1381 – Saint Colette of Corbie, French abbess and reformer (Poor Clares), born in Corbie, County of Amiens, Duchy of Burgundy (d. 1447)
1616 – Antoinette Bourignon, Flemish-French mystic, born in Lille (d. 1680)
1881 – Essington Lewis, Australian industrialist, Director-General of the Department of Munitions in WWII, born in Burra, South Australia (d. 1961)
1887 – George Gurdjieff, Armenian-Greek mystic who established the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, born in Alexandropol, Armenia, Russian Empire (d. 1949) disputed date
1907 – Jeff Morrow [Leslie Irving Morrow], American actor (Robe, Union Pacific, Temperatures Rising), born in New York City (d. 1993)
1931 – Ian Hendry, British actor (The Avengers, The Lotus Eaters), born in Ipswich, Suffolk (d. 1984)
1947 – Drew Abbott, American rock guitarist (Silver Bullet Band, 1974-83), born in Royal Oak, Michigan
1949 – Rakesh Sharma, Indian cosmonaut (Soyuz T-11), first Indian in space, born in Patiala, India
1955 – Jay McInerney, American novelist (Bright Lights, Big City), born in Hartford, Connecticut
1967 – Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer, born in Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union
Author: Socials Admin
Famous Birthdays for 12th January 2026
1783 – Erik Gustaf Geijer, Swedish historian and poet (Natthimmelen), born in Geijersgården, Sweden (d. 1847)
1906 – (Woodward) “Tex” Ritter, American country singer (5 Star Jubilee, “Wayward Wind”), born in Murvaul, Texas (d. 1974)
1927 – Salvatore Martirano, American composer, born in Yonkers, New York (d. 1995)
1959 – Blixa Bargeld, German singer and musician (Einstürzende Neubauten; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), born in West Berlin; West Germany
1960 – Dominique Wilkins, American Basketball HOF forward (9 × NBA All-Star 1986–94; NBA scoring champion 1986; NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion 1985, 90; Atlanta Hawks), born in Paris, France
1970 – Raekwon [Corey Woods], American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York
1973 – Greg Morton, American actor (Scarecrow and Mrs King), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1975 – Chase Hampton, American pop-rocker (The Party – “Rodeo”, “That’s Why”), born in Oklahoma City
1982 – Dimitrios Tsiamis, Greek triple jumper, born in Karditsa, Greece
1982 – Paul-Henri Mathieu, French tennis player, born in Strasbourg, France
Famous Birthdays for 11th January 2026
1859 – Jan Ligthart, Dutch educator and philosopher (Nog bij mother, Ot and Sien), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1916)
1901 – Sulamith Wülfing, German artist and illustrator, born in Elberfeld, Kingdom of Prussia (now Germany) (d. 1989)
1907 – Pierre Mendès-France, French Premier (1954-55), born in Paris (d. 1982)
1910 – Dorothy Stroud, English museum curator and biographer, born in London (d. 1997)
1923 – Carroll Shelby, American auto racer who won LeMans 1959; and automobile designer Ford Shelby Mustang, Shelby GT, Dodge Shelby Charger, Dodge Viper, born in Leesburg, Texas (d. 2012)
1930 – Rod Taylor, Australian actor (The Birds, Time Machine), born in Sydney, New South Wales (d. 2015)
1932 – Alfonso Arau, Mexican film director known for “Like Water for Chocolate”, born in Mexico City
1946 – Tony Kaye [Anthony John Selvidge], British progressive rock piano and organ player (Yes, 1968-71; 1983-94; 2018–19), born in Leicester, England
1957 – Darryl Dawkins, American basketball center (Philadelphia 76ers, NJ Nets; NBA breaking a backboard rule), born in Orlando, Florida (d. 2015)
1987 – Jamie Vardy, English football player (Leicester City, England), born in Sheffield, England
Famous Birthdays for 10th January 2026
1628 – Jan Theunisz Blanckerhoff [Jan Maet], Dutch painter, born in Alkmaar, Netherlands (d. 1669)
1815 – Alexander Brydie Dyer, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 1874)
1840 – Louis Nazaire Bégin, French Canadian archbishop and cardinal, born in Lévis, Canada (d. 1925)
1886 – Roman von Ungern-Sternberg ‘the mad Baron’, Baltic-German baron and anti-communist Russian general, born in Graz, Austria-Hungary (d. 1921)
1912 – Maria Mandl, Austrian Nazi concentration camp worker (Lichtenburg; Ravensbrück) extermination camp official (Auschwitz II-Birkenau), and convicted war criminal, born in Münzkirchen, Austria-Hungary (d. 1948)
1918 – Arthur Chung, President of Guyana, born in Windsor Great Park, United Kingdom (d. 2008)
1937 – Thomas Penfield Jackson, American judge, born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2013)
1945 – Spider Sabich, American alpine skier (Olympics 1968; shot by actress Claudine Longet), born in Sacramento, California (d. 1976)
1955 – Jimmy Vivino, American guitarist (Reckless Sleepers; Max Weinberg 7; Fab Faux), and music director (Conan O’Brien’s Basic Cable Band), born in Paterson, New Jersey
1965 – Choi Dae-Shik, South Korean soccer midfielder who played 15 internationals; Daewoo Royals, LG Cheetahs, Oita Trinita, born in Hamyang County, South Korea (d. 2024)
Famous Birthdays for 9th January 2026
1699 – Robert Joseph Pothier, French lawyer (influential writer on French Law), born in Orléans, France (d. 1772)
1803 – Christopher Memminger, German-born American Confederate Secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War, born in Nayhingen, Württemberg (d. 1888)
1897 – Luis Gianneo, Argentine pianist, organist, conductor, composer, and teacher, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1968)
1916 – Alain Bernardin, French impresario (Crazy Horse Saloon), born in Dijon, France (d. 1994)
1921 – Ágnes Keleti, Hungarian-Israeli gymnast (Olympic gold Floor 1952; Uneven bars, balance beam, floor, team 1956) and Holocaust survivor, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2025)
1945 – Frank Biondi, American businessman (HBO), born in New York City
1956 – Kimberly Beck, American actress (Peyton Place; Rich Man, Poor Man Book II; Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter), born in Glendale, California
1960 – Haukur Tómasson, Icelandic classical composer (Gudruns 4th Song; Strati), born in Reykjavik, Iceland
1969 – Johanna Ikonen, Finnish ice hockey defenseman (Finland, Olympics 1998), born in Eno, Finland
1978 – Maggie Rizer, American AIDS activist and model (Louis Vuitton AW14), born in Staten Island, New York
Famous Birthdays for 8th January 2026
1812 – Sigismond Fortune Francois Thalberg, Swiss pianist, born in Geneva, Switzerland (d. 1871)
1815 – Lawrence Pike Graham, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Amelia County, Virginia (d. 1905)
1883 – Pavel Filonov, Russian avant-garde painter, born in Moscow (d. 1941)
1891 – Bronislava Nijinska, Polish-Russian ballet dancer (Ballets Russes) and choreographer, born in Minsk, Russian Empire (d. 1972)
1902 – Gret Palucca, German dancer and choreographer (Silent Song), born in Munich, Germany (d. 1993)
1924 – Benjamin Lees [Lysniansky], American composer (Kalmar Nyckel; Memorial Candles), born in Harbin, Manchuria, China (d. 2010)
1942 – Stephen Hawking, English physicist (Black Holes and Baby Universes), born in Oxford, England (d. 2018)
1969 – Teresa Salgueiro, Portuguese folk and world music singer, and songwriter (Madredeus, 1987-2007), born in Lisbon, Portugal
1982 – Gaby Hoffman, American film actress (Field of Dreams, Uncle Buck, Now and Then), born in New York City
1984 – Jeff Francoeur, American baseball outfielder (Atlanta Braves, NY Mets, KC Royals) and broadcaster (Atlanta Braves, TBS), born in Atlanta, Georgia
Famous Birthdays for 7th January 2026
891 – Abd al-Rahman III, Umayyad Emir (912-29) and 1st Caliph of Córdoba (929-961) [birthdate disputed], born in Córdoba (d. 961)
1653 – Bernhard Albinus, German-Dutch court-physician (Frederick of Prussia), born in Dessau (d. 1721)
1910 – Orval Faubus, American politician, Governor of Arkansas (1955-67), tried to prevent black students attending a high school during Little Rock Crisis, born in Madison County, Arkansas (d. 1994)
1929 – Ken Henry, American speed skater (Olympic gold 500m, 1952), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2009)
1930 – Eddie LeBaron, American football quarterback (Pro Bowl 1955, 57, 58, 62; Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys), born in San Rafael, California (d. 2015)
1942 – Danny Williams, British pop singer, known as ‘Britain’s Johnny Mathis’ (“Moon River”; “White on White”), born in Port Elizabeth, Union of South Africa (d. 2005)
1946 – Andy Brown, British rock drummer (The Fortunes, 1963-77 – “You’ve Got Your Troubles”; “Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again”), born in Birmingham, England
1977 – Dustin Diamond, American actor (Saved By Bell – “Screech”), born in San Jose, California (d. 2021)
1977 – Vanesa Lorenzo, Spanish fashion model (Marie Claire, Vogue), born in Barcelona, Spain
1980 – Ivan L. Moody [Greening] American heavy metal singer and songwriter (Five Finger Death Punch), born in Denver, Colorado
Famous Birthdays for 6th January 2026
1486 – Martin Agricola [Sohr], German Renaissance composer, cantor, and music theorist, born in Świebodzin, Bohemian Silesia (d. 1556)
1730 – Thomas Chittenden, American politician (1st Governor of Vermont, 1791-97; Governor of Vermont Republic, 1778-89 and 1790-91), born in East Guilford, British Colony of Connecticut (d. 1797)
1827 – John Calvin Brown, Major General (Confederate Army), born in Giles County, Tennessee (d. 1889)
1922 – Finn Einar Mortensen, Norwegian composer, born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1983)
1935 – Paul Wilson, American doo-wop baritone singer (Flamingos, 1953-64 – “I Only Have Eyes For You”; “Lovers Never Say Goodbye”), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1988)
1945 – Barry John, Welsh rugby union fly-half (25 Tests Wales, 5 British and Irish Lions; Cefneithin RFC, Llanelli RFC, Cardiff RFC, Barbarian FC), born in Cefneithin, Wales (d. 2024)
1959 – Kathy Sledge, American vocalist (Sister Sledge – “We are Family”), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1961 – Howie Long, American NFL tackle/actor/broadcaster (Broken Arrow), born in Somerville, Massachusetts
1967 – Peter Loran, American rock vocalist (Trixter – “Give It To Me Good”), born in Teaneck, New Jersey
1978 – Tara Spencer-Nairn, Canadian actress (Corner Gas, You’re My Hero), born in Montréal, Québec
Famous Birthdays for 5th January 2026
1846 – Rudolf Christoph Eucken, German idealist philosopher (Nobel 1908), born in Aurich, Germany (d. 1926)
1855 – King C. Gillette, American businessman and inventor of inexpensive and disposable safety razor blades, born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (d. 1932)
1893 – Friedrich Blume, German musicologist (Das Rassenproblem in der Musik), born in Schlüchtern, Germany (d. 1975)
1908 – George Dolenz [Jure Dolenc], Italian actor (Scared Stiff, Count of Monte Cristo), born in Trieste, Austria-Hungary (d. 1963)
1932 – Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher and author (Name of the Rose), born in Alessandria, Piedmont (d. 2016)
1950 – John Manley, Canadian politician, born in Ottawa, Canada
1953 – Dwight Muhammad Qawi, American boxer (WBC light-heavyweight title 1981–1983; WBA cruiserweight title 1985–1986; International Boxing HOF), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 2025)
1969 – David Dixon, NFL guard (Minnesota Vikings), born in Papakura, New Zealand
1978 – Franck Montagny, French Formula One driver, born in Feurs, France
1980 – Garette Patrick Ratliff, American actor (Return to Blue Lagoon), born in Burbank, California
Famous Birthdays for 4th January 2026
1890 – Mosa Pijade, Yugoslavian communist politician who worked with Tito, born in Belgrade, Serbia (d. 1957)
1893 – Manuel Palau, Spanish composer (Concierto Levantino; Mascarada sarcástica), and educator (Conservatory of Valencia), born in Alfara del Patriarca, Spain (d. 1967)
1894 – Manoel de Abreu, Brazilian radiologist who developed chest photofluorography, born in São Paulo, Brazil (d. 1962)
1935 – Floyd Patterson, American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1956-59, 1960-62, Olympic gold 1952), born in Waco, North Carolina (d. 2006)
1937 – Grace Bumbry, American mezzo-soprano (Venus in Tannhäuser, 1st Black singer to sing at Bayreuth Festival), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2023)
1951 – Pete Haycock, British blues-rock guitarist, vocalist, and composer (Climax Blues Band – “Couldn’t Get It Right”), born in Stafford, England (d. 2013)
1960 – Michael Stipe, American rock vocalist and songwriter (R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion”; “Stand”; “Everybody Hurts”), born in Decatur, Georgia
1963 – Till Lindemann, German heavy metal singer (Rammstein), born in Leipzig, East Germany
1967 – Benjamin Darvill, Canadian harmonic player, guitarist, and mandolinist (Crash Test Dummies -“Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”; Son of Dave), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
1976 – Benoît Joachim, Luxembourg cyclist, born in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg