Born December 1923

Lily Ebert (1923–2024), Holocaust survivor and author

Lily Ebert was a Holocaust survivor and author who became a social media sensation when she took her quest to find the soldier who rescued her from a concentration camp to TikTok.

Menahem Pressler (1923–2023), Beaux Arts Trio pianist 

Menahem Pressler was a co-founder and the longtime pianist of the acclaimed Beaux Arts Trio, beloved around the world for their chamber music.

Jo-Carroll Dennison (1923–2021), oldest surviving former Miss America

Jo-Carroll Dennison was an actress and the oldest surviving former Miss America, having won the pageant in 1942.

Wat Misaka (1923–2019), first person of color to play in the NBA

Wataru “Wat” Misaka was a Japanese-American basketball player who joined the New York Knicks in 1947, becoming the first non-White player in modern professional basketball. Prior to his professional career, Misaka played for the University of Utah, where his team won two national championships, in 1944 and 1947. He then signed with the Knicks as a guard, officially joining the Basketball Association of America, the NBA’s forerunner whose stats are counted as part of NBA history. Misaka only played three games with the Knicks before being released by the team. He declined an offer to play for the Harlem Globetrotters and returned to his native Utah, where he worked as a mechanical engineer.

Maria Perego (1923–2019), puppeteer created Topo Gigio

Maria Perego was an Italian puppeteer best known for creating Topo Gigio, a mouse puppet beloved by viewers of “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

Russ Ewing (1923–2019), fearless Chicago TV news reporter

Russ Ewing was a longtime fearless Chicago TV news reporter who persuaded more than 100 criminal suspects to surrender. Ewing was a Chicago firefighter who then became a TV reporter, first working with Chicago station WMAQ and later with WLS. He became a trusted figure on the Chicago streets, and many criminals trusted Ewing to bring them in safely to the police. In 1975, Ewing and newspaper publisher Gus Savage talked two men into surrendering after they robbed a currency exchange and held two women hostage. Ewing was also an accomplished jazz pianist who performed on “The Tonight Show.”

Bob Dorough (1923–2018), “Schoolhouse Rock” musician

Wrote and performed songs like “Three Is a Magic Number.”

Dina Merrill (1923 - 2017), actress and philanthropist

Socialite became a popular film actress in the 1950s and '60s...

Terrific Ted Knight

Ted Knight easily could have been typecast as an incompetent buffoon, thanks to his masterful performance in seven seasons of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."