Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

Famous Deaths on November 2

  • 472 Olybrius, emperor of Western Roman Empirre (April-November. 472), dies of dropsy at about 41 (born c. 430)
  • 943 Emma of France, Frankish queen, wife of the Duke of Burgundy (b. 894)
  • 1083 Matilda of Flanders, Queen consort of William the Conqueror, dies at about 52
  • 1171 Dionysius [Jacob] Bar-Salibi, Syriac Orthodox Church author (Diarbekir), dies
  • 1327 King James II, King of Aragon and Sicily, dies at 60
  • 1483 Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, English politician, beheaded at 49
  • 1588 Wilhelmus Damasi, theologist/1st bishop of Roermond, dies at 63
  • 1610 Richard Bancroft, English Archbishop of Canterbury (1604-10), oversaw the King James Bible, dies at 66
  • 1618 Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria (1612-18), dies at 60
  • 1635 Aurelio Signoretti, Italian composer, dies at 68
  • 1697 Constantine Huygens Jr., Dutch poet, painter and cartoonist, dies at 69 (burial date)
  • 1716 Engelbert Kaempfer, German physician and traveler, dies at 65
  • 1717 Johann Jacob Walther, German composer and violinist, dies at about 67
  • 1731 Johann Matthias Leffloth, German composer, dies at 26
  • 1752 Johann Albrecht Bengel, German theologian and Greek scholar (Greek New Testament), dies at 65
  • 1773 John Glas, Scottish Presbyterian clergyman (started Glasite church movement), dies at 78
  • 1781 Jose Francisco de Isla [Francisco de Salazar], Spanish Jesuit preacher and satirist, dies at 78
  • 1804 Armand-Gaston Camus, French revolutionary and Chairman of the Council of 500, dies at 64
  • 1807 Baron de Breteuil, French statesman (b. 1730)
  • 1845 Chretien Urhan, French violinist and composer, dies at 55
  • 1852 Pyotr Kotlyarevsky, Russian general (Battle of Aslanduz), dies at 70
  • 1863 Theodore Judah, American civil engineer (1st transcontinental railroad), dies of yellow fever at 37
  • 1874 Thomas Anderson, Scottish chemist (discovered pyridine), dies at 55
  • 1875 James W. W. Birch, 1st British resident in Perak, Malaysia is speared to death while in the bath-house of his boat, SS Dragon at 49
  • 1877 Friedrich Graf von Wrangel, Prussian field marshal, dies at 93
  • 1882 Cenobio Paniagua, Mexican composer, dies at 61
  • 1884 Auguste Vaucorbeil, French composer, dies at 62
  • 1887 Swedish Nightingale [Jenny Lind], Swedish soprano, dies at 67
  • 1893 Daniel Payne, American bishop, reformer and educator (African Methodist Episcopal Church), dies at 82
  • 1895 Jack 'The Nonpareil' Dempsey, Irish boxer (first holder of World Middleweight Championship 1886-90), dies from tuberculosis at 32
  • 1898 George Goyder, English surveyor-general of South Australia, dies at 72
  • 1905 Albert von Kölliker, Swiss anatomist and histologist (one of the first to interpret tissue structure in terms of cellular elements), dies at 88
  • 1909 Wilhelm Ahlwardt, German orientalist, dies at 81
  • 1914 Jack Sheridan, American Baseball Hall of Fame umpire (World Series 1905, 07-08, 10), dies from effects of sunstroke at 52
  • 1915 Isaac Rice, German-American businessman (namesake of Columbia Univ's Rice stadium, Electric Boat Company), dies at 65
  • 1920 Andre Dumont, Belgian mine engineer (Limburgs coal basin), dies at 73
  • 1925 Antonius J. Derkinderen, Dutch painter and etcher, dies at 65
  • 1930 Oliver Perry Hay, American paleontologist, dies at 84
  • 1931 Arthur James Cook, British trade union leader (coal miners), dies of cancer at 47
  • 1931 Henry Musgrove, Australian cricket batsman (1 Test 1885), dies at 72
  • 1935 Jock "Herbie" Cameron, South African cricket wicketkeeper and captain (26 Tests; 51 dismissals, 10 x 50; Eastern Province, Transvaal, Western Province), dies of typhoid fever at 30
  • 1936 Martin Lowry, English chemist (Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory), dies at 62
  • 1937 Maude Valérie White, French-born English composer, dies at 82
  • 1941 Simon Guggenheim, American businessman and philanthropist, dies at 73
  • 1944 Thomas Midgley, American chemist and inventor (b. 1889)
  • 1945 Princess Thyra, daughter of Frederick VIII of Denmark (b. 1880)
  • 1949 Jerome F. Donovan, American politician (rep-NY 1918-21), dies at 77

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Irish dramatist (Pygmalion, Nobel Prize for Literature 1925), dies at 94

  • 1952 Maire O'Neill, Irish actress (Juno & the Paycock, Glamorous Night), dies at 66
  • 1956 Jacob Weinberg, Russian-born Jewish composer, dies at 77
  • 1956 Leo Baeck, German rabbi (President of World Union for Progressive Judaism), dies at 83
  • 1957 Ted Meredith, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m in world record 1:51.9s 1912), dies at 64
  • 1958 Adam Carse, English composer and music writer, dies at 80
  • 1960 Dimitri Mitropoulos, Greek-American pianist, conductor (Minneapolis Symphony, 1937-49; New York Philharmonic, 1949-58), and composer, dies of heart failure at 64
  • 1961 James Thurber, American humorist, playwright, and cartoonist (Men, Women & Dogs; The Male Animal; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), dies of pneumonia after brain surgery at 66
  • 1962 Felice Lattuada, Italian composer and educator (Civica Scuola di Musica, Milan, 1935-62), dies at 80

Ngô Đình Diệm (1901-1963)

President and authoritarian leader of South Vietnam (1954-63), assassinated in a coup at 62

  • 1966 Mississippi John Hurt, American country blues singer and guitarist, dies at 73
  • 1966 Peter Debye, Dutch-American physical chemist (Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1936 for investigations of dipole moments, X-rays, and light scattering in gases), dies at 82
  • 1966 Sadao Araki, Japanese general, Minister of War (1931-34), dies at 89
  • 1968 Ernst Hess, Swiss composer, dies at 56
  • 1969 (Wilmore) "Slick" Jones, American jazz drummer (Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller, Sidney Bechet), dies at 62
  • 1969 Marion Lloyd Vince, American fencer (National champion 1928, 31), dies at 63
  • 1970 Johannes Urzidil, German-Bohemian poet and historian, dies at 74
  • 1970 Richard Cushing, American cardinal to Boston, dies at 75
  • 1971 Martha Vickers [MacVicker], American actress (Alimony; The Man I Love; Ruthless), dies of esophageal cancer at 46
  • 1973 Earl Neale, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach (Virginia; NFL: Philadelphia Eagles) and MLB outfielder (Cincinnati Reds), dies at 81
  • 1977 Hans Erich Nossak, German writer, dies at 76
  • 1979 Jacques Mesrine, French criminal "enemy of the state", shot to death by police at 42
  • 1980 Edith Bunker, character in TV sitcom "All in the Family", dies of a stroke
  • 1981 Kenneth Oakley, English Anthropologist, paleontologist and geologist whose method for the relative dating of fossils using fluorine content was instrumental in exposing the Piltdown Man hoax, dies at 70
  • 1982 Lester Roloff, American fundamentalist preacher, dies in a plane crash at 68
  • 1984 Margie V Barfield, US murderer, 1st woman electrocuted in 22 years
  • 1985 Fred Enke, American College basketball coach (University of Arizona 1925–1961, record 522–344), dies at 88
  • 1986 Paul Frees [Solomon Hersh Frees], American voice actor (voice of Boris Badenov in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show), dies at 66
  • 1989 Hermann Bengtson, German historian (Greeks Ancient Times), dies at 80
  • 1991 Fran Stevens, singer, dies of cancer in Bronx NY at 72
  • 1991 Irwin Allen, American film and television producer (Land of the Giants; The Poseidon Adventure), dies at 75
  • 1991 Mort Shuman, American singer, and songwriter, with Doc Pomus ("Viva Las Vegas"; "Save The Last Dance For Me"), dies of cancer at 54
  • 1992 Hal Roach, silent film producer (Keystone Kops), dies of pneumonia at 100
  • 1993 P A Jacob Mees, Dutch banker (Mees & Hope), dies at about 86
  • 1994 David Feinberg, American AIDS activist and author, dies at 37
  • 1994 Egbert George "Pete" Pitterson, trumpeter, dies at 73
  • 1995 Alvaro Gomez Hurtado, Colombian politician (helped write Colombian Constitution), assassinated at 76
  • 1995 Bill Blair, American auto racer (NASCAR pioneer; 54 top-10 finishes), dies at 84
  • 1995 Florence Greenberg, record company founder, dies at 82
  • 1995 Gilbert "Gil" Lamb, American actor (Hit Parade of 1947, Riding High), dies at 91
  • 1995 Ivan Metropolitan Ioann Snychev, Russian Orthodox Priest, dies at 68
  • 1995 Ollie Harrington, American cartoonist (Bootsie), dies at 83
  • 1996 Christ Prater, English screenprinter, dies at 72
  • 1996 Eva Cassidy, American singer, dies of cancer at 33

Toni Stone (1921-1996)

American baseball second baseman (first woman to play in men's Negro League), dies at 75

  • 1997 G. Harry Stine, American pioneer of model rocketry and science fiction writer, dies at 69
  • 1997 Roy McMillan, American baseball infielder, coach and manager (MLB All Star 1956-57; Gold Glove 1957-59; Cincinnati Reds), dies of heart failure at 68
  • 1998 Vincent Winter, Scottish child actor, dies at 50
  • 2000 Sue Ryder, Baroness Ryder of Warsaw & Cavendish, British volunteer with Special Operations Executive in the Second World War, dies at 76
  • 2002 Charles Sheffield, American author and physicist (b. 1935)
  • 2002 Tonio Selwart [Antonio Selmair-Selwart], German actor (Barefoot Contessa, Naked Maja), dies from natural causes at 106
  • 2003 Frank McCloskey, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana (1983-95), dies at 64
  • 2003 Jimmy Quillen, American politician (Rep-R-TN, 1963-97), dies at 87
  • 2004 Gerrie Knetemann, Dutch road cyclist (World Road Race Champion 1978; Amstel Gold Race 1974, 85), dies from a heart attack at 53
  • 2004 Theo van Gogh, Dutch film director (Submission), dies at 47

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918-2004)

1st President of the United Arab Emirates, dies at 85

  • 2005 Ferruccio Valcareggi, Italian soccer midfielder and manager (Bologna; Atalanta, Italy 1974 World Cup), dies at 86
  • 2007 Charmaine Dragun, Australian broadcast journalist, takes her own life at 29
  • 2007 Igor Moiseyev, Russian choreographer, dies at 101
  • 2007 Michael Fitzalan-Howard, British General (Gold Stick-in-Waiting to the UK Monarch), dies at 91
  • 2007 The Fabulous Moolah [Mary Lillian Ellison], American professional wrestler (World Champion: 1956-83), dies from a heart attack at 84
  • 2007 Witold Kiełtyka, Polish heavy metal drummer (Decapitated), dies in a tour bus crash at 23
  • 2009 José Luis López Vázquez, Spanish actor, director and comedian (La Cabina, Travels With My Aunt), dies of natural causes at 87
  • 2010 Andy Irons, American surfer (ASP World Champion 2002-04), dies of heart attack due to acute mixed drug ingestion at 32
  • 2010 Clyde King, American baseball pitcher, coach, manager and executive (Brooklyn Dodgers; New York Yankees), dies at 86
  • 2011 Sickan Carlsson, Swedish actress and singer (b. 1915)
  • 2011 Sid Melton [Sidney Meltzer], American actor (Green Acres, The Danny Thomas Show), dies from pneumonia at 94
  • 2012 Milt Campbell, American decathlete (Olympic gold 1956), dies from prostate cancer and diabetes at 78
  • 2013 Walt Bellamy, American Basketball HOF center (NBA All-Star 1962, 63, 64, 65; NBA Rookie of Year 1962; Chicago Packers/Zephyrs/Baltimore Bullets; New York Knicks; Olympic gold 1960), dies at 74
  • 2014 (Bernard) "Acker" Bilk, British clarinetist who was part of the traditional jazz revival of the 1950s and 1960s, dies at 85
  • 2015 Colin Welland, British screenwriter (Chariots of Fire) and actor (Straw Dogs), dies at 81
  • 2015 David Stock, American composer (Rosewood Reflections), and conductor (Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, 1976-99), dies at 76 [1]
  • 2015 Mike Davies, Welsh tennis player, entrepreneur and administrator (ED ATP; GM ITF; Grand Slam Cup creator), dies from mesothelioma at 79
  • 2015 Raul Rekow, American percussionist and conguero (Santana, 1976-2013), dies of cancer at 61
  • 2016 Bob Cranshaw, American jazz bassist (Blue Note Records; Sonny Rollins; Stanley Turrentine; Duke Pearson), dies of cancer at 83
  • 2018 Glenn Schwartz, American rock guitarist (Pacific Gas & Electric -"Are You Ready?"), dies at 78
  • 2018 Kitty O'Neil, American stuntwoman (The Bionic Woman) and racer (female land speed record), dies at 72
  • 2018 Raymond Chow, Hong Kong film producer, popularized martial arts worldwide, dies at 91
  • 2018 Roy Hargrove, American trumpeter, dies of kidney disease at 49
  • 2018 Torben Jensen, Danish actor (Taxa; Hayfever; Watch Me Fly; Guldregn), dies at 74
  • 2019 Walter Mercado, Puerto Rican astrologist and actor, dies at about 87
  • 2020 Baron Wolman, American photographer, founding chief photographer for Rolling Stone, dies of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) at 83
  • 2020 John Sessions, Scottish actor and comedian (Whose Line Is It Anyway), dies of a heart attack at 67
  • 2020 Nancy Darsch, American women's basketball coach (Ohio State Uni; assistant coach US Olympic gold 1984, 96; NY Liberty, Washington Mystics), dies of Parkinson's disease at 68
  • 2021 Alistair MacFarlane, Scottish electrical engineer and principal (Heriot-Watt University, 1989-96), dies at 90
  • 2021 Mohamed Soukhane, Algerian soccer defender (6 caps; Le Havre AC), dies at 90
  • 2021 Ronnie Wilson, American R&B keyboardist (Gap Band - "Burn Rubber On Me"), dies at 73
  • 2021 Tom Matte, American football running back (Super Bowl 1971; Pro Bowl 1968, 69; NFL rushing TD leader 1969; Baltimore Colts), dies at 82
  • 2021 Tomas Leandersson, Swedish ten-pin bowler (FIQ World C'ships 1999; World Tenpin Team Cup 1994; World Games 1993), dies at 55
  • 2022 Bubba Cascio, American race horse trainer (All American Futurity 1968, 70), dies at 90
  • 2023 Jutta Müller, German figure skating coach (GDR 3 x Olympic gold, 10 x World C'ship gold), dies at 94
  • 2023 Walter Davis, American basketball shooting guard (6 x NBA All-Star; NBA Rookie of the Year 1978; Olympic gold 1976; Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets), dies at 69
  • 2023 Yuri Temirkanov, Russian conductor (Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre, 1976-88; Baltimore Symphony, 2000-06), dies at 84 [1]
November 2 Highlights