December 5 - Births

Births

1377 – Jianwen, Emperor of China (d. 1402)
1443 – Pope Julius II (d. 1513)
1495 – Nicolas Cleynaerts, Flemish grammarian (d. 1542)
1537 – Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Japanese shogun (d. 1597)
1539 – Fausto Paolo Sozzini, Italian theologian (d. 1604)
1547 – Ubbo Emmius, Dutch historian and geographer (d. 1625)
1595 – Henry Lawes, English composer (d. 1662)
1661 – Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, English statesman (d. 1724)
1666 – Francesco Scarlatti, Italian composer and musician (d. c. 1741)
1687 – Francesco Geminiani, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1762)
1697 – Giuseppe de Majo, Italian composer and organist (d. 1771)
1782 – Martin Van Buren, President of the United States (d. 1862)
1803 – Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev, Russian poet (d. 1873)
1820 – Afanasy Fet, Russian poet (d. 1892)
1822 – Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, American college president (d. 1907)
1829 – Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, Canadian politician (d. 1908)
1830 – Christina Rossetti, English poet (d. 1894)
1839 – George Armstrong Custer, American general (d. 1876)
1841 – Marcus Daly, American mining tycoon (d. 1900)
1855 – Clinton Hart Merriam, American ornithologist (d. 1942)
1859 – John Jellicoe, English admiral (d. 1935)
1863 – Paul Painlevé, Prime Minister of France (d. 1933)
1867 – Józef Piłsudski, Polish revolutionary and statesman (d. 1935)
1867 – Antti Aarne, Finnish folklorist (d. 1925)
1868 – Arnold Sommerfeld, German physicist (d. 1951)
1869 – Ellis Parker Butler, American author (d. 1937)
1870 – Vítězslav Novák, Czech composer (d. 1949)
1871 – Bill Pickett, American rodeo performer (d. 1932)
1872 – Harry Nelson Pillsbury, American chess player (d. 1906)
1875 – Sir Arthur Currie, Canadian soldier (d. 1933)
1879 – Clyde Cessna, American airplane manufacturer (d. 1954)
1881 – René Cresté, French actor (d. 1922)
1886 – Pieter Oud, Dutch politician (d. 1968)
1886 – Rose Wilder Lane, American writer and reporter (d. 1968)
1890 – David Bomberg, English painter (d. 1957)
1890 – Fritz Lang, Austrian-born film director (d. 1976)
1892 – Ferdinand Schörner, German field marshal (d. 1973)
1894 – Charles Robberts Swart, South African politician (d. 1982)
1895 – Elbert Frank Cox, American mathematician (d. 1969)
1896 – Carl Ferdinand Cori, Austrian-born biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1984)
1897 – Nunnally Johnson, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1977)
1897 – Gershom Scholem, German-born Israeli philosopher and historian (d. 1982)
1898 – Josh Malihabadi, Indian poet(d. 1982)
1898 – Grace Moore, American soprano (d. 1947)
1899 – Aleck "Rice" Miller, American musician (d. 1965)
1901 – Walt Disney, American animated film producer (d. 1966)
1901 – Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist (d. 1980)
1901 – Werner Heisenberg, German physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1976)
1902 – Emeric Pressburger, English screenwriter, director and producer (d. 1988)
1902 – Strom Thurmond, American politician (d. 2003)
1903 – Johannes Heesters, Dutch singer and actor (d. 2011)
1903 – Cecil Frank Powell, English physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1969)
1905 – Gus Mancuso, American baseball player (d. 1984)
1906 – Otto Preminger, Austrian-born film director, producer, and actor (d. 1986)
1907 – Giuseppe Occhialini, Italian physicist (d. 1993)
1907 – Lin Biao, Chinese Communist military leader (d. 1971)
1909 – Musashiyama Takeshi, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1969)
1910 – Abraham Polonsky, American screenwriter (d. 1999)
1911 – Władysław Szpilman, Polish pianist (d. 2000)
1914 – Hans Hellmut Kirst, German author (d. 1989)
1916 – Hilary Koprowski, Polish virologist and immunologist
1917 – Ken Downing, English racing driver (d. 2004)
1917 – Wenche Foss, Norwegian actress (d. 2011)
1921 – Alvy Moore, American actor (d. 1997)
1925 – Anastasio Somoza Debayle, President of Nicaragua (d. 1980)
1927 – Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand
1931 – Ladislav Novák, Czech footballer (d. 2011)
1932 – Sheldon Lee Glashow, American physicist, Nobel laureate
1932 – Little Richard, American singer and pianist
1932 – Jim Hurtubise, American racecar driver (d. 1989)
1934 – Joan Didion, American writer
1934 – Nikos Kourkoulos, Greek actor, theater director (d. 2007)
1935 – Calvin Trillin, American writer
1935 – Yury Vlasov, Soviet weightlifter
1936 – James Lee Burke, American writer
1938 – J. J. Cale, American songwriter
1938 – J.D. McDuffie, American racecar driver (d. 1991)
1939 – Minita Chico-Nazario, Filipino jurist
1940 – Boris Ignatyev, Russian footballer and manager
1940 – Peter Pohl, Swedish writer
1940 – Adrian Street, Welsh wrestler
1940 – Frank Wilson, American songwriter and producer (d. 2012)
1943 – Eva Joly, Norwegian-French magistrate
1944 – Jeroen Krabbé, Dutch actor
1944 – Loukas Sideras, Greek drummer (Aphrodite's Child)
1945 – Serge Chapleau, Canadian caricaturist
1945 – Moshe Katsav, President of Israel
1946 – José Carreras, Spanish tenor
1946 – Sarel van der Merwe, South African rally driver
1947 – Bruce Golding, Jamaican politician
1947 – Tony Gregory, Irish politician
1947 – Jim Messina, American musician (Buffalo Springfield, Loggins and Messina)
1947 – Jim Plunkett, American football player
1949 – John Altman, British film composer
1949 – Ray Comfort, New Zealand evangelist
1949 – Abdullah Senussi, Sudanese-Libyan military officer
1950 – Camarón de la Isla, Spanish singer (d. 1992)
1950 – Osvaldo Golijov, Argentine-born composer
1950 – James Knaggs, American-born Salvationist
1951 – Morgan Brittany, American actress
1951 – Anne-Mie van Kerckhoven, Belgian artist
1952 – Andy Kim, Canadian singer, songwriter
1953 – Larry Zbyszko, American wrestler
1953 – Gwen Lister, Namibian journalist
1954 – Hanif Kureishi, English author and playwright
1954 – Gary Roenicke, American baseball player
1956 – Klaus Allofs, German footballer
1956 – Brian Backer, American actor
1956 – Krystian Zimerman, Polish pianist
1957 – Raquel Argandoña, Chilean TV presenter
1957 – Art Monk, American football player
1958 – Dean Erickson, American actor
1958 – Dynamite Kid, English wrestler
1959 – Lee Chapman, English footballer
1960 – Jack Russell, American singer (Great White)
1960 – Frans Adelaar, Dutch football player and manager
1961 – Ralf Dujmovits, German mountaineer
1961 – Sophia Vossou, Greek singer
1962 – José Cura, Argentine tenor
1962 – Pablo Morales, American swimmer
1962 – Nivek Ogre, Canadian vocalist, (Skinny Puppy)
1962 – Fred Rutten, Dutch footballer and manager
1963 – Doctor Dre, American radio personality
1963 – Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards, English ski jumper
1963 – Carrie Hamilton, American actress (d. 2002)
1965 – Johnny Rzeznik, American musician and songwriter (Goo Goo Dolls)
1965 – Wayne Smith, Jamaican musician
1966 – Patricia Kaas, French singer
1966 – Lee Seung-Chul, South Korean singer
1967 – Gary Allan, American musician
1967 – Konstantin-Assen, Prince of Vidin, Bulgarian prince
1968 – Margaret Cho, American comedian and actress
1968 – Lisa Marie, American model and actress
1968 – Lydia Millet, American writer
1969 – Morgan J. Freeman, American director
1969 – Lewis Gordon Pugh, English swimmer, explorer and motivational speaker
1969 – Alex Kapp Horner, American actress
1969 – Eric Etebari, American actor, model and musician.
1969 – Ramón Ramírez, Mexican footballer
1970 – Kevin Haller, Canadian ice hockey player
1971 – Kali Rocha, American actress
1971 – Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, German politician
1971 – Kavus Torabi, Iranian-born English guitarist
1972 – Cliff Floyd, American baseball player
1972 – Mike Mahoney, American baseball player
1972 – Angela Shelton, American actress and writer
1973 – Arik Benado, Israeli footballer
1973 – Shalom Harlow, Canadian model and actress
1973 – Mikelangelo Loconte, Italian singer
1973 – Luboš Motl, Czech physicist
1973 – Danielle Winits, Brazilian actress
1974 – Charlie Batch, American football player
1975 – Ronnie O'Sullivan, English snooker player
1975 – Paula Patton, American actress
1976 – Amy Acker, American actress
1976 – Xavier Garbajosa, French rugby player
1976 – Rachel Komisarz, American swimmer
1977 – Peter van der Vlag, Dutch footballer
1978 – Pachrapa Chaichua, Thai actress
1978 – Olli Jokinen, Finnish ice hockey player
1978 – Marcelo Zalayeta, Uruguayan footballer
1979 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
1979 – Niklas Hagman, Finnish ice hockey player
1979 – Evonne Hsu, Taiwanese singer
1979 – Gareth McAuley, Irish footballer
1979 – Nick Stahl, American actor
1980 – Tamara Feldman, American actress
1980 – Shizuka Ito, Japanese voice actress
1980 – Ibrahim Maalouf, Lebanese-French trumpeter
1981 – Leila Tong, Hong Kong actress
1982 – Eddy Curry, American basketball player
1982 – Trai Essex, American football player
1982 – Keri Hilson, American singer
1983 – Cooper Cronk, Australian rugby player
1983 – Tiffany Weimer, American soccer player
1983 – JP White, Swedish bassist (Vains Of Jenna)
1984 – Chris Solinsky, American runner
1985 – Frankie Muniz, American actor
1985 – Josh Smith, American basketball player
1985 – Nico Verdonck, Belgian racing driver
1987 – Tommy Fraser, English footballer
1988 – Miralem Sulejmani, Serbian footballer
1989 – Gregory Tyree Boyce, American actor
1989 – Yuri, South Korean singer (Girls' Generation)
1991 – Jacopo Sala, Italian footballer
1991 – Carolin Schäfer, German athlete