Famous Birthdays on December 26

Q: Who was born on December 26?

Famous people born on December 26 include: Frederick II, Charles de Valois, Rose Lok, Wilhelm Xylander, Yi I.

Q: What is Albert Gore known for?

Albert Gore, Sr., American lawyer and politician (died 1998)

201 people 1194 – 2002

December 26 has seen 201 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1194 – 2002. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · December 26 — Wikipedia

1907 — Albert Gore

Sr., American lawyer and politician (died 1998)

Did you know

was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Tennessee from 1953 to 1971

Did you know

He was the father of Al Gore, who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 until 2001, and who held Tennessee's other U.S

Did you know

From 1932 to 1936 he was superintendent of schools for Smith County

Did you know

Night Law School, now the Nashville School of Law, from which he graduated in 1936.

Did you know

representative from the state's 4th congressional district from 1939 to 1953

Frederick II

Holy Roman Emperor (died 1250)

Frederick II was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220, and King of Jerusalem from 1225 to 1228. He was the son of Emperor Henry VI, of the Hohenstaufen…

1194

Charles de Valois

Duke de Berry, French noble (died 1472)

Charles, Duke of Berry, later Duke of Normandy and Duke of Aquitaine, was a son of Charles VII, King of France. He spent most of his life in conflict with his elder brother, King Louis XI.

1446

Rose Lok

businesswoman and Protestant exile (died 1613)

Rose Lok was an English businesswoman and Protestant exile during the Tudor period. At the age of eighty-four, she wrote an account covering the first part of her life.

1526

Wilhelm Xylander

German scholar and academic (died 1576)

Wilhelm Xylander was a German classical scholar and humanist. He served as rector of Heidelberg University in 1564.

1532

Yi I

Korean philosopher and scholar (died 1584)

Yi I was a Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon period. Yi is often referred to by his art name Yulgok. He was also a politician and was the academical successor of Cho Kwangjo.

1536

Albert

Count of Nassau-Weilburg (died 1593)

Albert of Nassau-Weilburg-Ottweiler, was a count of the House of Nassau. His territory included the areas around Weilburg, Ottweiler and Lahr in the Black Forest. Like his father, Philip III of Nassau-Weilburg he was an…

1537

Philip III

Landgrave of Hesse-Butzbach (died 1643)

Landgrave Philip III of Hesse-Butzbach was Landgrave of Hesse-Butzbach from 1609 to 1643.

1581

Elisabeth of the Palatinate

German princess, philosopher, and Calvinist (died 1680)

Elisabeth of the Palatinate, also known as Elisabeth of Bohemia, Princess Elisabeth of the Palatinate, or Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey, was the eldest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, and Elizabeth Stuart.…

1618

John Page

English Colonial politician (died 1692)

Colonel John Page was an English-born planter, merchant, slave trader and politician who spent most of his life in North America. Born in Bedfont, Middlesex, Page eventually migrated to the English colony of Virginia,…

1628

Robert Bolling

English/English Colonial merchant and planter (died 1709)

Robert Bolling was an English-born merchant, planter and politician. He was the founder of the Bolling family of Virginia, one of the First Families of Virginia, with at least fifteen descendants serving in the Virginia…

1646

Johann Georg Pisendel

German violinist and composer (died 1755)

Johann Georg Pisendel was a German Baroque violinist and composer who, for many years, led the Court Orchestra in Dresden as concertmaster, then the finest instrumental ensemble in Europe. He was the leading violinist…

1687

Thomas Gray

English poet and scholar (died 1771)

Thomas Gray was an English poet, letter-writer, and classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College. He is widely known for his Elegy Written in a Country…

1716

Jean François de Saint-Lambert

French soldier and philosopher (died 1803)

Jean François de Saint-Lambert was a French poet, philosopher and military officer.

1716

Friedrich Melchior

Baron von Grimm, German-French author and playwright (died 1807)

Friedrich Melchior, Baron von Grimm was a German-born French-language journalist, art critic, diplomat and contributor to the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. In 1765 Grimm…

1723

Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (died 1815)

General Field Marshal Frederick Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was an Austrian army officer who served in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Emperor. He began his career at the age of 18 in a cavalry regiment with…

1737

Lord George Gordon

English lieutenant and politician (died 1793)

Lord George Gordon was a British nobleman and politician best known for lending his name to the Gordon Riots of 1780. An eccentric and flighty personality, he was born into the Scottish nobility and sat in the House of…

1751

Clemens Maria Hofbauer

Austrian priest, missionary, and saint (died 1820)

Clement Mary Hofbauer was a Moravian hermit and later a priest of the Redemptorist congregation. He established his congregation, founded in Italy, north of the Alps. For this, he is considered a co-founder of the…

1751

Ernst Moritz Arndt

German writer and poet (died 1860)

Ernst Moritz Arndt was a German nationalist historian, writer and poet. Early in his life, he fought for the abolition of serfdom, later against Napoleonic dominance over Germany. Arndt had to flee to Sweden for some…

1769

Mary Somerville

Scottish mathematician, astronomer, and author (died 1872)

Mary Somerville was a Scottish scientist, writer, and polymath. She studied mathematics and astronomy, and in 1835 she and Caroline Herschel were elected as the first female Honorary Members of the Royal Astronomical…

1780

Philaret Drozdov

Russian metropolitan and saint (died 1867)

Metropolitan Philaret was Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna and the most influential figure in the Russian Orthodox Church for more than 40 years, from 1821 to 1867.

1782

Étienne Constantin de Gerlache

Belgian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Belgium (died 1871)

Étienne Constantin, Baron de Gerlache was a lawyer and politician in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and later became in 1831 the first prime minister of the newly founded Belgian state.

1785

Charles Babbage

English mathematician and engineer, invented the Difference engine (died 1871)

Charles Babbage was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.

1791

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald

Estonian physician and author (died 1882)

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald was an Estonian writer who is considered to be the father of the national literature for the country. He is the author of Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg.

1803

E. D. E. N. Southworth

American author and educator (died 1899)

Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth was an American writer of more than 60 novels in the latter part of the 19th century. She was the most popular American novelist of her day.

1819

Dion Boucicault

Irish actor and playwright (died 1890)

Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most…

1820

Morgan Bulkeley

American soldier and politician, 54th Governor of Connecticut (died 1922)

Morgan Gardner Bulkeley was an American politician of the Republican Party, businessman, and insurance executive. In 1876, he served as the first president of baseball's National League and, because of that, was…

1837

George Dewey

American admiral (died 1917)

George Dewey was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, with the loss of…

1837

Johannes François Snelleman

Dutch zoologist, orientalist, and ethnographer (died 1938)

Johannes François Snelleman was a Dutch zoologist, orientalist, ethnographer and museum director. He was a son of Christiaan Snelleman and Sara Lacombe. Snelleman was married three times, to Josepha Hendrika Dupont,…

1852

René Bazin

French author and academic (died 1932)

René François Nicolas Marie Bazin was a French novelist.

1853

José Yves Limantour

Mexican financier and politician, Mexican Secretary of Finance (died 1935)

José Yves Limantour Marquet was a Mexican financier and politician who served as Secretary of the Finance of Mexico from 1893 until the fall of the Porfirio Díaz regime in 1911. One of the most prominent politicians of…

1854

William Stephens

American lawyer and politician, 24th Governor of California (died 1944)

William Dennison Stephens was an American federal and state politician. A three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1916, Stephens was the 24th governor of California from 1917 to 1923. Prior…

1859

Charles Pathé

French record producer, co-founded Pathé Records (died 1957)

Charles Morand Pathé was a pioneer of the French film and recording industries. As the founder of Pathé Frères, its roots lie in 1896 Paris, France, when Pathé and his brothers pioneered the development of the moving…

1863

Yun Chi-ho

Korean activist and politician (died 1945)

Yun Ch'iho was a Korean politician. His name is sometimes spelled Yun Tchi-Ho, his art name was Chwaong (좌옹), and his courtesy name was Sŏnghŭm (성흠).

1864

Phan Bội Châu

Vietnamese activist (died 1940)

Phan Bội Châu was a Vietnamese nationalist and revolutionary. In 1904, he formed a revolutionary organization called Duy Tân Hội and initiated the Đông Du movement. From 1905 to 1908, he lived in Japan where he wrote…

1867

Mathieu Cordang

Dutch cyclist (died 1942)

Mathieu Cordang was a Dutch professional cyclist. His specialties were track racing and endurance racing.

1869

Virginia Bolten

Argentine feminist and trade unionist (died 1960)

Virginia Bolten (1870–1960) was an Argentine journalist and anarchist feminist activist. An anarchist agitator from an early age, she became a leading figure among the working women of Rosario, organising for the…

1870

Norman Angell

English journalist, academic, and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1967)

Sir Ralph Norman Angell was a lecturer, journalist, author and Member of Parliament for the Labour Party. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace, particularly through writings that argued…

1872

Thomas Wass

English cricketer (died 1953)

Thomas George Wass was a Nottinghamshire cricketer, a bowler best remembered, alongside Albert Hallam, for bowling that gave Nottinghamshire a brilliant County Championship win in 1907. Wass also holds the record for…

1873

Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah

Bangladeshi theologian and academic (died 1965)

Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah was an educator, litterateur, Islamic theologist and social reformer of pre-partition India.

1874

Maurice Utrillo

French painter (died 1955)

Maurice Utrillo was a French painter of the School of Paris who specialized in cityscapes. From the Montmartre quarter of Paris, France, Utrillo is one of the few famous painters of Montmartre to have been born there.

1883

Bazoline Estelle Usher

African-American educator (died 1992)

Bazoline Estelle Usher was an American educator known for her work in the Atlanta Public Schools. As director of education for African-American children in the district prior to integration, she was the first African…

1885

Arthur Percival

English general (died 1966)

Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, was a British Army officer. He saw service in the First World War and built a successful military career during the interwar period, but is best known for his defeat in the…

1887

Marius Canard

French orientalist and historian (died 1982)

Marius Canard FBA was a French Orientalist and historian.

1888

Ragnhild Kaarbø

Norwegian painter (died 1949)

Ragnhild Kaarbø was a Norwegian painter. Influenced by Fauvism, she painted expressionistic portraits. She was also influenced by Cubism, but as her cubistic paintings were criticized by the press, she eventually…

1889

Konstantinos Georgakopoulos

Greek lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (died 1973)

Konstantinos Georgakopoulos was a Greek lawyer, politician and Prime Minister of Greece.

1890

Percy Hodge

English runner (died 1967)

Percy Hodge was a British athlete, winner of the 3000 m steeplechase at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

1890

Henry Miller

American author and painter (died 1980)

Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blends character study, social…

1891

Don Barclay

American actor and illustrator (died 1975)

Don Barclay was an American actor, artist and caricaturist whose many roles spanned the period from the Keystone Cops in 1915 to Mary Poppins in 1964 and whose many paintings and caricatures of celebrities filled…

1892

Mao Zedong

Chinese politician, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (died 1976)

Mao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He led China from the PRC's establishment in October 1949 until his death in…

1893

Jean Toomer

American author and poet (died 1967)

Jean Toomer was an American poet and novelist commonly associated with modernism and the Harlem Renaissance, though he actively resisted the latter association. His reputation stems from his novel Cane (1923), which…

1894

Evelyn Bark

leading member of the British Red Cross, first female recipient of the CMG (died 1993)

Evelyn Elizabeth Patricia Bark, was a leading member of the British Red Cross.

1900

Elmar Muuk

Estonian linguist and author (died 1941)

Elmar Muuk was an Estonian linguist, lexicographer, and author of a number of dictionaries and textbooks of the Estonian language, and was, together with Johannes Voldemar Veski and Johannes Aavik, responsible for…

1901

Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan

Russian painter and sculptor (died 1980)

Anatoli Lvovich Kaplan, was a Soviet-era Russian painter, sculptor and printmaker, whose works often reflect his Jewish origins.

1902

Elisha Cook

Jr., American actor (died 1995)

Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. was an American character actor famed for his work in film noir. He played cheerful, brainy collegiates until he was cast against type as the bug-eyed baby-faced killer Wilmer Cook in the 1941…

1903

Alejo Carpentier

Swiss-Cuban musicologist and author (died 1980)

Alejo Carpentier y Valmont was a Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist who greatly influenced Latin American literature during its famous "boom" period. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, of French and Russian…

1904

William Loeb III

American publisher (died 1981)

William Loeb III was an American newspaper publisher. He is remembered for his unyieldingly conservative political views, which helped made the Manchester Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire, one of the best-known…

1905

Ralph Hill

American runner (died 1994)

Ralph Anthony Hill was an American runner. He set an American record over the mile in 1930 and won a silver medal in the 5000 m event at the 1932 Olympics.

1908

Matt Gordy

American pole vaulter (died 1989)

Matthew Bell Gordy was an American pole vaulter. In 1933 Gordy shared first place at both the NCAA championships and the national championships and helped Louisiana State University win the NCAA team title.

1909

Imperio Argentina

Argentine-Spanish actress and singer (died 2003)

María Magdalena Nile del Río was an Argentine professional singer and movie actress, better known as Imperio Argentina; she became a citizen of Spain in 1999.

1910

Marguerite Churchill

American actress (died 2000)

Marguerite Graham Churchill was an American stage and film actress whose career spanned 30 years, from 1922 to 1952. Marguerite made her debut as a child actress on Broadway in 1922. She debuted onscreen in 1929, and…

1910

Arsenio Lacson

Filipino journalist and politician, Mayor of Manila (died 1962)

Arsenio Hilario Sison Lacson Sr. was a Filipino lawyer, journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as the 17th Mayor of Manila and the first to be democratically elected. An active executive likened by…

1912

Frank Swift

English footballer and journalist (died 1958)

Frank Victor Swift was an English footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester City and England. After starting his career with Fleetwood, near his hometown of Blackpool, in 1932 he was signed by First Division…

1913

Richard Widmark

American actor (died 2008)

Richard Weedt Widmark was an American actor and film producer. For his debut film role as the villainous Tommy Udo in the film noir Kiss of Death (1947), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor…

1914

Rolf Botvid

Swedish actor and screenwriter (died 1998)

Rolf Botvid was a Swedish actor and screenwriter. He appeared in over 30 films. He was the son of actor and comedian John Botvid and was married to actress Marianne Gyllenhammar.

1915

Olga Lopes-Seale

Guyanese-Barbadian singer and radio host (died 2011)

Dame Olga Lopes-Seale DA MBE, was a Guyanese-born Barbados-based social and community worker, radio broadcaster and singer.

1918

Georgios Rallis

Greek lieutenant and politician, 173rd Prime Minister of Greece (died 2006)

Georgios Ioannou Rallis, anglicised to George Rallis, was a Greek conservative politician and Prime Minister of Greece from 1980 to 1981.

1918

Steve Allen

American actor, singer, talk show host, and screenwriter (died 2000)

Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen was an American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer, writer, and actor. Though he got his start in radio, he is best known for his extensive network…

1921

John Severin

American illustrator (died 2012)

John Powers Severin was an American comics artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat; for Marvel Comics, especially its war and Western…

1921

Richard Mayes

English actor (died 2006)

Derek Leonard Richard Mayes was an English stage, film and television actor. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. A well-known face on British television, he was primarily a theatrical actor, described…

1922

Richard Artschwager

American painter, illustrator, and sculptor (died 2013)

Richard Ernst Artschwager was an American painter, illustrator and sculptor. His work has associations with Pop Art, Conceptual art and Minimalism.

1923

Frank Broyles

American football player, coach, and sportscaster (died 2017)

John Franklin Broyles was an American college football player and coach, college athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach for one season at the University of Missouri in 1957 and at…

1924

Earle Brown

American composer (died 2002)

Earle Brown was an American music composer, producer, and educator who, as a composer, was a close associate of John Cage, and established his own formal and notational systems. As such, he created "open form," a style…

1926

Denis Gifford

English journalist and historian (died 2000)

Denis Gifford was a British writer, broadcaster, journalist, comic artist and historian of film, comics, television and radio. In his lengthy career, he wrote and drew for British comics; wrote more than fifty books on…

1927

Alan King

American actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 2004)

Alan King was an American comedian, actor and satirist known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. He was also a serious actor who appeared in a number of films and television shows. King wrote several…

1927

Stu Miller

American baseball player (died 2015)

Stuart Leonard Miller, nicknamed "the Butterfly Man", was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–56), Philadelphia Phillies (1956), New York/San Francisco Giants…

1927

Denis Quilley

English actor (died 2003)

Denis Clifford Quilley was an English actor and singer. From a family with no theatrical connections, Quilley was determined from an early age to become an actor. He was taken on by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in…

1927

Martin Cooper

American engineer, invented the mobile phone

Martin Cooper is an American engineer. He is a pioneer in the wireless communications industry, especially in radio spectrum management, with eleven patents in the field.

1928

Kathleen Crowley

American actress (died 2017)

Kathleen Crowley was an American actress. She appeared in over 100 movies and television series in the 1950s and 1960s, almost always as a leading lady.

1929

Régine Zylberberg

Belgian-French singer and actress (died 2022)

Régine Zylberberg, often known mononymously as Régine, was a Belgian-born French singer, actress, nightclub impresario, and businesswoman.

1929

Jean Ferrat

French singer-songwriter and poet (died 2010)

Jean Ferrat was a French singer-songwriter and poet. He specialized in singing poetry, particularly that of Louis Aragon.

1930

Harry Gamble

American football player, coach, and manager (died 2014)

Harry T. Gamble was an American football coach and executive. He was the head coach at the Lafayette College and University of Pennsylvania and general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles.

1930

Donald Moffat

English-American actor (died 2018)

Donald Moffat was a British-American actor with a decades-long career in film and stage in the United States.

1930

Caroll Spinney

American puppeteer and voice actor (died 2019)

Caroll Edwin Spinney was an American puppeteer, cartoonist, author, artist and speaker, most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street from its inception in 1969 until 2018.

1933

Rohan Kanhai

Guyanese cricketer

Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a Guyanese former cricketer of Indo-Guyanese origin, who represented the West Indies in 79 Test matches. He is widely considered to be one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured on…

1935

Norm Ullman

Canadian ice hockey player

Norman Victor Alexander Ullman is a Canadian former ice hockey forward. He previously played for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1955 to 1975, and with the Edmonton…

1935

Kitty Dukakis

American author, First Lady of Massachusetts (died 2025)

Katharine Virginia "Kitty" Dukakis was an American author and activist for various social causes. She served as the First Lady of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and 1983 to 1991, as the wife of the Governor of…

1936

Peep Jänes

Estonian architect

Peep Jänes is an Estonian architect.

1936

Trevor Taylor

English race car driver (died 2010)

Trevor Patrick Taylor was a British motor racing driver from England.

1936

John Horton Conway

English mathematician, known for Conway's Game of Life (died 2020)

John Horton Conway was an English mathematician. He was active in the theory of finite groups, knot theory, number theory, combinatorial game theory and coding theory. He also made contributions to many branches of…

1937

Bahram Beyzai

Iranian director, screenwriter, and playwright (died 2025)

Bahrām Beyzai was an Iranian filmmaker, playwright, theatre director, researcher, and ostād ("master") of Persian literature, mythology, and Iranian studies.

1938

Robert Hamerton-Kelly

South African-American pastor, scholar, and author (died 2013)

Robert Gerald Hamerton-Kelly was a Christian theologian, ordained United Methodist pastor, ethics scholar, and author and editor of several books on religion and violence. He served as Dean of the Chapel at Stanford…

1938

Alamgir Kabir

Bangladeshi director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1989)

Alamgir Kabir was a Bangladeshi film director and cultural activist. Three of his feature films are featured in the "Top 10 Bangladeshi Films" list by British Film Institute.

1938

Mirko Kovač

Yugoslav-Croatian author, playwright, and screenwriter (died 2013)

Mirko Kovač was a Montenegrin writer. In his rich career he wrote novels, short stories, essays, film scripts, TV and radio plays. Among his best known works are the novella Životopis Malvine Trifković, the novels Vrata…

1938

Fred Schepisi

Australian director and screenwriter

Frederic Alan Schepisi is an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. His credits include The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Plenty, Roxanne, A Cry in the Dark, Mr. Baseball, Six Degrees of Separation, and…

1939

Phil Spector

American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2021)

Harvey Phillip Spector was an American record producer and songwriter primarily known for his Wall of Sound production style in the 1960s, followed by his trials and imprisonment for murder after the 2000s. Considered…

1939

Edward C. Prescott

American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2022)

Edward Christian Prescott was an American economist. He received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 2004, sharing the award with Finn E. Kydland, "for their contributions to dynamic macroeconomics: the time…

1940

Ray Sadecki

American baseball player (died 2014)

Raymond Michael Sadecki was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the left-handed complement to Bob Gibson, who in 1964, won 20 games to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to their first World…

1940

Daniel Schmid

Swiss actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2006)

Daniel Walter Schmid was a Swiss theatre and film director.

1941

Vinicio Cerezo

Guatemalan politician, 28th President of Guatemala

Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo is a Guatemalan politician who served as the 40th President of Guatemala from 1986 to 1991. He also served as the Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (SICA) from…

1942

Catherine Coulter

American author

Jean Catherine Coulter is an American author of romantic suspense thrillers and historical romances who lives in northern California.

1942

Gray Davis

American captain, lawyer, and politician, 37th Governor of California

Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis Jr. is an American attorney and former politician who served as the 37th governor of California from 1999 until he was recalled and removed from office in 2003. He is the second state governor…

1942

William Ayers

American academic and activist

William Charles Ayers is an American retired professor and former community organizer. In 1969, Ayers co-founded the far-left militant organization the Weather Underground, a revolutionary group that sought to overthrow…

1944

John Walsh

American television host, producer, and activist, created America's Most Wanted

John Edward Walsh, Jr. is an American television presenter, victims' rights activist, and the host/creator of America's Most Wanted. He is known for his anti-crime activism, with which he became involved following the…

1945

Alan Frumin

American lawyer and politician

Alan Scott Frumin is a former parliamentarian of the United States Senate.

1946

Tiit Rosenberg

Estonian historian and academic

Tiit Rosenberg is an Estonian historian and professor of Estonian History in University of Tartu. In 1996–2008, was he also chairman of Õpetatud Eesti Selts.

1946

James T. Conway

American general

James Terry Conway is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Among his previous postings were Director of Operations (J-3) on the Joint Chiefs of…

1947

Jean Echenoz

French author

Jean Echenoz is a French writer.

1947

Carlton Fisk

American baseball player

Carlton Ernest Fisk, nicknamed "Pudge" and "the Commander", is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. In…

1947

Josef Janíček

Czech singer-songwriter, guitarist, and keyboard player

Josef Janíček is a Czech rock keyboardist, singer, accordion and guitar player. He was a former guitarist of The Primitives Group; from 1969 he played with The Plastic People of the Universe. He was also a member of…

1947

Liz Lochhead

Scottish poet and playwright

Liz Lochhead Hon FRSE is a Scottish poet, playwright, translator and broadcaster. Between 2011 and 2016 she was the Makar, or National Poet of Scotland, and served as Poet Laureate for Glasgow between 2005 and 2011.

1947

Richard Levis McCormick

American historian and academic

Richard Levis McCormick is an American historian and university administrator. He served as the interim president of Stony Brook University from 2024 to 2025, as the 19th president of Rutgers University from 2002 to…

1947

Candy Crowley

American journalist

Candy Alt Crowley is an American news anchor who was employed as CNN's chief political correspondent, specializing in American national and state elections. She was based in CNN's Washington, D.C. bureau and was the…

1948

José Ramos-Horta

East Timorese lawyer and politician, 2nd President of East Timor, Nobel Prize laureate

José Manuel Ramos-Horta is an East Timorese politician who has been the seventh president of Timor-Leste since 2022, having previously been the fourth president from 2007 to 2012. He was a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel…

1949

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

Pakistani businessman and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Pakistan

Raja Pervez Ashraf is a Pakistani politician, businessman and agriculturist who served as the 17th prime minister of Pakistan from June 2012 to March 2013 and as the Speaker of the National Assembly from April 2022 to…

1950

Mario Mendoza

Mexican baseball player and manager

Mario Mendoza Aizpuru is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder who later managed Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. Mendoza, a lifetime .215 hitter, is best known for being the source of the name…

1950

Leonel Fernández

Dominican lawyer and politician, 51st President of the Dominican Republic

Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna, or Leonel Fernández for short, is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and was the 50th and 52nd President of the Dominican Republic from 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2012. From 2016 until…

1953

Toomas Hendrik Ilves

Swedish-Estonian journalist and politician, 4th President of Estonia

Toomas Hendrik Ilves is an Estonian politician who served as the fourth president of Estonia from 2006 until 2016.

1953

Makis Katsavakis

Greek footballer and manager

Makis Katsavakis is a Greek professional football manager and former player.

1953

Henning Schmitz

German drummer

Kraftwerk is a German electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful acts to…

1953

Peter Hillary

New Zealand mountaineer and philanthropist

Peter Edmund Hillary, born 26 December 1954 is a New Zealand mountaineer and philanthropist. He is the son of Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, completed the first successful ascent of…

1954

Ozzie Smith

American baseball player and sportscaster

Osborne Earl Smith is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball (MLB). Renowned for…

1954

Evan Bayh

American lawyer and politician, 46th Governor of Indiana

Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III is an American politician who served as the 46th governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997 and as a United States senator representing Indiana from 1999 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party,…

1955

David Sedaris

American comedian, author, and radio host

David Raymond Sedaris is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries". He published his first…

1956

Dermot Murnaghan

English-Northern Irish journalist and game show host

Dermot John Murnaghan is an English media personality, notable as a journalist, news reporter and television host. He has been a presenter for numerous networks, including at Channel 4, a news presenter at CNBC Europe,…

1957

Adrian Newey

English aerodynamicist and engineer

Adrian Martin Newey is a British engineer, aerodynamicist, automotive designer, and motorsport executive. Since 2026, Newey has served as team principal, technical director, and co-owner of Aston Martin in Formula One;…

1958

Wang Lijun

Chinese police officer and politician

Wang Lijun is a Chinese former police chief. He served as vice-mayor and police chief of the megacity of Chongqing. Wang is ethnically Mongol and was born in Arxan, Inner Mongolia. Prior to taking on positions in…

1959

Kōji Morimoto

Japanese animator and director

Kōji Morimoto is a Japanese anime director. Some of his works include being an animator in the Akira film; shorts in Robot Carnival, Short Peace, and The Animatrix; and key animation in anime such as Kiki's Delivery…

1959

Hans Nielsen

Danish motorcycle racer

Hans Hollen Nielsen is a Danish former professional motorcycle speedway rider. He competed in the Speedway World Championships from 1977 to 1999. Nielsen is notable for winning four Speedway World Championship titles.…

1959

Keith Martin Ball

American mathematician and academic

Keith Martin Ball is a mathematician and professor at the University of Warwick. He was scientific director of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) from 2010 to 2014.

1960

Ruud Kaiser

Dutch footballer and manager

Ruud Kaiser is a Dutch football manager, coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently the coach of Helmond Sport's under-19 team.

1960

Cem Uzan

Turkish businessman and politician

Cem Cengiz Uzan is a Turkish businessman and politician involved in the media and banking industries, while also chairing the social liberal Young Party (GENÇPARTİ). His family's media empire at one time included both…

1960

Andrew Lock

Australian mountaineer

Andrew James Lock OAM is an Australian mountaineer. He became the first, and still remains the only, Australian to climb all 14 "eight-thousanders" on 2 October 2009, and is the 18th person to ever complete this feat.…

1961

James Kottak

American drummer (died 2024)

James Kottak was an American drummer, best known for his work with the German hard rock band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996. At the time of his firing from the band in 2016, he was their longest-serving drummer.…

1962

Mark Starr

English wrestler (died 2013)

Mark Ashford-Smith, best known by his ring name Mark Starr, was an English professional wrestler.

1962

Craig Teitzel

Australian rugby league player

Craig Teitzel is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. Primarily a prop, he played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Illawarra Steelers, Warrington Wolves and was a…

1963

Lars Ulrich

Danish-American drummer, songwriter, and producer

Lars Ulrich is a Danish musician who is the drummer and a founding member of American heavy metal band Metallica. Along with James Hetfield, Ulrich has songwriting credits on almost all of the band's songs, and the two…

1963

Elizabeth Kostova

American author

Elizabeth Johnson Kostova is an American author best known for her debut novel The Historian.

1964

Jay Farrar

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Jay Stuart Farrar is an American songwriter and musician based in St. Louis. A member of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond being a…

1966

Tim Legler

American basketball player and sportscaster

Timothy Eugene Legler, nicknamed "Legs", is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently an ESPN basketball analyst and co-host/analyst on…

1966

Matt Zoller Seitz

American film critic and author

Matt Zoller Seitz is an American film and television critic, author and filmmaker.

1968

Isaac Viciosa

Spanish runner

Isaac Viciosa is a Spanish former middle distance runner.

1969

James Mercer

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

James Russell Mercer is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the founder, vocalist, lead songwriter, and sole remaining original member of the indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger…

1970

Jared Leto

American actor and musician

Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golden…

1971

Mika Nurmela

Finnish footballer

Mika Nurmela is a Finnish football coach and former professional footballer, who played as a midfielder or winger. He is currently the sporting director of AC Oulu.

1971

Tatiana Sorokko

Russian-American model and journalist

Tatiana Sorokko is a Russian-born American model, fashion journalist, and haute couture collector. She walked the runways for the world's most prominent designers and fashion houses, appeared on covers of leading…

1971

Gaby Colebunders

Belgian politician

Gaby Colebunders is a Belgian trade unionist, politician and member of the Flemish Parliament. A member of the Workers' Party of Belgium, he has represented Limburg since July 2024. He had previously been a member of…

1972

Esteban Fuertes

Argentinian footballer

Esteban Óscar Fuertes is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward.

1972

Robert Muchamore

English author

Robert Kilgore Muchamore is an English author of young adult fiction, best known for his CHERUB, Henderson's Boys and Rock War series.

1972

Paulo Frederico Benevenute

Brazilian footballer

Paulo Frederico Benevenute, known as Paulão, is a retired Brazilian footballer.

1973

Gianluca Faliva

Italian rugby player

Gianluca Faliva is a retired Italian rugby union player. He played as a loosehead prop forward.

1973

Nobuhiko Matsunaka

Japanese baseball player

Nobuhiko Matsunaka is a former left fielder and designated hitter for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He is currently the hitting coach for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.

1973

Steve Prescott

English rugby player (died 2013)

Stephen Prescott was a professional rugby league footballer who played as a fullback during the 1990s and 2000s.

1973

Joshua John Miller

American actor, director, and screenwriter

Joshua John Miller is an American actor, screenwriter, author, and director. Miller co-writes with his life partner M. A. Fortin; the two wrote the screenplay for the 2015 horror comedy The Final Girls, and the USA…

1974

Chris Calaguio

Filipino basketball player

Christian Jay Calaguio is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is a former San Beda Red Cub cager and was one of…

1975

Marcelo Ríos

Chilean tennis player

Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a Chilean former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the first Latin American Male to reach the…

1975

María Vasco

Spanish race walker

María del Monte Vasco Pes Gallardo is a Spanish race walker. She won the bronze medal in the 20 km at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. Vasco was also a gold and bronze…

1975

Simon Goodwin

Australian footballer and coach

Simon Goodwin is a retired Australian rules football player and coach, who played 275 games for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He went on to become the interim senior coach of the…

1976

Fatih Akyel

Turkish footballer and manager

Fatih Akyel is a Turkish football manager and former professional player. He played as a defender for clubs such as Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe during his 15-year career. He was capped by the Turkey national team 64…

1977

Adrienn Hegedűs

Hungarian tennis player

Adrienn Hegedűs is a Hungarian former tennis player. In her career, she won a total of 18 titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 24 September 2001, she reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 178.

1977

Karel Rüütli

Estonian lawyer and politician

Karel Rüütli was Chairman of the Estonian People's Union and also leader of Estonian People's Union faction in the Estonian Parliament. He left the ERL and joined the Social Democratic Party of Estonia on 14 June 2010.

1978

Kaoru Sugayama

Japanese volleyball player

Kaoru Sugayama is a Japanese volleyball player. Although her nickname is "yuu", Ai Otomo already had that nickname on the All-Japan women's Team, so she was given the new nickname "kaoru". Her nickname in television…

1978

Fabián Carini

Uruguayan footballer

Héctor Fabián Carini Hernández is a Uruguayan former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

1979

Chris Daughtry

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Christopher Adam Daughtry is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and comic book artist. He is the lead vocalist and a guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fifth…

1979

Dimitry Vassiliev

Russian ski jumper

Dimitry Viktorovich Vassiliev is a Russian former ski jumper who has competed at World Cup level from 1998 to 2021.

1979

Craig Wing

Australian rugby player

Craig Wing, also known by the nickname of "Wingy", is an Australian-born former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He began his career in rugby league, playing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the…

1979

Todd Dunivant

American soccer player

Todd Dunivant is an American soccer executive and former defender who played 13 years in Major League Soccer winning 5 MLS Cup trophies. After retirement he spearheaded the San Francisco Deltas professional soccer team…

1980

Ceylan Ertem

Turkish singer

Ceylan Ertem, sometimes stylized as Ceyl'an Ertem is a Turkish singer-songwriter.

1980

Pablo Canavosio

Argentine-Italian rugby player

Pablo Canavosio is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. Canavosio played for Rovigo, Calvisano, Castres Olympique and Aironi. His usual position is at scrum half or wing.

1981

Omar Infante

Venezuelan baseball player

Omar Rafael Infante is a Venezuelan former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and Kansas City Royals. He was an All-Star…

1981

Kenneth Darby

American football player

Kenneth Darby is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was selected by the Tampa Bay…

1982

Noel Hunt

Irish footballer

Noel Hunt is an Irish football manager and former professional footballer who was formerly the head coach at Reading.

1982

Aksel Lund Svindal

Norwegian skier

Aksel Lund Svindal is a Norwegian former World Cup alpine ski racer. Born in Lørenskog in Akershus county, Svindal is a two-time overall World Cup champion, an Olympic gold medalist in super-G at the 2010 Winter…

1982

Jeroen Soete

Belgian politician

Jeroen B. Soete is a Belgian politician and member of the Chamber of Representatives. A member of Vooruit, he has represented West Flanders since June 2024.

1983

Yu Takahashi

Japanese singer-songwriter

Yu Takahashi is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He debuted on a major label in 2010, with his singles "Subarashiki Nichijō" and "Honto no Kimochi".

1983

Alexander Wang

American fashion designer

Alexander Wang is an American fashion designer. Wang launched his eponymous fashion brand in 2005 and came to prominence after being awarded the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008. He is known for his urban-inspired…

1983

Ahmed Barusso

Ghanaian footballer

Ahmed Apimah Barusso is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Italian club A.S.D. Terme Monticelli.

1984

Leonardo Ghiraldini

Italian rugby player

Leonardo Ghiraldini is a retired Italian international rugby union player. Ghiraldini's playing position is hooker.

1984

Alex Schwazer

Italian race walker

Alex Schwazer, OMRI, is an Italian race walker. He was the 2008 Olympic 50k walk champion.

1984

Damir Markota

Croatian basketball player

Damir Markota is a Croatian professional basketball player who last played for Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian League. Standing at 2.08 m, he plays at the power forward position.

1985

Joe Alexander

American-Israeli basketball player

Joseph Anthony Alexander is a Taiwan-born American-Israeli former professional basketball player. Alexander, at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) played both forward positions, was selected for the 2007 All-Big East squad during his…

1986

Kit Harington

English actor

Christopher Catesby Harington, known professionally as Kit Harington, is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019), for which he…

1986

Hugo Lloris

French footballer

Hugo Hadrien Dominique Lloris is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.

1986

Selen Soyder

Turkish actress and beauty queen

Mükerrem Selen Soyder is a Turkish actress, activist, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World Turkey 2007 and represented her country in the Miss World 2007 in Sanya, China.

1986

Oskar Osala

Finnish ice hockey player

Oskar Osala is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He played in three National Hockey League (NHL) games with the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes and represented Finland in Olympic Winter Games…

1987

Yohan Blake

Jamaican sprinter

Yohan Blake is a Jamaican sprinter specialising in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint races. He won gold at the 100 m at the 2011 World Athletics Championships as the youngest 100 m world champion ever, and a silver…

1989

Sofiane Feghouli

Algerian footballer

Sofiane Feghouli is a professional footballer who plays for the Algeria national team. He mainly operates as a winger, but can also play as an attacking midfielder.

1989

Tomáš Kundrátek

Czech ice hockey player

Tomáš Kundrátek is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals.

1989

Denis Cheryshev

Russian footballer

Denis Dmitriyevich Cheryshev is a Russian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Cypriot First Division club Krasava ENY Ypsonas.

1990

Cory Jefferson

American basketball player

Cory Allen Jefferson is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Baylor University and represented the United States at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia.

1990

Aaron Ramsey

Welsh footballer

Aaron James Ramsey is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He mainly played as a box-to-box midfielder, but had also been deployed on the left and right wings.

1990

Brandon Scherff

American football player

Brandon Scherff is an American former professional football player who was a guard for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, earning unanimous All-American…

1991

Eden Sher

American actress

Eden Rebecca Sher is an American actress. The accolades she has received include a Critics' Choice Television Award, alongside a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.

1991

Trevor Siemian

American football player

Trevor John Siemian is an American professional football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats and was selected by the Denver…

1991

Cecilia Costa Melgar

Chilean tennis player

Cecilia Raquel Costa Melgar is a Chilean former tennis player.

1992

Jade Thirlwall

English singer

Jade Amelia Thirlwall is an English singer. Her music career began at the age of 15, when she auditioned for The X Factor on three occasions before rising to prominence as a member of the girl group Little Mix. Formed…

1992

Colby Cave

Canadian ice hockey player (died 2020)

Colby Alexander Cave was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers.

1994

Souleymane Coulibaly

Ivorian footballer

Souleymane Coulibaly is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for English non-league club Pickering Town.

1994

Tamara Zidanšek

Slovenian tennis player

Tamara Zidanšek is a Slovenian professional tennis player. She has career-high rankings of world No. 22 in singles and No. 47 in doubles. She has won one singles title, as well as four doubles titles on the WTA Tour and…

1997

Aleksej Pokuševski

Serbian basketball player

Aleksej Pokuševski is a Serbian professional basketball player and the vice-captain for Partizan Belgrade of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the ABA League and the EuroLeague. Standing at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) and…

2001

Josh Wilson-Esbrand

English footballer

Joshua Darius Kamani Wilson-Esbrand is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ekstraklasa club Radomiak Radom, on loan from Premier League club Manchester City.

2002

Famous birthdays

Who was born on December 26?

Albert Gore — American politician (1907–1998)

FeaturedAlbert Gore

Birth year1907

Known forwas an American politician who served as a United States senator from Tennessee from 1953 to 1971

Birthdays on this date201 (1194 – 2002)

Explore December 26

Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.

Events on December 26 Birthdays on December 26 Deaths on December 26 December 26 quiz

Also on December 26 in History

2025

Israel recognises Somaliland as an independent state, becoming the first country to do so. Wikipedia →

2021

Three people are killed when a 14-year-old opens fire on civilians at a Texaco convenience store in Garland, Texas. Wikipedia →

2015

A violent EF-4 tornado hits Garland, Texas, killing nine and injuring almost 500 others. Wikipedia →

See all events on December 26

December 25 December 27

Explore famous birthdays on the interactive calendar.

Open the Calendar All Blog Posts

Famous Birthdays on December 26

1907 — Albert Gore

Who was born on December 26?

Explore December 26

Also on December 26 in History

History runs on facts, and this project runs on coffee!