Monday, 22nd December 2025 in Lisbon

22nd December in the Stars – Star Sign Capricorn

Today, the zodiac sign Capricorn celebrates its birthday.

Personality Profile

Personality Those born on December 22nd blend classic Capricorn discipline with mercurial wit and intellect. They appear thoughtful and purposeful, moving methodically through life while communicating with reflection. This combination makes them reliable advisors with genuine intellectual depth.

Strengths & Weaknesses Strengths include strategic thinking, persistence, and articulate communication. They execute long-term plans skillfully. Weaknesses: tendency toward overanalysis, occasionally rigid thinking patterns, and emotional distance when overemphasizing control and security.

Love In relationships, they offer loyalty but measured affection. Partners must respect their gradual emotional opening. Intellectual connection matters as much as physical attraction—deep conversation builds emotional intimacy and trust.

Caree & Finance These individuals thrive in analytical, responsible roles: science, law, finance, management. Their methodical approach and reliability fuel steady career advancement. Financial security is paramount; they save deliberately and invest wisely.

Health Their constitution is generally sturdy, though stress manifests psychosomatically. Regular movement, mental breaks, and acknowledging emotional limits prove valuable. Nervous tension requires conscious relaxation practices—meditation suits their analytical nature well.

That night, the moon was in its full moon phase.

Chinese year of the Snake (Wood).

Fun Facts About 22nd December

Name Days in Your Language: Asta, Astrid, Trista, Tristan, Tristen, Tristin, Triston

Someone born on this day would be just 184 days old today — roughly 4,432 hours, 265,922 minutes, or 15,955,374 seconds spent on Earth so far.

It's the 356. day of the year. In 2025, 22nd December falls on a Monday.

There are 9 days still to come.

We’re currently in Week 52 — the year marches on.

Famous Birthdays on 22nd December

On this day, 221 notable people were born on 22nd December — spanning from 244 to 2006. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.

22/12/2006

Callan McKenna, Scottish footballer

Callan Thomas McKenna is a Scottish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Bournemouth. He is a Scotland youth international.

22/12/2003

Joe Anders, American-British actor

Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes, known professionally as Joe Anders, is an American-British actor, screenwriter and composer. He is the son of actress Kate Winslet and film director Sam Mendes, and the younger half-brother of actress Mia Threapleton. He began his career with a small part in the war drama 1917 (2019), the Channel 4 film I Am Ruth (2022) and the biographical war drama Lee (2023) before starring in the musical coming-of-age romantic comedy Bonus Track (2023). He also wrote the screenplay for the film Goodbye June (2025), his mother's directorial debut.

22/12/2002

David Datro Fofana, Ivorian footballer

David Datro Fofana is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Chelsea.

22/12/2001

Camila Osorio, Colombian tennis player

María Camila Osorio Serrano is a Colombian professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of No. 33 by the WTA, achieved on 4 April 2022, and a best doubles ranking of No. 162, achieved on 8 September 2025. She is currently the No. 1 singles player from Colombia.

Jack Draper, British tennis player

Jack Alexander Draper is a British professional tennis player. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 4, achieved on 9 June 2025. He is currently the No. 6 singles player from Great Britain.

22/12/2000

Joshua Bassett, American actor and singer

Joshua Taylor Bassett is an American actor and singer. He began his career as a teen actor, appearing on the third season of Disney Channel family sitcom Stuck in the Middle (2018) as Aidan Peters. Bassett rose to prominence for his leading role as high school student Ricky Bowen in the Disney+ streaming series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–2023), and for its accompanying soundtracks, for which he was nominated for two Children's and Family Emmy Awards, winning in 2023. He also starred in Better Nate Than Ever and led the voice cast in Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again. In music, Bassett was signed to Warner Records in 2020 and subsequently released four extended plays. His debut album The Golden Years was released on July 26, 2024.

22/12/1998

G Hannelius, American actress and singer

Genevieve Knight Hannelius is an American actress and singer who made her acting debut starring as Courtney Patterson on the ABC series Surviving Suburbia (2009). She had recurring roles on the Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance (2009–2010) and Good Luck Charlie (2010–2011), and soon received recognition for her role as Avery Jennings in the Disney Channel sitcom Dog with a Blog (2012–2015). She has also voiced Rosebud in the Air Buddies film series (2011–2013), for which she won a Young Artist Award in 2012 and starred as Christa Carlyle in the crime series American Vandal (2017).

Latto, American rapper and singer

Alyssa Michelle Stephens, known professionally as Latto, is an American rapper and singer from Atlanta, Georgia. She first appeared on Jermaine Dupri's reality television series The Rap Game in 2016, where she was known as Miss Mulatto and won the show's first season, but rejected its award of a recording contract with Dupri's So So Def Recordings.

Casper Ruud, Norwegian tennis player

Casper Ruud is a Norwegian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 2 in men's singles by the ATP, achieved in September 2022, making him the highest-ranked Norwegian in history. Ruud has won 14 ATP Tour singles titles, including a Masters 1000 event at the 2025 Madrid Open, and finished runner-up at three singles majors and at the 2022 ATP Finals.

22/12/1994

Rúben Lameiras, Portuguese footballer

Rúben Barcelos de Sousa Lameiras is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Al-Markhiya as a winger or attacking midfielder.

22/12/1993

Sergi Darder, Spanish footballer

Sergi Darder Moll is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club Mallorca.

Raphaël Guerreiro, Portuguese footballer

Raphaël Adelino José Guerreiro is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back and midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.

Meghan Trainor, American singer-songwriter and producer

Meghan Elizabeth Trainor is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold 11 million copies worldwide. Trainor has released seven studio albums with the label and has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, four ASCAP Pop Music Awards, and two Billboard Music Awards.

22/12/1992

Michaela Hončová, Slovak tennis player

Michaela Hončová is an inactive Slovak tennis player.

Nick Johnson, American basketball player

Nicholas Alexander Johnson is an American professional basketball player for Saint-Quentin of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, with whom he was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year. He was then drafted 42nd overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2014 NBA draft, and played for them in the 2014–15 season.

Moonbyul, South Korean rapper, vocalist and songwriter

Moon Byul-yi, known professionally as Moonbyul, is a South Korean rapper, singer and songwriter under RBW Entertainment. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Mamamoo and its sub-unit Mamamoo+.

22/12/1991

DaBaby, American rapper

Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, known professionally as DaBaby, is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he signed with Interscope Records in January 2019. His debut studio album, Baby on Baby (2019), spawned the single "Suge", which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 a month after its release.

22/12/1990

Jean-Baptiste Maunier, French actor and singer

Jean-Baptiste Maunier is a French actor and singer. He is best known for his role in the 2004 French film Les Choristes.

22/12/1989

Jordin Sparks, American singer-songwriter and actress

Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of American Idol at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her 2007 self-titled debut studio album was met with critical and commercial success; it peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200, received platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold over two million copies worldwide. The album was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "Tattoo" and "No Air" —the latter received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and remains the third highest-selling song by an American Idol contestant—with three million digital copies sold in the United States.

Jacob Stallings, American baseball player

Jacob Daniel Stallings is an American former professional baseball catcher who currently works in the Pittsburgh Pirates' front office. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pirates, Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, and Baltimore Orioles from 2016 to 2025. In 2021, he won the Gold Glove Award and Fielding Bible Award.

22/12/1988

Scott Darling, American ice hockey player

Scott Darling is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes. Darling was selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the sixth round, 153rd overall, of the 2007 NHL entry draft.

Mohamed El Shenawy, Egyptian footballer

Mohamed El Sayed Mohamed El Shenawy Gomaa is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Egyptian Premier League club Al Ahly, which he captains, and the Egypt national team.

Leigh Halfpenny, Welsh rugby player

Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh former rugby union professional rugby union player. He played fullback or wing for Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.

22/12/1987

Zack Britton, American baseball player

Zackary Grant Britton, known professionally as Zach Britton until February 2019, is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.

Éder, Bissau-Portuguese footballer

Ederzito António Macedo Lopes, commonly known as Eder, is a former professional footballer who played as a forward.

22/12/1986

Dennis Armfield, Australian footballer

Dennis Brett Armfield is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Fatih Öztürk, Turkish footballer

Fatih Öztürk is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

22/12/1984

Basshunter, Swedish singer, record producer and DJ

Jonas Erik Altberg, known professionally as Basshunter, is a Swedish singer, record producer, songwriter and DJ. As indicated by his stage name, Basshunter is known for bass-heavy Eurodance music.

Greg Finley, American actor

Gregory Finley is an American actor, known for his role as Jack Pappas in the teenage drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager as well as Drake in the series Star Crossed and iZombie, and Girder in The Flash.

22/12/1983

José Fonte, Portuguese footballer

José Miguel da Rocha Fonte is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Doc Gallows, American wrestler

Andrew William Hankinson is an American professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer under the ring name Doc Gallows. He is best known for his tenures in WWE, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

Viola Kibiwot, Kenyan runner

Viola Jelagat Kibiwot is a runner from Kenya who specialises in the 1500 metres.

22/12/1982

Britta Heidemann, German fencer

Britta Heidemann is a German épée fencer. In 2016, Heidemann became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Alinne Moraes, Brazilian actress and model

Jaqueline Cristine Dorelli de Magalhães e Moraes, known professionally as Alinne Moraes, is a Brazilian actress. She is best known by her roles as Maria Sílvia in Duas Caras and as Luciana in Viver a Vida.

22/12/1981

Marina Kuptsova, Russian high jumper

Marina Kuptsova is a Russian high jumper who won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. She is also a former European indoor high jump champion. Her personal best jump of 2.02 metres was achieved in Hengelo in June 2003, a year when she also won the national championship.

22/12/1980

Chris Carmack, American actor, singer, and model

James Christopher Carmack is an American actor, singer, and former fashion model. He is known for his roles in popular television shows—the teen drama series The O.C. (2003–2004) as Luke Ward, the country music drama Nashville as Will Lexington (2012–2018), and the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2018–present) as Dr. Atticus "Link" Lincoln.

Marcus Haislip, American basketball player

Marcus Deshon Haislip is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other top leagues. Haislip attended Marshall County High School in Lewisburg, Tennessee. He rose to prominence while playing college basketball with the University of Tennessee from 1999 to 2002. After college, he played for several seasons in the NBA and the EuroLeague. He is listed at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) and 230 lbs. (104 kg).

22/12/1979

Jamie Langfield, Scottish footballer and coach

James Robert Langfield is a Scottish football player and coach, who is currently the goalkeeping coach at St Mirren. Langfield, who played as a goalkeeper, started his career with Dundee. He then played for Partick Thistle and Dunfermline Athletic before joining Aberdeen in 2005. He went on to spend the next decade with Aberdeen, regaining his place in the team after being dropped for off-field indiscipline in 2007, a loss of form in 2008 and then again in 2012 after suffering a brain seizure that kept him out of competitive action for nine months. He was voted the Aberdeen player of the year in 2009 and was part of the team that won the Scottish League Cup in 2014.

22/12/1978

Danny Ahn, South Korean singer

Danny Ahn is an American entertainer best known as the main rapper of the South Korean pop music group g.o.d. Having made his debut in the entertainment industry as a member of g.o.d in 1999, Ahn has gone into acting and has also been a radio DJ and MC.

Joy Ali, Fijian boxer (died 2015)

Zulfikar Joy Ali was a Fijian boxer. He had won 31 boxing matches in his career.

Emmanuel Olisadebe, Nigerian-Polish footballer

Emmanuel Olisadebe is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Nigeria, an indigene of Ibusa in present day Delta State, he played for the Poland national team. He scored 11 international goals in 25 caps between 2000 and 2004, and participated in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In 2001, he won the Polish Footballer of the Year Award.

22/12/1977

Steve Kariya, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Steven Tetsuo Kariya is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger and younger brother of former National Hockey League player Paul Kariya. Kariya was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

22/12/1976

Katleen De Caluwé, Belgian sprinter

Katleen De Caluwé is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 100 metres. Her personal best time is 11.49 seconds, achieved in May 2002 in Oordegem.

Jason Lane, American baseball player and coach

Jason Dean Lane is an American professional baseball former player who currently serves as the offense and strategy coordinator for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres. Originally starting his career as an outfielder, Lane switched positions and became a pitcher.

Aya Takano, Japanese author and illustrator

Aya Takano is a Japanese painter, Superflat artist, manga artist, and science fiction essayist. Aya Takano is represented by Kaikai Kiki, the artistic production studio created in 2001 by Takashi Murakami.

22/12/1975

Sergei Aschwanden, Swiss martial artist

Sergei Aschwanden is a Swiss judoka and politician.

Dmitri Khokhlov, Russian footballer and manager

Dmitri Valeryevich Khokhlov is a Russian football manager and former midfielder who is the manager of the Under-19 squad of Lokomotiv Moscow.

Marcin Mięciel, Polish footballer

Marcin Mięciel is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker. His trademark was the bicycle kick.

Stanislav Neckář, Czech ice hockey player

Stanislav "Stan" Neckář is a former Czech professional ice hockey player. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Nashville Predators. He then played two seasons in Europe before retiring, with České Budějovice, and Elitserien team Södertälje SK.

Takuya Onishi, Japanese astronaut

Takuya Onishi is a Japanese astronaut selected for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2009. He spent four months on board the International Space Station in 2016. In March 2025, he arrived at the ISS as part of Expedition 72/73.

22/12/1974

Rei Hance, American actress

Rei Hance is an American businesswoman and retired actress. She is known for her starring roles in the found footage horror film The Blair Witch Project (1999) and the science fiction miniseries Taken (2002). She retired from acting in 2008 and became a medical marijuana grower. She legally changed her name to Rei Hance in 2020.

22/12/1972

Mark Hill, English musician, producer and songwriter

Mark Leslie Hill is a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer. He rose to fame as one half of the Artful Dodger and co-writer and producer of Craig David's multi-platinum debut studio album, Born to Do It. Since he began releasing music in 1997, Hill has achieved four Ivor Novello Awards, a number one album, two number one singles and over 10 million records sales worldwide.

Kirk Maltby, Canadian ice hockey player and scout

Kirk Frederick Maltby is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings, the latter with whom he won the Stanley Cup four times.

Vanessa Paradis, French singer-songwriter and actress

Vanessa Chantal Paradis is a French singer, model and actress. Paradis first achieved acclaim at the age of 14 with the international success of her single "Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's highest honours as both a singer and an actress with the Prix Romy Schneider and the César Award for Most Promising Actress for Jean-Claude Brisseau's Noce Blanche, as well as the Victoires de la Musique for Best Female Singer for her album Variations sur le même t'aime.

22/12/1971

Ajeenkya Patil, Indian economist and academic

Ajeenkya D Y Patil is an Indian educationist and economist. He is the son of D. Y. Patil. He is Chairman of the D Y Patil Group, Chancellor of Ajeenkya D Y Patil University and Pro-chancellor of the Dr. D. Y. Patil University.

22/12/1970

Gary Anderson, Scottish darts player

Gary Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is ranked world number twelve, having reached a peak ranking of world number two from 2015 to 2017; Anderson is also a former British Darts Organisation (BDO) and World Darts Federation (WDF) world number one. Nicknamed "the Flying Scotsman", he is a two-time, back-to-back PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2015 and 2016. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Anderson is known for his heavy scoring and smooth throwing style.

Ted Cruz, Canadian-American lawyer and politician

Rafael Edward Cruz is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 to 2008. Since 2025, Cruz has chaired the Senate Commerce Committee.

22/12/1969

Myriam Bédard, Canadian biathlete

Myriam Bédard is a Canadian retired biathlete. She represented Canada at two Winter Olympics winning gold medals, and a bronze medal. As of 2022, Bédard is the only Canadian biathlete, male or female, ever to win an Olympic medal, and the only North American biathlete ever to win Olympic gold.

Mark Robins, English footballer and manager

Mark Gordon Robins is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of EFL Championship club Stoke City. As a player, he was a striker and is best known for his time in the Premier League with Manchester United, Norwich City and Leicester City.

22/12/1968

Emre Aracı, Turkish composer, conductor, and historian

Emre Aracı is a Turkish music historian, conductor, and composer.

Luis Hernández, Mexican footballer

Luis Arturo Hernández Carreón, commonly known as El Matador, is a Mexican former professional footballer. He is widely regarded as one of Mexico's most talented strikers,, as well as one of the best North American players of all time.

Lori McKenna, American singer-songwriter

Lorraine McKenna is an American folk, Americana, and country music singer-songwriter. In 2016, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won Best Country Song for co-writing the hit single "Girl Crush" performed by Little Big Town. In 2017, she again won Best Country Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for writing "Humble and Kind" performed by Tim McGraw. McKenna along with Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby and Hillary Lindsey wrote the second single off the soundtrack to the 2018 film A Star Is Born called "Always Remember Us This Way." McKenna performed backing vocals along with Lindsey and Hemby, and the song received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Dina Meyer, American actress

Dina Meyer is an American actress. She began her career appearing in a recurring role on the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1993–94), before landing a leading role opposite Keanu Reeves in the 1995 film Johnny Mnemonic.

22/12/1967

Richey Edwards, Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1995)

Richard James Edwards, also known as Richey James or Richey Manic, was a Welsh musician who was the lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his dark, politicised and intellectual songwriting that, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status; he has also been cited as a leading lyricist of his generation. Although he regularly involved himself in the band's songwriting, Edwards rarely recorded any guitar performances with the band.

Stéphane Gendron, Canadian lawyer and politician

Stéphane Gendron was the mayor of Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada, from 2003 to 2013 and a radio host, a television host and a political analyst for several media outlets.

Rebecca Harris, English businesswoman and politician

Dame Elizabeth Rebecca Scott Harris is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Castle Point since 2010. Since November 2024 she has also served as Opposition Chief Whip.

Dan Petrescu, Romanian footballer and manager

Dan Vasile Petrescu is a Romanian professional football manager and former player.

22/12/1966

Dmitry Bilozerchev, Russian gymnast and coach

Dmitry Vladimirovich Bilozerchev is a Russian gymnastics coach and retired gymnast who represented the Soviet Union. One of the most accomplished gymnasts in history, he is a two-time World All-Around Champion and three-time Olympic Champion. He trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Moscow.

Marcel Schirmer, German singer-songwriter and bass player

Destruction is a German thrash metal band formed in 1982. They have been credited as one of the "Big Four" of the German thrash metal scene, alongside Kreator, Sodom and Tankard.

David Wright, English lawyer and politician

David Wright is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Telford from 2001 until 2015. He was an assistant government whip from June 2009 to May 2010. In May 2019, he was elected as a Labour member of Telford and Wrekin Council, representing St George's ward, and became cabinet member for Economy, Housing, Transport and Infrastructure.

22/12/1965

David S. Goyer, American screenwriter

David Samuel Goyer is an American filmmaker, novelist, and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays and stories for several superhero films, including Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998), the Blade trilogy (1998–2004), Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012), Man of Steel (2013), and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). He has also directed four films: Zig Zag (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004), The Invisible (2007), and The Unborn (2009). He is the creator of the science fiction television series Foundation which is loosely based upon the Foundation series written by Isaac Asimov.

Urszula Włodarczyk, Polish heptathlete and triple jumper

Urszula Włodarczyk is a retired Polish heptathlete. She also competed briefly in triple jump in the fledgling years of the sport, and was a Polish record holder with 13.98 metres from July 1993 to July 2001.

22/12/1964

Mike Jackson, American baseball player

Michael Ray Jackson is an American former professional baseball player whose career spanned 19 seasons, 17 of which were spent in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jackson, a relief pitcher for the majority of his career, compiled a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.42, allowing 451 earned runs off of 983 hits, 127 home runs, and 464 walks while recording 1,006 strikeouts over 1,005 games pitched.

Angela James, Canadian ice hockey player

Angela James is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played at the highest levels of senior hockey between 1980 and 2000. She was a member of numerous teams in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League (COWHL) from its founding in 1980 until 1998 and finished her career in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). She was named her league's most valuable player six times. James is also a certified referee in Canada, and a coach. She lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Simon Kirby, English businessman and politician

Simon Gerard Kirby, also known as Simon Radford-Kirby, is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Kemptown in 2010. In 2016, he was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister. He lost his seat at the 2017 general election.

22/12/1963

Giuseppe Bergomi, Italian footballer and coach

Giuseppe "Beppe" Bergomi is an Italian former professional footballer who spent his entire career at Inter Milan. He is regarded as one of the greatest Italian defenders of all time, and as one of the best of his generation, being elected by Pelé to be part of the FIFA 100 in 2004.

Brian McMillan, South African cricketer and educator

Brian Mervin McMillan played 38 Test matches and 78 One Day Internationals for South Africa from 1991 to 1998. He was rated by many as the best all-rounder in the world in the mid-1990s, and won South African Cricket Annual Cricketer of the Year awards in 1991 and 1996.

Luna H. Mitani, Japanese-American painter and illustrator

Luna H. Mitani is a Japanese-American artist. He works in the fields of painting and pen & ink drawing.

22/12/1962

Ralph Fiennes, English actor

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and director. Recognised for his work on stage and screen, his accolades include a BAFTA Award; a Tony Award; and nominations for three Academy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

22/12/1961

Yuri Malenchenko, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut

Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko is a retired Russian cosmonaut. Malenchenko became the first person to marry in space, on 10 August 2003, when he married Ekaterina Dmitrieva, who was in Texas, while he was 240 miles (390 km) over New Zealand, on the International Space Station. As of December 2023, Malenchenko ranks third for career time in space due to his time on both Mir and the International Space Station (ISS). He is a former commander of the International Space Station.

22/12/1960

Jean-Michel Basquiat, American painter and poet (died 1988)

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement.

Luther Campbell, American rapper and actor

Luther Roderick Campbell, also known by his stage names Luke or Uncle Luke, is an American rapper, music promoter, record executive, actor, and former leader of the rap group 2 Live Crew. He is a pioneer in Florida hip hop and the creator of the Miami bass genre, known for his sexually crude call and response lyrics. He also starred in a short-lived show on VH1, Luke's Parental Advisory.

Paul Kuniholm, Artist

Paul Kuniholm is a heritage-narrative public artist who creates art embodying sculptural objects, sculpture both fugitive and durable, art using digital material, wearable art intervention, video, mural art, and various time-based artwork that is exhibited in the public right-of-way, museums and other cultural venues internationally.

22/12/1959

Bernd Schuster, German footballer and manager

Bernd Schuster is a German former professional footballer of the late 1970s through early 1990s, who won club titles playing for the Spanish sides Barcelona (1980–1988) and Real Madrid (1988–1990). He played as a midfielder and was nicknamed "der Blonde Engel" by the fans. After retiring as a player, he managed a number of European clubs, including Real Madrid, taking them to the league title in the 2007–08 season.

22/12/1958

Frank Gambale, Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released twenty albums over a period of three decades, and is known for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.

David Heavener, American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director

David Brent Heavener is an American singer, songwriter, director, actor, composer, producer and writer, specialising in low-budget features and direct-to-video action films.

22/12/1957

Stephen Conway, English bishop

Stephen David Conway SCP is a British Anglican bishop. Since July 2023, he has served as the Bishop of Lincoln. Prior to that he had been successively Bishop of Ramsbury, then Bishop of Ely. He is currently suspended from his ministry following allegations of sexual assault.

Carole James, English-Canadian educator and politician

Carole Alison James is a Canadian politician and former public administrator, who represented Victoria-Beacon Hill in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2005 to 2020. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (NDP), she was the party's leader and Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia from 2005 to 2011. Following her resignation as leader, she stayed in politics and served as the 14th deputy premier of British Columbia and minister of finance under John Horgan, from 2017 to 2020.

Peter Mortimer, Australian rugby league player

Peter Mortimer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and New South Wales.

22/12/1956

Jane Lighting, English businesswoman

Jane Elizabeth Stuart Lighting is a former Chief Executive of Five (TV) in the United Kingdom.

22/12/1955

Galina Murašova, Lithuanian discus thrower

Galina Murašova is a retired female discus thrower, who competed for the Soviet Union at two Summer Olympics: 1980 and 1988. Her last name is sometimes also spelled as Murashova.

Lonnie Smith, American baseball player

Lonnie Smith is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder. He made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies on September 2, 1978, and later played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles. He overcame bouts with drug abuse to become one of the top base-stealers in baseball during the 1980s, with the seventh-most steals. He played on five pennant-winning teams, three of which won the World Series.

Thomas C. Südhof, German-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Thomas Christian Südhof, is a German-American biochemist known for his study of synaptic transmission. Currently, he is a professor in the school of medicine in the department of molecular and cellular physiology, and by courtesy in neurology, and in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University.

22/12/1954

Hideshi Matsuda, Japanese racing driver

Hideshi Matsuda is a Japanese car racer and TV reporter. He is the brother-in-law of Beat Takeshi.

Derick Parry, Nevisian cricketer

Derick Recaldo Parry is a former cricketer from St Kitts and Nevis who played 12 Tests and six One Day Internationals for the West Indies.

22/12/1953

Ian Turnbull, Canadian ice hockey player

Ian "Bull" Turnbull is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League from 1973–74 until 1982–83. He and Börje Salming combined to make one of the best 1–2 defensive punches in Toronto Maple Leafs history during the 1970s.

Tom Underwood, American baseball player (died 2010)

Thomas Gerald Underwood was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. His younger brother, Pat was also a pitcher, and made his major league debut against Tom. It was the first time in major league history this had occurred.

22/12/1952

Sandra Kalniete, Latvian politician and diplomat, former Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Sandra Kalniete is a Latvian politician, author and diplomat. She served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia from 2002 to 2004 and as European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries in 2004. Since 2009, she has served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the European People's Party.

22/12/1951

Lasse Bengtsson, Swedish journalist

Lars Olov "Lasse" Bengtsson is a Swedish journalist and television presenter. He has been the presenter of shows such as Nyhetsmorgon Lördag, TV4-nyheterna, Misstänkt, and he also was a reporter for the Swedish broadcasts of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Charles de Lint, Dutch-Canadian author and critic

Charles de Lint is a Canadian writer.

Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, British landowner, businessman and philanthropist (died 2016)

Major General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster was a British landowner, businessman, aristocrat, Territorial Army general, and peer. He was the son of Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and Viola Lyttelton. He was Chairman of the property company Grosvenor Group. In the first-ever edition of The Sunday Times Rich List, published in 1989, he was ranked as the second-richest person in the United Kingdom, with a fortune of £3.2 billion, with only Queen Elizabeth II above him.

Tony Isabella, American comic book writer, editor, actor, artist and critic

Jenny Blake Isabella, who writes under the names Tony Isabella and Jenny Blake, is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, artist and critic. She is the creator of Marvel Comics superhero Black Goliath, and of DC Comics' first major African-American superhero, Black Lightning. She was a columnist and critic for the Comics Buyer's Guide magazine.

Jan Stephenson, Australian golfer

Jan Lynn Stephenson is an Australian professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1974 and won three major championships and 16 LPGA Tour events. She has 41 worldwide victories including (10) LPGA Legends Tour wins and 8 worldwide major championships. She has 15 holes-in-one with nine in competition. She was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, class of 2019.

22/12/1950

Manfred Moore, American football player and rugby league player (died 2020)

Manfred Moore was an American professional American football running back and, briefly, rugby league player who played in the 1970s.

22/12/1949

Maurice Gibb, Manx-English singer-songwriter and producer (died 2003)

Maurice Ernest Gibb was a British musician and songwriter. He achieved global fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group, considered one of the most successful pop-rock groups of all time. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main lead singers, most of their albums included at least one or two songs featuring Maurice's lead vocals, including "Lay It on Me", "Country Woman" and "On Time".

Robin Gibb, Manx-English singer-songwriter and producer (died 2012)

Robin Hugh Gibb was a British singer and songwriter. He gained global fame as a member of the Bee Gees with elder brother Barry and twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his own successful solo career.

Ray Guy, American football player (died 2022)

William Ray Guy was an American professional football punter who played for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Guy was a first-team All-American selection in 1972 as a senior for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, and is the only pure punter ever to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, when the Raiders selected him with the 23rd overall pick in the 1973 NFL draft. He won three Super Bowls with the Raiders. Guy was elected to both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. An eight-time All-Pro, Guy is widely considered to be the greatest punter of all time.

22/12/1948

Steve Garvey, American baseball player and sportscaster

Steven Patrick Garvey is an American former professional baseball player who played first base in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987.

Don Kardong, American runner, journalist, and author

Donald Franklin Kardong is a noted runner and author from the United States. He finished fourth in the 1976 Olympic marathon in Montreal.

Rick Nielsen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Richard Alan Nielsen is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, including his famous five-neck guitar.

Chris Old, English cricketer and coach

Chris Old is a former English cricketer, who played 46 Tests and 32 ODIs from 1972 to 1981. A right-arm fast-medium bowler and lower order left-handed batsman, Old was a key feature of the Yorkshire side between 1969 and 1983, before finishing his career at Warwickshire in 1985. As a Test bowler for England he took 143 wickets, and scored useful runs in the famous 1981 Ashes series' Headingley victory. He was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1979 Cricket World Cup.

Lynne Thigpen, American actress and singer (died 2003)

Cherlynne Theresa Thigpen was an American actress of stage and screen. She was known for her role as the Chief of ACME Crimenet in the game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and various spinoffs, and for her role as Luna the Moon in the Playhouse Disney children's series Bear in the Big Blue House. For her varied television work, Thigpen was nominated for six Daytime Emmy Awards. She won a Tony Award in 1997 for portraying Dr. Judith Kaufman in An American Daughter, and also played Ella Farmer on The District (2000–2003). Thigpen first gained attention for her role in the 1971 off-Broadway musical Godspell. Thigpen's character is named Lynne, and she sang "O Bless the Lord, My Soul" in the musical. Thigpen reprised her role as Lynne in the 1973 film adaptation, which she starred in alongside David Haskell and Victor Garber.

22/12/1947

Brian Daley, American author and screenwriter (died 1996)

Brian Charles Daley was an American science fiction novelist. He also adapted for radio the Star Wars radio dramas and wrote all of their episodes.

Dilip Doshi, Indian cricketer

Dilip Rasiklal Doshi was an Indian cricketer from Bengal though his origin goes back to Gujarat. He played in 33 Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals from 1979 to 1983.

22/12/1946

Roger Carr, English businessman

Sir Roger Martyn Carr is a British businessman. He was chairman of BAE Systems until May 2023.

C. Eugene Steuerle, American economist and author

C. Eugene "Gene" Steuerle is an American economist, a Richard B. Fisher chair and Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, and a columnist under the title The Government We Deserve.

22/12/1945

Frances Lannon, English historian and academic

Dame Frances Lannon is a retired British academic and educator. She was Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

Sam Newman, Australian footballer and sportscaster

John Noel William "Sam" Newman is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Diane Sawyer, American journalist

Lila Diane Sawyer is an American television broadcast journalist known for anchoring major programs on two networks including ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, 20/20, and Primetime newsmagazine while at ABC News. During her tenure at CBS News, she hosted CBS Morning and was the first woman correspondent on 60 Minutes. Prior to her journalism career, she was a member of U.S. president Richard Nixon's White House staff and assisted in his post-presidency memoirs. Sawyer works for ABC News producing documentaries and interview specials.

22/12/1944

Mary Archer, English chemist and academic

Mary Doreen Archer (formally Lady Archer of Weston-super-Mare, commonly Dame Mary Archer,, is a British scientist specialising in solar energy conversion.

Steve Carlton, American baseball player

Steven Norman Carlton is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher for six different teams from 1965 to 1988, most notably as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies with whom he won four Cy Young Awards as well as the 1980 World Series. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994 in his first year of eligibility.

Barry Jenkins, English drummer

Colin Ernest "Barry" Jenkins was an English musician, best known for being a drummer for the Animals during both of that 1960s group's incarnations.

22/12/1943

Stefan Janos, Slovak-Swiss physicist and academic

Štefan Jánoš is a Slovak-Swiss physicist and university professor. He is the founder of very low temperature physics in Slovakia.

Paul Wolfowitz, American banker and politician, 25th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

Paul Dundes Wolfowitz is an American political scientist and diplomat who served as the 10th President of the World Bank, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, and dean of School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. He is currently a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

22/12/1942

Jerry Koosman, American baseball player

Jerome Martin Koosman is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies between 1967 and 1985. Koosman is best known as a member of the Miracle Mets team that won the 1969 World Series.

Dick Parry, English saxophonist (died 2026)

Richard Parry was an English saxophonist. During his career, he appeared as a session musician on various albums, most notably with Pink Floyd on the songs "Money", "Us and Them", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Wearing the Inside Out". He also played on the Bloodstone album Riddle of the Sphinx.

22/12/1940

Luis Francisco Cuéllar, Colombian rancher and politician (died 2009)

Luis Francisco Cuéllar Carvajal was a Colombian politician, serving as Mayor of Morelia, Governor of the Caquetá Department from 2008 to 2009, and Deputy Governor of Caqueta from 2000 to 2003. He is known for being kidnapped and murdered by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and for being kidnapped and held for ransom four times.

Mike Molloy, English journalist, author, and illustrator

Michael Molloy is a British author and former newspaper editor and cartoonist. He's also an accomplished painter, exhibiting in galleries across the UK and the South of France, and remains drawn to art as a deep creative passion.

22/12/1938

Matty Alou, Dominican-American baseball player and scout (died 2011)

Mateo "Matty" Rojas Alou was a Dominican professional baseball player and manager. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1974. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Taiheiyo Club Lions from 1974 through 1976. Alou was a two-time All-Star and the 1966 National League batting champion.

Lucien Bouchard, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Premier of Quebec

Lucien Bouchard is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat and retired politician who was the 27th premier of Quebec from 1996 to 2001.

Red Steagall, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and poet

Russell "Red" Steagall is an American country music singer, musician, poet, and stage performer, who focuses on American Western and country music genres.

22/12/1937

Charlotte Lamb, English author (died 2000)

Sheila Ann Mary Coates Holland, best known by her pen name Charlotte Lamb, was a British novelist. She signed her novels with her married and maiden names and under the pen names Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf and Laura Hardy. She was the mother of writers Sarah Holland and Jane Holland.

Eduard Uspensky, Russian author, poet, and playwright (died 2018)

Eduard Nikolayevich Uspensky was a Soviet and Russian children's writer and poet, author of over 70 books, as well as a playwright, screenwriter and TV presenter. His works have been translated into 25 languages and spawned around 60 cartoon adaptations. Among the characters he created are Cheburashka and Gena the Crocodile, Uncle Fyodor and Kolobki brothers. He was awarded Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class in 1997.

Ken Whitmore, English author and playwright

Ken Whitmore is an author of radio plays, stage plays, short stories and poetry. His writing is characterised by black comedy and fantastic ideas, such as the complete disappearance of a man’s house, family and dog and the need for all mankind to jump in the air simultaneously

22/12/1936

James Burke, Irish historian and author

James Burke is a broadcaster, science historian, author, and television producer. He was one of the main presenters of the BBC1 science series Tomorrow's World from 1965 to 1971 and created and presented the television series Connections (1978), and its more philosophical sequel The Day the Universe Changed (1985), about the history of science and technology. The Washington Post has called him "one of the most intriguing minds in the Western world".

Héctor Elizondo, American actor and director

Héctor Elizondo is an American character actor. He is known for playing Phillip Watters in the television series Chicago Hope (1994–2000) and Ed Alzate in the television series Last Man Standing (2011–2021). His film roles include Pocket Money (1972), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Cuba (1979), American Gigolo (1980), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Taking Care of Business (1990), Pretty Woman (1990), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), The Princess Diaries (2001), and Love in the Time of Cholera (2007).

22/12/1935

Paulo Rocha, Portuguese director and screenwriter (died 2012)

Paulo Soares da Rocha was a Portuguese film director. Among his best-known films are A Ilha dos Amores and O Rio do Ouro. A Ilha dos Amores was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, O Desejado was entered into the main competition at the 44th edition of the Venice Film Festival, and O Rio do Ouro was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Festival.

22/12/1934

David Pearson, American race car driver (died 2018)

David Gene Pearson was an American stock car driver, who raced from 1960 to 1986 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No. 21 Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing. Pearson won the 1960 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award and three Cup Series championships. He never missed a race in the years he was active. NASCAR described his 1974 season as an indication of his "consistent greatness", finishing third in the season points having competed in only nineteen of thirty races. Pearson's career paralleled Richard Petty's, the driver who has won the most races in NASCAR history. They accounted for 63 first/second-place finishes, with the edge going to Pearson. Petty had two-hundred wins in 1,184 starts, while Pearson had 105 wins in 574 starts. Pearson was nicknamed the "Fox" for his calculated approach to racing.

22/12/1933

John Hartle, English motorcycle racer (died 1968)

John Hartle was an English professional road racer who competed in national, international and Grand Prix motorcycle events.

22/12/1932

Phil Woosnam, Welsh soccer player and manager (died 2013)

Phillip Abraham Woosnam was a Welsh association football inside-right and manager. A native of Caersws, Powys, Wales, Woosnam played for numerous clubs in Wales, England and one in the United States. He played international football for Wales. He was described as a "gifted inside-forward with a pronounced football intelligence".

22/12/1931

Gisela Birkemeyer, German hurdler and coach (died 2024)

Gisela Birkemeyer was a German hurdler and sprinter who won two medals in the 80 m hurdles at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics. During her career she set nine world records in the 80 m hurdles and in the 4 × 100 m, 4 × 110 yd and 4 × 200 m relays. She won 40 East German championships, mostly in the 80 m hurdles (1953–1961) and 200 m sprint (1956–1960). At the European Championships in Stockholm in 1958, she was third in the 80 m hurdles. In 1959, she was voted GDR Sportswoman of the Year.

Carlos Graça, São Toméan lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (died 2013)

Carlos Alberto Monteiro Dias da Graça was a São Toméan politician who served as the country's sixth prime minister.

22/12/1930

Ardalion Ignatyev, Russian sprinter and educator (died 1998)

Ardalion Vasilyevich Ignatyev was a Soviet athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres. He was born in the village of Novoye Toyderyakovo, Yalchiksky District, Chuvash ASSR.

22/12/1929

Wazir Mohammad, Indian-Pakistani cricketer (died 2025)

Wazir Mohammad was a Pakistani cricketer and banker who played in 20 Test matches for the Pakistan national cricket team between 1952 and 1959.

22/12/1928

Fredrik Barth, German-Norwegian anthropologist and academic (died 2016)

Thomas Fredrik Weybye Barth was a Norwegian social anthropologist who published several ethnographic books with a clear formalist view. He was a professor in the Department of Anthropology at Boston University, and previously held professorships at the University of Oslo, the University of Bergen, Emory University and Harvard University. He was appointed a government scholar in 1985.

22/12/1926

Alcides Ghiggia, Italian-Uruguayan footballer and manager (died 2015)

Alcides Edgardo Ghiggia Pereyra was a Uruguayan and Italian footballer who played as a right winger. He achieved lasting fame for his decisive role in the final match of the 1950 World Cup, and at the time of his death exactly 65 years later, he was also the last surviving player of Uruguay's 1950 World Cup squad.

Roberta Leigh, English writer, artist and TV producer (died 2014)

Roberta Leigh was an assumed name for Rita Lewin who was a British author, artist, composer and television producer. She wrote romance fiction and children's stories under the pseudonyms Roberta Leigh, Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott and Rozella Lake.

22/12/1925

Lewis Glucksman, American businessman and philanthropist (died 2006)

Lewis L. Glucksman was a former Lehman Brothers trader and former chief executive officer and chairman of Lehman Brothers, Kuhn, Loeb Inc.

Lefter Küçükandonyadis, Turkish footballer and manager (died 2012)

Lefter Küçükandonyadis was a Turkish professional footballer of Greek descent, who played as a forward. He is often recognized as one of the greatest strikers to play for Fenerbahçe and Turkey. Having won several regional and national championship titles with Fenerbahçe and becoming Turkish top scorer twice in his career, he left an imprint on the history of the club. Lefter is one of a few players whose names are included in the Fenerbahçe Anthem. He was also known as "Ordinaryüs" in Turkey.

22/12/1924

Frank Corsaro, American actor and director (died 2017)

Frank Corsaro was one of America's foremost stage directors of opera and theatre. His Broadway productions include The Night of the Iguana (1961).

22/12/1923

Peregrine Worsthorne, English journalist and author (died 2020)

Sir Peregrine Gerard Worsthorne was a British journalist, writer, and broadcaster. He spent the largest part of his career at the Telegraph newspaper titles, eventually becoming editor of The Sunday Telegraph for several years. He left the newspaper in 1997.

22/12/1922

Ruth Roman, American actress (died 1999)

Ruth Roman was an American actress of film, stage, and television.

Jim Wright, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 56th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (died 2015)

James Claude Wright Jr. was an American politician who served as the 48th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1989. He represented Texas' 12th congressional district as a Democrat from 1955 to 1989.

22/12/1921

Dimitri Fampas, Greek guitarist and composer (died 1996)

Dimitris Fampas was a Greek classical guitarist and composer.

Hawkshaw Hawkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1963)

Harold Franklin "Hawkshaw" Hawkins was an American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 1960s. He was known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk. At 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall, Hawkins had an imposing stage presence, and he dressed more conservatively than some other male country singers. Hawkins died in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and was married to country star Jean Shepard.

22/12/1917

Gene Rayburn, American game show host and actor (died 1999)

Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the American television game show Match Game for over two decades.

22/12/1915

Barbara Billingsley, American actress (died 2010)

Barbara Billingsley was an American actress. She began her career in Shadow on the Wall (1950), and with uncredited roles in Three Guys Named Mike (1951), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Invaders from Mars (1953) and was featured in the 1957 film The Careless Years opposite Natalie Trundy. She then appeared in recurring television roles, such as The Brothers.

Phillip Glasier, English author and academic (died 2000)

Phillip Edward Brougham Glasier was Britain's leading expert on hawking and falconry. Glasier initiated a new interest in falconry in both the UK and the United States of America. He spent much of his life involved with the conservation and breeding of raptors and bringing them to public attention through the foundation of the Falconry Centre, Newent, Gloucestershire, as well as through books, lectures and public demonstrations. He founded the Hawk Trust with John Burkett and the Raptor Breeders' Association.

22/12/1913

Giorgio Oberweger, Italian discus thrower and hurdler (died 1998)

Giorgio Oberweger was an Italian discus thrower who won a bronze medal at the 1936 Olympics and a silver at the 1938 European Championships. He placed sixth at the 1934 European Championships and 15th at the 1948 Olympics. Oberweger won five national titles, in the discus throw and 110 metres hurdles (1939).

22/12/1912

Elias Degiannis, Greek commander (died 1943)

Ilias Degiannis was a Greek navy officer Resistance leader during the Axis occupation of Greece.

Lady Bird Johnson, American beautification activist; 38th First Lady of the United States (died 2007)

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson was the first lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States. She had previously been the second lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, when her husband was vice president under President John F. Kennedy.

22/12/1911

Danny O'Dea, English actor (died 2003)

Peter Anthony Joseph Daniel Wrenshall, better known by his stage name Danny O'Dea, was an English actor.

22/12/1909

Patricia Hayes, English actress (died 1998)

Patricia Lawlor Hayes was an English character actress. She is best known for playing the titular Edna in the Play for Today, Edna, the Inebriate Woman (1971), for which she won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress.

22/12/1908

Giacomo Manzù, Italian sculptor and academic (died 1991)

Giacomo Manzoni, known professionally as Giacomo Manzù, was an Italian sculptor.

22/12/1907

Peggy Ashcroft, English actress (died 1991)

Dame Edith Margaret Emily "Peggy" Ashcroft was an English actress whose career spanned more than six decades, both on screen and stage.

22/12/1905

Pierre Brasseur, French-Italian actor and screenwriter (died 1972)

Pierre Brasseur, born Pierre-Albert Espinasse, was a French actor.

Pierre Levegh, French ice hockey player and racing driver (died 1955)

Pierre Eugène Alfred Bouillin was a French sportsman and racing driver. He took the racing name Pierre Levegh in memory of his uncle Alfred Velghe, a pioneering driver who died in 1904. Levegh died in the 1955 Le Mans disaster which also killed about 81 spectators during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans automobile race.

Kenneth Rexroth, American poet, translator, and academic (died 1982)

Kenneth Charles Marion Rexroth was an American poet, translator, and critical essayist. He is regarded as a central figure in the San Francisco Renaissance, and paved the groundwork for the movement. Although he did not consider himself to be a Beat poet, and disliked the association, he was dubbed the "Father of the Beats" by Time magazine. Largely self-educated, Rexroth learned several languages and translated poems from Chinese, French, Spanish, and Japanese.

22/12/1903

Haldan Keffer Hartline, American physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1983)

Haldan Keffer Hartline was an American physiologist who was a co-recipient of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in analyzing the neurophysiological mechanisms of vision.

22/12/1901

Andre Kostelanetz, Russian-American conductor and composer (died 1980)

Andre Kostelanetz was a Russian-American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orchestra music.

22/12/1900

Marc Allégret, French director and screenwriter (died 1973)

Marc Allégret was a French screenwriter, photographer and film director.

22/12/1899

Gustaf Gründgens, German actor and director (died 1963)

Gustaf Gründgens, born Gustav Heinrich Arnold Gründgens, was one of Germany's most famous and influential actors of the 20th century, and artistic director of theatres in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg. His career continued unimpeded through the years of the Nazi regime; the extent to which this can be considered as deliberate collaboration with the Nazis is hotly disputed.

22/12/1898

Vladimir Fock, Russian physicist and mathematician (died 1974)

Vladimir Aleksandrovich Fock was a Soviet physicist, who did foundational work on quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics.

22/12/1894

Edwin Linkomies, Finnish academic, professor and the Prime Minister of Finland (died 1963)

Edwin Johannes Hildegard Linkomies was Prime Minister of Finland from March 1943 to August 1944, and one of the seven politicians sentenced to five and a half years in prison as responsible for the Continuation War, on the demand of the Soviet Union. He was paroled in 1948. Linkomies was a prominent fennoman academic, pro-rector of the University of Helsinki 1932 to 1943, rector 1956 to 1962, and the government's Chancellor of the University from 1962 until his death.

22/12/1892

Herman Potočnik, Slovenian-Austrian engineer (died 1929)

Herman Potočnik was an Austrian officer, electrical engineer and astronautics theorist. He is regarded as a pioneer and visionary of modern space flight and is remembered mainly for his work concerning the long-term human habitation of space.

22/12/1889

George Hutson, English runner and soldier (died 1914)

George William Hutson was a British athlete who competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics.

22/12/1888

J. Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank, English businessman, founded Rank Organisation (died 1972)

Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank was an English industrialist who was head and founder of The Rank Organisation.

22/12/1887

Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and theorist (died 1920)

Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar was an Indian mathematician who worked during the early 20th century. He made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions, including solutions to mathematical problems then considered unsolvable.

22/12/1885

Deems Taylor, American conductor and critic (died 1966)

Joseph Deems Taylor was an American composer, radio commentator, music critic, and author. Nat Benchley, co-editor of The Lost Algonquin Roundtable, referred to him as "the dean of American music." He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1934.

22/12/1884

St. Elmo Brady, African American chemist and educator (died 1966)

St. Elmo Brady was an American chemist who was the first African American to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States. He received his doctorate at the University of Illinois in 1915.

22/12/1883

Marcus Hurley, American cyclist (died 1941)

Marcus Latimer Hurley was an American cyclist who competed in the early twentieth century. He specialized in sprint cycling and won 4 gold medals in Cycling at the 1904 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal in the 2 mile race.

Edgard Varèse, French-American composer (died 1965)

Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse was a French and American avant-garde composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States. Varèse's music emphasizes timbre and rhythm; he coined the term "organized sound" in reference to his own musical aesthetic. Varèse's conception of music reflected his vision of "sound as living matter" and of "musical space as open rather than bounded". He conceived the elements of his music in terms of "sound-masses", likening their organization to the natural phenomenon of crystallization. Varèse thought that "to stubbornly conditioned ears, anything new in music has always been called noise", and he posed the question, "what is music but organized noises?"

22/12/1880

Fred Woolley, Australian rugby league player (died 1955)

Frederick Woolley was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played for Balmain and represented Australia in 1909.

22/12/1878

Myer Prinstein, Polish-American jumper (died 1925)

Myer Prinstein was a Poland-born American track and field athlete who held the world record for the long jump in 1900 and won four gold medals in three Olympic Games for the long jump and triple jump. He was a member of the Irish American Athletic Club in Queens, New York. A 1902 law graduate and track team captain for Syracuse University, after college he became a New York real estate lawyer and businessman while living in Jamaica Plains, Queens. To date, he is the only Olympic track athlete to win both the triple and long jump in the same Olympics, earning the distinction in St. Louis in 1904.

22/12/1876

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Egyptian-Italian poet and composer (died 1944)

Filippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti was an Italian poet, editor, art theorist and founder of the Futurist movement. He was associated with the utopian and Symbolist artistic and literary community Abbaye de Créteil between 1907 and 1908. Marinetti is best known as the author of the Manifesto of Futurism, which was written and published in 1909, and as a co-author of the Fascist Manifesto, in 1919.

22/12/1874

Franz Schmidt, Austrian cellist, pianist, and composer (died 1939)

Franz Schmidt, also Ferenc Schmidt was an Austro-Hungarian composer, cellist and pianist.

22/12/1872

Camille Guérin, French veterinarian and bacteriologist (died 1961)

Jean-Marie Camille Guérin was a French veterinarian, bacteriologist and immunologist who, together with Albert Calmette, developed the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), a vaccine for immunization against tuberculosis.

22/12/1869

Dmitri Egorov, Russian mathematician and academic (died 1931)

Dmitri Fyodorovich Egorov was a Russian and Soviet mathematician known for contributions to the areas of differential geometry and mathematical analysis. He was President of the Moscow Mathematical Society (1923–1930).

Edwin Arlington Robinson, American poet and playwright (died 1935)

Edwin Arlington Robinson was an American poet and playwright. Robinson won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on three occasions and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times.

22/12/1868

Jaan Tõnisson, Estonian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Estonia (died 1941?)

Jaan Tõnisson was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920, as State Elder from 1927 to 1928 and in 1933, and as Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.

22/12/1865

Charles Sands, American golfer and tennis player (died 1945)

Charles Edward Sands was an American golfer, tennis and real tennis player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1908 Summer Olympics.

22/12/1862

Connie Mack, American baseball player and manager (died 1956)

Cornelius McGillicuddy, better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. Mack holds records for the most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), ties (76), and games managed (7,755) in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. His victory total is 847 more than the second-highest: Tony La Russa's 2,884 wins. Mack's lead in career losses is even greater, with 1,449 more than La Russa's 2,499. Mack also has 17 more ties than the next-closest manager, Clark Griffith, who has 59.

22/12/1858

Giacomo Puccini, Italian composer and educator (died 1924)

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Widely regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, stemming from the late Baroque era. Though his early work was firmly rooted in traditional late-nineteenth-century Romantic Italian opera, it later developed in the realistic verismo style, of which he became one of the leading exponents.

22/12/1856

Frank B. Kellogg, American lawyer and politician, 45th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1937)

Frank Billings Kellogg was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served in the U.S. Senate and as U.S. Secretary of State. He co-authored the Kellogg–Briand Pact, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1929.

22/12/1853

Teresa Carreño, Venezuelan-American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1917)

María Teresa Gertrudis de Jesús Carreño García was a Venezuelan pianist, composer, soprano, and conductor. Over the course of her 54-year concert career, she became an internationally renowned virtuoso pianist and was often referred to as the "Valkyrie of the Piano". Carreño was an early adopter of the works of one of her students, American composer and pianist Edward MacDowell (1860–1908) and premiered several of his compositions across the globe. She also frequently performed the works of Norwegian composer and pianist Edvard Grieg (1843–1907). Carreño composed approximately 75 works for solo piano, voice and piano, choir and orchestra, and instrumental ensemble. Several composers dedicated their compositions to Carreño, including Amy Beach and Edward MacDowell.

Evgraf Fedorov, Russian mathematician, crystallographer, and mineralogist (died 1919)

Evgraf Stepanovich Fedorov was a Russian mathematician, crystallographer and mineralogist.

Sarada Devi, Indian mystic and philosopher (died 1920)

Sri Sarada Devi, born Kshemankari / Thakurmani / Saradamani Mukhopadhyay, was the wife and spiritual consort of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth-century Hindu mystic. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother by the followers of the Sri Ramakrishna monastic order. The Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission situated at Dakshineshwar is based on the ideals and life of Sarada Devi. She was involved in an important role in the growth of the Ramakrishna Movement.

22/12/1850

Victoriano Huerta, Mexican general and politician, 35th President of Mexico (died 1916)

José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican general, statesman, engineer, and dictator who served as the 39th President of Mexico from 1913 to 1914 and came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero with the aid of other Mexican generals and the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Establishing a military dictatorship, his violent seizure of power set off a new wave of armed conflict in the Mexican Revolution.

22/12/1839

John Nevil Maskelyne, English magician (died 1917)

John Nevil Maskelyne was an English stage magician and inventor of the pay toilet, along with other Victorian-era devices. He worked with magicians George Alfred Cooke and David Devant, and many of his illusions are still performed today. His book Sharps and Flats: A Complete Revelation of the Secrets of Cheating at Games of Chance and Skill is considered a classic overview of card sharp practices. In 1914 he founded the Occult Committee, a group to "investigate claims to supernatural power and to expose fraud".

22/12/1819

Franz Abt, German composer and conductor (died 1870)

Franz Wilhelm Abt was a German composer and choral conductor. He composed roughly 3,000 individual works mostly in the area of vocal music. Several of his songs were at one time universally sung, and have obtained a more or less permanent place in the popular repertory. Abt was a renowned choral conductor, and he spent much of the last three decades of his life working as a guest conductor with choirs throughout Europe and in the United States.

Pierre Ossian Bonnet, French mathematician and academic (died 1892)

Pierre Ossian Bonnet was a French mathematician. He made some important contributions to the differential geometry of surfaces, including the Gauss–Bonnet theorem.

22/12/1807

Johan Sebastian Welhaven, Norwegian author, poet, and critic (died 1873)

Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer Welhaven was a Norwegian writer, poet, critic, and art theorist. He has been considered "one of the greatest figures in Norwegian literature."

22/12/1805

John Obadiah Westwood, English entomologist and archaeologist (died 1893)

John Obadiah Westwood was an English entomologist and archaeologist noted for his artistic talents. He published several illustrated works on insects and antiquities. He was among the first entomologists with an academic position at Oxford University. He was a natural theologian, staunchly anti-Darwinian, and sometimes adopted a quinarian viewpoint. Although he never travelled widely, he described species from around the world on the basis of specimens, especially of the larger, curious, and colourful species obtained by naturalists and collectors in England.

22/12/1799

Nicholas Callan, Irish priest and physicist (died 1864)

Nicholas Joseph Callan was an Irish physicist and Catholic priest known for his work on the induction coil.

22/12/1765

Johann Friedrich Pfaff, German mathematician and academic (died 1825)

Johann Friedrich Pfaff was a German mathematician. He is best known for his work on differential equations and as Carl Friedrich Gauss's doctoral advisor.

22/12/1723

Carl Friedrich Abel, German viol player and composer (died 1787)

Carl Friedrich Abel was a German composer of the early Classical era. He was a renowned player of the viola da gamba, and produced significant compositions for that instrument. He was director of music at the Dresden court from 1743, and moved to London in 1759, becoming chamber-musician to Queen Charlotte in 1764. He founded a subscription concert series there with Johann Christian Bach. According to the Catalogue of Works of Carl Friedrich Abel (AbelWV), he left 420 compositions, with a focus on chamber music.

22/12/1696

James Oglethorpe, English general and politician, 1st Colonial Governor of Georgia (died 1785)

Lieutenant-General James Edward Oglethorpe was a British army officer, Tory politician and colonial administrator best known for founding the Province of Georgia in British North America. As a social reformer, he hoped to resettle Britain's "worthy poor" in the New World, initially focusing on those in debtors' prisons.

22/12/1694

Hermann Samuel Reimarus, German philosopher and academic (died 1768)

Hermann Samuel Reimarus, was a German philosopher and writer of the Enlightenment who is remembered for his Deism, the doctrine that human reason can arrive at a knowledge of God and ethics from a study of nature and our own internal reality, thus eliminating the need for religions based on revelation. He denied the supernatural origin of Christianity, and was the first influential critic to investigate the historical Jesus. According to Reimarus, Jesus was a mortal Jewish prophet, and the apostles founded Christianity as a religion separate from Jesus’ own ministry.

22/12/1666

Guru Gobind Singh, Indian guru and poet (died 1708)

Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last human Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine, he was formally made the leader of the Sikhs after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur—the ninth Sikh Guru—was executed by the emperor Aurangzeb. His four biological sons died during his lifetime—two in battle and two executed by the Mughal administrator Wazir Khan.

22/12/1639

Jean Racine, French poet and playwright (died 1699)

Jean-Baptiste Racine was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille, as well as an important literary figure in the Western tradition and world literature. Racine was primarily a tragedian, producing such "examples of neoclassical perfection" as Phèdre, Andromaque, and Athalie. He did write one comedy, Les Plaideurs, and a muted tragedy, Esther, for the young.

22/12/1591

Tommaso Dingli, Maltese architect and sculptor (died 1666)

Tommaso Dingli was a Maltese architect and sculptor. One of the last Renaissance architects on the island, he designed several parish churches, most notably those of Attard and Birkirkara.

22/12/1569

Étienne Martellange, French architect (died 1641)

Étienne Martellange was a French Jesuit architect and draftsman. He travelled widely in France as an architect for the Jesuit order and designed more than 25 buildings, mostly schools and their associated chapels or churches. His buildings reflect the Baroque style of the Counter-Reformation and include the Chapelle de la Trinité in Lyon and the church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis in Paris. In the course of his travels he made almost 200 detailed pen drawings depicting views of towns, buildings and monuments. These pictures have survived and provide an important historical record of French towns in the first third of the 17th century.

22/12/1550

Cesare Cremonini, Italian philosopher and author (died 1631)

Cesare Cremonini, sometimes Cesare Cremonino, was an Italian academic and professor of natural philosophy. His Latinized name was Cæsar Cremoninus or Cæsar Cremonius. Considered one of the greatest philosophers in his time, patronized by Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, corresponding with kings and princes who had his portrait, paid twice the salary of Galileo Galilei, he is now more remembered as an infamous side actor of the Galileo affair, being one of the two scholars who refused to look through Galileo's telescope.

22/12/1546

Kuroda Yoshitaka, Japanese daimyō (died 1604)

Kuroda Yoshitaka , also known as Kuroda Kanbei , was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the late Sengoku through the early Edo period. Renowned as a man of great ambition, he succeeded Takenaka Hanbei as a chief strategist and adviser to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kuroda became a Christian when he was 38, and received "Simeon Josui" as a baptismal name (rekishijin). His quick wit, bravery, and loyalty were respected by his warriors.

22/12/1459

Sultan Cem, Ottoman politician (died 1495)

Cem Sultan was a claimant to the Ottoman throne in the 15th century.

22/12/1300

Khutughtu Khan Kusala, Mongolian emperor (died 1329)

Khutughtu Khan, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Mingzong of Yuan, was a son of Khayishan who seized the throne of the Yuan dynasty of China in 1329, but died in suspicious circumstances six months later. Apart from the Emperor of China, he is considered as the 13th Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, although it was only nominal due to the division of the empire.

22/12/1183

Chagatai Khan, Mongol ruler (died 1242)

Chagatai Khan was a son of Genghis Khan, a prominent figure in the early Mongol Empire, and the first khan of the Chagatai Khanate. The second son of Genghis's wife Börte, Chagatai was renowned for his masterful knowledge of Mongol custom and law, which he scrupulously obeyed, as well as his harsh temperament. Because Genghis felt that he was too inflexible in character, most notably never accepting the legitimacy of his elder brother Jochi, he excluded Chagatai from succession to the Mongol throne. He was nevertheless a key figure in ensuring the stability of the empire after Genghis's death and during the reign of his younger brother Ögedei Khan.

22/12/1178

Emperor Antoku of Japan (died 1185)

Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. His death marked the end of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period.

22/12/1095

Roger II of Sicily (died 1154)

Roger II or Roger the Great was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, became Duke of Apulia and Calabria in 1127, then King of Sicily in 1130 and King of Africa in 1148.

22/12/0948

Kang Kam-ch'an, Korean official and general (died 1031)

Kang Kamch'an was a medieval Korean government official and military commander during the early days of the Goryeo period (918–1392). Even though he was a career scholar and government official, he is best known for his military victories during the Third Goryeo-Khitan War. Kang came from the Geumju Kang clan.

22/12/0244

Diocletian, Roman emperor (died 311)

Diocletian, nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia. As with other Illyrian soldiers of the period, Diocles rose through the ranks of the military early in his career, serving under Aurelian and Probus, and eventually becoming a cavalry commander for the army of Emperor Carus. After the deaths of Carus and his son Numerian on a campaign in Persia, Diocles was proclaimed emperor by the troops, taking the name "Diocletianus". The title was also claimed by Carus's surviving son, Carinus, but Diocletian defeated him in the Battle of the Margus.

Lives Remembered on 22nd December

On 22nd December, 99 remarkable people passed away — from 69 to 2025. Remember the lives and legacies of those we lost on this day.

22/12/2025

Chris Rea, English singer-songwriter (born 1951)

Christopher Anton Rea was an English rock and blues singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He was known for his distinctive gravelly voice, slide guitar playing and music style blending soft rock with blues.

22/12/2023

Leon Coates, English composer (born 1937)

Leon Coates (1937–2023) was an English composer, pianist and conductor who worked mostly in Scotland.

22/12/2019

Ram Dass, American spiritual teacher and author (born 1931)

Ram Dass, also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and writer. His best-selling 1971 book Be Here Now, which has been described by multiple reviewers as "seminal", helped popularize Eastern spirituality and yoga in the West. He authored or co-authored twelve more books on spirituality over the next four decades, including Grist for the Mill (1977), How Can I Help? (1985), and Polishing the Mirror (2013).

22/12/2018

Paddy Ashdown, British politician (born 1941)

Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internationally, he is recognised for his role as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006, following his vigorous lobbying for military action against Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Simcha Rotem, last survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (born 1924)

Simcha Rotem was a Polish-Israeli veteran who was a member of the Jewish underground in Warsaw and served as the head courier of the Jewish Fighting Organization (ŻOB), which planned and executed the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising against the Nazis. He was one of the last two surviving Jewish fighters in the Warsaw uprising.

Herman Sikumbang, Indonesian guitarist (born 1982); casualty during 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami

Seventeen was an Indonesian pop rock band that was formed in 1999 in Yogyakarta by schoolmates Yudhi Rus Harjanto, Herman Sikumbang, Zulianto "Zozo" Angga, and Windu Andi Darmawan, all of whom were 17 when the group was formed. Vocalists Yohan "Doni" Saputro and Riefian "Ifan" Fajarsyah, and bassist M. Awal "Bani" Purbani joined the band at a later date.

22/12/2017

Gonzalo Morales Sáurez, Costa Rican painter (born 1945)

Gonzalo Morales Sáurez was a Costa Rican painter. He studied in The San Fernando Academy in Madrid, Spain from 1970 to 1974. He is best known for his hyper-realistic works, and has exhibited his art in many museums and art galleries in Europe and the Americas.

22/12/2016

Chad Robinson, Australian rugby league player (born 1980)

Chad Damian Robinson was an Australian professional rugby league footballer. Robinson spent several years in Australia's National Rugby League with the Parramatta Eels and the Sydney Roosters and a season with Super League side Harlequins RL.

22/12/2015

Peter Lundblad, Swedish singer-songwriter (born 1950)

Gustaf Peter Lundblad was a Swedish singer and songwriter, well known for his 1986 song Ta mig till havet. Lundblad started his career in the band 'The most Remarkable Nailband' where Lasse Tennander appeared as songwriter. Later they started the band 'Duga' but Tennander left the band quickly. In 1978, Lundblad and Torbjörn wrote and recorded the song Who Will Comfort Toffle? which also is a children's book written by Tove Jansson. Together with Agneta Olsson, Lundblad competed in Melodifestivalen 1983 with the song Vill du ha mig efter gryningen.

Freda Meissner-Blau, Australian activist and politician (born 1927)

Freda Meissner-Blau was an Austrian politician, activist, and prominent figurehead in the Austrian environmental movement. She was a founder and the federal spokesperson of the Austrian Green Party.

22/12/2014

John Robert Beyster, American physicist and academic (born 1924)

John Robert Beyster, often styled J. Robert Beyster, was an American scientist and entrepreneur, and the founder of Science Applications International Corporation. He was Chairman of the Board until his retirement in July 2004, and served as chief executive officer (CEO) until November 2003. Beyster's primary areas of interest were national security and nuclear reactor physics. Beyster also founded two nonprofit organizations to assist organizations considering employee ownership: the Beyster Institute and the Foundation for Enterprise Development.

Christine Cavanaugh, American actress (born 1963)

Christine Josephine Cavanaugh was an American actress, who had a distinctive speaking style and provided the voice for a large range of mostly cartoon characters. She was the original voices of Chuckie Finster in Nickelodeon's Rugrats and the titular protagonists of Cartoon Network's Dexter's Laboratory and Universal Pictures' live-action film Babe, respectively, as well as the voices of Gosalyn Mallard in Disney's Darkwing Duck, Bunnie Rabbot from DIC Entertainment's Sonic the Hedgehog television series, Marty Sherman in The Critic and Oblina in Nickelodeon's Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.

Joe Cocker, English singer-songwriter (born 1944)

John Robert "Joe" Cocker was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were interpretations of songs written by others, such as "Feelin' Alright" and "Unchain My Heart", though Cocker composed original songs for most of his albums as well, often in conjunction with songwriting partner Chris Stainton.

Bernard Stone, American lawyer and politician (born 1927)

Bernard "Berny" L. Stone was alderman of the 50th Ward of the City of Chicago, Illinois from 1973 to 2011. The 50th Ward encompasses part of Chicago's far North Side and includes the West Ridge and Peterson Park neighborhoods. First elected to the Council in 1973, Stone was the second longest-serving alderman. His tenure spanned the terms of seven Mayors, from Richard J. Daley to Richard M. Daley. Stone was also Vice Mayor of the City of Chicago from 1998 to 2011.

22/12/2013

Diomedes Díaz, Colombian singer-songwriter (born 1956)

Diomedes Díaz Maestre was a Colombian vallenato singer and composer. He has been named the "King of Vallenato" and is nicknamed El Cacique de La Junta, which was given to him by another vallenato singer, Rafael Orozco Maestre, in honor of Díaz's birthplace. Diomedes is the greatest Colombian singer-songwriter of vallenato music and the biggest seller of records in that musical genre, surpassing 20 million copies.

Hans Hækkerup, Danish lawyer and politician (born 1945)

Hans Hækkerup was a Danish politician who has served as a member of parliament (Folketing) for the Social Democratic party and as the Minister of Defence from 1993 to 2000 under Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.

Oscar Peer, Swiss author, playwright, and philologist (born 1928)

Oscar Peer was a Swiss novelist, playwright and philologist. His works were written in Romansch and German, and comprised epic novels, short stories, and drama. He was also well known for his Ladin-German dictionary.

22/12/2012

Chuck Cherundolo, American football player and coach (born 1916)

Charles James Cherundolo Jr. was an American professional football player and coach. He played center and linebacker for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was born in Old Forge, Pennsylvania.

Ryan Freel, American baseball player (born 1976)

Ryan Paul Freel was an American professional baseball player. A utility player, Freel played second base, third base, and all three outfield positions in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays between 2001 and 2009.

Cliff Osmond, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1937)

Cliff Osmond was an American character actor, screenwriter, and acting teacher.

Lim Keng Yaik, Malaysian physician and politician (born 1939)

Lim Keng Yaik was a Malaysian politician and former Minister of Energy, Water and Communications in the Malaysian cabinet. He was the third president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) from 1980 until stepping down on 8 April 2007 to pave the way for Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon. Just before his death, he was among the only four living Chinese with Tunship holders in Malaysia.

22/12/2010

Fred Foy, American soldier and announcer (born 1921)

Frederick William Foy was an American radio and television announcer and actor. He is best known for his narration of The Lone Ranger. Radio historian Jim Harmon described Foy as "the announcer, perhaps the greatest announcer-narrator in the history of radio drama."

22/12/2009

Luis Francisco Cuéllar, Colombian rancher and politician (born 1940)

Luis Francisco Cuéllar Carvajal was a Colombian politician, serving as Mayor of Morelia, Governor of the Caquetá Department from 2008 to 2009, and Deputy Governor of Caqueta from 2000 to 2003. He is known for being kidnapped and murdered by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and for being kidnapped and held for ransom four times.

Albert Scanlon, English footballer (born 1935)

Albert Joseph Scanlon was an English footballer who played as an outside left. He began his career with Manchester United and was one of the "Busby Babes" who survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. Although he sustained severe injuries, he recovered and continued to play league football for Newcastle United, Lincoln City and Mansfield Town. He then went on to play non-league football until his retirement.

22/12/2007

Charles Court, Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia (born 1911)

Sir Charles Walter Michael Court was an Australian politician who was the premier of Western Australia from 8 April 1974 to 25 January 1982. A member of the Liberal Party, Court was the member for Nedlands in the Parliament of Western Australia from 1953 to 1982. He held multiple portfolios during this time, including as the minister for industrial development from 1959 to 1971, when he became known for developing Western Australia's mining industry.

Adrian Cristobal, Filipino journalist and playwright (born 1932)

Adrian Empremiado Cristobal Sr. was a Filipino writer who frequently touched on political and historical themes. Perhaps best known to the public for his "Breakfast Table" newspaper column, he was also a Palanca Award–winning playwright, fictionist and essayist. He likewise held several positions in government during the administration of President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

22/12/2006

Elena Mukhina, Russian gymnast (born 1960)

Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina was a Soviet gymnast who won the all-around title at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France. Her career was on the rise, and she was widely touted as the next great gymnastics star until 1979, when she broke a leg and missed several competitions. The rushed recovery from that injury, combined with pressure to master a dangerous and difficult tumbling move caused her to break her neck two weeks before the opening of the 1980 Summer Olympics, leaving her permanently quadriplegic.

Galina Ustvolskaya, Russian composer (born 1919)

Galina Ivanovna Ustvolskaya, was a Russian composer of classical music.

22/12/2004

Doug Ault, American baseball player and manager (born 1950)

Douglas Reagan Ault was an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter who played for the Texas Rangers (1976) and Toronto Blue Jays. He is best known for hitting the first two home runs in Blue Jays history, in the team's first Major League Baseball (MLB) game on April 7, 1977, a 9–5 Toronto win against the Chicago White Sox.

22/12/2002

Desmond Hoyte, Guyanese lawyer, politician and President of Guyana (born 1929)

Hugh Desmond Hoyte was a Guyanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1984 to 1985 and President of Guyana from 1985 until 1992.

Joe Strummer, English singer-songwriter (born 1952)

John Graham Mellor, known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash.

22/12/2001

Ovidiu Iacov, Romanian footballer (born 1981)

Ovidiu Nicolae Iacov was a Romanian footballer. During his career he played only for Steaua București.

Walter Newton Read, American lawyer and second chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission (born 1918)

Walter Newton "Bud" Read was an American lawyer and the second chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, from 1982 to 1989.

22/12/1997

Sebastian Arcos Bergnes, Cuban-American dentist and activist (born 1931)

Sebastian Arcos Bergnes was a Cuban human rights activist. A prominent Cuban dissident, he was openly adversarial to the dictatorships of Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista.

22/12/1996

Jack Hamm, American cartoonist and television host (born 1916)

Jack Beaumont Hamm was an American artist from Wichita, Kansas who is recognized both for his Christian-themed artwork and editorial cartoons, and for his books on drawing technique. He both studied and taught at the Frederic Mizen Academy of Art. As a cartoonist and comic strip letterer, he worked on the Bugs Bunny, Alley Oop, and Boots and Her Buddies comic strips before attending Baylor University to study theology. He taught at Baylor both before and after he graduated in 1948.

22/12/1995

Butterfly McQueen, American actress and dancer (born 1911)

Butterfly McQueen was an American actress. Originally a dancer, McQueen first appeared on the silver screen as Prissy in Gone with the Wind (1939). She also appeared in the films Cabin in the Sky (1943), Mildred Pierce (1944), and Duel in the Sun (1946).

James Meade, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1907)

James Edward Meade FBA was a British economist who made major contributions to the theory of international trade and welfare economics. Along with Richard Kahn, James Meade helped develop the concept of the Keynesian multiplier while participating in the Cambridge circus. In the 1930s, he served as specialist adviser on behalf of the British government at the Economic and Financial Organization of the League of Nations.

22/12/1993

Don DeFore, American actor (born 1913)

Donald John DeFore was an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1952 to 1957 and the sitcom Hazel from 1961 to 1965, the former of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

22/12/1992

Harry Bluestone, English violinist and composer (born 1907)

Harry Bluestone was an English-American composer and violinist who composed music for TV and film. He was prolific and worked mainly on composing with Emil Cadkin. Earlier on, he was a violinist and freelanced on radio in the 1930s with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers. Some of his compositions were also featured on APM Music.

Frederick William Franz, American religious leader (born 1893)

Frederick William Franz was a president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, the legal entity used to administer the work of Jehovah's Witnesses, and he also was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. He had previously served as vice-president of the same corporation from 1945 until 1977 when he replaced Nathan H. Knorr as president. His position was administrative, as the Governing Body assumed control of all Jehovah's Witness corporations in 1976. He remained president until his death in 1992.

22/12/1989

Samuel Beckett, Irish author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1906)

Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish novelist, playwright, poet, and literary critic. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical works feature bleak, impersonal, and tragicomic episodes of life, coupled with black comedy and literary nonsense. Beckett is widely regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of the 20th century, credited with transforming modern theatre. As a major figure of Irish literature, he is best known for his tragicomedy play Waiting for Godot (1953). For his foundational contribution to both literature and theatre, Beckett received the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature, "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation."

22/12/1988

Chico Mendes, Brazilian trade union leader and activist (born 1944)

Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes, was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader, and environmentalist who fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest and advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and Indigenous people. He was assassinated by a hired killer on 22 December 1988. The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, a body under the jurisdiction of the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, is named in his honour.

22/12/1987

Luca Prodan, Italian-Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1953)

Luca George Prodan was an Italian–Scottish musician and singer, best known as lead vocalist of the influential Argentine alternative rock band Sumo. He is widely considered one of the country's most important artists.

22/12/1986

Mary Burchell, English author and activist (born 1904)

Ida Cook was a British campaigner for Jewish refugees and, as Mary Burchell, a romance novelist.

David Penhaligon, Cornish Liberal Politician (born 1944), Member of Parliament (MP) for Truro (1974–1986)

David Charles Penhaligon was a British politician from Cornwall who was Liberal Member of Parliament for Truro from October 1974 until his death in 1986. He was a popular figure in all parties, and was seen by many as a potential future front-runner for the party leadership until his sudden death in a traffic collision.

22/12/1985

D. Boon, American singer and musician (born 1958)

Dennes Dale Boon, commonly known as D. Boon, was an American musician, best known as the guitarist, singer and songwriter of the punk rock trio Minutemen.

22/12/1979

Darryl F. Zanuck, American director and producer (born 1902)

Darryl Francis Zanuck was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. Best known as a co-founder of 20th Century Fox, he played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors. Zanuck produced three films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture and won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award twice, the only person to receive more than one.

22/12/1974

Sterling North, American author and critic (born 1906)

Thomas Sterling North was an American writer. He is best known for the children's book Rascal, a bestseller in 1963.

Carlos Alberto Sacheri, Argentinian philosopher (born 1933)

Carlos Alberto Sacheri was an Argentine Thomist philosopher and scholar. He was murdered in front of his family by ERP members on 22 December 1974 in Buenos Aires; he was targeted because of his perceived anticommunism. He was a disciple of the priest Julio Meinvielle. The most widespread of his publications was The Clandestine Church (1971), a denunciation of modernism and liberation theology from traditional positions.

22/12/1971

Godfried Bomans, Dutch journalist and author (born 1913)

Godfried Jan Arnold Bomans was a Dutch author and television personality. Much of his work remains untranslated into English.

22/12/1969

Enrique Peñaranda, 45th President of Bolivia (born 1892)

Enrique Peñaranda del Castillo was a Bolivian general who served as the 38th president of Bolivia from 1940 until his overthrow in 1943. He previously served as commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces during the second half of the Chaco War (1932–1935).

22/12/1968

Raymond Gram Swing, American journalist (born 1887)

Raymond Gram Swing was an American print and broadcast journalist. He was one of the most influential news commentators of his era, heard by people worldwide as a leading American voice from Britain during World War II. Known originally as Raymond Swing, he adopted his wife's last name in 1919 and became known as Raymond Gram Swing.

22/12/1965

Richard Dimbleby, English journalist (born 1913)

Frederick Richard Dimbleby was an English journalist and broadcaster who became the BBC's first war correspondent and then its leading TV news commentator.

22/12/1962

Ross McLarty, Australian politician, 17th Premier of Western Australia (born 1891)

Sir Duncan Ross McLarty, was an Australian politician and the 17th Premier of Western Australia.

22/12/1960

Ninian Comper, Scottish-English architect (born 1864)

Sir John Ninian Comper was a Scottish-born architect, one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects.

22/12/1959

Gilda Gray, Polish-American actress and dancer (born 1901)

Gilda Gray was a Polish-American dancer and actress who popularized a dance called the "shimmy" which became fashionable in 1920s films and theater productions.

22/12/1957

Frank George Woollard, English engineer (born 1883)

Frank George Woollard was a British mechanical engineer who worked for nearly three decades in the British motor industry in various roles in design, production, and management. He was a pioneer in flow production, what is better known as the "Toyota Production System", but whose work has been forgotten.

22/12/1950

Frederick Freake, English polo player (born 1876)

Sir Frederick Charles Maitland Freake, 3rd Baronet was a British polo player in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1908 Summer Olympics.

22/12/1944

Harry Langdon, American actor, comedian, and vaudevillian (born 1884)

Henry Philmore "Harry" Langdon was an American actor and comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films, and talkies.

22/12/1943

Beatrix Potter, English children's book writer and illustrator (born 1866)

Helen Beatrix Heelis, usually known as Beatrix Potter, was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which was her first commercially published work in 1902. Her books, including The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck and The Tale of Tom Kitten, have sold more than 250 million copies. An entrepreneur, Potter was a pioneer of character merchandising. In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy, making him the oldest licensed character.

22/12/1942

Franz Boas, German-American anthropologist and linguist (born 1858)

Franz Uri Boas was a German-American anthropologist and ethnomusicologist. He was a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology". His work is associated with the movements known as historical particularism and cultural relativism.

22/12/1941

Karel Hašler, Czech actor, director, composer, and screenwriter (born 1879)

Karel Hašler was a Czech songwriter, actor, lyricist, film and theatre director, composer, writer, dramatist, screenwriter and cabaretier. He was murdered in the Mauthausen concentration camp.

22/12/1940

Nathanael West, American author and screenwriter (born 1903)

Nathanael West was an American writer and screenwriter. He is remembered for two darkly satirical novels: Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) and The Day of the Locust (1939), set respectively in the newspaper and Hollywood film industries.

22/12/1939

Ma Rainey, American singer (born 1886)

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey was an American blues singer and influential early-blues recording artist. Dubbed the "Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of southern blues, influencing a generation of blues singers. Rainey was known for her powerful vocal abilities, energetic disposition, majestic phrasing, and a "moaning" style of singing. Her qualities are present and most evident in her early recordings "Bo-Weevil Blues" and "Moonshine Blues".

22/12/1925

Amelie Beese, German pilot and engineer (born 1886)

Amelie Hedwig Boutard-Beese, also known as Melli Beese, was the first female German pilot, qualifying in 1911, as well as the first such aircraft engineer. Together with Lilly Steinschneider and Marie Marvingt, she is considered one of the first female pioneers of aviation. To get there, however, she had to overcome many obstacles and fight the male-dominated bastion.

Frank Munsey, American publisher, banker, political financier and author (born 1854)

Frank Andrew Munsey was an American newspaper and magazine publisher, banker, political financier and author. He was born in Mercer, Maine, but spent most of his life in New York City. The village of Munsey Park, New York, is named for him, along with The Munsey Building in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, at the southeast corner of North Calvert and East Fayette Streets.

22/12/1924

Karl Denke, German serial killer and cannibal (born 1860)

Karl Denke was a German serial killer and cannibal who killed and cannibalized dozens of homeless vagrants and travellers from 1903 to 1924. He has been nicknamed the Cannibal of Münsterberg and the Forgotten Cannibal.

22/12/1919

Hermann Weingärtner, German gymnast (born 1864)

Otto Ludwig Hermann Weingärtner was a German gymnast.

22/12/1918

Aristeidis Moraitinis, Greek lieutenant and pilot (born 1891)

Aristeidis Moraitinis was a Greek naval officer and pioneer of naval aviation. He participated in the first naval-air mission in history during the Balkan Wars and became the only Greek flying ace of World War I, with nine aerial victories.

22/12/1917

Frances Xavier Cabrini, Italian-American nun and saint (born 1850)

Frances Xavier Cabrini, also known as Mother Cabrini, was a prominent Italian-American religious sister in the Catholic Church. She was the first American to be recognized by the Catholic Church as a Saint.

22/12/1915

Rose Talbot Bullard, American medical doctor and professor (born 1864)

Rose Talbot Bullard was an American physician and medical school professor, who was elected president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association in 1902.

22/12/1902

Richard von Krafft-Ebing, German-Austrian psychiatrist and author (born 1840)

Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing was a German psychiatrist and author of the foundational work Psychopathia Sexualis (1886).

22/12/1899

Dwight L. Moody, American evangelist and publisher, founded Moody Publishers (born 1837)

Dwight Lyman Moody, also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts, Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers. One of his most famous quotes was "Faith makes all things possible... Love makes all things easy." Moody gave up his lucrative boot and shoe business to devote his life to revivalism, working first in the Civil War with Union troops through YMCA in the United States Christian Commission. In Chicago, he built one of the major evangelical centers in the nation, which is still active. Working with singer Ira Sankey, he toured the country and the British Isles, drawing large crowds with a dynamic speaking style.

22/12/1891

Paul de Lagarde, German biblical scholar and orientalist (born 1827)

Paul Anton de Lagarde was a German biblical scholar and orientalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest orientalists of the 19th century. Lagarde authored dozens of books, many on politics. His anti-Semitism, anti-Slavism, and aversion to traditional Christianity were influential precursors of Nazism.

22/12/1884

John Chisum, American cattle baron (born 1824)

John Simpson Chisum was a wealthy cattle baron on the frontier in the American West in the mid-to-late 19th century. As a rancher, he established large herds throughout the New Mexico territory, becoming known as the "Cattle King of the Pecos"; though his business ventures embroiled him in various conflicts, such as the Pecos War and the Lincoln County War. He is remembered as one of the most influential American cattlemen, and his name and life were remembered through memorials, books, films and shows.

22/12/1880

George Eliot, English novelist and poet (born 1819)

Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrote seven novels: Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Romola (1862–1863), Felix Holt, the Radical (1866), Middlemarch (1871–1872) and Daniel Deronda (1876). Her novels are known for their realism, psychological insight, sense of place, and detailed depiction of the countryside. Middlemarch was described by the novelist Virginia Woolf as "one of the few English novels written for grown-up people" and by Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as the greatest novel in the English language.

22/12/1870

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Spanish journalist, poet, and playwright (born 1836)

Gustavo Adolfo Claudio Domínguez Bastida, better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, was a Spanish Romantic poet and writer, also a playwright, literary columnist, and talented in drawing. He is one of the most important figures in Spanish literature, with some considering him the most read Spanish writer after Miguel de Cervantes. He adopted the alias of Bécquer as his brother Valeriano Bécquer, a painter, had done earlier. He was associated with the romanticism and post-romanticism movements and wrote while realism enjoyed success in Spain. He was moderately well-known during his life, but it was after his death that most of his works were published. His best-known works are the Rhymes and the Legends, usually published together as Rimas y leyendas. These poems and tales are essential to studying Spanish literature and common reading for high-school students in Spanish-speaking countries.

22/12/1867

Jean-Victor Poncelet, French mathematician and engineer (born 1788)

Jean-Victor Poncelet was a French engineer and mathematician who served most notably as the Commanding General of the École Polytechnique. He is considered a reviver of projective geometry, and his work Traité des propriétés projectives des figures is considered the first definitive text on the subject since Gérard Desargues' work on it in the 17th century. He later wrote an introduction to it: Applications d'analyse et de géométrie.

22/12/1853

Manuel María Lombardini, Mexican general and politician. President (1853) (born 1802)

Manuel Apolinario Josef María Ignacio Antonio Lombardini de la Torre (1802–1853) was a Mexican soldier who served as president briefly for about three months in 1853. He rose to power in the wake of a revolution against the government of President Mariano Arista. After Arista and his successor Juan Bautista Ceballos resigned, the insurgents elevated Lombardini to the presidency as a matter of convenience, and he was only ever meant to serve as a placeholder while the true aim of the insurgents, the restoration of Santa Anna, was carried out. Lombardini would resign accordingly on 20 April, and he died of pneumonia in December of the same year.

22/12/1828

William Hyde Wollaston, English chemist and physicist (born 1766)

William Hyde Wollaston was an English chemist and physicist who is famous for discovering the chemical elements palladium and rhodium. He also developed a way to process platinum ore into malleable ingots, patented the camera lucida, and made contributions in electricity and spectroscopy.

22/12/1806

William Vernon, English-American merchant (born 1719)

William Vernon, of Newport, Rhode Island, was a merchant in the Atlantic slave trade who played a leading role in the Continental Congress' maritime activities during the American Revolution. In 1774, Vernon was member of the committee of correspondence between Newport and Boston. As president of the Eastern Navy Board during the Revolution, he was responsible for building and outfitting the ships of the Continental Navy. William Vernon was one of the charter members of the Artillery Company of Newport, and is the namesake of the Vernon House.

22/12/1788

Percivall Pott, English physician and surgeon (born 1714)

Percivall Pott was an English surgeon, one of the founders of orthopaedics, and the first scientist to demonstrate that cancer may be caused by an environmental carcinogen, namely chimney sweeps' carcinoma. Many diseases are his namesake including Pott's fracture, Pott's disease of the spine, and Pott's puffy tumour. It is believed that Pott's standard of living contributed to the rise of the surgeon within social standings.

22/12/1767

John Newbery, English publisher (born 1713)

John Newbery, considered "The Father of Children's Literature", was an English publisher of books who first made children's literature a sustainable and profitable part of the literary market. He also supported and published the works of Christopher Smart, Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Johnson. In recognition of his achievements the Newbery Medal was named after him in 1922.

22/12/1681

Richard Alleine, English minister and author (born 1611)

Richard Alleine was an English Puritan divine.

22/12/1666

Guercino, Italian painter (born 1591)

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, better known as (il) Guercino, was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vigorous naturalism of his early manner contrasts with the classical equilibrium of his later works. His many drawings are noted for their luminosity and lively style.

22/12/1660

André Tacquet, Flemish priest and mathematician (born 1612)

André Tacquet was a Brabantian mathematician and Jesuit priest. Tacquet adhered to the methods of the geometry of Euclid and the philosophy of Aristotle and opposed the method of indivisibles.

22/12/1646

Petro Mohyla, Ruthenian metropolitan and saint (born 1596)

Petro Mohyla or Peter Mogila was the Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Eastern Orthodox Church from 1633 to 1646.

22/12/1641

Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, 2nd Prime Minister of France (born 1560)

Maximilien de Béthune Sully, 1st Prince of Sully, Marquis of Rosny and Nogent, Count of Muret and Villebon, Viscount of Meaux was a French nobleman, soldier, statesman, and counselor of King Henry IV of France. Historians emphasize Sully's role in building a strong, centralized administrative system in France using coercion and highly effective new administrative techniques. While not all of his policies were original, he used them well to revitalize France after the European wars of religion. Most, however, were repealed by later monarchs who preferred absolute power. Historians have also studied his Neostoicism and his ideas about virtue, prudence, and discipline.

22/12/1603

Mehmed III, Ottoman sultan (born 1566)

Mehmed III was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1595 until his death in 1603. Mehmed was known for ordering the execution of his brothers and leading the army in the Long Turkish War, during which the Ottoman army was victorious at the Battle of Keresztes. This victory was however undermined by some military losses such as in Győr and Nikopol. He also ordered the successful quelling of the Jelali rebellions. The sultan also communicated with the court of Elizabeth I on the grounds of stronger commercial relations and in the hopes of England to ally with the Ottomans against the Spanish.

22/12/1572

François Clouet, French miniaturist (born c. 1510)

François Clouet, son of Jean Clouet, was a French Renaissance miniaturist and painter, particularly known for his detailed portraits of the French ruling family.

22/12/1554

Alessandro Bonvicino, Italian painter (born 1498)

Alessandro Bonvicino, more commonly known as Moretto, or in Italian Il Moretto da Brescia, was an Italian Renaissance painter from Brescia, where he also mostly worked. His dated works span the period from 1524 to 1554, but he was already described as a master in 1516. He was mainly a painter of altarpieces that tend towards sedateness, mostly for churches in and around Brescia, but also in Bergamo, Milan, Verona, and Asola; many remain in the churches they were painted for. The majority of these are on canvas, but a considerable number, including some large pieces, are created on wood panels. There are only a few surviving drawings from the artist.

22/12/1530

Willibald Pirckheimer, German lawyer and author (born 1470)

Willibald Pirckheimer was a German Renaissance lawyer, author and Renaissance humanist, a wealthy and prominent figure in Nuremberg in the 16th century, imperial counsellor and a member of the governing City Council for two periods. One of the most important cultural patrons of Germany in his own right, he was the closest friend of the artist Albrecht Dürer, who made a number of portraits of him, and a close friend of the great humanist and theologian Erasmus.

22/12/1419

Antipope John XXIII

Baldassarre Cossa was Pisan antipope as John XXIII (1410–1415) during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church today regards him as an antipope in opposition to Pope Gregory XII, whom it recognizes as the rightful successor of Saint Peter. John XXIII was also an opponent of Benedict XIII, who was recognized by the French clergy and monarchy as the legitimate pope.

22/12/1115

Olaf Magnusson, King of Norway (born 1099)

Olav Magnusson was king of Norway in 1103–1115. He was the son of King Magnus Barefoot and Sigrid, daughter of Saxe of Vik.

22/12/1100

Bretislav II of Bohemia (born 1060)

Bretislaus II was the duke of Bohemia from 14 September 1092 until his death in 1100. He was the eldest son of King Vratislaus II and Adelaide, daughter of Andrew I of Hungary. He was a major enemy of paganism.

22/12/1060

Cynesige, Archbishop of York

Cynesige was a medieval English Archbishop of York between 1051 and 1060. Prior to his appointment to York, he was a royal clerk and perhaps a monk at Peterborough. As archbishop, he built and adorned his cathedral as well as other churches, and was active in consecrating bishops. After his death in 1060, the bequests he had made to a monastery were confiscated by the queen.

22/12/1012

Baha' al-Dawla, Buyid amir of Iraq

Abu Nasr Firuz Kharshadh, better known by his laqab of Baha al-Dawla was the Buyid amir of Iraq (988–1012), along with Fars and Kerman (998–1012). His early reign was dominated by struggles with his rival relatives over control of the western Persian provinces, but by 998 he managed to establish his supremacy over the Buyid confederation. His reign nevertheless saw the increasing encroachment of neighbouring powers on Buyid territory, and marks the beginning of the decline of the Buyids' power. He was the third son of 'Adud al-Dawla.

22/12/0731

Yuan Qianyao, official of the Chinese Tang dynasty

Yuan Qianyao, formally the Duke of Anyang (安陽公), was a Chinese politician during the Tang dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.

22/12/0069

Vitellius, Roman emperor (born 15)

AD 69 (LXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the consulship of Galba and Vinius. The denomination AD 69 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 22nd December

Dongzhi Festival

The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. Dōngzhì, Tōji, Dongji, Tunji, or Đông chí is the 22nd solar term, and marks the winter solstice. The term begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 270° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 285°. In common usage, Dongzhi more often refers to the particular day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 270. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually falls between December 21 and December 23.

Armed Forces Day (Vietnam)

An Armed Forces Day, alongside its branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the armed forces, or one of their branches, of a sovereign state, including their personnel, history, achievements, and sacrifices. It's often patriotic or nationalistic in nature, carrying information value outside of the conventional boundaries of a military's subculture and into the wider civilian society. Many nations around the world observe this day. It is usually distinct from a Veterans or Memorial Day, as the former is dedicated to those who previously served and the latter is dedicated to those who perished in the fulfillment of their duties.

Christian feast day: Anastasia of Sirmium (Orthodox Church)

Saint Anastasia is a Christian saint and martyr who died at Sirmium in the Roman province of Pannonia Secunda. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, she is venerated as St. Anastasia the Pharmakolytria, i.e. "Deliverer from Potions". This epithet is also translated as "One who Cures (Wounds)" in Lampe's A Patristic Greek Lexicon.

Christian feast day: Eimhin

Eimhin was the abbot and bishop of Ros-mic-Truin (Ireland), probably in the sixth century.

Christian feast day: Ernan, Son of Eogan

Ernan is the name of four Irish saints.

Christian feast day: Frances Xavier Cabrini (outside US)

Frances Xavier Cabrini, also known as Mother Cabrini, was a prominent Italian-American religious sister in the Catholic Church. She was the first American to be recognized by the Catholic Church as a Saint.

Christian feast day: Hunger

Hunger, also known as Hungerus Frisus, was the Bishop of Utrecht from 856 to 866. He is a saint of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Christian feast day: O Rex

The O Antiphons are antiphons used at Vespers during the Magnificat on the last seven days of Advent in Western Christian traditions. They likely date to sixth-century Italy, when Boethius refers to the text in The Consolation of Philosophy. They subsequently became one of the key musical features of the days leading up to Christmas.

Christian feast day: Henry Budd (Episcopal Church (USA))

Henry Budd, the first Native American ordained an Anglican priest, spent his career ministering to First Nations people. He is not to be confused with Henry Budd, a wealthy Englishman.

Christian feast day: Lottie Moon (Episcopal Church (USA))

Charlotte Digges "Lottie" Moon was an American Southern Baptist missionary to China with the Foreign Mission Board who spent nearly 40 years (1873–1912) living and working in China. As a teacher and evangelist she laid a foundation for traditionally solid support for missions among Southern Baptists, especially through its Woman's Missionary Union.

Christian feast day: December 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

December 21 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 23

Mother's Day (Indonesia)

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day, Siblings Day, and Grandparents' Day.

National Mathematics Day (India)

The Indian government declared 22 December to be celebrated as National Mathematics Day every year to mark the birth anniversary of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. It was introduced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 26 December 2011 at Madras University, to mark the 125th birth anniversary of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. On this occasion Prime minister Manmohan Singh also announced that 2012 would be celebrated as the National Mathematics Year.

Teachers' Day (Cuba)

Teachers' Day is a special day for the appreciation of teachers. It may include celebrations to honor them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community tone in education. This is one of the most celebrated days and the primary reason why countries celebrate this day on different dates, unlike many other International Days. For example, Argentina has commemorated Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's death on 11 September as Teachers' Day since 1915. In India, the birthday of the second president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, 5 September, is celebrated as Teachers' Day since 1962.

Unity Day (Zimbabwe)

The following is a list of holidays in Zimbabwe:

What Happened on 22nd December?

60 significant events took place on Friday, 22nd December — stretching from 69 to 2018. Explore the moments that shaped history on this day.

22/12/2018

A tsunami caused by an eruption of Anak Krakatau in Indonesia kills at least 430 people and injures almost a thousand more.

The 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami occurred on 22 December 2018 at around 21:38 local time after large parts of the southwestern side of Anak Krakatoa collapsed onto its caldera. The landslide spawned a tsunami wave that struck multiple coastal regions in Banten and Lampung, including the tourist destination of Anyer.

The 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown, the second-longest shutdown of the U.S. federal government in history, begins.

From December 22, 2018, until January 25, 2019, the United States federal government entered a shutdown. It was the second and final federal government shutdown involving furloughs during the first presidency of Donald Trump. It occurred when the 115th Congress and Trump could not agree on an appropriations bill to fund the operations of the federal government for the 2019 fiscal year, or a temporary continuing resolution that could extend the deadline for passing a bill. The Antideficiency Act prohibits federal departments or agencies from conducting non-essential operations without appropriations legislation in place. As a result, nine executive departments with around 800,000 employees had to shut down partially or in full, affecting about a quarter of government activities and causing employees to be furloughed or required to work without being paid. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the shutdown cost the American economy at least $11 billion USD, excluding indirect costs that were difficult to quantify.

22/12/2017

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397 against North Korea is unanimously approved.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397 is a resolution adopted unanimously on 22 December 2017 in response to North Korea's launch of a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on 28 November of that year. The resolution condemned the launch and further tightened sanctions on the country, restricting fuel imports and other trade, as well as the ability of North Korean citizens to work abroad. On 24 December, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the resolution constitutes an act of war.

22/12/2016

A study finds the VSV-EBOV vaccine against the Ebola virus between 70 and 100% effective, making it the first proven vaccine against the disease.

Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus–Zaire Ebola virus (rVSV-ZEBOV), also known as Ebola Zaire vaccine live and sold under the brand name Ervebo, is an Ebola vaccine for adults that prevents Ebola caused by the Zaire ebolavirus. When used in ring vaccination, rVSV-ZEBOV has shown a high level of protection. Around half the people given the vaccine have mild to moderate adverse effects that include headache, fatigue, and muscle pain.

22/12/2012

Bashir Ahmad Bilour of Awami National Party and eight others are killed in a Pakistan Taliban bomber suicide attack in Dhaki Nalbandi area near Qissa Khwani Bazaar.

Bashir Ahmad Bilour was a Pakistani member of the provincial assembly of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Senior Minister for Local Government and Rural Development of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

22/12/2010

The repeal of the Don't ask, don't tell policy, the 17-year-old policy banning homosexuals serving openly in the United States military, is signed into law by President Barack Obama.

The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark United States federal statute enacted in December 2010 that established a process for ending the "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy, thus allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces. It ended the policy in place since 1993 that allowed them to serve only if they kept their sexual orientation secret and the military did not learn of their sexual orientation, which was controversial.

22/12/2008

An ash dike ruptures at a solid waste containment area for a Tennessee Valley Authority coal-fired power plant in Roane County, Tennessee, releasing 4.2 million m3 (1.1 billion US gal) of coal fly ash slurry in the largest industrial spill in U.S. history.

The Kingston Fossil Plant Spill was an environmental and industrial disaster that occurred on December 22, 2008, when a dike ruptured at a coal ash pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion US gallons of coal fly ash slurry. The coal-fired power plant, located across the Clinch River from the city of Kingston, used a series of ponds to store and dewater the fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion. The spill released a slurry of fly ash and water which traveled across the Emory River and its Swan Pond embayment onto the opposite shore, covering up to 300 acres (1.2 km2) of the surrounding land. The spill damaged multiple homes and flowed into nearby waterways including the Emory River and Clinch River, both tributaries of the Tennessee River. It was the largest industrial spill in United States history.

22/12/2001

Burhanuddin Rabbani, political leader of the Northern Alliance, hands over power in Islamic State of Afghanistan to the interim government headed by President Hamid Karzai.

Burhanuddin Rabbani was an Afghan politician and teacher who served as the sixth president of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996, and again from November to December 2001.

Richard Reid attempts to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63.

Richard Colvin Reid, also known as the "Shoe Bomber", is a British terrorist who perpetrated the failed shoe bombing attempt against a transatlantic flight in 2001. Born to a career criminal father, Reid ended up in prison after years of committing petty crimes. While in prison, he was influenced by Muslim inmates he met there and converted to Islam. Later he became radicalised and went to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he trained and became a member of al-Qaeda.

22/12/1999

Just after taking off from London Stansted Airport, Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 crashes into Hatfield Forest near Great Hallingbury, killing all four people on board.

London Stansted Airport is an international airport serving the south-east of England. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, in the district of Uttlesford, Essex; it lies 31 miles north-east of Central London.

22/12/1997

Acteal massacre: Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces.

The Acteal massacre was a massacre of 45 people attending a prayer meeting of Catholic Indigenous townspeople, including a number of children and pregnant women, who were members of the pacifist group Las Abejas, in the small village of Acteal in the municipality of Chenalhó, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Right-wing paramilitary group Máscara Roja murdered the victims on December 22, 1997, while the Government of Mexico first admitted responsibility for the massacre in September 2020.

Somali Civil War: Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes the disputed title of President of Somalia by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first major step towards reconciliation in Somalia since 1991.

The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed Forces began engaging in combat against various armed rebel groups, including the Somali Salvation Democratic Front in the northeast, the Somali National Movement in the Somaliland War of Independence in the northwest, and the United Somali Congress in the south. The clan-based armed opposition groups overthrew the Barre government in 1991.

22/12/1996

Airborne Express Flight 827 crashes in Narrows, Virginia, killing all six people on board.

Airborne Express Flight 827 was a functional evaluation flight (FEF) of an ABX Air Douglas DC-8 that had undergone a major modification. On December 22, 1996, during the test flight, the aircraft stalled and crashed, killing all six people on board. Accident investigators determined the causes of the accident was improper crew control inputs and ABX's failures to establish a formal functional evaluation program, relying instead on inadequate flight program guidelines, inadequate requirements, and inadequate and misleading pilot training.

22/12/1992

During approach to Tripoli International Airport, a Boeing 727 operating as Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103 collides in mid-air with a Libyan Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23, killing 157 people.

Tripoli International Airport is a closed international airport built to serve Tripoli, the capital city of Libya. The airport is located in the area of Qasr bin Ghashir, 24 kilometres (15 mi) from central Tripoli. It used to be the hub for Libyan Airlines, Afriqiyah Airways, and Buraq Air.

22/12/1990

Lech Wałęsa is elected President of Poland.

Lech Wałęsa is a Polish statesman, dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democratically elected president of Poland since 1926 and the first-ever Polish president elected by popular vote. An electrician by trade, Wałęsa became the leader of the opposition Solidarity movement and led a successful pro-democratic effort, which in 1989 ended Communist rule in Poland and ushered in the end of the Cold War.

Final independence of Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia after termination of trusteeship.

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an archipelagic country in Oceania. The sovereign state lies west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.

22/12/1989

Romanian Revolution: Communist President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu is overthrown by Ion Iliescu after days of bloody confrontations. The deposed dictator and his wife Elena flee Bucharest in a helicopter as protesters erupt in cheers.

The Romanian revolution was a period of violent civil unrest in the Socialist Republic of Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries around the world, primarily within the Eastern Bloc. The Romanian revolution started in the city of Timișoara and soon spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating in the drumhead trial and execution of longtime Romanian Communist Party (PCR) General Secretary Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena, and the end of 42 years of Communist rule in Romania. It was also the last removal of a Marxist–Leninist government in a Warsaw Pact country during the events of 1989, and the only one that violently overthrew a country's leadership and executed its leader; according to estimates, over one thousand people died and thousands more were injured.

German reunification: Berlin's Brandenburg Gate re-opens after nearly 30 years, effectively ending the division of East and West Germany.

German reunification, also known as the expansion of the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD), was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the German Democratic Republic and the integration of its re-established constituent federated states into the Federal Republic of Germany to form present-day Germany. This date was chosen as the customary German Unity Day, and has thereafter been celebrated each year as a national holiday. On the same date, East and West Berlin were also reunified into a single city, which eventually became the capital of Germany.

22/12/1987

In Zimbabwe, the political parties ZANU and ZAPU reach an agreement that ends the violence in the Matabeleland region known as the Gukurahundi.

Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The capital and largest city is Harare, and the second largest is Bulawayo.

22/12/1984

"Subway vigilante" Bernhard Goetz shoots four would-be muggers on a 2 express train in Manhattan section of New York, United States.

On December 22, 1984, Bernhard Goetz shot four black teenagers on a New York City Subway train in Manhattan. All four victims survived, though one, Darrell Cabey, was paralyzed and suffered brain damage as a result of his injuries. Goetz fled to Bennington, Vermont, before surrendering to police nine days after the shooting. He was charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and several firearms offenses. Goetz claimed self-defense at trial, alleging that the teenagers had attempted to rob him. The jury subsequently found Goetz guilty of one count of carrying an unlicensed firearm and acquitted him of the remaining charges. For the firearm offense, he served eight months of a one-year sentence. In 1996, Cabey obtained a $43 million civil judgment against Goetz after a civil jury ruled Goetz liable.

22/12/1978

The pivotal Third Plenum of the 11th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party is held in Beijing, with Deng Xiaoping reversing Mao-era policies to pursue a program for the reform and opening up.

The 11th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, between August 12–18, 1977, about five years before the 12th National Congress, and four years after the 10th National Congress. 1,510 delegates represented the party's estimated 35 million members.

22/12/1975

U.S. President Gerald Ford creates the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in response to the 1970s energy crisis.

Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He assumed the presidency after the resignation of Richard Nixon, under whom he served as the 40th vice president from 1973 to 1974, after the resignation of Spiro Agnew. A member of the Republican Party, Ford previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1973.

22/12/1974

Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli vote to become the independent nation of Comoros. Mayotte remains under French administration.

Ngazidja, known as Grande Comore in French, and formerly known in English as Comoro, is an island in Comoros off the coast of Africa. It is the largest island in the Comoros nation. Most of its population is of the Comorian ethnic group. Its population as of 2006 is about 316,600. The island's capital is Moroni, which is also the national capital. The island is made up of two shield volcanoes, with Mount Karthala being the country's highest point at 2,361 m (7,746 ft) above sea level. In line with the 2009 revision of the constitution of 2002, it is governed by an elected governor, as are the other islands, with the federal government being much reduced in power.

22/12/1973

A Royal Air Maroc Sud Aviation Caravelle crashes near Tangier-Boukhalef Airport in Tangier, Morocco, killing 106.

Royal Air Maroc is the Moroccan national carrier, as well as the country's largest airline, ranking among the largest in Africa.

22/12/1971

The international aid organization Doctors Without Borders is founded by Bernard Kouchner and a group of journalists in Paris, France.

Médecins Sans Frontières, French for Doctors Without Borders, is a charity that provides humanitarian medical care. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. The organisation provides care for diabetes, drug-resistant infections, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, tropical and neglected diseases, tuberculosis, vaccines and COVID-19. In 2024, the charity was active in more than 75 countries with over 67,000 personnel; mostly local doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, logistical experts, water and sanitation engineers, and administrators. Private donors provide about 98% of the organisation's funding, giving MSF an annual income of approximately EUR 2.36 billion.

22/12/1968

Cultural Revolution: People's Daily posted the instructions of Mao Zedong that "The intellectual youth must go to the country, and will be educated from living in rural poverty."

The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by CCP chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his death in 1976. Its stated goal was to preserve Chinese communism by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society.

22/12/1965

In the United Kingdom, a 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) speed limit is applied to all rural roads including motorways for the first time.

Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed, expressed as kilometres per hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mph) or both. Speed limits are commonly set by the legislative bodies of national or provincial governments and enforced by national or regional police and judicial authorities. Speed limits may also be variable, or in some places nonexistent, such as on most of the Autobahnen in Germany.

22/12/1964

The first test flight of the SR-71 (Blackbird) takes place at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, United States.

The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include "Blackbird" and "Habu".

22/12/1963

The cruise ship Lakonia burns 290 kilometres (180 mi) north of Madeira, Portugal with the loss of 128 lives.

Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on shore excursions.

22/12/1948

Sjafruddin Prawiranegara established the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (Pemerintah Darurat Republik Indonesia, PDRI) in West Sumatra.

Sjafruddin Prawiranegara was an Indonesian statesman and economist. He served in various roles during his career, including as head of government in the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia, as Minister of Finance in several cabinets, and as the first Governor of Bank Indonesia. Sjafruddin later became the prime minister of the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia, a shadow government set up in opposition to the country's central government.

22/12/1945

U.S. President Harry S. Truman issues an executive order giving World War II refugees precedence in visa applications under U.S. immigration quotas.

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April. Truman set up the Marshall Plan to rebuild the badly damaged economy of Western Europe. He established both the Truman Doctrine and NATO to contain the expansion of Soviet communism. A member of the Democratic Party, he proposed numerous New Deal coalition liberal domestic reforms, but few were enacted by the conservative coalition that dominated the United States Congress.

22/12/1944

World War II: Battle of the Bulge: German troops demand the surrender of United States troops at Bastogne, Belgium, prompting the famous one word reply by Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe: "Nuts!"

The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and referred to by the Germans as Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein, was an offensive campaign on the Western Front during the Second World War, taking place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg and was intended to stop Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp and to split the Allied lines, allowing the Germans to encircle and destroy each of the four Allied armies and force the western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis powers' favor.

World War II: The People's Army of Vietnam is formed to resist Japanese occupation of Indochina, now Vietnam.

The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is the national military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wing of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). The PAVN is the backbone component of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces and includes: Ground Force, Navy, Air Defence - Air Force, Border Guard and Coast Guard. Vietnam does not have a separate and formally-structured ground force or army service. Instead, all ground troops, army corps, military districts and special forces are designated under the umbrella term combined arms and belong to the Ministry of National Defence, directly under the command of the CPV Central Military Commission, the Minister of National Defence, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.

22/12/1942

World War II: Adolf Hitler signs the order to develop the V-2 rocket as a weapon.

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany in the Nazi era, from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor of Germany in 1933 and then taking the title of Führer und Reichskanzler in 1934. Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 under his leadership marked the outbreak of the Second World War. Throughout the ensuing conflict, Hitler was closely involved in the direction of German military operations and was central to the perpetration of the genocide of about six million Jews in the Holocaust as well as the deaths of millions of other victims.

22/12/1940

World War II: Himara is captured by the Greek army.

Himarë is a municipality and region in Vlorë County, southern Albania. The municipality has a total area of 571.94 km2 (220.83 sq mi) and consists of the administrative units of Himarë, Horë-Vranisht and Lukovë. It lies between the Ceraunian Mountains and the Albanian Ionian Sea Coast and is part of the Albanian Riviera. The traditionally perceived borders of the Himarë region gradually shrank during the Ottoman period, being reduced to the town of Himarë and the villages of the coastline, generally including only Palasë, Dhërmi, Pilur, Kudhës, Vuno, Iljas and Qeparo.

22/12/1939

Indian Muslims observe a "Day of Deliverance" to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian National Congress over their not having been consulted over the decision to enter World War II with the United Kingdom.

Islam is India's second-largest religion, with 14.2% of the country's population, or approximately 172.2 million people, identifying as adherents of Islam in a 2011 census. India has the third-largest number of Muslims in the world. Most of India's Muslims are Sunni, with Shia making up about 15% of the Muslim population.

22/12/1937

The Lincoln Tunnel opens to traffic in New York City.

The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and the unsigned New York State Route 495 on the New York side. It was designed by Ole Singstad and named after Abraham Lincoln. The tunnel consists of three vehicular tubes of varying lengths, with two traffic lanes in each tube. The center tube contains reversible lanes, while the northern and southern tubes exclusively carry westbound and eastbound traffic, respectively.

22/12/1921

Opening of Visva-Bharati College, also known as Santiniketan College, now Visva Bharati University, India.

Visva-Bharati is a public central university and an Institute of National Importance located in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India. The foundation stone was laid on 8 Poush 1325 by Rabindranath Tagore, who called it Visva-Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India. Until independence it was a college. Soon after independence, the institution was given the status of a central university in 1951 by an act of the Parliament.

22/12/1920

The GOELRO economic development plan is adopted by the 8th Congress of Soviets of the Russian SFSR.

GOELRO was the first of Soviet Russia's plans for national economic recovery and development. It became the prototype for subsequent Five-Year Plans drafted by Gosplan. GOELRO is the transliteration of the Russian abbreviation for "State Commission for Electrification of Russia".

22/12/1906

An Mw 7.9 earthquake strikes Xinjiang, China, killing at least 280.

The 1906 Manasi earthquake (玛纳斯地震), also known as the Manas earthquake occurred in the morning of December 23, 1906, at 02:21 UTC+8:00 local time or December 22, 18:21 UTC. It measured 8.0–8.3 on the moment magnitude scale and 8.3 on the surface-wave magnitude scale. The epicenter of this earthquake is located in Manas County, Xinjiang, China. An estimated 280–300 people died and another 1,000 more were injured by the earthquake.

22/12/1894

The Dreyfus affair begins in France, when Alfred Dreyfus is wrongly convicted of treason.

The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided the Third French Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. The scandal began in December 1894 when Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a 35-year-old Alsatian French artillery officer of Jewish descent, was wrongfully convicted of treason for communicating French military secrets to the German Embassy in Paris. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent overseas to the penal colony on Devil's Island in French Guiana, where he spent the following five years imprisoned in very harsh conditions.

22/12/1891

Asteroid 323 Brucia becomes the first asteroid discovered using photography.

323 Brucia is a stony Phocaea asteroid and former Mars-crosser from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 33 kilometers in diameter. It was the first asteroid to be discovered by the use of astrophotography.

22/12/1890

Cornwallis Valley Railway begins operation between Kentville and Kingsport, Nova Scotia.

The Cornwallis Valley Railway (CVR) was a historic Canadian railway in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. It was built in 1889 and ran 13.6 miles (21.9 km) from Kentville to Kingsport serving the Cornwallis Township area of Kings County. For most of its history, it operated as a branch line of the Dominion Atlantic Railway and was sometimes known as the "Kingsport Line".

22/12/1888

The Christmas Meeting of 1888, considered to be the official start of the Faroese independence movement.

The Christmas Meeting of 1888 is considered to be the official start of the Faroese National Movement.

22/12/1885

Itō Hirobumi, a samurai, becomes the first Prime Minister of Japan.

Prince Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese statesman who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888. Itō held office again as prime minister three times between 1892 and 1901. He was also a member of the genrō, a group of senior statesmen who effectively dictated policy for the Empire of Japan during the Meiji era. A key figure in the making of modern Japan, Itō played a central role in the drafting of the 1889 Meiji Constitution as well as the establishment of the National Diet and Japanese cabinet system.

22/12/1864

American Civil War: Savannah, Georgia, falls to the Union's Army of the Tennessee, and General Sherman tells President Abraham Lincoln: "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah".

The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve slavery in the United States, which they saw as threatened because of the election of Abraham Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement in the North. The war ended with Union victory, the dissolution of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery, freeing four million African Americans.

22/12/1851

India's first freight train is operated in Roorkee, to transport material for the construction of the Ganges Canal.

Roorkee, formerly also anglicized as Rurki, is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is 31 km (19 mi) from Haridwar, the district headquarters. It is spread over a flat terrain under the Sivalik Hills of the Himalayas. The city is developed on the banks of the Ganges Canal, its dominant feature, which flows from north–south through the middle of the city.

22/12/1825

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., burns.

The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the de facto national library of the United States. It also administers copyright law through the United States Copyright Office, and it houses the Congressional Research Service.

22/12/1808

Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy.

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer, conductor, and pianist. Regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, he was mentored during the Classical period, and his musical style was a key driver of the transition to Romantic music, and the expansion of instrumental forms such as the symphony, the piano sonata and the string quartet. His compositions have attracted extraordinary casual and scholarly interest, and remain among the most performed in the world.

22/12/1807

The Embargo Act, forbidding trade with all foreign countries, is passed by the U.S. Congress at the urging of President Thomas Jefferson.

The Embargo Act of 1807 was a general trade embargo on all foreign nations that was enacted by the United States Congress. Much broader than the ineffectual 1806 Non-importation Act, it represented an escalation of attempts to coerce Britain and France to cease their interference with American merchant shipping as the Napoleonic Wars continued. In the first decade of the 19th century, American shipping grew. During the Napoleonic Wars, British and French authorities seized American merchantmen trading with the other side. American merchantmen bound for trade with "enemy nations" were seized as contraband of war by both European powers. The Royal Navy, angered by thousands of its sailors deserting and finding work on American merchantmen, began stopping US ships and reclaiming alleged deserters. This inflamed American public opinion, which was exacerbated by incidents such as the Chesapeake–Leopard affair.

22/12/1790

The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Alexander Suvorov and his Russian armies.

Izmail is a city and municipality on the Danube river in Odesa Oblast in south-western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Izmail Raion, one of seven districts of Odesa Oblast, and is the only locality which constitutes Izmail urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.

22/12/1788

Nguyễn Huệ proclaims himself Emperor Quang Trung, in effect abolishing on his own the Lê dynasty.

Emperor Quang Trung or Nguyễn Huệ, also known as Nguyễn Quang Bình, or Hồ Thơm was the second emperor of the Tây Sơn dynasty, reigning from 1788 until 1792. He was also one of the most successful military commanders in Vietnam's history. Nguyễn Huệ and his brothers, Nguyễn Nhạc and Nguyễn Lữ, together known as the Tây Sơn brothers, were the leaders of the Tây Sơn rebellion. As rebels, they conquered Vietnam, overthrowing the imperial Later Lê dynasty and the two rival feudal houses of the Nguyễn in the south and the Trịnh in the north.

22/12/1769

Sino-Burmese War: The war ends with the Qing dynasty withdrawing from Burma forever.

The Sino-Burmese War, also known as the Qing invasions of Burma or the Myanmar campaign of the Qing dynasty, was a war fought between the Qing dynasty of China and the Konbaung dynasty of Burma (Myanmar). The Qing under the Qianlong Emperor launched four invasions of Burma between 1765 and 1769, which were considered one of his Ten Great Campaigns. Nonetheless, the war, which claimed the lives of over 70,000 Qing soldiers and four commanders, is sometimes described as "the most disastrous frontier war that the Qing dynasty had ever waged", and one that "assured Burmese independence". Burma's successful defense laid the foundation for the present-day boundary between the two countries.

22/12/1489

The forces of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, take control of Almería from the Nasrid ruler of Granada, Muhammad XI.

The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the de facto unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, as they were both descended from John I of Castile. To remove the obstacle that this consanguinity would otherwise have posed to their marriage under canon law, they were given a papal dispensation by Sixtus IV. They married on October 19, 1469, in the city of Valladolid; Isabella was 18 years old and Ferdinand a year younger. Most scholars generally accept that the unification of Spain can essentially be traced back to the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. Their reign was called by W.H. Prescott "the most glorious epoch in the annals of Spain."

22/12/1216

Pope Honorius III approves the Dominican Order through the papal bull of confirmation Religiosam vitam.

Pope Honorius III, born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of important administrative positions, including that of Camerlengo. In 1197, he became tutor to the young Frederick II. As pope, he worked to promote the Fifth Crusade, which had been planned under his predecessor, Innocent III. Honorius repeatedly exhorted King Andrew II of Hungary and Emperor Frederick II to fulfill their vows to participate. He also gave approval to the recently formed Dominican and Franciscan religious orders.

22/12/1135

Three weeks after the death of King Henry I of England, Stephen of Blois claims the throne and is privately crowned King of England, beginning the English Anarchy.

Henry I, also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henry's elder brothers Robert Curthose and William Rufus inherited Normandy and England, respectively, thereby leaving Henry landless. He subsequently purchased the County of Cotentin in western Normandy from Robert, but his brothers deposed him in 1091. He gradually rebuilt his power base in the Cotentin and allied himself with William Rufus against Robert.

22/12/0880

Luoyang, eastern capital of the Tang dynasty, is captured by rebel leader Huang Chao during the reign of Emperor Xizong.

Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast. As of December 31, 2018, Luoyang had a population of 6,888,500 inhabitants with 2,751,400 people living in the built-up area made of the city's five out of six urban districts and Yanshi District, later being conurbated. By the end of 2022, Luoyang Municipality had jurisdiction over 7 municipal districts, 7 counties and 1 development zone. The permanent population was 7.079 million as of 2022.

22/12/0856

Damghan earthquake: An earthquake near the Persian city of Damghan kills an estimated 200,000 people, the sixth deadliest earthquake in recorded history.

The Damghan earthquake or the Qumis earthquake occurred on 22 December 856 in Khorasan province, Abbasid Caliphate. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.9, and a maximum intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The meizoseismal area extended for about 350 kilometres (220 mi) along the southern edge of the eastern Alborz mountains of present-day Iran including parts of Tabaristan and Gorgan. The earthquake's epicenter is estimated to be close to the city of Damghan, which was then the capital of the Persian province of Qumis. It caused approximately 200,000 deaths and is listed by the United States Geological Survey as the sixth deadliest earthquake in recorded history. This death toll has been debated.

22/12/0401

Pope Innocent I is elected, the only pope to succeed his father in the office.

Pope Innocent I was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the prerogatives of the Archbishop of Thessalonica, and issued a decretal on disciplinary matters referred to him by the Bishop of Rouen. He defended the exiled John Chrysostom and consulted with the bishops of Africa concerning the Pelagian controversy, confirming the decisions of the African synods.

22/12/0069

Vespasian is proclaimed Emperor of Rome; his predecessor, Vitellius, attempts to abdicate but is captured and killed at the Gemonian stairs.

AD 69 (LXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the consulship of Galba and Vinius. The denomination AD 69 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

On this day

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Personality Profile

Fun Facts About 22nd December

Famous Birthdays on 22nd December

Callan McKenna, Scottish footballer

Joe Anders, American-British actor

David Datro Fofana, Ivorian footballer

Camila Osorio, Colombian tennis player

Jack Draper, British tennis player

Joshua Bassett, American actor and singer

G Hannelius, American actress and singer

Latto, American rapper and singer

Casper Ruud, Norwegian tennis player

Rúben Lameiras, Portuguese footballer

Sergi Darder, Spanish footballer

Raphaël Guerreiro, Portuguese footballer

Meghan Trainor, American singer-songwriter and producer

Michaela Hončová, Slovak tennis player

Nick Johnson, American basketball player

Moonbyul, South Korean rapper, vocalist and songwriter

DaBaby, American rapper

Jean-Baptiste Maunier, French actor and singer

Jordin Sparks, American singer-songwriter and actress

Jacob Stallings, American baseball player

Scott Darling, American ice hockey player

Mohamed El Shenawy, Egyptian footballer

Leigh Halfpenny, Welsh rugby player

Zack Britton, American baseball player

Éder, Bissau-Portuguese footballer

Dennis Armfield, Australian footballer

Fatih Öztürk, Turkish footballer

Basshunter, Swedish singer, record producer and DJ

Greg Finley, American actor

José Fonte, Portuguese footballer

Doc Gallows, American wrestler

Viola Kibiwot, Kenyan runner

Britta Heidemann, German fencer

Alinne Moraes, Brazilian actress and model

Marina Kuptsova, Russian high jumper

Chris Carmack, American actor, singer, and model

Marcus Haislip, American basketball player

Jamie Langfield, Scottish footballer and coach

Danny Ahn, South Korean singer

Joy Ali, Fijian boxer (died 2015)

Emmanuel Olisadebe, Nigerian-Polish footballer

Steve Kariya, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Katleen De Caluwé, Belgian sprinter

Jason Lane, American baseball player and coach

Aya Takano, Japanese author and illustrator

Sergei Aschwanden, Swiss martial artist

Dmitri Khokhlov, Russian footballer and manager

Marcin Mięciel, Polish footballer

Stanislav Neckář, Czech ice hockey player

Takuya Onishi, Japanese astronaut

Rei Hance, American actress

Mark Hill, English musician, producer and songwriter

Kirk Maltby, Canadian ice hockey player and scout

Vanessa Paradis, French singer-songwriter and actress

Ajeenkya Patil, Indian economist and academic

Gary Anderson, Scottish darts player

Ted Cruz, Canadian-American lawyer and politician

Myriam Bédard, Canadian biathlete

Mark Robins, English footballer and manager

Emre Aracı, Turkish composer, conductor, and historian

Luis Hernández, Mexican footballer

Lori McKenna, American singer-songwriter

Dina Meyer, American actress

Richey Edwards, Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1995)

Stéphane Gendron, Canadian lawyer and politician

Rebecca Harris, English businesswoman and politician

Dan Petrescu, Romanian footballer and manager

Dmitry Bilozerchev, Russian gymnast and coach

Marcel Schirmer, German singer-songwriter and bass player

David Wright, English lawyer and politician

David S. Goyer, American screenwriter

Urszula Włodarczyk, Polish heptathlete and triple jumper

Mike Jackson, American baseball player

Angela James, Canadian ice hockey player