1250 – King Eric IV of Denmark (1241-1250), beheaded after being betrayed by his brother (b. 1216)
1898 – Gardner Quincy Colton, American lecturer who was the first to use nitrous oxide as an anesthetic in dentistry, dies at 84
1962 – Lowell Stockman, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon, dies at 61
1975 – Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer (The Gadfly; The Nose), dies of lung cancer at 68
1986 – Jef Scherens, Belgian track cyclist (World C’ships gold sprint 1932-37, 47), dies at 77
1996 – Kenneth Fleetwood, English fashion designer (Hardy Amies, dressed Queen Elizabeth II), dies at 65
2005 – Judith Rossner, American novelist (“Looking for Mr. Goodbar”; “August”), dies at 70
2006 – James van Allen, American physicist (discovered Van Allen radiation belts), dies at 91
2006 – Philip E. High, English sci-fi author, dies at 92
2007 – Joe O’Donnell, American documentary photographer and photojournalist, dies at 85