What happened on December 18 ?

1507 - Ouchi Yoshitaka, Japanese warlord (d. 1551)

1602 - Simonds d'Ewes, English antiquarian and politician (d. 1650)

1610 - Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange, French philologist (d. 1688)

1620 - Heinrich Roth, German Sanskrit scholar (d. 1668)

1661 - Christopher Polhem, Swedish scientist and inventor (d. 1751)

1662 - James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry, Scottish politician (d. 1711)

1724 - Louise of Great Britain, wife of Frederick V of Denmark (d. 1751)

1725 - Johann Salomo Semler, German historian and Bible commentator (d. 1791)

1825 - Charles Griffin (general), American general (d. 1876)

1835 - Lyman Abbott, American author (d. 1922)

1847 - Augusta Holmès, French composer (d. 1903)

1856 - Sir J.J. Thomson, British physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1940)

1863 - Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria (d. 1914)

1870 - Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), British writer (d. 1916)

1873 - Francis Burton Harrison, American political figure (d. 1957)

1878 - Josef Stalin (Ioseb Jughashvili), leader of the Soviet Union (d. 1953)

1879 - Paul Klee, Swiss-born painter and graphic artist (d. 1940)

1886 - Ty Cobb (Tyrus Raymond Cobb), American baseball player (d. 1961)

1888 - Robert Moses, American public works official (d. 1981)

1888 - Dame Gladys Cooper, British actress (d. 1971)

1890 - Edwin Armstrong, American inventor (d. 1954)

1897 - Fletcher Henderson, American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer (d. 1952)

1904 - George Stevens, American film director, producer, writer and cinematographer (d. 1975)

1907 - Bill Holland, American auto racer (d. 1984)

1912 - Benjamin O. Davis Jr., American General (d. 2002)

1913 - Alfred Bester, American author (d. 1987)

1913 - Willy Brandt, Chancellor of Germany and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)

1913 - Ray Meyer, former head coach of DePaul University men's basketball team )(d. 2006)

1916 - Betty Grable, American actress (d. 1973)

1916 - Douglas Fraser, British-born trade unionist

1917 - Ossie Davis, American actor (d. 2005)

1927 - Ramsey Clark, U.S. Attorney General

1927 - Romeo LeBlanc, 25th Governor General of Canada

1928 - Józef Glemp, Polish cardinal

1930 - Moose Skowron, baseball player

1931 - Allen Klein, rock and roll business manager

1934 - Boris Volynov, cosmonaut

1935 - Jacques Pépin, French chef

1938 - Roger E. Mosley, American actor

1939 - Michael Moorcock, British author

1939 - Harold E. Varmus, American scientist and Nobel Prize laureate

1940 - Bramwell Morrison, member of children's musical group Sharon, Lois & Bram

1943 - Keith Richards, British guitarist (The Rolling Stones)

1946 - Steven Spielberg, American film director

1946 - Steve Biko, South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 1977)

1948 - Bill Nelson, British musician (Be Bop Deluxe)

1950 - Gillian Armstrong, Australian film director

1950 - Leonard Maltin, American film critic

1953 - Elliot Easton, American guitarist (The Cars)

1955 - Ray Liotta, American actor

1956 - Ron White, American comedian

1960 - Kazuhide Uekusa, Japanese economist

1961 - Brian Orser, Canadian figure skater

1963 - Karl Dorrell, American football coach

1963 - Brad Pitt, American actor

1964 - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, American professional wrestler

1964 - Don Beebe, American football player

1964 - Robson Green, British actor and singer

1965 - Tommy Davidson, American actor

1968 - Casper Van Dien, American actor

1970 - DMX (Earl Simmons), American rapper and actor

1970 - Miles Marshall Lewis, American author

1970 - Rob Van Dam (Robert Szatkowski), American professional wrestler

1970 - Cowboy Troy (Troy Coleman), American rapper

1971 - Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Spanish tennis player

1972 - DJ Lethal (Leor Dimant), American DJ (House of Pain & Limp Bizkit)

1973 - Raymond Herrera, American drummer (Fear Factory)

1974 - Peter Boulware, American football player

1974 - Knut Euroboy Schreiner, Norwegian musician (Turbonegro)

1975 - Trish Stratus, Canadian professional wrestler

1975 - Masaki Sumitani, Japanese comedian

1976 - Koyuki (Koyuki Kato), Japanese actress and model

1978 - Curtis Taylor, "Bullycide" victim (d. 1993)

1978 - Katie Holmes, American actress

1980 - Christina Aguilera, American singer

1985 - Hana Soukupová, Czech supermodel

1987 - Miki Ando, Japanese figure skater

1989 - Ashley Benson, American actress