Can you guess who's going to hit Number 1? Well, ah... Uh-huh!
Honorable Mention: January 8, 1911: Gypsy Rose Lee. The former Rose Louise Hovick wrote the memoir Gypsy, which became a successful Broadway musical and film at a time when the moralistic Hays Code was still in effect. She lived long enough to play a female newscaster on Batman, and to be a regular panelist on the original version of Hollywood Squares.
Dishonorable Mention: January 8, 1958: Betsy DeVos. Donald Trump's Secretary of Education.
Dishonorable Mention: January 8, 1967: Robert Kelly. It's a toss-up as to which one, Betsy DeVos or R. Kelly, did more harm to Americans under the age of 18.
10. January 8, 1735: John Carroll. The 1st Catholic archbishop in America, he founded Georgetown University.
9. January 8, 1867: Emily Greene Balch. A social worker, she fought urban poverty and child labor in Chicago, often alongside Jane Addams. She became a leading peace activist, and, like Addams, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Honorable Mention: January 8, 1885: A.J. Muste. A minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, he became one of the leading pacifists of the 20th Century, and almost certainly worked with Mrs. Balch. He became known for saying, "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."
8. January 8, 1941: Graham Chapman. No, he wasn't the Messiah. But he was the King. Not as much as the man at Number 1 on this list, but he was King Arthur, and many other Monty Python roles.
7. January 8, 1926: Soupy Sales. He was funnier than Graham Chapman, although he did waste many perfectly good pies.
Honorable Mention: January 8, 1923: Larry Storch. The former F Troop star could be the next Hollywood figure to turn 100, but he'll never be as beloved as Betty White.
6. January 8, 1908: William Hartnell. The 1st star of Doctor Who, from 1963 to 1967, he remains beloved by fans of the show born long after his death in 1975.
5. January 8, 1912: José Ferrer. Playing Cyrano de Bergerac won him both a Tony and an Oscar, making him the 1st Hispanic Academy Award winner. Also: Moulin Rouge, The Caine Mutiny, Lawrence of Arabia, Ship of Fools, and the 1984 version of Dune.
He was married to Uta Hagen, and then to Rosemary Clooney, making him the father of Miguel Ferrer and the uncle of George Clooney. He was not related to actor Mel Ferrer, but did once direct him on Broadway.
4. January 8, 1885: John Curtin. He served as Prime Minister of Australia through most of World War II, although, like Franklin Roosevelt, he didn't quite live to see full victory.
3. January 8, 1942: Stephen Hawking. He couldn't move, but he moved us.
2. January 8, 1947: David Bowie. As with Elvis, his flaws were glaring. But, also as with Elvis, he was a revolutionary figure who used rock and roll to move humanity forward. Stephen Hawking may have explained space and time, but Bowie seemed to take us there.
I could have done a Top 10 with music personalities alone, if I'd wanted to work that hard:
Honorable Mention: January 8, 1931: Bill Graham. The producer behind the San Francisco music scene of the 1960s.
Honorable Mention: January 8, 1937: Shirley Bassey. The Welsh chanteuse is the only person thus far to sing the theme songs to 3 James Bond films, most famously Goldfinger.
Honorable Mention: January 8, 1946: Robbie Krieger. The lead guitarist for The Doors wrote the lyrics to their hits "Light My Fire,""Love Me Two Times,""Touch Me" and "Love Her Madly." He allegedly told lead singer and main songwriter Jim Morrison, "If I'm gonna compete with your stuff, it better be about Earth, snakes or fire!"
1. January 8, 1935: Elvis Presley. Long live the King.
Still alive as of this writing: DeVos, Kelly, Storch, Bassey and Krieger.