Born on December 23

Emperor of Russia from 1801 to 1825, Alexander I was one of Napoleon's chief adversaries. Victorious in the campaign of 1812, he played a major role at the Congress of Vienna and founded the Holy Alliance.

Joseph Smith was an American religious leader and founder of the Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism) in 1830. He published the Book of Mormon, which he presented as a translation of golden plates revealed by an angel, and organized a new church before being assassinated in 1844.

First self-made female millionaire in the USA, born to formerly enslaved parents

German statesman and Social Democrat (SPD), he served as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1974 to 1982. A pragmatist, he defined his tenure through his handling of economic crises and domestic terrorism.

Chet Baker (1929-1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and singer, a major figure of West Coast cool jazz. His soft, lyrical trumpet tone and his fragile voice made him an icon, despite a life marked by addiction.

American computer scientist who co-invented the TCP/IP protocol with Vint Cerf, the technical foundation of the Internet. His work made universal communication between computers possible on a global scale.