1153 – Bernard of Clairvaux, French monk and saint (founded Clairvaux abbey, preached famous sermon advocating for the Second Crusade), dies (b. 1090)
1823 – Pius VII [Luigi Barnaba Gregorio Chiaramonti], Italian bishop of Imola and Pope (1800-23), dies at 81
1905 – David Wark, Irish-born Canadian senator (1867-1905) who served almost 38 years in office, dies at 101
1961 – Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist (Nobel 1946 – physics of high pressure), dies at 79
1972 – A. M. Klein, Canadian modernist Jewish poet (Hath Not a Jew), dies at 63
1994 – Kalman Kahana, Polish co-founder of state Israel, dies at 81
1995 – Vladimír Škutina, Czechoslovakian writer and actor (Hvezda jede na jih), dies of cancer at 64
2013 – Richard Angas, British operatic bass singer (English National Opera, 1980-2000), dies at 71
2013 – Marian McPartland, British jazz pianist, and radio host (Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz), dies at 95
2017 – Fredell Lack, American concert violinist, and teacher (University of Houston, 1959-2009), dies at 95
Category: Famous Deaths
Famous Deaths for 19th August 2026
1506 – Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania (1492-1506) and King of Poland (1501-6), dies at 45
1680 – Jean Eudes, French catholic priest, founder of the Eudists, dies at 78
1795 – Friedrich Hartmann Graf, German composer, dies at 67
1889 – Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, French writer (Contes cruels), dies at 60
1959 – Claude Grahame-White, English aviation pioneer who was the 1st to make a night flight, dies at 79
1962 – Kerstin Hesselgren, Swedish politician, 1st woman in Swedish parliament, dies at 90
1963 – Kathleen Parlow, Canadian violinist, and educator, dies at 72
1970 – Paweł Jasienica, Polish historian, dies at 60
2008 – Marguerite Empey [Diane Webber], American model and Playboy playmate (May 1955, Feb 1956), dies at 76
2017 – Janusz Glowacki, Polish novelist (Give Us This Day), playwright (Cinders) and screenwriter (Hunting Flies), dies at 78
Famous Deaths for 18th August 2026
1642 – Guido Reni, Italian Baroque painter, dies at 66
1803 – James Beattie, Scottish poet and philosopher (Essay on Truth), dies at 67
1896 – Frederick Crouch, British-American cellist, composer (“Kathleen Mavourneen”), Confederate soldier, and music teacher, dies at 88
1980 – Norman Cazden, American composer, educator, and music theorist, dies at 65
1989 – Luis Carlos Galan, Colombian presidential candidate, murdered
2004 – Hiram Fong, American businessman and politician (U.S. Senator from Hawaii), dies at 97
2009 – Kim Dae-jung, 8th President of South Korea (1998-2003) and 2000 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, dies at 85
2010 – Kenneth “Kenny” Edwards, American musician and singer-songwriter (The Stone Poneys, Bryndle), dies of cancer and a blood disorder at 64
2023 – Garry Adey, English rugby union number 8 (2 Tests; Leicester Tigers 381 games) and businessman (Executive Chairman The Adey Group), dies at 78
2025 – Vivian Ayers Allen, American cultural activist, novelist and poet (Hawk, Spice of Dawns), dies at 102
Famous Deaths for 17th August 2026
1777 – Giuseppe Scarlatti, Italian composer, dies at 54
1786 – Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (1740-86), dies at 74
1834 – Husein Gradaščević, Bosniak general, dies at 31
1914 – James Grierson, British general, dies of an aneurism at 55
1935 – Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American feminist, writer and lecturer for social reform, dies at 75
1961 – Carlos Salzedo, French-American piano prodigy, harpist, composer, educator (Curtis Institue; Juilliard), and new music advocate (co-founder of International Composers’ Guild), dies at 76
1979 – Vivian Vance [Jones], American stage and screen actress (I Love Lucy – “Ethel Mertz”; The Lucy Show – “Viv”), dies of cancer at 70
1987 – Charles Drummond de Andrade, Brazilian poet (Claro Enigma), dies at 84
2025 – Sheila R. Canby, American historian and curator of Islamic art (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009-19), dies of complications of cancer at 76
2025 – Joe Hickerson, American folk music singer and archivist (Director of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, 1963-98), dies at 89
Famous Deaths for 16th August 2026
1864 – Victor Girardey, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies in battle at 27
1895 – Samuel Bell Maxey, American Brigadier General in the Confederate Army and Senator from Texas (Democratic: 1875-87), dies at 70
1905 – Jamie Anderson, Scottish golfer (British Open 1877-79), dies at 63
1983 – Earl Averill, American Baseball HOF outfielder (6 × MLB All-Star 1933–1938; Cleveland Indians), dies at 81
1997 – Gerard McLarnon, British-Irish actor and writer (The Wrestler’s Honeymoon), dies at 82
2004 – Carl Mydans, American photojournalist (Life Magazine, 1936-72), dies at 97
2020 – Chetan Chauhan, Indian cricket batsman (40 Tests @ 31.57, 16 x 50; Maharashtra, Delhi), dies of COVID-19 at 73
2022 – Aydın Yelken, Turkish soccer forward (9 caps; Karagümrük, Fenerbahçe, Altay, İzmirspor), dies at 83
2023 – Renata Scotto, Italian soprano (Metropolitan Opera, 1965-87; La Traviata – “Violetta”) and opera director, dies at 89
2024 – Countess of Airlie [Virginia Ogilvy], British-American Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 91
Famous Deaths for 15th August 2026
1196 – Conrad II, Duke of Swabia (b. 1173)
1935 – Will Rogers, American humorist and actor (Judge Priest), dies in a plane crash in Alaska at 55
1972 – Jeff Pfeffer, American baseball pitcher (no-hitter Boston Doves v Cincinnati Reds 1907), dies at 84
1978 – Harrison Kerr, American composer, dies at 80
1988 – Barry Bingham Sr, American newspaper publisher (The Courier-Journal, The Louisville Times), dies at 82
2004 – Sune Bergström, Swedish biochemist, (1982 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for identification of prostaglandins), dies at 88
2006 – Te Atairangikaahu, New Zealand Māori Queen for 40 years, dies at 75
2006 – Rick Bourke, Australian rugby league player (Cronulla), dies of cancer at 52
2010 – James J. Kilpatrick, American newspaper journalist and columnist (60 Minutes), dies at 89
2013 – Jacques Vergès, French lawyer known as “The Devil’s Advocate” (defended Klaus Barbie and Carlos the Jackal), dies of a heart attack at 88
Famous Deaths for 14th August 2026
1040 – King Duncan I of Scotland, killed in battle at ca. 39 years
1573 – Saitō Tatsuoki, Japanese warlord (b. 1548)
1870 – David Farragut, American Admiral (“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”), dies at 69
1943 – Joe Kelley, American Baseball HOF left fielder (NL stolen base leader 1896 Baltimore Orioles) and manager (Cincinnati Reds, Boston Doves), dies at 71
1970 – Vano Muradeli, Soviet Georgian composer (The Great Friendship; Our Leader), and pedagogue, dies at 62
1992 – (Samuel) “Tony” Williams, American pop singer (The Platters, 1953-59 – “Only You”; “Great Pretender”), dies at 64
2000 – Cuan McCarthy, South African cricketer (36 Test wkts for South Africa, 1 career no-ball), dies at 71
2005 – Christmas Tinto, South African ANC and UDF leader, dies at 79
2010 – Terje Stigen, Norwegian author (Det siste paradiset), dies at 88
2025 – Dawie Snyman, South African rugby union utility back (10 Tests; Western Province RFU), dies at 76
Famous Deaths for 13th August 2026
1382 – Eleanor of Aragon, wife of John I of Castile, dies giving birth to her third child at 24
1617 – Johann Jakob Grynaeus, Swiss Protestant Calvinist clergyman, and theologian, dies at 76
1749 – Johann Elias Schlegel, German critic and dramatic poet, dies at 30
1955 – John Klenner, American pianist, composer, and songwriter (“Just Friends”, “Heartaches”), dies at 56
1992 – Jan Elburg, Dutch poet (Through the Night), dies at 72
2000 – Antony Duff, British WWII submarine commander, diplomat, (1946-80), intelligence officer (Director of MI5, 1985-88), and advocate for the homeless, dies at 80
2006 – Payao Poontarat, Thai Olympic boxer (b. 1957)
2007 – Brian Adams, aka Demolition Crush, American professional wrestler (b. 1964)
2008 – Henri Cartan, French Mathematician, dies at 104
2012 – Joan Roberts [Josephine Seagrist], American radio and stage actress (Oklahoma!), dies of congestive heart failure at 95
Famous Deaths for 12th August 2026
1158 – Anselm of Havelberg, Brandenburg bishop of Havelberg (1129-55), dies at about 58
1885 – Georg Curtius, German classical linguist, dies at 65
1944 – Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., brother of President John F. Kennedy, killed in action in plane explosion over Blythburgh, East Suffolk, England at 29
1955 – James B. Sumner, American chemist (Nobel 1946 – discovered that enzymes can be crystallized), dies at 67
1988 – Jean-Michel Basquiat, American artist (Gray, SAMO), dies of a drug overdose at 27
1996 – Victor Ambartsumian, Russian astronomer (Stalin Prize 1946, 50), dies at 87
2008 – Donald Erb, American composer known for large orchestral works, dies at 81
2010 – Paul Ryan Rudd, American stage and screen actor (Beacon Hill; Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye), dies at 70
2010 – Guido de Marco, 6th president of Malta, 45th President of the United Nations General Assembly (b. 1931)
2020 – Bill Yeoman, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (University of Houston 1962-86; record 160–108–8), dies from kidney failure and pneumonia at 92
Famous Deaths for 11th August 2026
1890 – John Henry Newman, British thologian (Tract 90), educator, poet (Dream of Gerontius), Anglican priest, Catholic priest, cardinal and saint, dies of pneumonia at 89
1942 – Richard Heinrich Stein, German composer, and music theorist (La musica moderna), dies at 60
1952 – Riccardo Martin, American tenor and composer, dies at 77
1965 – Ethel Larcombe, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1912), dies at 86
1969 – Miriam Licette [Lycett], British operatic soprano, voice teacher, and arts patron, dies at 83
1974 – Maria Maksakova (née Sidorova), Soviet Russian operatic mezzo-soprano (Bolshoi Theatre, 1923–1953), dies at 72
1991 – Rodolfo Cornejo, Filipino classical pianist, composer, and conductor, dies at 82
1991 – Helmut Walcha, blind German organist (church music), dies at 83
2008 – Fred Sinowatz, Austrian politician (Chancellor of Austria, 1983-86; Vice-Chancellor, 1981-83; Minister of Education 1971-83), dies at 79
2015 – Harald Nielsen, Danish soccer forward (14 caps; Olympic silver 1960; Frederikshavn fI, Bologna FC), dies at 73