| 8971 | January 21 | Birth | 1915 – Orazio Mariani, Italian sprinter (d. 1981) |
| 8972 | January 21 | Birth | 1915 – Bill Sefton, American pole vaulter (d. 1982) |
| 8973 | January 21 | Birth | 1918 – Chichay, Filipino actress (d. 1993) |
| 8974 | January 21 | Birth | 1918 – Richard Winters, American soldier (d. 2011) |
| 8975 | January 21 | Birth | 1921 – Lincoln Alexander, Canadian lawyer and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Labour (d. 2012) |
| 8976 | January 21 | Birth | 1922 – Telly Savalas, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1994) |
| 8977 | January 21 | Birth | 1922 – Paul Scofield, English actor (d. 2008) |
| 8978 | January 21 | Birth | 1923 – Lola Flores, Spanish singer, dancer, and actress (d. 1995) |
| 8979 | January 21 | Birth | 1924 – Benny Hill, English actor, singer, and screenwriter (d. 1992) |
| 8980 | January 21 | Birth | 1925 – Eva Ibbotson, Austrian-English author (d. 2010) |
| 8981 | January 21 | Birth | 1925 – Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler and manager (d. 2007) |
| 8982 | January 21 | Birth | 1926 – Steve Reeves, American bodybuilder and actor (d. 2000) |
| 8983 | January 21 | Birth | 1927 – Clive Churchill, Australian rugby player and coach (d. 1985) |
| 8984 | January 21 | Birth | 1928 – John Olsen (artist), Australian painter |
| 8985 | January 21 | Birth | 1928 – Gene Sharp, American political scientist and academic founded the Albert Einstein Institution |
| 8986 | January 21 | Birth | 1930 – Mainza Chona, Zambian lawyer and politician 1st Prime Minister of Zambia (d. 2001) |
| 8987 | January 21 | Birth | 1934 – Audrey Dalton, Irish actress |
| 8988 | January 21 | Birth | 1935 – Masamichi Noro, Japanese-French martial artist (d. 2013) |
| 8989 | January 21 | Birth | 1936 – Koji Hashimoto, Japanese director (d. 2005) |
| 8990 | January 21 | Birth | 1937 – Nushiravan Keihanizadeh, Iranian-American journalist and historian |
| 8991 | January 21 | Birth | 1937 – Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria |
| 8992 | January 21 | Birth | 1938 – Ken Maginnis, Northern Irish soldier, educator, and Unionist politician |
| 8993 | January 21 | Birth | 1938 – Wolfman Jack, American radio host and actor (d. 1995) |
| 8994 | January 21 | Birth | 1940 – Jack Nicklaus, American golfer and sportscaster |
| 8995 | January 21 | Birth | 1941 – Plácido Domingo, Spanish tenor and conductor |
| 8996 | January 21 | Birth | 1941 – Stathis Giallelis, Greek actor |
| 8997 | January 21 | Birth | 1941 – Richie Havens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013) |
| 8998 | January 21 | Birth | 1941 – Mike Medavoy, Chinese-American film producer, co-founded Orion Pictures |
| 8999 | January 21 | Birth | 1941 – Ivan Putski, Polish-American wrestler and bodybuilder |
| 9000 | January 21 | Birth | 1941 – Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian prince (d. 2013) |