Category: Famous Deaths

1589 – Maarten Schenck Nideggen, Dutch army leader, drowned at about 49
1730 – Sebastien de Brossard, French composer and music theorist, dies at 74
1910 – Joe Gans, American boxer (world lightweight champion 1902–08; International Boxing HOF), dies of tuberculosis at 35
1973 – Douglas Kennedy, American actor (Dark Passage, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold), dies of cancer at 57
1987 – I W Able, CEO (United Steel Workers of America, 1965-77), dies at 87
1996 – Rex Tucker, British TV writer and director of early “Doctor Who”, dies at 83
1996 – Adriano Mandarino Hypolito, priest, dies at 78
1999 – Padma Bhushan Acharya Baldev Upadhyaya, Eminent Sanskrit Scholar in India (b. 1899)
2022 – Abdul Wadud [Ronald DeVaughn], American jazz, avant-garde, and classical cellist (Camille; By Myself), dies at 75
2022 – Fernando Chalana, Portuguese soccer winger (27 caps; Benfica, Bordeaux), dies from degenerative disease at 63

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1738 – Pierre Drevet, French engraver, dies at 75
1848 – Frederick Marryat, English captain and author (Mr Midshipman Easy), dies
1898 – Gardner Quincy Colton, American lecturer who was the first to use nitrous oxide as an anesthetic in dentistry, dies at 84
1985 – (Bo) “Fred” Åkerström, Swedish folk singer, social activist, and stage actor, dies at 48
1994 – Mien van ‘t Sant, Dutch author (Mieke serial), dies at 93
2006 – Philip E. High, English sci-fi author, dies at 92
2013 – Johnny Logan, American baseball shortstop (World Series 1957 Boston / Milwaukee Braves; MLB All Star 1955, 57, 58, 59²), dies of a kidney infection at 86
2019 – Altair, Brazilian soccer defender (18 caps; Fluminense 551 games), dies at 91
2023 – Brice Marden, American painter (Grove Group, Moss Sutra With the Seasons), dies of cancer at 84
2025 – John Cruickshank, Scottish WWII war hero (Victoria Cross) and banker, dies at 105

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1553 – Girolamo Fracastoro, Italian physician (b. 1478)
1824 – Friedrich August Wolf, German philologist (Prolegomena), dies at 65
1879 – Immanuel Hermann Fichte, German philosopher, dies at 83
1897 – Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss cultural historian, dies at 79
1934 – Wilbert Robinson, American Baseball HOF catcher (Philadelphia A’s, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals) and manager (Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Robins), dies at 71
1984 – Ellen Raskin, American author (b.1928)
1988 – Alan Napier, British actor (The Sword in the Stone, Batman), dies at 85
1997 – Duncan Swift, English jazz pianist, dies at 74
2008 – Joseph Gelineau, French Catholic Jesuit priest and composer, dies at 87
2025 – Peter Lester, New Zealand sailor (Admiral’s Cup 1987 helmsman ‘Propaganda’; OK Dinghy World C’ship 1977) and broadcaster, dies after a heart attack at 70

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1821 – Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of King George IV (1820-21), dies at 53
1913 – David Popper, Bohemian composer and cellist, dies at 70
1942 – Richard Gott, British general (commandant of 8th Army), dies in battle at 43
1969 – Joseph Kosma [József Kozma], Hungarian-French film composer (Les Enfants du Paradis; The Grand Illusion), dies at 63
1970 – James McClain, American prison inmate on trial for stabbing death of a guard, shot dead during miltant assault of San Rafael, California courthouse
1984 – Esther Phillips, American singer (What a Difference a Day Makes), dies at 48
1990 – Eva Sully Block, American vaudeville actress (Kid Millions), dies of heart failure at 88
1998 – Wallace Coulter, American inventor and entrepreneur (Coulter Principle – made complete blood counts possible), dies at 85
2008 – Andrea Pininfarina, Italian engineer (CEO of Pininfarina S.p.A.), dies in a road accident at 51
2021 – Douglas Applegate, American politician (US Representative from Ohio, 1977-95), dies at 93

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1820 – Antonin Vranicky, Czech composer and violinist, dies at 59
1866 – John Mason Neale, English divine, scholar and hymnwriter (b. 1818)
1928 – W. H. Grattan Flood, Irish author and composer, dies at 68
1946 – Benny Lynch, Scottish boxer (World flyweight title 1937-38), dies of malnutrition-induced respiratory failure at 33
1970 – Ingolf Dahl [Marcus], German-American pianist and composer (Allegro and Arioso), dies at 56
1979 – Kurt Kaszner [Serwicher], Austrian actor (Kiss Me Kate, Lili, Casino Royale), dies of cancer at 65
1991 – Harry Reasoner, American newscaster (60 Minutes, ABC, CBS), dies at 68
1995 – André Fleury, French organist and composer, dies at 92
2012 – Marvin Hamlisch, American composer and conductor (The Sting; A Chorus Line), dies of respiratory arrest at 68
2020 – Wilbert McClure, American boxer (Olympic gold light middleweight 1960), dies at 81

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1866 – William Burton, American politician, 39th Governor of Delaware (1859-63), dies at 76
1999 – D. W. Brooks, American farmer and businessman, dies at 97
2001 – Otema Allimadi, Prime Minister of Uganda (b. 1929)
2002 – Franco Lucentini, Italian writer (b. 1920)
2002 – Chick Hearn, American basketball broadcaster (called 3,338 LA Lakers games), dies at 85
2005 – Jim O’Hora, American football coach (b. 1915)
2005 – Polina Astakhova, Soviet-Ukrainian gymnast (5 Olympic gold 1956, 60, 64), dies at 68
2014 – Chapman Pincher, British journalist and author (about secret service), dies at 100
2018 – Stanley Glasser, South African composer (Lalela Zulu; Lamentations; Zonkizizwe), academic (Goldsmiths College, 1969-96), and broadcaster, dies at 94
2021 – Terry Davies, Welsh rugby union full back (21 Tests Wales, 2 British and Irish Lions; Swansea RFC, Llanelli RFC), dies at 88

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1476 – Jacob van Armagnac-Pardiac, French duke of Nemours, beheaded
1966 – Howard Jackson, American film score composer (It Happened One Night), dies at 66
1991 – Jeri Southern [Genevieve Hering], American jazz singer (“You Better Go Now”; “Joey”), dies of a heart attack at 64
1999 – Victor Mature, American actor (I Wake Up Screaming, Samson and Delilah), dies from leukemia at 86
2004 – Kenneth Couzens, British Deputy Chairman of British Coal Board and significant figure during Miners Strike, dies at 79
2012 – Arnie Risen, Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA All-Star 1952-55; NBA C’ship 1951, 57; Rochester Royals, Boston Celtics), dies at 87
2013 – Art Donovan, American NFL HOF defensive tackle, 1950-61 (4 x Pro Bowl, 2 x Champion – Baltimore Colts and 2 other teams), and US Marine (WWII – Iwo Jima), dies from a respiratory ailment at 89
2014 – James Brady, U.S. press secretary (wounded during Reagan assassin attempt), dies at 73
2015 – Les Munro, New Zealand WWII pilot (Dambusters Raid), dies at 96
2022 – Neil Castles, American auto racer (NASCAR Grand National East Series Champion 1972; NASCAR Cup Series 51 x top 5, 178 x top 10 finishes), dies at 87

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1800 – Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, German composer, dies at 63
1835 – Wenzel Müller, Austrian composer, dies at 67
1894 – George Inness, American landscape painter (Delaware Water Gap), dies at 69
1939 – August Enna, Danish opera composer (The Witch; Kleopatra), dies at 80
1954 – Colette [Sidonie-Gabrielle], French author, novelist (Gigi; La Vagabonde) and actress, dies at 81
1977 – Makarios III [Michail Moeskos], Cypriot clergyman (Archbishop of Cyprus, 1950-77), and politician (1st President of Cyprus, 1966-74), dies of a heart attack at 63
1997 – Pietro Rizzuto, Italian-Canadian politician (Senator for Repentigny, Quebec, 1976-97), dies at 83
2010 – Bobby Hebb, American soul and RandB singer-songwriter (“Sunny”), dies of lung cancer at 72
2011 – Bubba Smith, American College Football Hall of Fame defensive end (Michigan State; Pro Bowl 1970, 71; First Team All Pro 1971; Super Bowl 1971; Baltimore Colts) and actor (Police Academy), dies of acute drug intoxication and heart disease at 66
2017 – Ángel Nieto, Spanish motorcycle racer (World C’ships: 50cc 1969, 70, 72, 75, 76, 77; 125cc 1971, 72, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84; 90 Grand Prix victories), dies in a road accident at 70

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1100 – William II [William Rufus], King of England (1087-1100), killed by an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell while hunting in the New Forest at 44
1222 – Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse (1194-1222), dies at 65
1849 – Muhammad Ali of Egypt, Albanian-born Pasha and viceroy of Egypt (founder of modern Egypt), dies at 80
1978 – Carlos Chávez, Mexican conductor and composer (Sinfonía India), dies at 79
1978 – Totie Fields [Sophie Feldman], American comedienne, dies at 48
2004 – Don Tosti, American musician (“Pachuco Boogie”), dies at 81
2008 – Fujio Akatsuka, Japanese cartoonist, dies of pneumonia at 72
2017 – Ara Parseghian, American College Football HOF coach (Northwestern; NCAA C’ship 1966, 73 Notre Dame), dies at 94
2020 – Bob Ryland, American tennis player (first African-American to play professionally) and coach (Harold Solomon, Arthur Ashe, Venus and Serena Williams), dies of aspiration pneumonia at 100
2025 – Kelley Mack (née Klebenow), American actress (Addy in “The Walking Dead”), dies of cancer at 33

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1580 – Albrecht Giese, German politician and diplomat, dies at 55
1589 – Jacques Clément, French assassin of Henry III of France (b. 1567)
1812 – Yakov Kulnev, Russian general (killed in battle) (b. 1763)
1884 – Heinrich Laube, writer, dies
1911 – Edward Austin Abbey, American painter (Quest of the Holy Grail mural at Boston Public Library), dies at 59
1963 – Theodore Roethke, American poet (Praise to the end!), dies at 55
1971 – John McDermott, American golfer (US Open, 1911-12), dies of heart failure at 79
1994 – Gerard van de Groenekan, furniture maker/designer, dies at 90
1997 – Svyatoslav Richter, Russian pianist, dies of a heart attack at 82
2016 – Franciszek Macharski, Polish Cardinal, Archbishop of Kraków (1978-2005), dies at 87

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