Did you know
She won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Famous Birthdays on December 18
217 people
1406 – 2002
December 18 has seen 217 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1406 – 2002. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1988 — Brianne Theisen-Eaton
Canadian heptathlete
Did you know
Theisen-Eaton holds the Canadian record for the heptathlon with 6,808 points, as well as the indoor pentathlon with a score of 4768 points
Did you know
Theisen-Eaton won Commonwealth Games gold in the heptathlon at Glasgow 2014 and was the 2016 World Indoor Champion in the pentathlon
Did you know
She also won a bronze medal as part of the women's 4 x 400 m relay at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
Did you know
Theisen-Eaton is a heptathlon silver medallist from the 2013 World Championships and 2015 World Championships, as well as a pentathlon silver medalist from the 2014 World Indoor Championships
French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal (died 1470)
Richard Olivier de Longueil (1406–1470) was a French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.
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1406
Duchess of Mecklenburg, Duchess of Saxony (died 1503)
Sophie of Mecklenburg, also spelled Sophia was a German noblewoman. She was a Duchess of Mecklenburg by birth and by marriage Electoral Princess of Saxony.
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1481
German musicologist and theologian (died 1561)
Sebald Heyden was a German musicologist, cantor, theologian, hymn-writer and religious poet. A member of the Haiden family of Nuremberg, he is perhaps best known for his De arte canendi which is considered to have had a…
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1499
German explorer (died 1546)
Philipp von Hutten was a German adventurer and an early European explorer and conquistador of Venezuela. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Venedig, the concession of Venezuela Province to the Welser…
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1505
Japanese daimyō (died 1551)
Ōuchi Yoshitaka was the daimyō of Suō Province and the head of the Ōuchi clan, succeeding Ōuchi Yoshioki.
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1507
Moroccan writer, judge and mathematician (died 1616)
Shihab al-Din abu l-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Mohammed ibn Mohammed ibn Ahmed ibn Ali ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi'l-'Afiyya al-Miknasi az-Zanati, known simply as Ahmad ibn al-Qadi or Ibn al-Qadi (1552/1553–1616), was a Maghrebi…
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1552
Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken (died 1640)
William Louis of Nassau-Saarbrücken, was a Count of Saarbrücken.
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1590
English historian and politician (died 1650)
Sir Simonds d'Ewes, 1st Baronet was an English antiquary and politician. He was bred for the bar, was a member of the Long Parliament and left notes on its transactions. D'Ewes took the Puritan side in the Civil War.…
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1602
sieur du Cange, French philologist and historian (died 1688)
Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange, also known simply as Charles Dufresne, was a French philologist and historian of the Middle Ages and Byzantium.
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1610
German missionary and scholar (died 1668)
Heinrich Roth, also known as Henricus Rodius or Henrique Roa, was a German missionary and pioneering Sanskrit scholar.
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1620
1624
1626
Countess Johanna Magdalene of Hanau-Lichtenberg was a German noblewoman, by birth member of the House of Hanau.
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1660
Swedish physicist and inventor (died 1751)
Christopher Polhammar better known as Christopher Polhem, which he took after his ennoblement in 1716, was a Swedish scientist, inventor, and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the economic and…
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1661
2nd Duke of Queensberry, Scottish colonel and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (died 1711)
James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover was a Scottish statesman who was a leading politician in Scotland during the late 17th and the early 18th centuries. As Lord High Commissioner he was…
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1662
English missionary and composer (died 1788)
Charles Wesley was an English Anglican cleric and a principal leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It Be", "O for…
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1707
German historian and theologian (died 1791)
Johann Salomo Semler was a German church historian, biblical commentator, and critic of ecclesiastical documents and of the history of dogmas. He is sometimes known as "the father of German rationalism".
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1725
French conductor and composer (died 1810)
Jean-Baptiste Rey was a French conductor and composer.
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1734
English brewer and businessman (died 1884)
James Watney was an English brewer and landowner who resided at Haling Park, Croydon, and Beddington, Surrey.
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1800
English-New Zealand politician, 12th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1907)
Sir John Hall was a New Zealand politician who served as the 12th premier of New Zealand from 1879 to 1882. He was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, the third son of George Hall, a captain in the navy. At the age of…
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1824
American general (died 1876)
Charles Griffin was a career officer in the United States Army and a Union general in the American Civil War. He rose to command a corps in the Army of the Potomac and fought in many of the key campaigns in the Eastern…
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1825
American surveyor and politician (died 1906)
John Spafford Harris was an American politician for the state of Louisiana and member of the Republican Party. Born to a farm family in Truxton, New York, Harris was a delegate to the Louisiana state constitutional…
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1825
Peruvian general, twice President of Peru (died 1901)
Mariano Ignacio Prado Ochoa was a Peruvian army general who served twice as President of Peru.
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1825
American minister, theologian, and author (died 1922)
Lyman J. Abbott was an American Congregationalist theologian, editor, and author.
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1835
French pianist and composer (died 1903)
Augusta Mary Anne Holmès was a French composer of Irish descent. In 1871, while living with the poet Catulle Mendès, Holmès became a French national and added the accent to her last name. She also published music under…
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1847
Canadian activist and author (died 1931)
Henrietta Muir Edwards was a Canadian women's rights activist, author and reformer.
She was the eldest of "The Famous Five", along with Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby, who fought to have…
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1849
English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1940)
Sir Joseph John Thomson was a British physicist. He received the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics "in recognition of the great merits of his theoretical and experimental investigations on the conduction of electricity by…
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1856
American pianist and composer (died 1908)
Edward Alexander MacDowell was an American composer and pianist of the late Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites Woodland Sketches, Sea Pieces and New England Idylls.…
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1860
English composer and critic (died 1924)
Lionel John Alexander Monckton was an English composer of musical theatre. He became Britain's most popular composer of Edwardian musical comedy in the early years of the 20th century.
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1861
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
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1863
American polo player and horse breeder (died 1941)
Foxhall Parker Keene was an American thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder, a world and Olympic gold medallist in polo, and an amateur tennis player. He was rated the best all-around polo player in the United States…
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1867
American painter and educator (died 1965)
Edward Willis Redfield was an American Impressionist landscape painter and member of the art colony at New Hope, Pennsylvania. He is best known today for his impressionist scenes of the New Hope area, often depicting…
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1869
1870
American general and politician, 6th Governor-General of the Philippines (died 1957)
Francis Burton Harrison was an American-Filipino statesman who served four terms in the United States House of Representatives between 1903 and 1913 and was appointed governor-general of the Philippines by President of…
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1873
Irish-American hammer thrower (died 1941)
Matthew John McGrath was a member of the Irish American Athletic Club, the New York Athletic Club, and the New York City Police Department. At the time of his death at age 64, he attained the rank of Police Inspector,…
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1875
Georgian-Russian marshal and politician,General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (died 1953)
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was a Soviet revolutionary and politician who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held office as general secretary of the Communist Party from 1922 to 1952 and as…
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1878
1879
American-Argentinian engineer, designed the Salta–Antofagasta railway (died 1950)
Richard Fontaine Maury was an American railway engineer and naturalized Argentine. He became known for the project of the Argentine "Ramal C-14" of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano and the touristic Tren a las…
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1882
Czech pharmacologist, co-founded clinical pharmacology (died 1942)
Emil Starkenstein was a Czech-Jewish pharmacologist and one of the founders of clinical pharmacology. He was killed in the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp along with a few hundred refugees from Amsterdam after an…
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1884
1886
Indian actor, singer, and playwright (died 1971)
Bhikari Thakur was an Indian Bhojpuri language poet, playwright, lyricist, actor, folk dancer, folk singer and social activist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Bhojpuri language and most…
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1887
English actress and singer (died 1971)
Dame Gladys Constance Cooper was an English actress, theatrical manager and producer, whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television.
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1888
American urban planner (died 1981)
Robert Moses was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid-20th century. Moses is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential people in…
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1888
American engineer, invented FM radio (died 1954)
Edwin Howard Armstrong was an American radio-frequency engineer and inventor who developed FM radio and the superheterodyne receiver system.
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1890
English colonel and cricketer (died 1977)
Gerald Barry MC was a career officer in the British Army who played in one first-class cricket match for the Combined Services against Essex.
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1896
American pianist and composer (died 1952)
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical arrangers and,…
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1897
Norwegian philosopher and author (died 1990)
Peter Wessel Zapffe was a Norwegian philosopher, author, artist, lawyer and mountaineer. He is often noted for his philosophically pessimistic and fatalistic view of human existence. His system of philosophy was…
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1899
American director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer (died 1975)
George Cooper Stevens was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for A Place in the Sun (1951) and Giant (1956).
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1904
American race car driver (died 1984)
Willard Saulsbury Holland was an American racing driver from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1949 and finished second in 1947, 1948, and 1950. He was runner-up in the 1947 American Automobile…
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1907
American guitarist and educator (died 2009)
Lawrence Lucie was an American jazz guitarist.
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1907
English actress (died 1982)
Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson was an English actress, whose career included stage, television and film. She is especially known for her roles in the films In Which We Serve (1942), This Happy Breed (1944), Brief…
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1908
American geographer and explorer (died 1969)
Paul Allman Siple was an American Antarctic explorer and geographer who took part in six Antarctic expeditions, including the two Byrd expeditions of 1928–1931 and 1933–1935. Siple was also a Sea Scout. His first and…
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1908
American author, playwright, and director (died 1985)
Abe Burrows was an American writer, composer, humorist, director for radio and the stage, and librettist for Broadway musicals. His versatile career in radio, Broadway, and television spanned many decades. He is best…
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1910
New Zealand rugby player, cricketer, and umpire (died 2010)
Eric William Thomas Tindill was a New Zealand sportsman. Tindill held a number of unique records: he was the oldest ever Test cricketer at the time of his death, the only person to play Tests for New Zealand in both…
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1910
American-Greek actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2008)
Julius "Jules" Dassin was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, where he continued his career. He was…
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1911
Jr., American general and pilot (died 2002)
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. was a United States Air Force (USAF) general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen.
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1912
American author and screenwriter (died 1987)
Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio screenwriter, magazine editor, and scriptwriter for comics. He is best remembered for his science fiction, including the novel The Demolished Man,…
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1913
German politician, 4th Chancellor of Germany, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1992)
Willy Brandt was a German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1964 to 1987 and concurrently served as the chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974. He was…
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1913
1913
Scottish-American trade union leader and academic (died 2008)
Douglas Andrew Fraser was a Scottish–American union leader. He was president of the United Auto Workers from 1977 to 1983 and an adjunct professor of labor relations at Wayne State University for many years.
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1916
American actress, singer, and dancer (died 1973)
Elizabeth Ruth Grable was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she placed among…
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1916
American actor and activist (died 2005)
Ossie Davis was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, from 1948 until his death. He received numerous accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy and…
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1917
American soldier and author (died 2001)
Robert Hugh Leckie was a United States Marine and an author of books about the military history of the United States, Catholic history and culture, sports books, fiction books, autobiographies, and children's books. As…
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1920
American colonel, lawyer, and politician (died 2012)
Jack Bascom Brooks was an American Democratic Party politician from the state of Texas who served 42 years in the United States House of Representatives, initially representing Texas's 2nd congressional district from…
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1922
American microbiologist (died 2006)
Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg was an American microbiologist and a pioneer of bacterial genetics. She discovered the bacterial virus lambda phage and the bacterial fertility factor F, devised the first implementation…
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1922
Baron Bramall, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Greater London (died 2019)
Field Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall, Baron Bramall, also known as "Dwin", was a British Army officer. He served as Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1979 and 1982, and as…
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1923
American lawyer and politician, 66th United States Attorney General (died 2021)
William Ramsey Clark was an American lawyer, activist, and federal government official. A progressive, New Frontier liberal, he occupied senior positions in the United States Department of Justice under Presidents John…
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1927
Canadian journalist and politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (died 2009)
Roméo-Adrien LeBlanc was a Canadian journalist and politician who served as the 25th governor general of Canada from 1995 to 1999.
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1927
Indian-English caliph and author (died 2003)
Mirza Tahir Ahmad was the fourth caliph and the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was elected as the fourth successor of the founder of the community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He was elected on 10 June…
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1928
American tenor saxophonist (died 2001)
Harold de Vance Land was an American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style, often rivalling Clifford Brown's…
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1928
American baseball player (died 2011)
Gino Nicholas Cimoli was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Braves, Kansas…
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1929
Polish cardinal (died 2013)
Józef Glemp was a Polish cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Warsaw from 1981 to 2006, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1983. He assumed the title of Primate of Poland following Stefan…
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1929
American baseball player (died 2012)
William Joseph Skowron, nicknamed "Moose", was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1954 to 1967 for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers,…
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1930
American businessman and music publisher (died 2009)
Allen Klein was an American businessman whose aggressive negotiation tactics affected industry standards for compensating recording artists. He founded ABKCO Music & Records Incorporated. Klein increased profits for his…
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1931
English historian and author (died 2007)
Alison Margaret Chichele Plowden was an English historian and biographer well known for her popular non-fiction about the Tudor period.
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1931
1931
American television host (died 2014)
William Earnest Thompson, better known as Wallace, co-hosted The Wallace and Ladmo Show, a daily children's variety show broadcast on KPHO-TV in Phoenix, Arizona for 36 years. The program featured short comedy skits and…
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1931
Australian rugby league player, coach, and businessman (died 2021)
Norman Douglas Somerville Provan was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. Also nicknamed "Sticks", he was a second-row forward with the St. George Dragons during the first ten of their eleven…
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1932
American actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 2017)
Roger LaVerne Smith was an American television and film actor, producer, and screenwriter. He starred in the television detective series 77 Sunset Strip and in the comedy series Mister Roberts. Smith went on to manage…
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1932
American blues singer and guitarist (died 2017)
Lonnie Brooks was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in Rolling Stone, stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic…
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1933
1934
Russian colonel, engineer, and cosmonaut
Boris Valentinovich Volynov is a Russian former cosmonaut who flew two space missions of the Soviet Union's Soyuz programme: Soyuz 5, and Soyuz 21. Following the death of Alexei Leonov in October 2019, he is the last…
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1934
English actress (died 2017)
Rosemary Anne Leach was a British stage, television and film actress. She won the 1982 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for 84, Charing Cross Road and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a…
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1935
French-American chef and author
Jacques Pépin is a French chef, author, culinary educator, television personality, and artist. After having been the personal chef of French president Charles de Gaulle, he moved to the US in 1959 and after working in…
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1935
English rugby player and wrestler (died 1987)
Malcolm Kirk was an English professional wrestler who went by the ring name of "King Kong" Kirk as well as Kojak Kirk, Killer Kirk and "Mucky" Mal Kirk. He started as a professional rugby league player before becoming a…
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1936
American politician (died 1990)
Nancy Ann Ryles was an American politician. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives, the Oregon Senate and as one of three members of the state's Public Utility Commission. She was known as an advocate for…
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1937
English bass player and producer (died 1996)
Bryan James "Chas" Chandler was an English musician, record producer, manager and the original bassist in the Animals, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He also managed the Jimi…
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1938
American songwriter and composer (died 2005)
Joel Hirschhorn was an American songwriter. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song on two occasions. He also wrote songs for a number of musicians, including Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. Hirschhorn was born…
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1938
Nicaraguan footballer (died 2018)
Pedro Jose Jirón Rugama "Peche Jirón" was a Nicaraguan professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
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1939
English author and songwriter
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, originally of science fiction and fantasy, who has published many well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worked as an…
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1939
American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Harold Eliot Varmus is an American Nobel Prize-winning scientist. He is currently the Lewis Thomas University Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and a senior associate at the New York Genome Center.
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1939
Italian football manager (died 2023)
Ilario Castagner was an Italian football manager and player, who played as a striker.
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1940
English sprinter and hurdler (died 1974)
John Hugh Cooper was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metre hurdles and competed at two Olympic Games.
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1940
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2015)
Sam Houston Andrew III was an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, composer, artist and founding member and guitarist of Big Brother and the Holding Company. During his career as musician and composer, Andrew had…
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1941
American trumpet player and composer
Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith is an American trumpeter and composer, working primarily in the field of creative music. He was one of three finalists for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Ten Freedom Summers, released on…
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1941
American historian, author, and academic
Joan Wallach Scott is an American historian of France with contributions in gender history. She is a professor emerita in the School of Social Science in the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Scott…
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1941
American mathematician and academic
Lenore Carol Blum is an American computer scientist and mathematician who has made contributions to the theories of real number computation, cryptography, and pseudorandom number generation. She was a distinguished…
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1942
Australian rugby league player (died 2022)
Robert John Keyes was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s.
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1942
American saxophone player (died 2014)
Robert Henry Keys was an American saxophonist who performed as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends,…
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1943
English musician
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership with…
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1943
American director and screenwriter
Alan Steven Rudolph is an American film director and screenwriter.
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1943
English trumpet player and educator
Crispian Guy Steele-Perkins is an internationally acclaimed English classical trumpeter who was educated at Copthorne Preparatory School, Marlborough College and the Guildhall School of Music.
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1944
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Jean Joseph Denis Pronovost is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Flames and Washington Capitals.
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1945
South African activist, founded the Black Consciousness Movement (died 1977)
Bantu Stephen Biko OMSG was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known as the Black…
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1946
American director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded DreamWorks
Steven Allan Spielberg is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the…
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1946
Russian author and screenwriter
Leonid Abramovich Yuzefovich is a Russian writer known for the series of crime fiction stories taking place in pre-Revolution Russian Empire. He also writes non-fiction books about history, and currently adapts his…
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1947
American basketball player
George Thomas Johnson is an American retired professional basketball player. A 6'11" power forward/center born in Tylertown, Mississippi and from Dillard University, he played in 13 National Basketball Association (NBA)…
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1948
English singer-songwriter and guitarist
William Nelson is an English singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter, video artist, writer and experimental musician. He rose to prominence as the chief songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of the rock group…
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1948
Italian sculptor and painter
Mimmo Paladino is an Italian sculptor, painter and printmaker. He is a leading name in the Transvanguardia artistic movement and one of the many European artists to revive Expressionism in the 1980s.
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1948
French-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Lucien Voulzy, better known as Laurent Voulzy, is a French singer-songwriter, composer, and musician.
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1948
American volcanologist and geologist (died 1980)
David Alexander Johnston was an American United States Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist who was killed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of Washington. A principal scientist on the USGS…
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1949
Australian director, producer, and screenwriter
Gillian May Armstrong is an Australian feature film and documentary director, best known for My Brilliant Career (1979), Mrs. Soffel (1984), High Tide (1987), The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992), and Little Women (1994).…
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1950
American drummer and songwriter (died 2002)
Randolpho Francisco Castillo was an American musician. He was Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, and he was the drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999 to 2000.
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1950
Sri Lankan general and politician
Field Marshal Gardihewage Sarath Chandralal Fonseka is a Sri Lankan retired army officer. He was the eighteenth Commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 2005 to 2009, and under his command the Sri Lankan Army ended the…
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1950
1950
American historian, author, and critic
Leonard Michael Maltin is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film critic on…
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1950
American basketball player
Robert Clyde Jones is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Denver Nuggets in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association…
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1951
American songwriter and producer
John Leventhal is an American musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for William Bell, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Sarah…
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1952
English footballer (died 2018)
Thomas Kevin Beattie was an English footballer. Born into poverty, he played at both professional and international levels, mostly as a centre-half. He spent the majority of his playing career at Ipswich Town, the club…
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1953
American guitarist and singer
Elliot Easton is an American musician who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the American new wave band the Cars. His melodic guitar solos are an integral part of the band's music. Easton has…
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1953
English race car driver
John Alfred Booth is the former Director of Racing at Scuderia Toro Rosso. He is the former team principal of the Virgin/Marussia Formula One team. He was initially the team's sporting director, but took over the role…
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1954
American actor (died 2022)
Raymond Allen Liotta was an American actor. He first gained attention for his role in the film Something Wild (1986), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. He was best known for his portrayals of Shoeless…
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1954
German runner
Wilhelm "Willi" Wülbeck is a retired German middle-distance runner. Competing in the 800 m he finished fourth at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He missed the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to the West German boycott and could not…
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1954
Indian businessman and politician
Vijay Vittal Mallya is an Indian businessman, fraudster and a former politician. He is the subject of an extradition effort by the Indian Government to bring him back from the UK to face charges of financial crimes in…
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1955
Polish runner
Bogusław Mamiński is a retired long-distance runner from Poland, known for winning the silver medal in the men's 3,000m Steeplechase event at the 1982 European Championships in Athens, Greece. He did the same one year…
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1955
American actor (died 2026)
Thomas Kent Carter was an American actor best known for his roles in the films Corvette Summer (1978), Southern Comfort (1981), The Thing (1982), Doctor Detroit (1983), Runaway Train (1985), Space Jam (1996) and The…
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1956
1956
English astrologer and author (died 2016)
Jonathan Cainer was a British astrologer. He wrote astrological predictions six days a week for the Daily Mail, and forecasts for three Australian newspapers: the Sydney Daily Telegraph, the Melbourne Herald Sun, and…
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1957
English guitarist (died 2023)
Kevin Walker, known professionally as Geordie Walker, was an English rock musician, songwriter and producer. He was best known as the guitarist of post-punk band Killing Joke. He joined the band in March 1979; his first…
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1958
American composer and educator
Julia Wolfe is an American composer and professor of music at New York University. According to The Wall Street Journal, Wolfe's music has "long inhabited a terrain of its own, a place where classical forms are…
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1958
Japanese economist and academic
Kazuhide Uekusa is a Japanese economist, economic analyst, former senior economist at Nomura Research Institute, and chairman of the Three-Nations Research Institute. He was arrested for sexual offenses in 2004 and…
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1960
Japanese singer, guitarist and composer
Naoko Yamano is a Japanese musician, best known as a founding member, singer/guitarist, and primary songwriter for the pop-punk band Shonen Knife. She is the only member of the band to have remained throughout its…
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1960
Canadian figure skater and coach
Brian Ernest Orser OLY is a Canadian former competitive and professional figure skater and coach to Olympic champions. He is the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medallist, 1987 World champion and eight-time (1981–88)…
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1961
Indian cricketer
Lalchand Sitaram Rajput; is an Indian cricket coach and former cricketer. He was appointed head coach of the United Arab Emirates national cricket team in 2024.
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1961
American singer, producer, author, and poet
Leila Steinberg is an American manager, business woman, educator, writer, poet, and founder of AIM4TheHeART, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping at-risk youth find their voice using an emotional literacy…
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1961
American singer, songwriter, and actress (died 2025)
Angela Laverne Stone was an American singer-songwriter, rapper, actress, and record producer. With a career spanning more than four decades, she has been credited with revolutionizing the sound of hip-hop and neo soul.
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1961
American drummer
Greg D'Angelo, is an American drummer most famous for his work in the bands White Lion, Anthrax, and Pride & Glory.
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1963
American football player and coach
Karl James Dorrell is an American football coach. He has been the head coach for the UCLA Bruins and Colorado Buffaloes, being named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for both. Dorrell led the UCLA Bruins to five bowl…
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1963
Burundian soldier and politician, 9th President of Burundi (died 2020)
Pierre Nkurunziza was a Burundian politician, dictator, educator, and rebel leader who served as the ninth president of Burundi from 2005 until his death in 2020. He was the longest-serving president in Burundian…
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1963
American basketball player and coach
Charles Oakley is an American former professional basketball player. Oakley is best known for playing 10 of his 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association with the New York Knicks. As a power forward, he…
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1963
1963
American professional wrestler and producer
Steve Austin, also known by his ring name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, as an ambassador. Widely regarded as one of…
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1964
1964
American actor, director, and screenwriter
Shawn Patrick Christian is an American television and film actor.
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1965
Spanish footballer (died 2012)
Manuel "Manolo" Peña Escontrela was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a forward.
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1965
Italian footballer and sportscaster
Gianluca Pagliuca is an Italian football coach and former professional goalkeeper.
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1966
German singer-songwriter and guitarist
Miland "Mille" Petrozza is a German musician. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of thrash metal band Kreator, which he started playing in as Tyrant in 1982 and renamed into Tormentor in 1984. He is also the…
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1967
Dutch journalist
Toine van Peperstraten is a Dutch sports journalist, best known for hosting the NOS TV sports program Studio Sport.
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1967
German footballer and manager
Mario Basler is a German football manager and former professional player who mainly played as a right midfielder.
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1968
Australian actress
Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series Secrets before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy Muriel's Wedding…
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1968
Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist
Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz, is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. He has won 24 Latin Grammy Awards and 4 Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year three…
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1968
American actor and producer
Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. is an American actor, best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the science-fiction action film Starship Troopers (1997). Other credits include Sleepy Hollow (1999), Sanctimony (2000),…
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1968
Spanish footballer
José Santiago Cañizares Ruiz is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1969
English footballer and manager (died 2019)
Justin Charles Edinburgh was an English professional football manager and footballer who played as a left back.
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1969
Japanese race car driver
Akira Iida is a Japanese racing driver currently competing in the Super GT series. He won the 2002 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship GT500 title with Esso Toyota Team LeMans, co-driving with Juichi Wakisaka. He…
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1969
American singer and guitarist
Norman Brown is an American smooth jazz guitarist and singer.
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1970
1970
American basketball player
Lucious H. Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the 1993 NBA draft. Harris has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, New…
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1970
Greek singer-songwriter
Yannis Ploutarchos is a Greek singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most popular laïko singers of his time, and has been characterized with having a genuine laïko voice. To date, he has released 14 studio…
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1970
American wrestler
Robert Szatkowski better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a Legends contract. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks,…
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1970
English painter
Jonathan Yeo is a British contemporary artist who specializes in both traditional and experimental forms of portraiture. His most celebrated paintings include King Charles III, Malala Yousafzai, Sir David Attenborough,…
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1970
Indian journalist
Barkha Dutt is an Indian television journalist and author. She has been a reporter and news anchor at NDTV and Tiranga TV. She currently runs her own digital news channel called 'MoJo Story'.
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1971
Japanese pianist and composer
Noriko Matsueda is a Japanese former video game composer. She is best known for her work on the Front Mission series, The Bouncer, and Final Fantasy X-2. Matsueda collaborated with fellow composer Takahito Eguchi on…
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1971
Spanish tennis player and sportscaster
Aránzazu Isabel María "Arantxa" Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 12 weeks, as well as the…
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1971
Ukrainian pole vaulter
Anzhela Anatoliyivna Balakhonova is a retired female pole vaulter from Ukraine who won the silver medal at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. She held the European record, and formerly held the world indoor…
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1972
American drummer and songwriter
Raymond Herrera is an American musician, best known as the former drummer and founding member of the industrial metal band Fear Factory. He is also a former drummer for Brujeria and for industrial metal band Arkaea. He…
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1972
1972
Singaporean civilist and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Singapore
Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai is a Singaporean politician who has served as the fourth prime minister of Singapore since 2024 and the minister of finance since 2021. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he…
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1972
Ethiopian runner
Fatuma Roba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, best known for being the first African woman to win a gold medal in the women's Olympic marathon race, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and for winning three successive…
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1973
American football player and politician
Peter Nicholas Boulware is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for nine seasons with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the…
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1974
Norwegian singer, guitarist, and producer
Knut Schreiner is a Norwegian guitarist. Also known by his stage name Euroboy, he has been part of the Norwegian music scene since the early 1990s as a member of Kåre and the Cavemen and Turbonegro. Schreiner has also…
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1974
American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Shawn Randolph Houser is an American country music singer and songwriter. Houser has racked up over half a dozen hits and over 1 billion streams. His album How Country Feels topped the country radio charts with the…
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1975
1975
Canadian wrestler and actress
Patricia Anne Stratigeas, better known by the ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, yoga instructor, actress and former fitness model. She is signed to WWE. Stratus's 448-day reign as WWF/WWE…
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1975
1977
German runner
Claudia Andrea Barbara Gesell is a former German middle distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres.
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1977
Canadian ice hockey player
Daniel Michael Cleary is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. He currently…
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1978
American soccer player
Ali Curtis is a sports executive and former American soccer player. He was the 1999 Hermann Trophy and 2000 MAC Award winner before playing in Major League Soccer from 2001 to 2004. Curtis became the first African…
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1978
American actor
Joshua Paul Dallas is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Prince Charming/David Nolan in the ABC television series Once Upon A Time and starring as Ben Stone in the NBC/Netflix sci-fi drama series…
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1978
American actress
Kate Noelle Holmes is an American actress and filmmaker. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series Dawson's Creek (1998–2003).
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1978
American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
Christina María Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Recognized as an influential figure in music and having received widespread public interest, she is noted for her…
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1980
English actor and basketball player, one of the tallest 25 men in the world (died 2017)
Neil Fingleton was an English actor and basketball player. Neil became the tallest living British-born man and the tallest man in the European Union at 7 ft 7.56 in (232.6 cm) and among the 25 tallest men in the world.
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1980
American football player
Benjamin Seth Watson is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and Georgia Bulldogs. Watson was…
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1980
Canadian football player
Andrew Fantuz is a Canadian former professional football slotback. Fantuz spent the majority of his professional career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League…
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1983
American ice hockey player
Brian Paul Boyle is an American former professional ice hockey center who works as an analyst for NHL Network. Boyle has previously played for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple…
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1984
English footballer
Paul Anthony Harrison is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He most notably played for The New Saints, having spent 15 years with the club.
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1984
Italian skier
Giuliano Razzoli is a retired World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist from Italy. He specializes in the slalom; he won the Slalom at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
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1984
American bass player and singer
Derrick Tribbett, better known by his stage names Tripp Lee and Sinister, is an American musician who is the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Twisted Method. He is the younger brother of Audiotopsy and Mudvayne lead…
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1984
American baseball player
Vernon Christopher Carter is an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland…
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1986
Canadian speed skater
François Hamelin is a Canadian former short-track speed skater from Sainte-Julie, Quebec, residing in Montreal. He won Olympic gold in 2010 in Vancouver in the men's 5000 m relay.
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1986
Pakistani-Australian cricketer
Usman Tariq Khawaja is a former Australian international cricketer who represented the Australia national cricket team in all formats from 2011 to 2026, and captains the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and plays…
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1986
1987
English cyclist
Elizabeth Mary Deignan is an English track and road racing cyclist, who last rode professionally for UCI Women's WorldTeam Lidl–Trek. She was the 2015 World road race champion. She is regarded as the best British female…
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1988
American football player
Seth Colton Doege is an American college football coach and former quarterback, who is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Wildcats. After playing college football for the Texas Tech…
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1988
Pakistani cricketer
Syed Imad Wasim Haider, commonly known as Imad Wasim, is a Pakistani cricketer who played for Pakistan national cricket team from 2015 to 2024. He is a left-handed all-rounder. Imad is considered as a Twenty20…
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1988
American actress and singer
Ashley Benson is an American actress and singer. Her accolades include four Teen Choice Awards, a Young Hollywood Award, as well as three People's Choice Award nominations.
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1989
Swedish ice hockey player
Victor Erik Olof Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman and captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hedman was selected second overall by the Lightning in…
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1990
American singer-songwriter
Sierra Kay Kusterbeck, better known as Sierra Kay, is an American singer-songwriter and model. She rose to prominence as the lead vocalist of the rock band VersaEmerge.
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1990
English model and YouTuber
Marcus Lloyd Butler is an English model and former YouTuber, whose channels have reached over 5.4 million subscribers. In 2015, he released an autobiographical book, titled Hello Life!. Butler co-hosted a radio show…
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1991
American shot putter
Ryan Crouser is an American track and field athlete who competes in the shot put and discus. He specializes in the shot put, in which he is the only three-time Olympic gold medalist, having won in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo…
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1992
American singer-songwriter and actress
Bridgit Claire Mendler is an American entrepreneur and former actress and singer-songwriter. She first became known as a child actress and continued acting into adulthood, which overlapped with a musical career in the…
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1992
American baseball player
Byron Keiron Buxton is an American professional baseball center fielder and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB).
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1993
Finnish footballer
Thomas Anton Rudolph Lam is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for Cypriot First Division club Apollon Limassol. Born in the Netherlands, he represents the Finland national…
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1993
Spanish footballer
Gerard Gumbau Garriga is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive or central midfielder for Rayo Vallecano, on loan from Granada CF.
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1994
American-Austrian singer
Natália Kelly is an American-Austrian singer. She currently resides in Bad Vöslau, Lower Austria. Kelly represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden, with the song "Shine".
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1994
Czech tennis player
Barbora Krejčíková is a Czech professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 2 in singles and world No. 1 in doubles by the WTA. Krejčíková has won eight singles, 20 doubles, and three mixed…
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1995
South Korean singer and actress
Lim Na-young is a South Korean actress, singer and rapper. She was best known for finishing tenth in Mnet's reality survival show Produce 101. She is a former member and leader of the South Korean girl groups I.O.I and…
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1995
Venezuelan baseball player
Ronald José Acuña Blanco Jr. is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). After signing with the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, Acuña made his…
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1997
American ice hockey player
Alexander Lloyd DeBrincat is an American professional ice hockey player who is a winger for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round, 39th…
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1997
American football player
Jayden Daniels is an American professional football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Daniels played three seasons of college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils and…
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2000
Thai actor and singer
Korapat Kirdpan, nicknamed Nanon, is a Thai actor, singer and model. He began his career as a child actor and has appeared in numerous television dramas and series. Korapat is known for his roles in productions such as…
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2000
American football player
Yury Travon Walker is an American professional football defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning the 2022 National…
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2000
American singer
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell is an American singer-songwriter. Eilish first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes" which was released on SoundCloud and written and produced by her…
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2001
American basketball player
Jalen Tyrese Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Johnson was a consensus…
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2001
Filipino singer-songwriter
Sonia del Rosario, known professionally as Syd Hartha, is a Filipino singer-songwriter. She released her debut extended play (EP) Gabay, released on March 22, 2023, which features the tracks "Kung Nag-aatubili" and…
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2002
Argentine footballer
Giuliano Simeone Baldini is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a right midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Argentina national team.
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2002
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Who was born on December 18?
Brianne Theisen-Eaton — Canadian athlete (born 1988)
FeaturedBrianne Theisen-Eaton
Birth year1988
Known forShe won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Birthdays on this date217 (1406 – 2002)
Explore December 18
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on December 18 in History
2022
Argentina win the FIFA World Cup final, defeating title holders France 4–2 on penalties following a 3–3 draw after extra time. Wikipedia →
2019
The United States House of Representatives impeaches Donald Trump for the first time. Wikipedia →
2017
See all events on December 18
Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501, derailed near DuPont, Washington, a city in United States near Olympia, Washington killing six people, and injuring 70 others. Wikipedia →
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