Deaths January 20 | History by KabAstro

1713 Pavao Vitezovic, Croatian historian, dies
1727 John van Bylevelt, Catholic apostole, dies
1739 Francesco Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect and designer, dies at 80
1745 Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (1742-45), Prince Elector of Bavaria (1726-45) dies at 47
1751 John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, English politician, dies at 85
1770 Charles Yorke, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1722)
1779 David Garrick, English actor, producer and writer (Aboan-Oroonoko), dies at 61
1789 Johann Christoph Oley, German composer, dies at 50
1798 Christian Cannabich, German violinist, composer and royal chaplain master, dies at 66
1810 Benjamin Chew, Chief Justice of colonial Pennsylvania, dies at 87
1813 Christoph Martin Wieland, German poet and writer (Oberon), dies at 79
1819 Carlos IV [English: Charles], King of Spain (1788-1808), dies at 70
1830 Michal Bogdanowicz, Polish composer, dies at 49
1837 John Soane, English architect (Book of Designs, Soane Museum), dies at 84
1838 Pierre-Louis Hus-Desforges, French composer and cellist, dies at 64

1841 Jørgen Jørgensen, Danish explorer and adventurer (attempted to rule Iceland), dies at 60
1848 Christian VIII, King of Denmark (1839-1848) and King of Norway (1814), dies of blood poisoning at 61
1850 Adam Oehlenschläger, Danish poet (b. 1779)
1857 Edward Francis Fitzwilliam, English composer, dies at 32
1859 Bettina von Arnim, German writer and composer of the Romantic era (This Book Belongs to the King), dies at 73
1873 The Blessed Father Basil Anthony Marie Moreau, Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross (b. 1799)
1875 Jean-François Millet, French painter (b. 1814)
1882 John Linnell, British painter/minaturist/engraver, dies
1890 Franz Paul Lachner, German composer, dies at 86
1891 David Kalākaua, King of the Hawaiian Islands (1874-91), dies at 54
1896 Graciano López Jaena, Filipino journalist (La Solidaridad), orator, social reformist, and national hero, dies of tuberculosis at 39
1896 Henry von Battenberg, German son-in-law of Queen Victoria, dies at 37
1900 John Ruskin, English writer (Dearest Mama Talbot), dies of flu at 81
1900 R. D. Blackmore, English novelist (Norie, Lorna Doone), dies at 74
1901 Zénobe Gramme, Belgian engineer (Gramme dynamo), dies at 74

1905 Stanislaw Pilinski, French pianist and composer, dies at 65
1914 (Henry Southwick) H.S. Perkins, American hymn composer, lyricist, conductor, and teacher, dies at 80
1914 Emil Liebling, German-American composer, dies at 62
1914 Henry Southwick Perkins, American composer, educator, and founder of Music Teachers' National Association, dies at 80
1920 Georg Lurich, Estonian wrestler and strongman of the early 20th century, dies at 43

George V (1865-1936)

King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India (1910-36), dies at 70 after being euthanized by his doctor

1940 Omar Bundy, U.S. Army general (Spanish–American War in Cuba), dies at 78
1943 Giacomo Benvenuti, Italian composer, dies at 57
1944 James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist, dies at 83

Josh Gibson (1911-1947)

American Baseball HOF catcher (Negro World Series 1943, 44; 12 × NL All-Star; Triple Crown 1936, 37; batting average .466 1943), dies of a brain tumor at 35

1949 Joseph Cuypers, architect Dutch (Amsterdam Stock Exchange), dies at 87
1952 Arthur Farwell, American composer, dies at 74
1954 Fred Root, English cricket fast bowler (3 Tests, 8 wickets; Derbyshire CCC, Worcestershire CCC), dies at 63
1954 Warren Bardsley, Australian cricket batsman (41 Tests, 6 x 100, 14 x 50, HS 193no; NSWCA), dies at 71
1955 Robert P.T. Coffin, American poet ("Strange Holiness", Pulitzer Prize, 1936), writer, and editor (Yankee Magazine), dies of a heart attack at 62
1957 Dudley Benjafield, British racing driver, dies at 69
1957 James Connolly, American athlete and author, 1st Modern Olympic Champion in 1896, dies at 88
1960 Matt Moore, Irish-American actor and director (Coquette, Deluge), dies at 72
1962 Robinson Jeffers, poet/playwright (Dear Judas), dies at 75
1964 Jan Rychlik, Czech composer, dies at 47
1965 (Albert) "Alan" Freed, American disc jockey and concert promoter who popularized the term "rock-n-roll", and payola scandal figure, dies of from uremia and cirrhosis at 43
1971 Antonio Bacci, Italian cardinal, dies at 85
1971 Broncho Billy Anderson [Maxwell Aronson], American silent and sound screen actor, the 1st cowboy in a movie (The Great Train Robbery; A Lucky Dog), and studio executive, dies at 90 [1]
1973 Amilcar Cabral, Bissau-Guinean nationalist leader, fought for Guinea Bissau independence, murdered at 51
1973 Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician (b. 1885)
1974 Edmund Blunden, English poet and critic (Undertones of War), dies at 77
1975 Franz Andre, Belgian conductor, dies at 81
1978 Dit Clapper, Canadian ice hockey player (NHL Hall of Fame, Boston Bruins), dies at 70
1979 Gustav Winckler, Danish pop singer ("Skibet skal sejle i nat"- "The Ship Is Leaving Tonight"), dies in a car crash at 53
1982 Marc Demeyer, Belgian road racing cyclist (Paris-Brussels 1974), dies at 31
1983 Garrincha, Brazilian footballer, dies at 49

Johnny Weissmuller (1904-1984)

Romanian-American actor (Tarzan) and swimmer (5 Olympic gold 1924, 28), dies of pulmonary edema at 79

1985 Jo Juda, Dutch musician (1st concertmaster of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra), dies at 75
1986 Franz Kemser, German 4 man bobsled (Olympic gold 1952), dies at 75
1987 Tom Dollery, cricketer (4 Tests for Eng 1947-50), dies
1988 Dora Stratou, Greek choreographer and folklorist (b. 1903)
1988 Philippe de Rothschild, French race-car driver and manager (Bordeaux Vineyard), dies at 86
1989 Alamgir Kabir, Bangladeshi film director (b. 1938)
1989 Beatrice Lillie, actress (Thoroughly Modern Millie), dies at 94
1989 Halsey Stevens, American composer (Triskelion), dies at 80
1990 Barbara Stanwyck [Ruby Stevens], actress (Big Valley), dies at 82
1990 Hayedeh [Ma'soumeh Dadehbala], Persian classical, pop, and folk singer, dies of a heart attack at 47
1990 Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni, Japanese imperial prince and 30th Prime Minister of Japan, dies at 102
1991 Bill Riordon, American tennis promotor (Jimmy Connors), dies
1991 Louis Seigner, actor (Eclipse, Special Section), dies in a fire at 87
1992 Fitzhugh Lee, American vice-admiral (WW II - Navy Cross x2), dies at 86
1992 Muhammad Abd al-Khaliq Hassuna, Secretary-General of Arab League (1952-72), dies

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)

British actress (Roman Holiday; Breakfast at Tiffany's; My Fair Lady), dies of colon cancer at 63

1993 Joseph Anthony [Deuster], American playwright, actor, and director (Matchmaker, Tomorrow), dies at 80
1993 Mercer McCleod, entertainer, dies of heart failure at 86
1994 Aar van de Werfhorst [pseudonym for Pieter Gerhardus Jansen], Dutch writer, dies at 87
1994 Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenyan vice-pres (1963-66), dies at about 81
1994 Matt Busby, Scottish soccer forward (Manchester City, Liverpool) and manager (Manchester United 1945-69, 70–71; Scotland 1958), dies from cancer at 84
1995 Mehdi Bazargan, director Iranian oil corp/premier (1979), dies at 86
1996 Arley "Buster" Benton, American blues singer and guitarist, dies at 63
1996 David Greville, 8th Earl of Warwick who sold his castle to Madame Tussauds, dies of heart failure at 61 [1]
1996 David Robin Francis Guy Greville, 8th Duke of Warwick, dies at 61
1996 Ellis Hillman, British Labour party politician, lecturer, and writer (London Under London), dies during heart surgery at 68
1996 Gerry Mulligan, American jazz baritone saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (Jazz on a Summer Day), dies of complications from a knee infection at 68
1996 Liesbeth Askonas, Austrian concert agent, dies at 82
1996 Peter Stadlen, Austrian pianist and critic, dies at 85
1996 Sidney Korshak, lawyer, dies at 87

Curt Flood (1938-1997)

American baseball player (St Louis Cards), dies of throat cancer at 59

1997 Edith Haisman, the oldest survivor of Titanic, dies at 100
1997 Vladimir Yamnikov, owner (Kristall vodka), dies of cirrhosis at 56
1998 Bobo Brazil [Houston Harris], American pro wrestler (WWF HOF), dies at 73
1998 Zevulun Hammer, Israeli politician, minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Israel (1996-98), dies at 61
1999 Bill Albaugh, American pop-psychedelic rock drummer (The Lemon Pipers - "My Green Tambourine"), dies at 53
2000 (John) Don Abney, American session and touring jazz pianist, and musical director, dies of kidney disease at 76
2000 Ray Jones, British rock bassist (Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas), dies at 60
2001 Nico Assumpção, Brazilian bass player, dies at 46
2002 Carrie Hamilton, American actress (Fame), dies at 38
2002 Henry Cosby, American songwriter, musician and producer for Motown ("Tears of a Clown"), dies at 73
2002 Ivan Karabits, Ukrainian composer, conductor, and educator, dies at 57
2003 Al Hirschfeld, American caricaturist (NINA, NY Times), dies at 99
2003 Bill Werbeniuk, Canadian snooker player (b. 1947)
2003 Nedra Volz, American actress (b. 1908)
2004 Guinn Smith, American athlete (1948 Olympic gold medalist), dies of emphysema at 83
2005 Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, Polish journalist, writer, and politician (b. 1913)
2005 Miriam Louisa Rothschild, British zoologist, entomologist, and author (b. 1908)
2005 Per Borten, 18th Prime Minister of Norway (1965-71), dies at 91
2005 Roland Frye, American literary critic and theologian (b. 1921)
2007 Anatol Rapoport, Ukrainian-American mathematician and biologist (game theory), dies at 95
2008 Louis de Cazenave, France's oldest living man (oldest survivor from WWI), dies at 110
2008 Tālivaldis Ķeniņš, Latvian-Canadian composer, organist, and pedagogue, dies at 88
2009 Dante Lavelli, American Pro Football HOF end (NFL C'ship 1950, 54, 55 Cleveland Browns; First-team All-Pro 1953; 3 × Pro Bowl), dies at 85
2009 David "Fathead" Newman, American jazz saxophonist (Ray Charles - "The Right Time"), dies of pancreatic cancer at 75
2009 Sheila O'Nions Walsh (aka Sheila Walsh, Sophie Leyton), English romance writer (b. 1928)
2009 Stan Hagen, Canadian politician (b. 1940)
2009 Stéphanos II Ghattas, Patriarch Emeritus of Alexandria for the Coptic Catholic Church (b. 1920)
2010 Abraham Sutzkever, Yiddish language poet ("the greatest poet of the Holocaust"), dies at 96
2011 Bruce Gordon, American actor (The Untouchables), dies after long illness at 94
2011 Reynolds Price, American writer (A Long and Happy Life; Kate Vaiden; Strengthened By a Pale Green Light), dies of complications after a heart attack at 77

Etta James (1938-2012)

American singer ("Roll With Me"; "At Last"), dies from leukemia at 73

2012 John F Baker Jr, United States Army Master Sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient dies at 66
2013 Bob Engemann, American singer, (The Lettermen), dies at 77
2013 Freddie Williams, Welsh motorcycle speedway rider (World C'ship 1950, 1953; Wembley Lions), dies at 86
2014 Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor (La Scala, 1969-86; London Symphony, 1979-87; Berlin Philharmonic, 1989-2002), dies of stomach cancer at 80
2015 Edgar Froese, German musician (Tangerine Dream), dies at 70
2016 David G. Hartwell, American editor and anthologist, dies at 74
2016 George Weidenfeld, British publisher (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), dies at 96
2017 Ronald Mundy, American doo-wop tenor vocalist (The Marcels -"Blue Moon"), dies of pneumonia at 73
2018 Bob Smith, American author and a groundbreaking gay comedian (The Tonight Show, Funny Gay Males), dies from Lou Gehrig’s disease at 59
2018 Graeme Langlands, Australian rugby league fullback, captain and coach (24 Tests; St. George RLFC; ARL "Immortal"), dies from dementia and Alzheimer's disease at 76
2018 Howard Lew Lewis, English comedian and actor (Maid Marian and Her Merry Men and Brush Strokes), dies at 76
2018 Jack Whitten, American abstract painter, dies of chronic leukemia at 78
2018 Jim Rodford, English rock bassist (Argent, 1969-76; The Kinks, 1978-96; Zombies, 2004-18), dies after a fall at 76
2018 John Coleman, American journalist, co-founder of The Weather Channel and broadcaster (1953-2014), dies at 83
2018 Naomi Parker Fraley, American who inspired "Rosie the Riveter" poster, dies at 96
2018 Paul Bocuse, French great chef (Legion of Honor), dies of Parkinson's disease at 91
2019 Dumisani Kumalo, South African anti-apartheid activist and UN ambassador, dies at 71
2019 Mithra Wettimuny, Sri Lankan cricket batsman (2 Tests), dies at 67
2019 Muriel Pavlow, British actress (Murder, She Said, Reach for the Sky), dies at 97
2021 Peter Swan, English soccer defender (19 caps; Sheffield Wednesday, Bury), dies at 84
2021 Ted Thompson, American football linebacker (Houston Oilers) and executive (GM Green Bay Packers 2005-17), dies from autonomic disorder at 68
2022 Bob Goalby, American golfer (US Masters 1968), dies at 92
2022 Elza Soares, Brazilian samba and jazz singer, named one of the Singers of the Millennium by BBC Radio, dies at 91
2022 Heidi Biebl, German alpine skier (Olympic gold women's downhill 1960), dies at 80

Meat Loaf (1947-2022)

American rock musician and singer-songwriter ("Bat Out of Hell"; Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"), dies at 74 [1]

2023 Gwen Knapp, American sports journalist (Philadelphia Inquirer, SF Examiner, SF Chronicle, New York Times), dies from lymphoma at 61
2023 Jerry "The Geator" Blavat, American disc jockey and music promoter, dies of complications from myasthenia gravis (a neuromuscular disease), at 82 [1]
2023 Sal Bando, American baseball third baseman (4 x MLB All-Star; World Series 1972, 73, 74 Oakland A's) and executive (GM Milwaukee Brewers 1991-99), dies of cancer at 78
2023 Stella Chiweshe, Zimbabwean musician and storyteller (Africa’s best-known female mbira player), dies at 76 [1]
2024 Doug Padgett, English cricket batsman (2 Tests, HS 31; Yorkshire CCC, MCC), dies at 89
2024 Norman Jewison, Canadian director and producer (In the Heat of the Night; Fiddler on the Roof; Moonstruck; Rollerball; ...and Justice For All), dies at 97 [1] [2]