Today's 29 December Famous Deaths in History

• 721 Genmei [Genmyō], 43rd Empress of Japan (707-15), 4th woman to rule Japan, and first emperor of the Nara period, dies at 61
• 1141 Yue Fei, Chinese general, executed

English Archbishop of Canterbury (1162-70), assassinated by 4 knights of King Henry II at 52 [1]

• 1202 Igor Svyatoslavich, Ukrainian Prince of Novgorod-Seversk (1180-98) and Prince of Chernigov (1198-1202), dies at 51
• 1558 Hermann Finck, German organist and composer, dies at 31
• 1563 Sebastian Castellio, French theologian (b. 1515)
• 1606 Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania and Hungary (1605-6), dies at 49
• 1619 Antoine Arnauld, French lawyer (Philippica), dies
• 1630 Johannes Stalpaert van der Wiele, Dutch lawyer, pastor and lyricist, dies at 51
• 1634 John Albert Vasa, Polish bishop, dies at 22
• 1661 Antoine Gérard de Saint-Amant, French poet (b. 1594)
• 1689 Olfert Dapper, Amsterdam historian/geographer, buried
• 1689 Thomas Sydenham, English physician and author of "Observationes Medicae", dies at 65
• 1731 Brook Taylor, English mathematician, discoverer of Taylor's Theorem, dies at 46
• 1737 Joseph Saurin, French mathematician (b. 1659)
• 1785 Johan Herman Wessel, Norwegian poet (b. 1742)
• 1785 Johann Heinrich Rolle, composer, dies at 69
• 1815 Sarah Baartman [Saartjie Baartman], African Khoikhoi woman exhibited in Europe as the "Hottentot Venus", dies in Paris at about 26 [1]
• 1821 Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau, Dutch general, dies at 61
• 1822 Albert Christoph Dies, German painter, engraver and biographer, dies at 67
• 1825 Giuseppe Maria Gioacchino Cambini, composer, dies
• 1825 Jacques-Louis David, French Neoclassical painter (Death of Marat), dies at 77
• 1835 Charles-Joseph Tolbecque, French violinist, and composer, dies at 29
• 1836 Johann Baptist Schenk, Austrian composer, dies at 83
• 1847 William Crotch, British child prodigy organist, composer (Palestine Oratorio), and educator (Royal Academy), dies at 72
• 1871 Ferdinand Marcucci, Italian harpist and composer, dies at 71
• 1877 Willem Sassen, Dutch attorney general on Curacao (Affair-S), dies
• 1890 Big Foot, Sioux Indian chief, dies at Wounded Knee
• 1891 Leopold Kronecker, German mathematician (Tensor of Kronecker), dies at 68
• 1894 Christina Rossetti, English poet (Winter Rain, Passing Away), dies at 64
• 1897 William James Linton, American wood engraver and political reformer. (b. 1812)
• 1898 Georg Goltermann, German cellist and composer, dies at 74
• 1905 Martin Wiberg, Swedish computer pioneer, dies at 79
• 1910 Reginald "R.F." Doherty, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1897-1900), dies of neurasthenia at 38
• 1913 Anderson Abbott, Canadian physician and writer (first Canadian-born black doctor), dies at 76 [1]
• 1915 C. B. Hawley, American organist and composer, dies at 57
• 1915 Tom Shevlin, American College Football Hall of Fame end (Yale - Consensus All-American 1902, 04, 05; National C'ship 1902, 05), dies of pneumonia at 32
• 1919 William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70
• 1924 Carl Spitteler, Swiss writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
• 1925 Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60

Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist (Ana, The City, Duino Elegies), dies at 51

• 1929 Wilhelm Maybach, German industrialist and engine designer (the 1st Mercedes), dies at 83
• 1933 Joh Georghe Duca, premier of Romania, murdered
• 1937 Don Marquis, American author (b. 1878)
• 1942 Frank Dawson Adams, Canadian geologist, dies at 83
• 1943 William Henry Singer, American painter and collector (Singer Museum, Laren), dies at 75
• 1947 Joseph Cuvelier, Belgian historian and general archivist, dies at 78
• 1952 Beryl Rubinstein, American pianist and composer, dies at 54

American pianist, bandleader, composer, and arranger (Benny Goodman Orchestra), dies at 55 [1]

• 1953 Violet MacMillan, American Broadway theatre actress(b. 1887)
• 1956 Martin Albertz, German theologist (Jesus Christ's Church) and resistance fighter against the Nazi regime, dies at 73
• 1957 Tom Richmond, cricketer (Notts leg-spinner took 2-86 in Eng Test), dies at 67
• 1958 Doris Humphrey, American dancer and choreographer (Dances of Women), dies at 63
• 1959 Robin Milford, English composer, commits suicide at 56
• 1960 Eden Phillpotts, English novelist, poet and playwright (Red Madymaynes), dies at 98
• 1960 Philippe Panneton, Canadian physician, diplomat and writer (Trente arpents), dies at 65
• 1962 Hans Rosbaud, Austrian conductor (South West German Radio Orchestra, 1948-62), dies at 67
• 1964 Bernard von Brentano, German writer (Big Cats), dies at 63
• 1964 Miroslav Krejčí, Czech composer, dies at 73
• 1965 Kōsaku Yamada, Japanese composer (Nagauta Symphony), and conductor, dies of a heart attack at 79
• 1967 Paul Whiteman "The King of Jazz", American orchestra leader (Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue"; Fabulous Dorseys), dies at 77
• 1968 Austin Farrer, English theologian and philosopher (b. 1904)
• 1970 John de Mol Sr, Dutch accordionist, and orchestra leader, dies at 58
• 1970 Marie Menken, American experimental filmmaker and socialite, dies at 61
• 1970 William King Gregory, American zoologist and paleontologist (mammalian teeth, evolutionary theory), dies at 94
• 1971 John Marshall Harlan II, American lawyer, jurist and 91st Supreme Court Justice (1955-71), dies of spinal cancer at 72
• 1971 Stuart Holmes, American actor (Life's Shop Window, Prisoner of Zenda), dies of stomach ailment at 87
• 1972 Fritz Behrend, composer, dies at 83
• 1972 Hayes Alvis, American jazz bassist and tuba player (Jelly Roll Morton; Duke Ellington; Louis Armstrong), dies at 65
• 1975 Euell Gibbons, American outdoorsman and proponent of natural diets (b. 1911).
• 1976 Ivo Van Damme, Belgian 800 and 1500 m sprinter (Olympic silver 1976), dies in car accident at 22 [1]
• 1979 Branimir Sakač, Croatian composer (Matrix Symphony), dies at 61
• 1980 Nadezhda Mandelstam, Russian writer (b. 1899)
• 1980 Roy Engle, American writer and actor (The Man from Planet X, The Wild Wild West, My Favorite Martian), dies from meningitis at 67
• 1980 Tim Hardin, American singer (If I Were a Carpenter, Reason to Believe), dies of a drug overdose at 39
• 1981 Guido Provoost, Belgian historian, dies at 41
• 1981 Miroslav Krleža, Croatian poet, novelist and playwright (Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh), dies at 88
• 1982 Sol C Siegel, American film producer (A Letter To Three Wives, High Society, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), dies of a heart attack at 79
• 1984 Leo Robin, American songwriter ("Thanks For the Memory"; "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"), dies of heart failure at 84
• 1984 Sidney Garfield, American physician and pioneer of health maintenance organizations (Kaiser Permanente), dies at 78

British Conservative politician and Prime Minister (1957-63), dies at 92

• 1986 John Antill, Australian composer (Corroboree; New Guinea Patrol), dies at 82
• 1988 Mike Beuttler, British racing driver, dies at 48
• 1991 Harry Brannon, American popular radio singer of the 1940s (WOR- New York), and later clergyman, dies of Alzheimer's disease at 71
• 1991 Julia McCarthy, Scottish actress (London Belongs To Me), dies of cancer at 64
• 1992 LH Ruitenberg, vicar/editor in chief (Reform Netherlands), dies at 87
• 1992 Vivienne Segal, American Broadway stage actress and singer (Pal Joey), dies at 95
• 1993 Frunzik [Mher Mkrtchyan], Armenian actor (Mimino, Kidnapping, Caucasian Style), dies of cancer at 63
• 1993 Yvonne Desportes, French composer (Seven Abstract Poems), dies at 86 [1]
• 1994 Eugene Tanner Jr, singer, dies at 58
• 1994 Frank Thring, Australian actor (El Cid, Ben-Hur), dies at 68

American actress and second wife of Charlie Chaplin, dies of cancer at 87

• 1995 Madeleine Barot, French activist and theologian, dies at 86
• 1995 Nello Celio, President of Switzerland (1972), dies at 81
• 1995 Philip Idenburg, Dutch statistician, dies at 94
• 1995 Schlomo Joffe, Polish-Israeli folk and classical musician and composer, dies at 86
• 1996 Alma Birk (née Wilson), British journalist, and politician, dies at 77
• 1996 Daniel Mayer, French journalist and resistance fighter, dies at 87
• 1996 Mireille Hartuch, French singer-songwriter, and actress, dies at 90
• 1996 Oswald Szemerényi, Hungarian linguist, dies at 83
• 1996 Peggy Herbison, Scottish Labour Party politician (Member of Parliament, 1945-70; Minister of Social Security, 1964-67), dies at 89
• 1996 Pennar Davies, Welsh poet, author and theologian, dies at 85
• 1996 Robert Morris, American lawyer, dies at 81
• 1997 Pat Clarke, British cyclist, dies at 82
• 1998 Donald "Don" Taylor, American director and actor (Father's Little Dividend, Escape from the Planet of the Apes), dies of heart failure at 78
• 1998 Jean-Claude Forest, writer and illustrator of comics (Barbarella) (b. 1930)
• 1998 Jeanne Stern, German screenwriter (The Condemned Village), dies at 90
• 1999 Leon Radzinowicz, British criminologist (b. 1906)
• 2000 Herbert Ashworth, English building society industry leader (Nationwide Building Society), dies at 90 [1]
• 2001 Takashi Asahina, Japanese conductor (b. 1908)
• 2003 Bob Monkhouse, English comedian (Bonkers!) and game show host (The Golden Shot; Celebrity Squares), dies of prostate cancer at 75
• 2003 Dinsdale Landen, British actor (The Mask of Janus), dies at 71
• 2003 Earl Hindman, American actor (Home Improvement - "Wilson"; Ryan's Hope, 1975-89 - "Bob Reid"), dies of lung cancer at 61
• 2003 Russell Firestone, American polo player (Circle F-1959 champs), dies at 77
• 2004 Julius Axelrod, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1912)
• 2004 Ken Burkhart, American baseball pitcher (St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds) and MLB umpire (NL 1957-73), dies at 88
• 2004 Liddy Holloway, New Zealand actress (b. 1947)
• 2005 Gerda Boyesen, Norwegian founder of Biodynamic Psychology and Psychotherapy, dies at 83 [1]
• 2007 Kevin Greening, British radio presenter (b. 1962)
• 2007 Phil O'Donnell, Scottish soccer midfielder (1 cap; Motherwell, Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday; PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year 1992, 94), dies from cardiac arrest while playing at 35
• 2008 (Cornelis) "Kees" van Dijk, Dutch civil servant and politician (Member of Senate, 1991-99; Minister of the Interior, 1986-89), dies at 77
• 2008 Daniel Nagrin, American modern dancer and choreographer, dies at 91
• 2008 Freddie Hubbard, American jazz trumpet player (b. 1938)
• 2009 Akmal Shaikh, British drug trafficker, executed by lethal injection in the People's Republic of China (b. 1956)
• 2009 David Levine, American artist (New York Review of Books caricatures), dies at 83
• 2009 Steve Williams, American professional wrestler, known as "Dr. Death", and USFL football player, dies of throat cancer at 49
• 2010 Bill Erwin, American actor (b. 1914)
• 2011 Bobby Purify [Robert Lee Dickey], American soul singer (I'm Your Puppet), dies at 72
• 2012 Jean Topart, French voice and film actor regarded as "one of the inimitable voices of French cinema" (Fantastic Planet), dies at 90
• 2012 Jeanne Vertefeuille, American CIA officer who investigated Aldrich Ames, dies of cancer at 80 [1]

• 2013 Andy Granatelli, American motorsports entrepreneur (CEO STP automotive products; innovative Lotus four-wheel drive car 1969 Indy 500 winner), dies from congestive heart failure at 90
• 2013 Leonard "Red" Balaban, American jazz tuba and sousaphone player, dies at 84
• 2013 Wojciech Kilar, Polish classical (Missa Pro Pace), and film score composer (Bram Stoker's Dracula; The Pianist), dies from cancer at 81
• 2014 Claude Frank, German-American concert pianist and pedagogue, dies at 89
• 2014 Ivor Richardson, New Zealand judge (NZ Court of Appeals), dies at 84
• 2014 Leslie Silver, English paint manufacturer and Chairman of Leeds United, dies at 89
• 2014 Mike Piano, American folk-rock singer (The Sandpipers - "Guantanamera", "Come Saturday Morning"), dies at 70
• 2015 Allen Sapp, Canadian Cree artist, dies at 87 [1]
• 2015 Elzbieta Krzesinska, Polish long jumper (Olympic gold 1956), dies at 76
• 2015 Frank Malzone, American baseball third baseman (8 × MLB All-Star; 3 × Gold Glove Award; Boston Red Sox), dies at 85
• 2016 Ferdi Kübler, Swiss cyclist (Tour de France 1950, Points classification 1954; World C'ship gold Elite Men's Road Race 1951), dies at 97
• 2017 Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), dies at 88
• 2017 Dan Talbot [Distenfeld], American movie theatre owner and founder of New Yorker Films, dies at 91
• 2017 John C. Portman Jr., American architect (Ivan Allen Award-1964), dies at 93
• 2017 Peggy Cummins [Augusta Fuller], Welsh-born Irish actress (Gun Crazy, Curse of the Demon), dies at 92
• 2018 Aldo Parisot, Brazilian-American concert cellist and educator (Yale School of Music, 1958-2018). dies at 100
• 2018 Bill Watson, Australian cricketer (NSW & Australian opening batsman mid-1950s), dies at 87
• 2019 Alasdair Gray, Scottish artist and writer (Lanark, A Life in Pictures), dies at 85
• 2019 LaDell Andersen, American college basketball coach (Utah State, BYU), dies at 90
• 2019 Norma Tanega, American folk and pop singer-songwriter, guitarist ("Walkin' My Cat Named Dog"; "You're Dead"), percussionist, and painter, dies of colon cancer at 80
• 2020 Claude Bolling, French jazz and classical cross-over pianist and composer (Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio), dies at 90 [1] [2]
• 2020 John F Reid, New Zealand cricket batsman (19 Tests, 1296 runs @ 46.28, 6 x 100s), dies at 64
• 2020 John Paul Jr., American auto racer (IMSA GT C'ship 1982; 24 Hours of Daytona 1982, 92; 12 Hours of Sebring 1982), dies from Huntington's disease at 60
• 2020 John Waine, British Anglican clergyman (Bishop of Chelmsford, 1986-96), dies at 90
• 2020 Luke Letlow, American businessman and politician, elected to US House of Representatives for Louisiana, dies before taking office, from complications caused by COVID-19, at 41
• 2020 Phyllis McGuire, American pop vocalist (McGuire Sisters - "Sincerely"; "Sugartime"), dies at 89
• 2020 Pierre Cardin, Italian-French fashion designer, dies at 98
• 2021 Antoine Bonifaci, French soccer midfielder (12 caps; OGC Nice, FC Inter Milan, Bologna FC, Torino FC), dies at 90
• 2021 John Hartman, American rock drummer (Doobie Brothers, 1970–79 & 1987–92 - "China Grove"), dies at 71
• 2022 Dany Theis, Luxembourgian soccer midfielder (34 caps; Jeunesse Esch FC) and manager (Differdange 03, F91 Dudelange, Jeunesse Esch FC), dies from a heart attack at 55
• 2022 Dave Davis, American ten-pin bowler (PBA Tournament of Champions 1968, 75; PBA National C'ship 1965, 67), dies from kidney failure at 80
• 2022 Ian Tyson, Canadian folk singer-songwriter (Ian & Sylvia), dies at 89 [1]
• 2022 Margriet Eshuijs, Dutch singer and pianist ("Black Pearl"), dies at 70

Brazilian soccer attacking midfielder (92 caps; Player of the Century; 1,281 goals in 1,363 games; Santos, NY Cosmos), dies from colon cancer at 82 [1] [2]

• 2023 Doeke Eisma, Dutch sociologist, politician, member of the European Parliament and CEO of Globe Europe, dies at 83 [1]
• 2023 Gil de Ferran, Brazilian auto racer (Indianapolis 500 2003; Champ Car Series 2000, 01), dies from a heart attack at 56
• 2023 Hermann Baumann, German classical horn player, composer, and teacher, dies at 89
• 2023 Les McCann, American jazz pianist, soul singer ("Compared to What"), painter, and photographer, dies of pneumonia at 88 [1]
• 2023 Maurice Hines, American tap-dancer, choreographer, actor, and theater director, dies at 80 [1]
• 2024 Aaron Brown, American broadcast journalist known for "World News Now" and as a CNN reporter during 9/11, dies at 76 [1]
• 2024 George Folsey Jr., American film editor (Coming to America; The Blues Brothers), dies of complications of pneumonia at 85

American Democratic politician, 39th US President (1977-81), Governor of Georgia (1971-75), naval officer, human rights activist (Carter Center, Habitat for Humanity), Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, writer and peanut farmer, dies at 100 [1] [2]

• 2024 Linda Lavin, American Tony Award-winning stage and screen actress (Alice; Barney Miller, 1975-76; Broadway Bound), dies of lung cancer at 87 [1]