Spanish Celebrities Born In December

Catherine of Aragon was one of the most popular English royal consorts of all time. A patron of Renaissance humanism, she gained widespread admiration for starting a program for the relief of the poor. A woman who was ahead of her time, Catherine commissioned The Education of a Christian Woman, a controversial book promoting women's right to education.

One of George Santayana’s initial works, The Sense of Beauty, spoke about aesthetics, an oft-repeated topic in his later works. The Spanish-born American philosopher and Harvard professor is remembered for his quote “Only the dead have seen the end of war,” which has often been misattributed to Plato.

Spanish cellist Pablo Casals got his first lessons in instruments such as the violin and the piano from his organist father. Known for his unique technique of using flexible left-hand positions, he later formed a celebrated trio with pianist Alfred Cortot and violinist Jacques Thibaud. He won a posthumous Grammy.

Paco de Lucía was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. Often counted among history’s greatest guitarists, he was one of the first flamenco guitarists to branch into classical and jazz. He was a master of contrast known for his fast and fluent picados and rasgueados. He was a recipient of the Prince of Asturias Award.   

José Carreras is a Spanish operatic tenor. He is best known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi, and Puccini. Making his debut on the operatic stage at the age of 11, he went on to build an illustrious career in the following decades. A leukemia survivor, he founded the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation.  

Spanish singer-actor Edurne started her career as a child actor and later soared to fame with the show Operación Triunfo. She then released hit singles such as Amores Dormidos and Despierta, and was part of the Spanish version of Britain’s Got Talent. She is also the wife of Spanish footballer David De Gea.

Francisco Franco overthrew the Second Spanish Republic by leading the Nationalist forces as their general during the Spanish Civil War. Subsequently, Franco ruled over Spain as a dictator from 1939 to 1975. He had such an impact as a dictator that the period between the Nationalist victory and Franco's death is known as Francoist Spain in the history of Spain.

Alejandro Sanz is a Spanish singer, musician, and composer, who has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He is best known for his flamenco-influenced ballads. A versatile singer, he often experiments with different genres, such as pop, funk, rock, jazz, and R&B. He has collaborated with artists like Shakira, Alicia Keys, and Juanes. 

Pope Callixtus III was initially a professor of law. He later helped King Alfonso V with Pope Martin V reconcile. He was infamous for his nepotism, as he was highly biased toward his nephew, Rodrigo Borgia, whom he made a cardinal and who later took over as the pope.

Saint Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of the Roman church serving Pope Sixtus II, who were executed by the Roman emperor Valerian during the persecution of the Christians. As a deacon, he was responsible for the distribution of alms to the poor. He was captured and martyred in 258 AD. His feast day is on 10 August. 

Catalan Baroque painter Josep Maria Sert is best remembered for his murals which adorn iconic buildings such as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York and the League of Nations assembly hall in Geneva. He took 30 years to paint the Vic Cathedral, which was eventually destroyed by fire.

Leonardo Torres y Quevedo was a Spanish mathematician and civil engineer. He was a pioneer in the development of the automated calculation machines and radio control. Torres is also credited with inventing a chess automaton and the Whirlpool Aero Car, which is located in Niagara Falls. 

Rafael Alberti, part of the Spanish poets’ group called the Generation of 1927, redefined Spanish literature. The Cervantes Prize-winning poet had also been a Communist Party member but was expelled later and launched the politically motivated magazine Octubre. He had also fought in the Spanish Civil War.

Eighteenth-century Catalan Spanish composer Antonio Soler is remembered for his church music. Educated at a choir school, he later became a teacher of the organ and the harpsichord for the royal family. A master of Baroque music, he also invented the keyboard instrument afinador and penned works on music theory.

Marcos Alonso Mendoza is a Spanish football player who plays for the Chelsea Football Club of Premier League. Alonso was part of the Chelsea Football Club when they won the 25th season of the Premier League and the 48th season of UEFA Europa League. Over the years, Alonso has also been an important member of the Spain national team.

Xavier Zubiri was a prominent member of the Madrid school of Spanish philosophers. While he initially studied theology and philosophy, Zubiri was also well-versed in physics and biology. His works such as Intelligence and Logos and Nature, History, God studied reality as a mixture of science, religion, and philosophy.

Leading economist of the Austrian School, Jesús Huerta de Soto also boasts of an MBA from Stanford. The academic teaches at the King Juan Carlos University. He has edited the Spanish version of The Collected Works of F.A. Hayek and written books such as Private Pension Benefit.

Spanish author Juan Antonio de Zunzunegui was primarily known for his novels and short stories that reflected the life of Bilbao and Madrid. A Spanish Academy member, he is remembered for masterpieces such as El premio and El supremo bien and for his realistic narrative.

Nacho Vidal is a Spanish pornographic actor, producer, director, writer, and camera operator. A protégé of popular Italian pornographic actor Rocco Siffredi, Vidal has appeared in more than 1,500 films. Over the course of his career, Vidal has won several awards like XBIZ Awards and Ninfa Awards. In 2012, he was made an inductee of the AVN Hall of Fame.

Former world no. 1 Spanish tennis legend Arantxa Sánchez Vicario has 14 Grand Slam titles in her kitty, apart from 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the Olympics. The International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, however, has been accused of fraudulently moving her assets to avoid paying debt.

Abd al-Rahman III, the 10th-century emir of Cordoba, established the Caliphate of Córdoba and ruled as its first caliph. He is remembered as one of the most significant Umayyad Arab rulers of Spain. Though short in stature, he was feared for his aggressive policy toward the rebels of his kingdom.