Famous People Born On January 29th

Oprah Winfrey is arguably one of the most iconic figures in America who broke many barriers to become one of the most influential women in the country. She is a role model for the black community and is also a fierce feminist. Her path-breaking The Oprah Winfrey Show mostly based on lives of common people catapulted her to unprecedented stardom.

An actor famous for his rugged good looks, Tom Selleck is best known for playing tough police officers and investigators in TV shows and films. Even though he has been active in the entertainment industry since the 1960s, he finally gained stardom only in the 1980s and continues to be a popular actor to date.

American actress Heather Graham gained recognition with her performance in the movie Drugstore Cowboy and Boogie Nights. She further appeared in movies like Lost in Space, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and The Hangover. Her television credits include Law & Order True Crime and Bliss. The beautiful actress also backs numerous charitable causes, especially those related to children.

The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley led America to victory in the Spanish-American War. During his presidency, he played a major role in promoting American industry by raising protective tariffs, which in turn boosted the country's economic growth. He also played a key role in the American Civil War.

American singer-songwriter and actor, Adam Lambert, serves as an inspiration to the LGBTQ community; he became the first openly gay musician to top the U.S. Billboard 200 charts with the release of his second studio album Trespassing. Also a well-known philanthropist, Adam Lambert helps raise money for various charitable causes.

English-born American political activist, philosopher, and revolutionary, Thomas Paine, is credited to have penned some of the most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution. His works inspired the common people of America and motivated them to fight for independence from British rule. He was ostracized for criticizing Christianity and died a lonely man.

A model who was active during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gia Carangi was considered by many to be one of the first supermodels. She was featured on the covers of multiple fashion magazines, including editions of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She also worked with various famous designers. She died of AIDS at the young age of 26.

Anton Chekhov was a Russian short-story writer and playwright. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of short fiction, Chekhov's works have influenced the progression of the modern short story. As a playwright, Anton Chekhov is credited with influencing the rise of modernism in theatre, along with August Strindberg and Henrik Ibsen.

Katharine Ross is an American actress who became a prominent Hollywood personality in the late-1960s and early-1970s. She is known for her performance in popular films, such as The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Much of her acting career was overshadowed by her highly publicized personal life and five marriages to popular personalities.

Stokely Carmichael was a significant part of the American civil rights movement and the worldwide Pan-African movement. He was associated with the Black Panther Party and the All-African People's Revolutionary Party. The Black Power movement leader later adopted the name Kwame Ture and traveled extensively through Africa.

Rag'n'Bone Man is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Renowned for his baritone voice, Rag'n'Bone Man was named British Breakthrough Act at the 2017 Brit Awards where he also won the prestigious Critics' Choice Award. Over the years, he has also received several other awards like Echo Awards, NRJ Music Award, and an Ivor Novello Award.

Charlie Wilson is an American singer, record producer, and songwriter. He is credited with co-founding the now-defunct R&B and funk band, The Gap Band, for which he also served as the lead vocalist. As a solo artist, he has received several awards, including a couple of Lifetime Achievement Awards. Wilson is also an ardent supporter of American servicemen and women.

Actor, producer, narrator, and drama teacher, John Forsythe, began his six-decade-long career in the entertainment industry in the 1940s. Initially a small-time actor, he built a strong reputation as a character actor over the years and branched out into teaching and production as well. He also appeared as a panelist on numerous game shows.

Don Shirley was an American jazz and classical pianist and composer. He is best remembered for his association with Cadence Records where he recorded many albums during the 1950s and 1960s. Apart from performing in numerous concert tours, Shirley also wrote organ symphonies and piano concerti. Shirley's friendship with his bodyguard Tony Lip was dramatized in the film Green Book.

Financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. Was the only son of Standard Oil co-founder, John D. Rockefeller. An alumnus of Brown University, he was very principled and careful with money from an early age. He joined his father’s business and went on to become one of the largest real estate holders in Manhattan.

Tommy Ramone was a Hungarian-American record producer, musician, and songwriter. For four years, he served as the drummer for the punk rock band the Ramones. The band was often cited as the first true punk rock group and was highly influential. Even though he left the group in the late 1970s, he maintained good relations with his former bandmates. 

Sara Gilbert is an American actress and filmmaker. She is credited with creating the popular CBS talk show The Talk. Since she is openly lesbian, Sara Gilbert serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community; she came out in July 2010 while preparing to launch The Talk.

Best known for her award-winning role of Tasha Andrews in the Australian series Home and Away, model-actor Isabel Lucas later gained international fame as Alice from the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. She is an environmental activist, too, and has also represented causes such as breast cancer awareness.

Spanish basketball sensation Marc Gasol is one of the most promising centers from his country. He has previously been part of NBA teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers. The 3-time NBA All-Star has also earned 2 Olympic team silver medals as part of the Spanish national team.

Australian author and feminist Germaine Greer made headlines with her first book, The Female Eunuch, which focused on female sexuality. Greer’s career boasts of a PhD in literature, and she has also taught at the University of Warwick and other institutes. She was later named an Australian National Living Treasure.

Emanuel Swedenborg was a Swedish pluralistic-Christian philosopher, mystic, theologian, and scientist. Swedenborg started hogging the limelight after writing a book on the afterlife titled Heaven and Hell, which released in 1758. A prolific scientist and inventor, Swedenborg experienced spiritual awakening after which he started working on reforming Christianity. He even claimed that he could converse with angels and demons.

Olga Tokarczuk is a Polish writer and public intellectual. She is one of the most critically acclaimed authors of her generation in Poland. She was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first female Polish writer to receive the honor. Her works have been translated into almost 40 languages. She is also a clinical psychologist. 

Dominik Hašek is a Czech retired ice hockey player who played as a goaltender. He is counted among the greatest goaltenders and is credited with leading his national team to its first Olympic gold medal. In 2014, he was made an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, Hašek was mentioned in the 100 Greatest NHL Players list.

Greg Louganis was born to high-school students and was raised by his adoptive parents. Before becoming a renowned diver, he had studied drama and excelled in dance and gymnastics. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is HIV-positive and an LGBT icon. His memoir, Breaking the Surface, was made into a TV movie.