Happy birthday to the UAE. At 44, the country is looking in great shape.
But what about the other children of 1971? By the best estimate, about 75 million were born that year and, like the country born on December 2, have gone on to find fame and sometimes fortune.
They were born in a decade still dominated by events from the turbulent 1960s.
The year 1971 saw fighting between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Jordan, known as Black September, which ended in defeat and exile for the PLO, and thousands dead.
In Switzerland, women were given limited voting rights for the first time, while the Irish Republican Army bombed London’s famous Post Office Tower, and Gen Idi Amin seized power in Uganda.
The year also saw the third manned landing on the Moon, half a million people march against the Vietnam War in Washington, and the death, from a drugs overdose, of Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors.
East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, declared independence, beginning a period of tension that would lead to all-out war between India and Pakistan on December 2.
The children of 1971 also have good reason to celebrate. They include men and women from all walks of life, from politics to sports, music and the world of films and television.
But when it comes to a birthday party, nobody does it better than the UAE.
Julian Assange
Best known as the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange was born in Australia on July 3. He found fame – or notoriety – in 2010 after WikiLeaks released a vast quantity of classified US military and diplomatic documents on the internet. Fearing extradition to the United States, Assange has lived for the past three years in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he was given asylum.
Justin Trudeau
One of the rising political stars this year, Justin Trudeau was elected prime minister of Canada after his Liberal Party won the federal election in October. Trudeau is his country’s second-youngest prime minister and is the son of Pierre Trudeau, perhaps Canada’s most famous leader, and the actress and author Margaret Sinclair, and was born on December 25
Elon Musk
Born in South Africa to Canadian-Amerian parents, Elon Musk is a visionary businessman and entrepreneur who made his fortune with PayPal. He is the founder of Tesla Motors, builders of the first electric sports car, and SpaceX, which is developing a private space programme with the eventual aim of colonising Mars. On earth, Musk hopes to build the Hyperloop transport system that would cut the journey time between Los Angeles and San Francisco to 35 minutes.
Damian Lewis
Many fans of the hit US TV series Homeland might not realise that Damian Lewis was born to a wealthy family in London and was educated at the elite Eton College, the choice of Britain's royal family. In addition to his portrayal of former prisoner of war Nick Brody, Lewis, who was born on February 11, has won critical acclaim for the HBO series Band of Brothers and as King Henry VIII in the television adaptation of Wolf Hall. He has won many awards, including the Order of the British Empire last year.
Pete Sampras
Now retired from the sport, Pete Sampras’s record speaks for itself. The holder of 14 titles, including seven Wimbledon victories and two Grand Slam Cups, he ended his career with a victory over rival Andre Agassi at the 2002 US Open. Born on August 12 to a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Sampras turned professional at the age of 16 and continues to play exhibition matches.
Snoop Dogg
Born Calvin Cordozar Broadus on October 20, the American rapper known as Snoop Dogg saw his debut album Doggystyle shoot to the top of the charts in 1992. He will be forever remembered in the UAE for his 2011 concert at Abu Dhabi's Yas Island with a performance that saw him enter the stage in a kandura and a YouTube video showing him enjoying a midwakh pipe in his hotel room. Fo shizzle!
David Tennant
Actor David Tennant was born on April 18 and became the 10th Doctor Who in 2005, playing the TV time traveller for the next five years. An accomplished Shakespearean actor, Tennant is an environmental activist and campaigner against climate change.
Kris Aquino
Actress and TV show host Kris Aquino is the youngest daughter of Cory Aquino, the former president of the Philippines. Born on June 30, she was one of her country’s biggest box office stars, with her own magazine and a collection of home goods. She is serving as the first lady of the Philippines, after her brother Benigno Aquino was elected president in 2010.
Queen Maxima
Born Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in Argentina on May 17, she became queen consort of the Netherlands after the abdication of Queen Beatrix in 2013. Her husband, King Willem-Alexander, did not reveal that he was heir to the Dutch throne when they first met. Queen Maxima has spoken widely on social issues, particularly the plight of immigrants. The couple have three daughters.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm was a relative unknown until cast in the role of Don Draper in the hit TV series Mad Men. Born on March 10 in St Louis, Missouri, Hamm's parents divorced when he was 2, a factor that might have helped him to win the role of the New York advertising executive with a troubled past. After winning many awards, Hamm is now a major Hollywood star.
Tabu
Known simply as Tabu, the actress Tabassum Fatima Hashmi has won India's critics award for best actress a record four times. She starred in last year's acclaimed crime drama Haider and is known to western audiences from Ang Lee's Life of Pi. Born on November 4 in Hyderabad, she moved to Mumbai in 1983 and made her acting debut at a young age.
Lance Armstrong
Lance Amstrong was once known as the world’s greatest cyclist, but his reputation is now in tatters after his drug use in the sport was exposed. A doping scandal saw Armstrong, born in Texas on September 18, stripped of all his titles, including seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France. A survivor of testicular cancer, Armstrong has admitted to some of the allegations but refused to testify on the full extent of his drug use.
plangton@thenational.ae
