Born on December 17?

James, Earl of Wessex

Youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and son of the Duke of Edinburgh

Did you know? He took the title Earl of Wessex when his father became Duke of Edinburgh.

James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex (born 17 December 2007), styled Viscount Severn until 2023, is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger child and only son of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Stefania

Dutch-Greek singer who represented Greece at Eurovision with Last Dance

Did you know? Her Eurovision staging used green-screen effects that made her appear to climb invisible stairs.

Stefania Liberakakis (Greek: Στεφανία Λυμπερακάκη, romanized: Stefanía Lymperakáki; born 17 December 2002), known simply as Stefania, is a Dutch singer. She is a former member of the girl group Kisses, which represented the Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Martin Ødegaard

Captain of Arsenal and the Norway national football team

Did you know? He became the youngest player to ever appear in a European Championship qualifier when he debuted for Norway aged fifteen.

Martin Ødegaard (Norwegian pronunciation:; born 17 December 1998) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for and captains both Premier League club Arsenal and the Norway national team.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

André Ayew

Professional footballer and captain of the Ghana national team

Did you know? He belongs to a prominent footballing family, with his father and two brothers also playing professionally at the highest level.

André Morgan Rami Ayew (born 17 December 1989), also known as Dede Ayew in Ghana, is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward. Ayew began his career in Germany, playing for 1860 Munich, while debuting for the club at age seven.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Yann Sommer

Swiss international goalkeeper known for his reflexes and shot-stopping ability

Did you know? Outside of football, he is a dedicated food blogger and has shared recipes and cooking tips with his fans online.

Yann Sommer (born 17 December 1988) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Belgian Pro League club Club Brugge. He is known for his reflexes and agility.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Jessi

New York-born rapper who found fame on Unpretty Rapstar and scored Korean hits with What Type of X and Zoom

Did you know? She moved to Korea at 15 to start her music career.

Jessica Hyunju Ho (Korean: 제시 현주 호; born December 17, 1988), known mononymously as Jessi (Korean: 제시), is an American rapper and singer based in South Korea. She was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Chelsea Manning

American whistleblower who leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks

Did you know? While serving time in prison, she began writing a regular column for a major newspaper, discussing technology and government transparency.

Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning, December 17, 1987) is an American activist and whistleblower.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Manny Pacquiao

Legendary boxer who won world titles in eight different weight divisions

Did you know? Outside of the ring, he served as a senator in the Philippines and also released several music albums.

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. ( PAK-ee-ow; locally; born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino professional boxer and former politician.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Oksana Fedorova

Oksana Gennadyevna Borodina (Russian: Оксана Геннадьевна Бородина, romanized: Oksana Gennad'yevna Borodina; née Fedorova, Russian: Фёдорова, romanized: Fyodorova; born 17 December 1977), known professionally as Oxana Fedorova, is a Russian beauty pageant winner who was crowned Miss Universe 2002, but later was…

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Milla Jovovich

Actress and model known for The Fifth Element and Resident Evil

Did you know? She released a critically acclaimed folk-pop album in her teens and has performed on several film soundtracks.

Milica Bogdanovna Jovović (born December 17, 1975), known professionally as Milla Jovovich ( MEE-lə YOH-və-vitch), is an American actress and former model. Her starring roles in numerous science fiction and action films led the music channel VH1 to deem her the "reigning queen of kick-butt" in 2006.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Giovanni Ribisi

American actor known for roles in Friends and Saving Private Ryan

Did you know? He is the twin brother of Marissa Ribisi, who is also an actress and fashion designer.

Antonino Giovanni Ribisi (Italian:; born December 17, 1974) is an American actor. He has appeared in the films That Thing You Do!

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Sarah Paulson

Award-winning actress known for the American Horror Story series

Did you know? She is one of the few performers to win an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Tony Award for her acting work.

Sarah Catharine Paulson (born December 17, 1974) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Igor Girkin

Russian military veteran and leader in the 2014 Donbas conflict

Did you know? In 2022, a Dutch court found him guilty of the murder of 298 people on board Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin (Russian: Игорь Всеволодович Гиркин, IPA:; born 17 December 1970), also known by the alias Igor Ivanovich Strelkov (Russian: Игорь Иванович Стрелков, IPA:), is a Russian army veteran and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer who played a key role in the Russian annexation of Crimea,…

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Laurie Holden

Actress known for starring in The Walking Dead and The X-Files

Did you know? Away from the screen, she is a committed human rights activist who has worked with organisations to rescue children from human trafficking.

Heather Laurie Holden (born December 17, 1969) is an American-Canadian actress, producer, model, and human rights activist. She is best known for portraying Marita Covarrubias in The X-Files (1996–2002) and Andrea in AMC's The Walking Dead (2010–2013).

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Bill Pullman

Actor known for films including Independence Day and While You Were Sleeping

Did you know? Before finding fame in Hollywood, he taught drama at Montana State University and also managed a fruit orchard.

William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University, before deciding to pursue acting.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu

Former leader of the Turkish Republican People's Party

Did you know? In 2017, he led a nearly 280-mile March for Justice from Ankara to Istanbul to protest government policies.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (born 17 December 1948), also referred to by his initials KK, is a Turkish politician who served as the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) from 2010 to 2023. He was Leader of the Main Opposition in Turkey between 2010 and 2023.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Mykola Azarov

Former Prime Minister of Ukraine who served under Viktor Yanukovych

Did you know? He was frequently mocked by political opponents and the public for his poor command of the Ukrainian language during his premiership.

Mykola Yanovych Azarov (né Pakhlo, Cyrillic: Пахло; born 17 December 1947) is a Russo-Ukrainian politician who was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 11 March 2010 to 27 January 2014. He was the First Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister from 2002 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2007.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Muhammadu Buhari

Former military leader and twice-elected President of Nigeria

Did you know? He is the first opposition candidate in Nigerian history to defeat an incumbent president in a democratic election.

Muhammadu Buhari ( 17 December 1942 – 13 July 2025) was a Nigerian general and politician who ruled as military dictator of Nigeria from 1983 to 1985, and later served as the democratically elected civilian president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pope Francis

Argentine Jesuit who led the Catholic Church from 2013 to 2025 as the first pope from the Americas, known for his focus on the poor

Did you know? In his youth, he worked as a nightclub bouncer in Buenos Aires to help fund his studies.

Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 13 March 2013 until his death in 2025.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Willard Libby

Physical chemist who won the Nobel Prize for developing radiocarbon dating

Did you know? His revolutionary technique allowed scientists to accurately date ancient artefacts and fossils for the first time.

Willard Frank Libby (December 17, 1908 – September 8, 1980) was an American physical chemist noted for his role in the 1949 development of radiocarbon dating, a process which revolutionized archaeology and palaeontology.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Simo Häyhä

Finnish sniper credited with hundreds of kills during the Winter War

Did you know? He preferred using iron sights over telescopic lenses to avoid the glint of the sun revealing his position.

Simo Häyhä (17 December 1905 – 1 April 2002), often referred to by his nickname The White Death, was a Finnish military sniper during the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union in World War II. He used a Finnish-produced M/28-30 rifle (a variant of the Mosin–Nagant) and a Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Daniil Kharms

Soviet-era avant-garde poet and absurdist writer

Did you know? He frequently walked the streets of Leningrad dressed as Sherlock Holmes and was known for performing eccentric public stunts.

Daniil Ivanovich Kharms (né Yuvachev; Russian: Даниил Иванович Хармс; 30 December 1905 – 2 February 1942) was a Russian avant-gardist and absurdist poet, writer and dramatist in the early Soviet era.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky

Soviet composer and pianist noted for his works for children

Did you know? He helped establish a music education system in Soviet schools and frequently performed his own piano pieces for young audiences.

Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky (Russian: Дми́трий Бори́сович Кабале́вский; 30 December 1904 – 14 February 1987) was a Soviet composer, conductor, pianist and pedagogue of Russian gentry descent. He helped set up the Union of Soviet Composers in Moscow and remained one of its leading figures during his lifetime.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Longest-serving prime minister in Canadian history

Did you know? He was a dedicated spiritualist who regularly held séances to seek advice from deceased relatives and political figures.

William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Liberal, he was the dominant politician in Canada from the early 1920s to the late 1940s.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0