Famous People Born On December 23rd

Best known as Mike Wheeler from Stranger Things, SAG Award-winner Finn Wolfhard has also appeared in It and its sequel. He was a vocalist and guitarist for the band Calpurnia and formed the indie-pop duo The Aubreys. Named to Forbes 30 under 30, he has also directed a short film.

Akihito served as the 125th emperor of Japan after succeeding his father to the Chrysanthemum Throne. As emperor, he played a crucial role in inspiring people in 2011 when Japan was struck by two major disasters: Fukushima I nuclear crisis and Great East Japan Earthquake. Akihito abdicated the throne in 2019, becoming the first emperor to do so since 1817.

Chet Baker was an American vocalist and jazz trumpeter. He achieved recognition during the 1950s and his innovations within cool jazz, a style of modern jazz music, earned him the nickname prince of cool. However, his drug addiction overshadowed much of his professional achievements. His life and work inspired the 2015 drama film Born to Be Blue.

Lawyer-turned-TV journalist Shannon Bream had worked with WBTV and WRC-TV, before she began hosting Fox News @ Night. She has also won several beauty pageants earlier, such as the Miss Virginia 1990 and the Miss Florida USA 1995 titles. She has also interned under Florida congressman Bill McCollum.

Corey Haim was one half of the popular duo The Two Coreys. He became an icon during the 1980s, thanks to his success as an actor. Despite achieving success early in his life, he was troubled by financial issues and drug addiction problems throughout his career. He eventually died of pneumonia at the age of 38.

Alexander I was the emperor of Russia and the eldest son of Paul I. While he was initially a friend of Napoleon Bonaparte, he later joined hands with his opponents to defeat him. He was also part of the Congress of Vienna and later contributed to the formation of the Holy Alliance.

James Stacy was an American actor remembered for his portrayal of Johnny Madrid Lancer in the CBS Western series, Lancer. In 1973, he lost his left arm and leg when his motorcycle was hit by a drunk driver. He made a comeback in 1975, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for playing a double-amputee veteran in the movie Just a Little Inconvenience.

Holly Madison is American model and television personality who made her presence felt on the small screen with roles in the TV shows,The Girls Next Door and Holly's World. A former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, Holly Madison has the credit of leading the then-largest bikini parade with the Las Vegas mayor in 2009. Her memoir, Down the Rabbit Hole, briefly topped the bestseller list.

Pin-up girl Estella Warren had been a Canadian swimming champion before she was scouted by an agent and sent to New York. An international model who has topped Maxim’s Hot 100 Women of 2000 list, Warren has also appeared in films such as Planet of the Apes.

Noël Wells is an American actress, musician, comedian, director, and writer. From voicing Kelsey Pokoly in the Cartoon Network series Craig of the Creek to appearing on Saturday Night Live as a featured player, Noël Wells has been a prominent entertainer over the years. A multi-talented personality, Wells also displays her photographs in exhibitions.

Helmut Schmidt, who had once been the chancellor of Germany, was also an avid art connoisseur and a talented pianist. The SPD member had also been associated with the DIE ZEIT magazine and is remembered for his efficient management of the Hamburg storm flood as the police senator of Hamburg.

Jean-François Champollion was a French orientalist, philologist, and scholar. A founding figure of Egyptology, Champollion is credited with deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphs, which paved the way for several research and studies in the field of Egyptology. Not surprisingly, Champollion is often referred to as the Founder and Father of Egyptology.  

Initially a wig-maker, Richard Arkwright later grew an interest in the spinning mechanism, building the Arkwright’s water frame, which used water power to produce cotton yarn. He soon became a name to reckon with in the textile industry, with many mills to his name. He was knighted for his feats.

German-Brazilian Silvia Renate Sommerlath is a trained interpreter and has also served the Argentine consulate in Munich. She met Swedish crown prince Carl Gustaf while serving as a hostess at the 1972 Olympic Games and later got married to him and became Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Religious leader Joseph Smith Jr. is known as the founder of the Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. He also published the Book of Mormon. He established his communities in Ohio and Missouri and eventually founded the city Nauvoo in Illinois, which became the center of his spiritual activities.

James Stockdale was an American aviator and US Navy vice admiral. He is best remembered for his time spent as a prisoner of war for more than seven years during the Vietnam War. His efforts during the war earned him the Medal of Honor. In 2002, James Stockdale was made an inductee of the National Aviation Hall of Fame. 

Zindzi Mandela was a South African poet and diplomat best known as the daughter of the famous anti-apartheid activist, Nelson Mandela. From 1996 to 1998, she also served as a temporary First Lady of South Africa. Over the years, she has been portrayed in films and TV films, such as Mrs Mandela (2009), Invictus (2009), and Mandela (1987).

Currently a semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, Greg Biffle gained his first recognition as a racer during the 1995–1996 Winter Heat Series. Shortly, he began his NASCAR career with Roush Fenway Racing, winning 19 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, 20 races in Xfinity Series and 17 in Camping World Truck Series, concurrently competing in numerous other series.

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa was an Italian writer best remembered as the last Prince of Lampedusa. Tomasi is quite popular for his novel The Leopard which was published posthumously in 1958. His life and career inspired a docufilm titled Die Geburt des Leoparden which was directed by Luigi Falorni and screened at the 14th Rome Film Festival.

Johnny Kidd was an English singer and songwriter. He is best remembered for his association with the rock and roll group, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, where he was the lead vocalist. Thanks to one of his most popular songs, Shakin' All Over, Johnny Kidd was one of the few British rockers to achieve international fame before the Beatles.