June Carter Cash
Musical Monikers
Madonna
Justin Bieber
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Babe Ruth
Johnny Cash
Georgia O'Keefe
I Survived
On This Day
Discover events that happened On This Day including famous birthdays and notable deaths. Each day we highlight famous people, past and present, who have impacted our world. Browse sections by selecting the links below or click the calendar to view events on another day.
December 12
Events on This Day
-
1901
112 years ago
Guglielmo Marconi sends the first radio message across the Atlantic ocean. The message? The letter "S" in Morse code.
-
1913
100 years ago
Leonardo da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting is recovered in Florence, Italy, after being missing for two years.
-
1963
50 years ago
Under the leadership of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya achieves its independence from Great Britain.
-
1967
46 years ago
The groundbreaking film on interracial romance Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner opens in theaters. It stars Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy.
December 12
Born on This Day
-
Frank Sinatra
- In these groups:
- The Rat Pack
- Celebrity Bookings
- Ocean's Eleven Members
Frank Sinatra
Film Actor, Singer / 1915 - 1998
Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, forging a career as an award-winning singer and film actor.
Born: December 12, 1915
Birthplace: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Occupation: Film Actor, Singer -
Edvard Munch
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Painters
- Famous Artists
Edvard Munch
Painter / 1863 - 1944
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter who has become widely known for his iconic pre-Expressionist painting The Scream.
1863 | 80 years old
Painter -
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Singer / 1940 -
Soul singer Warwick became a superstar with early hits like "Walk On By" and "I Say a Little Prayer," and later with albums like Dionne and Heartbreaker.
1940 | 72 years old
Singer -
Jennifer Connelly
- In these groups:
- Best Supporting Actress Oscar Winners
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Actresses
Jennifer Connelly
Film Actress, Television Actress / 1970 -
Jennifer Connelly is an American actress who started as a child star but gained fame from her role in the film Requiem for a Dream.
Born: December 12, 1970
Age: 42 years old
Birthplace: Catskill Mountains, New York, United States
Occupation: Film Actress, Television Actress -
Connie Francis
- In these groups:
- The Ed Sullivan Show Guests
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Actresses
Connie Francis
Film Actress, Television Actress, Singer, Television Personality / 1938 -
Connie Francis was a pop music star in the 1950s and 1960s and starred in a number of films aimed at the teen market.
1938 | 74 years old
Film Actress, Television Actress, ... -
Bob Barker
- In these groups:
- Famous People Involved in Sex Scandals
- Celebrity Death Hoaxes
- Silver Foxes
Bob Barker
Animal Rights Activist, Game Show Host / 1923 -
Bob Barker was the host of the TV game show
1923 | 89 years old
Animal Rights Activist, Game Show Host
December 12
Died on This Day
-
Ike Turner
- In these groups:
- Ike and Tina Turner
- Soul Train Guests
- Famous Scorpios
Ike Turner
Musician / 1931 - 2007
Ike Turner made a string of R&B hits with singer and wife Tina Turner. He struggled with drug addiction and died of an accidental cocaine overdose.
Died: December 12, 2007
Age: 76 years old
Place: San Marcos, California , United States
Occupation: Musician -
Robert Browning
- In these groups:
- Famous People Named Robert
- Famous Poets
- Famous Fiction Authors
Robert Browning
Author, Poet / - 1889
English poet and playwright Robert Browning was a master of dramatic verse and is best known for his 12-book long form blank poem The Ring and the Book.
1889 | 0 years old
Author, Poet -
Joseph Heller
- In these groups:
- Famous Taureans
- Famous Antiwar Activists
- Columbia University Alumni
Joseph Heller
Anti-War Activist, Author / 1923 - 1999
Based on his experience, novelist Joseph Heller wrote the satirical novel Catch-22, considered one of the most significant works of postwar protest literature.
1999 | 76 years old
Anti-War Activist, Author
Email Updates
Quiz
about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play Nowprofile name: Frank Sinatra profile occupation: Film Actor, Singer
profile id: 9418033
profile name: Edvard Munch profile occupation: Painter
profile id: 9524457
profile name: Dionne Warwick profile occupation: Singer
profile id: 585958
profile name: Jennifer Connelly profile occupation: Film Actress, Television Actress
profile id: 9542086
profile name: Connie Francis profile occupation: Film Actress, Television Actress, ...
profile id: 9542237
profile name: Bob Barker profile occupation: Animal Rights Activist, Game Show Host
profile id: 259550
profile name: Ike Turner profile occupation: Musician
profile id: 9228980
profile name: Robert Browning profile occupation: Author, Poet
profile id: 9334279
profile name: Joseph Heller profile occupation: Anti-War Activist, Author
profile id: 9398611
profile name: Guglielmo Marconi profile occupation: Physicist
profile id: 40396
profile name: Leonardo da Vinci profile occupation: Mathematician
profile id: 9363416
profile name: Jomo Kenyatta profile occupation: Prime Minister
profile id: 9443345
profile name: Sidney Poitier profile occupation: Filmmaker
profile id: 9335828
profile name: Katharine Hepburn profile occupation: Theater Actress
profile id: 9509626
profile name: Spencer Tracy profile occupation: Theater Actor
profile id: 9472953
profile name: Gale Sayers profile occupation: Football Player
profile id: 306600
profile name: George Michael profile occupation: Singer
profile id: 9334418
profile name: Leona Helmsley profile occupation: Business Leader
profile id: 37615
profile name: Pedro Martínez profile occupation: Baseball Player
profile id: 39371
profile name: Ben Bernanke profile occupation: Economist
profile id: 39741
profile name: Raj Kapoor profile occupation: Film Actor
profile id: 40055
profile name: Henri Becquerel profile occupation: Physicist
profile id: 37727
profile name: Léon Walras profile occupation: Educator
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Upcoming Birthdays
-
Ben Bernanke
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Named Benjamin
- Famous People Born in 1953
Ben Bernanke
Economist / 1953 -
Economist Ben Bernanke replaced Alan Greenspan as chairman of the Federal Reserve System in 2006. Luckily, he was an expert on the Great Depression.
December 13, 1953
Economist -
Raj Kapoor
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Actors
- Famous Film Actors
Raj Kapoor
Film Actor, Director, Producer / 1924 - 1988
Raj Kapoor was an Indian film director and producer of Hindi-language films. He is best known as the "Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema."
December 14, 1924
Film Actor -
Henri Becquerel
- In these groups:
- Fantastic Facial Hair
- Famous Academics
- Famous Sagittarians
Henri Becquerel
Philosopher, Physicist / 1852 - 1908
Henri Becquerel was a French physicist who discovered radioactivity, an achievement for which he won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.
December 15, 1852
Physicist -
Léon Walras
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Teachers
- Famous Sagittarians
Léon Walras
Educator, Economist / 1834 - 1910
Economist Léon Walras was an advocate of cooperatives as an alternative to revolution. He ran a bank for producers' cooperatives with Léon Say.
December 16, 1834
Educator
Famous Sagittarians
-
Kara Walker
- In these groups:
- Famous Black Artists
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Painters
Kara Walker
Painter / 1969 -
Kara Walker is an African-American artist who rose to fame for her use of large paper silhouettes to explore social issues surrounding gender, race and black history.
November 26, 1969
Painter -
Noam Chomsky
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Linguists
- Famous Sagittarians
Noam Chomsky
Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist / 1928 -
Famed scholar Noam Chomsky is known for both his groundbreaking contributions to linguistics and his penetrating critiques of political systems.
December 7, 1928
Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist
