February 12: Today's Notable Birthdays

Is February 12th your birthday? Was someone special to you born on February 12th? With whom will you choose to celebrate this excellent occasion?

If today is your birthday, then you are in excellent company.

(If someone you love is celebrating another year today, why not forward this list to the birthday boy or girl? Click SHARE at the bottom of this page to email the entire article with your "Happy Birthday" message.)

February 12th was the birth date of several notable (or even notorious) individuals. Here they are:

February 12th Birthdays: Famous Artists

Italian film director Gianfranco (Franco Zeffirelli) Corsi (The Champ, Endless Love, Jesus of Nazareth, La Traviata, Othello, Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew) was born on February 12, 1923.

American jazz pianist and classical composer Melvin (Mel Powell) Epstein was born on February 12, 1923. Mel Powell composed Benny Goodman's "Mission to Moscow."

Konstantinos (Costa) Gavras, Greek film director (Betrayed, Mad City, Missing, The Music Box, The Sleeping Car Murder, State of Siege and Z), was born on February 12, 1933.

February 12th Birthdays: Famous Athletes

American professional baseball player Dominic Paul (Dom) DiMaggio (Boston Red Sox) was born on February 12, 1917. Known as "The Little Professor," Dom DiMaggio was brother to professional baseball players Joe DiMaggio and Vince DiMaggio.

Patrick Edward (Pat) Dobson, American professional baseball player (Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres), was born on February 12, 1942.

Charles Everett Dumas, American high jumper and Olympic gold medalist (1956), was born on February 12, 1937.

American professional baseball player (Chicago Cubs. Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals) and television personality (NBC's Game of the Week, Today and Westminster Dog Show) Joseph Henry (Joe) Garagiola was born on February 12, 1926. Joe Garagiola's books include Baseball is a Funny Game and It's Anybody's Ballgame.

Charles Mathiesen, Norwegian speed skater and Olympic gold medalist (1936), was born on February 12, 1911.

Bill Russell, American professional basketball player (Boston Celtics), coach (Seattle SuperSonics) and Olympic gold medalist (1956), was born on February 12, 1934. Bill Russell's autobiography is titled Second Wind.

John Sherman (Johnny) Rutherford, III, American race car driver, was born on February 12, 1938. Known as "Lonestar J.R.," Johnny Rutherford won the Indianapolis 500 three times (1974, 1976 and 1980).

American professional golfer Ken Still was born on February 12, 1935.

February 12th Birthdays: Famous Authors and Journalists

British physician, poet and author Thomas Campion (Books of Airs, Lord Hay's Masque, The Lord's Masque, Observations in the Art of English Poesie, Somerset Masque and Songs of Mourning: Bewailing the Untimely Death of Prince Henry) was born on February 12, 1567.

American Puritan clergyman and author Cotton Mather was born on February 12, 1663. Son of Puritan clergyman Increase Mather, Cotton Mather wrote several books, including Essays to Do Good, Magnalia Christi Americana, Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions and Wonders of the Invisible World.

Judith (Judy Blume) Sussman, American author (Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, Blubber, Forever, Freckle Juice, Superfudge and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing), was born on February 12, 1938.

February 12th Birthdays: Famous Business Leaders

Peter Cooper, American inventor and industrialist (Canton Iron Works), was born on February 12, 1791. In 1876, Peter Cooper ran as the Greenback Party candidate for the U.S. Presidency, losing to 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes.

American labor leader John Llewellyn Lewis (UMW, The United Mine Workers of America) was born on February 12, 1880. John Lewis founded the CIO, Committee for Industrial Organization.

February 12th Birthdays: Famous Performers

Swedish actress Maud Adams (Chicago Story, Emerald Point N.A.S., Killer Force, The Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy) was born on February 12, 1945.

Joe Don Baker, American actor (Charlie Varrick, Citizen Cohn, Cool Hand Luke, Fletch, GoldenEye, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, The Natural, Ring of Steel, Tomorrow Never Dies and Walking Tall), was born on February 12, 1936.

American country music singer Marion Franklin (Moe) Bandy, Jr. ("Americana," "Ashes in the Wind," "Bandy the Rodeo Clown," "Barstool Mountain," "Brotherly Love," "Cowboys Ain't Supposed to Cry," "Hank Williams You Wrote My Life," "Holding the Bag," "Honky Tonk Amnesia," "Honky Tonk Queen," "I Just Started Hatin' Cheatin' Songs Today," "Many Mansions," "One Man Band," "Rodeo Romeo," "She's Not Really Cheatin' - She's Just Gettin' Even," "Soft Lights and Hard Country Music," "That's What Makes the Juke Box Play," "'Til I'm Too Old to Die Young," "Where's the Dress" and "You Haven't Heard the Last of Me"), was born on February 12, 1944. Moe Bandy performed with country music singer Joe Stampley.

American jazz and swing saxophonist and bandleader Gordon Lee (Tex) Beneke was born on February 12, 1914. Tex Beneke played tenor sax with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Josh Brolin, American actor (American Gangster, The Goonies, In the Valley of Elah, Milk, Mister Sterling, No Country for Old Men, Private Eye, W, Winnetka Road and The Young Riders), was born on February 12, 1968. Son of actor James Brolin, Josh Brolin married actress Diane Lane.

James Raymond (Jim) Creeggan, Canadian rock bassist (Barenaked Ladies), was born on February 12, 1970.

Joanne Crussie (Joanna Kerns) DeVarona, American actress (The Four Seasons, Girl Interrupted, Growing Pains and Knocked Up), was born on February 12, 1953.

Cliff DeYoung, American actor (Blue Collar, Centennial, F/X, Master of the Game and Sunshine), was born on February 12, 1945.

Lorne Green, Canadian television newscaster (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) and actor (Battlestar Galactica, Bonanza, Earthquake and The Silver Chalice), was born on February 12, 1915.

British rock guitarist and songwriter Stephen Richard (Steve) Hackett (Genesis and GTR) was born on February 12, 1950.

Arsenio Hall, American comedian, television personality (The 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour, The Arsenio Hall Show, The Late Show and MTV Video Music Awards) and actor (Amazon Women on the Moon, Coming to America, Harlem Nights and Martial Law), was born on February 12, 1955.

John Michael Higgins, American actor (Ally McBeal, Arrested Development, Boston Legal, The Break Up, Brother's Keeper, Fun with Dick and Jane, Kath & Kim and The Late Shift), was born on February 12, 1963. John Michael Higgins married actress Margaret Welsh.

Canadian actor Michael Ironside (ER, Free Willy, Jo Jo Dancer, The Perfect Storm, Scanners, SeaQuest DSV, Starship Troopers, Top Gun, Total Recall, V and Your Life is Calling) was born on February 12, 1950.

Sarah Beth Lancaster, American actress (Chuck, Everwood, Living With the Enemy, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Scrubs and What About Brian), was born on February 12, 1980.

Keri Lewis, American R&B keyboardist (Mint Condition), was born on February 12, 1971.

Simon MacCorkindale, British actor (Counterstrike, Death on the Nile, Falcon Crest, Jaws 3, Manimal and Obsessive Love), was born on February 12, 1952.

American radio host and television personality William Edward (Ted Mack) Maguiness (The Ted Mack Family Hourand Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour) was born on February 12, 1904.

Raymond Daniel (Ray Manzarek) Manczarek, Jr., American rock keyboardist (The Doors, The Doors of the 21st Century and Riders on the Storm), was born on February 12, 1939.

American actress Christine Elise McCarthy (Beverly Hills 90210, Boiling Point, Child's Play 2, China Beach, ER, In the Heat of the Night and Vanishing Point) was born on February 12, 1965.

Eugene Booker (Gene) McDaniels, American singer ("Chip Chip," "Compared to What," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "A Hundred Pounds of Clay," "Jagger the Dagger," "Point of No Return," "Spanish Lace" and "Tower of Strength") and actor (Ring-A-Ding Rhythm, Uptown Saturday Night and The Young Swingers), was born on February 12, 1935.

Michael McDonald, American rock and R&B singer and songwriter (The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan), was born on February 12, 1952.

Russian ballerina Anna Matveyevna Pavlova (Chopiniana,The Dying Swan and Giselle) was born on February 12, 1881.

Chynna Phillips, American pop singer (Wilson Phillips), was born on February 12, 1968. Chynna Phillips is the daughter of singers John Phillips and Michelle Phillips (of The Mamas and the Papas) and sister to actors Bijou Phillips and Mackenzie Phillips. Chynna Phillips married actor Billy Baldwin.

Christina Ricci, American actress (200 Cigarettes, The Addams Family, Addams Family Values, The Ice Storm, Mermaids, Monster, The Opposite of Sex, Pecker and Sleepy Hollow), was born on February 12, 1980.

Joe Schermie, American rock bassist (Three Dog Night), was born on February 12, 1946.

Australian actor Jesse Spencer (Death in Holy Orders, Flourish, House M.D., Neighbours, Swimming Upstream and Uptown Girls) was born on February 12, 1979.

American actor Forrest Tucker (F Troop, Sands of Iwo Jima, Thunder Run and The Yearling) was born on February 12, 1919.

Louis Zorich, American actor (Fiddler on the Roof, For Pete's Sake, Mad About You and The Muppets Take Manhattan), was born on February 12, 1924. Married to actress Olympia Dukakis, Louis Zorich is the uncle of professional football player Chris Zorich.

February 12th Birthdays: Famous Scientists

Danish physician, anatomist and theologian Caspar Bartholin was born on February 12, 1585.

Charles Darwin, British naturalist, evolutionist and author (The Descent of Man and On the Origin of Species), was born on February 12, 1809.

February 12th Birthdays: Famous World (and Other) Leaders

Louisa Johnson Adams, American First Lady (to 6th U.S. President John Quincy Adams), was born on February 12, 1775.

American Army General Omar Nelson Bradley was born on February 12, 1893. Five-star General Omar Bradley was the first U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Nello Celio, Swiss President, was born on February 12, 1914.

Francis II, Roman Emperor, was born on February 12, 1768.

American Army General Andrew Jackson Goodpaster was born on February 12, 1915. Andrew Goodpaster served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Sylvester Guzman Fernandez, Dominican Republic President, was born on February 12, 1911.

German King Henry VII was born on February 12, 1211.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President, was born on February 12, 1809.

Do you know any others who are celebrating birthdays on February 12th?

If you know additional notable people (including yourself) who may be celebrating a birthday on February 12th, please indicate so in a comment below. Thank you!

Happy Birthday, February 12th.

Other Notable Birthdates:

Click here to check other calendar dates for notable birthdates.

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