Category: Famous Deaths

1640 – Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer, dies at 61
1806 – Horatio Gates, British-American soldier (general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War), dies at 78
1920 – Moritz B. Cantor, German historian of mathematics, dies at 90
1931 – Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet (The Prophet; Broken Wings; Sand and Foam), painter, and philosopher, dies of cirrhosis of the liver, with incipient tuberculosis, at 48
1938 – Joseph “King” Oliver, American jazz cornet player, composer, bandleader, and mentor to Louis Armstrong, dies of arteriosclerosis at 56
1962 – Stuart Sutcliffe, Scottish visual artist and rock bassist (The Beatles, 1960-61), dies of a brain hemorrhage at 21
1968 – Gustavs Celmins, Latvian politician (b. 1899)
2012 – Ritchie Teeter, American drummer (The Dictators, 1976-79; Twisted Sister, 1980-81), dies of esophageal cancer at 61
2012 – Raymond Aubrac, French Resistance Leader, dies at 97
2016 – Howard Marks, British drug dealer and author (Mr Nice), dies at 70

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491 – Zeno, Eastern Roman Emperor (474-75, 476-91), dies at 66
1024 – Benedict VIII [Theophylactus van Tusculum], Pope (1012-24), dies
1557 – Michael Agricola, Finnish theologist/church reformer/bishop, dies
1768 – Sarah Fielding, English writer (The Adventures of David Simple), dies at 58
1851 – Antoine-Charles Glachant, French violinist, composer, and artillery commander, dies at 79
1876 – Charles Goodyear, American politician (D-NY), dies at 71
1994 – Keith Watson, British comic strip artist (Dan Dare), dies at 59
2010 – Zoltán Varga, Hungarian Footballer (b. 1945)
2014 – Bertha Tickey, American softball pitcher (Hall of Fame 1973), dies at 91
2021 – Ekkehard Fasser, Swiss bobsledder (Olympic gold, four-man 1988; World C’ship gold 1983; World Cup champion 1985-86), dies at 68

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1143 – John II Komnenos, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (1118-43), dies in an accident at 55
1778 – Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, Dutch silk merchant (founded Teyler Museum), dies at 76
1851 – John Parry [Bardd Alaw], Welsh composer and harpist, dies at 75
1894 – Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Indian novelist (Mrinalini, Anandamath), dies at 55
1902 – Dmitry Sipyagain, Russian Minister of Interior/headed Secret Service, assassinated by a Socialist-Revolutionary at 49
1906 – Auguste Deter, German woman notable for being the 1st person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dies of sepsis caused by an infected bedsore at 55
1938 – Harold Baumgartner, South African cricketer (took 2-99 lefty in test for South Africa), dies at 54
1996 – Fried Walter [Schmidt], German light music and operetta composer, dies at 86
2001 – Frank Annunzio, American politician (Rep-D-IL, 1965-93), dies of Parkinson’s disease at 86
2009 – Herbie Lovelle, America drummer, studio musician (Hot Lips Page) and actor (Law and Order), dies at 85

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924 – Berengar of Friuli, King of Italy, Holy Roman Emperor (915-924) (b c. 845)
1661 – William Brereton, 1st Baronet, English soldier and politician, dies at 56
1668 – William Davenant, English poet (b. 1606)
1871 – Wilhelm Freiherr von Tegetthoff, Austrian admiral (Helgoland/Lissa), dies of pneumonia at 43
1950 – Walter Huston, Canadian actor (Maltese Falcon, Treasure of Sierra Madre), dies from an aneurysm at 67
1982 – Harald Ertl, Austrian racing driver (b. 1948)
1988 – Cesar Bresgen, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 74
1994 – Ken Carson, American western singer (Garry Moore Show), dies at 79
1994 – Albert Guðmundsson, Icelandic footballer and politician (Minister of Finance), dies at 70
2020 – Harv Schmidt, American college basketball coach (University of Illinois 1967-74), dies at 83

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1918 – John Q. A. Brackett, American politician, 36th Governor of Massachusetts (1890-91), dies at 75
1945 – Benjamin Marius Telders, Dutch lawyer who resisted German occupation in WWII, dies of typhus in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at 42
1976 – Ruth Plumly Thomson, American children’s writer (Oz series), dies at 84
1986 – Raimundo Orsi, Argentine-born Italian soccer winger (13 caps Argentina, 35 Italy; Independiente, Juventus), dies at 84
1992 – Isaac Asimov, Russian scientist and sci-fi writer (I Robot, Foundation Trilogy), dies from kidney failure at 72
1996 – Gordon Clough, English journalist (BBC Radio 4), dies at 61
2009 – Shawn Mackay, Brumbies rugby player (b. 1982)
2012 – Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi, dies from heart attack at 78
2017 – Don Rickles, American comedian (Don Rickles Show, CPO Sharkey), dies at 90
2021 – Alcee Hastings, American politician (U.S. House of Representative- Florida), dies at 84

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1617 – Alonso Lobo, Spanish composer (Versa est in luctum), dies at 62
1695 – George Savile, 1st marquis of Halifax and author (Character of a Trimmer), dies at 61
1735 – Samuel Wesley, English poet (b. 1662)
1934 – Salvatore Di Giacomo, Italian poet and songwriter during “Golden Age of Neapolitan Song”, dies at 74
1951 – Edward Rigby, British actor (Star Look Down, Young and Innocent), dies at 72
2004 – Heiner Zieschang, German mathematician (b. 1936)
2005 – Dale Messick [Dalia Messick], American comic strip artist (Brenda Starr, Reporter), dies at 98
2012 – Jim Marshall, British businessman and electric guitar amplifier pioneer known as “The Father of Loud”, dies at 88
2014 – John Pinette, American comedian and actor (The Punisher, Junior), dies from an pulmonary embolism at 50
2021 – Paul Ritter [Simon Paul Adams], British actor (Friday Night Dinner; Chernobyl; Quantum of Solace), dies of a brain tumor at 54

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1662 – Davis Mell, British violinist, composer, and clockmaker, dies at 57
1766 – John Taylor, English classical scholar (b. 1704)
1806 – Friedrich Gottlob Fleischer, composer, dies at 84
1831 – Isaiah Thomas, American journalist, editor and historian (Massachusetts Spy), dies at 82
1967 – Héctor Scarone, Uruguayan soccer forward (51 caps; Nacional, FC Barcelona, FC Inter Milan, Palermo FC), dies at 68
1983 – Jacqueline Logan, American actress and silent film leading lady (WAMPAS Baby Star), dies at 78
1992 – Arthur Russell, American experimental classical-pop fusion cellist, and composer, dies of AIDS at 40
2010 – Clifford M. Hardin, American politician (17th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture), dies at 94
2020 – Forrest Compton, American actor (Gomer Pyle USMC, Edge of Night), dies at 94
2023 – Craig Breedlove, American auto racer (5 x world land speed record holder; first to reach 500mph (800km/h) and 600mph (970km/h), dies of cancer at 86

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1525 – Giovanni Rucellai, Italian humanist and poet (The Bees – one of the 1st famous poems in blank verse), dies at 49
1747 – Francesco Solimena, Italian painter, dies at 89
1897 – Johannes Brahms, German composer and conductor (Hungarian Dances; A German Requiem), dies at 63
1930 – Emma Albani, Canadian operatic soprano, dies at 82
1936 – Bruno Hauptmann, German kidnapper of Charles Augustus Lindbergh III, executed at 36
1962 – Manolis Kalomiris, Greek opera composer, dies at 78
2015 – Sarah Brady, American gun-control activist, dies at 73
2020 – Tom Dempsey, American NFL kicker (Pro Bowl, First-team All-Pro 1969; New Orleans Saints; longest winning field goal, 63 yards), dies of COVID-19 complications at 73
2022 – Tommy Davis, American baseball utility (3 x MLB All Star; World Series 1963; NL batting champion 1962, 63 LA Dodgers), dies at 83
2023 – Nigel Lawson, British journalist and politician (UK Chancellor 1983-89, reformed tax laws), dies at 91

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1507 – Francis of Paola, Italian founder of the Order of the Minims (b. 1416)
1864 – Princess Hildegard of Bavaria, seventh child and fourth daughter of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, dies at 38
1865 – Richard Cobden, English politician and manufacturer (founder of the Anti-Corn-Law League), dies at 60
1995 – Hannes Alfven, physicist (Nobel prize), dies at 86
1997 – Anthony Bushell, British actor (Journey’s End, A Night to Remember), dies at 92
2000 – Tommaso Buscetta, Sicilian mafioso and pentito (b. 1928)
2009 – Frank Springer, American comics artist (The Adventures of Phoebe Zeit-Geist), dies at 79
2020 – Sergio Rossi, Italian shoe designer, dies of COVID-19 complications at 84
2020 – Carl Tacy, American college basketball coach (Wake Forest University 1972-85; 222-149 record), dies at 87
2023 – Salim Durani, Indian cricket all-rounder (29 Tests, 1 x 100, 74 wickets, BB 6/73; Saurashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan), dies from cancer at 88

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1637 – Niwa Nagashige, Japanese warlord, dies at 65
1924 – Stan Rowley, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 5,000m team, bronze 60m, 100m, 200m 1900), dies at 47
1925 – Francis William Davenport, English composer, dies at 77
1973 – Gus Aiken, American jazz and blues trumpeter (Jenkins Orphanage Band), dies at 70
1983 – Ken Kersey, Canadian jazz pianist, and composer (“Boogie Woogie Cocktail”), dies at 66
1989 – Henk Gortzak [Hendricus Gortzak], Dutch carpenter and politician (CPN/PSP), dies at 57
1996 – Florence Buchsbaum, French theater director (b. 1926)
2004 – Aaron Bank, American OSS officer and founder of the US Army Special Forces (b. 1902)
2005 – Alexander Brott, Canadian violinist, conductor, educator, and composer (McGill Chamber Orchestra), dies at 90
2019 – Michel Sénéchal, French operatic tenor, and educator, dies at 91

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