- Dec 1 Julee Cruise, American singer (Falling) and stage actress, born in Creston, Iowa (d. 2022)
- Dec 2 Steven Bauer, Cuban-American actor (Scarface, Thief of Hearts), born in Havana, Cuba
- Dec 3 Hart Bochner, actor and director (Rich & Famous), born in Los Angeles, California
- Dec 4 Bernard King, American Basketball Hall of Fame small forward (NBA All-Star 1982, 84-85, 91; NY Knicks, Washington Bullets), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 4 Blagoi Blagoyev, Bulgarian weightlifter (World C'ship gold - 90kg 1991, 92, 93; Olympic silver - 82.5kg 1976), born in Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria
- Dec 4 Costantino Rocca, Italian golfer (British Open 1995 runner-up; hole in one 1995 Ryder Cup), born in Bergamo, Italy
- Dec 5 Brian Backer, American actor (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 5 Klaus Allofs, German soccer striker (56 caps West Germany; Fortuna Düsseldorf, 1. FC Köln, Marseille, Bordeaux, Werder Bremen) and manager (Fortuna Düsseldorf; GM Werder Bremen 1999-2012),), born in Düsseldorf, Germany
- Dec 5 Krystian Zimerman, Polish pianist and conductor, born in Zabrze, Poland
- Dec 6 Peter Buck, American rock guitarist (R.E.M. - Murmur), born in Berkeley, California
- Dec 6 Randy Rhoads, American heavy metal guitarist (Quiet Riot), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 1982)
Larry Bird (66 years old)
Dec 7 American Basketball HOF forward, coach, executive (3 x NBA C'ship; NBA Finals MVP 1984, 86; 3 × NBA MVP; 12 x NBA All Star; Boston Celtics), born in West Baden, Indiana
- Dec 8 Pierre Pincemaille, French organist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Paris (d. 2018)
- Dec 8 Warren Cuccurullo, rock guitarist (Missing Persons)
- Dec 9 Sylvia Hutton (née Kirby), American country-pop singer-songwriter (Nobody), born in Kokoma, Indiana
- Dec 10 Michael VerMeulen, American journalist and magazine editor (British GQ), born in Lake Forest, Illinois (d. 1995)
- Dec 10 Rod Blagojevich, American politician (Governor of Illinois, 2003-09 - impeached and removed), and convicted felon (corruption and solicitation of bribes), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Dec 11 Lani Brockman, American actress and theatre director, born in Seattle, Washington
- Dec 12 Ana Alicia Ortiz, Mexican-American actress (Melissa-Falcon Crest), born in Mexico City
- Dec 12 Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist (won Young Rider Classification of Tour de France 1980), born in Rijbergen, Netherlands
- Dec 13 Dale Berra, American baseball infielder (Pittsburgh Pirates, NY Yankees), born in Ridgewood, New Jersey
- Dec 13 Majida El Roumi, Lebanese singer, born in Kfarshima, Lebanon
- Dec 13 Phil Hubbard, American basketball player (Olympic gold 1976), born in Canton, Ohio
- Dec 14 Hanni Wenzel, German alpine ski racer (Olympic-2 gold-1980), born in Straubing, Bavaria, West Germany
- Dec 16 Mike Gregory, English darts player (BDO World C'ship 1992 runner-up), born in Bath, England (d. 2022)
- Dec 16 Tommy Burns, Scottish soccer midfielder (8 caps; Celtic, Kilmarnock) and manager (Scotland, Celtic, Kilmarnock, Reading), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2008)
- Dec 17 Amado Carrillo Fuentes, Mexican drug lord (Juárez Cartel), born in Guamuchilito, Mexico (d. 1997)
- Dec 17 Peter Farrelly, American film director
- Dec 18 Reinhold Ewald, German physicist and cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-25), born in Mönchengladbach, West Germany
- Dec 18 Ron White, American comedian, born in Fritch, Texas
- Dec 18 T. K. Carter, American actor (Punky Brewster - "Mike"; Just Our Luck - "Shabu"), born in Los Angeles, California
- Dec 19 Alice Barrett, American actress (Frankie Frame-Another World), born in NYC, New York
- Dec 19 Tom Lawless, American baseball player
- Dec 20 Anita Ward, American R&B and disco singer ("Ring My Bell"), born in Memphis, Tennessee [some sources cite year as 1957]
- Dec 20 Blanche Baker, American actress, Carroll Baker's Daughter (French Postcard), born in NYC, New York
- Dec 20 Guy Babylon, American keyboard player (Elton John) and arranger, born in New Windsor, Maryland (d. 2009|)
- Dec 20 Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Mauritanian 8th President of Mauritania (2009-present), born in Akjoujt, French West Africa
- Dec 21 Kevin Burnham, American sailor (Olympic gold 470 class 2004; silver 1992), born in NYC, New York (d. 2020)
- Dec 21 Lee Roy Parnell, American country singer ("Oughta Be A Law"), born in Abilene, Texas
- Dec 21 Stuart Kimball, American session and touring rock guitarist (Bob Dylan, 2004-18; Face To Face 1979-88), born in New Hampshire
- Dec 23 Dave Murray, English heavy metal guitarist and songwriter (Iron Maiden), born in London, England
- Dec 23 Michele Alboretto, Italian racing driver (Ferrari), born in Milan, Italy
- Dec 24 Stephanie Hodge, American actress & comedian (I Madman, Happily Ever After), born in Wilmington, Ohio
- Dec 25 Mansoor Akhtar, Pakistani cricket batsman (19 Tests, 1 x 100, 3 x 50s; 41 ODIs; UBL, Sind, Karachi), born in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
- Dec 26 David Sedaris, American essayist, born in Binghamton, New York
- Dec 26 Gail Tatterson, WBL center (NY Stars)
- Dec 26 Karen Smith, WBL forward (NY Stars)
- Dec 27 Doina Melinte, Romanian running star (world record 1500 m/mile indoor)
- Dec 27 Karl Denson, American funk and jazz saxophonist, flutist and vocalist (Lenny Kravitz; Tiny Universe), born in Santa Ana, California
- Dec 28 Kenneth Grant, American funk bassist andvocalist (Midnight Star - "No Parking On The Dance Floor"; "Operator")
- Dec 28 Nigel Kennedy, British classical, jazz and klezmer violinist, born in Brighton, England
- Dec 29 Fred MacAulay, Scottish comedian, born in Perth, United Kingdom
- Dec 30 Chéri Samba (Mbimba N'zinga), Congolese contemporary artist, born in Kinto M’Vuila, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Dec 30 Patricia Kalember, American actress (Sisters - "Georgie Whitsig"; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), born in Schnectady, New York
- Dec 30 Sheryl Lee Ralph, American actress on stage (Dreamgirls) in film (To Sleep with Anger); and television (Abbott Elementary), born in Waterbury, Connecticut
- Dec 30 Suzy Bogguss, American country singer ("Drive South"; "I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart"), born in Aledo, Illinois
- Dec 31 Martin Joseph Fettman, American researcher & astronaut (STS 58), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 31 Steve Rude, American comics artist, born in Madison, Wisconsin
About December 1956
How Old? 66 years old
Generation: Baby Boomer
Leap Year: Yes
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Signs: Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21), Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)