Happy Birthday December 21

Saint Thomas Becket was born in Cheapside, London on December 21, 1119 (or 1120 according to later tradition.) He came from relatively humble origins, his father, Gilbert Beckett, meaning "Little Beak", was part of a Norman family of knights, who originally came from Rouen in France. He was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170.

14th-century depiction of Becket with King Henry II Wikipedia Commons

Benjamin Disraeli was born on December 21, 1804  at 22 Theobalds Road, London. His family was a prosperous Sephardic family connected in the London literary world. Before attaining political power, he wrote a number of novels, of which the best known are the romances, Sybil and Vivian Grey. Disraeli twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and played a central role in the creation of the modern Conservative Party, defining its policies and its broad outreach.

The actress Jane Fonda was born December 21, 1937. She is the daughter of Henry Fonda, the sister of Peter Fonda and aunt of Bridget Fonda - all of whom were/are actors. Fonda won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice in the 1970s; Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). Her other  memorable film roles include Cat Ballou, Barefoot in the Park, Julia, The China Syndrome and On Golden Pond. She is also known for vocalizing her opposition to the Vietnam war and her Jane Fonda's Workout video series.

Chinese opera singer and spy, Shi Pei Pu, was born on December 21, 1938. He masqueraded as a woman and used a 20 year long sexual affair with a French diplomat to steal intelligence. Pu even purchased a child and convinced the diplomat it was his.

For more December 21 anniversaries, including the invention of basketball, the discovery of radium and the first human voice to be transmitted by radio, check out OnThatDay.