Famous Birthdays on January 15

Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

Roman Catholic Saint and national heroine of France (legendary date), born in Domrémy, duchy of Bar, France

1432 Afonso V, King of Portugal (1438-1481), born in Sintra National Palace, Portugal (d. 1481)
1481 Ashikaga Yoshizumi, Japanese shogun (d. 1511)
1507 Johann Oporinus, Swiss book publisher (Koran), born in Basel (d. 1568)
1538 Maeda Toshiie, Japanese general, born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan (d. 1599)
1622 Molière [Jean-Baptiste Poquelin], French playwright (The Misanthrope), born in Paris, Kingdom of France (d. 1673)
1671 Abraham de la Pryme, English antiquarian, born in Hatfield (d. 1704)
1716 Philip Livingston, American businessman & politician (signed US Declaration of Independence), born in Albany, New York (d. 1778)
1730 John Malchair, German-English artist, violinist and composer, baptized in the Electorate of Cologne (now Cologne, Germany) (d. 1812)
1733 Joseph Lederer, German composer, born in Swabia, Duchy of Württemberg (now Germany) (d. 1796)
1742 Eugene Godecharle, Belgian violinist and composer, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1798)
1747 John Aikin, English doctor and writer, born in Kibworth Harcourt, United Kingdom (d. 1822)
1754 Richard Martin, Irish politician & animal rights activist, born in Ballynahinch Castle, Ireland (d. 1834)
1779 Jean Coralli, French ballet producer & choreographer (Giselle), born in Paris, France (d. 1854)
1791 Franz Gillparzer, Austrian tragic dramatist (Golden Fleece), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1872)
1795 Alexandr Griboyedov, Russian playwright, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1829)
1795 Willem de Clerq, Dutch merchant & man of letters, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1844)
1798 Thomas Crofton Croker, Irish story teller (Fairy legends), born in Cork, Ireland (d. 1854)
1803 Marjory Fleming, Scottish writer & poet, born in Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom (d. 1811)
1809 Cornelia Connelly, American foundress (Society of the Holy Child Jesus), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1879)
1809 Pierre Joseph Proudhon, French politician & philosopher ("father of anarchism"), born in Besançon, France (d. 1865)
1812 Peter C Asbjornsen, Norwegian fairy tale writer, born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1885)
1813 James Marion Sims, American physician & surgical pioneer (vesicovaginal operation), born in Lancaster County, South Carolina (d. 1883)
1815 Henry Morris Naglee, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1886)
1816 Marie LaFarge, French murderer, born in Paris, France (d. 1852)
1817 Lewis Golding Arnold, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey (d. 1871)
1821 Lafayette McLaws, United States Army officer and Confederate general, born in Augusta, Georgia (d. 1897)
1824 Marie Duplessis [Alphonsine Rose Plessis], French courtesan, born in Nonant-le-Pin, Normandy, France (d. 1847)
1826 Mikhail Saltykov, Russian satirist (Family of Noblemen), born in Spas-Ugol, Russia (d. 1889)
1841 Lord Frederick Stanley, British politician & presenter of hockey's Stanley Cup, born in London, United Kingdom (d. 1908)
1842 Blessed Mary McKillop, Australian nun & candidate for sainthood, born in Fitzroy, Australia (d. 1909)
1842 Josef Breuer, Austrian psychologist, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1925)
1845 Ella Flagg Young, American educator & 1st woman pres. (National Educational Association), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1918)
1845 Heinrich Vogl, German operatic heldentenor, born in Munich, Germany (d. 1900)
1850 Mihail Eminesco [Eminovici], Romanian poet (Samanul Dionis), born in Botoșani, Romania (d. 1889)
1850 Sofia Kovalevskaya, Russian mathematician, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1891)
1855 Jacques Damala [Aristides Damalas], Greek military officer and actor, born in Piraeus, Greece (d. 1889)
1858 Giovanni Segantini, Italian painter, born in Arco, Italy (d. 1899)
1859 Archibald Peake, Premier of South Australia, born in Chelsea, London (d. 1920)
1863 Adolph Goldschmidt, German historian, born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1944)
1863 Wilhelm Marx, German lawyer & politician, born in Cologne, Germany (d. 1946)
1864 Frances Benjamin Johnston, American photographer, born in Grafton West Virginia (d. 1952)
1866 Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop & recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, born in Uppsala, Sweden (d. 1931)
1868 Noe Zhordania, Georgian journalist and politician (Prime Minister, 1918-21; government -in-exile leader, 1921-53), born in Lanchkhuti, Kutais Governorate, Imperial Russia (now Georgia) (d. 1953) [some sources give birthday as March 21]
1869 Stanisław Wyspiański, Polish dramatist, born in Kraków, Poland (d. 1907)
1870 Johan Peter Koch, Danish captain & explorer (Greenland), born in Vestenskov, Denmark (d. 1928)
1870 Pierre S. du Pont, American businessman, born in Wilmington, Delaware (d. 1954)
1871 Bertram Shapleigh, American composer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1940)
1872 Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian writer, born in Terek Oblast (d. 1944)
1873 Max Adler, Austria jurist & social philosopher (Austromarxism), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1937)

Ibn Saud (1875-1953)

Founder and first King of Saudi Arabia (1932-53), born in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd

1875 Tom Burke, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 400m 1896), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1929)
1877 Lewis Terman, American psychologist (developed Stanford-Binet IQ test), born in Johnson County, Indiana (d. 1956)
1878 Johanna Muller-Hermann, Austrian composer (Lied der Erinnerung), born in Vienna (d. 1941)
1879 Ernest Thesiger, English actor (Bride of Frankenstein, Ghoul), born in London, England (d. 1961)
1879 Mazo de la Roche, Canadian author, born in Newmarket, Canada (d. 1961)
1882 Florian Znaniecki, Polish philosopher & sociologist, born in Świątniki, Poland (d. 1958)
1882 Princess Margaret of Sweden, born in Surrey, England (d. 1920)
1885 Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player, born in Sandborn, Illinois (d. 1968)
1885 Huang Yuanyong, Chinese writer, born in Jiujiang, China (d. 1915)
1885 Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician, born in Wolfurt, Austria (d. 1973)
1888 Joseph Henabery, American director (Cobra), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1976)
1891 Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet (Noise of Time), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1938)
1891 Ray Chapman, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians) and only MLB player to die from an injury received during a MLB game, born in Beaver Dam, Kentucky (d. 1920)
1892 Frank Hutchens, New Zealand-born composer working in Australia, born in Leeston, New Zealand (d. 1965)
1892 Rex Ingram [Reginald Hitchcock], Irish director (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1950)
1893 Dragisa Cvetkovic, Serbian politician (Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1939-41), born in Niš, Kingdom of Serbia (d. 1969)
1893 Ivor Novello [David Ivor Davies], Welsh composer, writer and actor (Keep the Home Fires Burning, The Truth Game), born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 1951)
1894 Edmond Rubbens, Belgian attorney and politician, born in Zele, Belgium (d. 1938)
1895 Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1973)
1896 Jacobo Ficher, Argentine composer, born in Odesa, Ukraine (d. 1978)
1897 Xu Zhimo, Chinese poet (d. 1931)
1898 Dutch Meyer, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (National C'ship 1935, 38; TCU), born in Ellinger, Texas (d. 1982)
1899 Goodman Ace, American writer, radio presenter, actor and humorist (Better of Goodman), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1982)
1900 Caesar Domela, Dutch painter (Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis son), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1992)
1901 Harry Ellerbe, American actor (House of Usher; Magnetic Monster), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1992)
1902 Nazim Hikmet, Turkish poet (Tosun Pasa, The Passenger), born in Salonica, Ottoman Empire (d. 1963)
1902 Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia (1953-64), born in Kuwait City (d. 1969)
1903 Paul A. Dever, 58th Governor of Massachusetts, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1958)
1905 Kamatari Fujiwara, Japanese film actor (Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo), born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 1985)
1905 Roosevelt Holts, American blues singer and guitarist, born in Tylertown, Mississippi (d. 1994)
1905 Torin Thatcher, British actor (Houdini, Isranbul, Lady Godiva), born in Bombay Presidency, British India (d. 1981)
1906 Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate, born in Konak, Turkey (d. 1975)
1906 Rezső Kókai, Hungarian pianist, composer, musicologist, and pedagogue, born in Budapest (d. 1962)

Edward Teller (1908-2003)

Hungarian-American physicist, father of the Hydrogen bomb (Manhattan Project), born in Budapest, Hungary

1908 Roberta Bitgood, American organist & composer, born in New London, Connecticut (d. 2007)
1909 Elie Siegmeister, American composer (The Plough and the Stars), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 1991)
1909 Gene Krupa, American jazz and big band drummer (Benny Goodman - "Sing, Sing, Sing"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1973)
1909 Jean Bugatti, German-born automobile designer, born in Cologne, Germany (d. 1939)
1911 Cy Feuer, Broadway producer (Feuer & Martin-Chorus Line), born in NYC, New York (d. 2006)
1911 Wim Kan, Dutch cabaret artist, born in South Holland, Netherlands (d. 1983)
1912 Michel Debré, French politician, born in Paris, France (d. 1996)
1913 Alexander Marinesko, captain of the S-13 submarine, which sank the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff (d. 1963)
1913 Lloyd Bridges, American actor (Sea Hunt, Roots, Airplane!), born in San Leandro, California (d. 1998)
1913 Miriam Hyde, Australian composer, born in Adelaide, Australia (d. 2005)
1914 Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian (The Last Days of Hitler), born in Glanton, England (d. 2003)
1916 Mikki Doyle, American journalist & editor, born in New York (d. 1995)
1917 Wang Renzhong, Chinese politician (First Secretary Hubei Province), born in Jing County, Hebei (d. 1992)
1918 André Donner, Dutch jurist (constitutional law), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1992)

Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970)

Egyptian revolutionary and politician (Acting President, 1954-56; President, 1956-70), born in Bakos, Egypt

1918 João Figueiredo, President of Brazil, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (d. 1999)
1919 Åke Seyffarth, Swedish speed skater (Olympic gold 10,000m 1948; WR 3,000 & 5,000m), born in Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1998)
1920 John Junor, Scottish journalist (Sunday Express), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1997)
1920 John O'Connor, Roman Catholic Archbishop of NY, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2000)
1920 Pamela Cundell, British stage and screen character actress (Dad's Army - "Mrs. Fox"), born in Croydon, Surrey, England (d. 2015)
1920 Steve Gromek, American baseball player, born in Hamtramck, Michigan (d. 2002)
1921 Frank Thornton, British actor (Are You Being Served?, Last of the Summer Wine), born in Dulwich, London (d. 2013)
1922 Sir Eric Willis, Australian politician, born in Murwillumbah, Australia (d. 1999)
1922 Thelma Carpenter, American radio and jazz band singer (Coleman Hawkins; Count Basie), and stage and screen actress (Hello, Dolly!; Barefoot In The Park (TV); The Wiz (film)), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 1997)
1923 Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet, born in Glasgow, United Kingdom (d. 2006)
1923 Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese statesman (Taiwan's 1st popularly elected President 1988–2000), born in Sanzhi, Taiwan (d. 2020) [1]
1925 Keith Bentley, English international racing cyclist, born in Leicester, England (d. 1997)
1925 Ruth Slenczynska, American concert pianist, and educator (Southern Illinois University, 1964-87), born in Sacramento, California
1926 Florence Buchsbaum, French theater director, born in Strasbourg, France (d. 1996)
1926 Maria Schell, Austrian-Swiss star of German cinema (The Last Bridge, Gervaise), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2005)
1927 Francis Routh, British organist, composer (Sacred Tetralogy), magazine editor (Composer), educator, and music promoter (Redcliffe Festival), born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England (d. 2021)
1928 [Beverly] Joanne Linville, American character actress, born in Bakersfield, California (d. 2021)
1929 "Queen" Ida [Lewis], Louisiana Creole accordionist, born in Lake Charles, Louisiana
1929 Eva Badura-Skoda, German-Austrian composer, born in Munich, Germany

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

American clergyman and leader of the Civil Rights Movement (Nobel 1964), born in Atlanta, Georgia

1929 Teizo Matsumura, Japanese composer ("Chinmoku / Silence"; "Hymn to Aurora") and haiku poet, born in Kyoto, Japan (d. 2007)
1930 Earl Hooker, American blues slide guitar player ("Blue Guitar"), born in Quitman County, Mississippi (d. 1970)
1930 Eddie Graham, American professional wrestler, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee (d. 1985)
1930 Michel Chapuis, French classical organist and pedagogue, born in Dole, France (d. 2017)
1931 Derek Meddings, British special effects technician, born in St. Pancras, London (d. 1995)
1931 Murad Kazhlayev, Soviet and Dagestani composer, born in Baku, Azerbaijan
1931 Thomas Hoving, American news correspondent (20/20), born in NYC, New York
1932 Dean Smith, American actor & relay runner (Olympic gold 1952), born in Emporia, Kansas (d. 2015)
1932 Enrique Raxach, Dutch composer, born in Barcelona, Spain
1932 Lou Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1956), born in New Rochelle, New York (d. 2006)
1933 Ernest J. Gaines, African-American author, born in Oscar, Louisiana
1933 Frank Bough, British sports and current affairs television presenter, born in Fenton, Staffordshire, England (d. 2020)
1935 Malcolm Frager, American concert pianist, born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1991)
1935 Robert Silverberg, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Regan's Planet), born in Brooklyn, New York
1936 Concepcion Picciotto, American peace activist (longest political protest in US history, outside The White House), born in Vigo, Spain (d. 2016)
1937 Margaret O'Brien, American actress (Jane Eyre; Meet Me In St Louis), born in San Diego, California
1938 Chuni Goswami, Indian soccer striker and captain (30 caps; Mohun Bagan) and cricket all-rounder (captain Bengal), born in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh (d. 2020)
1939 Christopher Steel, British composer ("Changing Moods"; "The Morning Stars Sang Together"), born in London (d. 1992)
1939 Tony Bullimore, British yachtsman (1997 solo around-the-world yacht race, dramatic rescue), born in Southend-on-Sea, England (d. 2018) [1]
1941 Captain Beefheart [Don Van Vliet], American singer-songwriter ("Bongo Fury"; "Shiny Beast"), born in Glendale, California (d. 2010)
1942 Edward "Sonny" Bivins, American singer (Manhattans - "Kiss and Say Goodbye"), born in Macon, Georgia
1943 Mike Marshall, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1974, 75; NL Cy Young Award 1974; Montreal Expos, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves), born in Adrian, Michigan (d. 2021)
1944 Joan Marie Johnson, American pop singer (The Dixie Cups - "Chapel Of Love"; "Iko Iko"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2016)
1945 Princess Michael of Kent, British royal, born in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
1945 Vince Foster, American lawyer, born in Hope, Arkansas (d. 1993)
1945 William R. Higgins, USMC colonel, born in Danville, Kentucky (d. 1990)
1946 Bobby Bloom, American singer-songwriter ("Montego Bay"), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 1974)
1947 Andrea Martin, American comedienne (SCTV, Club Paradise), born in Portland, Maine
1947 Pete Waterman, English record producer (Stock Aitken & Waterman - "Road Block"), born in Stoke Heath, Coventry
1948 Dini Petty, Canadian talk show host (CITY-TV), born in Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
1948 Ronnie Van Zant, American rock musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Gimme Three Steps"), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 1977)
1948 Tommy Nolan, Canadian actor (Jody-Buckskin), born in Montreal, Quebec
1949 Howard Twitty, American golfer, course designer (3 PGA Tour titles), born in Phoenix, Arizona
1949 Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican baseball player, born in Lajas, Puerto Rico (d. 2001)
1949 Panos Mihalopoulos, Greek actor, born in Kalamata, Greece
1950 David Lynn Jones, American country singer ("Bonnie Jean"), born in Bexar, Arkansas
1950 Marius Trésor, French footballer, born in Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe

Charo (72 years old)

1951 Spanish-American actress, comedienne (Chico and the Man: The Love Boat), and flamenco guitarist, born in Murcia, Spain

1952 Boris Blank, Swiss artist & musician (Yello, Tranceonic), born in Zurich, Switzerland
1952 Melvyn Gale, English cellist (Electric Light Orchestra, 1975-79 - "Livin' Thing"), born in London, United Kingdom
1953 Bob Clearmountain, American Grammy Award-winning sound engineer (Bruce Springsteen; Crowded House), and record producer (Bryan Adams; Bon Jovi), born in Connecticut
1953 Chris D. [Desjardins], American punk rock singer, and poet (The Flesh Eaters), born in Riverside, California
1953 Kent Hovind, American evangelist
1953 Randy White, American College/Pro Football HOF tackle (Super Bowl 1977 [MVP]; 7 × First-team All-Pro; 9 × Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1953 Ta-Tanisha, American actress, born in The Bronx, New York
1954 Jose Dalisay Jr., Filipino writer, born in Romblon, Philippines
1954 Nikos Sarganis, Greek footballer, born in Rafina, Greece
1955 Enrico Mentana, Italian newscaster (RAI), born in Milan, Italy
1956 Mayawati, Indian politician, born in New Delhi, India
1956 Paul Parker, English cricketer (one Test England v Australia 1981), born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
1956 Vera Sosulya, Soviet tobogganist (Olympic gold 1980)
1957 David Inge, American politician, Governor of Hawaii (2014-), born in Pearl City, Hawaii
1957 Mario Van Peebles, Mexican actor (Posse, South Bronx Heroes), born in Mexico City, Mexico
1957 Patrick Dixon, English entrepreneur, born in London, United Kingdom
1958 Boris Tadić, President of Serbia, born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
1959 Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian climber, born in Setnica, Slovenia (d. 2008)
1959 Pete Trewavas, British bassist, (Marillion - Clutching at Straws), born in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
1960 Aaron Jay Kernis, American composer, born in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania
1960 Kelly Asbury, American animated film director (Shrek 2, Smurfs: The Lost Village), born in Beaumont, Texas (d. 2020)
1960 Tim Curtis, English cricketer (batsman in 5 Tests 1988-89), born in Chislehurst, United Kingdom
1961 Yves P. Pelletier, Canadian comedian & film director, born in Laval, Canada
1962 Conrad Lant, English musician, born in London, United Kingdom
1962 Creflo Dollar, American televangelist, born in College Park, Georgia
1963 Carl McCoy, British gothic-metal rock singer (Fields of the Nephilim - "Blue Water"), and graphic artist, born in Lambeth, London, England
1963 Erling Kagge, Norwegian explorer (South Pole), born in Oslo, Norway
1964 Cees van der de Linden, Dutch soccer player, born in Heelsum, Netherlands
1964 Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer, born in Suomussalmi, Finland
1964 Paula Schnurr, Canadian 1.5k runner (Olympics-8-92, 96), born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario
1965 Bernard Hopkins, American boxer, born in Pennsylvania
1965 Derek B, British rapper (Bullet From A Gun), born in London, United Kingdom (d. 2009)
1965 James Nesbitt, Northern Irish actor, born in Ballymena, United Kingdom
1965 Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist, born in Cles, Italy
1966 Betsy Mitchell, American 100m backstroke swimmer, born in Cincinnati, Ohio
1967 Lisa Lisa [Velez], American rock vocalist (Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam), born in NYC, New York
1967 Richard Blakey, English cricketer (England wicket-keeper in India 1993), born in Huddersfield, United Kingdom
1968 Chad Lowe, American actor (Spencer, Apprentice to Murder), born in Dayton, Ohio
1968 Iñaki Urdangarín, Spanish handball player & royal, born in Basque Country, Spain
1968 Laurie Fellner, American team handball goalie (Olympics 1992, 96), born in Appleton, Wisconsin
1969 Adam Burt, American NHL defenseman, 1988-2001 (Hartford Whalers, and 3 other teams), born in Detroit, Michigan
1969 Delino DeShields, American baseball infielder, 1990-2002 (Montreal Expos, LA Dodgers, and 3 other teams), born in Seaford, Delaware