Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584)
Grand Prince of Moscow (1533-47) and 1st Tsar of Russia (1547-75 and 1576-84), dies of a stroke while playing chess at 53 [O.S. 18 Mar]
- 1673 Adam Pijnacker, Dutch landscape painter and etcher, buried at 51
- 1677 Václav [Wenceslaus] Hollar, Bohemian-born etcher (depictioned17th century London), dies at about 69
- 1687 Constantijn Huygens, Dutch diplomat and poet, dies at 90
- 1701 Domenico Guidi, Italian sculptor, dies at 75
- 1712 Jan van der Heyden, Dutch painter and inventor (fire hose; street lighting), dies at 75
Marquis de Condorcet (1743-1794)
Marquis de Condorcet, French enlightenment philosopher (Condorcet Method) and mathematician, is murdered or commits suicide in prison at 50
- 1799 Bendix Friedrich Zinck, Danish organist and composer, dies at 83
- 1799 Etta L J "baronne" Palm-Aelders, Dutch adventurer/spy, dies at 55
- 1801 Ralph Abercromby, British general (commanded of British forces in West Indies, North Holland and Egypt), dies of his wounds on board the flagship Foudroyantat off the coast of Egypt at 66
- 1818 Antonio Capuzzi, Italian violinist and composer, dies at 62
- 1828 William Thornton, British-American architect (Capitol Building in Washington, D.C), dies at 68
- 1840 Simon-Antoine-Jean Lhuillier, Swiss mathematician, dies at 89
- 1847 Mariano Rodríguez de Ledesma, Spanish composer, dies at 67
- 1849 Stephan Endlicher, Austrian botanist, dies at 44
- 1850 Gerard C. Brandon, American politician (b. 1788)
- 1856 Pyotr Ivanovich Turchaninov, Russian church composer, and choirmaster, dies at 76
- 1860 Johann Ludwig Bohner, German composer, dies at 73
- 1863 James Cooper, US attorney/senator/Union-brigadier general, dies at 52
- 1865 Albert G Bilders, Dutch landscape painter, dies at 26
- 1866 Solomon Foot, American politician (U.S. Senator from Vermont, 1851-66) and attorney, dies at 63
- 1868 James Brudenell, British 7th Earl of Cardigan (led the Charge of the Light Brigade during Crimean War), dies at about 70
- 1870 George Henry Thomas, American general (b. 1816)
- 1872 Humphrey Marshall, American politician and Brigadier General in the Confederate Army, dies at 60
- 1874 Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish-German astronomer (Hansen hypothesis), dies at 78
- 1877 Vincenzo Fioravanti, Italian composer, dies at 77
- 1880 Achille Peri, composer, dies at 67
Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881)
Russian composer (Boris Godunov; Night on Bald Mountain; Pictures at an Exhibition), dies from complications of alcoholism at 42
- 1885 Fredrick Vilhelm Ludvig Norman, Swedish composer, dies at 53
- 1887 Ditler Monrad, Danish politician and bishop (Council President of Denmark 1863-64), dies at 75
- 1889 Matilde "Tillie" Ziegler, killed by husband William Kemmler
- 1891 Dick Pilling, English cricket wicketkeeper (8 Tests, 14 dismissals; Lancashire CCC), dies of tuberculosis at 35
- 1893 Edmund Kirby Smith, American military officer (Confederate Army General), dies at 68
- 1896 E Rundle Charles, writer, dies
- 1907 Pavel Ivanovich Blaramberg, Russian composer, dies at 65
- 1908 John Eliot, English meteorologist, dies at 68
- 1910 David Josiah Brewer, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1837)
- 1910 Édouard Colonne, French violinist and conductor, dies at 71
- 1910 William Paul Roberts, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 68
- 1914 Hanus Trnecek, composer, dies at 55
- 1918 Johann Christoph Lauterbach, German violinist and concert master, dies at 87
- 1922 Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov, Russian politician and criminologist (Minister of Justice 1918-19) father of the writer, assassinated at 51
- 1927 Karl Prohaska, Austrian composer, dies at 57
- 1928 Giuseppe Ferrata, Italian composer and pianist, dies at 63
- 1929 Lomer Gouin, Quebec politician (b. 1861)
- 1930 Uchimura Kanzō, Japanese religious writer and pacifist (How I Became a Christian), dies at 69
Ban Johnson (1864-1931)
American Baseball HOF executive (founder, President American League), dies after a long illness at 67
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
British author (Jacob's Room, To the Lighthouse), commits suicide at 59
- 1942 Herman Adriaan van Karnebeek, Dutch minister of Foreign affairs (1918-27), dies at 67
- 1942 Miguel Hernadez Gilabert, Spanish poet (Viento del Pueblo), dies at 31
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Russian-American piano virtuoso, conductor, and composer (Aleko; Piano Concerto No. 3), dies at 69
- 1944 Chayyim Most, Rabbi/Maggid of Kovono, killed by Nazis
- 1944 Stephen Leacock, Canadian economist and humorist (Literary Lapses), dies at 75
- 1946 Cum Posey, American Baseball HOF executive (owner NgL Homestead Grays; 9 x consecutive NL pennants 1937–45); and Basketball HOF guard (5 x Coloured World C'ships), dies from cancer at 55
- 1947 Johnny Evers, American Baseball HOF 2nd baseman (World Series 1907, 08 Chicago Orphans/Cubs; WS & NL MVP 1914 Boston Braves) and manager (Chicago Cubs/WS), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 65
- 1947 Karol Świerczewski, Polish general (b. 1897)
- 1947 Rudolph Simonsen, Danish composer (Olympic Arts bronze, 1928 - Symphony No. 2 (Hellas)), and educator (Royal Danish Academy, 1916-47), dies at 57
- 1948 Princess Henriette, Duchess of Vendôme and Alençon, dies at 77
- 1949 Grigoras Dinicu, Romanian violin virtuoso and composer, dies at 59
- 1950 Georgine M "May" Basting, actress (Occupier), dies at 67
Jim Thorpe (1887-1953)
American all-round athlete (Olympic gold decathlon, pentathlon 1912; College & Pro Football Hall of Fame), dies of heart failure at 65
Chuck Klein (1904-1958)
American Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder (Triple Crown 1933; MLB All-Star 1933, 34; NL MVP 1932; Philadelphia Phillies), dies of a stroke at 53
W. C. Handy (1873-1958)
American composer and musician known as the "Father of the Blues" (Memphis Blues, St Louis Blues), dies of bronchial pneumonia at 84
- 1962 Hugo Wast, Argentine writer (b. 1883)
- 1963 Alec Templeton, Welsh pianist and composer (Concertino Lirico), dies at 52
- 1965 Clemence Dane, British novelist and playwright (b. 1888)
- 1965 Jack Hoxie, American actor and rodeo performer (The White Outlaw), dies at 80
- 1965 Mary [Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary], Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood and daughter of George V, dies at 67
- 1969 Aryeh Levin [Reb Aryeh], Orthodox Jewish rabbi, dies at 84
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)
34th US President (Republican: 1953-61) and World War II general, dies of a congestive heart failure at 78
- 1971 Felix Wolfes, German-American conductor, educator (New England Conservatory, 1948-68), and composer, dies at 78
- 1973 Hakuun Yasutani, Zen teacher/co-founder (Sanbo Kyodan), dies
- 1974 Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist (That's Alright), dies of a heart attack at 68
- 1974 Dino Ciani, Italian pianist, dies in a car accident at 32
- 1974 Dorothy Fields, American singer (The Way You Look Tonight), dies at 68
- 1974 Francoise Rosay, actress (Interlude, Women in Prison), dies at 82
- 1975 Renzo Massarani, Italian composer, dies at 77
- 1976 Richard Arlen, American actor (Apache Uprising, Wings), dies at 75
- 1979 Emmett Kelly, American circus clown (Weary Willy), dies at 80
- 1980 John Poulos, American drummer (The Buckinghams - "Kind Of A Drag"), dies of heart failure at 32
- 1980 Richard "Dick" Haymes, Argentine-American actor and singer (State Fair, Real Life, Betrayal), dies of lung cancer at 61
- 1982 William Giauque, Canadian chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1895)
- 1983 Ank [Anna M] van der Moer, actress (Verkade, Dutch Comedy), dies at 71
- 1983 Martinus A. Jansen, Bishop of Rotterdam (1956-70), dies at 77
- 1983 Walter Reisch, Austrian-American director and screenwriter (Ninotchka, Gaslight, Titanic), dies at 79
- 1984 Benjamin Mays, African-American educator (Morehouse, Howard University) and civil rights leader, dies at 89
- 1984 Carmen Dragon, American composer and conductor (Hollywood Bowl Symphony), dies of cancer at 69
- 1984 Kenneth Whitty, 1st sec at British Embassy in Athens, shot dead
- 1985 Marc Chagall [Moise Shagal], Jewish Belarusan-French modernist painter and stained glass artist (La Mariée; I and the Village), dies at 97
- 1985 Nand Baert, Flemish radio presenter (Afternoonbeat) and television game show host, dies at 53
- 1986 J. Víctor López, Cuban-American actor (Falcon Crest; Man From Atlantis - "Chuey"), dies of AIDS at 39
- 1986 Virginia Gilmore, American actress (Jennie, Western Union), dies at 66
- 1987 Maria Augusta von Trapp, Austrian singer who inspired the "Sound of Music" (Trapp Family Singers), dies of heart failure at 82
- 1987 Patrick Troughton, English actor (second Doctor in Doctor Who), dies of a heart attack at 67
- 1990 Helene Fortescu Reynolds, actress (Bermuda Mystery), dies at 65
- 1991 Carlos Montalbán, Mexican-American character actor (Bananas), dies at 86
- 1992 Josef Matej, Czech composer, dies at 70
- 1992 Wendell Mayes, writer, dies of cancer at 72
- 1993 Scott Cunningham, Occult author (b. 1956)
- 1994 Albert Goldman, American rock biographer (Lives of John Lennon; Elvis), dies at 66
Eugene Ionesco (1909-1994)
Romanian-French playwright (Rhinoceros, Bald Soprano), dies at 84
- 1994 John Logan Gorlay, journalist, dies at 74
- 1995 Hugh O'Connor, American actor (In the Heat of the Night), shoots himself while battling cocaine addiction at 32
- 1995 Jack Regan, broadcaster, dies at 53
- 1995 Vivienne Byerley, English theater press agent, dies at 88
- 1995 William Hayter, British diplomat and Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1953-57), dies at 88
- 1996 Barbara McLean, film Editor, dies at 86
- 1996 David Band, British banker (BZW), dies at 53
- 1996 Edith Fowke, Canadian folklorist, dies at 82
- 1996 Hans Blumenberg, philosopher, dies at 75
- 1996 Ken Dibbs, Lebanese actor (Suddenly, Party Girl, High Society), dies at 78
- 1996 Roscoe [Charles Barnet] Harvey, British soldier, dies at 95
- 1996 Shin Kanemaru, Japanese politician (Deputy Prime Minister 1986-87), dies at 81
- 1996 Simon Harcourt Nowell-Smith, British bibliophile, dies at 87
- 1999 Freaky Tah, American rapper (Lost Boyz) (b. 1971)
- 2000 Albert "Ab" Abspoel, Dutch actor and director (Surprise Attack, Elevator), dies at 74
- 2000 Anthony Powell, British novelist (b. 1905)
- 2001 Jim Benton, American football end (All Pro 1945, 46; NFL 1940s All-Decade Team; Cleveland/LA Rams, Chicago Bears; first to rush 300+ yards 1945), dies at 84
- 2001 Moe Koffman, Canadian jazz saxophonist and flautist (Cool and Hot Sax), dies at 72
- 2001 Vlastimir Nikolovski, Macedonian composer and pedagogue, (The Serdar), dies at 74
- 2003 (Farrell) "Rusty" Draper, American country and pop singer ("The Shifting, Whispering Sands"; "Are You Satisfied?"), dies of pneumonia at 80
- 2004 Art James, American game show host (b. 1929)
Peter Ustinov (1921-2004)
British actor, author, journalist, comedian and broadcaster (Death on the Nile: Logan's Run: Billy Budd), dies of heart failure at 82
- 2005 Dame Moura Lympany, British pianist (b. 1916)
- 2006 Caspar Weinberger, American politician and businessman (US Secretary of Defense under Reagan 1981-87), dies at 88
- 2006 Charles Schepens, American ophthalmologist (b. 1912)
- 2006 Kevin Pro Hart, Australian artist (b. 1928)
- 2006 Proinsias Ó Maonaigh, Irish musician (b. 1922)
- 2010 June Havoc [Ellen Evangeline Hovick], Canadian-born American stage and screen actress, dies at 97
- 2011 Lee Hoiby, American concert pianist composer (1957 Arts & Letters; Summer and Smoke), dies at 85
- 2011 Wenche Foss, Norwegian actress (b. 1917)
- 2012 Alexander Arutiunian [Harut'unyan], Soviet Armenian classical pianist and composer (Trumpet Concerto), dies at 91
- 2012 Earl Scruggs, American bluegrass banjo player (Flatt & Scruggs - "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"; "Ballad of Jed Clampett"), dies from natural causes at 88
- 2012 Harry Crews, American writer and actor (Indian Runner), dies from neuropathy at 76
- 2012 John Arden, English novelist and playwright (Left Handed Liberty), dies at 81
- 2013 Hugh McCracken, American session guitarist (Aretha Franklin; Paul McCartney; Steely Dan; Billy Joel; John Lennon), dies of luekemia at 70
- 2013 Richard Griffiths, British actor, dies from complications from heart surgery at 65
- 2013 Soraya Jiménez, Mexican weightlifter (Olympic gold women's 58kg 2000), dies from a heart attack at 35
- 2014 Jeremiah Denton, American politician (Senator-R-Alabama, 1981-86), dies at 89
- 2015 Douglas Leedy, American composer, dies at 77
- 2015 Gene Saks, American actor and director (One & Only, Prisoner of 2nd Ave), dies at 93
- 2015 Richard L. Bare, American TV and film director (Green Acres), dies at 101
- 2015 Ronald Stevenson, Scottish-Welsh composer (9 Haiku; Ben Dorain Symphony), pianist, and educator, dies at 87
- 2016 James Noble, American actor (Benson, 1776, Airplane II: The Sequel), dies of a stroke at 94
- 2016 Peggy Fortnum, British Illustrator (first to draw Paddington Bear), dies at 96
- 2017 Ahmed "Kathy" Kathrada, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, dies at 87
- 2017 Christine Kaufmann, Austrian-born actress (Town Without Pity, Red Lips), dies at 72
- 2017 Janine Sutto, French Canadian actress and comedian (Guide de la petite vengeance), dies of natural causes at 95
- 2017 Ronald Hines, British actor (Not in Front of the Children, Pack of Lies), dies at 87
- 2020 Azam Khan, Pakistani squash player (British Open 1959-62), dies from COVID-19 at 95
- 2020 Jan Howard [Lula Grace Johnson], American country music singer and songwriter (For Loving You), dies at 91
- 2020 Tom Coburn, American politician (Sen-R-Oklahoma 2005-2015, Rep-R-Oklahoma 1995-2001), dies at 72
- 2021 Didier Ratsiraka, President of Madagascar (1975-93), dies at 84
- 2021 Malcolm Cecil, British jazz bassist, record producer, audio engineer and electronic musician (Ronnie Scott; Blues Incorporated; TONTO's Expanding Head Band), dies at 84
- 2022 Naci Erdem, Turkish soccer centre-back (31 caps; Fenerbahçe), dies at 91
- 2023 Bill Leavy, American football official (NFL 1995-2014; Super Bowl 2000, 06; 15 x playoff games), dies at 76
- 2023 Manfred Schaefer, Australian soccer defender (49 caps; St. George-Budapest FC) and manager (St. George-B FC, Sydney Olympic FC, APIA Leichhardt, Sydney Utd, Marconi), dies at 80
- 2023 Paul O'Grady, English TV presenter, comedian and drag queen (Lily Savage), dies at 67 [1]
- 2023 Ryuichi Sakamoto, Japanese musician (Yellow Magic Orchestra) and Academy Award-winning film composer (The Last Emperor), dies of cancer at 71 [1]
- 2024 Larry Lloyd, English soccer defender (4 caps; Liverpool, Nottingham Forest) and manager (Wigan Athletic, Notts County), dies at 75
- 2024 Natalya Melyokhina, Russian road cyclist (UCI Road World C'ship gold USSR women's team time trial 1987), dies at 61
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide