| 7471 | January 17 | Birth | 1934 – Zlatko Papec, Croatian footballer and manager (d. 2013) |
| 7472 | January 17 | Birth | 1934 – Cedar Walton, American pianist and composer (d. 2013) |
| 7473 | January 17 | Birth | 1935 – Ruth Ann Minner, American businesswoman and politician, 72nd Governor of Delaware |
| 7474 | January 17 | Birth | 1936 – John Boyd, English academic and diplomat, British ambassador to Japan |
| 7475 | January 17 | Birth | 1937 – Alain Badiou, French philosopher and educator |
| 7476 | January 17 | Birth | 1938 – John Bellairs, American author and academic (d. 1991) |
| 7477 | January 17 | Birth | 1938 – Percy Qoboza, South African journalist and author (d. 1988) |
| 7478 | January 17 | Birth | 1939 – Christodoulos of Athens, Greek archbishop (d. 2008) |
| 7479 | January 17 | Birth | 1939 – Maury Povich, American talk show host, producer, and actor |
| 7480 | January 17 | Birth | 1940 – Kipchoge Keino, Kenyan runner |
| 7481 | January 17 | Birth | 1940 – Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Egyptian-Armenian patriarch (d. 2015) |
| 7482 | January 17 | Birth | 1940 – Tabaré Vázquez, Uruguayan politician, 39th President of Uruguay |
| 7483 | January 17 | Birth | 1941 – István Horthy, Jr., Hungarian physicist and architect |
| 7484 | January 17 | Birth | 1941 – Gillian Weir, New Zealand-English organist and educator |
| 7485 | January 17 | Birth | 1942 – Muhammad Ali, American boxer and referee |
| 7486 | January 17 | Birth | 1942 – Ita Buttrose, Australian journalist and author |
| 7487 | January 17 | Birth | 1942 – Ulf Hoelscher, German violinist and educator |
| 7488 | January 17 | Birth | 1942 – Nigel McCulloch, English bishop |
| 7489 | January 17 | Birth | 1942 – Nancy Parsons, American actress (d. 2001) |
| 7490 | January 17 | Birth | 1943 – Geoffrey Deuel, American actor |
| 7491 | January 17 | Birth | 1943 – Chris Montez, American singer-songwriter and guitarist |
| 7492 | January 17 | Birth | 1943 – René Préval, Haitian agronomist and politician, 52nd President of Haiti |
| 7493 | January 17 | Birth | 1944 – Françoise Hardy, French singer and actress |
| 7494 | January 17 | Birth | 1944 – Ann Oakley, English sociologist, author, and academic |
| 7495 | January 17 | Birth | 1945 – Javed Akhtar, Indian poet, playwright, and composer |
| 7496 | January 17 | Birth | 1946 – Michèle Deslauriers, Canadian actress |
| 7497 | January 17 | Birth | 1947 – Jane Elliot, American actress |
| 7498 | January 17 | Birth | 1947 – Alain Payet, French porn actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2007) |
| 7499 | January 17 | Birth | 1948 – Jim Ladd, American radio host and producer |
| 7500 | January 17 | Birth | 1948 – Davíð Oddsson, Icelandic politician, 21st Prime Minister of Iceland |