Famous Birthdays on December 29

Q: Who was born on December 29?

Famous people born on December 29 include: Henry VI, García de Silva Figueroa, Johannes Zollikofer, Elizabeth Petrovna, Madame de Pompadour.

289 people 1536 – 2006

December 29 has seen 289 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1536 – 2006. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · December 29 — Wikipedia

1974 — Mekhi Phifer

American actor

Did you know

In 2013, he became a recurring cast member during season three on the Showtime drama House of Lies

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Beginning his career in the mid-1990s, Phifer was known for a few notable roles in films including Clockers, Soul Food, High School High and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Did you know

He also appeared in the 1998 music video for "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica

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In 2002, he had a co-starring role opposite rapper Eminem in the feature film 8 Mile

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Greg Pratt, whom he portrayed from 2002 to 2008 on NBC's long-running medical drama ER (1994–2009)

Henry VI

German nobleman (died 1572)

Henry VI of Plauen was Burgrave of Meissen, Lord of Plauen and Lord of Schleiz and Lobenstein.

1536

García de Silva Figueroa

Spanish diplomat and traveller (died 1624)

Don García de Silva Figueroa was a Spanish diplomat, and the first Western traveller to correctly identify the ruins of Takht-e Jamshid in Persia as the location of Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Achaemenid…

1550

Johannes Zollikofer

Swiss vicar (died 1692)

Johannes Zollikofer was a Swiss reformed vicar.

1633

Elizabeth Petrovna

Russian empress (died 1762)

Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her…

1709

Madame de Pompadour

mistress of King Louis XV (died 1764)

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and remained influential…

1721

Saverio Cassar

Maltese priest and rebel leader (died 1805)

Saverio Cassar was a Gozitan priest and patriot, who was Governor-general of an independent Gozo from 1798 to 1801.

1746

Charles Macintosh

Scottish chemist and the inventor of waterproof fabric (died 1843)

Charles Macintosh FRS was a Scottish chemist and the inventor of the modern waterproof raincoat. The Mackintosh raincoat is named after him.

1766

Christian Jürgensen Thomsen

Danish antiquarian (died 1865)

Christian Jürgensen Thomsen was a Danish antiquarian who developed early archaeological techniques and methods.

1788

Johann Christian Poggendorff

German physicist and journalist (died 1877)

Johann Christian Poggendorff was a German physicist born in Hamburg. Poggendorff is best known for his work related to electricity and magnetism, most notably the electrostatic motor which is analogous to Wilhelm…

1796

Charles Goodyear

American chemist and engineer (died 1860)

Charles Goodyear was an American self-taught chemist and manufacturing engineer who developed vulcanized rubber, for which he received patent number 3633 from the United States Patent Office on June 15, 1844.

1800

John Langdon Sibley

American librarian (died 1885)

John Langdon Sibley was the librarian of Harvard University from 1856 to 1877.

1804

Andrew Johnson

American general and politician, 17th President of the United States (died 1875)

Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a War Democrat who…

1808

George Washington Baines

American politician, journalist and educator (died 1882)

George Washington Baines was an American politician, Baptist preacher, journalist, slaveowner, and educator. He was a co-founder, professor of natural science, and the third president of Baylor University, while the…

1809

William Ewart Gladstone

English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1898)

William Ewart Gladstone was a British statesman who served four times as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He began in politics as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Newark and ended as the face of the…

1809

Albert Pike

American author, poet, orator, editor, lawyer, jurist, and general (died 1891)

Albert Pike was an American author, poet, orator, editor, lawyer, jurist and Confederate States Army general who served as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in exile from 1864 to 1865. He had previously…

1809

Francisco Palau

Catalan Discalced Carmelite friar and priest (died 1872)

Francisco Palau y Quer, OCD was a Catalan Discalced Carmelite priest.

1811

Carl Ludwig

German physician and physiologist (died 1895)

Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig was a German physician and physiologist. His work as both a researcher and teacher had a major influence on the understanding, methods and apparatus used in almost all branches of…

1816

Elisabeth of Wied (died 1916)

Elisabeth of Wied was the first Queen of Romania as the wife of King Carol I from 15 March 1881 to 27 September 1914. She had been the princess consort of Romania since her marriage to then-Prince Carol on 15 November…

1843

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee

Indian barrister and first president of Indian National Congress (died 1906)

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee was an Indian independence activist and barrister who practiced in England. He was a secretary of the London Indian Society founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1865. He was one of the founders and…

1844

August Kitzberg

Estonian author and poet (died 1927)

August Kitzberg was an Estonian writer.

1855

Thomas Joannes Stieltjes

Dutch-French mathematician and academic (died 1894)

Thomas Joannes Stieltjes was a Dutch mathematician. He was a pioneer in the field of moment problems and contributed to the study of continued fractions. The Thomas Stieltjes Institute for Mathematics at Leiden…

1856

Sydney Young

English chemist (died 1937)

Sydney Young, was an English chemist.

1857

Venustiano Carranza

Mexican soldier and politician, 37th President of Mexico (died 1920)

José Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, known as Venustiano Carranza, was a Mexican land owner, revolutionary, and politician who served as the 44th President of Mexico from 1917 until his assassination in 1920, during…

1859

Earl Gregg Swem

American historian, bibliographer and librarian (died 1965)

Earl Gregg Swem was an American historian, bibliographer and librarian. Swem worked at the Library of Congress and Virginia State Library, and for more than two decades was primary librarian at the College of William &…

1870

François Brandt

Dutch rower and bishop (died 1949)

François Antoine Brandt was a Dutch rower who competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Brandt was part of the Dutch eight team that won a bronze medal with Hermanus Brockmann as the coxswain. Brockmann also…

1874

Pablo Casals

Catalan cellist and conductor (died 1973)

Pablo Casals, also known by his birth name, Pau Casals i Defilló, was a Catalan cellist, composer, and conductor, born in Spain. He made many recordings throughout his career of solo, chamber, and orchestral music,…

1876

Lionel Tertis

English violist (died 1975)

Lionel Tertis, CBE was an English violist. A noted teacher, he was one of the first viola players to achieve international fame.

1876

Billy Mitchell

American general and pilot (died 1936)

William Lendrum Mitchell was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force.

1879

Scott Leary

American swimmer (died 1958)

John Scott Leary was an American freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri. He won a silver medal in the 50-yard freestyle and a bronze in the 100-yard freestyle. Leary is widely…

1881

Jess Willard

American boxer (died 1968)

Jess Myron Willard was an American world heavyweight boxing champion billed as the Pottawatomie Giant. He won the world heavyweight title in 1915 by knocking out Jack Johnson.

1881

Roman von Ungern-Sternberg

Austrian-Russian general (died 1921)

Baron Nikolai Robert Maximilian Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg, often referred to as Roman von Ungern-Sternberg or Baron Ungern, was a Russian military leader in the Russian Civil War and then an independent warlord who…

1885

Norman Hallows

English runner and captain (died 1968)

Norman Frederick Hallows was an English middle-distance runner who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics.

1886

Georg Hermann Struve

German astronomer (died 1933)

Georg Otto Hermann Struve was a German astronomer from the Struve family and the son of Hermann Struve.

1886

Aku Korhonen

Finnish actor (died 1960)

August ”Aku” Aleksander Korhonen was a Finnish theatre and film actor. During his career, he appeared in 76 films and received three Jussi Awards.

1892

J. Lister Hill

American politician (died 1984)

Joseph Lister Hill was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who represented Alabama in the United States House of Representatives from 1923 to 1938 and the United States Senate from 1938 to 1969.

1894

Oswald Freisler

German lawyer and author (died 1939)

Oswald Freisler was a lawyer in Nazi Germany and the younger brother of Roland Freisler, who a few years after Oswald's death became the Judge President of the People's Court.

1895

David Alfaro Siqueiros

Mexican painter (died 1974)

David Alfaro Siqueiros was a Mexican social realist painter, best known for his large public murals using the latest in equipment, materials and technique. Along with Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, he was one of…

1896

Nie Rongzhen

Chinese general and politician, Mayor of Beijing (died 1992)

Nie Rongzhen was a Marshal of the People's Republic of China. He died as the last People's Liberation Army (PLA) marshal.

1899

Nels Stewart

Canadian ice hockey player (died 1957)

Robert Nelson "Old Poison" Stewart was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League. He is an Honoured Member of the…

1902

Candido Portinari

Brazilian painter (died 1962)

Candido Portinari was a Brazilian painter. He is considered one of the most important Brazilian painters as well as a prominent and influential practitioner of the neo-realism style in painting.

1903

Kuvempu

Indian author and poet (died 1994)

Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa, popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu, was an Indian poet, playwright, novelist and critic. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century. He was the first…

1904

Helmut Gollwitzer

German theologian and author (died 1993)

Helmut Gollwitzer was a German Protestant (Lutheran) theologian and author.

1908

Magnus Pyke

English scientist and author (died 1992)

Magnus Alfred Pyke was an English nutritional scientist, governmental scientific adviser, writer and presenter. He worked for the UK Ministry of Food, the post-war Allied Commission for Austria, and different food…

1908

Ronald Coase

English-American economist, author, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013)

Ronald Harry Coase was a British economist and author. Coase was educated at the London School of Economics, where he was a member of the faculty until 1951. He was the Clifton R. Musser Professor of Economics at the…

1910

Klaus Fuchs

German physicist and spy (died 1988)

Klaus Emil Julius Fuchs was a German theoretical physicist, atomic spy, and communist who supplied information from the American, British, and Canadian Manhattan Project to the Soviet Union during and shortly after…

1911

Zainul Abedin

Bangladeshi painter and academic (died 1976)

Zainul Abedin, also known as Shilpacharya was a Bangladeshi painter. He became well known in 1944 through his series of paintings depicting some of the great famines in Bengal during its British colonial period. After…

1914

Billy Tipton

American pianist and saxophonist (died 1989)

Billy Lee Tipton was an American jazz musician, bandleader, and talent broker. He is notable for having been posthumously outed as a transgender man.

1914

Albert Tucker

Australian painter and illustrator (died 1999)

Albert Lee Tucker was an Australian artist and member of the Heide Circle, a group of modernist artists and writers associated with Heide, the Melbourne home of art patrons John and Sunday Reed. Along with Heide Circle…

1914

Bill Osmanski

American football player and coach (died 1996)

William Thomas Osmanski, nicknamed "Bullet Bill", was an American professional football player who was a fullback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He was briefly a head coach after his…

1915

Robert Ruark

American hunter and author (died 1965)

Robert Ruark was an American author, syndicated columnist, and big game hunter.

1915

Jo Van Fleet

American actress (died 1996)

Jo Van Fleet was an American stage, film, and television actress. During her long career, which spanned over four decades, she often played characters much older than her actual age. Van Fleet won a Tony Award in 1954…

1915

Tom Bradley

American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 38th Mayor of Los Angeles (died 1998)

Thomas Bradley was an American politician, athlete, police officer, and lawyer who served as the 38th mayor of Los Angeles from 1973 to 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, he was Los Angeles' first black mayor,…

1917

Ramanand Sagar

Indian director and producer (died 2005)

Ramanand Sagar was an Indian film-television director, producer, and writer. He is best known for writing and directing television serials Ramayan (1987–1988), Luv Kush (1988–1989) and Shri Krishna (1993–1999), which…

1917

Alfred de Grazia

American political scientist and author (died 2014)

Alfred de Grazia, born in Chicago, Illinois, was a political scientist and author. He developed techniques of computer-based social network analysis in the 1950s, developed new ideas about personal digital archives in…

1919

Roman Vlad

Italian pianist and composer (died 2013)

Roman Vlad was a Romanian-born Italian composer, pianist, and musicologist.

1919

Viveca Lindfors

Swedish-American actress, singer and poet (died 1995)

Elsa Viveca Torstensdotter Lindfors was a Swedish-American stage, film, and television actress. She won an Emmy Award and a Silver Bear for Best Actress.

1920

Robert C. Baker

American inventor and professor (died 2006)

Robert Carl Baker was an American food science professor. He invented the chicken nugget as well as many other poultry-related inventions. For his contributions to poultry sciences, he was inducted into the American…

1921

Dobrica Ćosić

Serbian politician, 1st President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (died 2014)

Dobrica Ćosić was a Yugoslav and Serbian writer, politician and political theorist.

1921

Michael Horne

English structural engineer, scientist and academic (died 2000)

Michael Rex Horne was an English structural engineer, scientist and academic who pioneered the theory of the Plastic Design of Structures.

1921

Little Joe Cook

American singer-songwriter (died 2014)

Joseph Cook, known as Little Joe Cook, was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of Little Joe & The Thrillers, whose song "Peanuts" reached No. 22 on the Billboard Top…

1922

William Gaddis

American author and academic (died 1998)

William Thomas Gaddis Jr. was an American novelist. The first and longest of his five novels, The Recognitions, was named one of TIME magazine's 100 best novels from 1923 to 2005 and two others, J R and A Frolic of His…

1922

Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat

French mathematician and physicist (died 2025)

Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat was a French mathematical physicist now best remembered for her investigation of the mathematics of general relativity. Her proof that the Einstein field equations can be expressed as a well-posed…

1923

Cheikh Anta Diop

Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and physicist (died 1986)

Cheikh Anta Diop was a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician who studied the human race's origins and pre-colonial African culture. Diop's work is considered foundational to the theory of…

1923

Lily Ebert

Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor (died 2024)

Lily Ebert was a Hungarian-born British writer and Holocaust survivor, who in her later life became notable for her memoir, and social media videos and media appearances documenting her life as a survivor of the…

1923

Morton Estrin

American pianist and educator (died 2017)

Morton Estrin was an American classical pianist and teacher.

1923

Dina Merrill

American actress, game show panelist, socialite, heiress, and businesswoman (died 2017)

Dina Merrill was an American actress. She had more than a hundred film and television credits from the late 1950s until 2000s.

1923

Shlomo Venezia

Greek-Italian author and Holocaust survivor (died 2012)

Shlomo Venezia was a Greek-born Italian Jew. He was a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

1923

Joe Allbritton

American businessman and publisher, founded the Allbritton Communications Company (died 2012)

Joe Lewis Allbritton was an American banker, publisher and philanthropist.

1924

Kim Song-ae

Korean politician (died 2014)

Kim Song-ae, born Kim Sŏngp'al (김성팔), was a North Korean politician who served as the first lady of North Korea during the time that the position existed, from 1963 to 1974. She was the second wife of North Korea's…

1924

Pete Dye

American golfer and architect (died 2020)

Paul Dye Jr., commonly referred to as Pete Dye, was an American golf course designer and a member of a family of course designers. He was married to fellow designer and amateur champion Alice Dye.

1925

Andy Stanfield

American sprinter (died 1985)

Andrew William Stanfield was an American sprinter and Olympic gold and silver medallist.

1927

Bernard Cribbins

British actor (died 2022)

Bernard Joseph Cribbins was an English actor and singer whose career spanned over eight decades.

1928

Matt Murphy

American guitarist (died 2018)

Matthew Tyler Murphy, known as Matt "Guitar" Murphy, was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was associated with Memphis Slim, The Blues Brothers and Howlin' Wolf. In 2012, Murphy was elected to the…

1929

Yi Ku

Korean prince (died 2005)

Yi Ku was a Korean prince who was head of the House of Yi from 1970 until 2005. He was a grandson of Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. Through Kuni Asahiko his maternal great-grandfather, Ku was a second-cousin to…

1931

Stasys Stonkus

Lithuanian basketball player and coach (died 2012)

Stanislovas "Stasys" Stonkus was a Soviet and Lithuanian basketball player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was born in Telšiai. In 1954, he graduated…

1931

Inga Swenson

American actress and singer (died 2023)

Inga Swenson was an American actress and singer. She appeared in multiple Broadway productions and was nominated twice for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances as Lizzie Curry in 110 in the…

1932

Samuel Brittan

English journalist and author (died 2020)

Sir Samuel Brittan was an English journalist and author. He was the first economics correspondent for the Financial Times, and later a long-time columnist. He was a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Global…

1933

Ed Flanders

American actor (died 1995)

Edward Paul Flanders was an American actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Donald Westphall in the medical drama series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988). Flanders was nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards and won three…

1934

Mary Tyler Moore

American actress and producer (died 2017)

Mary Tyler Moore was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her television roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977), which "helped define a…

1936

Ray Nitschke

American football player (died 1998)

Raymond Ernest Nitschke was an American professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. Enshrined in the Pro Football…

1936

Wayne Huizenga

American businessman, founded AutoNation (died 2018)

Harry Wayne Huizenga Sr. was an American businessman. He founded AutoNation and Waste Management, Inc., and was the owner or co-owner of Blockbuster Video, Republic Services, the Miami Dolphins of the National Football…

1937

Barbara Steele

English actress

Barbara Steele is an English actress and producer, known for starring in Italian gothic horror films of the 1960s. She has been referred to as the "Queen of All Scream Queens" and "Britain's first lady of horror". She…

1937

Harvey Smith

English horse rider and sportscaster

Harvey John Smith is a retired British show jumping champion. He stood out from the ranks of showjumpers because of his broad accent and blunt manner. His career was often controversial: in 1971 he was disciplined after…

1938

Jon Voight

American actor and producer

Jonathan Vincent Voight is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for…

1938

Ed Bruce

American country music singer-songwriter (died 2021)

William Edwin Bruce Jr. was an American country music songwriter, singer, and actor. He was known for writing the 1975 song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and recording the 1982 country number-one…

1939

Fred Hansen

American pole vaulter

Frederick Morgan Hansen is an American former athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault.

1940

Ray Thomas

English singer-songwriter and flute player (died 2018)

Raymond Thomas was an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was best known as a founding member of the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. His flute solo on the band's 1967 hit single "Nights in White…

1941

Dinah Christie

English-Canadian actress and singer

Dinah Barbara Christie was a Canadian actress and singer.

1942

Rajesh Khanna

Indian actor (died 2012)

Rajesh Khanna was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, he is considered the first Superstar…

1942

Dorothy Morkis

American equestrian

Dorothy Sarkis Morkis is an American equestrian who won a bronze medal for America in team dressage aboard her white gelding Monaco in the 1976 Montreal Olympics where she had the highest individual dressage score of…

1942

Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga

Honduran cardinal

Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B. is a Honduran prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Tegucigalpa from 1993 to 2023. He was president of Caritas Internationalis and served as president of the Latin…

1942

Bill Aucoin

American talent manager (died 2010)

William Martin Aucoin was an American band manager, known for his work with the rock band Kiss and Billy Idol.

1943

Molly Bang

American author and illustrator

Molly Garrett Bang is an American illustrator. For her illustration of children's books she has been a runner-up for the American Caldecott Medal three times and for the British Greenaway Medal once. Announced June…

1943

Rick Danko

Canadian singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (died 1999)

Richard Clare Danko was a Canadian musician, bassist, songwriter, and singer, best known as a founding member of the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

1943

Andrew Foster

British public servant

Sir Andrew William Foster, KBE is a British public servant who was knighted in 2001 for his services to the health and government services.

1944

Rodney Redmond

New Zealand cricketer

Rodney Ernest Redmond is a New Zealand former international cricketer. He is the father of Aaron Redmond, also a New Zealand international.

1944

Gerard Windsor

Australian author and literary critic

Gerard Charles Windsor is an Australian author and literary critic.

1944

Birendra of Nepal

King of Nepal from 1972 to 2001 (died 2001)

Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was King of Nepal from 1972 until his assassination in the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre.

1945

Keith Milow

British artist

Keith Milow is a British artist. He grew up in Baldock, Hertfordshire, and lived in New York City (1980–2002) and Amsterdam (2002–2014), now lives in London. He is an abstract sculptor, painter and printmaker. His work…

1945

Marianne Faithfull

English singer-songwriter and actress (died 2025)

Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull was an English singer-songwriter and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single "As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female artists…

1946

Laffit Pincay

Jr., Panamanian jockey

Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr. is a retired Panamanian jockey who is known for once holding the all-time record for wins in horse racing, while still holding third place many years after his retirement. He competed…

1946

Paul Trible

American attorney, politician and academic administrator

Paul Seward Trible Jr. is an American attorney, politician and academic administrator. Trible was the president of Christopher Newport University from 1996 until his retirement in 2022. A Republican, he represented…

1946

Jackie Bezos

American philanthropist (died 2025)

Jacklyn Bezos was an American businesswoman. She was the mother of Jeff and Mark Bezos. She provided the initial investment to launch Amazon.com and was a philanthropist as co-founder and president of the Bezos Family…

1946

Richard Crandall

American physicist and computer scientist (died 2012)

Richard E. Crandall was an American physicist and computer scientist who made contributions to computational number theory.

1947

Ted Danson

American actor and producer

Edward Bridge Danson III is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1982–1993), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.…

1947

Leonhard Lapin

Estonian architect and poet (died 2022)

Leonhard Lapin, also known under the pseudonym Albert Trapeež, was an Estonian architect, artist, architecture historian, and poet.

1947

Cozy Powell

English drummer, songwriter, and producer (died 1998)

Cozy Powell was an English drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Graham Bonnet, Brian May, Whitesnake, Emerson, Lake &…

1947

David Tanner

English rower and coach

Sir David Whitlock Tanner CBE was the performance director for the British Rowing Team until February 2018. He has assisted the team to Olympic success from the 1984 Los Angeles games to the 2016 Rio games. This success…

1947

Vincent Winter

Scottish actor, director, and production manager (died 1998)

Vincent Winter was a Scottish child film actor who, as an adult, continued to work in the film industry as a production manager and in other capacities. He was an assistant director and actor, known for Superman (1978),…

1947

Jacky Clark Chisholm

American gospel singer

Jacqueline Lenita Clark-Chisholm, known professionally as Jacky Clark-Chisholm, is an American Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and licensed practical nurse who is best known as the eldest member of the…

1948

Peter Robinson

Northern Irish politician, 3rd First Minister of Northern Ireland

Peter David Robinson is a retired Northern Irish politician who served as First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2008 until 2016 and Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2008 until 2015. Until his…

1948

Syed Kirmani

Indian cricketer and actor

Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani is an Indian cricketer who played cricket for India and Karnataka as a wicket-keeper. In 2016, he was awarded the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour bestowed by…

1949

Ian Livingstone

English fantasy author and entrepreneur

Sir Ian Livingstone is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. He co-founded Games Workshop in 1975 and helped create Eidos Interactive as executive chairman of Eidos Plc in 1995. Along with Steve Jackson, he is…

1949

David Topliss

English rugby league player and coach (died 2008)

David Topliss was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain,…

1949

Jon Polito

American actor (died 2016)

Jon Raymond Polito was an American actor. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits. His television roles included Detective Steve Crosetti in the first two seasons of Homicide: Life…

1950

Willem de Blécourt

Dutch historical anthropologist

Willem de Blécourt is a Dutch historical anthropologist specialising in the study of witchcraft and folk magic in Europe from the Late Middle Ages to the 20th century. An Honorary Research Fellow at both the Huizinga…

1951

Yvonne Elliman

American singer-songwriter and actress

Yvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who performed for four years in the first cast of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar. She scored a number of hits in the 1970s and achieved a…

1951

Mike deGruy

American documentary filmmaker (died 2012)

Michael V. deGruy was an American documentary filmmaker specializing in underwater cinematography. His credits include Life in the Freezer, Trials of Life, The Blue Planet and Pacific Abyss. He was also known for his…

1951

Georges Thurston

Canadian singer-songwriter (died 2007)

Georges Thurston was a Quebec singer, author and composer and radio show host. He was known as Boule Noire since 1975 and worked in the music industry as a solo artist for nearly 30 years and as part of musical groups…

1951

Gelsey Kirkland

American ballerina and choreographer

Gelsey Kirkland is an American prima ballerina. She received early ballet training at the School of American Ballet. Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age 15, at the invitation of George Balanchine.…

1952

Gali Atari

Israeli singer and actress

Gali Atari is an Israeli singer and actress. Atari won the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 which was held in Jerusalem, as part of Milk and Honey.

1953

Thomas Bach

German fencer, lawyer and sports administrator; 9th President of the International Olympic Committee

Thomas Bach is a German lawyer, sports adminstrator, and former foil fencer. He served as the ninth president of the International Olympic Committee, from 2013 to 2025. He was the first Olympic champion to be elected to…

1953

Alan Rusbridger

Zambian-English journalist and academic

Alan Charles Rusbridger is a British journalist who served as the editor-in-chief of The Guardian from 1995 to 2015, and the Prospect magazine from 2022 to 2025. He was also the principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

1953

Kate Schmidt

American javelin thrower and coach

Kathryn Joan "Kate" Schmidt is an American former world record holder in the javelin throw. A native of California, graduate of Woodrow Wilson Classical High School, and alumnus of UCLA, she won bronze medals at the…

1953

Stanley Williams

American gang leader, co-founded the Crips (died 2005)

Stanley Tookie Williams III was an American gangster who co-founded and led the Crips gang in Los Angeles. He and Raymond Washington formed an alliance in 1971 that established the Crips as Los Angeles' first major…

1953

Charlayne Woodard

American actress and playwright

Charlaine "Charlayne" Woodard is an American playwright and actress. She is a two-time Obie Award winner as well as a Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee. She was a series regular on the hit FX TV series Pose. She played…

1953

Albrecht Böttcher

German mathematician

Albrecht Böttcher is a German mathematician. His field of research is functional analysis.

1954

Norihito

Prince Takamado of Japan (died 2002)

Norihito, Prince Takamado was a Japanese member of the Imperial House of Japan and the third son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and was seventh in line…

1954

Mike Parry

English broadcaster and former journalist

Michael Alan Newton-Parry is an English broadcaster and former journalist.

1954

Roger Voudouris

American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2003)

John Roger Voudouris was an American musician best known for his 1979 hit "Get Used to It".

1954

Chris Goodall

English businessman and author

Christopher Frank William Goodall is an English businessman, author and expert on new energy technologies. He was the Green Party candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2024 general election, having run in the…

1955

Donald D. Hoffman

American quantitative psychologist and author

Donald David Hoffman is an American cognitive psychologist and popular science author. He is a professor emeritus in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.

1955

Zaki Chehab

Lebanese-British journalist

Zaki Chehab is an Arab journalist. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ArabsToday.net, an Arabic-language news website.

1956

Fred MacAulay

Scottish comedian and radio host

Frederick MacAulay is a Scottish comedian. For 18 years, until March 2015, he presented a daily BBC Scotland radio programme MacAulay and Co. He has appeared on numerous TV shows.

1956

Katy Munger

American writer

Katy Munger, who has also written under the names Gallagher Gray and Chaz McGee, is an American mystery author known for writing the Casey Jones, Hubbert & Lil, and Dead Detective series. She is a former reviewer for…

1956

Brad Grey

American screenwriter and producer (died 2017)

Brad Alan Grey was an American television and film producer. He co-founded Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, and afterwards became the chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, a position he held from 2005 to 2017. Grey…

1957

Oliver Hirschbiegel

German actor, director, and producer

Oliver Hirschbiegel is a German film and television director. His feature works include the award-winning Das Experiment and the Oscar-nominated film about Adolf Hitler, Downfall. His television work includes the German…

1957

Paul Rudnick

American author, playwright, and screenwriter

Paul Rudnick is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and essayist. His plays have been produced on and off Broadway. He wrote the screenplays for Sister Act, Addams Family Values, Jeffrey, and In & Out.…

1957

Tyrone Benskin

English-Canadian actor, theatre director and politician

Tyrone Benskin is an English-Canadian actor, theatre director and politician. He was elected Member of Parliament in the Jeanne-Le Ber riding, in Montreal, Quebec, in the 2011 Canadian federal election and served as an…

1958

Nancy J. Currie-Gregg

American colonel, engineer, and astronaut

Nancy Jane Currie-Gregg is an American engineer, United States Army officer and a NASA astronaut. Currie-Gregg has served in the United States Army for over 22 years and holds the rank of colonel. With NASA, she has…

1958

Patricia Clarkson

American actress

Patricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades…

1959

Keith Crossan

Irish rugby player

Keith Crossan is a former Irish rugby union international player who played as a winger for the Irish national rugby union team from 1982 to 1992. Known for his searing pace on the left wing, Crossan won 41 caps,…

1959

Ann Demeulemeester

Belgian fashion designer

Ann Verhelst, known professionally as Ann Demeulemeester, is a Belgian fashion designer whose label, Ann Demeulemeester, is mainly showcased at the annual Paris Fashion Week. She is known as one of the Antwerp Six in…

1959

Martin Moran

American actor and author

Martin Moran is an American actor and writer who grew up in Denver, Colorado.

1959

Milton Ottey

Jamaican-Canadian high jumper and coach

Milton Bruce Ottey is a retired Canadian high jumper who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1988 Summer Olympics and won two Commonwealth Games gold medals.

1959

Paula Poundstone

American comedian and author

Paula Poundstone is an American stand-up comedian, author, actress, interviewer, and commentator. Beginning in the late 1980s, she performed a series of one-hour HBO comedy specials. She provided backstage commentary…

1959

Katerina Didaskalou

Greek actress

Katerina Didaskalou is a Greek theatre, stage, television and film actress. She studied dramatic arts and philosophy in Athens and went on to study cinema and theater at Columbia University, on an Onassis Foundation…

1960

Brian A. Hopkins

American author

Brian A. Hopkins is an American author. His works include the novel The Licking Valley Coon Hunters Club and the novellas El Dia De Los Muertos and Five Days in April, all of which received Bram Stoker Awards. He edited…

1960

David Boon

Australian cricketer

David Clarence Boon is an Australian cricket match referee, former cricket commentator and international cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1996. A right-handed batsman and a very…

1960

Thomas Lubanga Dyilo

Congolese militia leader, founded the Union of Congolese Patriots

Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is a convicted war criminal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the first person convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He founded and led the Union of Congolese…

1960

David Gilbert

Australian cricketer

David Robert Gilbert is a former Australian cricketer who played in nine Test matches and 14 One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 1985 and 1986. He played domestically for New South Wales, Gloucestershire and Tasmania.

1960

Michael James Pappas

American politician

Michael James Pappas is an American politician and former one term Republican congressman from New Jersey, serving from 1997 to 1999. He is currently the Township Administrator in Bridgewater, New Jersey. He was an…

1960

Kevin Granata

American engineer and academic (died 2007)

Kevin P. Granata was an American professor in multiple departments including the Departments of Engineering, Science and Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in…

1961

Richard Horton

English physician and journalist

Richard Charles Horton is editor-in-chief of The Lancet, a United Kingdom–based medical journal. He is an honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London, and the…

1961

Jim Reid

Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist

James McLeish Reid is a Scottish singer, songwriter and the lead singer for the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, which he formed with his elder brother and guitarist William Reid in 1983.

1961

Iliya Valov

Bulgarian football player (d. 2024)

Iliya Valov was a Bulgarian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He made 34 appearances for Bulgaria.

1961

Leza Lowitz

American author

Leza Lowitz is an American expatriate writer residing in Tokyo, Japan and in the American Southwest. She has written, edited and co-translated over twenty books, many about Japan, its relationship with the US, on the…

1962

Carles Puigdemont

Catalan politician and journalist, former president

Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó is a Catalan politician and journalist from Spain. He has been the President of Together for Catalonia (Junts) since 2024, having previously held the office from 2020 to 2022. He served as…

1962

Wynton Rufer

New Zealand footballer

Wynton Alan Whai Rufer is a New Zealand retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent more than a decade of his professional career in Switzerland and Germany, achieving his greatest success at…

1962

Devon White

Jamaican-American baseball player

Devon Markes Whyte, nicknamed "Devo", is a Jamaican former professional baseball center fielder, best known for his defensive ability at that position. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California Angels,…

1962

Francisco Bustamante

Filipino billiards player

Francisco Bustamante is a Filipino professional pool player from Tarlac, Central Luzon and the 2010 World Nine-ball Champion, nicknamed "Django", after the lead character of the 1966 film of the same name, and sometimes…

1963

Des Foy

English rugby player

Des Foy is a former professional rugby league footballer, appearing for various teams in Britain, and Australia, and at the international level for Great Britain and Ireland.

1963

Ulf Kristersson

Swedish politician, Leader of the Swedish Moderate Party and 35th Prime Minister of Sweden

Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson is a Swedish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Sweden since 2022 and as Leader of the Moderate Party since 2017. He has been a Member of the Riksdag for Södermanland County since…

1963

Dave McKean

English illustrator, photographer, director, and pianist

David McKean is an English artist. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art, and sculpture. McKean has illustrated works by authors such as S.F. Said, Neil Gaiman, Grant…

1963

Sean Payton

American football player and coach

Patrick Sean Payton is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the…

1963

Liisa Savijarvi

Canadian skier

Liisa Savijarvi is a Canadian former skier.

1963

Michael Cudlitz

American actor

Michael Cudlitz is an American actor and director known for portraying John Cooper in the NBC/TNT drama series Southland (2009–2013) for which he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a…

1964

Josh Harris

American investor and sports team owner

Joshua Jordan Harris is an American investor and sports team owner. Harris is a co-founder of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management and managing partner of the NBA team Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL team New…

1964

Shingo Tsurumi

Japanese actor

Shingo Tsurumi is a Japanese actor.

1964

Dexter Holland

American musician, singer, songwriter, and biologist

Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, main songwriter and composer, and only constant member of the punk rock band the Offspring. He…

1965

John Newton

American actor

John Haymes Newton is an American former actor. He is known for his regular roles on the television programs Superboy as Clark Kent in the show's first season and as Ryan McBride on the soap opera Melrose Place. He is…

1965

Martin Offiah

English rugby league player and sportscaster

Martin Nwokocha Offiah MBE ; born 29 December 1965) is an English former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. He scored over 500 tries during his rugby league…

1965

Laurent Boudouani

French boxer

Laurent Boudouani is a French former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 1999. He held the WBA light middleweight title from 1996 to 1999 and the European light middleweight title from 1992 to 1993. As an…

1966

Stefano Eranio

Italian footballer and coach

Stefano Eranio is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Throughout his career, Eranio played mainly as a right winger; he is mostly remembered for having played for Italian clubs A.C.…

1966

Jason Gould

American actor and singer

Jason Emanuel Gould is an American actor.

1966

Christian Kracht

Swiss author

Christian Kracht is a Swiss author, journalist, and screenwriter.

1966

Jeff Luhnow

American businessman

Jeff Luhnow is a Mexican and American former baseball executive and owner of Mexican club Cancún and Leganés of Spain. He worked for the St. Louis Cardinals in their scouting department from 2003 through 2011, before…

1966

Danilo Pérez

Panamanian pianist and composer

Danilo Pérez is a Panamanian pianist, composer, educator, and a social activist.

1966

Ashleigh Banfield

Canadian-American journalist

Ashleigh Dennistoun Banfield is a Canadian-American journalist and former host of Banfield on the NewsNation network. She is also a former host of Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield and Early Start on CNN.

1967

Chris Barnes

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Chris Barnes is an American death metal vocalist, lyricist and producer who currently serves as the frontman of Six Feet Under. Artistically, he is noted for his low guttural vocals and explicitly violent lyrics.

1967

Lilly Wachowski

American director, screenwriter and producer

Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski are American film and television directors, writers and producers. Together known as the Wachowskis, the sisters are both trans women and have worked as a writing and directing team…

1967

Li Bun-hui

North Korean table tennis player

Li Bun-hui is a former table tennis player from North Korea who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.

1968

James Mouton

American baseball player

James Raleigh Mouton is an American former professional baseball player. An outfielder, he played all or parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1994 until 2001, for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres,…

1968

Jason Cook

English footballer

Jason Peter Cook is an English former footballer who played in the Football League as a midfielder for Southend United and Colchester United.

1969

Jennifer Ehle

American actress

Jennifer Anne Ehle is an American-English actress who has starred in and won numerous awards for her prolific work in stage, film, and television productions. Her accolades include two Tony Awards, a BAFTA Award for…

1969

Allan McNish

Scottish race car driver and journalist

Allan McNish is a British former racing driver, commentator and team principal from Scotland. He is a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, most recently in 2013, as well as a three-time winner of the American…

1969

José Antonio Noriega

Mexican footballer

José Antonio Noriega is a Mexican former professional footballer who played 14 years for various clubs in the Primera División de México. Noriega played with seven different clubs in Mexico, his most years coming with…

1969

Scott Patterson

American financial journalist and author

Scott Patterson is an American financial journalist and bestselling author. He is a staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and author of Dark Pools: High-Speed Traders, A.I. Bandits, and the Threat to the Global…

1969

Enrico Chiesa

Italian footballer and manager

Enrico Chiesa is an Italian football coach and former striker.

1970

Aled Jones

Welsh singer and television host

Aled Jones is a Welsh singer, actor and radio and television presenter. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of "Walking in the Air", which reached number five in the UK singles…

1970

Hidetoshi Mitsusada

Japanese race car driver

Hidetoshi Mitsusada is a former racing driver and current motorsport announcer from Japan. He currently serves as a commentator for Super GT on J Sports, partnering lead announcer Sascha Boeckle on its live broadcasts.

1970

Glen Phillips

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Glen Phillips is an American songwriter, lyricist, singer and guitarist. He is the lead singer and songwriter of the alternative rock group Toad the Wet Sprocket and also records and performs as a solo artist.

1970

Kevin Weisman

American actor

Kevin Glen Weisman is an American actor. He is known for portraying Marshall Flinkman in the ABC action thriller series Alias (2001–2006), Ray Spiewack in the CBS action drama series Scorpion (2015–2017), and Ned…

1970

Besnik Hasi

Kosovo Albanian football manager and former player

Besnik Hasi is a professional football coach and former player who last managed Belgian First Division A club Anderlecht. During his playing career, he was known for his versatility as a midfielder and his strong…

1971

Mike Pesca

American radio journalist and podcaster

Mike Pesca is an American radio journalist and podcaster based in New York City. He is the host of the daily podcast, The Gist, and the editor of Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.

1971

Um Sang-hyun

South Korean voice actor

Um Sang-hyun is a South Korean voice actor who began his career by joining Educational Broadcasting System's voice acting division in 1998.

1971

Margot Thien

American swimmer

Margot A. Thien is a former American competitor in synchronized swimming and an Olympic champion.

1971

Andreas Dackell

Swedish ice hockey player

Andreas Lars Dackell is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player. He played for several seasons with Brynäs IF in the Swedish league Elitserien (SEL) and was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round of…

1972

Jason Kreis

American soccer player and manager

Jason Clarence Kreis is an American soccer coach and former player who is the director of operations and special projects for Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake and the former head coach of the United States…

1972

Jude Law

English actor

David Jude Heyworth Law is an English actor. He began his career in British theatre before landing small roles in various television productions and feature films. Law gained international recognition for his role in…

1972

Leonor Varela

Chilean-American model and actress

Leonor Magdalena Varela Palma is a Chilean born actress. She played the title role in the 1999 television film Cleopatra, and vampire princess Nyssa Damaskinos in the 2002 Marvel Comics film Blade II.

1972

Pimp C

American rapper and producer (UGK) (died 2007)

Chad Lamont Butler, better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK).

1973

Theo Epstein

American businessman

Theo Nathaniel Epstein is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) executive who currently serves as a senior advisor and part-owner of Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox of MLB and Liverpool F.C.…

1973

Jenny Lawson

American journalist and author

Jennifer Lawson is an American journalist, author and blogger.

1973

Asheru

American rapper and producer

Gabriel C. Benn, better known as Asheru, is an American rapper, educator, and youth activist. He performed the opening and closing themes for the TV series The Boondocks.

1974

O'Neil Bell

Jamaican boxer (died 2015)

O'Neil Bell was a Jamaican professional boxer who competed from 1998 to 2011. He held the undisputed cruiserweight title in 2006 and the lineal cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2007.

1974

Maria Dizzia

American actress

Maria Dizzia is an American actress. Dizzia was nominated for the 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in In the Next Room .

1974

Twinkle Khanna

Indian actress and writer

Twinkle Khanna is an Indian actress and author. A daughter of actors Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna, she made her acting debut with a leading role in the film Barsaat (1995), which earned her the Filmfare Award for…

1974

Mahal

Filipino actress, comedian and vlogger (died 2021)

Noemi Tesorero, known professionally as Mahal, was a Filipino actress, comedian, and vlogger. Noted for her childlike roles, she had dwarfism and was said to have a very giggly personality.

1974

Richie Sexson

American baseball player and coach

Richmond Lockwood Sexson is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, and New York…

1974

Ryan Shore

Canadian composer and producer

Ryan Shore is a Canadian composer, songwriter, conductor, music producer, and music director for film, television, virtual reality, records, games, concerts, and theater. He is often known from his scores for Star Wars,…

1974

Shawn Hatosy

American actor

Shawn Wayne Hatosy is an American actor and director. He is best known for his roles in the films In & Out (1997), The Faculty (1998), Outside Providence, Anywhere but Here, The Cooler (2003), Alpha Dog (2006), and…

1975

Jaret Wright

American baseball player

Jaret Samuel Wright is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of 11 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and…

1975

Kate Ford

English actress

Kate Ford is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Tracy Barlow in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street.

1976

Filip Kuba

Czech ice hockey player

Filip Kuba is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenseman. Kuba most recently played for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay…

1976

Danny McBride

American actor, producer and screenwriter

Daniel Richard McBride is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. Known for his unique acting and writing style, the accolades he has received include nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and four…

1976

Jimmy Journell

American baseball player

James Richard Journell is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003 and 2005.

1977

Katherine Moennig

American actress

Katherine Sian Moennig, often credited as Kate Moennig, is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as Shane McCutcheon on The L Word (2004–2009) and its sequel The L Word: Generation Q…

1977

Alexis Amore

Peruvian-American porn actress and director

Fabiola Melgar García, known professionally as Alexis Amore, is a pornographic film actress and director. In 2018, she was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame.

1978

Jake Berry

English lawyer and politician

Sir James Jacob Gilchrist Berry is a British politician and solicitor who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Rossendale and Darwen from 2010 to 2024. He was Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without…

1978

Matthew Carr

Australian footballer

Matthew Carr is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Fremantle and St Kilda in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played as a half-back flanker and began his football career at East Fremantle.…

1978

Kieron Dyer

English footballer and coach

Kieron Courtney Dyer is an English professional football coach and former player who is a first team coach at EFL League Two side Chesterfield.

1978

Danny Higginbotham

English footballer and journalist

Daniel John Higginbotham is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in England, he represented Gibraltar in international football.

1978

Mitsuhiro Ishida

Japanese mixed martial artist

Mitsuhiro Ishida is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist who competed in Shooto, Strikeforce, PRIDE, DREAM, and DEEP. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2011, Ishida also participated in the Yarennoka event in…

1978

LaToya London

American singer and actress

LaToya Renee London is an American R&B and soul singer and stage actress who was fourth-place finalist on the third season of American Idol. Her debut album, Love & Life, was released in September 2005 and spawned a…

1978

Angelo Taylor

American hurdler and sprinter

Angelo F. Taylor is an American track and field athlete, winner of 400-meter hurdles at the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics. His personal record for the hurdles event is 47.25 seconds. His time puts him in a tie with…

1978

Diego Luna

Mexican actor, director and producer

Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander is a Mexican actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Cassian Andor in Rogue One (2016) and its prequel series Andor (2022–2025), for which he was nominated…

1979

Yuki Morisaki

Japanese chef and television host

Yuki Morisaki is a Japanese chef, entertainer, and representative of Unity Magenta who is represented by Horipro.

1979

Moe Oshikiri

Japanese model and actress

Moe Oshikiri is a Japanese model best known her work with fashion magazine AneCan and its sister magazine CanCam, which Oshikiri was a former top model for. She is also a designer, starting her own Kimono line branded…

1979

George Parros

American ice hockey player

George James Parros is an American former professional ice hockey player who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), who currently serves as the head of the NHL's Department of Players Safety, with the…

1979

Reihan Salam

American political commentator, columnist and author

Reihan Morshed Salam is an American conservative political commentator, columnist, and author who, since 2019, has been president of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. He was previously executive editor of…

1979

Ariel Schrag

American cartoonist and screenwriter

Ariel Schrag is an American cartoonist and television writer who achieved critical recognition at an early age for her autobiographical comics. Her novel Adam provoked controversy with its theme of a heterosexual…

1979

Shizuka Arakawa

Japanese figure skater and sportscaster

Shizuka Arakawa is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic champion and the 2004 World champion. Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and the second…

1981

Janice Lynn Mather

Bahamian-Canadian author

Janice Lynn Mather is a Bahamian-born Canadian writer and author of young adult fiction based in British Columbia.

1981

Shaun Suisham

American football player

Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian former professional American football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Pittsburgh Steelers, while also playing for the Dallas…

1981

Anna Woltz

Dutch author

Anna Woltz is a Dutch writer of children's literature.

1981

Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko

Estonian footballer

Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko is an Estonian football coach and former player who currently manages FCI Levadia. Zahovaiko played for several professional clubs and was also a member of the Estonian national team.

1981

Alison Brie

American actress

Alison Brie Schermerhorn is an American actress, producer, and writer.

1982

Gabrielle Destroismaisons

Canadian singer

Gabrielle Destroismaisons is a Québécois singer. In 2000, she released her debut album Etc..., which sold more than 100,000 copies in a few months and led to Destroismaisons being awarded one win and two nominations at…

1982

Brian Hill

Canadian swimmer

Brian David Hill is a Canadian S13 para-swimmer who competed in the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 Summer Paralympics and the 2007 Parapan American Games. He has won five gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals…

1982

Dale Morris

Australian footballer

Dale Morris is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL).

1982

Norbert Siedler

Austrian race car driver

Norbert Siedler is an Austrian racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie for Eastalent Racing in a Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

1982

Julia Wertz

American cartoonist, writer and urban explorer

Julia Wertz is an American cartoonist, writer and urban explorer.

1982

Jessica Andrews

American singer and songwriter

Jessica Danielle Andrews Chagnon is an American country music singer. At age 15 in mid-1999, she made her debut on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts with the single "I Will Be There for You", from her…

1983

James Kelly

Australian footballer

James Kelly is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

1983

Gonzalo Olave

Chilean actor (died 2009)

Gonzalo Olave Alcaide was a Chilean actor, best known by his role in the telenovela called Lola and his recent work in Mis Años Grossos where he obtained the main role.

1983

Angela Scanlon

Irish television presenter and general television personality

Angela Marie Scanlon is an Irish television presenter and broadcaster for RTÉ and the BBC. She initially broadcast on Irish television, presenting a number of programmes on RTÉ including the documentary Oi Ginger! in…

1983

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

American playwright

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is an American playwright. His play Purpose won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, for which his works Gloria and Everybody were finalists in 2016 and 2018, respectively. His play Appropriate…

1984

Brenton Lawrence

Australian rugby league player

Brenton Lawrence is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a prop in the 2010s.

1984

Reimo Tamm

Estonian basketball player

Reimo Tamm is an Estonian professional basketball player. He plays for the Estonian club BC Tallinna Kalev at the point guard position. He has been a member of the Estonia national basketball team.

1984

Wang Ji-hye

South Korean actress

Wang Ji-hye is a South Korean actress best known for her roles in Protect the Boss, Friend, Our Legend, The President, and Personal Taste.

1985

Alexa Ray Joel

American singer-songwriter

Alexa Ray Joel is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is the daughter of singer/songwriter Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley. Joel released an EP Sketches (2006) and several singles on independent…

1985

Joe Anyon

former English footballer

Joseph Anyon is an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

1986

Derek Ryan

American ice hockey player

Derek Allen Ryan is an American former professional ice hockey player.

1986

Iain De Caestecker

Scottish actor

Iain De Caestecker is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020). He is also known for his roles in Coronation Street…

1987

Juliana Huxtable

American artist

Juliana Huxtable is an American artist, writer, performer, DJ, and co-founder of the New York–based nightlife project Shock Value. Huxtable has exhibited and performed at a number of venues including Reena Spaulings…

1987

Yuhi Sekiguchi

Japanese race car driver

Yuhi Sekiguchi is a Japanese racing driver. He currently competes in the GT500 class of the Super GT Series for TGR Team SARD.

1987

Eric Berry

American football player

James Eric Berry is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning…

1988

Christen Press

American footballer

Christen Annemarie Press is an American former professional soccer player, entrepreneur, and sports journalist. She last played for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States…

1988

Ágnes Szávay

Hungarian tennis player

Ágnes Szávay is a former professional tennis player from Hungary. The 2007 WTA Newcomer of the Year achieved her career-high ranking of world No. 13 in April 2008.

1988

Jane Levy

American actress

Jane Colburn Levy is an American actress. After attending the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, she debuted as the original Mandy Milkovich on the Showtime comedy-drama Shameless (2011). Levy left Shameless following its…

1989

Kei Nishikori

Japanese tennis player

Kei Nishikori is a Japanese professional tennis player. He is the only Japanese man in the Open Era to have been ranked in the top five in singles, reaching his career-high ranking of world No. 4 in March 2015, and the…

1989

Harri Säteri

Finnish ice hockey player

Harri Säteri is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing with EHC Biel in the National League (NL). Although drafted in 2008 by the San Jose Sharks, he did not play in an NHL game until nearly a…

1989

Allen Kim

South Korean singer, dancer, and actor (U-KISS)

Kim Ki-bum, now better known by his stage name in Japan Allen Kim, is a South Korean idol singer, best known for being a former member of South Korean boy band U-KISS. He is also the younger brother of SS501 member Kim…

1990

Steven Caulker

English footballer

Steven Roy Caulker is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He currently works as assistant manager at Konyaspor. Born in England, he represented and captained the Sierra Leone national team.

1991

Patrick Feeney

American sprinter

Patrick Feeney, also known as Pat Feeney, is an American former sprinter specializing in the 400 metres and the 2016 World Athletics Indoor Championships gold medalist in the 4 × 400 m relay by virtue of running in the…

1991

Mislav Oršić

Croatian footballer

Mislav Oršić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Cypriot First Division club Pafos and the Croatia national team.

1992

Katsuhiro Suzuki

Japanese actor and model

Katsuhiro Suzuki is a Japanese actor and model known for his starring role as Hiromu Sakurada/Red Buster in the 2012 Super Sentai Series Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. Until August 24, 2020, he was affiliated with Ever…

1992

Travis Head

Australian cricketer

Travis Michael Head is an Australian international cricketer who represents the Australia national cricket team in all formats and is the current Test vice-captain. Known for his high strike rate, Head is a left-handed…

1993

Gabby May

Canadian artistic gymnast

Gabby May is a Canadian artistic gymnast.

1993

Kristel Fulgar

Filipino actress

Kristel Aina Fulgar-Ha, is a Filipino actress, singer and vlogger. She is known for her participation in television dramas and in the sketch comedy show Goin' Bulilit (2005). As a vlogger, Fulgar has a YouTube channel…

1994

Princess Kako of Akishino

Japanese princess

Princess Kako of Akishino is the second daughter of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan and a member of the Japanese imperial family. She is a niece of Emperor Naruhito and the second-eldest grandchild of…

1994

Myles Garrett

American football player

Myles Lorenz Garrett is an American professional football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, receiving unanimous…

1995

Rina Ikoma

Japanese singer and actress (Nogizaka46 and AKB48)

Rina Ikoma is a Japanese actress and former idol singer best recognized as the "Face of Nogizaka46". She was a first generation member of the girl group Nogizaka46 and AKB48's Team B, also known as the former's eternal…

1995

Ross Lynch

American singer and actor

Ross Shor Lynch is an American singer and actor. He was the lead vocalist of the pop rock band R5 and is one half of the band the Driver Era. As an actor, he rose to recognition for his leading roles as Austin Moon on…

1995

Sana Minatozaki

Japanese singer

Sana Minatozaki, known mononymously as Sana, is a Japanese singer based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed in 2015 by JYP Entertainment, and its subunit MiSaMo, formed in 2023.

1996

Dylan Minnette

American actor, musician and singer

Dylan Christopher Minnette is an American actor and musician. He is known for his role as Clay Jensen in the Netflix drama series 13 Reasons Why. He is also the a member of the alternative rock band Wallows.

1996

Felix Keisinger

German skeleton racer

Felix Keisinger is a German Skeleton racer who finished fourth in the standings in the men's singles category of the 2019-20 Skeleton World Cup.

1997

Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick

American actor

Seamus Liam Davey-Fitzpatrick is an American actor. His first feature film role was as Damien Thorn in the 2006 remake of the horror film The Omen.

1998

Victor Osimhen

Nigerian footballer

Victor James Osimhen is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and is the vice-captain of the Nigeria national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in…

1998

Brandon Thomas-Asante

Ghanaian footballer

Solomon Brandon Michael Clarke Thomas-Asante is a professional footballer who plays as a centre forward for EFL Championship club Coventry City. Born in England, he plays for the Ghana national team.

1998

Andreas Skov Olsen

Danish footballer

Andreas Skov Olsen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Scottish Premiership club Rangers, on loan from Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Denmark national team.

1999

Francisco Trincão

Portuguese footballer

Francisco António Machado Mota de Castro Trincão is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primeira Liga club Sporting CP and the Portugal national team.

1999

Orkun Kökçü

Dutch-Turkish footballer

Orkun Kökçü is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Süper Lig club Beşiktaş whom he captains, on loan from Primeira Liga club Benfica. Born in the Netherlands, he plays for the Turkey national team.

2000

Julio Rodríguez

Dominican baseball player

Julio Yamel Rodríguez, nicknamed "J-Rod", is a Dominican professional baseball center fielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Mariners as an international free agent in 2017.…

2000

Eliot Vassamillet

Belgian singer

Eliot Vassamillet is a Belgian singer. He represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Wake Up". Prior to Eurovision, he competed in the seventh season of The Voice Belgique in 2018.

2000

Davide Bartesaghi

Italian footballer

Davide Bartesaghi is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a left-back, left wing-back and centre-back for Serie A club AC Milan. He is an Italian youth international.

2005

Ethan Mbappé

French footballer

Ethan Mbappé Lottin is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille.

2006

Famous birthdays

Who was born on December 29?

Mekhi Phifer — American actor (born 1974)

FeaturedMekhi Phifer

Birth year1974

Known forBeginning his career in the mid-1990s, Phifer was known for a few notable roles in films including Clockers, Soul Food, High School High and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Birthdays on this date289 (1536 – 2006)

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2024

Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes into a wall in Muan, South Korea, killing 179 of the 181 occupants. It is the worst aircraft accident on South Korean soil in history. Wikipedia →

2023

South Africa files a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over Israeli conducts in the Gaza Strip. Wikipedia →

2020

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits near the town of Petrinja in Sisak-Moslavina County, Croatia, killing seven people. Wikipedia →

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1974 — Mekhi Phifer

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