Famous Birthdays on January 1

Birthdays 1 - 200 of 371

• 766 Ali al-Rida, Shia Imam (d. 818)
• 1431 Alexander VI [Rodrigo Borgia], Spanish born Pope controversial for acknowledging his children (1492-1503), born in Xàtiva, Spain (d. 1503)

• 1467 Sigismund I the Old, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-48), born in Kozienice, Poland (d. 1548)
• 1484 Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss Protestant leader (d. 1531)
• 1504 Caspar Cruciger, German church reformer, born in Leipzig (d. 1548)
• 1511 Henry, Duke of Cornwall (d. 1511)
• 1516 Margaret Leijonhufvud, Queen of Gustav I of Sweden (d. 1551)
• 1520 Francois Baudouin [Franciscus Balduinus], French lawyer and humanist (controversial Calvinist who converted to Catholicism), born in Arras, France (d. 1573)
• 1557 István Bocskay, Prince of Transylvania (d. 1606)
• 1573 Philippus Rovenius, Dutch vicar who led the Catholic church in the Netherlands, born in Deventer (d. 1651)
• 1600 Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (d. 1649)
• 1614 John Wilkins, English Bishop of Chester (d. 1672)
• 1618 Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Spanish Baroque artist (The Vision of St. Anthony), born in Seville, Spain (d. 1682) [baptizism date]
• 1622 Isaac Sweers, Dutch fleet admiral, born in Nijmegen, Dutch Republic (d. 1673)
• 1628 Christoph Bernhard, German baroque composer, born in Kolberg, Pomerania (d. 1692)
• 1638 Antoinette du Ligier de la Guard Deshoulieres, French poet and literary figure, born in Paris (d. 1694)
• 1638 Emperor Go-Sai of Japan (d. 1685)
• 1648 Elkanah Settle, English writer (d. 1724)
• 1655 Christian Thomasius, German jurist (d. 1728)
• 1684 Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch classical scholar (d. 1748)
• 1697 Johann Pfeiffer, German violinist, composer and concert master at court (Bayreuth), born in the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1761)
• 1704 Soame Jenyns, English writer (d. 1787)
• 1711 Franz Freiherr von der Trenck, Austrian soldier (d. 1749)
• 1714 Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian poet (The Seas) and Lutheran pastor, born in Lasdinehlen, East Prussia (d. 1780)
• 1723 Christian Friedrich Gregor, Moravian composer and bishop, born in Dirsdorf, Silesia (d. 1801)
• 1729 Edmund Burke, British statesman, philosopher and author (A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, Reflections on the Revolution in France) [NS=Jan 12], born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1797)
• 1730 Archibald Bulloch, American lawyer, Revolutionary War military officer, and politician (Governor of Georgia, 1776-77), born in Charlestown, Province of South Carolina (d. 1777)

• 1748 Giovanni Furno, Italian composer and music teacher in Naples, born in Capua, Kingdom of Sicily (d. 1837)
• 1750 Frederick Muhlenberg, American statesman (d. 1801)

• 1764 Johannes Kinker, Dutch linguist, philosopher and poet (Minderjarige Zangster), born in Nieuwer-Amstel (d. 1845)
• 1767 Maria Edgeworth, Anglo-Irish novelist (d. 1849)
• 1771 Georges Cadoudal, Breton politician and royalist who plotted to overthrow Napoleon, born in Brech, Brittany, Kingdom of France (d. 1804)
• 1774 André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist (d. 1860)
• 1777 Micah Hawkins, American poet, playwright and composer, born in Head of the Harbour, New York (d. 1825)
• 1779 William Clowes, English printer (d. 1847)
• 1784 William Beale, English composer and baritone, born in Lankrake, Cornwall, England (d. 1854)
• 1792 Henrik Anker Bjerregaard, Norwegian writer and poet (Fjeldeventyret), born in Ringsaker, Norway (d. 1842)
• 1800 Sydney Nelson, English song composer (Rose of Allendale), born in London, England (d. 1862)
• 1800 Václav Emanuel Horák, Czech composer, chiefly of liturgical music, organist, and kapellmeister, born in Lobeč, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1871)
• 1809 John Pieter Heije, Dutch physician, writer and poet (Silver Fleet) (d. 1876)
• 1814 Hong Xiuquan, Chinese rebel (d. 1864)
• 1815 Charles Renouvier, French philosopher, born in Montpellier, France (d. 1903)
• 1819 Arthur Hugh Clough, English poet, friend of Matthew Arnold, born in Liverpool, England (d. 1861)
• 1819 George Foster Shepley, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Saco, Maine (d. 1878)
• 1819 Tom Hyer, American bare-knuckle boxer (American heavyweight champion 1841-51), born in Caernarvon Township, Pennsylvania (d. 1864)
• 1823 Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet (A virágnak megtiltani nem lehet - You Cannot Forbid the Flower), and revolutionary, born in Kiskőrös, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire (d. 1849)
• 1827 William Lewis Cabell ", Old Tige" American Brigadier General (Confederate Army) and Mayor of Dallas, born in Danville, Virginia (d. 1911)
• 1831 William Joseph Westbrook, British organist and sacred music composer, born in London, England (d. 1894)
• 1833 Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect (d. 1902)
• 1834 Ludovic Halévy, French playwright (d. 1908)
• 1838 William Hugh Young, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1901)
• 1843 Nikolay Lodizhensky, Russian diplomat and composer, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1916)
• 1846 Nikola Pasic, Serbian nationalist and premier (over many periods from 1891 to 1926), born in Zaječar, Serbia (d. 1926)
• 1848 John Goff, Irish lawyer (d. 1924)
• 1852 Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, French chemist (d. 1904)
• 1853 Hans Koessler, German composer, conductor and music teacher, born in Waldeck, Kingdom of Bavaria (d. 1926)
• 1854 James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist and folklorist (The Golden Bough), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1941)
• 1857 Charles Seeberger, American inventor (coined term escalator and designed 1st commercially produced escalator), born in Oskaloosa, Iowa (d. 1931) [1]

• 1859 Michael J. Owens, American glassmaker and inventor (glass bottle-making machine), born in Mason County, West Virginia (d. 1923) [1]
• 1861 Jesse Reno, American engineer and inventor (created the first escalators), born in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas (d. 1947) [1]
• 1863 Aleko Konstantinov, Bulgarian writer (To Chicago & Back), born in Svishtov, Ottoman Empire (d. 1897)
• 1863 Pierre de Coubertin, French educator and historian (founder International Olympic Committee; President IOC 1896–1925), born in Paris, France (d. 1937)

• 1865 Giuseppe Ferrata, Italian composer and pianist, born in Gradoli, Italy (d. 1928)
• 1867 Charles Edward Montague, English journalist and author (Fiery Particles), born in Twickenham, England (d. 1928)
• 1867 Jeanne Lanvin, French fashion designer and perfumer (Lavin), born in Paris, France (d. 1946)
• 1867 Lew Fields [Moses Schoenfeld], Polish-American vaudeville and film comedian (Weber and Fields), and theatrical producer, born in Poland (d. 1941)
• 1868 Snitz Edwards [Edward Neumann], Hungarian-American stage and silent film actor ("Phantom of the Opera"; "College"), born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (d. 1937)
• 1871 Albert Griffiths ("Young Griffo"), Australian boxer (World Featherweight champion 1890-92), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1927)
• 1873 Mariano Azuela, Mexican novelist (The Flies, The Bosses), born in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco (d. 1952)
• 1874 Frank Knox, American politician (Republican VP candidate 1936), newspaper editor and Secretary of the Navy during World War II, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1944)
• 1874 Gustave Whitehead, German inventor (d. 1927)
• 1874 Hugo Leichtentritt, German Jewish composer and musicologist, born in Pleschen, Poland (d. 1951)
• 1875 Charles Rist, French economist who opposed the Keynesian Revolution, born in Lausanne, Switzerland (d. 1955)
• 1875 Frank Druce, English cricket batsman (5 Tests, 1 x 50; Surrey CCC), born in London, England (d. 1954)
• 1876 Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist, born in Exeter, Ontario (d. 1933)
• 1876 Johan Coenraad Altorf, Dutch sculptor (October 3rd monument), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1955)
• 1878 Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish scientist and engineer (d. 1929)
• 1878 Bobby Walthour Sr., American cyclist (motor-pacing World Championships gold 1904-05; Madison Square Garden 6-Day Race 1901, 03), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1949)
• 1878 Edwin Franko Goldman, American march music composer (founder of American Bandmasters Association), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1956)

• 1879 Emile Argand, Swiss geologist (Dekbladen Theory), born in Eaux-Vives, Switzerland (d. 1940)
• 1879 Ernest Jones, Welsh psychoanalyst (biographer of Freud - Life & Work of Sigmund Freud), born in Gowerton, Wales (d. 1958)
• 1879 William Fox [Wilhem Fuchs], Hungarian-American movie theater pioneer and film producer (Fox Film Corporation), born in Tolcsva, Kingdom of Hungary (d. 1952)
• 1880 Edie Martin, British actress (Titfield Thunderbolt), born in London, England (d. 1964)
• 1881 Carry van Bruggen [de Haan], Dutch author (Heleen, Eva), born in Smilde, Netherlands (d. 1932)
• 1881 Vajiravudh, King of Thailand (d. 1925)
• 1883 Federigo Tozzi, Italian writer and journalist (La Torre, Tre Croci), born in Siena, Italy (d. 1920)
• 1883 Ichirō Hatoyama, Japanese politician, Prime Minister (1954-56), born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 1959)
• 1883 Mary Forbes [Ethel Young], British-American stage and screen character actress (Terror by Night; The Picture of Dorian Gray), born in Hornsey England (d. 1974)
• 1885 Roland Diggle, English-American composer, organist and choirmaster (St. John's Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, California), born in London, England (d. 1954)
• 1887 Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral and head of German military intelligence (executed for opposing Hitler), born in Aplerbeck, Germany (d. 1945)
• 1888 John Garand, American inventor (d. 1974)
• 1889 Alexander Smallens, Russian-born American conductor, born in St Petersburg, Russia (d. 1972)
• 1889 Charles Bickford, American actor (Dynamite, The Virginian), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d. 1967)
• 1889 Tadeusz Jarecki, Polish composer and conductor, born in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary (d. 1955)
• 1889 Tom Dugan, Irish actor (Circus Clown, Drag, Skyway), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1955)
• 1890 Alice Tissot, French actress (Italian Straw Hat), born in Paris, France (d. 1971)
• 1890 Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer (d. 1966)
• 1890 Florence Lawrence, Canadian silent screen actress (Confidence), born in Hamilton, Ontario (d. 1938)
• 1891 Frank Pettingell, English actor (Gaslight, Goose Steps Out), born in Liverpool (d. 1966)
• 1892 Artur Rodzinski, Polish conductor (Cleveland Orchestra, 1933-43; New York Philharmonic, 1943-47; Chicago Symphony, 1947-48), born in Split, Kingdom of Dalmatia (d. 1958)

• 1892 Miklós Radnai, Hungarian composer (Symphony of the Magyars), music writer, and critic, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1935)
• 1893 Barney Stanley, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame forward (Stanley Cup 1915, Vancouver Millionaires; coach Chicago Black Hawks 1927-28), born in Edmonton, Alberta (d. 1971)
• 1894 Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist (Bose–Einstein statistics), born in Calcutta, British India (d. 1974)
• 1894 Shitsu Nakano, Japanese supercentenarian (d. 2007)

• 1895 Nathaniel Shilkret, American conductor and musician (Victor Salon Orchestra), born in New York City (d. 1982)
• 1896 Maurice Jacobson, British concert pianist, composer, and music publisher, born in London, England (d. 1976)
• 1896 Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japanese actor and director (Gate of Hell, A Page of Madness, Jujiro, Jigoku-mon), born in Mie Ken, Japan (d. 1982)
• 1896 Yitzhak Edel, Israeli composer, born in Warsaw, Russian Poland (d. 1973)
• 1897 Walter Greaza, American actor (Treasury Man, Martin Kane Private Eye), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 1973)
• 1898 Viktor Ullmann, Austrian pianist, conductor, and composer (Der Kaiser von Atlantis), born in Teschen, Silesia (now Poland) (d. 1944)
• 1899 Juozas Tallat-Kelpsa, Lithuanian composer and conductor, born in Kalnujai, Lithuania (d. 1949)
• 1899 Lev Kuleshov, Russian filmmaker and film theorist (Po Zakonu, founder of Moscow film school), born in Tambov, Russian Empire (d. 1970)
• 1899 Raymond Loucheur, French composer, born in Tourcoing, France (d. 1979)
• 1900 Chiune Sugihara, Japanese diplomat (Vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Lithuania, 1939-41), who issued thousands of travel visas to imperiled Jews, born in Kozuchi Town, Empire of Japan (d. 1986)
• 1900 Hubert van Doorne, Dutch auto manufacturer (DAF Trucks), born in America, Dutch Limburg, Netherlands (d. 1979)
• 1900 Xavier Cugat, Spanish American bandleader (married Abbe Lane, and Charo), born in Girona, Catalonia (d. 1990)
• 1901 Century Milstead, American College Football Hall of Fame tackle (Yale; NFL C'ship 1927, NY Giants), born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (d. 1963)
• 1902 Buster Nupen, South African cricket all-rounder (17 Tests, 50 wickets; one eye only), born near Alesund, Norway (d. 1977)
• 1904 Ethan Allen, American baseball center fielder (inventor Cadaco-Ellis board game All Star Baseball; Yale University), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1993)
• 1904 Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani politician (d. 1982)
• 1905 Charles Melvin Price, American politician (Rep-D-Illinois 1945-88), born in East St. Louis, Illinois (d. 1988)
• 1905 Stanisław Mazur, Polish mathematician, born in Lemberg, Western Ukraine (d. 1981)
• 1906 Giovanni D'Anzi, Italian pianist and songwriter ("Malinconia d'amore"), born in Milan, Italy (d. 1974)
• 1907 Erich Schmid, Swiss composer and conductor, born in Balsthal, Switzerland (d. 2000)
• 1908 Kinue Hitomi, Japanese athlete (World record women's 100m, 200m, long jump, triple jump; Olympic silver 800m 1928), born in Okayama, Japan (d. 1931)
• 1909 Barry Goldwater, American politician (Senator-R-Arizona, 1953-65, 69-87) and 1964 presidential candidate (R), born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 1998)
• 1909 Dana Andrews, American actor (Battle of the Bulge, Laura), born in Covington County, Mississippi (d. 1992)
• 1909 Dattaram Hindlekar, Indian cricket wicketkeeper (4 Tests, 3 dismissals; Bombay), born in Bombay, India (d. 1949)

• 1910 Russ Bender, American actor and writer (Amazing Colossal Man; Space Monster; It Conquered the World), born in New York City (d. 1969)
• 1911 Audrey Wurdemann, American poet, 1935 Pulitzer Prize for "Bright Ambush", born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1960)

• 1912 Boris Vladimirovich Gnedenko, Russian mathematician (d. 1995)

• 1912 Victor Reuther, American labor leader (United Automobile Workers union), born in Wheeling, West Virginia (d. 2004) [1]
• 1913 Eliot Janeway, American financial writer (Economics of Chaos), born in New York City (d. 1993)
• 1914 Noor Inayat Khan, Indian princess and British Special Operations Executive agent in WWII posthumously awarded the George Cross, born in Moscow, Russian Empire (d. 1944)
• 1915 Francois Bondy, Swiss writer and journalist (Preuves), born in Berlin (d. 2003)
• 1915 Lewis Bingham Keeble, British-born town planner, born in London, England (d. 1994)
• 1916 Earl Wrightson, American actor and singer (Pinafore, Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1993)
• 1916 Murray Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey centre and NCAA coach (Detroit Red Wings; coach University of Denver 1956-77, 5 NCAA C'ships), born in Manor, Saskatchewan (d. 2010)
• 1917 Albert Mol, Dutch actor (Kant aan m'n broek!), born in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (d. 2004)
• 1917 Jule Gregory Charney, American meteorologist (d. 1981)
• 1918 Patrick Anthony Porteous, Scottish Victoria Cross recipient (d. 2000)
• 1918 Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer (WR 100m freestyle, 1:04.06 1933-56; Olympic gold 4×100m freestyle 1936), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1997)
• 1919 Bernard Drukker, Dutch organist, pianist, and orchestra leader (Devil's Wheel), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1992)
• 1919 Carole Landis [Frances Ridste], American actress (I Wake Up Screaming; One Million BC; Topper Returns), born in Fairchild, Wisconsin (d. 1948)
• 1919 Horace "Bones" McKinney, American basketball forward, coach and broadcaster (Washington Capitols, Wake Forest), born in Lowland, North Carolina (d. 1997)

• 1919 Rocky Graziano, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1947-48; famous Tony Zale trilogy) and entertainer (Pantomime Quiz, Miami Undercover), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1990)
• 1920 Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist and creator of "La Linea" animated cartoons, born in Maderno, Italy (d. 2007)
• 1920 Roger Peacock, English writer (Thursday is Missing), born in Liverpool (d. 1996)
• 1920 Virgilio Savona, Italian jazz singer and composer (Quartetto Cetra - "Un bacio a mezzanotte"; "Crapa pelada"), born in Palermo, Italy (d. 2009)
• 1921 Alain Mimoun, Algerian-French distance runner (Olympic marathon gold 1956; 3 x silver 1948, 52), born in Telagh, Algeria (d. 2013)
• 1921 César Baldaccini, French sculptor, born in Marseille, France (d. 1998)
• 1921 Ismail al-Faruqi, Palestinian philosopher, born in Jaffa, British-mandate Palestine (d. 1986)
• 1922 Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, American Democratic Senator from South Carolina (1966-2005) and Governor of South Carolina (1959-63), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 2019)
• 1923 Barbara Baxley, American stage and screen actress (Norma Rae; Countdown; Nashville), and singer, born in Stockton, California (d. 1990)
• 1923 Chalmers Goodlin, US test pilot (XS-1), born in Greenburg, Pennyslvania (d. 2005)
• 1923 Daniel Gorenstein, American mathematician (d. 1992)
• 1923 Milt Jackson, American jazz vibraphonist (Modern Jazz Quartet), pianist, and composer ("Bags Groove"), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1999)
• 1924 Arthur Prysock, American jazz and R&B singer ("I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night"; "In The Rain"), born in Spartanburg, South Carolina (d. 1997) (some sources state year as 1929)
• 1924 Roberts Blossom, American actor and poet (Home Alone, Deranged, The Great Gatsby), born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 2011)
• 1925 Matthew "Stymie" Beard, American actor (d. 1981)
• 1925 Raymond Pellegrin, French actor (Woman of Rome), born in Nice, France (d. 2007)
• 1925 Valentina Cortesa, Italian actress (Day for Night, Kidnap Syndicate), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2019)
• 1926 Claire Polin (Schaff), American contemporary classical, composer flautist, and musicologist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1995)
• 1926 Richard Verreau, French-Canadian operatic tenor, born in Château-Richer, Québec (d. 2005)
• 1927 Calum MacKay, Canadian NHL ice hockey player, 1947-55 (Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2001)
• 1927 Carl Scheib, American baseball pitcher (at the time [1943] youngest player in MLB history at 16; Philadelphia A’s), born in Gratz, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
• 1927 Doak Walker, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1948; Pro Bowl 1950-51, 53–55; First-team All-Pro 1950–51, 53–54; Detroit Lions), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 1998)
• 1927 Juliusz Łuciuk, Polish composer (Hymnus de Caritate; Dzikie wino/ Virgin Ivy), born in Brzeźnica, Poland (d. 2020)
• 1927 Maurice Béjart, French choreographer (d. 2007)
• 1927 Patricia "Pat" Heywood, Scottish actress (10 Rillington Place, Lucky Feller), born in Gretna Green, Scotland

• 1928 Abdul Sattar Edhi, Pakistani philanthropist (Edhi Foundation), born in Bantva, Gujarat (d. 2016)
• 1928 Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter (Shaft; The French Connection), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1984)
• 1928 Khan Mohammad, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (13 Tests, 54 wickets; Pakistan's first ball and wicket in Test cricket), born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan (d. 2009)
• 1929 Holling Gustav Vincoeur, fictional character on "Northern Exposure"
• 1930 Frederick Wiseman, documentary filmmaker, born in Boston, Massachusetts
• 1930 Gaafar Muhammad Nimeiry, premier/president (Sudan)
• 1930 Ty Hardin [Orison Hungerford Jr.], American actor (Riptide, Bronco), born in New York City (d. 2017)
• 1930 Werner Heider, German, pianist, conductore, and composer, born in Fürth, Bavaria, Germany
• 1931 Carel Brons, Dutch composer, born in Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1983)
• 1931 Siddig El Nigoumi, ceramicist
• 1932 Jackie Parker, American College and Canadian Football Hall of Fame utility (Mississippi State University; Grey Cup 1954-56; Edmonton Eskimos), born in Knoxville, Tennessee (d. 2006)
• 1933 Bo Linde, Swedish neo-classical composer, born in Gävle, Sweden (d. 1970)
• 1933 Ford Konno, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1,500m, 4x200m freestyle 1952; WR 200m freestyle 2:03.9, 400m freestyle 4:26.7), born in Honolulu, Hawaii
• 1933 Frederick Lowy, Canadian educator
• 1933 James A. Abrahamson, American Air Force general and astronaut

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• Year of the Rabbit
  2023
• Year of the Dragon
  2024
• Year of the Snake
  2025
• Year of the Horse
  2026
• Year of the Goat/Sheep
  2027
• Year of the Monkey
  2028