Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 31:
TV producer George Schlatter is 95.
Actor Sir Anthony Hopkins is 87.
Actress Sarah Miles is 83.
Guitarist Andy Summers of The Police is 82.
Actor Sir Ben Kingsley is 81.
Producer-director Taylor Hackford is 80.
Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg is 78.
Actor Tim Matheson is 77.
Singer Burton Cummings of The Guess Who is 77.
Actor Joe Dallesandro is 76.
Bassist Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith is 73.
Actor James Remar ("Dexter") is 71.
Country singer-songwriter Charlie Major is 70.
Actress Bebe Neuwirth ("Cheers") is 66.
Singer Paul Westerberg is 65.
Actor Val Kilmer is 65.
Actor Don Diamont is 62.
Guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax is 61.
Actor-comedian Michael McDonald (MADtv) is 60.
Actress Gong Li is 59.
Author Nicholas Sparks is 59.
Comedian Gerry Dee is 56.
Singer-actor Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block is 52.
Olympic swimmer Curtis Myden is 51.
Drummer Mikko Siren of Apocalyptica is 49.
South Korean rapper PSY (born Park Jae-sang) is 47.
Actor-singer Erich Bergen ("Madam Secretary," ''Jersey Boys") is 39.
DJ Andrew Taggart of The Chainsmokers is 35.
Figure skater Patrick Chan is 34.
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Also born on this date (death in parentheses):
In 1491, French explorer Jacques Cartier. (Sept. 1, 1557)
In 1738, British General Charles Cornwallis. (Oct. 5, 1805)
In 1869, French painter Henri Matisse. (Nov. 3, 1954)
In 1884, beautician and cosmetics manufacturer Elizabeth Arden. (Oct. 18, 1966)
In 1904, Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Chuck Gardiner. (June 13, 1934)
In 1905, composer Jule Styne. (Sept. 20, 1994)
In 1908, Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. (Sept,. 20, 2005)
In 1918, actress Virginia Davis. (Aug. 15, 2009)
In 1920, actor/singer-songwriter Rex Allen. (Dec. 17, 1999)
In 1928, singer Ross Barbour ("The Four Freshmen"). (Aug. 20, 2011)
In 1930, folk singer Odetta. (Dec. 2, 2008)
In 1940, actor Tim Considine ("My Three Sons"). (Mar. 3, 2022)
In 1943, singer John Denver. (Oct. 12, 1997)
In 1943, bassist Pete Quaife (The Kinks). (June 23, 2010)
In 1948, "Queen of Disco" Donna Summer. (May 17, 2012)
In 1953, acoustic guitarist Michael Hedges. (Dec. 2, 1997)
In 1962, actor Lance Reddick ("Fringe," ''The Wire"). (Mar. 17, 2023)
In 1979, drummer Bob Bryar (My Chemical Romance). (Nov. 24, 2024)
The Canadian Press