- Dec 1 Gordon Crosse, British contemporary classical composer (Grace of Todd; Purgatory; Changes), and educator, born in Bury, England (d. 2021)
- Dec 1 Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Latvian politician, 6th President and 1st woman president of Latvia, born in Riga, Latvia
- Dec 2 Brian Lumley, English sci-fi author (Compleat Crow, Psychomech), born in County Durham, England
- Dec 2 Katherine Hoover, American flautist, composer (Eleni: A Greek Tragedy), teacher, and conductor, born in Elkins, West Virginia (d. 2018)
- Dec 3 Binod Bihari Verma, Indian linguist
- Dec 3 Bobby Allison, American auto racer (Winston Cup champion 1983; Daytona 500 1978, 82, 88), born in Miami, Florida
- Dec 3 Bobby Boyd, American NFL cornerback (5 × All-Pro 1964–1968; NFL interceptions leader 1965; Baltimore Colts), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 2017)
- Dec 3 Stephen Rubin, English attorney, shoe manufacturer (Reebok, Adidas)
- Dec 4 Donnelly Rhodes, Canadian actor (Da Vinci's Inquest, Danger Bay), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2018)
- Dec 4 Max Baer Jr, American actor (Jethro-Beverly Hillbillies), born in Oakland, California
- Dec 6 Alberto Spencer, Ecuadorian soccer forward (11 caps; 5 caps Uruguay; most goals in Copa Libertadores, 54 goals 1960-72), born in Ancón, Santa Elena, Ecuador (d. 2006)
- Dec 7 Thad Cochran, American politician (U.S. Senator from Mississippi), born in Pontotoc, Mississippi (d. 2019)
- Dec 8 Arne Næss Jr., Norwegian mountain climber and businessman, born in Germany (d. 2004)
- Dec 8 James MacArthur, American actor (Danny Williams-Hawaii 5-0), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2010)
- Dec 8 Jan van Houwelingen, Dutch politician (Undersecretary of Defense (CDA), born in Leerdam, Netherlands (d. 2013)
- Dec 9 Darwin Joston, American actor (Assault on Precinct 13), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (d. 1998)
- Dec 10 Don Bies, American golfer (The Tradition 1989), born in Cottonwood, Idaho
- Dec 10 Don Sebesky, American jazz trombonist, arranger, and orchestra leader (Jimmy Dean Show), born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey
- Dec 11 (Bobbe) "Beegie" Adair (née Long), American jazz and Nashville-based session pianist, and educator, born in Cave City, Kentucky (d. 2022)
- Dec 11 Adriaan Vlok, South African politician (Minister of Law & Order (1986-91), born in Sutherland, South Africa
- Dec 11 Jim Harrison, American poet and novelist (Legends of the Fall), born in Grayling, Michigan (d. 2016)
- Dec 12 Buford Pusser, American sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, born in Finger, Tennessee (d. 1974)
- Dec 12 Connie Francis [Concetta Franconero], American singer and actress (Where the Boys Are), born in Newark, New Jersey
- Dec 12 Philip Ledger, British organist, composer, conductor, and academic (King's College Cambridge), born in Bexhill-on-Sea, England (d. 2012)
- Dec 13 Rob Houwer, Dutch director and producer and actor (OK, Professor Columbus), born in The Hague, Netherlands
- Dec 15 John Sladek, American sci-fi author (Tik-Tok, Bugs), born in Waverly, Iowa (d. 2000)
- Dec 15 Karen Morrow, American actress (The Boy in the Plastic bubble, Ladies' Man), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Dec 15 Roman Lentner, Polish soccer winger (33 caps; Górnik Zabrze SA 241 games), born in Zabrze, Śląskie, Poland (d. 2023)
- Dec 16 Bobby Porcelli, American Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz saxophone and flute player, born in New York City
- Dec 16 Edward Ruscha, American artist (Pop Art), born in Omaha, Nebraska
- Dec 16 Jim Glaser, American singer (Glaser Bros-Getting to Me Again), born in Spalding, Nebraska
- Dec 16 Joe Farrell, American jazz saxophonist, born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, (d. 1986)
- Dec 16 Joyce Bulifant, American actress (The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Marie Slaughter"), born in Newport News, Virginia
- Dec 17 Art Neville, American funk and R&B singer, keyboard player, and songwriter (Neville Brothers; The Funky Meters), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2019)
- Dec 17 Calvin Waller, US Army general (d. 1996)
- Dec 17 John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (d. 1969)
- Dec 17 Kerry Packer, Australian businessman (d. 2005)
- Dec 21 Donald F. Munson, American politician (Maryland State Senator, 1991-2011), born in Hagerstown, Maryland
Jane Fonda (85 years old)
Dec 21 American stage and screen Academy and Emmy Award-winning actress (Barbarella; Klute, 9 to 5), exercist (Jane Fonda's Workout), and political activist, born in NYC, New York
- Dec 23 Karol Joseph Bobko, American Col USAF/astronaut (STS 6, STS 51D, STS 51J), born in NYC, New York
- Dec 24 Félix Miéli Venerando, Brazilian football player, born in São Paulo, Brazil (d. 2012)
- Dec 25 Noel Furlong, Irish businessman and poker player (World Series of Poker main event 1999), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 2021)
- Dec 25 O'Kelly Isley, singer (Isley Brothers - "Twist and Shout"), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dec 26 Jay Heimowitz, American poker player
- Dec 26 John Horton Conway, British mathematician (cellular automaton Game of Life), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2020)
- Dec 28 Ratan Tata, Indian industrialist
- Dec 29 Barbara Steele, English actress (Black Sunday, 8½), born in Birkenhead, Cheshire
- Dec 30 (Noel) Paul Stookey, American singer, songwriter and musician (Peter, Paul, & Mary - "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)"), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Dec 30 Gordon Banks, English soccer goalkeeper (World Cup 1966, 73 England caps), born in Sheffield, England (d. 2019)
- Dec 30 John Hartford [Harford] American country and bluegrass banjo player, fiddler, and singer-songwriter ("Gentle on My Mind"), born in New York City (d. 2001)
- Dec 30 Tsisana Tatishvili, Georgian lyric-dramatic soprano, born in Tbilisi, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (d. 2017)
Anthony Hopkins (85 years old)
Dec 31 Welsh actor (Elephant Man, QB VII, Magic, Bounty), born in Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales
- Dec 31 Avram Hershko, Hungarian-born Israeli biochemist and Nobel laureate in Chemistry, born in Karcag, Hungary
- Dec 31 Milutin Šoškić, Serbian soccer goalkeeper (50 caps Yugoslavia; FK Partizan, 1. FC Köln), born in Peja, Kosovo (d. 2022)
- Dec 31 Nicolas Born, German writer, born in Duisburg (d. 1979)
About December 1937
How Old? 85 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No
Chinese Zodiac: Ox
Star Signs: Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21), Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)