Famous Birthdays on December 31

Q: Who was born on December 31?

Famous people born on December 31 include: Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, Pope Callixtus III (died 1458), Jacques Cartier, Eleonora Gonzaga, Beatrice of Portugal.

Q: What is Jonathan Horton known for?

Jonathan Horton, American gymnast

222 people 695 – 2002

December 31 has seen 222 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 695 – 2002. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · December 31 — Wikipedia

1985 — Jonathan Horton

American gymnast

Did you know

At the 2008 Olympics, he also won a bronze medal with his U.S

Did you know

He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and is the 2008 Olympic silver medalist on horizontal bar, the 2010 World all-around bronze medalist, a two-time Olympian, a two-time U.S

Did you know

National All-Around Champion, and a 17-time medalist at the U.S

Did you know

He also competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he qualified for the horizontal bar event final and finished in sixth place

Did you know

In 2016, he had surgery on his left rotator cuff and as a result was unable to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Muhammad ibn al-Qasim

Umayyad general (died 715)

Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh, inaugurating the Umayyad campaigns in India. His military exploits led to the…

695

Pope Callixtus III (died 1458)

Pope Callixtus III, born Alonso de Borja, but referred to in English-language accounts as Alfonso de Borgia as a member of the House of Borgia, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April…

1378

Jacques Cartier

French navigator and explorer (died 1557)

Jacques Cartier was a French maritime explorer from Brittany. Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "Canada"…

1491

Eleonora Gonzaga

Duchess of Urbino (died 1570)

Eleonora Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino was Duchess and for sometime regent of Urbino by marriage to Francesco Maria I della Rovere, duke of Urbino. She served as regent during the absence of her spouse in 1532.

1493

Beatrice of Portugal

Duchess of Savoy (died 1538)

Infanta Beatrice of Portugal was a Portuguese princess by birth and a Duchess of Savoy by marriage to Charles III, Duke of Savoy. She was the ruling countess of Asti from 1531 to 1538.

1504

Andreas Vesalius

Belgian anatomist, physician, and author (died 1564)

Andries van Wezel, Latinized as Andreas Vesalius, was an anatomist and physician who wrote De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem, which is considered one of the most influential books on human anatomy and a major…

1514

John Radcliffe

English politician (died 1568)

Sir John Radcliffe, was the son of Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex, and his third wife, Mary Arundell.

1539

Henry I

Duke of Guise (died 1588)

Henri I de Lorraine, Duke of Guise, Prince of Joinville, Count of Eu, sometimes called Le Balafré ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of François, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole II…

1550

Simon Forman

English occultist and astrologer (died 1611)

Simon Forman was an Elizabethan astrologer, occultist and herbalist active in London during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and James I of England. His reputation, however, was severely tarnished after his death when he…

1552

Emperor Go-Yōzei of Japan

(died 1617)

Emperor Go-Yōzei was the 107th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years 1586 through to his abdication in 1611, corresponding to the transition between the…

1572

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba

Spanish general and politician, 24th Governor of the Duchy of Milan (died 1645)

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba y Cardona-Anglesola was one of the main Spanish military leaders during the Eighty Years' War, Thirty Years' War, and the War of the Mantuan Succession.

1585

Herman Boerhaave

Dutch botanist and physician (died 1738)

Herman Boerhaave was a Dutch chemist, botanist, Christian humanist, and physician. He is sometimes regarded as the founder of clinical teaching and of the modern academic hospital along with Venetian physician Santorio…

1668

Arima Yoriyuki

Japanese mathematician and educator (died 1783)

Arima Yoriyuki was a Japanese mathematician of the Edo period. He was the lord of Kurume Domain.

1714

Charles Edward Stuart

Scottish claimant to the throne of England (died 1788)

Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, making him the grandson of James VII and II, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland, and…

1720

Charles Cornwallis

1st Marquess Cornwallis, English general and politician, 3rd Governor-General of India (died 1805)

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading British general…

1738

Gottfried August Bürger

German poet and academic (died 1794)

Gottfried August Bürger was a German poet. His ballads were very popular in Germany. His most noted ballad, Lenore, found an audience beyond readers of the German language in an English and Russian adaptation and a…

1741

Pierre-Charles Villeneuve

French admiral (died 1806)

Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve was a French Navy officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of a Franco-Spanish fleet which was defeated by…

1763

James Bunbury White

American politician (died 1819)

James Bunbury White was an American politician and millwright. He was a member of both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly, was the first to represent Columbus County in the North Carolina Senate, and was…

1774

Johann Spurzheim

German-American physician and phrenologist (died 1832)

Johann Gaspar Spurzheim was a German medical doctor who became one of the chief proponents of phrenology, which was developed c. 1800 by Franz Joseph Gall (1758–1828).

1776

Friedrich Robert Faehlmann

Estonian physician, philologist, and academic (died 1850)

Friedrich Robert Faehlmann (Fählmann) was an Estonian writer, medical doctor and philologist. He was a co-founder of the Learned Estonian Society and its chairman (1843-1850).

1798

Marie d'Agoult

German-French historian and author (died 1876)

Marie Catherine Sophie, Comtesse d'Agoult, was a French romantic author and historian, known also by her pen name, Daniel Stern.

1805

George Meade

American general and engineer (died 1872)

George Gordon Meade was an American military officer who served in the United States Army and the Union army as a major general in command of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War from 1863 to 1865. He…

1815

Isma'il Pasha

Egyptian ruler (died 1895)

Isma'il Pasha, also known as Ismail the Magnificent, was the Khedive of Egypt and ruler of Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of Great Britain and France. Sharing the ambitious outlook of his…

1830

Alexander Smith

Scottish poet and critic (died 1867)

Alexander Smith was a Scottish poet, labelled as one of the Spasmodic School, and essayist.

1830

Hugh Nelson

Scottish-Australian politician, 11th Premier of Queensland (died 1906)

Sir Hugh Muir Nelson, was an Australian politician who was Premier of Queensland from 1893 to 1898.

1833

Queen Kapiolani of Hawaiʻi (died 1899)

Kapiʻolani was the queen of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi as the consort of Mōʻī (king) Kalākaua, who reigned from 1874 until his death in 1891, when she became known as the Dowager Queen Kapiʻolani. Deeply interested in the…

1834

Émile Loubet

French lawyer and politician, 7th President of France (died 1929)

Émile François Loubet was the 45th Prime Minister of France from February to December 1892 and later President of France from 1899 to 1906.

1838

Giovanni Boldini

Italian painter (died 1931)

Giovanni Boldini was an Italian genre and portrait painter who lived and worked in Paris for most of his career. According to a 1933 article in Time magazine, he was known as the "Master of Swish" because of his flowing…

1842

Henry Carter Adams

American economist and academic (died 1921)

Henry Carter Adams was a U.S. economist and Professor of Political Economy and finance at the University of Michigan.

1851

Giovanni Pascoli

Italian poet and scholar (died 1912)

Giovanni Placido Agostino Pascoli was an Italian poet, classical scholar and an emblematic figure of Italian literature in the late nineteenth century. Alongside Gabriele D'Annunzio, he was one of the greatest Italian…

1855

King Kelly

American baseball player and manager (died 1894)

Michael Joseph "King" Kelly, also commonly known as "$10,000 Kelly", was an American baseball outfielder, catcher, and player-manager in various professional American baseball leagues including the National League,…

1857

Joseph S. Cullinan

American businessman, co-founder of Texaco (died 1937)

Joseph Stephen Cullinan was a U.S. oil industrialist. Although he was a native of Pennsylvania, his lifetime business endeavors would help shape the early phase of the oil industry in Texas. He founded The Texas…

1860

Robert Grant Aitken

American astronomer and academic (died 1951)

Robert Grant Aitken was an American astronomer.

1864

Henri Matisse

French painter and sculptor (died 1954)

Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter.

1869

Fred Marriott

American race car driver (died 1956)

Fred Marriott was an American race car driver. In 1906, he set the world land speed record at 127.659 mph (205.5 km/h) at the Daytona Beach Road Course, while driving the Stanley Land Speed Record Car. This garnered…

1872

Konstantin Konik

Estonian surgeon and politician, 19th Estonian Minister of Education (died 1936)

Konstantin Konik was an Estonian politician and surgeon who served as a member of the Estonian Salvation Committee.

1873

Julius Meier

American businessman and politician, 20th Governor of Oregon (died 1937)

Julius L. Meier was an American businessman, civic leader, and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become a lawyer before entering the family business in…

1874

Lawrence Beesley

English journalist and author (died 1967)

Lawrence Beesley was an English science teacher, journalist and author who was a survivor of the sinking of RMS Titanic.

1877

Elizabeth Arden

Canadian businesswoman (died 1966)

Elizabeth Arden, also known as Elizabeth N. Graham, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who founded what is now Elizabeth Arden, Inc., and built a cosmetics empire in the United States.

1878

Horacio Quiroga

Uruguayan-Argentinian author, poet, and playwright (died 1937)

Horacio Silvestre Quiroga Forteza was a Uruguayan playwright, poet, and short story writer. The jungle settings of his stories emphasized the conflict between humans and nature. His portrayals of mental illness and…

1878

Fred Beebe

American baseball player and coach (died 1957)

Frederick Leonard Beebe was an American professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians.

1880

George Marshall

American general and politician, 50th United States Secretary of State (died 1959)

George Catlett Marshall Jr. was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, then…

1880

Max Pechstein

German painter and academic (died 1955)

Hermann Max Pechstein was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and a member of the Die Brücke group. He fought on the Western Front during World War I and his art was classified as Degenerate Art by the Nazis.…

1881

Bobby Byrne

American baseball and soccer player (died 1964)

Robert Matthew Byrne was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1907 through 1917, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1907–1909), Pittsburgh Pirates (1909–1913), Philadelphia Phillies (1913–1917)…

1884

Mihály Fekete

Hungarian actor, screenwriter, and film director (died 1960)

Mihály Fekete was a Hungarian actor, screenwriter and film director.

1884

Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein (died 1970)

Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg was Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as the consort of Duke Charles Edward from their marriage on 11 October 1905 until his abdication on 14…

1885

Silvestre Revueltas

Mexican violinist, composer, and conductor (died 1940)

Silvestre Revueltas Sánchez was a Mexican classical music composer, a violinist, and conductor.

1899

Karl-August Fagerholm

Finnish politician, 20th Prime Minister of Finland (died 1984)

Karl-August Fagerholm was a Finnish politician. Fagerholm served as Speaker of Parliament and three times as Prime Minister of Finland. Fagerholm became one of the leading politicians of the Social Democrats after the…

1901

Nikos Ploumpidis

Greek educator and politician (died 1954)

Nikos Ploumpidis was in the leading cadre of the Greek Communist Party during the Second World War and a famous member of the wartime anti-Nazi resistance.

1901

Lionel Daunais

Canadian singer-songwriter (died 1982)

Noël Ferdinand Lionel Daunais, was a French Canadian baritone and composer.

1902

Roy Goodall

English footballer (died 1982)

Frederick Roy Goodall was a professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town for 16 years and played 25 games for England, 12 as captain.

1902

William Heynes

English engineer (died 1989)

William 'Bill' Munger Heynes CBE, born in Leamington Spa, was an English automotive engineer.

1903

Helen Dodson Prince

American astronomer and academic (died 2002)

Helen Dodson Prince was an American astronomer who pioneered work in solar flares at the University of Michigan.

1905

Simon Wiesenthal

Ukrainian-Austrian Nazi hunter and author (died 2005)

Simon Wiesenthal was an Austrian Holocaust survivor, Nazi hunter, and writer. He studied architecture, and was living in Lwów at the outbreak of World War II. He survived the Janowska concentration camp, the…

1908

Jonah Jones

American trumpet player and saxophonist (died 2000)

Jonah Jones was a jazz trumpeter who created concise versions of jazz and swing and jazz standards that appealed to a mass audience. In the jazz community, he is known for his work with Stuff Smith. He was sometimes…

1909

Carl Dudley

American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1973)

Carl Ward Dudley (1910–1973) was an American film director and producer. He was best known for directing and producing short travelogues.

1910

Enrique Maier

Spanish tennis player (died 1981)

Enrique 'Bubi' Maier was a male Spanish tennis player who was mainly active in the 1930s.

1910

Dal Stivens

Australian soldier and author (died 1997)

Dallas George "Dal" Stivens was an Australian writer who produced six novels and eight collections of short stories between 1936, when The Tramp and Other Stories was published, and 1976, when his last collection The…

1911

John Frost

Indian-English general (died 1993)

Major-General John Dutton Frost, was an airborne officer of the British Army, best known for being the leader of the small group of British airborne troops that actually arrived at Arnhem bridge during the Battle of…

1912

Mary Logan Reddick

American neuroembryologist (died 1966)

Mary Logan Reddick was an American neuroembryologist who earned her PhD from Radcliffe College, Harvard University in 1944. She was a full professor, first at Morehouse College, and then at the University of Atlanta…

1914

Sam Ragan

American journalist, author, and poet (died 1996)

Samuel Talmadge Ragan was an American journalist, author, poet, and arts advocate from North Carolina.

1915

Evelyn Knight

American singer (died 2007)

Evelyn Knight was an American singer of the 1940s and 1950s. Damon Runyon, in one of his newspaper columns, described Knight as "a lissome blonde lassie with a gentle little voice and a face mother would not mind having…

1917

Wilfrid Noyce

English mountaineer and author (died 1962)

Cuthbert Wilfrid Francis Noyce was an English mountaineer and author. He was a member of the 1953 British Expedition that made the first ascent of Mount Everest.

1917

Ray Graves

American football player and coach (died 2015)

Samuel Ray Graves was an American professional football player and college football coach. He was a native of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he was the starting center and team captain…

1918

Tommy Byrne

American baseball player, coach, and politician (died 2007)

Thomas Joseph Byrne was an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams from 1943 through 1957, primarily the New York Yankees. He also played for the St.…

1919

Carmen Contreras-Bozak

Puerto Rican-American soldier (died 2017)

Tech4 Carmen Contreras Bozak was the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the U.S. Women's Army Corps (WAC) where she served as an interpreter and in numerous administrative positions.

1919

Rex Allen

American actor and singer-songwriter (died 1999)

Rex Elvie Allen Sr., known as "The Arizona Cowboy," was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contributions to the…

1920

Tomás Balduino

Brazilian bishop (died 2014)

Tomás Balduíno, O.P. was a diocesan bishop of the Catholic Church in Brazil.

1922

Halina Czerny-Stefańska

Polish pianist and educator (died 2001)

Halina Czerny-Stefańska was a Polish pianist.

1922

Luis Zuloaga

Venezuelan baseball player (died 2013)

Luis Zuloaga was a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher.

1922

Giannis Dalianidis

Greek actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2010)

Giannis Dalianidis was a Greek film director.

1923

Taylor Mead

American actor and poet (died 2013)

Taylor Mead was an American writer, actor and performer. Mead appeared in several of Andy Warhol's underground films filmed at Warhol's Factory, including Tarzan and Jane Regained... Sort of (1963) and Taylor Mead's Ass…

1924

Irina Korschunow

German author and screenwriter (died 2013)

Irina Korschunow was a German writer. Her oeuvre comprises short stories, novels theatrical works and film scripts. Born in Stendal, she started her career as a journalist and writer for children's books and young adult…

1925

Sri Lal Sukla

Indian author (died 2011)

Shrilal Shukla was a Hindi writer, notable for his satire. He worked as a PCS officer for the state government of Uttar Pradesh, later inducted into the IAS. He has written over 25 books, including Raag Darbari, Makaan,…

1925

Daphne Oram

British composer and electronic musician (died 2003)

Daphne Blake Oram was a British composer and electronic musician. She was one of the first British composers to produce electronic sound, and was an early practitioner of musique concrète in the UK. As a co-founder of…

1925

Valerie Pearl

English historian and academic (died 2016)

Valerie Louise Pearl was a British historian who was noted for her work on the English Civil War. She was the second President of New Hall, Cambridge.

1926

Billy Snedden

Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Attorney-General for Australia (died 1987)

Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party from 1972 to 1975. He was also a cabinet minister from 1964 to 1972, and Speaker of the House of Representatives from…

1926

Vishnudevananda Saraswati

Indian yoga guru (died 1993)

Vishnudevananda Saraswati was an Indian yoga guru known for his teaching of asanas, a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati, and founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams (ISYVC). He established…

1927

Ross Barbour

American pop singer (died 2011)

Ross Edwin Barbour was an American singer with the vocal quartet The Four Freshmen.

1928

Hugh McElhenny

American football player (died 2022)

Hugh Edward McElhenny Jr. was an American professional football halfback who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1964 for the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Detroit…

1928

Veijo Meri

Finnish author and translator (died 2015)

Veijo Väinö Valvo Meri was a Finnish writer. Much of his work focuses on war and its absurdity. The work is anti-war and has dark humor.

1928

Tatyana Shmyga

Russian actress and singer (died 2011)

Tatyana Ivanovna Shmyga was a Soviet and Russian operetta/musical theatre performer. She went on to act in films as well. She was a People's Artist of the USSR (1978).

1928

Siné

French cartoonist (died 2016)

Maurice Albert Sinet, known professionally as Siné, was a French political cartoonist. His work is noted for its anti-capitalism, anti-clericalism, anti-colonialism, antisemitism, and anarchism.

1928

Mies Bouwman

Dutch television host (died 2018)

Maria Antoinette "Mies" Bouwman was a Dutch television presenter.

1929

Peter May

English cricketer (died 1994)

Peter Barker Howard May was an English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club, Cambridge University and England as an amateur. He was described as a "tall and handsome with a batting style that was close to…

1929

Jaime Escalante

Bolivian-American educator (died 2010)

Jaime Alfonso Escalante Gutiérrez was a Bolivian-American educator known for teaching students calculus from 1974 to 1991 at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. Escalante was the subject of the 1988 film Stand and…

1930

Odetta

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (died 2008)

Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals.

1930

Bob Shaw

Northern Irish journalist and author (died 1996)

Robert Shaw was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" was a Hugo…

1931

Don James

American football player and coach (died 2013)

Donald Earl James was an American college football coach and player. He served as the head coach at Kent State University from 1971 to 1974 and at the University of Washington from 1975 to 1992, compiling a career…

1932

Felix Rexhausen

German journalist and author (died 1992)

Felix Rexhausen was a German journalist, editor and author. As a journalist, he wrote for Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, and the magazines Die Zeit and Der Spiegel.

1932

Edward Bunker

American author, screenwriter, and actor (died 2005)

Edward Heward Bunker was an American author of crime fiction, screenwriter, and actor. He wrote numerous books, some of which have been adapted into films. He wrote the scripts for—and acted in—Straight Time (1978),…

1933

Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan

Indian author, poet, and scholar (died 2017)

Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan was an Islamic scholar and spiritual leader of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah order of Sufism. He belonged to Awan tribe. As a mufassir, he authored four exegeses (tafsir) of the Qur'an, including…

1934

Maria Krushelnytska

Ukrainian pianist (died 2025)

Maria Tarasivna Krushelnytska was a Ukrainian pianist.

1934

Avram Hershko

Hungarian-Israeli biochemist and physician

Avram Hershko is a Hungarian-born Israeli biochemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2004.

1937

Barry Hughes

Welsh footballer and manager (died 2019)

Barry Hughes was a Welsh professional football player and manager, active primarily in the Netherlands. He played as a defender.

1937

Tess Jaray

Austrian-English painter and educator

Tess Jaray is a British painter and printmaker. She taught at The Slade School of Fine Art, UCL from 1968 until 1999. Over the last twenty years Jaray has completed a succession of major public art projects. She was…

1937

Rosalind Cash

American actress (died 1995)

Rosalind Cash was an American actress. Her best-known film role is in the 1971 science-fiction film The Omega Man. Cash also had another notable role as Mary Mae Ward in ABC's General Hospital, a role she portrayed from…

1938

Atje Keulen-Deelstra

Dutch speed skater (died 2013)

Atje Keulen-Deelstra was a Dutch speed skater, who was a four-time World Allround Champion between the age of 32 and 36.

1938

Willye White

American sprinter and long jumper (died 2007)

Willye Brown White was an American track and field athlete who took part in five Olympics from 1956 to 1972. She was America's best female long jumper of the time and also competed in the 100 meters sprint. White was a…

1939

Mani Neumeier

German drummer

Mani Neumeier is a German rock musician, free-jazz drummer, artist, and frontman of the German Krautrock-band Guru Guru.

1940

Sir Alex Ferguson

Scottish footballer and manager

Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all…

1941

Taylor Hackford

American director, producer, and screenwriter

Taylor Edwin Hackford is an American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for Teenage Father (1979). Hackford went on to direct a…

1944

Connie Willis

American author

Constance Elaine Trimmer "Connie" Willis is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. She has won more major genre awards than any other writer, including eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards. Most recently,…

1945

Roy Greenslade

English journalist and academic

Roy Greenslade is a British author and freelance journalist, and a former professor of journalism. He worked in the UK newspaper industry from the 1960s onwards. As a media commentator, he wrote a daily blog from 2006…

1946

Bryan Hamilton

Northern Irish footballer and coach

Bryan Hamilton is a Northern Irish former professional football player and manager. He gained 50 caps for Northern Ireland between 1969 and 1980, and later managed the national team for four years. He later became…

1946

Raphael Kaplinsky

South African international development academic

Raphael Malcolm Kaplinsky is an Honorary Professor at the Science Policy Research Unit and an Emeritus Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. In 2024 he was awarded an…

1946

Pius Ncube

Zimbabwean archbishop

Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, until he resigned on 11 September 2007. Widely known for his human rights advocacy, Ncube was an outspoken critic of former…

1946

Lyudmila Pakhomova

Russian ice dancer (died 1986)

Lyudmila Alekseyevna Pakhomova was a Russian ice dancer who competed for the Soviet Union. With her husband Aleksandr Gorshkov, she was the 1976 Olympic champion, one of the oldest female figure skating Olympic…

1946

Cliff Richey

American tennis player

George Clifford Richey Jr. is an American former amateur and professional tennis player who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Richey achieved a highest singles ranking of World No. 6 and reached at least the…

1946

Eric Robson

Scottish journalist and author

Eric Bell Robson is a Scottish television broadcaster, author and documentary film maker who has lived for most of his life in Cumbria, where he has a sheep farm. For many years he was the main presenter of Brass…

1946

Nigel Rudd

English businessman, founder of Williams Holdings

Sir Nigel Rudd, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. In 1982, he founded Williams Holdings, a company which went on to become one of the largest industrial holding companies in the United Kingdom until…

1946

Tim Stevens

English bishop

Timothy John Stevens, is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was Bishop of Dunwich from 1995 to 1999 and was Bishop of Leicester from 1999 to 2015. From 2003 to 2015, he was a member of the House of Lords as a Lord…

1946

Sandy Jardine

Scottish footballer and manager (died 2014)

William "Sandy" Pullar Jardine was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Rangers, Hearts and represented Scotland. He played over 1000 professional games and twice won the Scottish Football Writers…

1948

Ellen Datlow

American anthologist and author

Ellen Datlow is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist. She is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award.

1949

Flora Gomes

Bissau-Guinean filmmaker

Flora Gomes is a Bissau-Guinean film director. He was born in Cadique, Guinea-Bissau on 31 December 1949 and after high school in Cuba, he decided to study film at the Instituto Cubano del Arte y la Industria…

1949

Susan Shwartz

American author

Susan Shwartz is an American author.

1949

Bob Gilder

American golfer

Robert Bryan Gilder is an American professional golfer. He won six tournaments on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour, where he has ten wins since joining in 2001.

1950

Inge Helten

German sprinter

Ingeborg "Inge" Helten is a former athlete from West Germany, who competed mainly in the 100 metres. She was born in Westum, Sinzig, Rhineland-Palatinate.

1950

Cheryl Womack

American businesswoman

Verna Cheryl Womack is an entrepreneur who founded Kansas City, Missouri-based VCW and National Association of Independent Truckers, Inc. which became a $100 million a year business selling insurance to independent…

1950

Kenny Roberts

American motorcycle racer

Kenneth Leroy Roberts is an American former professional motorcycle racer and racing team owner. In 1978, he became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship. He was also a two-time…

1951

Vaughan Jones

New Zealand mathematician and academic (died 2020)

Sir Vaughan Frederick Randal Jones was a New Zealand mathematician known for his work on von Neumann algebras and knot polynomials. He was awarded a Fields Medal in 1990.

1952

Jean-Pierre Rives

French rugby player, painter, and sculptor

Jean-Pierre Rives is a French former rugby union player and visual artist. "A cult figure in France", according to the BBC, he came to epitomise the team's spirit and "ultra-committed, guts-and-glory style of play". He…

1952

Jane Badler

American actress

Jane Badler is an American-Australian actress and singer. She is known for her role as Diana, the main antagonist in NBC's science fiction series V between 1983 and 1985. Following this, she had roles in the primetime…

1953

Alex Salmond

Scottish economist and politician (died 2024)

Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond was a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure in the Scottish nationalist movement, he was Leader of the Scottish National…

1954

Hermann Tilke

German racing driver, architect and engineer

Hermann Hugo Tilke is a German engineer, racing driver and circuit designer, who has designed numerous Formula One motor racing circuits. His son is architect Carsten Tilke.

1954

Pula Nikolao Pula

9th governor of American Samoa

Pulaali'i Tuiteleleapaga Iuli Nikolao Pula is an American Samoan politician who is currently serving as the ninth governor of American Samoa since 2025. He ran in the 2024 American Samoan gubernatorial election and…

1955

Robert Goodwill

English farmer and politician

Sir Robert Goodwill, PC is a British Conservative Party politician and farmer who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Scarborough and Whitby from 2005 to 2024. He was previously a Member of the European Parliament…

1956

Helma Knorscheidt

German shot putter

Helma Knorscheidt is an East German shot putter.

1956

Steve Rude

American author and illustrator

Steve Rude is an American comics artist. He is best known as the co-creator of Nexus.

1956

Geoff Marsh

Australian cricketer and coach

Geoffrey Robert Marsh is an Australian former cricketer, coach and selector. He played 50 Test matches and 117 One Day Internationals for Australia as an opening batsman. Marsh was a part of the Australian team that won…

1958

Liveris Andritsos

Greek basketball player

Liveris Andritsos is a retired Greek professional basketball player and coach. At a height of 2.02 m tall, he could play at both the small forward and power forward positions.

1959

Val Kilmer

American actor (died 2025)

Val Edward Kilmer was an American actor. Initially a stage actor, he later found fame as a leading man in films in a wide variety of genres, including comedies, dramas, action adventures, westerns, historical films,…

1959

Phill Kline

American lawyer and politician

Phillip D. Kline is a former American attorney who served as a Kansas state legislator, district attorney of Johnson County, and Kansas Attorney General. Kline, a member of the Republican Party, lost re-election as…

1959

Baron Waqa

Nauruan composer and politician, 14th President of Nauru

Baron Divavesi Waqa is a Nauruan politician who currently serves as the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. He was the President of Nauru from 11 June 2013 until 27 August 2019. He previously served as…

1959

Paul Westerberg

American musician, singer, and songwriter

Paul Harold Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Replacements. Following the breakup of the Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him…

1959

Steve Bruce

English footballer and manager

Stephen Roger Bruce is an English professional football manager and former player who was a centre-back in a twenty-year playing career. He was most recently the head coach of EFL League One club Blackpool.

1960

Rick Aguilera

American baseball player and coach

Richard Warren Aguilera is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1985 to 2000. Aguilera won a world championship as a member of the…

1961

Jeremy Heywood

English economist and civil servant (died 2018)

Jeremy John Heywood, Baron Heywood of Whitehall, was a British civil servant who served as Cabinet Secretary to David Cameron and Theresa May from 2012 to 2018 and Head of the Home Civil Service from 2014 to 2018. He…

1961

Nina Li Chi

Hong Kong actress

Nina Li Chi is a retired Hong Kong actress. She is also known by her Chinese name Li Chi or Li Zhi. She is best known for being the wife of famous martial artist and actor Jet Li.

1961

Fabian Nicieza

Argentine-American comic book writer and editor

Fabian Nicieza is an Argentine-American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Nomad, Cable, Gambit, Deadpool and Thunderbolts, for all of…

1961

Tyrone Corbin

American basketball player and coach

Tyrone Kennedy Corbin is an American former professional basketball player who last worked as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets. He was first appointed the assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns, then was named…

1962

Chris Hallam

English-Welsh swimmer and wheelchair racer (died 2013)

Christopher Alexander Hallam, MBE was a Welsh Paralympian and wheelchair athlete. He competed at four Paralympic Games; Stoke Mandeville, England (1984), Seoul, South Korea (1988), Barcelona, Spain (1992) and Atlanta,…

1962

Jennifer Higdon

American composer

Jennifer Elaine Higdon is an American composer of contemporary classical music. She has received many awards, including the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her Violin Concerto and three Grammy Awards for Best…

1962

Winston Benjamin

Antiguan cricketer

Winston Keithroy Matthew Benjamin is a former Antiguan cricketer who played 21 Tests and 85 One Day Internationals for the West Indies. He is the father of Olympic gold medalist hurdler Rai Benjamin.

1964

Michael McDonald

American comedian, actor, and director

Michael James McDonald is an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for starring in the sketch comedy show Mad TV from 1998 to 2008, and was Mad TVs longest-tenured cast member,…

1964

Tony Dorigo

Australian-English footballer and sportscaster

Anthony Robert Dorigo is a former professional footballer, sports pundit and co-commentator.

1965

Julie Doucet

Canadian cartoonist and author

Julie Doucet is a Canadian underground cartoonist and artist, best known for her autobiographical works such as Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary. Her work is concerned with such topics as "sex, violence, menstruation…

1965

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

Indian cricketer

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, popularly known as Siva and LS, is a former Indian cricketer and commentator. During his playing career, he was a right-arm leg-spinner. Sivaramakrishnan began his commentary career in a test…

1965

Paul McGregor

Australian rugby league player and coach

Paul "Mary" McGregor is an Australian professional rugby league coach who was until August 2020, the head coach of the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL, and a former professional rugby league footballer who…

1967

Gerry Dee

Canadian comedian, actor, and screenwriter

Gerry Dee is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, game show host, director, producer, and writer. He is the host of Family Feud Canada. He placed third on the fifth season of Last Comic Standing, and he wrote and…

1968

Junot Diaz

Dominican-born American novelist, short story writer, and essayist

Junot Díaz is a Dominican American writer, creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a former fiction editor at Boston Review. Central to Díaz's work is the immigrant experience,…

1968

Jorjão

Brazilian footballer

Jorge Alberto da Costa Silva, known as Jorjão or sometimes Jorgeao, is a former Brazilian footballer.

1970

Danny McNamara

English singer-songwriter

Embrace are an English rock band formed in Bailiff Bridge, West Yorkshire, in 1990. The band consists of brothers singer Danny McNamara and guitarist Richard McNamara, bassist Steve Firth, keyboardist Mickey Dale, and…

1970

Carlos Morales Quintana

Spanish-Danish architect and sailor

Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark is the eldest child of Constantine II and Anne-Marie, who were King and Queen of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973. She was heiress presumptive to the…

1970

Bryon Russell

American basketball player

Bryon Demetrise Russell is an American former professional basketball player. During a National Basketball Association (NBA) career that spanned 13 seasons, he played for the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and Los…

1970

Brent Barry

American basketball player and sportscaster

Brent Robert Barry, also known by the nickname "Bones", is an American professional basketball coach, executive, broadcaster and former player. He is a game analyst for Amazon Prime's coverage of the National Basketball…

1971

Esteban Loaiza

Mexican baseball player

Esteban Antonio Loaiza Veyna [lo-EYE-sa] is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox,…

1971

Heath Shuler

American football player and politician

Joseph Heath Shuler is an American former politician and professional football quarterback who served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 11th congressional district from 2007 to 2013. The district covers…

1971

Grégory Coupet

French footballer

Grégory Coupet is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

1972

Scott Manley

Scottish YouTube personality

Scott Park Manley is a Scottish-American science communication YouTuber, gamer, astrophysicist, and programmer. On his YouTube channel, he makes videos discussing space-related topics and news, mainly concerning…

1972

Shandon Anderson

American basketball player

Shandon Rodriguez Anderson is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1996 to 2006. Growing up in Atlanta, Anderson attended the University of…

1973

Malcolm Middleton

Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist

Malcolm Bruce Middleton (born 31 December 1973) is a Scottish musician and member of indie band Arab Strap. He has also released seven solo studio albums and three albums performing under the pseudonym Human Don't Be…

1973

Curtis Myden

Canadian swimmer

Curtis Allen Myden is a former breaststroke and medley swimmer from Canada, who competed at three consecutive Summer Olympics in 1992, 1996 and 2000. He won a total number of three medals at the Olympics, all of them…

1973

Mario Aerts

Belgian cyclist

Mario Aerts is a former professional road bicycle racer, who competed between 1996 and 2011. He competed for three teams: Vlaanderen 2002, Team Telekom and the Lotto team through various sponsorships, competing with…

1974

Tony Kanaan

Brazilian race car driver

Antoine Rizkallah "Tony" Kanaan Filho, nicknamed "TK", is a Brazilian retired racing driver who is the team principal of Arrow McLaren. He is best known for racing in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) from 1998 to…

1974

Ryan Sakoda

Japanese-American wrestler and trainer

Ryan Keiji Sakoda was a Japanese American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances in WWE and later Ultimate Pro Wrestling as a part-time trainer for the wrestlers, as well as working in the…

1974

Rami Alanko

Finnish ice hockey player

Rami Alanko is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player.

1975

Toni Kuivasto

Finnish footballer and coach

Toni Tapio Kuivasto is a retired Finnish footballer who last played for Veikkausliigaside Haka.

1975

Rob Penders

Dutch footballer

Rob Penders is a Dutch football coach and a former player who mainly played for NAC Breda during his career. He is the assistant manager of Utrecht. Penders was a defender who made his debut in professional football,…

1975

Sander Schutgens

Dutch runner

Sander Schutgens is a Dutch runner.

1975

Luís Carreira

Portuguese motorcycle racer (died 2012)

Luis Filipe de Sousa Carreira was a Portuguese motorcycle road racer. He died on 15 November 2012 after an accident during qualifying in the 2012 Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.

1976

Matthew Hoggard

English cricketer

Matthew James Hoggard, is a former English cricketer, who played international cricket for England cricket team from 2000 to 2008, playing both Test cricket and One Day Internationals. The 6' 2" Hoggard was a right arm…

1976

Wardy Alfaro

Costa Rican footballer and coach

Wardy Alfaro Pizarro is a retired Costa Rican football player, who currently is goalkeeper coach at Alajuelense.

1977

Paul O'Neill

English racing driver

Paul O'Neill is a British auto racing driver, and the half-brother of English singer Melanie C.

1979

Jeff Waldstreicher

American lawyer and politician

Jeffrey D. Waldstreicher is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently a member of the Maryland Senate, representing District 18 in Montgomery County after serving two…

1979

Ricky Whittle

British actor

Richard George Whittle is a British actor. Whittle first came to prominence as a model for Reebok in the early 2000s. He is known in the United Kingdom for his role as Calvin Valentine in the soap opera Hollyoaks. In…

1979

Jesse Carlson

American baseball player

Jesse Craig Carlson is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays.

1980

Matt Cross

American wrestler

Matthew Capiccioni is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names M-Dogg 20, Matt Cross and Son of Havoc. He currently competes on the independent circuit – predominantly for Juggalo Championship…

1980

Richie McCaw

New Zealand rugby player

Richard Hugh McCaw is a New Zealand retired professional rugby union player. He captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the…

1980

Carsten Schlangen

German runner

Carsten Schlangen is a German middle distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres.

1980

Jason Campbell

American football player

Jason S. Campbell is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Washington…

1981

Francisco García

Dominican basketball player

Francisco Alberto García Gutiérrez is a Dominican former professional basketball player who played ten seasons in the NBA. The 6'7", 195-pound swingman played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals before being…

1981

Matthew Pavlich

Australian footballer

Matthew Lee Pavlich is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Pavlich is the chief executive of the Sydney Swans.

1981

Margaret Simpson

Ghanaian heptathlete

Margaret Simpson is a Ghanaian heptathlete. She won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships, setting several personal bests in the process. Her personal best is 6423 points, achieved in Götzis in May 2005.

1981

Julio DePaula

Dominican baseball player

Julio César DePaula is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and in the KBO League for the Hanwha Eagles.

1982

Craig Gordon

Scottish footballer

Craig Sinclair Gordon is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian and the Scotland national team.

1982

Luke Schenscher

Australian basketball player

Luke Dean Schenscher is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played four years of college basketball for Georgia Tech before having stints in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Chicago…

1982

The Rocket Summer

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

The Rocket Summer is the solo project of Bryce Avary, a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and record producer based in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas.

1982

Jana Veselá

Czech basketball player

Jana Veselá is a Czech professional basketball player currently playing in the Czech League for ZVVZ USK Prague. She has played the Summer Olympics, the World Championship and the Eurobasket with the Czech Republic…

1983

Corey Crawford

Canadian ice hockey player

Corey Crawford is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Crow" by teammates and fans, he played his entire professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL),…

1984

Ben Hannant

Australian rugby league player

Benjamin Hannant, also known by the nickname of "Polar Bear", is a former Australian rugby league footballer and boxer.

1984

Édgar Lugo

Mexican footballer

Edgar Gerardo Lugo Aranda is a Mexican former professional footballer.

1984

Calvin Zola

Congolese footballer

Calvin Zola-Makongo, often known simply as Calvin Zola, is a Congolese former professional footballer who played as a forward. Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, he began his career as a youth player at Newcastle United. Zola…

1984

Jan Smit

Dutch singer and television host

Jan Smit is a Dutch singer, television host, and actor. Smit mostly sings songs in the Dutch language, in a genre known as palingsound. In addition to his solo career, in 2015 Smit joined the schlager trio Klubbb3, and…

1985

Nate Freiman

American baseball player

Nathan Samuel Freiman is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, baseball writer Tim Brown wrote of his 6 ft…

1986

Kade Snowden

Australian rugby league player

Kade Snowden is a former professional rugby league footballer of the Biddabah nation, who played as a prop in the 2000s and 2010s.

1986

Javaris Crittenton

American basketball player

Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American former professional basketball player. During his four year career, Crittenton played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards of the National…

1987

Seydou Doumbia

Ivorian footballer

Seydou Doumbia is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

1987

Danny Holla

Dutch footballer

Danny Holla is a former Dutch professional footballer who last played as a midfielder for Sliema Wanderers in the Maltese Premier League.

1987

Nemanja Nikolić

Hungarian footballer

Nemanja Nikolić is a former professional footballer who played as a striker.

1987

Michal Řepík

Czech ice hockey player

Michal Řepík is a Czech professional ice hockey left winger. He is currently under contract with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Repik was selected by the Florida Panthers in the 2nd round of the 2007 NHL…

1988

Ryo Aitaka

Japanese kickboxer and professional wrestler

Ryo Aitaka is a Japanese professional wrestler and former kickboxer, who competed in the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions of K-1. He was a one-time K-1 Cruiserweight title challenger, having challenged for the…

1989

Kelvin Herrera

Dominican baseball player

Kelvin de Jesús Herrera Mercado is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals from 2011 to 2018, Washington Nationals in 2018, and Chicago White…

1989

Dennis Everberg

Swedish ice hockey player

Dennis Everberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger for Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He has previously played in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche.

1991

Djené

Togolese footballer

Djené Dakonam Ortega, known mononymously as Djené, is a Togolese professional footballer who plays for and captains both La Liga club Getafe and the Togo national team. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a…

1991

ND Stevenson

American cartoonist

Nate Diana "Indy" Stevenson, known professionally as ND Stevenson, is an American cartoonist and animation producer. He is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the animated television series She-Ra and the…

1991

Amy Cure

Australian track cyclist

Amy Louise Cure is an Australian former professional track cyclist. She cycles for Team Jayco–AIS. She has set several world records. She won a junior world championship race in 2009, and represented Australia at the…

1992

Karl Kruuda

Estonian racing driver

Karl Kruuda is an Estonian rally driver.

1992

Gabby Douglas

American gymnast

Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2012 Olympic all-around gold medalist and the 2015 World all-around silver medalist. She was a member of the gold-winning teams at both…

1995

Edmond Sumner

American basketball player

Edmond Byron Sumner is an American professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). A point guard, he played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers and…

1995

J. J. Arcega-Whiteside

Spanish-American football player

José Joaquín Arcega-Whiteside is a Spanish former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the…

1996

Ludovic Blas

French footballer

Ludovic Régis Arsène Blas is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Rennes.

1997

Cameron Carter-Vickers

English-American soccer player

Cameron Robert Carter-Vickers is a professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in England, he represents the United States national team.

1997

Bright Osayi-Samuel

Nigerian footballer

Bright Osayi-Samuel is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a right-back or winger for EFL Championship club Birmingham City and the Nigeria national team.

1997

Calvin Bassey

Italian-Nigerian footballer

Calvin Chinedu Bassey is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back or a centre-back for Premier League club Fulham and the Nigeria national team.

1999

Leif Davis

English footballer

Leif Davis is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for EFL Championship club Ipswich Town.

1999

Alycia Parks

American tennis player

Alycia Michelle Parks is an American professional tennis player. She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 40, achieved August 14, 2023, and a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 27, set on September 11,…

2000

Katie Volynets

American tennis player

Katie Volynets is an American professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 56 by the WTA, achieved on July 29, 2024.

2001

Ryan Flamingo

Dutch footballer

Ryan Flamingo is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Eredivisie club PSV.

2002

Sophia Laforteza

Filipino-American singer

Sophia Elizabeth Guevara Laforteza is a Filipino and American singer. In 2024, she made her debut as the leader of the girl group Katseye, formed through the 2023 reality show Dream Academy created by Hybe and Geffen…

2002

Joe Scally

American soccer player

Joseph Michael Scally is an American professional soccer player who plays as a full-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach and the United States national team.

2002

Famous birthdays

Who was born on December 31?

Jonathan Horton — American artistic gymnast

FeaturedJonathan Horton

Birth year1985

Known forHe was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and is the 2008 Olympic silver medalist on horizontal bar, the 2010 World all-around bronze medalist, a two-time Olympian, a two-time U.S

Birthdays on this date222 (695 – 2002)

Explore December 31

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

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Also on December 31 in History

2020

The World Health Organization issues its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine. Wikipedia →

2019

The World Health Organization is informed of cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause, detected in Wuhan. This later turned out to be COVID-19, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wikipedia →

2018

Thirty-nine people are killed after a ten-story building collapses in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, Russia. Wikipedia →

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1985 — Jonathan Horton

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