Dec 6 August Schleicher, German linguist (b. 1821) Dec 13 Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist and explorer, dies at 74 Dec 24 Adolphe d'Archiac, French paleontologist and geologist, dies at 66 Linus Yale Jr. (1821-1868) Dec 25 American portrait painter and inventor (Yale cylinder lock), dies at 47 [1] Nov 1868 Famous Deaths by Year Jan 1869 Famous People by Cause of Death Assassination Drug Overdose Gunshot Wound Murder Plane Crash Suicide