1319 – Prince Louis, Count of Évreux, son of King Philip III of France, dies at 43
1786 – John Stanley, English blind composer and organist, dies at 74
1921 – Edward Douglass White, American politician and jurist (9th Chief Justice of the United States), dies at 75
1954 – Aart A. van Schelven, Dutch church historian (Willem of Orange), dies at 73
1970 – Ray Schalk, American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher (World Series 1917; Chicago White Sox) and manager (Chicago White Sox 1927-28), dies from cancer at 78
1988 – Virginia Farmer, actress (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies at 90
2002 – John Gorton, Australian politician, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (1968-71), dies at 90
2011 – Tom West, American technologist featured in “The Soul of a New Machine”, dies at 71
2014 – Sante Kimes ‘Dragon Lady’, American convicted con artist and murderess, dies at 79
2016 – (Angus) “Alan” Young, British-Canadian-American actor (Mister Ed – “Wilbur”), and voice actor (Scrooge McDuck), dies of natural causes at 96
Category: Famous Deaths
Famous Deaths for 18th May 2025
1812 – John Bellingham, English merchant who assassinated British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval, executed by hanging at 42 or 43
1913 – Otto Reubke, German organist, conductor, and composer, dies at 70
1936 – Alexander “Alick” Maclean, British composer and conductor (Scarborough Spa Orchestra, 1912-35), dies at 63
1993 – Heinrich Albertz, German theologist and mayor of Berlin (1966-67), dies at 78
1995 – Elisha Cook Jr, American actor (Maltese Falcon, Shane, Magnum PI), dies at 91
1999 – Augustus Pablo, Jamaican musician (King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown), dies at 44
2000 – Steve Wolownik, American ethnomusicologist, balalaika player, arranger, and co-founder of the Balalaika and Domra Association of America, dies at 54
2003 – Anna Santisteban, Puerto Rican beauty contest organizer, dies at 89
2017 – Jim McElreath, American auto racer (California 500, 1970), dies at 89
2024 – Jon Wysocki, American drummer (Staind, 1995-2011 – “It’s Been Awhile”; “Eyes Wide Open”), dies of liver issues at 53
Famous Deaths for 17th May 2025
1464 – Thomas de Ros, 9th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, English politician, executed at 36
1809 – Leopold Auenbrugger, Austrian physician (invented percussion as a diagnostic technique), dies at 86
1822 – Armand-Emmanuel, Duc de Richelieu, Prime Minister of France (1815-18, 1820-21), dies at 55
1950 – Eduardo Fabini, composer, dies at 67
1955 – Camilla Wedgwood, English anthropologist (Malekula: A Vanishing People in the New Hebrides), dies of cancer at 54
1985 – Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) killed off on television soap opera “Dallas”
1992 – George Hurrell, Hollywood photographer, dies of cancer at 87
2001 – Ikuma Dan, Japanese composer (Yūzuru), dies at 77
2004 – Ezzedine Salim, leader of Iraqi Governing Council (b. 1943)
2016 – Guy Clark, American folk and country singer-songwriter (Heartbroke), dies of lymphoma at 74
Famous Deaths for 16th May 2025
1830 – Joseph Fourier, French mathematician (mathematical theory of heat conduction) and Egyptologist, dies at 62
1862 – Lev Mej, Russian dramatist and poet (The Tsar’s Bride), dies at 40 [O.S. 5/16]
1955 – James Agee, American author (African Queen, Death in Family), dies at 45
1956 – H. B. Reese, American businessman, candy maker, and inventor (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups), dies of a heart attack at 76
1958 – Jeroom Verten [Jozef Frans Vermetten], Flemish playwright, dies at 49
1963 – Oleg Penkovsky, Soviet military intelligence (GRU), dies at 44
1969 – Johnny Jordan, English cameraman (You Only Live Twice), dies at 44
1989 – Hassan Khaled, sheik of Lebanon, murdered
2004 – Marius Constant, Romanian-born French composer and conductor (founded Ars Nova), dies at 79
2021 – Rildo da Costa Menezes, Brazilian soccer defender (38 caps; Santos, CEUB, New York Cosmos), dies at 79
Famous Deaths for 15th May 2025
913 – Hatto I, Archbishop of Mainz
1621 – Henrick de Keyser, Dutch architect and sculptor (master builder of Amsterdam, Zuiderkerk church), dies at 56
1821 – John Wall Calcott, English composer, dies at 54
1873 – Alexandru Ioan Cuza, 1st Prince of united Romania (land reform, emancipated peasants), dies in exile at 53
1892 – Arthur Hodister, British ivory seller (Heart of Darkness), murdered at 44
1969 – Joe Malone, Canadian Hockey HOF center (only player in NHL history to score 7 goals in a single game 1920; Stanley Cup 1912, 13 Quebec Bulldogs; 1924 Montreal Canadiens), dies at 79
1986 – Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (b. 1958)
1994 – Frederik von Pallandt, Danish-Dutch pop singer and guitarist (Nina and Frederik), murdered in the Philippines at 60
2007 – Jerry Falwell, American TV evangelist, founder of Liberty University, dies at 73
2020 – Fred Willard, American comedian and character actor (Fernwood 2-Night; Best In Show: Everyone Loves Raymond; Modern Family), dies at 86
Famous Deaths for 14th May 2025
1801 – Johann Ernst Altenburg, composer, dies at 66
1923 – Charles de Freycinet, French prime minister (b. 1828)
1969 – Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m freestyle, 200m obstacle 1900), dies at 89
1970 – (Mary) “Billie” Burke, American radio, stage, silent and sound film actress (Zieigfield Follies; The Wizard of Oz; Merrily We Live), dies at 85
1977 – Robert Maynard Hutchins, American educational philosopher (University of Chicago), dies at 78
1996 – Edward Gurney, American attorney and politician (US Senator for Florida, 1969-74; US Representative for Florida, 1963-69), dies at 82
2006 – James Botten, South African cricketer (all-rounder in 1965 South African series v England), dies at 67
2012 – Derek Hammond-Stroud, English operatic baritone, dies at 86
2014 – Stephen Sutton, English cancer blogger (Stephen’s Story), dies at 19
2017 – Elske ter Veld, Dutch politician (State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment), dies at 72
Famous Deaths for 13th May 2025
1381 – John of Chatillon, Count of Blois, dies
1673 – Jacob Aertsz Colom, Dutch publisher (Consolation of the Sea), dies at 73
1732 – Theodor Schwartzkopff, German composer, dies at 72
1839 – Joseph Fesch, French cardinal (Archbishop of Lyon, 1802-39), diplomat, art collector (Musée Fesch), and uncle of Napoleon, dies at 76
1864 – Junius Daniel, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 35
1873 – Kaspar Masek, Czech-Slovenian composer, dies at 79
1994 – Arthur Basil Cottle, British academic and medievalist, dies at 77
1996 – John “Jack” Baines, British mountaineering publisher, dies at 57
2002 – Ruth Cracknell, Australian actress (Mother and Son), dies at 76
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
Famous Deaths for 12th May 2025
1182 – Valdemar I of Denmark, King of Denmark (1146–82), dies at 51
1876 – Georgi Benkovski, Bulgarian revolutionary, brutally killed by the Turks (b. 1843)
1908 – Melesio Morales, Mexican composer (Ildegonda; Anita; Sinfonía Vapor), conductor, and teacher, dies at 69
1971 – Johnny Taylor, Australian cricket batsman (20 Tests; 1 x 100, 8 x 50) and rugby union fly-half (2 caps), dies at 75
1981 – Benjamin Sheares, President of Singapore (1971-81), dies at 73
1986 – Elisabeth Bergner, Austrian British stage actress, dies at 85
1996 – Homer Keller, American contemporary classical composer (Quiet Music for a Tree), and educator (University of Oregon, 1958-76), dies at 81
1998 – Hermann Lenz, German writer (Swabian Chronicles), dies at 75
2004 – John LaPorta, American jazz clarinetist and composer, dies at 84
2015 – Ruth Mompati, South African politician and Secretary of Nelson Mandela, dies at 89
Famous Deaths for 11th May 2025
1708 – Jules Hardouin Mansart, French architect, dies at 62
1891 – Edmond Becquerel, French physicist who studied the solar spectrum, magnetism, electricity and optics (photovoltaic effect), dies at 71
1927 – Juan Gris, Spanish cubist painter (Still Life Before an Open Window), dies at 40
1934 – Orest Khvolson, Russian physicist and honorary member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (1920), dies at 81
1935 – Edward Herbert Thompson, American archaeologist (Mayan civilization), dies at 78
1976 – Camille Schmit, Belgian composer, dies at 68
1995 – David Avidan, Israeli poet, dies at 62
2006 – Frankie Thomas, American actor and author (Tom Corbett Space Cadet), dies of a stroke at 85
2017 – Jur Mellema, Dutch politician (CHU), dies at 93
2018 – Scott Hutchinson, Scottish musician (Frightened Rabbit), found dead after a suffering from mental illness at 36
Famous Deaths for 10th May 2025
1641 – Johan Banér, Swedish Field Marshal, led Swedish armies during Thirty Years’ War, dies at 44
1826 – Giuseppe Sigismondo, Italian historian and composer, dies at 86
1849 – Katsushika Hokusai, Japanese painter and printmaker (The Great Wave off Kanagawa), dies at 89
1868 – Henry Bennett, American politician (b. 1808)
1967 – Lorenzo Bandini, Italian auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1963; 24 Hours of Daytona 1967), dies after a race accident in Monaco F1 GP at 31
1971 – Shukichi Mitsukuri, Japanese composer (10 Haikai de Basho), dies at 75
2006 – Val Guest, British film director (b. 1911)
2015 – Rein van den Broek, Dutch trumpet player (Ekseption), dies at 69
2020 – John Teerlinck, American NFL defensive end (SD Chargers) and coach (annual award for NFL best defensive line coach named after him), dies at 69
2022 – Mike Davis, English rugby union lock (16 caps; Sherborne RFC) and coach (England 20 Tests 1979-83), dies at 80