December 8 – Famous Birthdays
Nicki Minaj (RAPPER) 1982
Ian Somerhalder (TV ACTOR) 1978
Dominic Monaghan (MOVIE ACTOR) 1976
December 8 – Famous Birthdays:
1903 – Herbert Spencer, English biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and philosopher (b. 1820)
1907 – Oscar II of Sweden (b. 1829)
1913 – Camille Jenatzy, Belgian race car driver (b. 1868)
1914 – Melchior Anderegg, Swiss mountain guide (b. 1828)
1914 – Maximilian von Spee, Danish-German admiral (b. 1861)
1917 – Mendele Mocher Sforim, Russian author (b. 1836)
1918 – Josip Štadler, Croatian archbishop (b. 1843)
1919 – J. Alden Weir, American painter (b. 1852)
1937 – Hans Molisch, Czech-Austrian botanist and academic (b. 1856)
1938 – Friedrich Glauser, Swiss soldier and author (b. 1896)
1940 – George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (b. 1861)
1942 – Albert Kahn, American architect, Fisher Building, Packard Automotive Plant, Ford River Rouge Complex (b. 1869)
1952 – Charles Lightoller, English sailor (b. 1874)
1954 – Claude Cahun, French artist, photographer, and writer (b. 1894)[2]
1954 – Gladys George, American actress (b. 1904)
1954 – Joseph B. Keenan, American lawyer and politician (b. 1888)
1958 – Tris Speaker, American baseball player and manager (b. 1888)
1963 – Sarit Thanarat, Thai field marshal and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1908)
1966 – Ward Morehouse, American playwright, author, and critic (b. 1899)
1971 – Ernst Krenkel, Russian geographer and explorer (b. 1903)
1971 – Eleni Ourani, Greek poet and critic (b. 1896)
1975 – Gary Thain, New Zealand bass player (b. 1948)
1978 – Golda Meir, Ukrainian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1898)
1980 – John Lennon, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
1982 – Bram Behr, Surinamese journalist and politician (b. 1951)
1982 – André Kamperveen, Surinamese footballer and manager (b. 1924)
1982 – Marty Robbins, American singer-songwriter and race car driver (b. 1925)
1982 – Haim Laskov, Israel Defense Forces fifth Chief of Staff (b. 1919)
1983 – Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1904)
1983 – Slim Pickens, American actor (b. 1919)
1984 – Luther Adler, American actor (b. 1903)
1984 – Robert Jay Mathews, American militant leader, founded The Order (b. 1953)
1984 – Semih Sancar, Turkish general (b. 1911)
1991 – Buck Clayton, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1911)
1992 – William Shawn, American journalist (b. 1917)
1993 – Yevgeny Minayev, Russian weightlifter (b. 1933)
1994 – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1927)
1996 – Howard Rollins, American actor (b. 1950)
1996 – Kashiwado Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 47th Yokozuna (b. 1938)
1997 – Bob Bell, American clown and actor (b. 1922)
1999 – Péter Kuczka, Hungarian poet and author (b. 1923)
2001 – Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian basketball player and coach (b. 1954)
2001 – Betty Holberton, American computer scientist and programmer (b. 1917)
2003 – Rubén González, Cuban pianist (b. 1919)
2004 – Dimebag Darrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1966)
2006 – Martha Tilton, American singer (b. 1915)
2006 – José Uribe, Dominican baseball player (b. 1959)
2007 – Gerardo García Pimentel, Mexican journalist (b. 1983)
2008 – Oliver Postgate, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1925)
2008 – Robert Prosky, American actor (b. 1930)
2009 – Luis Días, Dominican singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
2012 – Jerry Brown, American football player (b. 1987)
2012 – John Gowans, Scottish-English 16th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1934)
2012 – Johnny Lira, American boxer (b. 1951)
2013 – John Cornforth, Australian-English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
2013 – Sándor Szokolay, Hungarian composer and academic (b. 1931)
2013 – Richard S. Williamson, American lawyer and diplomat (b. 1949)
2014 – Tom Gosnell, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1951)
2014 – Russ Kemmerer, American baseball player and coach (b. 1930)
2014 – Knut Nystedt, Norwegian organist and composer (b. 1915)
2015 – Mattiwilda Dobbs, American soprano and actress (b. 1925)
2015 – Alan Hodgkinson, English footballer and coach (b. 1936)
2015 – Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (b. 1943)
2015 – John Trudell, American author, poet, and actor (b. 1946)
2015 – Elsie Tu, English-Hong Kong educator and politician (b. 1913)
2016 – John Glenn, American astronaut and senator, first American to go into orbit (b. 1921)
1907 – Oscar II of Sweden (b. 1829)
1913 – Camille Jenatzy, Belgian race car driver (b. 1868)
1914 – Melchior Anderegg, Swiss mountain guide (b. 1828)
1914 – Maximilian von Spee, Danish-German admiral (b. 1861)
1917 – Mendele Mocher Sforim, Russian author (b. 1836)
1918 – Josip Štadler, Croatian archbishop (b. 1843)
1919 – J. Alden Weir, American painter (b. 1852)
1937 – Hans Molisch, Czech-Austrian botanist and academic (b. 1856)
1938 – Friedrich Glauser, Swiss soldier and author (b. 1896)
1940 – George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (b. 1861)
1942 – Albert Kahn, American architect, Fisher Building, Packard Automotive Plant, Ford River Rouge Complex (b. 1869)
1952 – Charles Lightoller, English sailor (b. 1874)
1954 – Claude Cahun, French artist, photographer, and writer (b. 1894)[2]
1954 – Gladys George, American actress (b. 1904)
1954 – Joseph B. Keenan, American lawyer and politician (b. 1888)
1958 – Tris Speaker, American baseball player and manager (b. 1888)
1963 – Sarit Thanarat, Thai field marshal and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1908)
1966 – Ward Morehouse, American playwright, author, and critic (b. 1899)
1971 – Ernst Krenkel, Russian geographer and explorer (b. 1903)
1971 – Eleni Ourani, Greek poet and critic (b. 1896)
1975 – Gary Thain, New Zealand bass player (b. 1948)
1978 – Golda Meir, Ukrainian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1898)
1980 – John Lennon, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
1982 – Bram Behr, Surinamese journalist and politician (b. 1951)
1982 – André Kamperveen, Surinamese footballer and manager (b. 1924)
1982 – Marty Robbins, American singer-songwriter and race car driver (b. 1925)
1982 – Haim Laskov, Israel Defense Forces fifth Chief of Staff (b. 1919)
1983 – Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1904)
1983 – Slim Pickens, American actor (b. 1919)
1984 – Luther Adler, American actor (b. 1903)
1984 – Robert Jay Mathews, American militant leader, founded The Order (b. 1953)
1984 – Semih Sancar, Turkish general (b. 1911)
1991 – Buck Clayton, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1911)
1992 – William Shawn, American journalist (b. 1917)
1993 – Yevgeny Minayev, Russian weightlifter (b. 1933)
1994 – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1927)
1996 – Howard Rollins, American actor (b. 1950)
1996 – Kashiwado Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 47th Yokozuna (b. 1938)
1997 – Bob Bell, American clown and actor (b. 1922)
1999 – Péter Kuczka, Hungarian poet and author (b. 1923)
2001 – Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian basketball player and coach (b. 1954)
2001 – Betty Holberton, American computer scientist and programmer (b. 1917)
2003 – Rubén González, Cuban pianist (b. 1919)
2004 – Dimebag Darrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1966)
2006 – Martha Tilton, American singer (b. 1915)
2006 – José Uribe, Dominican baseball player (b. 1959)
2007 – Gerardo García Pimentel, Mexican journalist (b. 1983)
2008 – Oliver Postgate, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1925)
2008 – Robert Prosky, American actor (b. 1930)
2009 – Luis Días, Dominican singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
2012 – Jerry Brown, American football player (b. 1987)
2012 – John Gowans, Scottish-English 16th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1934)
2012 – Johnny Lira, American boxer (b. 1951)
2013 – John Cornforth, Australian-English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
2013 – Sándor Szokolay, Hungarian composer and academic (b. 1931)
2013 – Richard S. Williamson, American lawyer and diplomat (b. 1949)
2014 – Tom Gosnell, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1951)
2014 – Russ Kemmerer, American baseball player and coach (b. 1930)
2014 – Knut Nystedt, Norwegian organist and composer (b. 1915)
2015 – Mattiwilda Dobbs, American soprano and actress (b. 1925)
2015 – Alan Hodgkinson, English footballer and coach (b. 1936)
2015 – Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (b. 1943)
2015 – John Trudell, American author, poet, and actor (b. 1946)
2015 – Elsie Tu, English-Hong Kong educator and politician (b. 1913)
2016 – John Glenn, American astronaut and senator, first American to go into orbit (b. 1921)
