Famous People Born On January 8th

Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who despite being afflicted motor neurone disease that severely limited his physical abilities, was able to build a phenomenally successful career. He was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Hawking was ranked 25 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, in 2002.

English singer-songwriter and actor David Bowie is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Dubbed "The Greatest Rock Star Ever" by Rolling Stone magazine, he rose to international prominence in the 1970s with his innovative style of music. Deeply dedicated to his profession, he remained musically active until his death in 2016.

One half of the famous comedy duo Fry and Laurie, Stephen Fry is an English actor and comedian. Considered a living legend by many, Stephen Fry has made major contributions to the field of entertainment and literature. An openly gay man, Fry serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community. He is also known for his charitable activities.

Shirley Bassey is one of the most popular Welsh singers of all time. Blessed with an expressive voice, Shirley Bassey is renowned for recording the theme songs of popular James Bond movies, such as Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, and Goldfinger. In 2000, she was appointed a DBE for services to performing arts.

Bruce Kingsbury was an Australian soldier best remembered for his efforts during the Second World War. Kingsbury lost his life while counter-attacking the Japanese forces during the Battle of Isurava. Kingsbury's counter-attack proved beneficial for the Australians and his bravery during the battle was honored with the Victoria Cross. 

José Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor and director who established himself in the American theatre and film industry. He received an Academy Award for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac, becoming the first Hispanic actor and the first Puerto Rican-born actor to win the award. In 1985, he became the first actor to receive the National Medal of Arts.

Graham Chapman was an English comedian, author, actor, and writer. An important member of the popular comedy group Monty Python, Chapman was also a patron of the Dangerous Sports Club. An openly gay comedian, Chapman supported gay rights throughout his life. In September 2012, a blue plaque was unveiled at The Angel pub in North London to commemorate Graham Chapman.

Psychologist Carl Rogers was the first to introduce a client-centric approach to psychotherapy and addressed the patient as the client. Besides working on troubled children, he also taught at various institutes, such as the University of Chicago. On Becoming a Person remains one of his best-known books.

Born to a Japanese mother and a French-Canadian father, Maria Ozawa was raised in Japan and began her career in adult films at age 19. Also known as Miyabi, she has worked on Japanese TV shows and has also worked as a model. She is also known as an AV Idol.

Gypsy Rose Lee was an American vedette and burlesque entertainer best remembered for her striptease act. She was also an actress, playwright, and author whose memoir inspired the 1959 stage musical, Gypsy. Lee's life inspired several works of art, including a song titled Gypsy Rose Lee by The Distillers. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace is largely remembered for his theory of evolution through natural selection, which inspired Charles Darwin’s studies. He began his career as a surveyor’s apprentice and later introduced concepts such as reinforcement in animals, also known as the Wallace effect. He was awarded the Order of Merit.

Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar and a Catholic priest. Venerated as Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Maximilian is best remembered for volunteering to die at the death camp of Auschwitz in place of a stranger during World War II. In 1982, Pope John Paul II declared Maximilian Kolbe a martyr of charity.

Saeed Jaffrey is remembered for his roles in series such as Tandoori Nights and Merchant Ivory Productions movies such as The Guru. He won a Filmfare for his performance in Shatranj Ke Khilari, narrated the audiobook Kama Sutra, and voiced all characters in a BBC broadcast of A Suitable Boy. 

Actress, Michelle Forbes, is best known for her role in the TV series The Killing, for which she received a Saturn Award. As a young girl, she wanted to become a dancer and received formal training at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She is more active on TV though she has appeared in a few films.

Roy Kinnear was a British actor known for playing important roles in Richard Lester's films, such as Help!, How I Won the War, and The Three Musketeers. Kinnear died in an accident while filming the 1989 sequel of The Three Musketeers. In 1994, the 'Roy Kinnear Trust' was founded in his honor. The foundation aims at helping differently-abled young adults.

The English actor and singer was shot into fame with his stellar performance in the critically acclaimed movie Control which centred around musician Ian Curtis. 13 is another movie in which Sam Riley’s acting skills came in for praise. He was the lead singer of the band, 10,000 Things. He is married to actress Alexandra Maria Lara.

Rey Misterio Sr. is a former professional wrestler who was ranked 212th in the PWI 500 list in 2004. After retiring, Misterio started his career as a trainer and joined hands with Super Astro and Negro Casas to open a gym in 1987. Misterio is known to have trained several superstars, including his nephew Rey Mysterio Jr.

Born to Irish immigrants, John Curtin had witnessed working-class uprisings in his younger days, which led him to join Australia’s Labour Movement. He was the only Australian prime minister with a Western Australian seat. The strenuous job of leading his country during World War II affected his health.