Did you know about Krysten Ritter
After an early modeling stint, she appeared on the UPN noir mystery series Veronica Mars (2005–2006) and the CW comedy drama series Gilmore Girls (2006–2007).
Famous Birthdays on December 16
December 16 has 229 recorded notable births across history, from 1364 to 2001. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
1981 — Krysten Ritter
American actress, musician, and model
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Famous Birthdays
229 source records
1364 – 2001
Sagittarius
Today in history
Major events on December 16
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1912 First Balkan War: The Royal Hellenic Navy defeats the Ottoman Navy at the Battle of Elli. Source
- 1782 British East India Company: Muharram Rebellion: Hada and Mada Miah lead the first anti-British uprising in the subcontinent against Robert Lindsay and his contingents in Sylhet Shahi Eidgah. Source
Did you know about Xander Berkeley
Xander Berkeley's films include Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Candyman (1992), Apollo 13, Barb Wire (1996), Air Force One (1997), Gattaca (1997), and Shanghai Noon (2000).
Did you know about Miranda Otto
After a decade of critically acclaimed roles in Australian films, Otto gained attention in Hollywood during the 1990s after appearing in supporting roles in the films The Thin Red Line and What Lies Beneath.
Did you know about J. B. Smoove
After beginning his career in 1995 on Def Comedy Jam, he was a writer and performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live (2003–2006).
Did you know about H. D. Kumaraswamy
Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy is an Indian politician and film producer who is serving as the 21st Minister of Heavy Industries and 14th Minister of Steel of India since 2024.
More major people born on December 16
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1955
Xander Berkeley
American actor and producer
Alexander Harper Berkeley is an American actor. Since beginning his career in the early 1980s, he has appeared in over 200 film and television projects. His films include Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Candyman (1992), Apollo 13, Barb Wire (1996), Air Force One (1997), Gattaca (1997), and Shanghai Noon (2000). He also appeared in the crime dramas L.A. Takedown (1989) and its remake Heat (1995), although he played a different character in each film. On television, he headlined the Citytv psychological thriller The Booth at the End (2010–2012) and was a series regular on the Fox action drama 24 (2001–2003) and The CW action thriller Nikita (2010–2012). As a guest star, Berkeley portrayed Sheriff Thomas McAllister on the CBS drama The Mentalist (2008–2013). He played a major supporting role as Gregory on the AMC post-apocalyptic horror The Walking Dead (2016–2018).
1967
Miranda Otto
Australian actress
Miranda Otto is an Australian actress. After a decade of critically acclaimed roles in Australian films, Otto gained attention in Hollywood during the 1990s after appearing in supporting roles in the films The Thin Red Line and What Lies Beneath. She rose to fame in the early 2000s for playing Éowyn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series, based on the classic fantasy novel of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She has since starred in the films War of the Worlds (2005), I, Frankenstein (2013), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Talk to Me (2022), and the television series Homeland (2015), 24: Legacy (2017), and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018).
1965
J. B. Smoove
American comedian, writer, and actor
Jerry Angelo Brooks, known professionally as J. B. Smoove, is an American comedian, actor, and writer. After beginning his career in 1995 on Def Comedy Jam, he was a writer and performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live (2003–2006). He is best known for his starring roles on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007–2024) and the CBS sitcom The Millers (2013–2015). He also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself on the BET improv-comedy reality television parody Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013–2016). He also portrayed Julius Dell in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies; Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) as a main role, and later reprised his role as a minor role in the sequel Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
1959
H. D. Kumaraswamy
Indian social worker and politician, 18th Chief Minister of Karnataka
Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy is an Indian politician and film producer who is serving as the 21st Minister of Heavy Industries and 14th Minister of Steel of India since 2024. He also served as the 12th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 2018 to 2019 and previously from 2006 to 2007. He was also the leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 2013 to 2014. He is currently the president of the Karnataka State Janata Dal (Secular). He is a member of Lok Sabha, having been elected from Mandya and the former member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Channapatna from 2018 to 2024, Ramanagara from 2004 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2018. He is the son of former Chief Minister of Karnataka & Prime Minister of India H. D. Deve Gowda.
1973
Scott Storch
American songwriter and producer, founded Storch Music Company
Scott Spencer Storch is an American record producer and songwriter. Storch began his career as part of Philadelphia-based hip-hop band the Roots, which he joined as a keyboardist prior to the release of their 1993 debut album, Organix. He provided the keyboard riff and co-composed Dr. Dre's 1999 single "Still D.R.E.," and contributed in a similar role to several of the rapper's productions during late 1990s and early 2000s. Storch expanded his solo production work into the 2000s; he was credited on five Billboard Hot 100-number one singles—Beyoncé's "Baby Boy," Terror Squad's "Lean Back," 50 Cent's "Candy Shop," Mario's "Let Me Love You" and Chris Brown's "Run It!"—among other similarly successful chart entries throughout the remaining decade. Storch has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
1985
Amanda Setton
American actress
Amanda Setton is an American actress. She is known for her recurring role as Penelope Shafai on The CW's teen drama Gossip Girl (2008–2012), for her role as Kimberly Andrews on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live (2009–2011) and as Brook Lynn Quartermaine on the ABC soap opera General Hospital (2019–present). For the latter role, she received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2026. She made her Off-Broadway debut in the comedy play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in late 2011 and was on the first half of season one of the Fox comedy The Mindy Project.
1882
Jack Hobbs
English cricketer and journalist (died 1963)
Sir John Berry Hobbs was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches between 1908 and 1930. Known as "The Master", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century-maker in first-class cricket, with 61,760 runs and 199 centuries. A right-handed batsman and an occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Hobbs also excelled as a fielder, particularly in the position of cover point. Hobbs was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century alongside Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Shane Warne, and Sir Viv Richards.
1967
Donovan Bailey
Canadian sprinter and sportscaster
Donovan Bailey is a Jamaican-Canadian retired sprinter. He once held the world record for the 100 metres. He recorded a time of 9.84 seconds to become Olympic champion in 1996. He was the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m. Particularly noted for his top speed, Bailey ran 12.10 m/s in his 1996 Olympic title run, the fastest ever recorded by a human at the time. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 as an individual athlete and in 2008 as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics 4 × 100 relay team. In 2005, he was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.
1926
A. N. R. Robinson
Tobagonian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Trinidad and Tobago (died 2014)
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, was a Trinidad and Tobago politician who served as the third President of Trinidad and Tobago from 1997 to 2003 and the third Prime Minister from 1986 to 1991. He is known for his resilience within the government, resigning from Eric Williams’ administration in 1970 promoted by the State of Emergency imposed on Black Power protests, and is recognized for his proposal that led to the establishment of the International Criminal Court. He is also remembered for being held hostage during the 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt, during which he ordered the army to “attack with full force” while being held at gunpoint.
1889
Kim Chwa-chin
South Korean guerrilla leader (died 1930)
Kim Chwajin, also known by his art name Paegya, was a Korean military officer, independence activist, and anarchist. Born into a noble family in the kingdom of Joseon, Kim was educated at the military academy of the newly-founded Korean Empire shortly before the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910. After spending three years in prison for freeing his family's slaves, he joined the Korean independence movement and went to Manchuria to fight against the Empire of Japan. While in Manchuria, Kim established the Northern Military Administration Office in 1919 and trained Korean soldiers in guerrilla warfare before going on to lead the Korean Independence Army to victory in the Battle of Cheongsanri.
1949
Heather Hallett
English lawyer and judge
Heather Carol Hallett, Baroness Hallett,, is a retired British judge of the Court of Appeal and a crossbench life peer. The first woman to chair the Bar Council and the fifth woman to sit in the Court of Appeal, Hallett led the independent inquest into the 7/7 bombings. In April 2019, she was appointed Chair of the Security Vettings Appeal Panel. In December 2021, she was announced as the chair of the public inquiry into the UK Government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 29 June 2022, the Government accepted Baroness Hallett's proposed terms of reference for the inquiry, with minor changes suggested by the devolved administrations.
1971
Michael McCary
American R&B singer
Michael "Bass" McCary is an American musician known for being the former bass singer of the R&B group Boyz II Men, in which he was sometimes known as Mike Bass. He started having back spasms and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during his time with the group. He continued singing with the group despite his illness until his departure in 2003. The group has stated they fired McCary because he missed shows. Since 2024, McCary has occasionally joined the group onstage. McCary is also a producer and songwriter, having worked on songs for artists such as Johnny Gill and Keith Martin.
1900
Lucille Lortel
American actress and producer (died 1999)
Lucille Lortel was an American actress, artistic director, and theatrical producer. In the course of her career Lortel produced or co-produced nearly 500 plays, five of which were nominated for Tony Awards: As Is by William M. Hoffman, Angels Fall by Lanford Wilson, Blood Knot by Athol Fugard, Mbongeni Ngema's Sarafina!, and A Walk in the Woods by Lee Blessing. She also produced Marc Blitzstein's adaptation of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, a production which ran for seven years and according to The New York Times "caused such a sensation that it...put Off-Broadway on the map."
1964
Heike Drechsler
German sprinter and long jumper
Heike Gabriela Drechsler is a German former track and field athlete who represented East Germany and later Germany. One of the most successful long jumpers of all time, she is a former world record holder and ranks third on the all-time list with her legal best of 7.48 metres in 1988. Her marginally wind-assisted jump of 7.63 metres (+2.1) in 1992 at altitude in Sestriere, is still the furthest a woman has ever long jumped. She is the only woman who has won two Olympic gold medals in the long jump, winning in 1992 and 2000.
1962
William Perry
American football player and wrestler
William Anthony Perry is a former American professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. Nicknamed "the Refrigerator", he played college football for the Clemson Tigers, winning ACC Player of the Year and earning first-team All-American honors in 1984. Perry was selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft by the Bears, where he played his first nine seasons. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles during his ninth season in 1993 and spent his final season with the team.
1717
Elizabeth Carter
English poet and scholar (died 1806)
Elizabeth Carter was an English poet, classicist, writer, translator, and linguist. As one of the Bluestocking Circle that surrounded Elizabeth Montagu, she earned respect for the first English translation of the 2nd-century Discourses of Epictetus. She also published poems and translated from French and Italian, and corresponded profusely. Among her many eminent friends were Elizabeth Montagu, Hannah More, Hester Chapone and other Bluestocking members. Also close friends were Anne Hunter, a poet and socialite, and Mary Delany. She befriended Samuel Johnson, editing some editions of his periodical The Rambler.
1969
Kent Hehr
Canadian politician
Kent Hehr is a former Canadian politician from Alberta. He served as the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary Centre from 2015 to 2019. Hehr was named Minister of Veterans Affairs in the federal Cabinet, headed by Justin Trudeau, on November 4, 2015, and was shuffled to be Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities in August 2017. Hehr resigned from cabinet on January 25, 2018, after allegations of workplace misconduct surfaced from when he was the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Buffalo.
1982
Anna Sedokova
Ukrainian singer, actress and television presenter
Anna Volodymyrivna Sedokova is a Ukrainian singer, actress, and television presenter. She rose to prominence in 2002 as a member of the Ukrainian pop girl group Nu Virgos—known as "VIA Gra" in both Ukraine and the Commonwealth of Independent States—in which she was nicknamed Anya (Аня). Following two years in the "golden line-up" of the group, she began pursuing a solo music career in 2006. Sedokova released a string of singles until her debut album Lichnoe (2016) was met with widespread commercial success, peaking at number two in Russia.
1966
Clifford Robinson
American basketball player (died 2020)
Clifford Ralph Robinson was an American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Selected in the second round of the 1989 NBA draft, he played the first eight seasons of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, followed by stints with the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and New Jersey Nets. Robinson received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1993 and was selected as an NBA All-Star in 1994. He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies.