1895 – Borys Lyatoshynsky, Ukrainian composer, conductor, teacher, known as the father of modern Ukrainian music, born in Zhytomyr, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) (d. 1968)
1920 – Renato Carosone, Italian canzone napoletana singer, pianist, songwriter (“Tu vuò fà l’americano” – “You Want to Be American”), and accordionist, born in Naples, Kingdom of Italy (d. 2001)
1924 – Nell Rankin, American operatic mezzo-soprano (Carmen; Metropolitan Opera, 1951-76), born in Montgomery, Alabama (d. 2005)
1933 – Geoffrey Bindman, British human rights lawyer and legal advisor to the Race Relations Board (1966-76) and the Commission for Racial Equality (1976-83), born in Newcastle, England (d. 2025)
1943 – Van Dyke Parks, American songwriter, producer, arranger (Song Cycle; Orange Crate Art), born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
1946 – John Paul Jones [Baldwin], English rock bassist and songwriter (Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven”), born in London, England
1963 – Jerome Young, American pro wrestler (New Jack), born in Greensboro, North Carolina
1970 – Christian Duguay, American sketch comedy actor (MADtv), born in Stanford, California
1980 – Bryan Clay, American decathlete (Olympic gold 2008; World C’ship gold 2005), born in Austin, Texas
1989 – Alex D. Linz, American child actor (Max Keeble’s Big Move, One Fine Day), born in Santa Barbara, California
Author: Socials Admin
Famous Birthdays for 2nd January 2026
1752 – Philip Freneau, American poet of the American Revolution (The American Village), born in New York City (d. 1832)
1866 – Gilbert Murray, Australian professor and scholar of Ancient Greece, born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1957)
1896 – Ernst-Lothar von Knorr, German composer, and music educator, born in Eitorf, Germany (d. 1973)
1931 – Toshiki Kaifu, Prime Minister of Japan (1989-91), born in Nagoya, Japan (d. 2022)
1949 – Christopher Durang, American playwright (Sister Mary Ignatius, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike), born in Montclair, New Jersey (d. 2024)
1964 – Rumesh Ratnayake, Sri Lankan cricket fast bowler (23 Tests, 73 wickets; 70 ODIs), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka
1970 – Anthony Stuart, Australian cricket fast bowler and coach (3 ODIs; 8 wickets @ 13.62; hat trick 1997), born in Newcastle, Australia
1982 – Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greek race walker (Olympic gold 20k 2004), born in Preveza, Greece
1983 – Anthony Carrigan, American actor (Barry), born in Boston, Massachusetts
1985 – Heather O’Reilly, American soccer midfielder (231 caps; FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015; Olympic gold 2004, 08, 12), born in East Brunswick, New Jersey
Famous Birthdays for 1st January 2026
1815 – Charles Renouvier, French philosopher, born in Montpellier, France (d. 1903)
1849 – Benjamin Holt, American businessman (Holt Manufacturing; Caterpillar), and inventor (crawler-type tread tractor), born in Concord, New Hampshire (d. 1920)
1863 – Pierre de Coubertin, French educator and historian (founder International Olympic Committee; President IOC 1896–1925), born in Paris, France (d. 1937)
1867 – Jeanne Lanvin, French fashion designer and perfumer (Lavin), born in Paris, France (d. 1946)
1888 – John C. Garand, Canadian-American designer of the M1 semi-automatic rifle, born in St. Rémi, Quebec (d. 1974)
1901 – Century Milstead, American College Football Hall of Fame tackle (Yale; NFL C’ship 1927, NY Giants), born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (d. 1963)
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)
1944 – Ziya Şengül, Turkish soccer defender (20 caps; Fenerbahçe SK, PTT Ankara), born in Istanbul, Turkey (d. 2023)
1964 – (Dorothy) “DeDee” Pfeiffer, American actress (Cybill; For Your Love; Big Sky, born in Midway City, California
Famous Birthdays for 31st December 2025
1552 – Simon Forman, English Elizabethan astrologer and occultist, born in Quidhampton, England (d. 1611)
1668 – Hermannus Boerhaave, Dutch botanist and physician, born in Voorhout, Netherlands (d. 1738)
1830 – Isma’il Pasha, Khedive of Egypt (1863-79), born in Cairo, Egypt (d. 1895)
1869 – Henri Matisse, French impressionist painter (Odalisque), born in Le Cateau-Cambresis, France (d. 1954)
1885 – Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein, born in Province of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1970)
1919 – Tommy Byrne, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1950; World Series 1949, 56; NY Yankees), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 2007)
1919 – Recy Taylor, American civil rights activist and sexual assault victim, born in Abbeville, Alabama (d. 2017)
1921 – Lynn Compton, American jurist (Sirhan Sirhan prosecutor) and commissioned officer (Easy Company, 101st Airborne), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2012)
1954 – Hermann Tilke, German racing circuit architect, born in Olpe, Germany
1959 – Val Kilmer, American actor (Iceman in “Top Gun”; Batman in “Batman Forever”), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2025)
Famous Birthdays for 30th December 2025
1673 – Ahmed III, 23rd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1703-30), born in Dobrich, Ottoman Empire (d. 1736)
1741 – Bartolomeo Giacometti, Italian composer, born in Verona, Republic of Venice (d. 1809)
1907 – Christine Auwen, Dutch model, singer and actress (Haghezangers), born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (d. 1983)
1921 – Rashid Karami, Lebanese statesman (elected Prime Minister 8 times between 1958-87), born in Miriata, State of Greater Lebanon (d. 1987)
1926 – Stanley Tracey, British jazz pianist and composer (Under Milk Wood), born in Denmark Hill, South London, England (d. 2013)
1933 – Andy Stewart, Scottish singer (“Donald Where’s Your Troosers?”, “A Scottish Soldier”), lyricist, and television presenter (The White Heather Club; Scotch Corner), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1993)
1942 – Vladimir Bukovsky, Russian author, activist, and dissident (To Build a Castle; Judgment In Moscow: Soviet Crimes and Western Complicity), born in Belebey, Soviet Union
1959 – Alfie Anido, Filipino model and actor (Temptation Island), born in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines (d. 1981)
1962 – Paavo Järvi, Estonian-American conductor (Cincinnati Symphony, 2001-11; Orchestre de Paris, 2010-16; NHK Symphony, 2015-22), born in Tallinn, Estonian SSR, USSR
1973 – Jon Theodore, American drummer (The Mars Volta, 2001-06; Queens of the Stone Age, 2013-present), born in Baltimore, Maryland
Famous Birthdays for 29th December 2025
1850 – Tomás Bretón, Spanish conductor and composer (La Dolores; La verbena de la Paloma), born in Salamanca, Spain (d. 1923)
1920 – Syd Dernley, British hangman (1949-54), born in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire (d. 1994)
1927 – Andy Stanfield, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x100m relay 1952, silver 200m 1956; WR 200m: 20.60 1952), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1985)
1930 – Willy Giefer, German composer (Everything That Breathes), born in Koblenz, Germany (d. 2020)
1944 – Rodney Redmond, New Zealand cricket batsman (1 Test, 1 x 100, HS 107; Auckland, Wellington), born in Whangarei, New Zealand
1949 – Michèle Burke, Irish makeup artist and one of the first women to win the Academy Award for Best Makeup (Quest for Fire, Interview with the Vampire), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 2025)
1954 – Glenn Myernick, American soccer player and coach (Olympic gold 1996), born in Trenton, New Jersey
1965 – (Bryan) “Dexter” Holland, American rock singer-songwriter (The Offspring), born in Garden Grove, California
1970 – Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver, born in Osaka, Japan
1979 – Ariel Schrag, American cartoonist, born in Berkeley, California
Famous Birthdays for 28th December 2025
1783 – Robert Gallenberg, Austrian ballet composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1939)
1805 – Tomás Genovés y Lapetra Spanish opera and zarzuela composer (The Abduction), born in Zaragoza, Spain (d. 1861)
1932 – Roy Hattersley, British journalist and politician (Mempber of Parliament, 1964-97, Labour Party Deputy Leader, 1983-92), born in Sheffield, England
1933 – John Y. Brown Jr., American politician, 55th governor of Kentucky, and co-owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken, born in Lexington, Kentucky
1943 – Bobby Comstock, American pop-rock singer (The Counts – “Let’s Stomp”), born in Ithaca, New York (d. 2020)
1956 – Nigel Kennedy, British classical, jazz and klezmer violinist, born in Brighton, England
1967 – Chris Ware, US cartoonist, born in Omaha, Nebraska
1971 – Steve Morrison, US NFL linebacker (Indianapolis Colts), born in Birmingham, Michigan
1980 – Lomana LuaLua, Congolese football player, born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
1984 – Alex Lloyd, British racing driver, born in Manchester, United Kingdom
Famous Birthdays for 27th December 2025
1709 – Pieter de Swart, Dutch architect (Delfts Port Rotterdam; Royal Theatre, The Hague), born in Breda, Netherlands (d. 1773)
1823 – Mackenzie Bowell, 5th Prime Minister of Canada (1894-96), born in Rickinghall, England (d. 1917)
1831 – Lucius Fairchild, American politician, diplomat, and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Kent, Ohio (d. 1896)
1865 – Harry Butt, English cricket wicket-keeper (3 Tests, 2 dismissals; Sussex CCC, MCC), born in London, England (d. 1928)
1879 – Robert Greig, Australian actor (Sullivan’s Travels, Horse Feathers), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1958)
1910 – Neville Crump, British racehorse trainer (Grand National 1948, 52, 60), born in Beckenham, Kent, England (d. 1997)
1925 – Michel Piccoli, French actor (Topaz, Peril, May Fools), born in Paris, France (d. 2020)
1938 – Rolf Wolfshohl, German road cyclist (Vuelta a España 1965; World Cyclo-cross C’ship 1960, 61, 63), born in Cologne, Germany (d. 2024)
1951 – Ernesto Zedillo, 61st President of Mexico (1994-2000), born in Mexico City
1985 – Bjarke Mogensen, Danish classical accordionist (Martin Lohse – In Liquid), and educator (Royal Danish Academy, 2011-present), born in Rønne, Bornholm, Denmark
Famous Birthdays for 26th December 2025
1771 – Heinrich Joseph von Collin, Austria dramatist and poet (Regulus), born in Vienna (d. 1811)
1837 – Morgan Bulkeley, American politician (US Senator – Connecticut 1905-11) and Baseball HOF administrator (NL President 1876), born in East Haddam, Connecticut (d. 1922)
1910 – Imperio Argentina, Argentine actress and singer, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2003)
1932 – Don Furner, Australian rugby league forward (1 Test) and coach (Australia 15 Tests; Eastern Suburbs, Canberra Raiders), born in Condobolin, Australia (d. 2020)
1935 – Abdul “Duke” Fakir, American rock vocalist (Four Tops), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2024)
1935 – Rale Rasic, Australian soccer coach (Australia 1969-74; Marconi Stallions FC) and broadcaster (SBS), born in Dole, Bosnia and Herzegovina (d. 2023)
1947 – Joyce Jillson, American newspaper columnist, author, astrologer and actress (Superchick, Jill Smith in “Peyton Place”), born in Cranston, Rhode Island (d. 2004)
1953 – Steve Sisolak, American politician and Governor of Nevada (2019-), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1954 – Palmolive [Paloma Romero McLardy] Spanish-British punk rock drummer and songwriter (The Slits, The Raincoats), born in Melilla, Spain
1964 – Elizabeth Kostova, American author (The Historian), born in New London, Connecticut
Famous Birthdays for 25th December 2025
1845 – Salvatore Auteri-Manzocchi, Italian opera composer (Graziella), born in Palermo, Kingdome of the Two Sicilies (d. 1924)
1865 – Evangeline Cory Booth, English-American religious leader (Salvation Army general 1904-34), born in London, England (d. 1950)
1893 – Fred Hillebrand, American actor (Martin Kane, Moon Over Manhattan), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1963)
1900 – W L “Tich” Cornford, English cricket wicketkeeper (4 Tests, 8 dismissals; Sussex CCC), born in Hurst Green, England (d. 1964)
1929 – China Machado, Chinese-born model, 1st non-Caucasian super model, born in Shanghai (d. 2016)
1949 – Mustafa Cengiz, Turkish businessman and sports administrator (president Galatasaray S.K. 2018-21), born in Nizip, Turkey (d. 2021)
1964 – Tim Royes, English-American music video director, born in London (d. 2007)
1966 – Javier Frana, Argentine tennis player (French Open mixed doubles 1996 [Patricia Tarabini]; Wimbledon doubles 1991 runner-up; 3 x ATP singles titles, 7 doubles), born in Rafaela, Argentina
1981 – Griffin Matthews, American actor (The Flight Attendant), and musical theater composer and lyricist (Witness Uganda), and human rights activist, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1982 – Shawn Andrews, American football offensive lineman (Pro Bowl 2006, 07; First-team All-Pro 2006; Philadelphia Eagles), born in Littleton, Massachusetts