New Year’s Day is a pretty special day to be born, and there are many famous people who share this special birthday. Here are just a few who celebrate their birthday on the 1st of January, from important historical figures to modern-day celebrities.
1. Lorenzo de’ Medici, Italy
Born 1449 in Florence, Italy, Lorenzo de’ Medici was an Italian Statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic. He was a magnate, diplomat, politician and patron of scholars artists and poets, including artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo.
2. Maria Edgeworth, Ireland
Maria Edgeworth, born 1768, was an English-Irish writer who wrote adult and children’s literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children’s literature and very important in the evolution of the novel in Europe.
3. Betsy Ross, USA
Betsy Ross, born in 1752 in Philadelphia, USA, is the seamstress credited with sewing the first American flag. There is a bridge connecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey named the Betsy Ross Bridge in her honour.
4. Edward Morgan Forster, UK
Born in 1879 in England, E.M. Forster was a writer, essayist and librettist who wrote classics such as A Room With A View, Howards End and A Passage to India. He wrote about issues of class difference and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 16 times in separate years.
5. William Fox, USA
Born in 1879, William Fox was a Hungarian-American film executive who founded the Fox Film Corporation in 1915 as well as the Fox West Coast Theatres chain in the 1920’s. His name is still used in famous US film and media companies such as 20th Century Fox, Fox corporation, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox News and Fox Sports.
6. Hank Greenburg
Born in 1911 in New York City, Hank Greenburg was an American Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman with a successful career in the sport.
7. Colin Morgan, UK
Born in Armagh, UK in 1986, actor Colin Morgan is best known for his lead role as Merlin in the British BBC series of the same name. He has also appeared in other popular British TV series such as Doctor Who and The Crown.
8. Mr. (Doug) Lawrence, USA
The voice actor known professionally as Mr. Lawrence, born in 1969 in New Jersey, USA, is most famous for his long standing role as the voice of the character named Plankton in the popular American TV cartoon Spongebob Squarepants. He has played him since 1999.
9. Angourie Rice, Australia
Born in 2001 in Perth, Australia, Angourie Rice became famous for her roles in These Final Hours and The Nice Guys as well as starring in more recent popular films such as Spider Man: Far From Home.
10. Verne Troyer, USA
Born in 1969 in Michigan USA, actor Verne Troyer played the famous “Mini Me” in the popular Austin Powers films. He also had various roles in film franchises such as Men In Black and Harry Potter, before his death in 2018.
