1775 – Friedrich von Schelling, German philosopher (Views on Christianity), born in Leonberg, Württemberg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1854)
1822 – Thomas Leiper Kane, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1883)
1868 – Cato Engelen-Sewing, Dutch soprano prima donna (Dutch Opera), born in Amsterdam (d. 1961)
1872 – Learned Hand, American Chief Judge of US Court of Appeals, born in Albany, New York (d. 1961)
1895 – Joseph Rosenstock, American conductor (NY City Opera), born in Kraków, Poland (d. 1985)
1895 – Harry Ruby [Harry Rubenstein], American composer and screenwriter, born in New York City (d. 1974)
1903 – Otto P. Weyland, American air force commander during the Korean War, born in Riverside, California (d. 1979)
1928 – Hans Modrow, German politician (last Communist Prime Minister of East Germany 1989-90), born in Jasenitz, Germany (d. 2023)
1960 – Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanian politician (1st female President of Tanzania 2021-), born in Makunduchi, Sultanate of Zanzibar
1970 – Emmanuel Pahud, French-Swiss flautist, born in Geneva, Switzerland
Category: Famous Birthdays
Famous Birthdays for 26th January 2026
1748 – Emanuel Aloys Förster, Bohemian composer and music teacher, born in Niederstaina, Kingdom of Prussia (now Ścinawka Dolna, Poland) (d. 1823)
1814 – Rufus King, American newspaper editor, politician and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in New York City (d. 1876)
1905 – Maria Augusta von Trapp, Austrian singer who inspired “The Sound of Music”, born in Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Empire (d. 1987)
1925 – Paul Newman, American actor (Hud, Hombre, Hustler), auto racer and team owner (Newman/Haas Racing) and charity food company founder (Newman’s Own), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2008)
1926 – Charles Henderson Tidbury, British brewing executive (Whitbread and Co), born in Camberley, Surrey, England (d. 2003)
1951 – David Briggs, Australian rock guitarist (Little River Band, 1976-81 – “Lonesome Loser”), born in Melbourne, Australia
1962 – Tim May, Australian cricket spin bowler (24 Tests, 75 wickets, BB 5/9; South Australia CA), born in Adelaide, Australia
1963 – Jazzie B [Beresford Romeo], English rapper (Soul II Soul – “Feel Free”), born in Hornsey, London, England
1971 – Benjamin Jaffe, American jazz tuba and double bass player, creative director (Preservation Hall Jazz Band), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1978 – Kelly Stables, American actress (Superstore, The Exes), born in St. Louis, Missouri
Famous Birthdays for 25th January 2026
1634 – Gaspar Fagel, Dutch statesman and writer, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1688)
1851 – Jan Blockx, Belgian opera composer (Sea Bride, Princess of Herberg), born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1912)
1908 – Lord Iliffe, English publisher (Coventry Evening Telegraph/Autocar), born in Coventry, United Kingdom (d. 1960)
1908 – Howard Wendell, American actor (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Murder Your Wife), born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (d. 1975)
1918 – Ernie Harwell, American baseball broadcaster (Detroit Tigers, 1960-2002), born in Washington, Georgia (d. 2010)
1923 – Shirley Mason, American psychiatric patient (Commonly known as “Sybil”), born in Dodge Center, Minnesota (d. 1998)
1929 – Robert Faurisson, British-born French academic, born in Shepperton, United Kingdom (d. 2018)
1951 – Steve Prefontaine, American long-distance runner (Olympics, 1972), born in Coos Bay, Oregon (d. 1975)
1957 – Eskil Erlandsson, Swedish politician, born in Kronoberg County, Sweden
1983 – Andrée Watters, Canadian pop-country-rock singer, born in Quebec City, Quebec
Famous Birthdays for 24th January 2026
76 – Hadrian, Roman Emperor (117-138) and builder of Hadrian’s Wall, born in Italica (d. 138)
1828 – Adam Jacoby Slemmer, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (d. 1868)
1912 – Ken Weekes, West Indian cricket batsman (2 Tests, top score 137; first Test cricketer born in US), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1998)
1916 – Marvin Creamer, American mariner, 1st recorded person to sail around the world without navigational instruments, born near Vineland, New Jersey (d. 2020)
1940 – Dave Getz, American drummer (Big Brother and The Holding Company), born in Brooklyn, New York City
1949 – Bart Gordon, American politician (Rep-D-TN, 1985-2011), born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee,
1950 – William A. Henry III, American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist (Boston Globe), arts critic (Time Magazine), and author, born in South Orange, New Jersey (d. 1994)
1951 – Murray Sinclair, Canadian and Anishinaabe senator and lawyer, led the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, born in Selkirk, Manitoba (d. 2024)
1954 – Jo Gartner, Austrian racing driver, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1986)
1976 – Cindy Pieters, Belgian cyclist, born in Veurne, Belgium
Famous Birthdays for 23rd January 2026
1689 – Joseph Ames, English bibliographer and antiquarian (Typographical Antiquities), born in Great Yarmouth, England (d. 1759)
1830 – Gaston, Marquis de Galliffet, French general and Minister of War (1899-1900), born in Paris, France (d. 1909)
1843 – Bolko von Hochberg, German diplomat and composer, born in Castle Fürstenstein, Silesia (d. 1926)
1869 – Felice Boghen, Italian composer, born in Florence, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1945)
1925 – Marty Paich, American jazz pianist, conductor, producer, and arranger (Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson), born in Oakland, California (d. 1995)
1928 – Jeanne Moreau, French actress (Going Places, Jules and Jim), born in Paris, France (d. 2017)
1929 – Filaret Denysenko [Mykhailo Denysenko], Ukrainian religious leader and Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate, born in Blahodatne, Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR
1942 – [Lily] Susan Todd, British stage actress, director and co-founder of the Monstrous Regiment theatre company, born in Stourbridge, England (d. 2025)
1972 – Kez McCorvey, American NFL wide receiver (Detroit Lions), born in Gautier, Mississippi
2002 – Josko Gvardiol, Croatian football player (Manchester City), born in Zagreb, Croatia
Famous Birthdays for 22nd January 2026
1796 – Karl Ernst Claus, Russian chemist, discovered chemical element ruthenium, born in Dorpat, Russia (modern Estonia) (d. 1864)
1897 – “Blind” Willie Johnson, American gospel blues singer and guitarist (“Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground”), born in Pendleton, Texas (d. 1945) [Note: some sources cite date as 25th]
1911 – Suzanne Danco, Belgian operatic soprano singer, born in Brussels (d. 2000)
1913 – Carl F. H. Henry, American evangelical theologian and publisher, born in Long Island, New York (d. 2003)
1925 – Leslie Silver, English paint manufacturer, Chairman of Leeds United, born in London, England (d. 2014)
1938 – Joe Esposito, American author and friend of Elvis, born in Chicago (d. 2016)
1941 – Eugene Hasenfus, American Marine and gunrunner involved in the Iran-Contra affair, born in Marinette, Wisconsin (d. 2025)
1957 – Francis Wheen, English writer and journalist, born in England
1980 – Ernst Busch, German cabaret and political song singer, and actor (Life of Galileo), born in Kiel, German Empire (d. 1980)
1980 – Subhash Ram Prajapati, Nepalese writer, born in Bhaktapur, Nepal
Famous Birthdays for 21st January 2026
1801 – Ramon Vilanova y Barrera, Catalan composer and choirmaster, born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 1870)
1825 – Imre Madách, Hungarian writer known for “The Tragedy of Man”, born in Alsósztregova, Kingdom of Hungary (d. 1864)
1895 – Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish couturier ‘The Master’, born in Getaria, Spain (d. 1972)
1904 – Richard P. Blackmur, American critic and poet (Good European), born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 1965)
1920 – Edwin Alberian, American TV entertainer (Clarabell the clown), born in New York (d. 1997)
1942 – Edwin Starr [Hatcher], American soul and RandB singer (“War”; “Twenty-Five Miles”), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2003)
1943 – Dimitris Poulikakos, Greek rock singer-songwriter (Exadaktylos; MGC), and actor, born in Athens, Greece
1946 – Vincent Placoly, Martinique writer and playwright (L’eau-de-mort guildive), born in Martinique (d. 1992)
1977 – Phil Neville, English soccer fullback (59 caps; Manchester United, Everton) and manager (England Women 2021–2023, Inter Miami, Portland Timbers), born in Bury, England
1978 – Tamir “Nokio” Ruffin, American rapper, songwriter, and record producer (Dru Hill), born in Baltimore, Maryland
Famous Birthdays for 20th January 2026
1758 – Marie-Anne Paulze Lavoisier, French chemist (worked with husband Antoine Lavoisier), born in Montbrison, France (d. 1836)
1809 – Sebastian de Iradier, Spanish-Basque composer (La Paloma), born in Lanciego, Álava, Spain (d. 1865)
1825 – Henry G. Blasdel, American politician (1st Governor of Nevada, 1864-71), and miner, born in Cambridge, Indiana (d. 1900)
1898 – U Razak, Burmese politician, one of 19 independence leaders assassinated on Martyr’s Day, born in Meiktila, British Burma, (d. 1947)
1906 – Aristotle Onassis, Greek-Argentine business magnate, owner of world’s largest shipping fleet, and second husband of Jacqueline Kennedy, born in Konak, Turkey (d. 1975)
1928 – Peter Donat, Canadian-American actor (Flamingo Road, Different Story), born in Kentville, Nova Scotia (d. 2018)
1930 – Raymond Van Gestel, Belgian soccer winger (5 caps; Lyra) and athlete (Belgian long jump champion), born in Mol, Belgium (d. 2020)
1955 – Hiromi Ōta, Japanese pop singer (Momen no handkerchief), born in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
1959 – Bernard Tyson, American healthcare advocate and 1st African American CEO of Kaiser Permanente, born in San Francisco Bay Area, California
1997 – Blueface [Johnathan Jamall Porter], American rapper (Respect My Cryppin; Thotiana), born in Los Angeles, California
Famous Birthdays for 19th January 2026
1808 – Lysander Spooner, American philosopher, born in Athol, Massachusetts (d. 1887)
1904 – Pei Wenzhong, Chinese anthropologist and archaeologist (Peking Man), born in Fengnan, China (d. 1982)
1919 – Ray Eberle, American big band vocalist (Glenn Miller; Gene Krupa), and bandleader, born in Hoosick Falls, New York (d. 1979)
1932 – Richard Lester, American film director (“Hard Day’s Night”, “Help!”, “Petulia”), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1947 – Roderic “Rod” Evans, English rocker (The Maze, Deep Purple), born in Eton, Buckinghamshire, England
1963 – Caron Wheeler, English singer (Soul II Soul – “Keep on Movin'”), born in Acton, London, England
1970 – T. J. Mathews, American baseball pitcher (St Louis Cardinals), born in Columbia, Illinois
1974 – Jaime Moreno, Bolivian soccer forward (75 caps; D.C. United 329 games), born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
1992 – Shawn Johnson, American artistic gymnast, born in Des Moines, Iowa
1999 – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, American blues guitarist and singer (662), born in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Famous Birthdays for 18th January 2026
1672 – Antoine Houdar de la Motte, French playwright and poet, born in Paris (d. 1731)
1882 – Jacob Clay, Dutch philosopher and physicist (cosmic rays as charged particles), born in Berkhout, Netherlands (d. 1955)
1905 – Joseph Bonanno, Italian-American mafioso and crime boss of the Bonanno crime family, born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Italy (d. 2002)
1925 – Gilles Deleuze, French philosopher (Difference and Repetition), born in Paris, France (d. 1995)
1926 – Bobby Edwards [Moncrief], American country singer-songwriter (“You’re The Reason”), born in Anniston, Alabama (d. 2012)
1938 – Hargus “Pig” Robbins, American Nashville session piano player (Patsy Cline; Charlie Rich; Roger Miller; Bob Dylan; Ween), born in Spring City, Tennessee (d. 2022)
1944 – Relus ter Beek, Dutch Labour Party politician (House of Representatives, 1971-89; Minister of Defense, 1989-94; Queen’s Commissioner of Drenthe, 1995-2008), born in Coevorden, Netherlands (d. 2008)
1979 – Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer and producer known as the ‘King of Mandopop’, born in New Taipei City, Taiwan
1988 – Ashleigh Murray, American actress (Riverdale), born in Kansas City, Missouri
1999 – Karan Brar, American actor (Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Bunk’d), born in Redmond, Washington