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

Actors Who Died on August 31

  • 1940 Johanna "Annie" Bakker, Dutch revue-artist, singer and actress, dies at 58
  • 1948 Billy Laughlin, American child actor (Froggy- Our Gang), dies in a car accident at 16
  • 1959 Charles Delaney, American actor (Air Police, Lonesome Trail), dies at 67
  • 1967 Michael Fitzmaurice, American radio actor (Superman, Reported Missing, 14 Hours), dies of lymphoma at 59
  • 1968 Dennis O'Keefe, American actor (Suspicion), dies of lung cancer at 60

John Ford (1895-1973)

American director (Stagecoach, Air Mail, Quiet Man), dies at 78

  • 1973 Raymond Keane, American actor (Midnight Sun, Love Eagle), dies at 66
  • 1975 Pierre Blaise, French actor (Lacombe Lucien), dies at 24
  • 1979 Sally Rand, American burlesque dancer, vedette and actress known for her ostrich feather fan and balloon bubble dances, dies at 75
  • 1991 Gerry Davis, British screenwriter (Dr Who), dies at 61
  • 1995 David Farrar, English actor (Beat Girl, I Accuse, Watusi), dies at 87
  • 1999 Marguerite Chapman, American actress (The Seven Year Itch, Spy Smasher, Flight to Mars), dies at 81
  • 2000 Patricia Owens, Canadian-American actress (The Fly), dies at 75
  • 2002 Lionel Hampton, American Jazz vibraphone player, pianist, drummer, and actor, dies from congestive heart failure at 94
  • 2004 Carl Wayne [Colin Tooley], British rock singer (The Move), and actor, dies of esophageal cancer at 61
  • 2005 Michael Sheard, Scottish actor (The Empire Strikes Back), dies at 67
  • 2007 Karloff Lagarde, Mexican professional wrestler, dies at 79
  • 2008 Ike Pappas, American news correspondent (CBS), dies at 75
  • 2008 Jerry Reed, American country music singer ("When You're Hot, You're Hot") and actor (Bat 21; Smokey and the Bandit), dies of complications from emphysema at 71
  • 2012 Max Bygraves [Walter William Bygraves], British actor (Charley Moon, Spare the Rod, Tom Brown's School Days), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 89

David Frost (1939-2013)

British broadcaster (That Was the Week That Was), dies from a heart attack at 74

  • 2017 Richard Anderson, American actor (Oscar Goldman- The 6 Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman television series), dies at 91
  • 2018 Gloria Jean [Schoonover], American actress (Never Give a Sucker an Even Break), and singer, dies at 92
  • 2021 Michael Constantine [Ioannides], American actor (Room 222 - "Mr. Kaufman"; Don't Drink The Water; My Big Fat Greek Wedding), dies at 94
  • 2022 Bill Turnbull, British television and radio presenter and journalist (Radio Clyde; BBC), dies of prostate cancer at 66
  • 2023 Gayle Hunnicutt, American-British actress (Marlowe; Legend of Hell House; Dallas), dies at 80