Singapore — 2021 is the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac. The ox is the second of 12 animals in a 12-year cycle. Each year also has its element, which can be Fire, Water, Metal, Wood and Earth. This is the Year of the Metal Ox.
Those born in the Year of the Ox are hardworking, reliable and undaunted by any challenge as they are resilient and trustworthy.
Oxes can attain their goals with perseverance because of their composure and desire for improvement. They are unbiased and stick to their personal ideals. Their success can be attributed to their conscientious planning, as well as their great physical and mental strength. Nonetheless, Oxes tend to stick firmly to their beliefs. Their unwillingness to budge from their ideals may result in discord with partners. Furthermore, communication is a weak point, as they choose to be more withdrawn. Their unwillingness to communicate may cause a weakening in relationships with others.
Compatible relationships are possible with those born in the year of the Rat, Monkey and Rooster, whilst relationships with those born in the year of the Tiger, Dragon, Horse and Goat are less suitable.
The lucky colours include white, yellow and green. The lucky gemstone is aquamarine.
Here are some popular personalities born in the Year of the Ox. Do you know all of them?
Jungkook, 1997 (Fire Ox)
Jeon Jung-kook, 23, known simply as Jungkook, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. He is a member of and vocalist in the famous boy band BTS and has won numerous awards under the BTS name. He was also named TC Candler’s Most Handsome Face of 2019.
Growing up in Busan, South Korea, Jungkook rose to fame after auditioning for the 3rd season of Superstar K at 14 years old. Despite being eliminated early on in the competition, he joined Big Hit Entertainment and has grown to be the face of BTS. As for his romantic life, there has been no news of a girlfriend, although there is speculation that he is in a relationship with Blackpink’s Lisa.
Lisa, 1997 (Fire Ox)
Lalisa Manoban, better known simply as Lisa, is a Thai rapper, singer and dancer based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Blackpink under YG Entertainment. A multi-talented dancer, rapper and one of the top performers of K-pop, Lisa auditioned in a global casting when she was only 13 years old. Her passion and talent impressed the judges so much that she was the only person cast out of 4,000 in Thailand to make it to South Korea. Her unrivalled skills in performing have allowed her to star as a coach in the Chinese survival talent show Youth With You, as well as win multiple awards. Lisa does not have a boyfriend given the company’s dating ban, however, rumours speculate her and Jungkook are together.
Barack Obama, 1961 (Metal Ox)
Mr Barack Obama, 59, is an American politician and lawyer. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Mr Obama served as a senator of Illinois from 2005 until 2008. Besides being named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, he is also the first African-American President of the US. He is married to Ms Michelle LaVaughn and they have 2 daughters.
Michael Phelps, 1985 (Wood Ox)
Michael Phelps II, 35, is a former American competitive swimmer and the most successful and most decorated Olympian to date. With a remarkable 23 gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes, he has participated in five Olympics with the last being Rio 2016. He has retired from competitive swimming and has three children with his 35-year-old wife Nicole Johnson, an American model.
Malala Yousafzai, 1997 (Fire Ox)
Often referred to as Malala, the 23-year-old is an advocate for female education in Pakistan. She gained international attention after her activism in Pakistan resulted in an assassination attempt by the Taliban and she survived a gunshot to the head. The author of her famous autobiography I Am Malala, she is also the youngest Nobel Prize laureate at 17 years old. She currently lives in the United Kingdom, where she has just completed her degree in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University.
Joko Widodo, 1961 (Metal Ox)
Mr Joko Widodo, 59, is the current President of Indonesia. He has been a member of the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) since 2004. He was the Mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012 and the Governor of Jakarta from 2012 to 2014. He was a property and teak furniture businessman before entering politics. He is also known to love heavy-metal music and taking selfies. He is married to Ms Iriana Jokowi. They have three children.
Gal Gadot, 1985 (Wood Ox)
The 35-year-old Israeli actress, who starred in the recent film Wonder Woman 1984, is also a producer and model. She was named as the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018 by Time magazine. She was Miss Israel 2004. Before taking up acting, she served in the Israel Defence Forces as a soldier for two years. She is married to 46-year-old Mr Yaron Varsano, a businessman. They have two children.
Morgan Freeman, 1937 (Fire Ox)
Morgan Freeman, 83, is an actor, director and narrator. He has starred in many films across multiple genres. He has received multiple awards including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also won an Oscar for Best-Supporting Actor. Unknown to many, his first acting gig was actually a punishment. He had been forced to take part in the school play as punishment for pulling a chair out from underneath a girl he had a crush on. Who knew this mischievous act would result in him rising to such fame?
Joyce Chu, 1997 (Fire Ox)
Joyce Chu, 23, is a Malaysian singer-songwriter and actress. Rising to fame through her viral songs Malaysia Chabor and I Miss You, she has also gained international fame with her participation in the Chinese girl group competition show Produce Camp 2020 (Chuang 2020). Emerging ninth out of 101 from the competition, she has continued to pursue her passions in music, releasing 3 singles in 2020 after she departed from the competition. You can also find her music on her YouTube page, where she frequently posts vlogs and song covers. She used to frequently travel between Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and China for work.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 1985 (Wood Ox)
Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, is a Portuguese soccer player. One of the top players in the world, he rose to fame as a forward for Real Madrid after being acquired from Manchester United in 2009. He is the first footballer in history to become a billionaire in his career. His current partner is Ms Georgina Rodríguez. He has 4 children.
Denise Teh is an editorial intern at The Independent SG. /TISG