BORN 3RD JANUARY

Mel Gibson - 1956

MOVIE ACTOR

Directed and starred in the 1995 film Braveheart, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His best known roles as an actor include Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series and the title character in the Mad Max series. He also starred in The Patriot and directed the critically-acclaimed films Apocalypto and Hacksaw Ridge. He moved to Australia with his family when he was 12. He performed with Geoffrey Rush at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts. He wrote and directed The Passion of the Christ, which became a cult classic amongst Christian viewers but received criticism for its excessive violence and its portrayal of Jews.

Perpetua Ijeoma Nkwocha (born January 3, 1976) is a Nigerian female professional footballer, who currently plays for Swedish Damallsvenskan club Sunnanå SK. She is also a member and the captain of the Nigeria women's national football team. Nkwocha was voted African Women Footballer of the Year in 2004 and 2005 by CAF. With the Nigeria national team, she has participated in three CAF Women's Champ... Read more at Wikipedia

Katie McGrath - 1983

TV ACTRESS

Irish model and actress who rose to stardom through her role on BBC's Merlin from 2008 to 2012. She appeared in NBC's Dracula from 2013 until 2014 and in The CW's Supergirl from 2016 until 2018. She was also cast as Zara Young in the 2015 feature Jurassic World. She was employed as a wardrobe assistant on The Tudors. She wanted to work in fashion journalism and briefly worked at Image magazine.

Danica McKellar - 1975

TV ACTRESS

Played Winnie Cooper on the television series The Wonder Years. In 2015, she appeared as the character The Quail in the TV mini-series Project MC². She graduated from UCLA with a major in mathematics. She provided voices for three characters in X-Men video games.

Candelaria Molfese - 1992

TV ACTRESS

Argentine actress and singer who has played the role of Camila on the Disney Channel series Violetta. She started acting by appearing in plays like Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid and learned how to sing and play piano from a young age. She has been the ambassador of the organization Friends Around the World, which helps people make a difference in their communities.

Thomas Bangalter - 1975

DJ (Daft Punk)

Electronic composer who became known as the other half of the platinum-selling house duo Daft Punk and as a member of Stardust. He and Daft Punk co-founder Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met at the Lycée Carnot school in 1987. They produced their first demo as Daft Punk in 1993.He and de Homem-Christo won the Best Electronic/Dance Album Grammy Award for "Alive 2007" and Best Dance Recording for "Harder Better Faster Stronger" in 2009.

Brigadier-General John Atom Kpera (born 3 January 1941) was the first Military Governor of Anambra State in Nigeria from March 1976 to July 1978, after it had been created from the old East Central State during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. Later he was Military Governor of Benue State from January 1984 to August 1985 during the military regime of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari... Read more at Wikipedia

Hollyn - 1997

GOSPEL SINGER

Christian gospel and pop singer who released a debut self-titled EP in October of 2015. She competed on American Idol when she was 16 years old. From a young age, she was inspired by the Southern Gospel Music group The Isaacs. Her single "Alone" featuring TRU topped the Billboard Christian Hot AC/CHR National Airplay chart.

JRR Tolkien

NOVELIST

BIRTHDAY: January 3, 1892

DEATH DATE: Sep 2, 1973 (age 81)

English author, poet, and professor who wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He was ranked by The Times, a London newspaper, as one of the 50 greatest English authors since 1945 and he is widely considered to be the father of the modern fantasy genre. He began reading when he was just four years old and, in 1915, he graduated from Exeter College, Oxford, with honors. He subsequently served in the British Army during World War I and later accepted a professorship in Anglo-Saxon literature at Pembroke College, Oxford. He cited Old English stories, including Beowulf, as inspiration for the legends of Middle-earth. He also served as a codebreaker during World War II.

Lloyd Polite - 1986

R&B SINGER

Smooth-voiced R&B singer who released the gold-certified album Street Love in 2007. He has released singles like "You" and "Get it Shawty." He signed his first record contract as a teenager with the R&B group N-Toon. He made his solo debut with the #13 2004 single "Southside."

Victoria Duffield - 1995

POP SINGER

Singer and dancer known for her appearance on the reality show The Next Star. She has released singles like "Shut Up and Dance" and "They Don't Know About Us." She was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia and tried out for The Next Star in 2010. She is an avid supporter of the charity Count Me In.

Nena Kalu Ogba (born 3 January 1989 in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi) is an Nigerian footballer, who currently plays for I-League team Sporting Clube de Goa. Ogba Kalu was one of the leader Churchill Brothers S.C. in the I-League and was nominated as Fans Player of the Year 2010. In July 2010 signed for champions Dempo SC.... Read more at Wikipedia

Cassidy Shaffer - 1996

TV ACTRESS

Frequent guest-star on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows who had her most relevant role on Austin & Ally. Early in her career, she appeared in episodes of Friends with Benefits and iCarly. She landed roles in the television movies Death Clique and The Thanksgiving House.

Alex D. Linz - 1989

MOVIE ACTOR

He starred in Home Alone 3 and in Max Keeble's Big Movie. As a voice actor, he provided the voice of Franklin in The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald. He made his acting debut in 1995 on an episode of television series, Cybil. He replaced Macaulay Culkin as the main character in Home Alone 3.

Jodie Whittaker - 1982

TV ACTRESS

Film and television star best known for her role as Beth Latimer in the series Broadchurch. She has also been seen in popular feature films like Attack the Block, One Day, and St. Trinian's. She was cast as the 13th Doctor on the popular BBC series Doctor Who.  She graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2005 where she earned a gold medal in acting. Her breakout role was in the 2006 film Venus.  In 2009, she appeared in the Oscar-nominated live action short film Wish 143.

Jim Ross - 1952

SPORTSCASTER

Longtime wrestling announcer and referee who was named to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. He was an all-conference baseball player at Westville High School. He was named the Best Television Announcer by Wrestling Observer Newsletter on 13 different occasions.

Derek Van Rheenen (born January 3, 1964 in Ibadan, Nigeria) is a retired U.S. soccer defender who played his entire career with three San Francisco based clubs. While born in Nigeria, Van Rheenen grew up in California where he attended Woodside High School in Woodside, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1980, he scored one of his team’s four goals in Woodside’s Central Coast Sectio... Read more at Wikipedia