Today's 15 December Famous Deaths in History

  • 1025 Basil II, Byzantine emperor (976-1025) nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer, dies at 67
  • 1230 Ottokar I, king of Bohemia (1197-1230), dies

11th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1566-74), dies of head injury after a fall at 50

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  • 1576 Joachim Hoppers, Frisian lawyer, educator, and statesman (advisor to King Philip II of Spain), dies at 53
  • 1598 Philip van Marnix, Flemish ruler of St Aldegonde and poet, dies at 58
  • 1621 Charles d'Albert, duc of Luynes, French courtier, favourite of Louis XIII and Constable of France, dies at 43
  • 1626 Adriaen de Vries, Dutch sculptor/painter, dies at about 70
  • 1673 Margaret Cavendish, English poet, playwright and philosopher (early science fiction work The Blazing World), dies at about 50

Dutch painter (Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Astronomer), dies at 43

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  • 1683 Izaak Walton, English biographer and author (The Compleat Angler), dies at 90
  • 1688 Gaspar Fagel, Dutch lawyer, Netherlands grand pensionary (1672-88), dies at 54
  • 1699 Henrik van Reede tot Drakenstein, Dutch botanist and VOC official, dies at about 63
  • 1712 Sidney 1st earl of Godolphine, English minister of Finance, dies at 67
  • 1715 George Hickes, English linguist (Old German Philology), dies at 73
  • 1753 Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, English Palladian architect (Burlington House), dies at 59
  • 1779 Manuel Jeronimo Romero de Avila, Spanish theorist and composer, dies at 62
  • 1792 Joseph Martin Kraus, German-Swedish composer, known as "the Swedish Mozart", conductor, and pedagogue, dies of tuberculosis at 36
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  • 1816 Charles Stanhope, 3rd earl Stanhope, English radical politician and scientist, dies at 63
  • 1816 Joseph Franz Maximilian Lobkowitz, Bohemian aristocrat and composer, dies at 44
  • 1817 Maria Walewska [Leszczinska], Polish lover of Emperor Napoleon I, dies at 31
  • 1822 Ferenc Verseghy, Hungarian poet and composer, dies at 65
  • 1826 William Browser, American slave, executed in NYC for participating in the murder of two ship's officers during a slave revolt on board the Decatur
  • 1831 Paulus Roelof Cantz'laar, Dutch naval officer, and colonial governor (Curaçao, 1820-28; Dutch West Indies, 1828-31), dies at 60
  • 1839 Matthijs Ignatius van Bree, Belgian painter of historical subjects, dies at 66
  • 1855 Jacques Charles François Sturm, French mathematician (b. 1803)
  • 1861 Gualtiero Sanelli, Italian composer, dies at 45
  • 1880 Carlo Boncompagni di Mombello, Italian minister of Justice, dies at 76
  • 1885 Ferdinand II, German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry and King of Portugal (1837-53), dies at 69
  • 1885 Robert Toombs, American lawyer and 1st Confederate States Secretary of State, dies at 75

Hunkpapa-Sioux chief who helped led his people to victory in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, killed by US Police aged 58 or 59

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  • 1892 Charles Balmer, German composer, dies at 75
  • 1896 John GR Acquoy, Dutch theologian and church historian, dies at 67
  • 1901 Elias Álvares Lobo, Brazilian composer, dies at 67
  • 1909 Francisco Tárrega, Spanish composer, dies at 57
  • 1924 T. Frank Appleby, American politician (U.S. House of Representatives - (R) New Jersey, 1921-23), dies at 60
  • 1934 Maggie L. Walker, African-American teacher and businesswoman (1st female Bank President), dies at 69
  • 1939 Tom McKibbin, Australian cricket spin bowler (5 Tests, 17 wickets; NSW CA), dies at 69

American jazz organist, piano player, singer and composer ("Ain't Misbehavin'"; "Honeysuckle Rose"; "Hot Chocolate"), dies of pneumonia at 39 [1]

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American bandleader and jazz composer (Glenn Miller Orchestra - "In The Mood"; "Moonlight Serenade"; "String Of Pearls"), dies in a suspected plane crash over the English Channel, while serving in the US Army, at 40

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  • 1946 Frederic Norton, British composer (Chu Chin Chow), dies at 77
  • 1946 Konrad Haebler, German historian (Hundert Kalenderinkunabeln), dies at 89
  • 1947 Arthur Machen, Welsh author (The Great God Pan), dies at 84
  • 1947 George L. Funke, Dutch botanist (Flower Physiology), dies after an operation at 50
  • 1950 Robert Müller-Hartmann, German composer, dies at 66

Indian freedom fighter and statesman, dies at 75

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  • 1951 Eric Drummond, British 1st Secretary-General of the League of Nations (1919-33), dies at 75
  • 1951 María Grever, Mexican-American composer ("What A Difference A Day Makes" / "Cuando vuelva a tu lado"), dies at 66
  • 1952 Goscombe John, Welsh sculptor known for his public memorials "Port Sunlight War Memorial" and "The Response 1914", dies at 92
  • 1952 Potti Sreeramulu, Indian revolutionary known as the Father of Andhra for conducting a 56 day hunger strike in support of a separate Telugu-speaking state, fasts to death at 51, sparking rioting and 3 days later Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to declare an intention to form Andhra Pradesh state
  • 1953 Ed Barrow, American Baseball HOF manager (World Series 1918 Boston Red Sox) and executive (10 x World Series NY Yankees), dies at 85
  • 1953 Kishio Hirao, Japanese composer, dies at 46
  • 1958 Wolfgang Pauli, Swiss-American theoretical physicist (Pauli inhibition, Nobel 1945), dies at 58
  • 1961 William "Dummy" Hoy, American baseball outfielder (most accomplished deaf player in MLB history; NL stolen base leader 1888; Washington Senators, Cincinnati Reds), dies at 99

English actor (Hunchback of Notre Dame), dies at 63

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American animator (Mickey Mouse), producer and co-founder of the Walt Disney Company, dies of lung cancer at 65

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  • 1968 Antonio J. Barrette, French Canadian politician, premier of Quebec, dies at 69
  • 1968 Jess Willard, American boxer (World heavyweight champion 1915-19), dies from heart failure at 86
  • 1971 Paul Pierre Lévy, French mathematician (b. 1886)
  • 1972 Edward Earle, Canadian actor (Charlie Chan-Meeting at Midnight), dies at 90
  • 1972 Herbert Eimert, German composer and musicologist (Glockenspiel), dies at 75
  • 1973 Orest Evlahkov, Russian Soviet composer and educator (Leningrad Conservatory), dies at 61
  • 1974 Anatole Litvak, Russian-born American film director, writer and producer (Mayerling, Anastasia, The Snake Pit), dies at 72
  • 1974 Erich Walter Sternberg, German-Israeli composer (co-founder of Israel Philharmonic Orchestra), dies at 83
  • 1975 Mukhtar Ashrafi, Soviet-Uzbek composer, dies at 63
  • 1977 Wilfred Kitching, English, 7th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1893)
  • 1978 Chill Wills, American actor (Frontier Circus, Rounders), dies at 75
  • 1979 Bern Hoffman, American actor (Major Dell Conway), dies at 66
  • 1980 Angus Campbell, American psychologist (Elections & Political Order), dies at 70
  • 1980 Ben Travers, British playwright known for his farces and "The Bed Before Yesterday", dies at 94
  • 1980 Rudolph Cleveringa, Dutch anti-nazi lawyer and professor of Law at Leiden University, dies at 86
  • 1983 Jimmy McLin, American jazz banjo player, and guitarist (James P. Johnson; Willie "The Lion" Smith; The Ink Spots), dies at 75
  • 1983 “Big Chief” Russell Moore, Pima-American jazz trombonist (Lionel Hampton; Louis Armstrong), and composer ("Wounded Knee Chant"), dies at 70
  • 1984 Frank Spedding, Canadian chemist whose uranium extraction process helped make possible the first atomic bomb, dies at 82
  • 1984 Jan Peerce [Jacob Pincus Perelmuth], American tenor (NBC Symphony, 1938-55; NY Metropolitan Opera, 1941-67; "Bluebird of Happiness"), dies at 80
  • 1984 Lennard Pearce, British actor (Only Fools and Horses....), dies of a heart attack at 69
  • 1985 Forrest C. Shaklee, American chiropractor and founder (Shaklee Products), dies at 91
  • 1986 Serge Lifar, Russian-French ballet dancer (Ballet Russes, 1923-29), ballet master (Paris Opera Ballet, 1930-44 and 1947-58), and choreographer, dies at 81
  • 1987 Septima Poinsette Clark, American educator and civil rights activist, dies at 89
  • 1989 Arnold Moss, American actor (Loves of Carmen, Kim, Quebec, Viva Zapata), dies at 79
  • 1989 Edward Underdown, British actor (Beat the Devil, Thunderball), dies at 81
  • 1990 Betty Warren, British actress (Passport to Pimlico), dies at 83
  • 1990 Jean Paige, American silent film actress (Capt Blood; Black Beauty), dies at 95
  • 1991 Horatio Luro, American horse trainer (43 x stakes winners; Decidedly, Northern Dancer), dies from pancreatic cancer at 90
  • 1991 Ray Smith, British actor (And Then You Die), dies at 55
  • 1991 Vasily Zaytsev, Soviet sniper in World War II (Battle of Stalingrad), dies at 76 [1] [2]
  • 1993 Lawrence "Tricky" Lofton, American jazz trombonist, dies at 63
  • 1994 Hans de Jong, Dutch conductor (De Damrakkertjes; Amsterdams Vrouwenkoor), dies at 86
  • 1994 Harry Tobias, American lyricist (“Sweet and Lovely”; “It’s a Lonesome Old Town”; “Sail Along, Silv’ry Moon”), dies at 99
  • 1994 Henry Phelps Brown, British historian and economist, dies at 88
  • 1994 Mollie Phillips, British figure skater and judge (first woman to referee a world championship), dies at 87
  • 1995 Charles Fletcher, British pioneering physician and TV presenter (wrote the 1st report into the dangers of smoking), dies at 84
  • 1995 Jim [James Geoffrey Cutcliffe] Hepburn, English tap-dancer and socialist, dies at 88
  • 1995 Johnny Lytle, American jazz drummer and vibraphonist, known as "Fast Hands", dies of kidney failure at 63
  • 1995 Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado, Deputy Prime Minister of Spain (1976-81) and Minister of Defense (1977-79), dies at 83
  • 1996 Gerald Moverley, first Bishop of the Diocese of Hallam in Yorkshire, dies at 74
  • 1996 Guiseppe Dossetti, Italian politician (drafted Italian constitution) and priest, dies at 83
  • 1996 Harry Kemelman, American detective author (rabbi-omnibus), dies at 88
  • 1996 Tristan Keuris, Dutch composer (Sinfonia), dies at 50
  • 1997 Pananayiotis Taki Vatikiotis, Middle Eastern scholar, dies at 69
  • 1998 Jan Meyerowitz, German-American composer, dies at 85
  • 1999 George Elrick, Scottish-British singer ("I Like Bananas Because They Have No Bones"), and broadcaster known as 'The Smiling Voice of Radio' (BBC's "Housewives' Choice"), dies at 95
  • 2000 Charles Dearnley, English church organist (Salisbury Cathedral; St Paul's Cathedral), and educator, dies at 70
  • 2001 Rufus Thomas, American vaudevillian, singer-songwriter, and R&B musician known as "Mr. Swing" ("Walking the Dog", "Do the Funky Chicken"), dies of heart failure at 84
  • 2001 Russ Haas, American professional wrestler, dies of a heart attack at 27
  • 2003 George Fisher, American political cartoonist (Arkansas Gazette Arkansas Times), dies from heart attack at 80
  • 2003 Keith Magnuson, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (NHL All Star 1971, 72; Chicago Black Hawks), dies in a motor vehicle accident at 56
  • 2004 Pauline Gore, mother of Al Gore (b. 1912)
  • 2005 Darrell Russell, American football defensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1998, 99; First-Team All-Pro 1998; Oakland Raiders), dies in a car crash at 29
  • 2005 Heinrich Gross, Austrian physician (b. 1914)
  • 2005 John McIntyre, Scottish theologian (Chaplin to the Queen in Scotland), dies at 89
  • 2005 Stan Leonard, Canadian golfer (3 PGA Tour titles), dies of heart failure at 90
  • 2005 William Proxmire, American politician (Sen-D-WI, 1957-88), dies at 90
  • 2006 Clay Regazzoni, Swiss Formula One driver, dies at 67
  • 2006 Henny Alma [Hendrika den Broek], Dutch actress (Soldier of Orange), dies at 83
  • 2007 Ace Vergel, Filipino actor known for "Bomba Ariend", dies of a heart attack at 53
  • 2007 Clem Jones, Australian politician, Lord Mayor of Brisbane (1961-75), dies at 89
  • 2007 John Berg, American actor (Star Trek: Nemesis), takes his own life at 58
  • 2007 Julia Carson, American politician (Rep Indiana (D) 1997-2007), dies of lung cancer at 69 [1]
  • 2008 Davey Graham, British finger-picking folk music guitarist, and songwriter ("Anji", "She Moved Through the Fair"), dies of lung cancer at 68
  • 2008 Geraldine McCullough, American painter and sculptor (Phoenix), dies at 91
  • 2008 León Febres Cordero, Ecuadorian politician (President of Ecuador 1984-88), dies at 77
  • 2009 C.D.B. Bryan, American journalist and author (Friendly Fire, P.S. Wilkinson), dies of cancer at 73
  • 2009 Carolyn DeZurik, American country and polka singer and yodeler (The Cackle Sisters; Prairie Ramblers; The Polka Chips), dies at 90
  • 2009 Oral Roberts, American television evangelist and author (b. 1918)

American writer and director (10; SOB; Breakfast at Tiffany's), dies at 88

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American Baseball HOF pitcher (8 x MLB All-Star; AL Triple Crown of pitching (wins/strike-outs/ERA), 1940; 3 x no-hit games; Cleveland Indians), dies from leukemia at 92

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  • 2010 Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, American political scientist and psychoanalyst, dies at 70
  • 2010 Jean Rollin, French fantasy director and screenwriter, known for "The Night of the Hunted", dies at 72
  • 2011 Andy Carey, American baseball player (third baseman for 1950s New York Yankees), dies at 80
  • 2011 Bob Brookmeyer, American jazz and studio pianist, valve trombone player, arranger, and composer (Stan Getz; Jerry Mulligan), dies of congestive heart failure at 81
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  • 2013 Harold Camping, American evangelist and founder of Family Radio, dies at 92
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  • 2014 Ray Steadman-Allen, British choral and brass band composer, dies at 92
  • 2015 Ken Pogue, Canadian actor (Adderly, Katts and Dog), dies of cancer at 81
  • 2016 Craig Sager, American sports reporter for CNN, TBS, and TNT (1981-2016), Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee, dies of leukemia at 65
  • 2017 Don Hogan Charles, American photographer and first African-American photographer hired by The New York Times, dies at 79
  • 2017 Heinz Wolff, German-born British scientist and TV/ radio presenter (BBC series "The Great Egg Race"), dies from heart failure at 89
  • 2019 Monique Leyrac, French Canadian singer ("Mon Pays"), and actress (Act of the Heart), dies at 91
  • 2020 Anthony Casso, American criminal and underboss of the Lucchese crime family, dies of complications of Covid-19 at 78
  • 2020 Charles Shere, American contemporary classical composer, broadcaster, music critic, and educator, dies at 85
  • 2020 Jean-Pierre Lux, French rugby union centre (42 caps; US Tyrosse, US Dax) and administrator (President European Rugby Cup 1999-2014), dies at 74
  • 2021 bell hooks [Gloria Jean Watkins], American author, feminist, educator, and social activist, dies of kidney failure at 69
  • 2021 Bridget Hanley, American actress (Here Come the Brides - "Candy Pruitt"), dies of Alzheimer's disease complications at 80
  • 2021 Francisco Kroepfl, Argentinian composer, dies at 90
  • 2021 Hans Küppers, German soccer midfielder (7 caps, West Germany; TSV 1860 Munich, 1. FC Nürnberg), dies at 82
  • 2021 Len Hauss, American football center (5 x Pro Bowl; Washington Redskins), dies at 79
  • 2021 Wanda Young, American pop singer (The Marvelettes - "Please Mr. Postman"; “Don’t Mess With Bill"), dies of heart disease at 78
  • 2022 Dino Danelli, American rock drummer (Fotomaker; Young Rascals; Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul), dies at 78
  • 2022 Louis Orr, American college basketball coach (Bowling Green State University 2007–14, Seton Hall 2001-06), dies from cancer at 64
  • 2022 Shirley Eikhard, Canadian Juno Award-winning country singer-songwriter (Something to Talk About), dies of cancer at 67


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