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A photo of Nicholas Cage Photo by Nicolas Genin

10 Most Famous People Born in January 

January is one  of the most celebrated months of the years because of several reasons ranging from new year celebrations to a month where resolutions and goals are set.It is also a month where we get to experience several weather changes including experiencing winter.  

The month of January has also produced some of the best talents and some of the most famous people in the work. These individuals have achieved great success in their respective fields, and their contributions have influenced society in many ways.Lets take a look at some of the most famous people born on January;

1. Betsy Ross 

A portrait of Betsy Ross sewing flag Photo sourced from

Ross born on January 1, 1752 is credited with sewing the first United States flag. A symbol of patriotism, Ross is often celebrated as the woman who helped George Washington finish the design.

Although there is no historical evidence that she created this flag, her story has made her a national icon. She is among the most recognized women on our list for her contribution in the history of United states of America.

2. Isaac Newton 

A portrait of Sir Isaac Newton Photo sourced from

Isaac Newton born on January 4, 1643, in England, Isaac Newton was an established physicist and mathematician, and is credited as one of the great minds of the 17th century Scientific Revolution.With discoveries in optics, motion and mathematics, Newton developed the principles of modern physics.

In 1687, he published his most acclaimed work, Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), which has been called the single most influential book on physics. Newton died in London on March 31, 1727.

Read more about him in Top 15 Facts about Isaac Newton 

3. Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was born January 6, 1412, when she was 13, Joan began hearing voices which told her they were messengers from God. At first, the messages were simple: be good, go to Church often, and God would help her. These revelation did not down well with a a likes of the people. 

But when Joan was 17, the voices 鈥� which now identified themselves as St. Catherine, St. Margaret and St. Michael the Archangel, told Joan to go to the king of France and help him regain his throne. Her story has been told hundreds of times in books, plays, and movies, and she continues to be a popular heroine nearly 600 years after her death.

4. Nicolas Cage 

A photo of Nicholas Cage Photo by Nicolas Genin

Nicholas Cage was born in California and named Nicolas Kim Coppola. He later change his name to Nicolas Cage because of his liking for the Marvel superhero name, Luke cage and has since gone on to become one of America鈥檚 greatest actors. Cage鈥檚 dedication and commitment to his acting career earned him multiple awards and recognition on the global stage.

He developed a passion for acting because he aspired to be like James Dean. Cage is an astounding actor who has been nominated for and received, many awards such as an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, an MTV Movie Award, a National Board of Review Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

5. Stephen Hawking  

Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist and cosmologist, widely considered to be one of the greatest scientists of his time. He was the first scientist to devise a cosmology that married the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, and he made huge contributions to our understanding of black holes.

His computer synthesized voice and the concept a genius mind trapped within a powerless body captured the public imagination all over the world. Arguably, Hawking because the most famous scientist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, making appearances in TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory. 

6. Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King in 1964 Photo sourced from

Martin Luther King Jr.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, GA on January 15th, 1929. He was one of the most important and influential Civil Rights leaders in the 1950s and 1960s. He helped organize many Civil Rights movement actions, the most famous being the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

It was then, on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, that Dr. King delivered his famous 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and in 1965 helped organize the Selma to Montgomery marches to advocate for Black voting rights.

Read more about him here

7. A.A. Milne

Alan Alexander Milne, popularly known as A.A. Milne, was born on January 18, 1882. He was an English author well known for his books about a teddy bear named Winnie-the-Pooh.

He was principally a dramatist until the enormous popularity of Winnie-the-Pooh eclipsed all of his prior work. Milne fought as a captain in the British Home Guard in World War I and then as a member of the British Army in World War II.

8.Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys at the Aria Awards 2013 in Sydney Australia Photo by Eva Rinaldi

Alicia Keys Another top celebrity born on January is Alicia Augello-Cook famously known as Alicia Keys born on January 25, 1981 in Manhattan, New York, U.S.A., better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American recording artist, musician and actress.

Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards including 14 Grammy awards and has sold over 75 million records worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000鈥�2009 decade.

Read more about her in Top 10 Little Known Facts about Alicia Keys

9. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah hosting a show Photo sourced from

Oprah Gail Winfrey born on January 29, 1954 is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history.

It ran in national syndication for 25 years. Queen of All Media she was the richest African American of the 20th century and North America’s first black multi-billionaire and she has been ranked the greatest Black philanthropist in American history.

10. Boris Spassky

World Chess champion Boris Vasilievich Spassky born on January 30, 1937 is best known for becoming the youngest chess player at the time to earn the Grandmaster title in 1955 after winning the World Junior Championship then.

He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972.Boris is famous for having a universal chess play style, a perk that made him become a versatile player in the game. This distinct play style of his also helped him defeat multiple Chess grandmasters during his several Chess matches.

Read more about him here