Famous People Born On January 12th

The founder and CEO of the multi-national technology company Amazon, Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest man in the world. Jeff, who left his lucrative job at an investment firm to fulfil his entrepreneurial ambition, also owns the newspaper, The Washington Post, and its affiliate publications along with a spaceflight company, Blue Origin.

A talented actress who felt deeply about social issues, Naya Rivera was known for playing roles that reflected her standing on issues like racism and queer representation. She openly championed for LGBT+ rights, immigrants' rights, and women's rights. The brilliant young woman met a tragic end when she drowned in a lake in 2020.

Kirstie Alley graduated from being an interior designer to participating in game shows, and then stepped into showbiz. She is known for her rib-tickling comedy and her Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning performance as Rebecca Howe in Cheers. She was also part of Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother.

The founder of the Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math, Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, and spiritual leader. He is credited with introducing the Indian philosophies of Yoga and Vedanta to the Western world. He is also credited with elevating the status of Hinduism as a major religion in the modern world by raising interfaith awareness.

Issa Rae is known for her award-winning YouTube series Awkward Black Girl and the HBO series Insecure. Her YouTube channel has promoted the works of Black artists. She made it to the Glamour 35 Under 35 and the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists and was also featured on TIME 100.

The founding member of the popular heavy metal band White Zombie, Rob Zombie is an American singer-songwriter, voice actor, and filmmaker. Having incorporated horror and sci-fi themes into his music and lyrics from the beginning of his career, Zombie often entertains his audience visually in his live shows; he is credited with popularizing shock rock theatricality.

Jack London was an American novelist, social activist, and journalist. A pioneer of American magazines and commercial fiction, London was one of the first authors from the US to become an international celebrity. His life and work inspired several films, such as the 1943 movie Jack London and 1980 film Klondike Fever. He was also portrayed in several TV series.

Rapper Zack de la Rocha, the vocalist for the rock band Rage Against the Machine, also formed the duo One Day as a Lion with drummer Jon Theodore. He supports vegetarianism and the Zapatista (EZLN) movement of Mexico. He also testified against the U.S.’s treatment of Abu-Jamal, at the U.N. 

South Korean singer and actor, Do Kyung-soo, is best known for his association with the South Korean-Chinese boy group, Exo. Interested in singing from primary school, he joined Exo in 2012. As an actor, he has appeared in many TV shows and films. In 2019, he enlisted as an active duty soldier for his mandatory military service.

Born to Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger and supermodel Jerry Hall, Georgia May Jagger was no stranger to the entertainment world in childhood. Now a popular model in her own right, she has promoted many brands such as Hudson Jeans and Louis Vuitton. She has also ventured into designing.

Lee Bo-young is a South Korean actress best known for playing Jang Hye-sung in the popular television series I Can Hear Your Voice, for which she received several awards, including three SBS Drama Awards. Also known for her charity work, Lee Bo-young frequently donates to charitable causes along with her husband Ji Sung. She is also active in environmental causes.

Most people have grown up reading fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots. However, they aren’t probably aware that these folk tales were first collated and presented under the genre fairy tales, as Tales of Mother Goose, by 17th-century French author Charles Perrault.

Hermann Goring was a German military and political leader. One of the most influential personalities in the Nazi Party, Göring oversaw the creation of the Gestapo. He also played a key role in the Holocaust, for which he was later convicted of crimes against humanity and crimes against peace.

Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is best remembered for pioneering the concept of Transcendental Meditation. A disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, he started the TM-Sidhi program, founded the Natural Law Party, and launched the non-profit Global Country of World Peace. He also set up TM teaching centers worldwide.

Jeremy Camp is an American singer and songwriter who specializes in Contemporary Christian music and Christian rock genres. Over the years, he has won several awards, such as the GMA Dove Awards and ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Awards. Jeremy Camp's life and career have inspired the 2020 Christian romantic drama film, I Still Believe.

John Singer Sargent, an artist active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation." Prolific in his output, he created more than 2,000 watercolors and around 900 oil paintings. He also made numerous sketches and charcoal drawings. He painted with remarkable technical acumen and was internationally known for his expertise.   

Shirley Eaton is an English model and actress best known for her portrayal of Bond Girl Jill Masterson in the popular 1964 spy film Goldfinger. At the peak of her career, Eaton retired from acting in order to devote herself to her family. In 1999, she made a comeback as an author and published an autobiography titled Golden Girl.

Luise Rainer, the first actor to win consecutive Academy Awards, had decided to make a career as an actor after watching a circus performance at age 6. A prominent stage actor in Germany, she secured an MGM movie deal and move to the U.S. during the Nazi regime.

Marián Hossa is a Slovak retired ice hockey player best known for winning the prestigious Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Marián Hossa, who accumulated 525 goals during his illustrious career, was made an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

Anthony the Great is revered as the patron saint of diseases for miraculously healing people of ailments such as ergot poisoning, which came to be known as St. Anthony's Fire. Known widely as the Father of Monasticism, he had spent 20 years in isolation in the Thebaid desert.

Ralph Capone, older brother of infamous gangsters Al and Frank Capone, was a mobster in his own right. He followed his brothers to Chicago, where he formed his own legitimate soft drink business, earning the nickname “Bottles.” His business was once second only to Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage market.