Famous Deaths on April 8

Caracalla (188-217 AD)

Roman emperor (198-217), murdered at 29

622 Prince Shōtoku, Japanese regent and politician who promoted Buddhism (Hōryū-ji temple), dies at about 48
956 Gilbert of Chalon, Duke of Burgundy
1143 John II Komnenos, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (1118-43), dies in an accident at 55
1364 John II, the Good, King of France (1350-64), dies at 44
1461 Georg von Purbach, Austrian mathematician and astronomer (best known for his streamlined presentation of Ptolemaic astronomy in the Theoricae Novae Planetarum), dies at 37

Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492)

Italian Lord of Florence (1469-92), statesman and patron of the arts during the Florentine Renaissance, dies at 43 [1]

1537 Willem Aerts, Flemish architect and sculptor (Bruges School), dies
1586 Martin Chemnitz, German Lutheran reformer and theologian, dies at 63
1587 John Foxe, English writer and martyrologist (Foxe's Book of Martyrs), dies (b. 1516)
1629 Willem Teellinck, Dutch pastor and theologian, dies at 50
1664 Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, Spanish-Mexican Baroque classical composer, dies at about 73
1676 Claudia Felicitas of Austria, Empress consort of Germany, dies at 22
1697 Niels Juel, Danish-Norwegian admiral, dies at 68
1697 Nikolaus Bruhns, Danish-German composer and organist, dies (b. 1665)
1704 Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English statesman, dies at 63
1704 Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist (b. 1624)
1725 John Wise, American clergyman and political activist who protested against British taxes, dies at 73
1735 Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburg, dies at 59
1736 Pedro Vaz Rego, Portuguese composer, dies at 63
1759 Francois de La Croix, French composer, dies at 76
1778 Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, Dutch silk merchant (founded Teyler Museum), dies at 76
1820 Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, Scottish philanthropist, dies at 48
1844 Ignaz Franz von Mosel, Austrian composer, dies at 72
1848 Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti, Italian composer, dies at 50
1851 John Parry [Bardd Alaw], Welsh composer and harpist, dies at 75
1853 Jan Willem Pieneman, Dutch historical painter (Battle at Waterloo), dies at 73
1857 Mangal Pandey, Indian Sepoy (soldier) in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry (B.N.I.) regiment of the British East India Company, hanged at 29

Elisha Otis (1811-1861)

American founder of the Otis Elevator Company and inventor of a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails, dies of diphtheria at 50

1863 Joseph Netherclift, English composer, dies at 70
1865 John Park, Scottish composer, dies at 61
1870 Charles-Auguste de Beriot, Belgian violinist and composer, dies at 68
1871 Charles-Louis Hanssens, Belgian composer, dies at 68
1879 Anthony Panizzi, Italian librarian at British Museum, dies at 81
1882 Jules Quicherat, French historian and archaeologist, dies at 67
1889 Harry Jupp, English cricketer (scored 63 on Test debut for England in 1877), dies at 47
1890 Junius Spencer Morgan, American merchant and philanthropist (Metro Museum of Art), dies at 76
1894 Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Indian novelist (Mrinalini, Anandamath), dies at 55
1897 George Garrett, English composer, dies at 62
1897 Heinrich von Stephan, German Director of the Post service who introduced the telephone to Germany, dies at 66
1898 William Polk Hardeman, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 81
1899 John Wesley Turner, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), dies at 65
1902 Dmitry Sipyagain, Russian Minister of Interior/headed Secret Service, assassinated by a Socialist-Revolutionary at 49
1906 Auguste Deter, German woman notable for being the 1st person diagnosed with Alzheimer's, dies of sepsis caused by an infected bedsore at 55

Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852-1919)

American businessman, retail pioneer (Five-and-Dimes; self-service display cases) and founder of F. W. Woolworth Co, dies at 66 [1]

1919 Loránd Eötvös, Hungarian physicist (introduced idea of molecular surface tension), dies at 70 (b. 1848)
1920 Charles Tomlinson Griffes, American composer (White Peacock), dies of influenza at 35
1921 Ernst von Possart, German actor and theatre director (Bayerische Hoftheater), dies at 79
1931 Eric Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet (Nobel Prize for Literature 1931), dies at 66 [1]
1935 Edwin Cannan, British economist and historian (A History of the Theories of Production and Distribution), dies at 74
1936 Robert Bárány, Austrian physician, Nobel laureate (b. 1876)
1937 Arthur Foote, American classical organist, composer, and member of the "Boston Six" (Suite for Strings in E), dies at 84
1937 William Henry Hadow, British educational reformer and musicologist (Oxford History of Music, Studies in Modern Music), dies at 77
1938 Harold Baumgartner, South African cricketer (took 2-99 lefty in test for South Africa), dies at 54
1942 Alfred Mombert, German poet, dies at 70
1942 Kostas Skarvelis, Greek songwriter (b. 1880)
1943 Paul Colin, Belgian journalist/collaborator, executed

Richard Sears (1861-1943)

American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1881-87), dies at 81

1948 Josef Kjellgren, Swedish writer (Guldkedjan), dies at 40
1950 Albert Ehrenstein, Austrian writer and poet (Strum), dies at 63
1950 Vaslav Nijinsky, Ukrainian legendary ballet dancer and choreographer, dies in London at 60
1957 Frank Chester, English cricketer and distinguished 1-armed Test umpire, dies at 62
1958 Ethel Turner, Australian author (Seven Little Australians), dies at 88
1958 George Jean Nathan, American editor, author and critic (American Mercury), dies at 76
1959 Gustave Charlier, Belgian literature historian, dies at 73
1965 Erik A. Blomberg, Swedish art historian, poet and author, dies at 70
1965 Jack Durston, English cricket fast bowler (1 Test, 5 wickets; Middlesex CCC) and soccer goalkeeper (Queens Park Rangers, Brentford), dies at 71
1965 Lars Hanson, Swedish actor (Flesh & Devil), dies after illness at 78
1966 George Creten, Belgian sculptor and painter, dies at 79
1969 Arthur Walter Kramer, American composer, dies at 78
1969 Haskell Karp, American heart transplant patient, who received 1st fully artificial heart, dies after 65 hours at 48
1970 Felix, of Bourbon-Parma and Prince consort of Luxemburg, dies at 76

Sherwin Badger (1901-1972)

American figure skater (US singles championship 1920-24; Olympic silver pairs [with Beatrix Loughran] 1932), dies at 70

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Spanish painter (The Three Dancers, Guernica) and sculptor who co-founded the Cubist movement, dies at 91

1974 James Charles McGuigan, Catholic cardinal archbishop of Toronto, dies at 79
1977 Frank Milan, American actor (Witness), dies at 71
1978 Ford C Frick, American Baseball HOF executive (NL President 1934-51; MLB Commissioner 1951-65), dies at 83
1981 Margaret Landis, American silent movie actress (A Million to Burn; The Empire Builders), dies at 90
1981 Norman Taurog, American film director (Skippy), dies at 82

Omar Bradley (1893-1981)

American WWII General (Invasion of Normandy) and 1st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1949-53), dies of cardiac arrhythmia at 88

1982 Katherine Rawls, American diver (Olympic silver 3m springboard 1932, 36) and swimmer (Olympic bronze 4×100m freestyle 1936), dies from cancer at 64
1984 Pyotr Kapitsa, Russian physicist (Nobel 1978), dies at 89
1985 J. Fred Coots, American songwriter ("Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"; "Love Letters In The Sand"), dies at 87
1986 Yukiko Okada, Japanese idol singer, dies at 18
1987 Francis Denebrink, US Admiral(WW I, WW II - commanded the Brooklyn, Korea), dies at 90 [1]
1989 John Wyer, English sports car racing team manager, dies at 79
1990 Doreen Sloane, English actress (Coronation Street), dies of cancer at 56
1990 Jose De Vega, American actor dies of AIDS at 56
1990 Ryan White, American hemophiliac AIDS sufferer, dies at 18
1991 Dead [Pelle Ohlin], Swedish heavy metal singer (Mayhem), commits suicide at 22
1992 Daniel Bovet, Swiss-Italian pharmacologist (1957 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, discovered chemotherapeutic agents including antihistamines0, dies at 85
1992 Luc-Andre Marcel, French composer, dies at 73
1992 Nelson Olmsted [or Olmstead], American voice actor (Sleep No More), dies at 78
1993 Arleen Whelan, American film actress (Kidnapped), dies of a stroke at 78
1993 Hubertus Earnest, bishop of Breda, dies at 100

Marian Anderson (1897-1993)

American contralto and celebrated singer (My Lord, What a Morning), dies of congestive heart failure at 96

1994 François Rozet, French Canadian actor (b. 1899)
1994 Irene Eisinger, German-British singer, dies at 91
1994 Walter Arnold, German theologist (World council of Churches), dies at 64
1995 Andrej Očenáš, Slovak composer, dies at 84
1995 Maurice Allom, English cricketer (14 Test wickets-NZ debut hat-trick), dies at 89
1996 (Charles) Donald Adams, British bass-baritone opera singer (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,; Gilbert and Sullivan For All), dies of a brain tumor at 67
1996 Ben Johnson, American actor (Chisum, Battle Force, Dillinger), dies of a heart attack at 77
1996 Fried Walter [Schmidt], German light music and operetta composer, dies at 86
1997 Charles Hayes, American politician (Rep-D-IL, 1983-93), dies at 79
1997 Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter ("Wedding Bell Blues"; "Stoned Soul Picnic"; "And When I Die"), dies of ovarian cancer at 49
2000 Bernie Grant, British politician (Labour), dies of a heart attack at 56

Claire Trevor (1910-2000)

American actress (Marjorie Morningstar), dies of respiratory failure at 91

2001 Frank Annunzio, American politician (Rep-D-IL, 1965-93), dies of Parkinson's disease at 86
2002 María Félix, Mexican actress (Doña Bárbara), dies at 88
2004 Bruce Edwards, American golf caddie (mainly for 5 x British Open champion Tom Watson), dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 49
2004 Douglas Hall, British colonial administrator (last British Governor of Somaliland Protectorate 1959-60), dies at 95
2004 Enda Colleran, Gaelic footballer (b. 1941)
2004 Frank Chamberlain, English cricketer and CEO (Test & County Cricket Board), dies at 78
2005 Eddie Miksis, American baseball player, dies at 78
2005 Onna White, Canadian choreographer (b. 1924)
2006 (Heinz) "Henry" Lewy, German-American sound engineer and record producer (Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Stephen Bishop, Judee Sill, The Monkees), dies at 79
2006 Gerard Reve, Dutch writer (Evenings, Dear Guys), dies at 82
2007 Carey W. Barber, a member of Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (b. 1905)
2007 Sol LeWitt, American artist (b. 1928)
2008 John Button, Australian politician (Button car plan), dies at 74
2008 Stanley Kamel, American actor (b. 1943)
2008 Timothy Beaumont, Baron Beaumont of Whitley (b. 1928)
2009 Herbie Lovelle, America drummer, studio musician (Hot Lips Page) and actor (Law & Order), dies at 85
2009 Lennie Bennett [Michael Berry], British comedian and TV game show host (Lucky Ladders), dies at 70
2009 Wally Baker, American supercentenarian, dies at 111
2010 Abel Muzorewa, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979-80), dies at 84
2010 Dorothea "Teddy" Scholten, Dutch pop singer ("Een beetje" - "A Little Bit"), dies at 83
2010 Jack Agnew, American World War II veteran (b. 1922)

Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010)

British band manager (New York Dolls; Sex Pistols; Bow Wow Wow) and musician, dies of cancer at 64

2011 Hedda Sterne, Romanian born American artist, dies at 100
2012 Jack Tramiel, Polish-American businessman (Commodore Computers), dies at 83
2013 Annette Funicello, American actress (Mickey Mouse Club; Beach Blanket Bingo), and singer ("Tall Paul"). dies from multiple sclerosis complications at 70

Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)

British Prime Minister (Conservative: 1979-90), dies of a stroke at 87

2013 Sara Montiel, Spanish actress and singer (The Last Torch Song; The Violet Seller), dies at 85
2014 The Ultimate Warrior [James Brian Hellwig], American Hall of Fame professional wrestler, dies from a heart attack at 54
2017 Brian Matthew, British disc jockey (Saturday Club), dies at 88
2017 Georgy Grechko, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 17, 26, T-14), dies at 85
2020 Jackie Du Preez, Zimbabwe cricket spin bowler (2 Tests, South Africa; Zimbabwe Test selector), dies from heart failure at 77
2021 Conn Findlay, American rower (Olympic gold coxed pair 1956, 64) and sailor (Olympic bronze Tempest 1976), dies at 90
2021 Diána Igaly, Hungarian sport shooter (Olympic gold women's skeet 2004; bronze 2000), dies from COVID-19 at 56
2022 Henri Depireux, Belgian soccer midfielder (2 caps; RFC Liège, Standard de Liège) and manager (Cameroon, Congo DR, FC Metz), dies at 78
2023 Michael Lerner, American stage and screen actor (Eight Men Out; Harlem Nights: Barton Fink), dies at 81