympics 1972)

• 1935 Noel Kelehan, Irish pianist, conductor (RTÉ Concert Orchestra), and arranger (Eurovision; U2), born in Dublin (d. 2012)
• 1935 Rale Rasic, Australian soccer coach (Australia 1969-74; Marconi Stallions FC) and broadcaster (SBS), born in Dole, Bosnia and Herzegovina (d. 2023)
• 1935 Rohan Kanhai, cricketer (one of West Indies' finest batsmen)
• 1936 Kitty Dukakis, substance abuser/wife of Michael (Gov-Mass)
• 1936 Vitaliy Hodziatsky, Ukrainian composer and educator, born in Kiev, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
• 1937 Jay Heimowitz, American poker player
• 1937 John Horton Conway, British mathematician (cellular automaton Game of Life), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2020)
• 1938 Alamgir Kabir, Bangladeshi film director (d. 1989)
• 1938 Bahram Beizai, Iranian playwright and film director
• 1939 Lynn Martin, American politician, (Secretary of Labor, 1991-93; US Congress, 1981-91), born in Evanston, Illinois

• 1940 Edward C. Prescott, American economist, Nobel laureate
• 1940 Ray Sadecki, American MLB player (St. Louis Cardinals), born in Kansas City, KS, (d. 2014)
• 1941 Daniel Schmid, actor and director (Paloma, Violanta, Hecate, Amateurs)
• 1941 Klaus Bonsack, German luger (Olympic gold GDR men's doubles 1968, bronze 1972; silver singles 1964, bronze 1968; World C'ship gold 1967), born in Waltershausen, Germany (d. 2023)
• 1942 Alain Plantefol, French rugby union second rower (11 Tests; Racing CF, SU Agen), born in Colombes, France (d. 2022)
• 1942 Antonio Juliano, Italian soccer midfielder (13 caps; Napoli 394 games, Bologna), born in Naples, Italy (d. 2023)
• 1942 Barry Wood, English cricketer (England opener in early 70's)
• 1942 Earl Cate, American country singer and piano player (Cate Bros - Fire on the Tracks), born in Fayetteville, Arkansas
• 1942 Ernie Cate, American country singer and guitarist (Cate Bros - Fire on the Tracks), born in Fayetteville, Arkansas
• 1942 Gray Davis, former Governor of California
• 1942 Rob de Nijs, Dutch pop singer (Put A Candle In Your Window), born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 1942 Vinicio Cerezo, President of Guatemala (1986-91), born in Guatemala City
• 1944 Jane Lapotaire, British actress (Spirit of the Dead), born in Ipswich, Suffolk, England
• 1945 John Walsh, activist/TV host (America's Most Wanted)
• 1946 Gordon Edwards, rocker
• 1946 Lisette Hordijk, Dutch TV broadcaster
• 1947 Carlton Fisk, American Baseball HOF catcher (11 x MLB All Star; AL Rookie of the Year 1972; Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox), born in Bellows Falls, Vermont
• 1947 James T. Conway, 34th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
• 1947 Joyce Jillson, Cranston RI, psychic/actress (Superchick)
• 1948 Chris Chambliss, 1st baseman (NY Yankee)
• 1949 Ira Newborn, American orchestra leader (The Manhattan Transfer), born in New York City
• 1949 José Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor, Nobel laureate
• 1950 Victoria Racimo, American actress (Corene-Falcon Crest), born in New York City
• 1951 Richard Skinner, British DJ
• 1952 Andre-Michel Schub, French pianist (Van Cliburn-1981), born in Paris, France
• 1953 Henning Schmitz, German recording engineer and keyboardist (Kraftwerk, 1991-present), born in Wuppertal, Germany
• 1953 Leonel Fernández, Dominican politician and President of the Dominican Republic (2004-12), born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• 1953 Matthew Harding, English businessman and soccer administrator (Chelsea Football Club), born in Haywards Heath, England
• 1953 Steve Sisolak, American politician and Governor of Nevada (2019-), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• 1953 Valeri Yuriyevich Sharov, Russian cosmonaut, born in Moscow
• 1954 David Armstrong, English soccer midfielder (3 caps; Middlesbrough 359 games, Southampton 222 games), born in Durham, England (d. 2022)

• 1954 Palmolive [Paloma Romero McLardy] Spanish-British punk rock drummer and songwriter (The Slits, The Raincoats), born in Melilla, Spain
• 1954 Peter Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer, philanthropist and son of Sir Edmund Hillary, born in Auckland, New Zealand
• 1954 Peter Woods, American rock guitarist (Romeo Void - '"Never Say Never"; A Girl in Trouble"), born in the USA
• 1954 Susan Butcher, American dog musher and 4 x winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d. 2006)
• 1954 Ullrich Diessner, German DR, 4 man cox (Olympic gold 1976)
• 1954 Walter Diessner, German DR, 4 man cox (Olympic gold 1976)
• 1955 Evan Bayh, American politician, born in Shirkieville, Indiana
• 1956 David Sedaris, American essayist, born in Binghamton, New York
• 1956 Gail Tatterson, WBL center (NY Stars)
• 1956 Karen Smith, WBL forward (NY Stars)
• 1956 Kashif Saleem [Michael Jones], American R&B, disco, and soul keyboardist (B.T. Express, 1976-79 - "Can't Stop Groovin' Now, Wanna Do It Some More"), songwriter, and record producer, born in Harlem, New York (d. 2016)
• 1957 Dermot Murnaghan, British broadcaster, born in Barnstaple, United Kingdom
• 1957 Guy Barker, British jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger (The Amadeus Project), born in Chiswick, London, England
• 1958 Adrian Newey, British Formula One engineer, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom
• 1959 Koji Morimoto, Japanese anime director, born in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
• 1960 Jim Toomey, American syndicated cartoonist, born in Alexandria, Virginia

• 1961 John Lynch, Irish actor, born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland
• 1961 Tahnee Welch [La Tahn Renee Welch], American actress (Cocoon), born in San Diego, California
• 1962 James Kottak, American rock drummer (Scorpions, 1996-2016), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 2024)

• 1964 Colleen Dion-Scotti, American actress (Search for Tomorrow), born in Newburgh, New York
• 1964 Elizabeth Kostova, American author (The Historian), born in New London, Connecticut
• 1964 Jeff King, American baseball infielder (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Marion, Indiana
• 1965 Ben Husaby, American cross country skier (Olympics 1994), born in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
• 1965 Kathleen Nord, German swimmer (Olympic gold GDR 200m butterfly 1988; World C'ship gold 400m medley 1986), born in Magdeburg, Germany (d. 2022)
• 1966 Rickey Dixon, American College Football Hall of Fame cornerback (Jim Thorpe Award 1987; Oklahoma Sooners; Cincinnati Bengals, LA Raiders), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 2020)
• 1966 Tim Legler, NBA guard (Washington Wizards/Bullets), born in Washington, D.C.
• 1967 Ken Tanigawa, American golfer (Senior PGA C'ship 2019), born in Kobe, Japan
• 1967 Tony Covington, NFL safety (Seattle Seahawks), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• 1968 Bill Lawrence, American TV producer, director and screenwriter (Scrubs, Ted Lasso), born in Ridgefield, Connecticut
• 1968 Mideon [Dennis Knight], American professional wrestler, born in Clearwater, Florida
• 1970 James Mercer, American rock singer-songwriter, and guitarist (The Shins - Wincing The Night Away), born in Honolulu, Hawaii
• 1970 Krissada Terrence, Thai-American pop singer and actor, born in Thailand
• 1970 Radka Zrubakova, Slovakian tennis star (1994 Futures-GER), born in Bratislava, Slovakia
• 1970 Willie Williams, NFL cornerback (Pittsburgh Steelers, Seahawks), born in England, United Kingdom
• 1971 Jared Leto, American actor (My So Called Life; Requiem for a Dream), born in Bossier City, Louisiana
• 1971 Jonathan M. Parisen, American film director, born in Staten Island, New York
• 1971 Mark Lathwell, English cricketer (England opening batsman v Australia 1993), born in Bletchley, United Kingdom

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