Famous Birthdays on December 4

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Scottish essayist and historian (The French Revolution), born in Ecclefechan, Scotland

1798 Jules Armand Dufaure, French statesman (Prime Minister of France 1871-73), born in Saujon, France (d. 1881)
1800 Emil Aarestrup, Danish physician and poet (Ritornellen), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1831)
1803 Augustus diZerega, American ship owner (Red Z Line), born in Martinique (d. 1888)
1808 Ernest Panckoucke, French publisher (Horatius), born in Paris (d. 1886)
1812 Elias Smith Dennis, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Newburgh, New York (d. 1894)
1818 William Wing "Old Blizzards" Loring, American Major General (Confederate Army), born in Wilmington, North Carolina (d. 1886)
1825 Hynek Vojáček, Czech composer, born in Zlín, Empire of Austria (d. 1916)
1835 Samuel Butler, English author (Erewhom, Way of All Flesh), born in Langar, Nottinghamshire, England (d. 1902)
1838 Melesio Morales, Mexican composer, born in Mexico City (d. 1908)

Crazy Horse (1840-1877)

Oglala Sioux chief (Battle of the Little Bighorn), born in Fort Robinson, Nebraska

1844 Franz Xavier Wernz, German Superior General of the Society of Jesus, born in Rottweil, Württemberg (d. 1914)
1852 Orest Khvolson, Russian physicist and honorary member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (1920), born in Saint Petersburg (d. 1934)

Chester Greenwood (1858-1937)

American inventor (invented earmuffs at 15), born in Farmington, Maine

1858 William Gunn, English cricket batsman (11 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 102no; Nottinghamshire CCC) and soccer winger (2 caps; Notts County FC), born in Nottingham, England (d. 1921)
1861 Lillian Russell [Helen Leonard], American singer and actress (Great Mogul), born in Clinton, Iowa (d. 1922)

Edith Cavell (1865-1915)

British nurse in World War I who was executed by Germany, born in Swardeston, Norfolk, England

1865 Luther Gulick, American Basketball Hall of Fame contributor (basketball pioneer; international official), born in Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands (d. 1918)
1866 Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-French abstract painter (Dreamy Inspiration), born in Moscow (d. 1944)
1868 Jesse Burkett, American Baseball HOF left fielder (NL batting champion 1895-96, 1901; 240 hits in 1896 MLB record for 15 years; Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals), born in Wheeling, West Virginia (d. 1953)
1868 Richard Nicolaas Roland Holst, Dutch artist and painter, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1938)
1875 Rainer Maria Rilke, Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist (Ana, The City, Duino Elegies), born in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1926)
1876 Dimitur Poljanov [Popov], Bulgarian poet (Iron Poems) (d. 1953)
1879 Hamilton Harty, Irish composer and conductor called "the prince of accompanists", born in Hillsborough, Ireland (d. 1941)
1880 Garfield Wood, American inventor, motorboat builder and racer (world water speed record x 5; first to travel over 100 mph on water), born in Mapleton, Iowa (d. 1971)
1881 Erwin von Witzleben, German fieldmarshal (July 20th plot), born in Wrocław, Poland (d. 1944)
1883 Katharine Susannah Prichard, Australian novelist (Black Opal), born in Levuka, Fiji (d. 1969)
1888 Aleksandar I, King of Yugoslavia (1921-34), born in Cetinje, Montenegro (d. 1934)
1889 Isabel Randolph, American actress (Fuller Brush Girl, Our Miss Brooks), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1973)
1890 Bob Shawkey, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1923, 27; AL ERA leader 1920, New York Yankees), born in Sigel, Pennsylvania (d. 1980)
1890 Jack Darragh, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (Stanley Cup 1911, 20-21, 23; Ottawa Senators), born in Ottawa, Ontario (d. 1924)

Francisco Franco (1892-1975)

Spanish general and dictator (1936-75), born in Ferrol, Galicia, Spain

1895 Fritiof Nilsson Piraten, Swedish writer (Bombi Bitt Och Jag), born in Vollsjö, Sweden (d. 1972)
1895 Fung Yu-lan, Chinese philosopher, born in Tanghe County, Henan, Qing Dynasty (d. 1990)
1896 Larry Stock, American songwriter ("Blueberry Hill"; "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You"), born in NYC, New York (d. 1984)
1896 Nikolai Tichonov, Russian writer (against Pasternak), born in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire (d. 1979)
1897 Mari Andriessen, Dutch sculptor (Dock Worker), born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1979)
1899 Charlie Spencer, English soccer defender and manager (2 caps; Newcastle United; mgr Grimsby Town 1937-51), born in Washington, England (d. 1953)
1899 Charlotte Wynters, American stage and screen actress, born in Wheeling, West Virginia (d. 1991)
1899 Douwe Hermans Kiestra, Frisian farmer and writer, born in Poppenwier, Netherlands (d. 1970)
1901 Adam Walsh, American College Football Hall of Fame center and coach (Notre Dame; Bowdoin), born in Churchville, Iowa (d. 1985)
1903 A. L. Rowse, British author and historian, born in Tregonissey, St Austell, Cornwall (d. 1997)
1903 Al Leader, Canadian-American Hockey Hall of Fame player, referee and administrator (Western Hockey League), born in Barnsley, Manitoba (d. 1982)
1903 Cornell Woolrich, American writer (El Angel Negro), born in NYC, New York (d. 1968)
1903 Siro Cisilino, Italian composer and musicologist, born in Mereto di Tomba, Italy (d. 1987)
1905 Emílio Garrastazu Médici, 28th President of Brazil (1969-74), born in Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (d. 1985)
1907 Jo Boer, Dutch painter and author (Catharina & the Magnolias), born in Surabaya, Indonesia (d. 1993)
1908 A. D. Hershey, American biologist, worked with bacteriophages (Nobel 1969), born in Owosso, Michigan (d. 1997)
1909 Jimmy Jewel [James Jewel Marsh], British comedic actor (The Avengers, Thicker Than Water), born in Sheffield, England (d. 1995)
1910 Alex North [Isadore Soifer], American composer (Spartacus; Viva Zapata), born in Chester, Pennsylvania (d. 1991) [1]
1910 Amar Singh, Indian cricket all-rounder (7 Tests, 28 wickets; India's first half-century in Test cricket), born in Rajkot, Gujarat, India (d. 1940)
1910 R. [Ramaswamy] Venkataraman, Indian politician, eighth President of India (1987-92), born in Rajamadam, British India (d. 2009)
1912 Ian Wallace [John Wallace Pritchard], American sci-fi author (Megalomania), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1998)

Pappy Boyington (1912-1988)

American combat pilot and US Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II, born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

1913 Robert Adler, Austrian-American inventor (remote control for television), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2007)
1914 Claude Renoir, French cinematographer (Spy Who Loved Me), born in Paris, France (d. 1993)
1914 Rudolf Hausner, Austrian artist (d. 1995)
1915 Allan Jackson, American newscaster (Youth Takes a Stand), born in Hot Springs, Arkansas (d. 1976)
1916 Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American writer, born in NYC, New York (d. 1994)
1916 Lew Jenkins, American boxer (World Lightweight Champion 1940-41), born in Milburn, Texas (d. 1981)
1919 Frank Kovacs, American tennis player (US pro 1951; US National C'ship 1941 runner-up), born in Oakland, California (d. 1990)
1919 I. K. [Inder Kumar] Gujral, Indian politician, Prime Minister of India (1997-98), born in Jhelum, British India (d. 2012)
1920 Jeanne Manford, American gay rights activist, born in Flushing, New York (d. 2013)
1920 Michael Bates, English actor (Clockwork Orange, Patton), born in Jhansi, British India (d. 1978)
1920 Nadir Afonso, Portuguese geometric abstractionist painter, born in Chaves, Portugal (d. 2013)
1920 Ray Robinson, American magazine editor and biographer (Lou Gehrig), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2017)
1921 (Edna Mae) "Deanna" Durbin, Canadian actress and vocalist (Every Sunday; Three Smart Girls; 100 Men & a Girl), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2013)
1922 Gérard Philipe, French actor (Caligula, Devil in the Flesh), born in Cannes, France (d. 1959)
1923 Charles Keating, American district attorney (Los Angeles California), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2014)
1923 Eagle Keys, American Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker and coach (Grey Cup champion 1949, 54-56, 66; Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan R'riders), born in Tompkinsville, Kentucky (d. 2012)
1923 John Krish, British documentary filmmaker (Let My People Go), born in London (d. 2016)
1924 John C. Portman Jr., American architect (Ivan Allen Award-1964), born in Walhalla, South Carolina (d. 2017)
1925 Albert Bandura, Canadian-American psychologist, born in Alberta, Canada
1925 Maurice Binder, American photographer and film title designer (James Bond Movies), born in NYC, New York (d. 1991)
1928 Dena Dietrich, American actress (Mother Nature in Chiffon margarine), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1928 Hebe de Bonafini, Argentine human rights activist (co-founded Mothers of Plaza de Mayo), born in Ensenada, Argentina (d. 2022)
1930 Harvey Kuenn, American baseball utility (AL batting champion 1959; 10 × All-Star 1953–1960²; Detroit Tigers), born in West Allis, Wisconsin (d. 1988)
1930 Jim Hall, American jazz guitarist and composer, born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2013)
1930 Lorraine Chargin, American boxing promoter (Bobby Chacon, Tony "The Tiger" Lopez, Loreto Garza), born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 2010)
1930 Paul-Heinz Dittrich, German composer, born in Gornsdorf, Germany (d. 2020)
1930 Ronnie Corbett, British comedian (The Two Ronnies), born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 2016)
1931 Alex Delvecchio, Canadian ice hockey forward, coach, and executive (Stanley Cup 1952, 54-55, Detroit Red Wings 1,549 games, 1,281 points), born in Fort William, Ontario
1931 Roy Kidd, American College Football HOF coach (Eastern Kentucky University 1964-2002, record 314–124–8), born in Corbin, Kentucky (d. 2023)
1931 Wally George, American conservative TV commentator, born in Oakland, California (d. 2003)
1932 Édgar Valcárcel, Peruvian pianist and composer, born in Puno, Peru (d. 2010)
1932 Joanne Battiste, artist (heroines) (d. 2009)
1932 Roh Tae-Woo, 6th President South Korea (1988-93), born in Dong-gu, Daegu, South Korea
1933 Dick Ricketts Jr., American basketball center (# 1 overall pick 1955 NBA draft St. Louis Hawks) and baseball pitcher (St. Louis Cardinals), born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania (d. 1988)
1933 Horst Buchholz, German actor (Magnificent 7; Raid on Entebbe), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2003)
1934 Victor French, American actor (Highway to Heaven), born in Santa Barbara, California (d. 1989)
1934 Wink Martindale, American TV host (Tic-Tac-Dough, Can You Top This), born in Jackson, Tennessee
1935 Fred Rumsey, English cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 17 wickets; founded Professional Cricketers Association 1967), born in London, England
1935 Robert Vesco, American financier and fugitive, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2007)
1936 Larry Davis, American blues singer and guitarist, born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1994)
1937 Donnelly Rhodes, Canadian actor (Da Vinci's Inquest, Danger Bay), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2018)
1937 Max Baer Jr, American actor (Jethro-Beverly Hillbillies), born in Oakland, California
1938 Andre Marrou, American Libertarian Presidential candidate (1992), born in Nixon, Texas
1938 Frank Myler, English rugby league stand-off (24 caps Great Britain, 1 England; Widnes, St. Helens) and coach (Widnes, Swinton, Oldham), born in Widnes, England (d. 2020)
1938 Liesbeth Struppert, Dutch actress (Miep Gies-Anne Frank), born in Deventer, Overijssel, Netherlands (d. 1994)
1938 Lynn Blessing, vibes player (d. 1994)
1938 Richard Meade, British equestrian (3 x Olympic gold eventing 1968, 72; World C'ship gold team 1970, 82), born in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales (d. 2015)
1938 Yvonne Minton, Australian-British soprano, born in Sydney, Australia
1940 Freddy Cannon [Picariello], American rocker ("Palisades Park"), born in Revere, Massachusetts [some sources give year as 1936]
1940 Gary Gilmore, American murderer, born in McCamey, Texas (d. 1977)
1941 Humberto Solás, Cuban film director and writer (Lucia), born in Havana, Cuba (d. 2008)
1941 Marty Riessen, American tennis player (9 x Grand Slam doubles titles; world #3 doubles 1980; world #8 singles 1971), born in Hinsdale, Illinois
1941 Raul Blanco, Argentine-Australian soccer coach (Australia 1996-97), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
1942 Bob Mosley, American rock bassist (Moby Grape), born in Paradise Valley, California
1942 Gemma Jones, English actress (Bridget Jones's Diary), born in Marylebone, London
1943 Gary Sabourin, Canadian ice hockey right wing (NHL All Star 1970-71; St. Louis Blues), born in Parry Sound, Ontario
1944 Anna McGarrigle, Canadian folk music singer-songwriter, born in Montreal, Quebec
1944 Chris Hillman, American bluegrass, folk-rock, and country bassist, mandolin player, guitarist and singer-songwriter (The Byrds; The Flying Burrito Brothers, Desert Rose Band) - Turn Turn Turn), born in Los Angeles, California
1944 Craig Doerge, American session keyboard player, session musician, songwriter (Crosby, Stills & Nash; Jackson Browne), and record producer, born in Cleveland, Ohio
1944 Dennis Wilson, American drummer and vocalist (The Beach Boys), born in Hawthorne, California (d. 1983)
1944 François Migault, French auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1976 runner-up; 16 F1 GP), born in Le Mans, France (d. 2012)
1944 Lynford "Hux" Brown, Jamaican session and touring guitarist (Jimmy Cliff; Paul Simon; Toots and the Maytals), born in Port Antonio, Jamaica (d. 2020)
1945 Michael Gerzon, British mathematician and audio pioneer (Ambisonics), born in Birmingham (d. 1996)
1945 Roberta Lynn Bondar, Canadian neurologist and astronaut (STS 42), born in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario
1947 Terry Woods, Irish folk, rock, and celtic punk mandolin, cittern, and banjo player and songwriter (The Pogues; Steeleye Span), born in Dublin, Ireland
1947 Ursula Krechel, German writer (Shanghai far from where), born in Trier, Germany
1948 Lin Onus, Australian Aboriginal artist (Michael and I are just slipping down to the pub for a minute), born in Melbourne, Victoria (d. 1996)
1948 Southside Johnny [Lyons], American rocker (Asbury Jukes - "I Don't Want Go Home"; "Talk To Me"), born in Neptune, New Jersey

Jeff Bridges (73 years old)

1949 American actor (Stay Hungry, Against All Odds), born in Los Angeles, California

1949 Pamela Stephenson, New Zealand-born Australian actress (Superman 3, Sat Night Live), born in Takapuna, Auckland
1950 Jan Rietman, Dutch radio and TV host, born in Doetinchem, Netherlands
1950 Karel van de Graaf, Dutch TV host, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands
1951 Gary Rossington, American rock guitarist, slide-guitar player, and songwriter (Lynyrd Skynyrd; Rossington-Collins Band), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2023)
1951 Patricia Wettig, American actress (Nancy Weston-30 Something), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
1952 Ronald M. Sega, American professor of systems engineering and astronaut (STS 60, 76), born in Cleveland, Ohio
1953 Jean-Marie Pfaff, Belgian soccer goalkeeper (64 caps; Beveren, Bayern Munich), born in Lebbeke, Belgium
1953 Rick Middleton, Canadian ice hockey right wing (Canada Cup gold 1984; NHL All-Star Game 1981-82, 84; Boston Bruins), born in Toronto, Ontario
1954 Tony Todd, American actor and producer (Platoon), born in Washington, D.C.
1955 Brian Prout, American singer (Diamond Rio - "Meet In The Middle"), born in Troy, New York
1955 Cassandra Wilson [née Fowlkes], American jazz singer-songwriter, born in Jackson, Mississippi
1955 Dave Taylor, Canadian ice hockey right wing and executive (NHL All-Star 1981-82, 86, 94; LA Kings; St. Louis Blues), born in Levack, Ontario
1956 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
1956 Blagoi Blagoyev, Bulgarian weightlifter (World C'ship gold - 90kg 1991, 92, 93; Olympic silver - 82.5kg 1976), born in Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria
1956 Costantino Rocca, Italian golfer (British Open 1995 runner-up; hole in one 1995 Ryder Cup), born in Bergamo, Italy
1957 Eric S. Raymond, American open source advocate, born in Boston, Massachusetts
1957 Lee Smith, American Baseball HOF pitcher (7 × MLB All-Star; 4 x saves leader; Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, NY Yankees, Baltimore Orioles), born in Jamestown, Louisiana
1957 Raul Boesel, Brazilian auto racer (World Sportscar C'ship 1987; 24 Hours of Daytona 1988; 30 F1 GP), born in Curitiba, Brazil
1958 Sergei Starikov, Russian ice hockey defenseman and coach (Olympics gold 1984, 88; silver 1980; New Jersey Devils), born in Chelyabinsk, Russia
1959 Paul McGrath, Irish soccer defender (83 caps Rep of Ireland; Aston Villa, Manchester United), born in London, England
1960 Glynis Nunn, Australian athlete (Olympic gold heptathlon 1984), born in Toowoomba, Australia
1961 Frank Reich, American NFL quarterback (Buffalo Bills) and coach (Indianapolis Colts 2018-20), born in Freeport, New York
1962 Gary Freeman MNZM, New Zealand rugby league halfback, captain and coach (45 Tests; coach 3 games; Dally M Medal 1992), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1963 Nigel Heslop, English rugby union and rugby league wing (10 caps RU; Orrell RUFC, Liverpool St Helens; Oldham RLFC), born in West Hartlepool, England
1963 Sergey Bubka, Ukrainian pole vaulter (Olympic gold 1988; World C'ship gold 1983, 87, 91, 93, 95, 97), born in Luhansk, Ukraine
1964 Chelsea Noble, American actress (Kate-Growing Pains), born in Cheektowaga, New York
1964 Jonathan Goldstein, American actor (Drake & Josh), born in Manhattan, New York

Marisa Tomei (58 years old)

1964 American actress (My Cousin Vinny, In the Bedroom, The Wrestler), born in Brooklyn, New York

1964 Scott Hastings, Scottish rugby union centre and broadcaster (65 caps; 2 caps British & Irish Lions; Watsonians RFC), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
1964 Sertab Erener, Turkish singer (Sakin Ol!), born in Istanbul, Turkey
1965 Álex de la Iglesia, Spanish film director (As Luck Would Have It), born in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
1965 Rob Smits, Dutch experimental rock drummer (Kong) and album cover artist (Broken Hope), born in The Netherlands
1965 Ulf Kirsten, German soccer striker and manager (49 caps GDR; 51 caps Germany; Dynamo Dresden, Bayer Leverkusen), born in Riesa, Germany
1965 Veronica Taylor [McInerney], American voice actress (Pokemon - Ash Ketchum), born in New York City
1966 Fereydun "Fred" Armisen, American comedian (Saturday Night Live), actor, writer (Portlandia), and musician (8G Band), born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
1966 Masta Ace [Duval Clear], American rapper ("Born To Roll"), born in Brooklyn, New York
1966 Suzanne Malveaux, American television news journalist, born in Lansing, Michigan
1967 Guillermo Amor, Spanish soccer midfielder and executive (37 caps, FC Barcelona), born in Benidorm, Spain
1967 Klaus Wilmsmeyer, Canadian NFL punter (Super Bowl 1994, SF 49ers), born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
1968 Mike Barrowman, American swimmer (Olympic gold 200m breaststroke 1992, World C'ship gold 1991), born in Costa Mesa, California
1969 Dionne Farris, American singer-songwriter ("I Know"), born in Plainfield, New Jersey,

Jay-Z (53 years old)

1969 American rapper and record producer (Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint), born in Brooklyn, New York City

1970 Jeff Blake, American NFL quarterback (Pro Bowl 1995; Cincinnati Bengals), born in Daytona Beach, Florida
1970 Kevin Sussman, American actor (Ugly Betty, The Big Bang Theory), born in NYC, New York
1970 Sylvester Terkay, American pro wrestler (Ultimate Pro Wrestling's first Heavyweight Champion), born in Washington, Pennsylvania
1971 Shannon Briggs, American boxer (lineal 1997-98 & WBO heavyweight champion 2006-07), born in Brooklyn, New York
1972 Ted Johnson, American NFL inside linebacker (Super Bowl 2001, 03-04; New England Patriots), born in Alameda, California
1973 Corliss Williamson, American basketball forward (NBA C'ship 2004, Detroit Pistons; NBA 6th Man of the Year 2002; NCAA Final 4 MOP 1994), born in Russellville, Arkansas
1973 Ferry Corsten, Dutch musician and DJ, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands
1973 Kate Rusby, English folk singer and songwriter, born in Barnsley, England
1973 Racci Shay, American musician, born in LaGrange, Georgia
1973 Steven Menzies, Australian rugby league lock (13 Tests; NSW 20 games; Manly Sea Eagles), born in Sydney, Australia

Tyra Banks (49 years old)

1973 American supermodel and actress (Higher Learning; Fresh Prince of Bel Air), born in Inglewood, California

Anke Huber (48 years old)

1974 German tennis player (Fed Cup 1992, Hopman Cup 1995), born in Bruchsal, Germany

1974 Tadahito Iguchi, Japanese baseball second baseman and manager (first Japanese position player to win World Series 2005, Chicago White Sox; Chiba Lotte Marines), born in Tokyo, Japan
1975 Marci Jobson (Miller), American soccer midfielder (17 caps; Turbine Potsdam FC, Atlanta Beat) and coach (Baylor University 2008-14), born in St. Charles, Illinois
1976 Amie Comeaux, American country music singer, born in Brusly, Louisiana (d. 1997)
1976 Betty Lennox, American basketball guard (WNBA champion, WNBA Finals MVP 2004, Seattle Storm), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1976 Kristina Groves, Canadian speed skater (Olympic silver 1,500m, team pursuit 2006, silver 1500m bronze 3000m 2010), born in Ottawa, Ontario
1977 Ajit Agarkar, Indian cricket all-rounder (26 Tests, 58 wickets, top score 109; 191 ODIs; Mumbai), born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
1977 Big Pokey [Milton Powell], American rapper (Screwed Up Click), born in Houston, Texas
1977 Shahid Nazir, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (15 Tests, 36 wickets; 17 ODIs; Faisalabad, Lahore Badshahs), born in Faisalabad, Punjab