Did you know
He progressed numerous other reforms, most notably the Metropolitan Poor Act 1867
Famous Birthdays on January 3
216 people
106 BC – 2004
January 3 has seen 216 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 106 BC – 2004. Below are the most significant names born on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1802 — Charles Pelham Villiers
English lawyer and politician (died 1898)
Did you know
He also holds the distinction of the oldest candidate to win a parliamentary seat, at 93
Did you know
He sat in the House of Commons for 63 years, from 1835 to 1898, making him the longest-serving Member of Parliament (MP)
Did you know
He was a radical and reformer who often collaborated with John Bright and had a noteworthy effect in the leadership of the Anti-Corn Law League, until its repeal in 1846
Did you know
Lord Palmerston appointed him to the cabinet as president of the Poor-Law Board in 1859
-106
Italian cardinal (died 1591)
Gian Girolamo Albani (1509–1591) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal.
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1509
English political theorist (died 1677)
James Harrington was an English political theorist known for his contributions to classical republican thought. He is best known for The Commonwealth of Oceana (1656), an exposition of an ideal republican constitution…
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1611
Italian poet and songwriter (died 1782)
Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.
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1698
American soldier and engineer (died 1796)
Richard Gridley was a soldier and engineer who served for the British Army during the French and Indian Wars and for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
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1710
Swedish biologist and explorer (died 1752)
Fredrik Hasselquist was a Swedish traveller and naturalist.
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1722
Venetian admiral and statesman (died 1792)
Angelo Emo was a Venetian naval officer. He is notable for his reforms of the Venetian navy and his naval campaigns, being regarded as the last great admiral of the Venetian Republic.
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1731
Indian ruler (died 1799)
Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an 18th-century Palayakarrar and king of Panchalankurichi in present-day Tamil Nadu, India. He fought the British East India Company and was captured by the British with the help of the…
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1760
2nd Earl of Charlemont (died 1863)
Francis William Caulfeild, 2nd Earl of Charlemont, styled Viscount Caulfeild until 1799, was an Irish peer and politician.
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1775
Polish archbishop (died 1861)
Antoni Melchior Optat Fijałkowski was a Catholic archbishop of the Archdiocese of Warsaw from 1856 to 1861. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Płock and titular bishop of Hermopolis from 1842 to…
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1778
American activist (died 1880)
Lucretia Mott was an American Quaker, abolitionist, women's rights activist, and social reformer. She had formed the idea of reforming the position of women in society when she was amongst the women excluded from the…
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1793
English journalist and playwright (died 1857)
Douglas William Jerrold was an English dramatist, journalist, and writer, best known for his satirical wit, his socially critical essays, and his association with the early years of Punch magazine. A prominent figure in…
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1803
German soprano and actress (died 1854)
Henriette, Countess Rossi, known by her maiden name Henriette Sontag, was a German operatic dramatic soprano.
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1806
French geographer, ethnologist, linguist, and astronomer (died 1897)
Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie d'Arrast was a Basque-Irish explorer, geographer, ethnologist, linguist and astronomer, renowned for his expeditions in Ethiopia during the early 19th century. He was the elder brother of…
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1810
American businessman and politician (died 1891)
Samuel Clarke Pomeroy was a United States senator from Kansas in the mid-19th century. He served in the United States Senate during the American Civil War. Pomeroy also served in the Massachusetts House of…
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1816
Italian-Scottish astronomer and academic (died 1900)
Charles Piazzi Smyth was a British astronomer who was Astronomer Royal for Scotland from 1846 to 1888; he is known for many innovations in astronomy and, along with his wife Jessica Duncan Piazzi Smyth, his…
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1819
Indian poet, educator, and activist (died 1897)
Savitribai Phule was an Indian educator, social reformer, and poet, widely regarded as the first female teacher of modern India. Along with her husband, Jyotiba Phule, she played a pivotal role in advancing women's…
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1831
Japanese samurai and rebel leader (died 1867)
Sakamoto Ryōma was a Japanese samurai, a shishi and influential figure of the Bakumatsu, and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo period.
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1836
Flemish priest and missionary (died 1889)
Damien De Veuster, popularly known as Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, was a Belgian Catholic priest in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He ministered to a leper colony in Molokaʻi,…
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1840
Italian physician (died 1935)
Ettore Marchiafava was an Italian physician, pathologist and neurologist. He spent most of his career as professor of medicine at the University of Rome. His works on malaria laid down the foundation for modern…
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1847
1853
English businessman (died 1914)
Hubert Bland was an English author. He was known for being an infamous libertine, a journalist, an early English socialist, and one of the founders of the Fabian Society. He was the husband of Edith Nesbit.
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1855
English tennis player (died 1899)
Ernest James Renshaw was a British tennis player who was active in the late 19th century.
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1861
English tennis player (died 1904)
William Charles Renshaw was a British tennis player active during the late 19th century, who was ranked world No. 1. He won twelve Wimbledon titles: seven in singles and five in doubles. A right-hander, Renshaw was…
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1861
English soldier and politician, 13th Governor of Queensland (died 1939)
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Matthew Nathan was a British soldier and colonial administrator, who variously served as the governor of Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Hong Kong, Natal and Queensland. He was Under-Secretary for…
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1862
English actor (died 1936)
Sir Henry Lytton was an English actor and singer who was the leading exponent of the starring comic patter-baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1909 to 1934. He also starred in musical comedies. His career…
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1865
Australian-English author (died 1946)
Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson, known by her pen name Henry Handel Richardson, was an Australian author.
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1870
Japanese businessman and art collector, founded the Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (died 1957)
Ichizō Kobayashi , occasionally referred to by his pseudonym Itsuō (逸翁), was a Japanese industrialist and politician. He is best known as the founder of Hankyu Railway, the Takarazuka Revue, and Toho. He served as…
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1873
German carpenter and politician, 1st President of the German Democratic Republic (died 1960)
Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck was a German communist politician who served as the co-chairman of the Socialist Unity Party from 1946 to 1950 and as the only president of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until…
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1876
American actress (died 1957)
Marie Josephine Hull was an American stage and film actress who also was a director of plays. She had a successful 50-year career on stage while taking some of her better known roles to film. She won an Academy Award…
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1877
Irish Jesuit priest and photographer (died 1960)
Francis Patrick Mary Browne, was a distinguished Irish Jesuit and a prolific photographer. His best-known photographs are those of the RMS Titanic and its passengers and crew which he took while a passenger on the ship;…
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1880
English soldier, lawyer, and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1967)
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, was a British statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. Attlee was deputy prime minister during…
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1883
Canadian discus thrower and hammer thrower (died 1963)
Duncan Gillis was a Canadian athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. Gillis was the first to serve as Canada's flag bearer during the Olympic opening ceremonies.
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1883
Polish pianist and composer (died 1948)
Raoul Armand Jerzy (von) Koczalski was a Polish pianist and composer. He also used the pseudonym Georg Armand(o) Koczalski.
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1884
American businessman (died 1912)
Harry Elkins Widener was an American businessman and bibliophile, and a member of the Widener family. His mother built Harvard University's Widener Memorial Library in his memory, after his death on the foundering of…
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1885
American poet and author (died 1950)
John Gould Fletcher was an Imagist poet, author and authority on modern painting. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to a socially prominent family. After attending Phillips Academy, Andover, Fletcher went on to…
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1886
Australian cricketer (died 1967)
Alfred Arthur Mailey was an Australian cricketer who played in 21 Test matches between 1920 and 1926.
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1886
German-French painter (died 1914)
August Robert Ludwig Macke was a German Expressionist painter. He was one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter. He lived during a particularly active time for German art: he saw the…
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1887
English writer, poet, and philologist (died 1973)
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55).
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1892
American actress (died 1963)
ZaSu Pitts was an American actress, who in a career spanning nearly five decades, starred in many silent film dramas, such as Erich von Stroheim's 1924 epic Greed, along with comedies, before moving into sound films,…
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1894
Irish republican revolutionary, (died 1985)
Eithne Coyle was an Irish republican activist. She was a leading figure within Cumann na mBan and a member of the Gaelic League. However, her role in the period now known as 'revolutionary Ireland' was more extensive…
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1897
American actress and comedian (died 1961)
Marion Davies was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies left the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl. As a teenager, she appeared in several…
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1897
American author and illustrator (died 1990)
Carolyn Haywood was an American writer and illustrator from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She created 47 children's books, most notably the series under the "Eddie" and "Betsy" titles.
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1898
American businessman (died 1985)
Donald Joseph McKay Russell was an American railroad executive. He was president of Southern Pacific Railroad from 1952 to 1964 and then chairman from 1964 to 1972. Russell was featured on the cover of Time on August…
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1900
Vietnamese lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Vietnam (died 1963)
Ngô Đình Diệm was a South Vietnamese politician who was the final prime minister of the State of Vietnam (1954–1955) and later the first president of South Vietnam from 1955 until his capture and assassination during…
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1901
Italian engineer (died 1996)
Dante Giacosa was an Italian automobile designer and engineer responsible for a range of Italian automobile designs — and for refining the front-wheel drive layout to an industry-standard configuration. He has been…
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1905
American actress (died 1961)
Wong Liu Tsong, known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese American actress to gain international…
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1905
Russian farm worker (died 1991)
Ulyana Spiridonovna Barkova was a Russian dairy farmer who was the forewoman at the Karavaevo state farm in the Kostroma Oblast who was twice awarded the title of Heroine of Socialist Labour.
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1906
Welsh-American actor and director (died 1986)
Ray Milland was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend (1945), which won him Best Actor at Cannes, a Golden Globe…
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1907
Danish-American pianist and conductor (died 2000)
Børge Rosenbaum, known professionally as Victor Borge, was a Danish-American actor, comedian, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in both North America and Europe. His blend of music and…
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1909
American baseball player and manager (died 2000)
Stanley George "Frenchy" Bordagaray was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and third baseman for the Chicago White Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis…
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1910
American director and producer (died 1992)
John Eliot Sturges was an American film director. His films include Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), and Ice Station Zebra (1968).…
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1910
Spanish soldier (died 1936)
Federico Borrell García was a Spanish Republican and anarchist militiaman during the Spanish Civil War, commonly thought to be the subject in the famous Robert Capa photo The Falling Soldier.
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1912
Canadian journalist and politician (died 2002)
Louise Marguerite Renaude Lapointe, was a Canadian journalist and a Senator. She was among the first Canadian women to work as a professional journalist and the first French-Canadian woman to preside over the Senate.
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1912
American-Finnish actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2005)
Armand Uolevi Lohikoski was a Finnish movie director and writer. He is best known as a director of a number of Pekka ja Pätkä movies.
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1912
American painter and soldier (died 2010)
Jack Levine was an American Social Realist painter and printmaker best known for his satires on modern life, political corruption, and biblical narratives. Levine is considered one of the key artists of the Boston…
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1915
American actress and television journalist (died 1994)
Elizabeth Mary Furness was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator.
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1916
1916
Dutch author and actor (died 2004)[better source needed]
Albert Mol was a Dutch author, actor and television personality.
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1917
Jr., American journalist and publisher, co-founded Farrar, Straus and Giroux (died 2004)
Roger Williams Straus Jr. was an American publisher who was co-founder and chairman of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, a New York book publishing company, and member of the Guggenheim family.
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1917
American pianist and composer (died 1963)
Herbert Horatio Nichols was an American jazz pianist and composer who wrote the jazz standard "Lady Sings the Blues". Obscure during his lifetime, he is now highly regarded by many musicians and critics.
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1919
German lawyer and politician, Attorney General of Germany (died 1977)
Siegfried Buback was the Attorney General of West Germany from 1974 until his murder in 1977.
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1920
Russian historian of mathematics (died 2005)
Isabella Grigoryevna Bashmakova was a Russian historian of mathematics. In 2001, she was a recipient of the Alexander Koyré Medal of the International Academy of the History of Science.
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1921
English actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1994)
William Inglis Lindon Travers was a British actor, screenwriter, director and animal rights activist. Before his show business career, he served in the British Army with Gurkha and special forces units.
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1922
American football coach and sportscaster (died 2005)
Henry Louis Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL).
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1923
German businessman and philanthropist, founded Metro AG (died 2013)
Otto Beisheim was a German businessman and co-founder of Metro AG. In 2010, his net worth was estimated at US$3.6 billion.
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1924
Italian football player (died 1962)
Enzo Cozzolini was an Italian professional football player. He was born in Rome. He played 2 games in the Serie A in the 1942/43 season for A.S. Roma.
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1924
Belgian author and illustrator (died 1997)
André Franquin was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best-known creations are Gaston and Marsupilami. He also produced the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1946 to 1968, a period seen by many as the series'…
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1924
American soprano and educator (died 2005)
Nell Rankin was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. Though a successful opera singer internationally, she spent most of her career at the Metropolitan Opera, where she worked from 1951 to 1976. She was particularly…
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1924
English actress (died 2009)
Jill Angela Henriette Balcon was a British actress. She was known for her work in film, television, radio and on stage. She made her film debut in Nicholas Nickleby (1947). She was the second wife of poet Cecil…
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1925
American economist and politician, 64th United States Secretary of the Treasury
Werner Michael Blumenthal is a German-American business leader, economist and political adviser who served as United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1979.
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1926
English composer, conductor, and producer (died 2016)
Sir George Henry Martin was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" due to his extensive involvement in each of the Beatles' original…
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1926
Malaysian lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Sarawak (died 2015)
Abdul Rahman bin Ya'kub was a Malaysian politician of Melanau descent from Mukah. He was the third Chief Minister of Sarawak and the fourth Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak. He is also an uncle of Pehin Sri Abdul Taib…
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1928
Italian director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1989)
Sergio Leone was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema.
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1929
German-Brazilian composer and conductor (died 2025)
Ernst Mahle was a Brazilian composer and orchestra conductor of German birth.
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1929
American businessman, co-founder of Intel Corporation (died 2023)
Gordon Earle Moore was an American businessman, scientist, engineer, and the co-founder and emeritus chairman of Intel Corporation. He proposed Moore's law, which makes the observation that the number of transistors in…
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1929
American illustrator (died 2025)
Stephen Emil Fabian Sr. was an American fantasy and science-fiction artist who only became a professional artist at the age of 44 after losing his job. Despite being a self-taught artist, he became a widely known…
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1930
American actor and director (died 2015)
Salvatore "Robert" Loggia was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Jagged Edge (1985) and won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for Big (1988).
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1930
American actor (died 2024)
Dabney Wharton Coleman was an American actor. He was recognized for his roles portraying egomaniacal and unlikeable characters in comedic performances. Throughout his career, he appeared in over 175 films and television…
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1932
Finnish pole vaulter and politician (died 2022)
Eeles Enok Landström was a Finnish pole vaulter, a member of the Finnish parliament, and a business executive. He won two European titles, in 1954 and 1958, and competed at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, winning a bronze…
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1932
English lawyer (died 2025)
Sir Geoffrey Lionel Bindman, KC (Hon) was a British solicitor specialising in human rights law, and founder of the human rights law firm Bindman & Partners. He was Chair of the British Institute of Human Rights from…
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1933
American-English poet and author (died 2020)
Anne Katharine Stevenson was an American-British poet and writer and recipient of a Lannan Literary Award.
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1933
German mercenary
Rolf Steiner is a German retired mercenary. He began his military career as a French Foreign Legion paratrooper and saw combat in Vietnam, Egypt, and Algeria. Steiner rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel commanding…
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1933
American-French actress, singer, and dancer (died 2008)
Marpessa Dawn, also known as Gypsy Marpessa Dawn Menor, was an American-French actress, as well as a singer and dancer. She is best remembered for her role in the film Black Orpheus (1959) by Marcel Camus.
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1934
American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Carla Anderson Hills is an American lawyer and former government official. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 5th United States secretary of housing and urban development under President…
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1934
Canadian businessman and politician
Raymond Garneau, is a Canadian businessman and politician.
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1935
American director, producer, and screenwriter, created Battlestar Galactica (died 2014)
Glen Albert Larson was an American television producer, writer, and composer. He created many series, including Alias Smith and Jones; Battlestar Galactica; Buck Rogers in the 25th Century; The Misadventures of Sheriff…
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1937
Baron Butler of Brockwell, English academic and politician
Frederick Edward Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell is a retired British civil servant, now sitting in the House of Lords as a crossbencher.
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1938
Sri Lankan accountant and politician, Mayor of Colombo (died 2006)
Kanagasabai Ganeshalingam was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician. He was Mayor of Colombo.
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1938
Israeli singer-songwriter and actor (died 2013)
Arieh Lieb "Arik" Einstein (Hebrew: אָרִיק אַייְנְשְׁטֵייְן ; was an Israeli singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and screenwriter. He was a pioneer of Israeli rock music and was named "the voice of Israel." Through both…
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1939
Canadian ice hockey player (died 2023)
Robert Marvin Hull was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very…
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1939
Polish footballer and coach (died 2007)
Bernard Adolf Blaut was a Polish footballer and manager. He is most famous for his 1960s performances in both Legia Warsaw and the Poland national team.
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1940
Italian actor and director (died 2008)
Leo de Berardinis was an Italian stage actor and theatre director. He was an important exponent of the Italian avant-garde theatre.
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1940
New Zealand rugby player
Malcolm John Dick is a former New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A wing three-quarter, Dick represented Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks,…
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1941
Australian lawyer and activist (died 2006)
John Robert Marsden was an Australian solicitor and former President of the Law Society of New South Wales. He was known for his high-profile clients, his gay rights activism, and his victory in a defamation action…
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1942
1942
American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, author, and actor
Van Dyke Parks is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, and former Warner Bros. Records executive whose work encompasses orchestral pop, elaborate recording experiments, Americana iconography,…
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1943
Australian author
Josephine Blanche d'Alpuget is an Australian writer and the second wife of Bob Hawke, the longest-serving Labor Prime Minister of Australia.
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1944
English geographer and political activist (died 2016)
Doreen Barbara Massey was a British social scientist and geographer. She specialized in Marxist geography, feminist geography, and cultural geography, as well as other topics. She was Professor of Geography at the Open…
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1944
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and Manassas. As both a solo act and member of three successful bands,…
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1945
English bass player, songwriter, and producer
John Paul Jones is an English musician, multi-instrumentalist and record producer who was the bassist and keyboardist for the English rock band Led Zeppelin between 1968 and 1980. He was a session musician and arranger…
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1946
Greek footballer (died 2002)
Michalis Kritikopoulos was a Greek professional footballer who played as a striker.
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1946
English rugby player
Francis Edward Cotton is a former rugby union prop forward who played for England and the British Lions. His clubs included Coventry R.F.C. and Sale. A "fearsome" prop, he was primarily a tighthead but also played to a…
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1947
1947
Australian footballer
Ian James Nankervis is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Nankervis played for Geelong for 17 seasons and was captain from 1978 to 1981, and again…
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1948
American actress and businesswoman
Vicki Ree Principal, later known as Victoria Principal, is an American actress, producer, entrepreneur, and author, best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on the American primetime television soap opera Dallas.…
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1950
American journalist and academic
Linda Claire Steiner is a professor at Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland. She is also the editor-in-chief of the journal Journalism & Communication Monographs, and sits on the editorial board…
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1950
Serbian plane crash survivor and Guinness World Record holder (died 2016)
Vesna Vulović was a Serbian flight attendant who survived the highest fall without a parachute: 10,160 metres. She was the sole survivor of JAT Flight 367 after an explosion tore through the baggage compartment on 26…
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1950
English lawyer and judge
Dame Linda Penelope Dobbs, DBE is a retired High Court judge in England and Wales, who served from 2004 to 2013. Dobbs was the first non-white person to be appointed to the senior judiciary of England and Wales.
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1951
Australian surveyor and politician, 14th Special Minister of State (died 2024)
Gary Roy Nairn was an Australian politician.
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1951
Spanish civil servant and politician, 3rd President of the Community of Madrid
Esperanza Aguirre y Gil de Biedma, Countess of Bornos is a Spanish politician. As member of the People's Party (PP), she served as President of the Senate between 1999 and 2002, as President of the Community of Madrid…
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1952
Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Gianfranco Fini is a retired Italian politician who served as the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013 and Deputy Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006. He is the former leader of the far-right…
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1952
1952
Australian playwright and author
Justin Fleming is an Australian playwright, librettist and author. He has written for theatre, music theatre, opera, television and cinema and his works have been produced and published in Australia, the US, Canada, the…
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1953
Maldivian educator and politician, 5th President of the Maldives
Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik is a Maldivian politician who served as the fifth president of the Maldives from 7 February 2012 to 17 November 2013, having previously served as vice president from 2008 to 2012. He assumed…
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1953
English footballer and manager
Peter John Taylor is an English former footballer, who was last manager of Canvey Island. He was previously manager at Dartford, Enfield, Southend United, Dover Athletic, Leicester City, Brighton and Hove Albion, Hull…
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1953
Australian radio host and singer
Denis Clive Walter OAM, is an Australian radio presenter, baritone singer, recording artist and media personality who also presented television news for 16 years.
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1955
American-Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max…
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1956
New Zealand singer-songwriter and producer
Sir David Joseph Dobbyn is a New Zealand musician, singer–songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash. Since then…
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1957
English racing driver
Russell James Spence is a British racing driver. He now runs a construction business in London. In 2011, Spence was jailed for 13 months for his part in a fraud scam involving a chain of car washes.
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1960
American baseball player (died 2017)
Darren Arthur Daulton, nicknamed "Dutch", was an American professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins (1997). While with the Phillies,…
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1962
Scottish rugby player
Andrew Gavin Hastings, is a Scottish former rugby union player. A fullback, he is widely regarded to be one of the best ever Scottish rugby players and was one of the outstanding players of his generation, winning 61…
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1962
Scottish businessman and politician
Stewart Hosie is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Dundee East from 2005 to 2024. He served as the SNP Treasury Spokesperson from 2022 to 2023, and previously from…
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1963
Pakistani cricketer
Aamer Malik is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 14 Test matches and 24 One Day Internationals from 1987 to 1994. In 1987 he took over from Ray Berry as the professional at Hyde CC, playing in the Central…
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1963
English author and playwright (died 2025)
Alex Alphonso Wheatle MBE was a British novelist, who had been brought up in a children's care home from the age of two, his education subsequently suffering from numerous suspensions and expulsions from school. His…
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1963
American basketball player and coach
Cheryl Deann Miller is an American former basketball player. She was a sideline reporter for NBA games on TNT Sports and also works for NBA TV as a reporter and analyst, having worked previously as a sportscaster for…
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1964
Indian cricketer
Chetan Sharma is an Indian former cricket player who played Tests and ODIs as a fast bowler for Indian cricket team. Sharma was the first man to take a hat-trick in a Cricket World Cup, achieving this feat in the 1987…
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1966
American musician
James Carter is an American jazz musician widely recognized for his technical virtuosity on saxophones and a variety of woodwinds. He is the cousin of noted jazz violinist Regina Carter.
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1969
Finnish racing driver
Jarmo Lehtinen is a rally co-driver from Finland. He was the co-driver to former World Rally Championship driver Mikko Hirvonen and have scored 15 WRC wins competing under Ford World Rally Team and Citroën Total. As of…
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1969
German racing driver
Michael Schumacher is a German former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1991 to 2006 and from 2010 to 2012. Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by…
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1969
Italian luger and bobsledder
Gerda Weissensteiner OMRI is an Italian luger and bobsleigh pilot who competed from the late 1980s to 2006. Competing in six Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles luge event at the 1994 Winter…
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1969
English actress
Sarah Smith, known professionally as Sarah Alexander, is an English actress. She has appeared in British series including Armstrong and Miller, Smack the Pony, Coupling, The Worst Week of My Life, Green Wing, Marley's…
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1971
Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Cory Cross is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
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1971
American television writer, producer, animator, and actor
Daniel James Harmon is an American television writer, producer, animator, and actor. He is best known as the creator and producer of the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015), creator and host of the comedy podcast…
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1973
1974
Italian cyclist
Alessandro Petacchi is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2015. A specialist sprinter, Petacchi has won 48 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in…
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1974
Canadian ice hockey player
Todd Eaton Warriner is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Over the course of his career, Warriner played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia…
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1974
French DJ, musician, and producer
Thomas Bangalter is a French musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the former French house music duo Daft Punk, alongside Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. He has recorded and released music as a…
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1975
American actor
Jason Christopher Marsden is an American actor, who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series and video games. He is best known for his voice roles as the voice of the Disney…
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1975
American actress and mathematician
Danica McKellar (born January 3, 1975) is an American actress, mathematics writer, and education advocate. She is best known for playing Winnie Cooper in the television series The Wonder Years. She has appeared in…
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1975
Greek footballer
Angelos Basinas is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He could also operate as a central midfielder and a centre back. He is best remembered for his key role in the Greece…
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1976
American actor and producer
Nicholas Edward Gonzalez is an American actor. He is best known for portraying the roles of Alex Santiago on the Showtime television series Resurrection Blvd., Dr. Ben Douglas in Anacondas (2004) and Dr. Neil Melendez…
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1976
English footballer and coach
Lee David Bowyer is an English football manager and former professional player.
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1977
American baseball player
Allan James Burnett, is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and…
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1977
Greek basketball player
Dimitra Kalentzou is a retired Greek professional basketball player. She played for Panathinaikos and Greece women's national basketball team. She has represented national team in several Eurobasket Women and in 2010…
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1978
American singer, songwriter, and television personality
Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk show Dr.…
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1978
1978
American actress, singer, and dancer
Kate Levering is an American actress and dancer. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the 2001 musical 42nd Street. She is best known for her role as Kim Kaswell in the Lifetime comedy-drama series Drop…
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1979
American decathlete
Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay is an American decathlete who was the 2008 Summer Olympic champion for the decathlon and was also World champion in 2005.
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1980
1980
American actor, director, singer and songwriter
Telly Leung is an American actor, singer and songwriter. He is known for his work in musical theatre on Broadway and for his role as Wes, a member of the Dalton Academy Warblers on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee. In…
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1980
American ice hockey player
Angela Marie Ruggiero is an American former ice hockey defenseman, gold medalist, and four-time Olympian. She was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2010 to 2018 and served as a member of the Executive…
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1980
American football player
David Mikel Tyree is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football for the…
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1980
1980
American sprinter
Mary Wineberg is an American track and field athlete from Cincinnati, Ohio. She was born in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from Walnut Hills High School, she attended the University of Cincinnati on a track…
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1980
American football player
Elisha Nelson Manning is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest…
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1981
English footballer
Peter Michael Clarke is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Northern Premier League Premier Division club Prescot Cables. He has made in excess of 1,000 career appearances.
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1982
South Korean singer and actress
Park Ji-yoon is a South Korean singer, actress, and model. As a teen model, she gained wide exposure after starring in a Haitai biscuit commercial in 1994, and held a minor role in the television drama Dinosaur Teacher…
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1982
Swedish footballer
Lars Thomas "Lasse" Nilsson is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a forward. Best remembered for his time with IF Elfsborg, he also represented clubs in the Netherlands, France, and Denmark. He won…
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1982
Irish actress
Katie McGrath is an Irish actress. On television, she has portrayed Morgana Pendragon in BBC One's Merlin (2008–2012), Lucy Westenra on the British-American series Dracula (2013–2014), Saskia in the TV series Secret…
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1983
English-Irish footballer
Billy Mehmet is a professional footballer who plays as a striker and currently captains Alsancak Yeşilova SK in the KTFF Süper Lig. Born in England, Mehmet represented the England national football team at schoolboy…
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1984
American actress
Nicole Beharie is an American actress. She is best known for her starring roles in films such as the drama American Violet (2008), the psychological drama Shame (2011), the biographical sports drama 42 (2013), and the…
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1985
Lithuanian basketball player
Linas Kleiza is a Lithuanian professional basketball executive and former player. Standing at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), he played at the small forward and power forward positions. In 2010, he was the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague…
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1985
American football player
Evan James Moore is an American football analyst and former player. He played professionally as a tight end in the National Football League (NFL).
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1985
American basketball player and coach
Noelle Quinn is an American basketball coach for Breeze of Unrivaled and a former player. She was the head coach for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Quinn played in the WNBA for…
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1985
Iraqi sprinter
Dana Hussain Abdul-Razak Al-Khafaji also known as Danah Hussein is a sprinter on Iraq's national track and field team, coached by Yousif Abdul-Rahman.
Due to the International Olympic Committee ban on Iraq competing at…
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1986
1986
Indonesian footballer
Gregory Junior Nwokolo is a former footballer who played as a forward. Born in the Nigeria, he represents the Indonesia national team.
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1986
Montenegrin basketball player and executive
Nikola Peković is a Montenegrin businessman, basketball executive and former professional player who is the current president of the Basketball Federation of Montenegro. He began his playing career in Europe before…
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1986
American-Bulgarian basketball player
Cedric Simmons is an American-born Bulgarian professional basketball player for SeaHorses Mikawa in the Japanese B.League. He was born in the United States, but also holds Bulgarian citizenship, and has played for the…
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1986
Russian pole vaulter
Dmitry Andreevich Starodubtsev ; born 3 January 1986 in Chelyabinsk) is a Russian pole vaulter. He has a personal best of 5.90 m and was a finalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2011 World Championships in Athletics…
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1986
1987
Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender
Reto Berra is a Swiss professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL). Berra played seven seasons in Switzerland's National League A, spending time with the GCK…
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1987
South Korean actress and singer
Kim Ok-vin, also known as Kim Ok-bin, is a South Korean actress. She made her debut in an online beauty contest in 2004, and began her acting career with a role in the 2005 film Voice. She appeared in the television…
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1987
Scottish-Nigerian footballer
Ikechi Anya is a Scottish former professional footballer. A versatile player, Anya was fielded in a number of positions, including winger, wing-back and full-back.
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1988
American YouTuber
Jirard Khalil is an American YouTuber, internet personality and reviewer known online as The Completionist, the titular character of a web series Khalil created in 2012, in which he previously referred to by his…
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1988
Northern Irish footballer
Jonathan Grant Evans is a Northern Irish professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He is currently first-team coach at Premier League club Manchester United.
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1988
Canadian ice hockey player
Matthew Frattin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He began his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the organization that drafted him 99th overall in 2007. Frattin also played in the NHL for…
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1988
Spanish footballer
Jordi Masip López is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
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1989
1989
Japanese artistic gymnast
Kōhei Uchimura is a Japanese retired artistic gymnast. He is a seven-time Olympic medalist, winning three golds and four silvers, and a 21-time World medalist.
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1989
Japanese footballer
Yoichiro Kakitani is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward or an attacking midfielder.
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1990
1991
Canadian ice hockey player
Ryan James Ellis is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ellis was drafted eleventh overall by the Nashville…
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1991
French footballer
Sébastien Faure is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for Championnat National 3 club Limonest.
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1991
Australian rugby league player
Dane Gagai is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League, the Queensland Maroons in the State of Origin series and the Māori All Stars.
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1991
1991
American basketball player (died 2024)
Darius Aaron Morris was an American professional basketball player. Morris was selected as the 41st pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers and played the point guard position. He also played for the…
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1991
Finnish ice hockey player
Joonas Aleksanteri Nättinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is an unrestricted free agent. He was selected in the third round, 65th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
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1991
American basketball player
Douglas Richard McDermott is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While playing college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, McDermott led…
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1992
New Zealand-Tongan rugby league player
Sio Siua Taukeiaho is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop or loose forward for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL. He plays for Tonga and played for New Zealand at international level.
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1992
Brazilian sprint canoeist
Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos, also known as Isaquias Guimarães Queiroz, is a Brazilian sprint canoeist who has competed since 2005. He is the first Brazilian athlete to ever win three medals in a single edition of the…
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1994
American-Jordanian basketball player
Rondae Jaquan Hollis-Jefferson is an American-born naturalized Jordanian professional basketball player who last played for the Meralco Bolts of the East Asia Super League (EASL). After playing college basketball for…
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1995
1995
English mixed martial artist
Patrick Mark Pimblett is an English professional mixed martial artist. A professional since 2012, Pimblett is a former Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the…
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1995
South Korean singer and actress
Kim Seol-hyun, better known by her mononym Seolhyun, is a South Korean actress and singer. She is a former member of the South Korean girl group AOA and she has starred in television dramas Orange Marmalade (2015), My…
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1995
Dutch footballer
Tonny Emílio Trindade de Vilhena is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Super League Greece club Panathinaikos. He has represented the Netherlands national team.
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1995
1996
English actress
Florence Pugh is an English actress. Her accolades include a British Independent Film Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards.
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1996
French-Senegalese footballer
Fodé Ballo-Touré is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ligue 1 side Metz. Born in France, he plays for the Senegal national team.
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1997
French-Ivorian footballer
Jérémie Boga is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Italian Serie A club Juventus, on loan from Nice. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team.
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1997
British Virgin Islands hurdler
Kyron Anthony McMaster is an athlete from the British Virgin Islands specialising in the 400 metres hurdles.
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1997
Italian footballer
Patrick Cutrone is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie B club Monza, on loan from Como.
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1998
1998
Luxembourgish footballer
Leandro Barreiro Martins is a Luxembourgish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Benfica and the Luxembourg national team.
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2000
Portuguese footballer
João Mário Neto Lopes, known as João Mário, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a right-back or winger for Serie A club Bologna, on loan from Juventus, and the Portugal national team.
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2000
Israeli-Serbian basketball player
Deni Avdija is an Israeli professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the small forward position, and is nicknamed "Turbo" for his fast-paced…
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2001
Spanish footballer
Nicolás González Iglesias, sometimes known mononymously as Nico, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City.
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2002
American conservative personality
Kyle Howard Rittenhouse is an American man who gained national attention at age 17 for shooting three men in Kenosha, Wisconsin, two fatally, amid protests and riots in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in…
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2003
Swedish environmental activist
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is a Swedish activist known for pressuring governments to address climate change and social issues. She gained global attention in 2018, at age 15, after starting a solo school…
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2003
French footballer
Alan Virginius is a French professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Swiss Super League club Young Boys.
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2003
Cameroonian footballer
Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a central or defensive midfielder for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Cameroon national team.
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2004
English footballer
Tobias Christopher Collyer is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Hull City on loan from Premier League club Manchester United.
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2004
Senegalese footballer
Mouhamadou Habib Diarra is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Sunderland and the Senegal national team.
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2004
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Famous birthdays
Who was born on January 3?
Charles Pelham Villiers — British lawyer and politician (1802–1898)
FeaturedCharles Pelham Villiers
Birth year1802
Known forHe sat in the House of Commons for 63 years, from 1835 to 1898, making him the longest-serving Member of Parliament (MP)
Birthdays on this date216 (106 BC – 2004)
Explore January 3
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Also on January 3 in History
2026
The United States conducts airstrikes across northern Venezuela, including the capital Caracas and captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores. Wikipedia →
2024
At least 91 people are killed in bombings in Kerman, Iran, during a ceremony commemorating the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani four years earlier. Wikipedia →
2023
See all events on January 3
Singapore's Jurong Bird Park permanently closes. Wikipedia →
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