Charlemagne (742-814 AD)
1st Holy Roman emperor (800-14), dies at 71
- 1061 Duke Spytihněv II of Bohemia (b. 1031)
- 1256 William II, Count of Holland and Zeeland (1234-56), and King of Germany (1248-56), dies in battle against the Frisians at 28
- 1271 Isabella of Aragon, wife of Philip III and Queen consort of France (1270-1), dies of complications from childbirth at 22 or 23
- 1393 Earl of Joigny, French nobleman burned at a royal ball for the king in Paris while dressed in a flameble costume
- 1443 Robert le Maçon, Chancellor of France
- 1528 Philips of Cleve, ruler of Ravenstein and military commander in the low countries, dies
Henry VIII (1491-1547)
King of England (1509-47) who separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church, dies at 55
Francis Drake (c. 1540-1596)
English pirate, Admiral and Governor of Newfoundland (Porto Bello West Indies), dies of dysentery at 50
- 1606 Carolus Gallus [Karel de Haan], Dutch lawyer, pastor and vicar, dies at 85
- 1612 Thomas Bodley, English diplomat and scholar (founder of the Bodleian Library), dies at 66
- 1621 Pope Paul V [Camillo Borghese], 233rd pope (1605-21) and persecutor of Galileo, dies at 68
- 1672 Pierre Séguier, Chancellor of France, dies at 83
- 1681 Richard Allestree, English royalist churchman (b. 1619)
- 1687 Johannes Hevelius, Polish astronomer who pioneered lunar topography (Prodromus Astronomiae - catalogue of over 1500 stars), dies on 76th birthday
- 1697 John Fenwick, English conspirator (plotted to assassinate William III), executed by beheading
- 1754 Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg, founder of modern Danish and Norwegian literature, dies at 69
- 1768 John Wainwright, English composer ("Christians Awake, Salute the Happy Morn"), and organist, dies at 44
- 1782 Jean-Baptiste-Bourguignon d'Anville, French geographer and cartographer, dies at 84
- 1810 Andrew Hofer, Tyrolian rebel against French & Bavarians, shot dead
- 1813 Ján Josef Rösler, Czech composer, dies at 41
- 1817 Friedrich Ludwig Æmilius Kunzen, German composer, dies at 55
- 1829 Thomas Tredgold, British civil engineer (railway design), carpenter, and writer (Elementary Principles of Carpentry, dies at 40
- 1829 William Burke, murderer and body snatcher, executed in Edinburgh
- 1832 Augustin Daniel Belliard, French general (b. 1769)
- 1838 Aleksandr Polezhayev, Russian poet (Sasjka), dies at 33 [OS 16 Jan]
- 1844 Johannes van den Bosch, Dutch colonial administrator (Governor-General of Dutch East Indies 1830-33), dies at 63
- 1859 F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1827-28), dies at 76
- 1859 William H. Prescott, American historian, dies at 62
- 1864 Émile Clapeyron, French engineer and physicist (b. 1799)
- 1867 John J. Pettus, American politician, Confederate governor (D-Miss, 1859-63), dies at 53
- 1868 Adalbert Stifter, Austrian author (Witiko) and painter, commits suicide at 62
- 1869 Prudent-Louis Aubery du Boulley, French composer, dies at 72
- 1873 Henry Hugo Pierson, English composer, dies at 57
- 1890 Prudence Crandall, American educator and founder of School for "young ladies of colour", dies at 86
Nicolaus Otto (1832-1891)
German engineer who invented the internal combustion engine, dies at 58
- 1893 Samuel S. Carroll, American Brigadier General (Union Army), dies at 60
- 1895 François Certain Canrobert, French marshal and parliament member, dies at 85
- 1896 Joseph Barnby, English conductor and composer, dies at 57
- 1898 Alexandru Flechtenmacher, Romanian composer, violinist and teacher, dies at 74
- 1903 Augusta Holmes, French composer, dies at 55
- 1903 Jean Robert Planquette, French composer (Bells of Corneville), dies at 54
- 1908 Sidney Paget, British illustrator (Sherlock Holmes), dies at 47
- 1910 José Garcia Robles, Spanish composer, dies at 74
- 1912 Gustave de Molinari, Belgian economist (b. 1819)
- 1915 Nikolay Umov, Russian physicist and mathematician known for discovering the Umov-Poynting vector and Umov effect, dies at 68
John McCrae (1872-1918)
Canadian physician, soldier and poet (In Flanders Fields), dies of pneumonia at 45
- 1924 Simon Abramsz, Dutch teacher and writer (For the Young Ones), dies at 56
- 1926 Kaufmann Kohler, German-born American reform rabbi and theologian, dies at 82
- 1928 Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Spanish writer (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse), dies at 60
- 1929 Maritcha Remond Lyons, American educator, suffragist, and civil rights leader (co-founder of the Women's Loyal Union of New York and Brooklyn), dies at 80
- 1932 Franz Xavier Arens, German-American conductor and composer (Cleveland Philharmonic), dies at 75
- 1935 Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, Russian composer and musician (Armenian Rhapsody), dies at 75
- 1936 Richard Loeb, American Murder, killed Bobby Franks along with Nathan Leopold, killed in prison at 30
- 1937 Anastasios Metaxas, Greek architect (restored Panathinaiko Stadium 1896 Olympics Athens) and shooter (Olympic bronze trap, single shot 1908), dies at 74
- 1938 Bernd Rosemeyer, German race car driver, dies at 28
- 1938 John Sharp, English cricketer (England bat 1909, also soccer intl), dies ay 69 or 70
- 1939 W. B. Yeats, Irish poet (Wild Swans at Coole-Nobel 1923), dies at 73
- 1942 Pablo Luna, Spanish composer (De España vengo), dies at 61
- 1947 Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan-French singer, composer, conductor, and music critic, dies at 72
- 1949 Gustaf Lazarus Nordqvist, Swedish organist and composer, dies at 62
- 1949 Jean-Pierre Wimille, French auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1937, 39 Bugatti T57), dies in practice accident for Buenos Aires GP at 40
- 1950 Nikolai Luzin, Russian mathematician, dies at 66
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951)
Finnish general and 6th President of Finland (1944-46), dies at 83
- 1952 Thomas Hicks, English athlete (Olympic gold marathon 1904), dies at 76
- 1953 Derek Bentley, Englishman controversially convicted for murder of a police officer (pardoned 1998), executed at 19
- 1953 James Scullin, Australian Labour Party politician and 9th Prime Minister of Australia, dies at 76
- 1957 Fred Stein, TV panelist (Live Begins at 80), dies at 88
- 1959 Viktor Josef Keldorfer, Austrian composer, dies at 85
- 1959 Yosef Sprinzak, Israeli politician, first Speaker of the Knesset (1949-59) and leading Zionist, dies at 73
- 1960 Jacques de Menasce, Austrian-American composer, dies at 54
- 1960 Zora Neale Hurston, American author, dies at 69
- 1963 Gustave Garrigou, French cyclist (Tour de France 1911), dies at 78
- 1963 Jean Felix Piccard, Swiss scientist, explorer and balloonist (1st flight into stratosphere, by balloon), dies on his 79th birthday
- 1965 Jef van Durme, Belgian composer, dies at 57
- 1965 Maxime Weygand, French general (head of French armed forces during German Invasion of France WWII), dies at 98
- 1965 Tich Freeman, English cricket leg-spin bowler (12 Tests, 66 wickets; Kent CCC), dies at 76
- 1967 Shunter Coen, South African cricket batsman (2 Tests, HS 41no, @ 50.50; Orange Free State), dies at 64
- 1970 Tommy Andrews, Australian cricketer (16 Tests 1921-26, 592 runs), dies
- 1971 Donald Winnicott, British psychoanalyst (b. 1896)
- 1972 Adriaan B "Jaap" Wagemaker, Dutch sculptor, dies at 66
- 1972 Dino Buzzati, Italian writer (The Tartar Steppe), dies at 67
- 1973 John Banner, Austrian-born American actor (Hogan's Heroes, Lone Ranger, 36 Hours), dies of a abdominal haemorrhage at 63
- 1975 Ola Raknes, Norwegian psychoanalyst and philologist (b. 1887)
- 1976 Chris Kenner, American R&B singer-songwriter (I Like it Like That), dies at 46
- 1977 Burton "Burt" Mustin, American actor (All in the Family, The Andy Griffith Show), dies at 92
- 1979 Eileen Shanahan, Irish poet (The Three Children (Near Clonmel), dies at 77
- 1979 Hans Scherfig, Danish artist and communist writer (Idealists, Stolen Spring), dies at 73
- 1980 Franco Evangelisti, Italian avant-garde classical and electroacoustic composer, and sound theorist (From Silence to a New Sonorous World), dies at 74
- 1983 "Sweet" Emma Barrett, American Dixieland jazz pianist and singer, dies at 85
- 1983 Billy Fury [Ronald Wycherley], British rock singer ("When Will You Say I Love You"; "Halfway To Paradise") and actor (That'll Be The Day), dies of heart failure at 42
- 1983 Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (the shortest-serving prime minister in Australia's history-8 days), dies at 92
- 1984 Al Dexter [Poindexter], American honky-tonk country musician, and singer-songwriter ("Pistol Packin' Mama"), dies at 78
- 1984 John Macvane, American war correspondent and newscaster (United or Not), dies at 71
- 1986 Christa McAuliffe, American teacher, dies in the Challenger space shuttle disaster at 37
- 1986 Dick Scobee, US Air Force officer and astronaut, dies in the Challenger disaster at 46
- 1986 Ellison Onizuka, American Air Force Major and astronaut (STS 51C, 51L), dies in the Challenger space shuttle disaster at 39
- 1986 Greg Jarvis, American engineer and astronaut, dies in the Challenger space shuttle disaster at 41
- 1986 Judith Resnik, American astronaut, dies in Challenger disaster at 36
- 1986 Michael J. Smith, American astronaut (51L-Challenger disaster), dies in Challenger space shuttle disaster at 40
Ronald McNair (1950-1986)
American astronaut and physicist (STS 41B, 51L), dies in Challenger space shuttle disaster at 35
- 1987 Galo Plaza Lasso, Ecuadorian statesman (President of Ecuador 1948-52, head of OAS1968-75), dies at 80
Klaus Fuchs (1911-1988)
German-British atomic physicist and spy for the Soviet Union, dies at 76
- 1990 Sandra "Puma" Jones, American reggae singer (Black Uhuru, 1979-86), dies of breast cancer at 36
Red Grange (1903-1991)
American "Galloping Ghost" of football (University of Illinois, Chicago Bears), dies of Parkinson's disease at 87
- 1992 Clark Tippet, American dancer and choreographer (American Ballet Theatre), dies at 37
- 1992 Nahman Avigad, Israeli archaeologist (Discovering Jerusalem), dies at 86
- 1993 Aben Kandel, screenwriter (Dinner at 8), dies of heart failure at 96
- 1993 John Steadman, American actor (Gator, Fade to Black), dies of a lung ailment at 83
- 1994 Hal Smith, American actor (The Andy Griffith Show-Otis Campbell), dies at 77
- 1994 Hermanus P. "Piet" Mulder, Dutch journalist (Het Parool), dies at 79
- 1994 William Levitt, builder (Levittown), dies of kidney failure at 86
- 1995 Barrie Wilson, Canadian religious scholar (How Jesus Became Christian), dies at 59
- 1995 George Woodcock, Canadian writer of political biography and history (Anarchism: A History of Libertarian Ideas and Movements), dies at 82
- 1995 James P. Grant, American director of UNICEF (1980-95), dies at 72
- 1995 Jim Gilbert, British artist and criminal, dies at 61
- 1995 Philip Burton, Welsh theater director, acting teacher and mentor to Richard Burton, dies at 90
- 1995 Walter Allen, English writer and literary critic, dies at 83
- 1996 Burne Hogarth, American strip-cartoon artist (Tarzan), dies at 84
- 1996 Dan Duva, American boxing promoter and producer (Howard Stern New Years Party), dies at 44
- 1996 Jerry Siegel, American comic book writer (co-creator, with Joe Shuster, of "Superman"), dies of a heart attack at 81
- 1996 Joseph Brodsky, Russian-American poet and writer (Less than One, Nobel 1987), dies at 55
- 1996 San Yu, Burmese General and the 5th President of Burma (1981-88), dies at 77
- 1997 Colin Welch, British political journalist and critic of Enid Blyton's Noddy series, dies at 72
- 1997 Pietro Cavallero 'the laughing bandit', Italian bandit, dies at 68
- 1998 Colin Sanders, British computer engineer (Solid State Logic), dies in a helicopter crash at 50
- 1999 Markey Robinson, Irish painter (b. 1918)
- 1999 Pollamani Krishnamurthy, Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 8 dismissals; Hyderabad), dies at 51
- 1999 Torgny T:son Segerstedt, Swedish sociologist and philosopher (b. 1908)
- 2001 Curt Blefary, American baseball player, dies at 57
Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002)
Swedish children book author (Pippi Longstocking), dies at 94
- 2004 Don Cholito, Puerto Rican radio host (b. 1923)
- 2004 Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, American NFL halfback and end (LA Rams), dies at 80
- 2004 Joe Viterelli, American actor (b. 1937)
- 2004 Lloyd M. Bucher, U.S. Navy officer (b. 1927)
- 2004 Melvyn "Mel" Pritchard, British progressive rock drummer (Barclay James Harvest), dies of a heart attack at 56
- 2004 Trevor James Hold, British composer, writer, and musicologist (John Clare Songbook), dies at 64 [1]
- 2005 Jacques Villeret, French actor (b. 1951)
- 2005 Jim Capaldi, British drummer, singer, and songwriter (Traffic - "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"), dies of stomach cancer at 60
- 2005 Karen Lancaume, French actress (suicide) (b. 1973)
- 2006 Henry McGee, British actor and comedian (No, That's Me Over Here!, The Benny Hill Show), dies at 77
- 2006 Yitzchak Kaduri, Jewish rabbi, whose funeral was then the largest in Israeli history, dies (b. around 1900)
- 2007 Carlo Clerici, Swiss road cyclist (Giro d'Italia 1954), dies at 77
- 2007 Emma Tillman, the world's oldest living person from January 24-28, 2007 (b. 1892)
- 2007 Father Robert Drinan, Roman Catholic Priest and American politician (b. 1920)
- 2007 Hsu Wei Lun, Taiwanese actress (b. 1978)
- 2007 Karel Svoboda, Czech pianist, composer of popular songs and television music, dies of suspected suicide at 68
- 2007 Sterling Lanier, American writer (Hiero's Journey), dies at 79
- 2007 Yelena Romanova, Russian athlete (Olympic gold Unified Team 3,000m 1992), dies at 43
- 2008 Bengt Lindström, Swedish artist, dies at 82
- 2008 Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece (b. 1939)
- 2009 Arthur Jenkins, Jr., American jazz and pop session and touring keyboardist, composer, and arranger (Johnny Nash; Harry Belafonte; John Lennon; Roberta Flack), dies at 72
- 2009 Billy Powell, American musician and keyboardist (Lynyrd Skynyrd - "That Smell"; "Freebird"), dies at 56
- 2013 Bobby Sharp, American piano player, songwriter (“Unchain My Heart”), and drug rehab counselor, dies at 88
- 2013 Eddy Choong, Malaysian badminton player (Thomas Cup 1955), dies at 82
- 2014 Fernand Leduc, Canadian abstract expressionist painter (Les Automatistes), and teacher, dies of cancer at 97
- 2015 Louise Lopez, American disco singer (Odyssey -"Native New Yorker"; "Use It Up And Wear It Out"), dies at 81
- 2015 Robert Ceely, American classical and electro-acoustic composer (The Automobile Graveyard), and educator (New England Conservatory, 1966-2003), dies at 85
- 2016 Paul Kantner, American rock singer and guitarist (Jefferson Airplane - "Volunteers"), dies following a heart attack at 74
- 2016 Signe Toly Anderson, American singer, founding member of Jefferson Airplane, dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 74
- 2017 Geoff Nicholls, British rock keyboardist (Black Sabbath, 1980-2013), dies from lung cancer at 72
- 2019 Kim Bok-dong, Korean sex slave activist, dies at 92
- 2020 Bob Nave, American rock and blues Hammond B-3 organist (Lemon Pipers - "Green Tambourine"), jazz radio DJ, and philanthropist, dies at 75
- 2020 Chris Doleman, American Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end (8 × Pro Bowl; 3 × First-team All-Pro; Minnesota Vikings), dies of brain cancer at 58
- 2020 Marj Dusay [Marjorie Mahoney], American actress (Guiding Light - "Alexandra"; Bret Maverick - "Kate"), dies at 83
- 2020 Mohammad Munaf, Pakistan cricket fast bowler (4 Tests, 11 wickets; Karachi, Sind), dies at 84
- 2020 Nicholas Parsons, British presenter, comedian and actor "the ultimate quiz show host", dies at 96
- 2021 Cicely Tyson, American stage and screen actress (Roots; The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman), dies at 96 [1]
- 2021 Eddie Connachan, Scottish soccer goalkeeper (2 caps; Dunfermline Athletic, Middlesbrough, Falkirk), dies at 85
- 2022 Donald May, American actor (The Edge of Night, 1967-77 - "Adam Drake"; Colt .45), dies of laryngeal cancer at 92
- 2022 Guy Laporte, French rugby union fly-half (16 Tests, Grand Slam 1986; SC Rieumois, SC Graulhet), dies from a heart attack at 69
- 2023 Carlo Tavecchio, Italian sports executive (President Italian Football Federation 2014-17), dies at 79
- 2023 Lisa Loring [DeCinces], American actress (The Addams Family - "Wednesday"; As the World Turns, 1980-83 - "Cricket"), dies following a stroke at 64 [1]
- 2023 Phil Coles, Australian sports administrator (International Olympic Committee 1982-2011; AOC 1973-2011), dies at 91
- 2023 Tom Verlaine [Miller], American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist (Television - "Marquee Moon"), dies at 73
- 2023 Viola Léger, American-Canadian stage and screen actress (La Sagouine), and politician (Canadian Senate, 2001-05), dies at 92
- 2024 Luis Tejada, Panamanian soccer striker (108 caps; Juan Aurich SA 154 games), dies from a heart attack at 41
- 2024 Víctor Luna, Colombian soccer defender (21 caps; Atlético Nacional, América de Cali), dies from a heart attack at 64
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide