- Jan 1 Philip Mulryne, Northern Irish soccer midfielder (27 caps; Norwich City) and Dominican friar and priest, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Jan 4 Dominik Hrbatý, Slovakian tennis player, born in Bratislava, Slovakia
- Jan 5 Franck Montagny, French Formula One driver, born in Feurs, France
- Jan 6 Casey Fossum, American baseball player, born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey
- Jan 6 Cédric Roussel, Belgian soccer forward (3 caps; KAC Gent, Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, RAEC Mons, KRC Genk), born in Mons, Belgium (d. 2023)
- Jan 6 Steve Hartsell, American pairs skater (with partner Danielle Hartsell), born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Jan 7 Kevin Mench, American baseball player, born in Wilmington, Delaware
- Jan 8 Boris Avrukh, Israeli chess grandmaster, born in Karaganda, Kazakhstan
- Jan 9 Chad Johnson, American football player, born in Miami, Florida
- Jan 9 Gennaro Gattuso, Italian footballer, born in Corigliano Calabro, Italy
- Jan 9 Mathieu Garon, Canadian ice hockey player, born in Chandler, Canada
- Jan 11 Emile Heskey, English footballer, born in Leicester, United Kingdom
- Jan 11 Michael Duff, Northern Irish footballer, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Jan 12 Bonaventure Kalou, Ivorian footballer, born in Oumé, Côte d’Ivoire
- Jan 14 Shawn Crawford, American sprinter, born in Van Wyck, South Carolina
- Jan 15 Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist, born in Latisana, Italy
- Jan 16 Alfredo Amézaga, Mexican baseball player, born in Ciudad Obregón, Mexico
- Jan 18 Brian Falkenborg, American baseball player, born in Newport Beach, California
- Jan 18 Thor Hushovd, Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer widely considered the greatest Norwegian cyclist of all time, born in Grimstad, Norway
- Jan 20 Allan Søgaard, Danish football player, born in Brædstrup, Denmark
- Jan 20 Sonja Kesselschläger, German heptathlete, born in Finsterwalde, Germany
- Jan 21 Andrei Zyuzin, Russian ice hockey player
- Jan 21 Faris al-Sultan, German-Iraqi triathlete
- Jan 22 Chone Figgins, American baseball player, born in Leary, Georgia
- Jan 25 Charlene Princess of Monaco [Charlene Wittstock], Zimbabwean South African born wife of Prince Albert II, and Olympic swimmer, born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia
- Jan 25 Denis Menchov, Russian road cyclist (Vuelta a España 2007; Giro d'Italia 2009; Tour de France Young rider classification 2003), born in Oryol, Russia
- Jan 25 Jason Roberts, Grenadian soccer striker (15 caps; Bristol Rovers, WBA, Blackburn Rovers) and coach (Director of Development CONCACAF), born in London, England
- Jan 26 Corina Morariu, American tennis player (Wimbledon doubles 1999; Australian Open mixed doubles 2001), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Jan 28 Gianluigi Buffon, Italian footballer
- Jan 28 Jamie Carragher, English footballer
- Jan 28 Papa Bouba Diop, Senegalese soccer midfielder (63 caps; Lens, Fulham, Portsmouth, West Ham Utd), born in Dakar, Senegal (d. 2020)
- Jan 29 Martin Schmitt, German ski jumper (Olympic gold team 2002, silver 1998, 2010; World C'ship gold x 4), born in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany
- Jan 29 Rob Bironas, American football placekicker (First-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, PFW Golden Toe Award 2007; Tennessee Titans), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 2014)
- Jan 30 John Patterson, American baseball player, born in Orange, Texas
- Jan 31 Fabián Caballero, Argentine footballer, born in Misiones Province, Argentina
About January 1978
How Old? 46 years old
Generation: Generation X
Leap Year: No
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions