Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
Italian explorer and navigator who discovered the "New World" for Spain and initiated European colonization, dies around the age of 54
- 1509 Catharina Sforza, Italian duchess of Forli, dies at 45
- 1550 Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Japanese shogun (b. 1510)
- 1597 Dutch commander Matthijs Heldt, dies in battle
- 1622 Osman II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1618-22), dies at 17
- 1648 Władysław IV Vasa, King of Poland (1632-48), dies of kidney stones at 52
- 1650 Francesco Sacrati, Italian composer, dies at 44
- 1669 Joris van der Hagen, landscape painter, dies
- 1677 George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol, English statesman, dies at about 65
- 1713 Thomas Sprat, English writer (b. 1635)
- 1717 John Trevor, British statesman (b. 1637)
- 1722 Sébastien Vaillant, French botanist, dies at 52
- 1732 Thomas Boston, Scottish church leader (b. 1676)
- 1751 Domingo Miguel Bernaube Terradellas, Spanish composer, dies at 38
- 1782 Carlo Giovanni Testori, Italian violinist, composer, pedagogue, and musicologist (La musica raggionata), dies at 68
- 1782 Christoph Gottlieb Schröter, German organist (St Nikola Church, Nordhausen, 1732-82), composer, and inventor of the tangent piano, dies at 82
- 1782 William Emerson, British mathematician (b. 1701)
- 1793 Charles Bonnet, Swiss naturalist and writer, dies at 73
- 1795 Ignác Martinovics, Hungarian physicist/revolutionary, beheaded
- 1825 Papaflessas, Greek priest and government official (b. 1788)
- 1834 Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert de Motier, nobleman, dies
Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834)
American patriot and French revolutionary, dies at 76
- 1841 Joseph Blanco White, theological writert, dies
- 1847 Mary Lamb, British writer (Tales from Shakespeare), dies at 82
- 1864 John Clare, English poet (Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery), dies at 70
- 1873 George-Étienne Cartier, French Canadian statesman (joint Prime Minister of Canada 1858-62), dies of Bright's Disease at 60
- 1875 Amalia of Oldenburg, Queen of Greece, German born consort of King Otto of Greece, dies at 58
- 1876 Harold of Schleswig-Holstein, grandson of English queen Victoria, dies at 8 days old
- 1876 Khristo Botev, Bulgarian poet, dies
- 1880 Eugene LFC prince the Ligne, Belgian prince of Ambise, dies at 76
- 1883 William Chambers, Scottish author and publisher (Basis of Communication & Coding), dies at 83
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
German pianist and composer of the Romantic era, dies of a stroke at 76
- 1900 Gustav Heinrich Graben-Hoffman, composer, dies at 80
- 1909 Ernest Hogan, blackface comedian and musician (b. 1859)
- 1910 Jean-Baptiste Theodore Weckerlin, French composer, dies at 88
- 1911 E. M. Grace, English cricket all-rounder (1 Test, HS 36; Gloucestershire CCC), dies at 69
- 1917 Philipp von Ferrary, Italian philatelist (compiled world's most complete stamp collection), dies at 67
- 1917 Valentine Fleming, Scottish politician (b. 1887)
- 1923 Hans Goldschmidt, German chemist, dies
- 1926 Dick Pougher, cricketer (17 & 3-26 in only Test for England 1892), dies
- 1932 Bipin Chandra Pal, Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, dies at 73
- 1932 James "Bubber" Miley, American jazz trumpet and cornet player (Duke Ellington, 1923-29 - "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"; "Black And Tan Fantasy"), dies of tuberculosis at 29
- 1935 Ivans [Jacob van Schevichaven], Dutch lawyer and detective writer, dies at 68
- 1939 Joe Carr, American Pro Football HOF contributor (NFL President 1921-39), dies from a heart attack at 59
- 1940 Amar Singh, Indian cricket all-rounder (7 Tests, 28 wickets; India's first half-century in Test cricket), dies of pneumonia at 29
- 1940 Joris van Severen, Flemish politician and founder of the Alliance of Dietsche National Solidarists, dies at 45
- 1940 Verner von Heidenstam, Swedish poet and novelist (Charles Men, Nobel 1916), dies at 80
- 1942 Hector Guimard, French Art Nouveau architect and designer (entrances to Paris Metros),
- 1946 Jacob Ellehammer, Danish watchmaker and inventor (powered flight), dies at 74
- 1947 Philipp Lenard, Austrian physicist (Nobel 1905), dies at 84
- 1949 Randolph West, American biochemist, known for the Dakin-West reaction (b. 1890)
- 1951 Jan Ingenhoven, Dutch composer and conductor, dies at 74
- 1956 Andre Eugene Maurice Charlot, actor (Summer Storm), dies
- 1956 Max Beerbohm, English caricaturist, writer and parodist (Saturday Review), dies at 83
- 1959 Alfred Schütz, Austrian-American architect and philosopher, dies at 60
- 1960 Audrey Wurdemann, American poet, 1935 Pulitzer Prize for "Bright Ambush", dies at 49
- 1961 Josef "Pips" Priller, German fighter ace (b. 1915)
- 1961 Nannie Helen Burroughs, American educator and civil rights activist (founded National Training School for Women and Girls), dies at 82
- 1964 Rudy Lewis, American pop vocalist (The Drifters - "Up On The Roof"; "On Broadway), dies of a probable drug overdose at 27
- 1968 Albert Hartkopf, cricketer (one Test for Australia), dies
- 1968 Kees van Dongen, Dutch-French painter (Fauves style), dies at 91
- 1969 Fred Sherman, American actor (Chain Lightning), dies after a stroke at 64
- 1969 Royal Beal, American actor (Death of a Salesman), dies of cancer at 69
- 1971 Martín Dihigo, Cuban Baseball HOF two-way player (2 × Negro League All-Star New York Cubans; 4 × Cuban League MVP), dies at 65
- 1971 Waldo Williams, Welsh poet (b. 1904)
- 1972 Cornelis Jakob van der Klauw, Dutch biologist and zoologist, dies at 78
- 1973 Jarno Saarinen, Finnish motorcycle racer, dies in a crash at Monza, Italy at 27
- 1975 Barbara Hepworth, English abstract artist, sculptor and child actress (Rescued by Rover), dies in an accidental fire at her Trewyn studios at 72
- 1975 Jacques Stehman, Belgian pianist and composer (Symphonie de poche), dies at 62
- 1976 Syd Howe, Canadian Hockey HOF left wing (Stanley Cup 1936, 37, 43 Detroit Red Wings), dies from throat cancer at 64
- 1976 Zelmar Michelini, Uruguayan politician, member of the Christian-Democrat party, and Héctor Gutiérrez Ruiz "disappeared"
- 1978 Ivan Harold Browning, American stage and screen actor and singer (Shuffle Along - "I'm Just Wild About Harry"), dies at 87
- 1983 Clair Bee, American College Basketball and Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Long Island University undefeated 1936, 39; National Invitation Tournament 1939, 41), dies at 87
- 1984 Peter Bull, British actor and author (The African Queen, Tom Jones, Dr Strangelove), dies of a heart attack at 72
- 1985 George Memmoli, American actor (Earl-Hello Larry), dies at 46
- 1985 Harm Kamerlingh Onnes, Dutch painter, etcher and ceramist, dies at 92
- 1986 Bernard Naylor, English-Canadian organist, conductor, and composer, dies at 78
- 1986 Willem Pee, Belgian linguist, dies at 83
- 1988 René Defossez, Belgian composer, composer, and pedagigue, dies at 82
- 1989 Erzsébet Galgoczi, Hungarian writer, dies at 58
- 1989 Gilda Radner, American comedian and actress (SNL, 1975-80; Haunted Honeymoon), dies of ovarian cancer at 42
- 1989 John R. Hicks, English economist (Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences 1972), dies at 85
- 1991 Julian Orbon De Soto, Cuban composer, dies at 65
- 1991 Pete Runnels, American baseball infielder (5 x MLB All Star; AL batting champion 1960, 62 Boston Red Sox; Washington Senators, Houston Colt .45s) and manager (Boston Red Sox 1966), dies from a stroke at 63
- 1992 Roger Keith Coleman, American murder who protested his innocence, is executed at 33
- 1993 Max Klein, inventor (paint by numbers), dies at 77
- 1994 Dallas Pratt, American collector (The American Museum in Britain), dies at 79
- 1994 Vivien John, English painter and daughter of Augustus John, dies at 79
- 1996 Eric Davidson, comedy scriptwriter, dies at 65
- 1996 George Malcolm Thomson, British journalist, dies at 96
- 1996 Jack Wyngaard, South African dancer (London City Ballet, 1986-96), dies of a heart attack at 37
- 1996 Janaki Ramachandran, Indian politician, Chief Minister of Indian state of Tamil Nadu (1988), dies at 72
- 1996 Jon Pertwee, English actor and entertainer (third Doctor in Doctor Who, Worzel Gummidge), dies from a heart attack at 76
- 1996 Julius Marmur, American biochemist and geneticist (DNA research), dies at 70
- 1996 Lewis B Combs, American civil engineer and US Navy officer (1917-45), founding member and commander of the "Seabees", dies at 101
- 1997 Virgilio Barco Vargas, Colombian politician and engineer, President of Colombia (1986-90), dies at 75
- 1998 Robert Normann, Norwegian jazz guitar pioneer, accordionist, and composer, dies at 81
- 1999 Robert Rhodes James, British politician historian (Gallipoli), dies at 66
- 2000 Jean-Pierre Rampal, French classical flautist (The Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano), dies of heart failure at 72
- 2001 Renato Carosone, Italian canzone napoletana singer, pianist, songwriter ("Tu vuò fà l'americano" - "You Want to Be American"), and accordionist, dies at 81
Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002)
American paleontologist and popular science writer, dies of cancer at 60
- 2004 Lord Murray of Epping Forest, British labour politician and union leader, dies of emphysema and pneumonia at 82
- 2005 John Donovan "J D" Cannon, American actor (McCloud, Ike, Call to Glory), dies at 83
- 2005 Paul Ricoeur, French philosopher (b. 1913)
- 2005 William Seawell, United States Army Brigadier General (b. 1918)
- 2007 Norman Von Nida, Australian golfer, coach, broadcaster (British Open 1948 3rd), dies at 93
- 2007 Stanley Miller, American chemist (created 'primordial soup' experiment to show how life might have originated on earth), dies at 77
- 2008 Ali Sadikin, Indonesian politician and governor of Jakarta (1966-77), dies at 79
- 2008 Hamilton Jordan, former Carter White House Chief of Staff (b. 1944)
- 2009 Arthur Erickson, Canadian architect (b.1924)
- 2009 Lucy Gordon, British model and actress (b. 1980)
Randy Savage (1952-2011)
American pro wrestler (WWF/SMW/ICW; WWE Hall of Fame), dies of a heart attack at 58
- 2012 Abdel Basset Ali Al-Megrahi, convicted bomber (Pan Am 103), dies from prostate cancer at 60
- 2012 Robert Nix, American drummer and songwriter (Roy Orbison; Atlanta Rhythm Section - "So Into You"; "Imaginary Lover"), dies at 67
Robin Gibb (1949-2012)
English rock-pop-disco singer-songwriter and producer (Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever), dies from colon and liver cancer at 62
- 2013 Anders Eliasson, Swedish contemporary classical composer, dies at 66
- 2013 Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball coach (Czech Women's team, German Men's team), dies at 88
- 2013 Ray Manzarek, American musician and keyboardist (The Doors - "Light My Fire", "Hello, I Love You"), dies of cancer at 74
- 2013 Robert DiDomenica, American flautist, composer and educator, dies at 86
- 2014 Phil Sharpe, English cricket batsman (12 Tests, 1 x 100, 4 x 50, HS 111; Yorkshire CCC, Derbyshire CCC), dies at 77
- 2015 Brian Cubbon, British senior civil servant, dies at 87
- 2017 Jimmy Dale, British-Canadian pianist and orchestra leader (The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour), dies at 81
Billy Cannon (1937-2018)
American College Football Hall of Fame back and tight end (Heisman Trophy 1959, LSU; AFL C'ship 1960, 61, 67; AFL All-Star 1961, 69; Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders), dies at 80
Carol Mann (1941-2018)
American golfer (1964 Western Open, 1965 US Open), dies at 77
- 2018 Dieter Schnebel, German experimental composer (Harley-Davidson, for nine motorbikes and trumpet), dies at 88
- 2018 Patricia Morison, American actress (Peyton Place, Dressed to Kill, Kiss Me, Kate The King and I), dies at 103
- 2019 Andrew Hall, English actor (Butterflies - "Russell"), and theater director, dies of cancer at 65
Niki Lauda (1949-2019)
Austrian auto racer (F1 world champ 1975, 77, 84), dies of kidney problems at 70
- 2020 Howard Curtis Nielson, American politician (Rep-R-UT, 1983-91), dies at 95
- 2020 Stephen A. DiMauro, American thoroughbred racing jockey, trainer, breeder and owner (Eclipse Award 1975; Lady Pitt, Dearly Precious, Nassipour, Wajima), dies from cancer at 87
- 2021 Florian Pilkington-Miksa, English rock drummer (Curved Air), and sculptor, dies of pneumonia at 70
- 2021 Freddy Marks, English actor, singer and entertainer (Rod, Jane and Freddy), dies of cancer at 71
- 2021 Roger Hawkins, American session drummer (the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section - Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin), dies at 75
- 2021 Sándor Puhl, Hungarian soccer referee (1994 FIFA World Cup Final; 1997 UEFA Champions League Final; IFFHS World's Best Referee 1994-97), dies at 65
- 2022 Roger Angell, American literary editor and baseball journalist (The New Yorker), dies of congestive heart failure at 101
- 2023 Rick Hummel, American sports writer (St. Louis Post-Dispatch; J. G. Taylor Spink Award 2007; president Baseball Writers' Association of America), dies at 77
- 2023 Sante Ranucci, Italian cyclist (gold UCI World C'ships amateur road race 1955), dies at 89
- 2023 Terry McDermott, American speed skater (Olympic gold 500m 1964, silver 1968), dies at 82
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide