December 17 - Births

Births

• 1239 – Kujo Yoritsugu, Japanese Shogun (d. 1256)
• 1267 – Emperor Go-Uda of Japan (d. 1324)
• 1619 – Prince Rupert of the Rhine, commander in the English Civil War (d. 1682)
• 1632 – Anthony Wood, English antiquarian (d. 1695)
• 1685 – Thomas Tickell, English writer (d. 1740)
• 1706 – Émilie du Châtelet, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1749)
• 1734 – Maria I of Portugal, Portuguese queen (d. 1816)
• 1749 – Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer (d. 1801)
• 1778 – Sir Humphry Davy, English chemist and physicist (d. 1829)
• 1796 – Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Canadian novelist (d. 1865)
• 1797 – Joseph Henry, American physicist (d. 1878).
• 1807 – John Greenleaf Whittier, American poet and abolitionist (d. 1892)
• 1830 – Jules de Goncourt, French publisher (d. 1870)
• 1835 – Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, American scientist; son of Louis Agassiz (d. 1910)
• 1842 – Sophus Lie, Norwegian mathematician; (d. 1899)
• 1847 – Émile Faguet, French writer and critic (d. 1916)
• 1853 – Émile Roux, French physician (d. 1933)
• 1859 – Paul César Helleu, French artist (d. 1927)
• 1873 – Ford Madox Ford, English writer (d. 1939)
• 1874 – William Lyon Mackenzie King, 10th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1950)
• 1881 – Aubrey Faulkner, South African cricketer (d. 1930)
• 1883 – Raimu, French actor (d. 1946)
• 1887 – Josef Lada, Czech painter (d. 1957)
• 1887 – Hermine Reuss, Empress of Germany and Duchess of Bohemia (d. 1947)
• 1892 – Sam Barry, American basketball coach (d. 1950)
• 1893 – Erwin Piscator, German film director (d. 1966)
• 1894 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (d. 1979)
• 1895 – Nils Asheim, Norwegian politician (d. 1966)
• 1900 – Mary Cartwright, English mathematician (d. 1998)
• 1900 – Katina Paxinou, Greek actress (d. 1973)
• 1903 – Erskine Caldwell, American author (d. 1987)
• 1903 – Ray Noble, English bandleader and actor (d. 1978)
• 1904 – Paul Cadmus, American artist (d. 1999)
• 1905 – Simo Häyhä, Finnish sniper (d. 2002)
• 1905 – Érico Lopes Veríssimo, Brazilian writer (d. 1975)
• 1906 – Fernando Lopes-Graça, Portuguese composer and musicologist (d. 1994)
• 1906 – Russell C. Newhouse, Inventor (d. 1998)
• 1908 – Willard Frank Libby, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1980)
• 1910 – Sy Oliver, American jazz arranger and bandleader (d. 1988)
• 1912 – Edward Short, British politician
• 1914 – Raymond Fernandez, American convicted murderer (d. 1951)
• 1915 – André Claveau, French singer (d. 2003)
• 1916 – Penelope Fitzgerald, English writer (d. 2000)
• 1920 – Kenneth E. Iverson, Canadian computer scientist (d. 2004)
• 1921 – Lore Berger, Swiss writer (d. 1943)
• 1922 – Alan Voorhees, American engineer and urban planner (d. 2005)
• 1923 – Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian (d. 2006)
• 1926 – Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (d. 1985)
• 1927 – Richard Long, American actor (d. 1974)
• 1929 – Jacqueline Hill, English actress (d. 1993)
• 1929 – William Safire, American columnist (d. 2009)
• 1930 – Bob Guccione, American magazine publisher (d. 2010)
• 1930 – Armin Mueller-Stahl, German actor
• 1931 – Dave Madden, Canadian-born American actor
• 1931 – James McGaugh, American professor and neurobiologist
• 1934 – Ray Wilson, English footballer
• 1935 – George Lindsey, American actor
• 1935 – Cal Ripken, Sr., American baseball coach (d. 1999)
• 1936 – Tommy Steele, English singer and actor
• 1936 – Jorge Bergoglio, Argentine cardinal
• 1937 – Kerry Packer, Australian businessman (d. 2005)
• 1937 – John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (d. 1969)
• 1937 – Calvin Waller, American Army general (d. 1996)
• 1937 – Art Neville, American musician (The Neville Brothers)
• 1938 – Carlo Little, English drummer (d. 2005)
• 1938 – Peter Snell, New Zealand runner
• 1939 – Eddie Kendricks, American singer (The Temptations) (d. 1992)
• 1940 – Kåre Valebrokk, Norwegian journalist
• 1942 – Paul Butterfield, American musician (d. 1987)
• 1943 – Mary Brunner, American former "Manson Family" member
• 1943 – Ron Geesin, Scottish musician and composer
• 1944 – Jack L. Chalker, American novelist (d. 2005)
• 1944 – Bernard Hill, English actor
• 1945 – Ernie Hudson, American actor
• 1945 – Chris Matthews, American journalist
• 1945 – Jacqueline Wilson, English author
• 1946 – Eugene Levy, Canadian actor
• 1947 – Wes Studi, American actor
• 1949 – Sotiris Kaiafas, Cypriot footballer
• 1949 – Paul Rodgers, English singer (Free; Bad Company)
• 1950 – Laurence F. Johnson, American educator
• 1951 – Ken Hitchcock, Canadian ice hockey coach
• 1951 – Tatyana Kazankina, Soviet athlete
• 1953 – Samuel Hadida, film distributor
• 1953 – Barry Livingston, American actor
• 1953 – Bill Pullman, American actor
• 1953 – Sally Menke, American Film Editor (d. 2010)
• 1955 – Brad Davis, American basketball player
• 1956 – Peter Farrelly, American film director
• 1957 – Earl Hudson, American drummer (Bad Brains)
• 1958 – Mike Mills, American musician (R.E.M.)
• 1959 – Albert King, American basketball player
• 1960 – Moreno Argentin, Italian cyclist
• 1961 – Sara Dallin, English singer (Bananarama)
• 1962 – Paul Dobson, English footballer
• 1962 – Richard Jewell, American security guard and accused bomber (d. 2007)
• 1962 – Rocco Mediate, American golfer
• 1964 – Ginger, English singer and guitarist (The Wildhearts)
• 1964 – Frank Musil, Czech ice hockey player
• 1964 – Michele Tafoya, American sportcaster
• 1964 – Joe Wolf, American basketball player
• 1965 – Craig Berube, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1966 – Tracy Byrd, American musician
• 1966 – Valeri Liukin, Soviet gymnast
• 1966 – Kristiina Ojuland, Estonian politician
• 1967 – Gigi D'Agostino, Italian DJ and musician
• 1967 – Vincent Damphousse, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1968 – Andrey Golovatiuk, Russian politician
• 1968 – Paul Tracy, Canadian race car driver
• 1969 – Chuck Liddell, American mixed martial artist
• 1969 – Chris Mason, English darts player
• 1969 – Mick Quinn, English Musician (Supergrass)
• 1969 – Michael V., Filipino comedian and actor
• 1970 – Sean Patrick Thomas, American actor
• 1971 – Sinan Akkuş, Turkish-German actor
• 1971 – Alan Khan, South African radio & TV presenter
• 1971 – Antoine Rigaudeau, French basketball player
• 1972 – John Abraham, Indian actor
• 1972 – Laurie Holden, American actress
• 1973 – Konstadinos Gatsioudis, Greek javelin thrower
• 1973 – Rian Johnson, American writer and director
• 1973 – Paula Radcliffe, English runner
• 1973 – Nikki Stanzione, American television presenter
• 1974 – Duff Goldman, American chef
• 1974 – Sarah Paulson, American actress
• 1974 – Ian Petrella, American actor
• 1974 – Giovanni Ribisi and Marissa Ribisi, American actor and actress
• 1975 – Nick Dinsmore (Eugene), American professional wrestler
• 1975 – Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-born actress
• 1975 – Bree Sharp, American singer/songwriter
• 1975 – Mayuko Aoki, Japanese voice actress
• 1976 – Éric Bédard, Canadian speed skater
• 1976 – Zsanett Égerházi, Hungarian-born porn actress
• 1976 – Nir Davidovich, Israeli footballer
• 1976 – Patrick Müller, Swiss footballer
• 1976 – Takeo Spikes, American football player
• 1977 – Arnaud Clément, French tennis player
• 1977 – Samuel Pahlsson, Swedish hockey player
• 1977 – Oxana Fedorova (Оксана Федорова), Miss Universe 2002
• 1978 – Alex Cintrón, Puerto Rican baseball player
• 1978 – Riteish Deshmukh, Indian actor
• 1978 – Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and politician
• 1978 – Neil Sanderson, Canadian drummer (Three Days Grace)
• 1978 – Chase Utley, American baseball player
• 1979 – Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and porn star
• 1979 – Ryan Key, American musician and songwriter (Yellowcard)
• 1979 – Matt Murley, American ice hockey player
• 1980 – Ryan Hunter-Reay, American race car driver
• 1980 – Alexandra Papageorgiou, Greek hammer thrower
• 1980 – Eli Pariser, American political blogger and activist
• 1980 – Stella Ng, Singaporean singer & actress
• 1981 – Jerry Hsu, American pro skater
• 1981 – Rena Takeshita, Japanese fashion model
• 1982 – Josh Barfield, American baseball player
• 1982 – Lorenzo Cittadini, Italian rugby player
• 1982 – Craig Kielburger, Canadian anti-child-labor activist
• 1982 – Stephane Lasme, Gabonese basketball player
• 1982 – Ryan Moats, football player
• 1983 – Erik Christensen, Canadian hockey player
• 1983 – Kosuke Saito, Japanese DJ
• 1984 – Luis Maria Alfageme, Argentine footballer
• 1984 – Andrew Davies, English footballer
• 1985 – Ryuichi Ogata, Japanese singer (w-inds.)
• 1986 – Vanessa Zima, American actress
• 1990 – Ashley Edner, American actress
• 2007 – James, Viscount Severn, British royal