Five People Born on December 8th

dec_08 Today is December 8 2009 and the 342^nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 23 days left in the year 2009. On this date, John Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman in 1980. Here are five people that share a birthday on this day:

Jim Morrison (1943-1971)
Born in Melbourne, Florida, rock musician Jim Morrison and keyboard player Ray Manzerek formed rock band, The Doors (1965). With songs like "Light My Fire" (1967), the group hit it big in the 1960s. They took their name from Aldous Huxley's book on mescaline, The Doors of Perception. The dark-edged eroticism of Morrison's baritone voice and pseudo-poetic lyrics helped make the band one of rock's most potent, controversial, and theatrical acts. A controversial figure, Morrison died of a heart attack in Paris.

David Carradine (1936-2009)
Born John Arthur Carradine in Hollywood, California. Carradine was born into an acting dynasty; his father was the noted American actor John Carradine. His theatre career began at San Francisco State College, where he studied drama as well as fine art. Carradine was soon performing in the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and Ohio's Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. Carradine's big break on the small screen came in 1972, when he was chosen to play martial arts master Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s television series Kung Fu. He also earned a name for himself playing vagabonds and folk heroes in films such as Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha (1972) and 1976's Bound for Glory . In more recent years, he starred as the mysterious Bill in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Vol. 1(2003) and its popular sequel Kill Bill, Vol.2 (2004). On June 4, 2009, Carradine was found dead in a Bangkok, Thailand, hotel room. Early reports say the actor hung himself in a closet, using a curtain cord as a noose. He was in the city to shoot his latest film, Stretch. Carradine was 72 years old at the time of his death.

Ann Coulter (Born 1961)
Ann Hart Coulter was born in New York City. She and her two older brothers were raised in New Canaan, Connecticut. Coulter has described her family as "upper middle class" and her attorney father a "union buster." Coulter graduated with honors from Cornell University in 1984 and received her law degree at University of Michigan Law School, where she was an editor of The Michigan Law Review. Coulter first stepped into the public eye when she was hired in 1996 by MSNBC as a legal correspondent. The channel dismissed her twice, first in February 1997 after she insulted the late Pamela Harriman, the U.S. Ambassador to France, as it was covering her memorial service and again when she tangled with a Vietnam veteran campaigning against landmines. She made frequent guest appearances on many television and radio talk shows. Coulter is also the author of six books. Her first, High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton was published in 1998, making a case for Clinton's impeachment. Her most recent book If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans; was published in October 2007. Coulter periodically triggers a firestorm of controversy with her writings and appearances. She slammed four activist widows of the 9/11 attack, known as "The Jersey Girls" after they endorsed John Kerry for president in 2004, writing, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much."

Teri Hatcher (Born 1964)
Born Teri Lynn Hatcher in Sunnyvale, California. She experienced a career renaissance as the sweet, but clumsy Susan Mayer on the hit comedy series Desperate Housewives. She got her start in the entertainment industry as a cheerleader for the football team the San Francisco 49ers in 1984. In 1993, Teri Hatcher took on the classic comic book and film character, journalist Lois Lane, in Lois & Clark—The New Adventures of Superman. Starring opposite Dean Cain in the dual role of the man of steel and Clark Kent, she became part of a television super couple. In 2004 she joined the cast of a new comedy Desperate Housewives with Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman, and Eva Longoria. In addition to acting, Teri Hatcher had her first book published in 2006. Entitled Burnt Toast and Other Philosophies of Life, she shares much of what she has learned about life and love with her readers. Hatcher is also an active supporter of several charities, including the Make a Wish Foundation.

Sam Kinison (1952-1992)
Actor and comedian, Sam Kinison was born in Yakima, Washington. Like Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor before him, Sam Kinison stunned and amazed audiences with his intense comedic performances. No topic was off limits for this controversial comic, and his sharp barbs were often punctuated with his trademark primal scream. "People know I'm triple-X rated. Obviously I'm not a role model for impressionable youth," Kinison once told People magazine. The son of a preacher, Kinison spent much of his childhood in Peoria, Illinois. Kinison was only three years old when he was hit by a truck, which left him with some brain damage. At the age of 12, he experienced another type of trauma when his parents divorced. Sam and younger brother Kevin stayed with their mother while older brothers Richard and Bill went to live with their father. After his father's death in 1972, Kinison decided to become a preacher. His older brothers were already preachers, and Kinison had sometimes played music for them during their sermons. While he took his religious calling seriously, he still had a great sense of humor and was a big admirer of Richard Pryor. By 1977, Kinison was preaching in a rough section of Chicago but he soon abandoned the ministry to pursue his dreams of becoming a comic. He traveled to Houston for a comedy workshop the following year and ended up staying there. By 1979, Kinison was one of the city's top stand-up performers, knocking out audiences with his rants about marriage and religion. He was often a featured performer at the Comedy Annex. One night Rodney Dangerfield caught Kinison's act and gave the young comic some encouragement. Initially performing for free, Kinison became a regular fixture at the Comedy Store where he met and eventually befriended such comics as Robin Williams and Jim Carrey. Rodney Dangerfield gave him his first big break, giving him a spot on his HBO comedy showcase. The special ran in 1985 with Kinison taking over the nation's airwaves for several minutes to share his comic rants about marriage and world hunger. He was warmly received by viewers who had never seen anyone quite like the husky, beret-wearing comic with the razor-sharp wit. Before long, Kinison was making appearances on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman. Kinison was killed in an auto accident a few days after his fourth marriage.