Birthdays of important personalities on January 12

1483: Hendrik van Nassau-Dillenburg en Dietz, gov/viceroy of Holland
1562: Charles Emanuel I, the great, Duke of Savoy
1576: Peter Scriverius, Dutch lawyer/historian
1580: Jean Baptiste van Helmont, Belgian chemist, (found boiling pt temp)
1588: John Winthrop, 1st governor (Mass Bay Colony)
1588: Jose Ribera [Lo Spagnoletto], Spanish painter
1599: Adrian van Utrecht, Flemish painter
1638: Ernst R Tarhemberg, Austrian fieldmarshal (Turkish Wars)
1665: Pierre de Fermat, French lawyer/mathematician
1729: Lazzaro Spallanzani, Modena Italy, physiologist
1737: John Hancock, patriot (1st to sign Declaration of Independence)
1746: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Switzerland, educator [OS]
1749: Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff, Austrian earl/prince/diplomat
1751: Ferdinand I, king of Sicily & Naples
1780: Wilhelm M L de Wette, German exegetist/theologist
1783: Erik Gustaf Geijer, Swedish historian/poet (Natthimmelen)
1792: Robert Patterson, Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1881
1807: Jan T Beelen, Dutch/Belgian bible expert
1808: Paul "the Great" Taglioni, Vienna, ballet choreographer
1810: Ferdinand II, king of Sicily
1814: Jones Mitchell Withers, Mjr General (Confederate Army), died in 1890
1819: Zealous Bates Tower, Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1900
1825: Joseph Robert Davis, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1896
1826: Charles Cruft, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1883
1832: Richard Waterhouse Jr, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1876
1842: Fran?ois Copp?e, French poet
1852: Joseph J C Joffre, French fieldmarshal (Indo China, Marne)
1853: Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro, Italian mathematician (tensor analysis)
1856: John Singer Sargent, US, portrait painter (Wyndham Sisters)
1863: Vivekananda, Calcutta, Hindu religious leader/reformer
1871: Paul Guthnick, German astronomer
1878: Ferenc Molnar, Hungarian/US playwright (A Pal Utrai Fiuk)
1882: Jakob Jud, Swiss linguist/etymologist
1890: Mordecai W Johnson, educator
1893: Hermann Goering, propoganda minister (Nazi Germany)
1897: Hendrik J Valk, painter/cartoonist/graphic artist
1899: Paul H M?ller, Swiss chemist (DDT-Nobel 1948)
1901: Kurt Jooss, W?rtemburg, Germany, ballet choreographer
1902: Ibn Abdul-Aziz Saud, Kuwait, king (Saudi Arabia)
1902: Simon H Spoor, Dutch gen/intelligence officer for Gen MacArthur
1903: Igor V Kurtshatov, Russian nuclear physicist (1st Rus nuclear bomb)
1904: Mississippi Fred McDowell, jazz artist
1906: Henny Youngman, England, comedian (Take my wife please...)
1906: Tex Ritter, Texas, country singer (5 Star Jubilee, Wayward Wind)
1907: Sergei Korolev, scientist
1908: Ben Seijes, Dutch historian (WW II)
1908: Jos? Lim?n, Mexican/US dancer (I, Odysseus)
1910: Charles Martin, cartoonist
1912: Peter Pooley, broadcaster
1914: Edqard John Gurney, politician
1915: Ernest Armstrong, miner/politician
1915: Frank Annunzio, (Rep-D-IL, 1965- )
1915: Joseph Roy George Ralston, pilot
1915: Martin Agronsky, journalist (1952 Peabody, 1961 DuPont-Columbia)
1916: A P[ieter] W Botha, Orange Free State, president of South Africa
1917: Walter Hendl, West New York NJ, conductor
1920: James Farmer, Marshall, Tex, civil rights leader
1921: John Henry Davis Jr, Smithtown NY, weightlifter (Olym-gold-1948, 52)
1924: Jan Willem Radecker, sculptor/son of John Raedecker
1925: Bill Burrud, Hollywood Calif, host (Safari to Adventure, Animal World)
1926: Ray Price, country singer (Good Times)
1929: Colin Berry Haycraft, publisher
1930: Glenn Yarborough, singer (Limeliters-Honey & Wine, Jubilee)
1933: Michael Aspel, British talk show host
1934: Burdette Haldorson, US, basketball player (Olympic-gold-1956, 60)
1935: "Amazing" Kreskin, Montclair NJ, mentalist/telepath
1935: William Lee Gloden, Brewton Al, country singer (Oak Ridge Boys)
1941: Jaime B Fuster, (Rep-D-PR, 1985- )
1941: Long John Baldry, England, blues vocalist (Don't try to Lay No Boogie)
1942: Vladimir Sergeyevich Kozelsky, cosmonaut (Soyuz 24 backup)
1943: Ray Manzarek, rock keyboardist (Doors-People are Strange)
1944: Joe Frazier, Beaufort SC, HW boxer (Olympic-gold-1964)/champ (1968-73)
1944: Vlastimil Hort, Czech/German chess player
1946: Cynthia Robinson, rock trumpeteer (Sly & Family Stone-Everyday People)
1949: James W Dietz, rower
1950: Bob McEwen, (Rep-R-OH, 1981- )
1950: Marilyn R Smith, microbiologist
1951: Bill Madlock, 4X NL batting champ (Chicago Cubs)
1951: Chris Bell, Memphis Tn, rock guitarist (Big Star)
1951: Rush Limbaugh, Girardeau Mo, extreme right radio personality
1952: Ricky Van Shelton, country musician
1954: Howard Stern, Roosevelt NY, "Radio's Bad Boy" (WKRK, WYSP, WJFK)
1959: Per Helmstad Gessle, Sweden, singer (Roxette-Must Have Been Love)
1961: Andrea Carnevale, soccer player (Napoli)
1965: Henry Thomas, defensive tackle (Detroit Lions, New England Patriots)
1967: Marco Boogers, Dutch soccer player (RKC, Sparta, West Ham United)
1967: Mike Simms, Whittier CA, outfielder (Houston Astros)
1967: Ulf Dahlen, Ostersund SWE, NHL forward (Team Sweden, San Jose)
1969: Cam Russell, Halifax, NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks)
1970: Jenny Griffith, Burbank Calif, WPVA volleyballer (National-13th-1995)
1970: Nigel Wilson, Canadian/US baseball outfielder (Florida Marlins)
1970: Takahiro Ikenoue, WLAF defensive linebacker (Rhein Fire)
1971: Andy Fox, Sacramento CA, infielder (NY Yankees)
1974: Melanie Jayne Chisholm, "Sporty Spice", Widnes, vocalist (Spice Girls)
1975: Jocelyn Thibault, Montreal, NHL goalie (Montreal Canadiens)
1979: Jenny Schmidgall, ice hockey forward (USA, Oly-98)
1996: Sarah Morales, Mexico, Siamese twin (survived)
1996: Sarahi Morales, Mexico, Siamese twin (died on Jan 27, 1996)

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