Sure, there are a lot of famous people born in every year that we can look back on, but the following list determines the single most famous living celebrity for a given year. And while sometimes it was easy to come to a conclusion—Kim Kardashian, for instance, is extremely, undeniably famous—sometimes, things got ruthless. Beyoncé took out Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Rihanna took out Adele. It wasn’t easy, people! Many popular celebrities were left by the wayside. So read on to find out who won the blood bath. Will it be a pop star, a movie superhero, one of the greatest athletes of all time, or a member of the British royal family? And if you want to feel really nostalgic, check out 100 Photos That Kids Born After 2000 Will Never Understand. Starting off in 1950, if you were born right in the middle of the century, you share a birth year with Stevie Wonder. This means that when he released his first album at the age of 12, you were also a middle schooler, and that when he released his ninth album at the age of 18—the album that included “For One in My Life,” mind you—you were also just leaving high school. Okay, okay, I’ll stop. And for your favorite flicks from three decades ago, check out 30 Beloved Movies You Won’t Believe Are 30 Years Old. When you’re this influential in film history, your place on the list is undeniable. The man behind Star Wars hero Luke Skywalker is the biggest celeb born in 1951. In 1977, the first film in the franchise came out, and now, Mark Hamill has played the iconic character in six movies. He has a “particular set of skills”…which involve starring in action movies, dramedies, period pieces, and more. If you were born in 1952, you share a birth year with Liam Neeson. For stars who’ve stuck close to home, here are 24 Celebrities Who Still Live in Their Hometown. In the 1953 spot, we have another Irish actor. Pierce Brosnan is known for playing James Bond in four movies, and for roles in films including The Thomas Crown Affair, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Mamma Mia! He’s also known as a fellow 1953 baby for anyone born during the year. Is it weird to think about being a baby at the exact same time as the Oprah Winfrey? Only those born in 1954 will know. The talk show host and actor was born in January 1954, and 32 years later, her career as most people know it began: She launched The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986. For stars marking a milestone birthday in 2020, check out 60 Celebrities You Won’t Believe Turn 60 This Year. Another famous talk show host was born the year after Winfrey. Whoopi Goldberg is now known for hosting The View since 2007, but she’s, of course, also famous for her various acting roles. She starred in The Color Purple (with Winfrey), Ghost (for which she won an Oscar), the Sister Act movies, and many more. All 1956 babies share a birth year with one of the most beloved actors out there. Tom Hanks was born in July 1956. And you may know him from such small, underrated films as Forrest Gump, Big, Philadelphia, and Saving Private Ryan, or the fact that he’s won two Academy Awards. No big deal. For stars who have serious vocal ability, check out 17 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Could Sing. Those born in 1957 share a birth year with our only director on the list, Spike Lee. The filmmaker is known for making Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, and for—finally—winning an Academy Award in 2019 for BlacKkKlansman. If you were born in 1958, there’s a good chance you were a fan of Madonna’s when she hit it big in the ’80s—after all, you were the same age. Remembering singing “Borderline,” “Material Girl,” or “Like a Virgin” at the club with your friends? You were about 25 years old when those songs came out. For entertainment trivia sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Closing out the ’50s is English actor and screenwriter Emma Thompson. You’ll know her for roles in Sense & Sensibility, Much Ado About Nothing, Love Actually, and the Harry Potter movies. And now, you’ll know her for sharing your birth year. Paul David Hewson was born in 1960 in Dublin, Ireland, but you probably know him better as Bono. In honor of his recent 60th birthday, the U2 singer shared 60 songs he couldn’t live without. Maybe you’ll feel the same way about his choices. In 1961, an A-lister was born in Lexington, Kentucky. George Clooney would go on to star in the TV series ER and films including, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Michael Clayton, Up in the Air, and the Ocean’s 11 movies. And, you know, become super famous. Tom Cruise has probably been the biggest star born in 1962 for a long time now. One of his earliest films Risky Business came out all the way back in 1983. Did you go see it as a 21-year-old? What about Top Gun as a 24-year-old? NBA legend Michael Jordan was born in 1963. If you were born in the same year, that means that you were in high school at the same time that he was becoming a breakout basketball star at his own school. Shoutout to anyone who got to play with or against him as a teen. You’ve got a great story to tell at every single dinner party you ever attend. Sandra Bullock was born in 1964 and spent much of her childhood in Germany, where her mother was from. (That’s how she could speak fluent German in Ocean’s 8.) Bullock is now one of the most popular actors in the world, and has starred in movies like Speed, Miss Congeniality, and The Blind Side, for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Marvel’s Iron Man was born in 1965—two years after the superhero first appeared in a comic, so maybe you read some of them growing up. Aside from doing several movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. has also starred in Sherlock Holmes, Zodiac, and Chaplin. Oh, and who could forget his short-lived music career. If you’re born in 1966, then you’re the same age as Halle Berry. In celebration of her 50th birthday a few years ago, the John Wick: Chapter 3 star posted a photo of her frolicking in a field draped in white lace and captioned it, “With open arms I welcome 50…I’m so blessed to be here!.” I can only assume everyone else born in 1966 celebrated the same way. Pretty Woman. My Best Friend’s Wedding. Erin Brockovich. A bunch of other beloved movies. Julia Roberts, the biggest star born in 1967—and one of the most popular actors of all time—starred in all of them. It might feel like just yesterday that Will Smith was sitting on his throne as the Prince of Bel-Air, but this king of Hollywood is now in his 50s. Like the Fresh Prince theme song says, Smith actually spent his youth growing up in West Philadelphia after he was born there in 1968. Jenny from the Block first hit the block back in 1969. Actor, singer, and dancer Jennifer Lopez is now famous for pop songs like “I’m Real” and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and movies like Selena and Hustlers, but just like other babies born the same year, she grew up a regular kid in the 1970s. Up next is another singer—one who has claimed not to “know” the most famous person born the year before her. Anyone born in 1970 shares a birth year with Mariah Carey, lover of Christmas, super-fan of Mean Girls, and the solo artist with the most number one songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Doggy Dogg aka Snoop Lion aka Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. is the most famous celeb born in 1971. The rapper gave us the songs “Gin & Juice,” “Nuthin’ But a G Thing,” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and has also become a lifestyle guru along with friend Martha Stewart. He’s lesser known for attending high school with Cameron Diaz and bonding over a shared interest. It’s hard to imagine The Rock as a baby, but if you were born in 1972, you were a little one at the same time that he was. After a very successful wrestling career in the 1990s, Dwayne Johnson threw in the giant belt and set off on a second career as one of the world’s most popular actors in movies like Jumanji, Moana, and the Fast and the Furious franchise. Whatever you first think of when you hear the name Tyra Banks depends on when you first came across her. The most famous star born in 1973 is an actor and appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She’s a model, who was on the runway, in numerous magazines, and served as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. And she’s a TV host, who ran the show on America’s Next Top Model for years and now presents Dancing with the Stars. Leonardo DiCaprio has been acting since childhood, which means while you were in school, he was heading to auditions. And that when you had just wrapped up high school, he was getting his first Oscar nomination. And that when he was being bombarded by Titanic fans, you were able to live through your 20s in blissful peace. You totally had a similar childhood to Angelina Jolie if you were born in 1975. Grew up in Los Angeles? Child of a famous actor? Had your first film role at age seven? Just the normal life of any ’70s baby. Reese Witherspoon was Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Tracy Flick in Election, and Madeline Mackenzie in Big Little Lies. To some of the fellow 1976 babies of Nashville, Tennessee, she’s also a classmate and peer. Long before he was married to Kim Kardashian, storming the VMAs stage, or even starting off his rap career with The College Dropout, Kanye West was a little kid in Chicago, who was born in 1977. If you were also into writing poetry as a child, you and the musician have that in common, along with your birth years. West’s friend and collaborator John Legend takes the 1978 spot. He became a star thanks to his music career—including the hit songs “Ordinary People,” “Green Light,“and “All of Me”— but fans also love following the lives of his very adorable family with model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen on social media. P!nk (aka Alecia Moore) gets the party started every year on September 8, 1979. The pop singer has produced worldwide hits like “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” “Just Like a Pill,” and “Lady Marmalade,” which she performed with Lil’ Kim, Christina Aguilera, and Mya back in 2001. Yeah, P!nk’s been very famous for a long time. Born three years after her husband, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian is the biggest celebrity born in 1980. If you need proof, there’s not just her reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which has been airing for 13 years and her successful makeup and shapewear lines, but the undeniable fact that she has 189 million Instagram followers. She’ll also answer to Queen Bey, and her fans have their own name, the Beyhive, but those are just two clear signs of Beyoncé’s huge popularity. She’s also one of the best-selling singers of all time, both as a solo artist and with her group Destiny’s Child, an actor, and a director. When Beyoncé does something, the world listens. Considering she married to one future king of England and the mother of another, it’s no surprise that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (a.k.a. Kate Middleton) is a very big celebrity worldwide. But while she married into an extremely famous family, the royal is also known for her style and for her work with children and in mental health. Being a Marvel superhero is one way to become a huge star worldwide, so Chris Hemsworth joins fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe star Robert Downey Jr. on our list for the year 1983. Hemsworth has portrayed Thor in several movies in the franchise. The Australian actor has also starred in Snow White and the Huntsman, Rush, and Men in Black: International. Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram with 238 million followers—over 30 million more than the second-place person, Ariana Grande (we’ll get to her later). If you aren’t one of those 238 million people, just know that you share a birth year with one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He currently plays for the Italian team Juventus. A star was born in 1986 when Stefani Germanotta was welcomed into the world. She’d later make a name for herself as Lady Gaga, a huge pop star and actor with 11 Grammys, an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and an Oscar win for her song “Shallow.” Yes, two different Michael Jordans are the biggest stars from the year they were born. For 1987, it’s Michael B. Jordan, an actor with roles in Friday Night Lights, Fruitvale Station, Black Panther, and both Creed movies. He couldn’t have known he’d have to live up to a famous name, but hey, he did. Rihanna first came to our attention with her music, but the fact that she’s also launched a very successful makeup line and has become a fashion designer speaks to her immense popularity. In the late ’80s, however, she was a toddler in Barbados. If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you already know her birth year very well thanks to the title of her album 1989. She told ABC News of the year that influenced the record, “I was listening to a lot of late ’80s pop … I really loved the chances they were taking, how bold it was. It was apparently a time of limitless potential, the idea you could do what you want, be what you want.” Feeling inspired, 1989 babies? Kristen Stewart has been acting since she was a kid, including starring in Panic Room at the age of 12. But, it was the Twilight franchise that brought her to the level of fame you need to be the biggest star born during your year. Since then, she’s remained popular for her roles in smaller films and for her outspoken personality. Have you ever had “Shape of You” stuck in your head? For that, you can thank the most famous face born in 1991: Ed Sheeran. The English singer might still be young, but he’s already sealed his place in history by writing some classic wedding songs. If you rise to fame as a Disney Channel star, appear in a bunch of movies, date another super famous young celebrity, and then release a number of hugely popular songs, yeah, you’re going to be considered a big celebrity. This is the story of Selena Gomez, who was born in 1992. I said we’d be mentioning Grande again. That’s because the proof of her stardom is that she’s the second most-followed person on Instagram with 203 million followers. There’s also the fact that she’s a hugely popular singer and has done things like matching the Beatles’ achievement of having songs simultaneously in the top three spots of the Billboard Hot 100. Speaking of that “super famous young celebrity”, who Selena Gomez dated, the biggest celebrity born in 1994 is Justin Bieber. Remember “Bieber Fever”? That says it all. Kendall Jenner joins half-sister Kim Kardashian as the biggest celebrity born during her birth year. She rose to fame as a tween on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but now has a successful career of her own as a runway and high fashion model. Zendaya is another Disney Channel star who has transitioned into an adult career. The singer and actor is known for roles in the current Spider-Man franchise, The Greatest Showman, and the TV show Euphoria, for which she just became the youngest winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Yep, it’s another member of the Kardashian/Jenner family—they’re just extremely famous. Like her sister Kendall, Kylie Jenner was also very young when Keeping Up with the Kardashians began, and she’s also forged a separate career. She starred in the spinoff show Life of Kylie and owns the makeup company Kylie Cosmetics. She’s also the fourth most-followed person on Instagram, ranking above all of her sisters. Like Bieber before him, Shawn Mendes is another young Canadian singer who took the world by storm. His biggest songs include “Stitches,” “Nothing Holding Me Back,” and “Señorita,” which is a collaboration with another big Gen-Z star, his girlfriend Camila Cabello. The 1999 spot goes to Joey King, who has been building her acting resume since she was a kid. She was in Crazy, Stupid, Love and Ramona and Beezus when she was a child, and has more recently been in The Act on Hulu and in both Kissing Booth movies for Netflix. And that brings us all the way to the year 2000. The biggest star born at the start of the current millennium is Yara Shahidi. She broke out in her role as Zoey on black-ish and grown-ish and starred in the film The Sun Is Also a Star. She’s also an activist and is particularly passionate about getting young people registered to vote.
