| 140131 | December 12 | Birth | 1901 – Harald Kaarmann, Estonian footballer (d. 1942) |
| 140132 | December 12 | Birth | 1902 – Koloman Sokol, Slovak-American painter and illustrator (d. 2003) |
| 140133 | December 12 | Birth | 1903 – Dagmar Nordstrom, American singer-songwriter and pianist (Nordstrom Sisters) (d. 1976) |
| 140134 | December 12 | Birth | 1903 – Yasujirō Ozu, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 1963) |
| 140135 | December 12 | Birth | 1904 – Nicolas de Gunzburg, French-American banker, journalist, and actor (d. 1981) |
| 140136 | December 12 | Birth | 1905 – Manès Sperber, Austrian-French psychologist and author (d. 1984) |
| 140137 | December 12 | Birth | 1905 – Vasily Grossman, Russian journalist and author (d. 1964) |
| 140138 | December 12 | Birth | 1907 – Roy Douglas, English pianist and composer (d. 2015) |
| 140139 | December 12 | Birth | 1908 – Gustav Ernesaks, Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1993) |
| 140140 | December 12 | Birth | 1909 – Hans Keilson, German-Dutch psychologist, author, and poet (d. 2011) |
| 140141 | December 12 | Birth | 1909 – Karen Morley, American actress and singer (d. 2003) |
| 140142 | December 12 | Birth | 1911 – Boun Oum, Laotian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Laos (d. 1980) |
| 140143 | December 12 | Birth | 1914 – Patrick O'Brian, English author and translator (d. 2000) |
| 140144 | December 12 | Birth | 1915 – Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer (d. 1998) |
| 140145 | December 12 | Birth | 1917 – James Wall, American actor and manager (d. 2010) |
| 140146 | December 12 | Birth | 1918 – Joe Williams, American singer and pianist (d. 1999) |
| 140147 | December 12 | Birth | 1919 – Olivia Barclay, English astrologer and author (d. 2001) |
| 140148 | December 12 | Birth | 1919 – Dan DeCarlo, American soldier and illustrator (d. 2001) |
| 140149 | December 12 | Birth | 1919 – B. B. Nimbalkar, Indian cricketer (d. 2012) |
| 140150 | December 12 | Birth | 1920 – Josef Doležal, Czech race walker (d. 1999) |
| 140151 | December 12 | Birth | 1920 – Fred Kida, American illustrator (d. 2014) |
| 140152 | December 12 | Birth | 1921 – Toni Blankenheim, German opera singer (d. 2012) |
| 140153 | December 12 | Birth | 1922 – Christian Dotremont, Belgian painter and poet (d. 1979) |
| 140154 | December 12 | Birth | 1923 – Bob Barker, American game show host and producer |
| 140155 | December 12 | Birth | 1923 – Bob Dorough, American singer-songwriter and pianist |
| 140156 | December 12 | Birth | 1923 – Ken Kavanagh, Australian race car driver and motorcycle racer |
| 140157 | December 12 | Birth | 1924 – Ray Cordeiro, Hong Kong radio and television host |
| 140158 | December 12 | Birth | 1924 – Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (d. 2013) |
| 140159 | December 12 | Birth | 1925 – Vladimir Shainsky, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer |
| 140160 | December 12 | Birth | 1925 – Ahmad Shamloo, Iranian journalist and poet (d. 2000) |