Special Report

Famous People Born on Major Holidays

library_of_congress / Flickr

“Born on the Fourth of July” is the title of Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic’s autobiography, as well as Oliver Stone’s film adaptation of the book, starring Tom Cruise. Of course Ron Kovic isn’t the only famous American born on Independence Day. President Calvin Coolidge and advice columnist Ann Landers were, too (along with others as diverse as Bill Withers, Geraldo Rivera, George Steinbrenner, and Gina Lolabrigida). 

24/7 Tempo has consulted numerous websites, including AP News, Famous Birthdays, Born Today, and Wikipedia to create a list of famous people born on major holidays, including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Valentine’s Day, Leap Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Labor Day, Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.

Click here to see a list of famous people born on major holidays

The youngest names on our list are gymnast Gabby Douglas, born on Christmas Day in 1995, and musician Post Malone, born on Independence Day in 1995. The oldest names are scientist Isaac Newton, born in 1642 on Christmas Day, and author Nathaniel Hawthorne, another Independence Day baby, born in 1804. (This is the most famous person the same age as you.) 

In between are names such as Salma Hayek and Keanu Reeves, hard-working actors both born on Labor Day. (These are the 25 biggest Keanu Reeves movies ranked worst to best.)

Spare a thought, though, for actor Dennis Farina and musician Ja Rule, both born on a Leap Day. People born on February 29 are known as leaplings and get to celebrate on February 28 or March 1 instead of their actual birthday three out of four years. 

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Isaac Newton
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1642
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, England
>Occupation: Scientist

[in-text-ad]

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Nathaniel Hawthorne
> Born on: July 4, 1804
> Holiday: Independence Day
> Hometown: Salem, MA
>Occupation: Writer

usnationalarchives / Flickr

Clara Barton
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1821
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Oxford, MA
>Occupation: Nurse, founder of the American Red Cross

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Stephen Foster
> Born on: July 4, 1826
> Holiday: Independence Day
> Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
>Occupation: Songwriter

[in-text-ad-2]

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Pud Galvin
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1856
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: St. Louis, MO
>Occupation: Baseball player

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Calvin Coolidge
> Born on: July 4, 1872
> Holiday: Independence Day
> Hometown: Plymouth, VT
>Occupation: 30th president of the US

[in-text-ad]

Humphrey Bogart
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1899
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: New York City, NY
>Occupation: Film and theater actor

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Howard Hughes
> Born on: Dec. 24, 1905
> Holiday: Christmas Eve
> Hometown: Humble, TX
>Occupation: Business magnate, pilot

library_of_congress / Flickr

Cab Calloway
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1907
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Rochester, NY
>Occupation: Musician, dancer

[in-text-ad-2]

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Ben Chapman
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1908
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Nashville, TN
>Occupation: Baseball player

Ann Landers
> Born on: July 4, 1918
> Holiday: Independence Day
> Hometown: Sioux City,IA
>Occupation: Advice columnist

[in-text-ad]

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Ava Gardner
> Born on: Dec. 24, 1922
> Holiday: Christmas Eve
> Hometown: Grabtown, NC
>Occupation: Actor

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Rod Serling
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1924
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Syracuse, NY
>Occupation: Screenwriter and playwright

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Nellie Fox
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1927
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: St. Thomas Township, PA
>Occupation: Baseball player

[in-text-ad-2]

Timothy Hiatt / Getty Images

Anthony Hopkins
> Born on: Dec. 31, 1937
> Holiday: New Year’s Eve
> Hometown: Margam, Wales
>Occupation: Actor

Frank Langella
> Born on: Jan. 1, 1938
> Holiday: New Year’s Day
> Hometown: Bayonne, NJ
>Occupation: Actor

[in-text-ad]

Dr. Anthony Fauci
> Born on: Dec. 24, 1940
> Holiday: Christmas Eve
> Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
>Occupation: Immunologist

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Geraldo Rivera
> Born on: July 4, 1943
> Holiday: Independence Day
> Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
>Occupation: Lawyer, political commentator

Ben Kingsley
> Born on: Dec. 31, 1943
> Holiday: New Year’s Eve
> Hometown: Snainton, England
>Occupation: Actor

[in-text-ad-2]

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Dennis Farina
> Born on: February 29, 1944
> Holiday: Leap Day
> Hometown: Chicago, IL
>Occupation: Actor

Allsport / Getty Images

Ken Stabler
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1945
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Foley, AL
>Occupation: Football quarterback

[in-text-ad]

Joe Louis Walker
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1945
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: San Francisco, CA
>Occupation: Musician

Gregory Hines
> Born on: Feb. 14, 1946
> Holiday: Valentine’s Day
> Hometown: New York City, NY
>Occupation: Dancer, actor

Ron Kovic
> Born on: July 4, 1946
> Holiday: Independence Day
> Hometown: Ladysmith, WI
>Occupation: Anti-war activist, US marine

[in-text-ad-2]

Rick Diamond / Getty Images

Jimmy Buffett
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1946
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Pascagoula, MS
>Occupation: Musician

Merry Clayton
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1948
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: New Orleans, LA
>Occupation: Musician

[in-text-ad]

Fin Costello / Redferns via Getty Images

Donna Summer
> Born on: Dec. 31, 1948
> Holiday: New Year’s Eve
> Hometown: Boston, MA
>Occupation: Musician

Sissy Spacek
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1949
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Quitman, TX
>Occupation: Actor

Andreas Rentz / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Annie Lennox
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1954
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Aberdeen, Scotland
>Occupation: Musician, political activist

[in-text-ad-2]

Rickey Henderson
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1958
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Chicago, IL
>Occupation: Baseball player

Alannah Myles
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1958
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Toronto, Canada
>Occupation: Musician

[in-text-ad]

Lee Daniels
> Born on: Dec. 24, 1959
> Holiday: Christmas Eve
> Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
>Occupation: Film director

Val Kilmer
> Born on: Dec. 31, 1959
> Holiday: New Year’s Eve
> Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
>Occupation: Actor

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Rob Schneider
> Born on: Oct. 31, 1963
> Holiday: Halloween
> Hometown: San Francisco, CA
>Occupation: Actor

[in-text-ad-2]

Christopher Polk / Getty Images

Rob Lowe
> Born on: March 17, 1964
> Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day
> Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
>Occupation: Actor

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

Keanu Reeves
> Born on: Sept. 2, 1964
> Holiday: Labor Day
> Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
>Occupation: Actor

[in-text-ad]

Salma Hayek
> Born on: Sept. 2, 1966
> Holiday: Labor Day
> Hometown: Coatzacoalcos, Mexico
>Occupation: Actor

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Vanilla Ice
> Born on: Oct. 31, 1967
> Holiday: Halloween
> Hometown: Dallas, TX
>Occupation: Musician

Helena Christensen
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1968
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
>Occupation: Model

[in-text-ad-2]

Morris Chestnut
> Born on: Jan. 1, 1969
> Holiday: New Year’s Day
> Hometown: Cerritos, CA
>Occupation: Actor

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Regina King
> Born on: Jan. 15, 1971
> Holiday: Martin Luther King Day
> Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
>Occupation: Actor, Film director

[in-text-ad]

Gustavo Caballero / Getty Images

Ricky Martin
> Born on: Dec. 24, 1971
> Holiday: Christmas Eve
> Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
>Occupation: Musician

Courtesy of Dido via Facebook

Dido
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1971
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: London, England
>Occupation: Musician

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

Leonardo DiCaprio
> Born on: Nov. 11, 1974
> Holiday: Veteran’s Day
> Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
>Occupation: Actor

[in-text-ad-2]

Ryan Seacrest
> Born on: Dec. 24, 1974
> Holiday: Christmas Eve
> Hometown: Dunwoody, GA
>Occupation: TV personality

John Parra / Getty Images

Ja Rule
> Born on: February 29, 1976
> Holiday: Leap Day
> Hometown: Queens, NY
>Occupation: Musician

[in-text-ad]

Armin van Buuren
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1976
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Leiden, The Netherlands
>Occupation: DJ

Courtesy of Rob Kardashian via Facebook

Rob Kardashian
> Born on: March 17, 1987
> Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day
> Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
>Occupation: TV personality

Demaryius Thomas
> Born on: Dec. 25, 1987
> Holiday: Christmas
> Hometown: Montrose, GA
>Occupation: Football wide receiver

[in-text-ad-2]

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Adele
> Born on: May 5, 1988
> Holiday: Cinco de Mayo
> Hometown: London, England
>Occupation: Musician

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Chris Brown
> Born on: May 5, 1989
> Holiday: Cinco de Mayo
> Hometown: Tappahannock, VA
>Occupation: Musician

[in-text-ad]

Joshua Blanchard / Getty Images

Freddie Highmore
> Born on: Feb. 14, 1992
> Holiday: Valentine’s Day
> Hometown: London, England
>Occupation: Actor

Tabatha Fireman / Getty Images

Post Malone
> Born on: July 4, 1995
> Holiday: Independence Day
> Hometown: Syracuse, NY
>Occupation: Musician

Gabby Douglas
> Born on: Dec. 31, 1995
> Holiday: New Year’s Eve
> Hometown: Newport News, VA
>Occupation: Artistic gymnast

Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.