1818 – Antoine-Aimé Dorion, Canadian politician and jurist (joint premier of Canada 1858, 1863-64), born in Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Lower Canada (d. 1891)
1899 – Robert Maynard Hutchins, American educational philosopher (University of Chicago), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1977)
1905 – Peggy Gilbert [Margaret Knechtges], American jazz saxophonist, pianist, and bandleader (Metro Goldwyn Orchestra; Symphonics; Dixie Belles), born in Sioux City, Iowa (d. 2007)
1925 – Annie Delorie, Dutch opera singer (Nederlandse Opera, 1950-70), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2009)
1949 – Andy Kaufman, American comedian and actor (Taxi – “Latka Gravas”), born in New York City (d. 1984)
1954 – Susan Kiefel, Australian lawyer and judge, born in Cairns, Australia
1955 – Katalin Kariko, Hungarian-American biochemist (2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for mRNA vaccine technology), born in Szolnok, Hungary
1955 – Kazumasa Akiyama, Japanese jazz-fusion guitarist (Dig My Style), born in Tokyo, Japan
1956 – Cristina [Monet Zilkha], American dance-pop singer songwriter (“Sleep It Off”), born in New York City (d. 2020)
1975 – Tom Jenkinson, English bassist, composer, and electronic music producer (Squarepusher), born in Chelmsford, England
Category: Famous Birthdays
Famous Birthdays for 16th January 2026
1844 – Ismail Qemali, Albanian nationalist and 1st Prime Minister of Albania (1912-14), born in Vlorë, Ottoman Empire (d. 1919)
1878 – Harry Carey [Henry DeWitt Carey II], American actor (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Red River), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1947)
1896 – Ruth Rose, American screenwriter (King Kong), born in Somerville, Massachusetts (d. 1978)
1901 – Fulgencio Batista, Dictator and President of Cuba (1933-44, 1952-59), born in Banes, Cuba (d. 1973)
1907 – Paul Nitze, American government official, Deputy Secretary of Defence, Secretary of the Navy and policy advisor on the USSR, born in Amherst, Massachusetts (d. 2004)
1923 – Willem Aantjes, Dutch political leader (CDA), had to resign over WWII war record, born in Bleskensgraaf, Netherlands (d. 2015)
1928 – John Fozard, British aeronautical engineer, and aircraft designer (the Hawker Siddeley Harrier), born in Liversedge, England (d. 1996)
1931 – Johannes Rau, German politician (President of Germany, 1999-2004; Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1978-98), born in Wuppertal, Germany (d. 2006)
1958 – Wayne Bergeron, American jazz and session trumpeter (Maynard Ferguson; Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band), and educator, born in Hartford, Connecticut
1982 – Tuncay Şanlı, Turkish footballer, born in Sakarya Province
Famous Birthdays for 15th January 2026
1824 – Marie Duplessis [Alphonsine Rose Plessis], French courtesan, born in Nonant-le-Pin, Normandy, France (d. 1847)
1872 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian writer, born in Terek Oblast (d. 1944)
1892 – Rex Ingram [Reginald Hitchcock], Irish director (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1950)
1953 – Kent Hovind, American evangelist and Young Earth Creationist, jailed for not paying taxes, born in the United States
1954 – Jose Dalisay Jr., Filipino writer, born in Romblon, Philippines
1957 – Mario Van Peebles, Mexican actor (Posse, South Bronx Heroes), born in Mexico City
1977 – Simon James Cook, British cricketer, born in Oxford, England
1978 – Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist, born in Latisana, Italy
1986 – Fred Davis, American football player, born in Toledo, Ohio
1990 – Chris Warren Jr., American actor (Sistas, High School Musical), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
Famous Birthdays for 14th January 2026
1684 – Jean-Baptiste Vanloo, French painter, born in Aix-en-Provence, France (d. 1745)
1824 – Vladimir Stasov, Russian art and music critic, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1906)
1915 – Mark Goodson, American radio and TV game show producer, with Bill Todman (“I’ve Got A Secret”; “The Price Is Right”; “Password”), born in Sacramento, California (d. 1992)
1920 – Donald Beard, New Zealand cricketer (NZ pace bowler in the 1950’s), born in Palmerston North, New Zealand (d. 1982)
1931 – Frank Costigan, Australian lawyer, born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2009)
1940 – Siegmund Nimsgern, German operatic bass-baritone, born in Sankt Wendel, Germany
1949 – Lamar Williams, American musician (The Allman Brothers Band), born in Gulfport, Mississippi (d. 1983)
1969 – Martin Bicknell, English cricket fast bowler (4 Tests, 14 wickets; 7 ODIs, 13 wickets; Surrey), born in Guildford, England
1971 – Lasse Kjus, Norwegian skier, born in Oslo, Norway
1980 – Cory Gibbs, American soccer defender (19 caps; FC St.Pauli, Feyenoord, Colorado Rapids, NE Revolution, Chicago Fire), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Famous Birthdays for 13th January 2026
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
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