Famous people born on May 12th
May 12 is a remarkably wide-ranging birthday on the calendar, linking groundbreaking humanitarian work with iconic entertainment, bold modern art, and influential political and intellectual thought. The date spans figures who reshaped how people laugh, heal, play, build, and organize society. From Victorian-era reform to late-20th-century pop culture, the variety here is both global and cross-disciplinary.
Notable highlights
- Florence Nightingale (1820) - Pioneered modern nursing and helped make hospital sanitation and outcomes measurable through data-driven reform.
- Katharine Hepburn (1907) - Redefined screen stardom with an independent persona and a record-setting run of major acting honors.
- George Carlin (1937) - Transformed stand-up with razor-edged social commentary and a style that pushed boundaries on language and power.
- Mary Kay Ash (1918) - Built a direct-selling cosmetics empire and became a signature example of women-led entrepreneurship in the U.S.
- Yogi Berra (1925) - A baseball legend whose championship pedigree and quotable wit made him a cultural fixture beyond the sport.
- Burt Bacharach (1928) - Crafted a sophisticated pop songbook whose melodies and harmonies became standards across decades.
- Frank Stella (1936) - Helped shift postwar art toward bold abstraction, emphasizing shape, structure, and the objecthood of the painting.
- Daniel Libeskind (1946) - Known for dramatic, angular architecture and landmark projects that weave memory and meaning into form.
- Tony Hawk (1968) - Elevated skateboarding into the mainstream through competitive dominance and a lasting influence on youth culture.
- Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895) - Challenged conventional authority in spiritual life, urging radical self-inquiry and psychological freedom.
On this day
- 1364 - Jagiellonian University (then the University of Krakow) is founded, one of Europe’s oldest universities.
- 1949 - The Soviet Union lifts the Berlin Blockade, ending a major early Cold War confrontation.
- 2002 - Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter begins a historic visit to Cuba, meeting Fidel Castro.
- 2008 - A powerful earthquake strikes China’s Sichuan province, causing catastrophic damage and loss of life.