1895 – Jose Marti y Perez, Cuban poet (Versos sencillos) essayist and politician (fought for independence from Spain), dies fighting the Battle of Dos Rios at 42
1918 – Gervais Raoul Lufbery, French-American World War I fighter pilot and flying ace, dies at 33
1971 – Bernard Wagenaar, Dutch-American composer (3 Songs for Chinese), dies at 76
1993 – Ranga Sohoni, Indian cricket all-rounder (4 Tests, top score 29 no, 2 wickets), dies from a heart attack at 75
1994 – Luis Ocaña, Spanish road cyclist (Tour de France 1973; Vuelta a España 1970), commits suicide at 48
1997 – Millie, dog of US President George H. W. Bush (Millie’s Book), dies at 12
1999 – James Blades, British classical percussionist, and educator, dies at 97
2002 – John Gorton, Australian politician, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (1968-71), dies at 90
2005 – Henry Corden, American actor and voice artist (b. 1921)
2025 – Alice Notley, American poet (Mysteries of Small Houses, Disobedience), dies of a cerebral haemorrhage at 79
Category: Famous Deaths
Famous Deaths for 18th May 2026
1160 – Erik IX Helgi, King of Sweden, dies at ~40
1848 – William Leidesdorff, Mixed-race early Californian businessman, dies at 37
1952 – Rossetter Gleason Cole, American composer (Heroes of Freedom), dies at 86
1955 – Edwin Scharff, German sculptor, and educator, deemed “entartete” (degenerate) by Nazi regime, dies at 68
1959 – Apsley Cherry-Garrard, British Antarctic explorer and survivor of the Terra Nova Expedition (The Worst Journey in the World), dies at 73
1961 – Henry O’Neill, American actor (“Lady Killer”; “Nothing But Trouble”), dies at 69
1974 – Tyree Glenn, American jazz and session trombonist and vibraphone player (Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong), dies of cancer at 61
2011 – Leonard Kastle, opera composer, librettist, director (The Passion of Mother Ann), and film maker (The Honeymoon Killers), dies at 82
2013 – Steve Forrest, American actor (SWAT), dies at 87
2013 – Colin Webb, British Fleet Street editor and journalist (Press Association), dies at 74
Famous Deaths for 17th May 2026
1050 – Guido of Arezzo, Italian music theorist and Benedictine monk, dies at about 59 [dates sketchy]
1464 – Thomas de Ros, 9th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, English politician, executed at 36
1807 – John Gunby, American Soldier in the American Revolutionary War, dies at 62
1978 – Selwyn Lloyd, British politician (Foreign Secretary, 1955-60; Exchequers, 1960-62; Leader of the House of Commons, 1963–64; Speaker of the House of Commons, 1971-76), dies of a brain tumor at 73
1981 – Jeannette Ridlon Piccard, 1st US woman free balloon pilot, dies
1995 – Toe Blake, Canadian Hockey HOF left wing (Stanley Cup 1935 Montreal Maroons; 1944, 46 Montreal Canadiens) and coach (Stanley Cup 1956-60, 1965-66, 68 Montreal Canadiens), dies at 82
1996 – Scott Brayton, American auto racer (4 x top 10 finishes Indianapolis 500; 2 x pole), dies in a practice accident at 37
2002 – László Kubala, Hungarian soccer striker (3 caps Hungary, 6 Czechoslovakia, 19 Spain, 4 Catalonia; FC Barcelona 186 games) and manager (Spain 1969–80), dies at 74
2009 – Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet, dies from respiratory and intestinal problems at 88
2023 – “Superstar” Billy Graham [Eldridge Coleman], American pro wrestler (WWWF Heavyweight Champion 1977-78), dies of kidney, heart, and lung problems at 79
Famous Deaths for 16th May 2026
1703 – Charles Perrault, French author and fairy tale writer (Tales of Mother Goose), dies at 75
1904 – N I Bobrikov, Russian governor-general in Finland, dies
1932 – William Pember Reeves, politician/poet, dies
1944 – George Ade, American playwright, writer and humorist (Counsel Widow, Fables in Slang), dies at 78
1978 – William Steinberg, German-American conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony, 1952-76; Boston Symphony, 1969-71), dies at 78
1981 – Ernie Freeman, American RandB and pop musician (“Raunchy”), session pianist, arranger, and music director (Reprise Records; Liberty Records), dies of a heart attack at 58
2003 – Mark McCormack, American businessman (b. 1930)
2009 – Ashley Massaro, American model, professional wrestler and winner of WWE Diva Search (2005), commits suicide at 39
2015 – Dean Potter, American free climber and BASE jumper, dies in a wingsuit flying accident at Yosemite National Park, aged 43
2025 – Brian Glanville, British journalist and football writer (The Sunday Times, 1958–92; World Soccer magazine), dies at 93
Famous Deaths for 15th May 2026
1746 – Giovanni Antonio Ricieri, Italian composer and castrato singer dies at 67
1785 – Karel Blazej Kopriva, Czech organist and composer, dies at 29
1886 – Emily Dickinson, American poet (Collected Poems) and one of the most important figures in American poetry, dies of nephritis at 55
1889 – Alfred Potocki, Austrian politician (Prime Minister, Governor, Viceroy of Galicia), dies
1937 – Phillip Snowden, British politician first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer, dies at 72
1958 – Michael G the Boer, historian (Harbor of Amsterdam), dies at 91
1991 – Reno Browne, American Western actress, dies at 70
1994 – Ronnie Potsdammer, Dutch singer, songwriter and programmer, dies at 71
1995 – Johnny Van Derrick, British jazz violinist (Pink Panther Theme), dies at 68
2005 – Alan B. Gold, Quebec Chief Justice (b. 1917)
Famous Deaths for 14th May 2026
1608 – Charles III, Duke of Lorraine (1545-1608), known as “the Great”, dies at 65
1754 – Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French writer (L’École des Mères), dies at 62
1938 – Jacobus C J “Jacques” Hermans, actor (Ghetto), dies at 81
1962 – Florence Auer, American actress (b. 1880)
1977 – Robert Maynard Hutchins, American educational philosopher (University of Chicago), dies at 78
1982 – Mariel-Henri Jaspar, Belgian minister who unsuccessfully attempted to establish a Belgian government in London during World War II, dies at 80
2002 – Derek Birley, English founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster and sports writer, dies at 75
2006 – Lewis “Lew” Anderson, American actor and musician (The Howdy Doody Show), dies of prostate cancer at 84
2007 – Ülo Jõgi, Estonian freedom fighter and war historian, dies at 86
2020 – Pepper Rodgers, American football coach (University of Kansas, UCLA, Georgia Tech; USFL: Memphis Showboats), dies at 88
Famous Deaths for 13th May 2026
1835 – John Nash, British town planner/architect (Regent’s Park), dies
1882 – Jules Nicolas Crevaux, French naval doctor and explorer (French Guiana and the Amazon), murdered on the Pilcomayo River at 35
1962 – Frank Jenks, American stage and screen actor (Colonel Flack, Zombies on Broadway), dies of cancer at 59
1970 – William Dobell, Australian portrait artist, dies at 70
2001 – Jason Miller, American actor and writer (Exorcist, Light of Day), dies at 62
2002 – Ruth Cracknell, Australian actress (Mother and Son), dies at 76
2019 – Jerome Callet, American musician and designer of brass instruments, dies at 89
2020 – Rolf Hochhuth, German playwright (Der Stellvertreter), dies at 89
2023 – Keiko Tanaka-Ikeda, Japanese gymnast (World C’ship gold balance beam 1954; Olympic bronze team 1964; first Japanese female to win a world title), dies at 89
2025 – José Mujica, 40th President of Uruguay (2010-2015), champion of the poor, and former urban guerrilla with the Tupamaros, dies at 89
Famous Deaths for 12th May 2026
1792 – Charles Simon Favart, French dramatist, dies at 81
1897 – Willem Roelofs, Dutch Revival painter and lithographer, dies at 75
1907 – Joris-Karl Huysmans, French writer (Against the Grain), dies at 59
1989 – Marcelle de Manziarly, French pianist and composer, dies at 89
1992 – Lenny Montana [Leonardo Passafaro], American professional wrestler (NWA Georgia), and actor (The Godfather), dies of a heart attack at 66
1996 – Homer Keller, American contemporary classical composer (Quiet Music for a Tree), and educator (University of Oregon, 1958-76), dies at 81
2021 – Higinio Vélez, Cuban baseball manager (Olympic gold 2004; Santiago de Cuba, Cuban National Series 1999–2001), dies from COVID-19 at 73
2023 – Bruce Robertson, New Zealand rugby union centre (34 Tests, 22 tries; Counties Manukau RFU), dies at 71
2024 – Ron Lynch, Australian rugby league forward (12 Tests; NSW 17 games, Parramatta 194 games), dies at 84
2025 – Yasunao Tone, Japanese-American avant-garde composer and multi-media artist (Fluxus), dies at 90
Famous Deaths for 11th May 2026
912 – Leo VI (the Wise), Byzantine Emperor (886-912) and writer (Problematica), dies at 45
1849 – Otto Nicolai, German composer and conductor, dies at 38 of a stroke
1881 – Henri-Frédéric Amiel, Swiss writer (Journal Intime), dies at 59
1917 – Otto Klauwell, German composer, dies at 66
1988 – Kim Philby, British spy and Soviet mole who was a member of the “Cambridge Five”, dies at 76
1989 – Jitka Snížková, Czech composer, music educator and musicologist, dies at 64
2001 – Henry Katzman, American pianist, songwriter (founding member of BMI), and landscape painter, dies at 89
2014 – Reg Gasnier, Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame centre and captain (36 Tests; 3 World Cups; St. George RLFC), dies at 74
2018 – Scott Hutchinson, Scottish musician (Frightened Rabbit), found dead after a suffering from mental illness at 36
2022 – Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian-American journalist (Al Jazeera), shot and killed by Israeli forces at 51
Famous Deaths for 10th May 2026
1859 – John Archduke of Austria, dies
1891 – Karl Wilhelm von Nägeli, Swiss botanist (famous for his work on plant cells), dies at 74
1914 – Sir William Alexander Smith, Scottish founder of the Boys’ Brigade, dies at 59
1943 – Arnaud/Armand Fraiteur, Belgian resistance fighter, hanged
1965 – Hubertus van Mook, Dutch colonial administrator (Acting Governor General of the Dutch East Indies 1942-48), dies at 70
1995 – Harold Berens, comedian, dies at 92
2000 – (André) “Dédé” Fortin, Canadian rock and ska singer-songwriter (Les Colocs), dies by suicide at 37
2004 – Alf Valentine, Jamaican cricketer (great West Indian lefty spinner), dies at 74
2006 – Soraya [Lamilla], Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, arranger and record producer (“Amor En Tus Ojos / Love In Your Eyes”‘; “Casi”), dies of breast cancer at 37
2021 – Néstor Montelongo, Uruguayan soccer utility (36 caps; Montevideo Wanderers, Peñarol, Nacional, Racing), dies at 66