Famous Deaths on December 1

660 Eligius [Eloy], French patron saint of horses, goldsmiths and metalworkers who as bishop of Tournay-Noyon spent 20 years converting the pagan population of Flanders to Christianity, dies at around 72
1018 Thietmar, German chronicler and Bishop of Merseburg, dies at 43

Henry I of England (c. 1068-1135)

King of England (1100-1135) and the 1st English King after the Norman conquest to be fluent in the English language, dies at around 66 of fever after eating "a surfeit of lampreys"

1241 Isabella of England, wife of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1214)
1374 Magnus IV [Magnus Eriksson], king of Norway and Sweden (outlawed slavery), drowns at 58
1417 Walraven I van Brederode, viceroy of Holland, dies
1433 Emperor Go-Komatsu of Japan, 100th Emperor of Japan, dies at 56
1455 Lorenzo Ghiberti, Italian sculptor (Gates of Paradise), dies at 77

Leo X (1475-1521)

Italian Catholic Pope (1513-21), dies at 45

1530 Margaretha of Austria, governess of the Netherlands, dies at 51
1580 Edmund Campion, English jesuit, hanged, drawn and quartered at 42
1580 Giovanni Morone, Italian theologian, diplomat and cardinal, dies at 71
1581 Alexander Briant, English Catholic saint, hanged, drawn and quartered (b. around 1556)
1581 Ralph Sherwin, English Catholic saint, hanged, drawn and quartered at 31
1602 Kobayakawa Hideaki, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1582)
1633 Isabella Clara Eugenia, Sovereign of the Netherlands (1598-1621), dies at 67
1635 Melchior Teschner, German composer, dies at 51
1651 Cristóbal de Isla Diego, Spanish Baroque composer and conductor, dies at 65
1660 Pierre d'Hozier, French genealogist, dies at 68
1700 Willem ten Rhijne, Dutch physician in Batavia, dies at about 53
1707 Jeremiah Clarke, English Baroque composer and organist (Trumpet Voluntary), commits suicide (b. 1674)
1709 Abraham a Sancta Clara [Johann Ulrich Megerle], German court preacher and friar, dies at 65
1723 Susanna Centlivre, English actress known as "the most successful female playwright of the eighteenth century", dies at 66 (approximately)
1727 Johann Heinrich Buttstett, German composer, dies at 61
1729 Christian Ludwig Boxberg, German composer, dies at 59
1729 Giacomo F. Maraldi, French-Italian astronomer and mathematician, dies at 64
1736 Simon van Slingelandt, Dutch grand pensionary (1727-36), dies at 72
1750 Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr, German mathematician, astronomer and cartographer, dies at 73
1755 Maurice Greene, English composer, dies at 59
1767 Henry Erskine, 10th Earl of Buchan, British Freemason
1797 Oliver Wolcott, American judge, signed US Declaration of Independence, dies at 71
1808 Anton Fischer, German composer, dies at 30
1813 Ferdinando Bertoni, Italian composer, dies at 88
1817 Justin Heinrich Knecht, German composer, dies at 65
1825 Tsar Alexander I of Russia (1801-1825), dies of typhus at 47
1842 Philip Spencer, American sailor, 1st US naval officer condemned for mutiny, hanged aboard the USS Somers at 19
1865 Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, Swiss poet (b. 1796)
1865 Constant van Crombrugghe, Flemish monastery founder, dies at 76
1866 George Everest, Welsh surveyor and namesake of Mt. Everest, dies at 76
1883 Jeremy Francis Gilmer, American general and engineer (Chief Engineer for Confederate War Dept, planned the defense of Atlanta), dies at 65
1884 William Swainson (lawyer), second, and last, Attorney-General (New Zealand) of the Crown Colony of New Zealand (b. 1809)
1887 Albertus Jacobus Duymaer van Twist, Dutch Governor-General of Dutch East Indies (1851-56), dies at 78
1892 Joseph Lippens, Belgian official in Congo, murdered at 37 during the Congo Arab war
1892 Lucius E. Polk, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 59
1893 Eduard Franck, German composer, dies at 76

George Lohmann (1865-1901)

England cricket medium pace bowler (18 Tests, 112 wickets @ 10.75), dies of tuberculosis at 36

1913 Juhan Liiv, Estonian poet (I Saw Estonia Yesterday), dies at 49
1914 Alfred Thayer Mahan, American naval officer (Influence of Sea Power), dies at 74
1916 Charles Eugène, vicomte de Foucauld, French explorer (Morocco) and ascetic, killed in the Sahara during an uprising at 58
1923 Virginie Loveling, Flemish writer (Sophie) and poet, dies at 87
1925 Vicente Arregui Garay, Spanish composer, dies at 54
1926 Hans Heinrich XIV Hochberg, German composer, dies at 83
1928 Arthur Gore, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1901, 08-09), dies at 60
1928 José Eustasio Rivera, Colombian poet and novelist (Vortex), dies after falling into a coma at 40
1932 Amadeo Vives, Spanish composer, dies at 61
1934 Sergei Kirov, Russian politician who was Mayor of Leningrad and a friend of Joseph Stalin, assassinated in Leningrad at 48
1935 Bernard Schmidt, German optical instrument maker (inventor of the Schmidt telescope), dies at 56
1939 Max Fiedler, German composer, dies at 79
1941 Alva B. Adams, American politician (U.S. Senator from Colorado, 1933-41), dies at 66
1941 Horace Chapman, South African cricket all-rounder (2 Tests), dies at 51
1943 Damrong Rajanubhab, Thai prince, son of King Mongkut and brother of King Chulalongkorn and historian, dies at 81
1945 Harvey Bartlett Gaul, American composer, dies at 64
1947 Aleister Crowley, British occultist, founded the religion of Thelema, dies at 72
1947 G. H. Hardy, English mathematician (Hardy–Weinberg principle, A Mathematician's Apology), dies at 70
1950 Ernest John Moeran, British composer, dies at 55
1951 Felix Petyrek, Austrian composer, dies at 59
1952 Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, Prime Minister of Italy (1917-19) who represented Italy at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, dies at 92
1954 Fred Rose, American songwriter and music publishing executive (Nashville's Acuff-Rose Music), dies of a heart attack at 57
1955 Chief Thundercloud [Victor Daniels], Cherokee actor (The Lone Ranger, Colt .45), dies from stomach cancer at 57
1958 Patricia "Boots" Mallory, American dancer and actress (Handle With Care), dies from chronic throat disease at 45
1960 Ernst Rowohlt, German publisher (Rowohlt-Verlag), dies at 73
1960 Ion Vasilescu, Romanian composer, dies at 57
1964 J. B. S. Haldane, British-Indian geneticist (primordial soup theory), dies at 72
1968 Dario Moreno, Turkish-Jewish singer (b. 1921)
1968 Hugo Haas, Czechoslovakian actor and director (Bait, Pick Up, 2 Smart People), dies of asthma at 66
1969 "Magic" Sam [Maghett], American blues guitarist ("Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)"), dies of a heart attack at 32
1970 Frank Smailes, English cricket all-rounder (1 Test; 8 County C'ships, Yorkshire), dies at 60
1971 Arthur B. Spingarn, American lawyer and civil rights activist (NAACP chairman, 1940-65), dies at 93

Antonio Segni (1891-1972)

Italian politician, Prime Minister of Italy (1955-57, 59-60, 62-64), dies at 81

David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973)

1st Prime Minister of Israel (1948-53, 1955-63), dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 87

1974 Lajos Zilahy, Hungarian/American author (Angry Angel), dies at 83
1974 Stephen Gill Spottswood, American African Methodist Episcopal Zion bishop, and civil rights leader (NAACP Chairman, 1961-74), dies at 77
1975 Anna E. Roosevelt, American radio personality (b. 1906)
1975 Ernesto Maserati, Italian auto racer and engineer (director, chief engineer Maserati of Modena), dies at 77
1975 Nellie Fox, American Baseball Hall of Fame infielder (15 x MLB All Star; AL MVP 1959; Chicago White Sox), dies from lymphatic cancer at 47
1975 Nick Kenny, American columnist and songwriter (Nick Kenny Show), dies at 80
1975 Ranganandhan Francis, Indian field hockey goalkeeper (Olympic gold 1948, 52, 56), dies at 55
1976 George Earnshaw, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1929-30; Philadelphia Athletics), dies at 76
1977 Teun Struycken [Antoon Arnold Marie Struycken], Dutch Minister of Justice (1950-51) and Governor of the Netherlands Antilles (1951-56), dies at 70
1980 Sam Levene, American Broadway actor (Purple Heart, Designing Women), dies at 75
1982 Dorothy James, American composer, dies on her 81st birthday
1982 Hugh Plaxton, Canadian ice hockey left wing (Olympic gold 1928; Montreal Maroons) and politician (House of Commons of Canada 1935-40), dies at 78
1983 Leon Mirsky, Russian-British mathematician (Mirsky's theorem), dies at 64
1984 Roelof Frankot, Dutch painter (b. 1911)
1986 Bobby Layne, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (NFL champion 1952-53, 57; 6 x Pro Bowl; Detroit Lions), dies of cardiac arrest at 59
1986 Horace Heidt, American orchestra leader (Swift Show Wagon), dies at 85
1986 [Irving] Lee Dorsey, American pop and R&B singer (Working in the Coal Mine), dies at 61
1987 Donn Fulton Eisele, American Air force officer and astronaut, dies of a heart attack at 57
1987 James Arthur Baldwin, American writer (Another Country), dies at 63

James Baldwin (1924-1987)

American novelist (Go Tell it on the Mountain; Another Country) and playwright (The Amen Corner; Blues for Mister Charlie), dies of stomach cancer at 63

1987 Punch Imlach, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame coach and general manager (Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres), dies of a heart attack at 69
1989 Alvin Ailey, US choreographer (Blues Suite, Revelations), dies at 58
1989 William "Billy" Lyall, Scottish musician (Bay City Rollers), dies of AIDS-related causes at 36
1990 Jan Hendrik de Groot, Dutch co-founder of Vrij Nederland), dies at 89
1990 Robert Gordon, American child actor (billed as "Bobby" - The Jazz Singer; Mountains of Manhattan), and director (The Joe Louis Story), dies at 77

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900-1990)

Indian diplomat and politician who was the 1st woman to hold a cabinet post in India, dies at 90

1991 Byron Webster, British-American actor (That Man Bolt), dies of AIDS at 58
1991 George Joseph Stigler, US economist (Nobel Prize 1982), dies at 80
1993 Peter John Wood, British session and touring rock keyboardist, and songwriter, dies at 43
1995 Koos Schuur, Dutch writer, poet (Novemberland), translator, and editor (Het Woord), dies at 79
1996 Babrak Karmal, Afghan politician (General Secretary 1979-86), dies at 67
1996 Irving Gordon, American songwriter ("Unforgettable"; "Me, Myself, And I"), dies of multiple myeloma cancer at 81
1996 Peter Bronfman, Canadian businessman (Edper Investments; co-owner of Montreal Canadiens, 1971-78; Labatt Brewing), dies of cancer at 67
1997 Denis Gerald Barrington, British artist, dies at 67
1997 Michel Bélanger, French Canadian businessman and banker (b. 1929)
1997 Stéphane Grappelli, French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, dies at 89
1998 Albert de Klerk, Dutch organist, composer, and conductor, dies at 81
1998 Bertil Nordahl, Swedish soccer midfielder and manager (15 caps; Atalanta; Olympic gold 1948), dies at 81
1998 Freddie Young, British cinematographer (Lawrence of Arabia), dies at 96
1999 Gene Baker, American baseball infielder (MLB All-Star 1955; World Series 1960; Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 74
1999 William "Pop" Gates, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard and coach (Harlem Globetrotters "Legends" Ring 1995), dies at 82
2001 Ellis R. Dungan, American born Indian film director, dies at 92
2002 Dave McNally, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1969-70, 72; World Series 1966, 70; Baltimore Orioles), dies from lung cancer at 60
2003 Clark Kerr, first Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley (b. 1911)
2003 Eugenio Monti, Italian bobsledder (2 x Olympic gold 2-man, 4-man 1968; World C'ships 9 x gold), dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 75
2004 Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands dies of lung cancer at 93
2005 Dai-Keong Lee, Hawaiian-American classical and theater composer, dies at 90
2005 Gust Avrakotos, American intelligence case officer (b. 1938)
2005 Jack Colvin, American actor (Incredible Hulk), dies at 71
2006 Bruce Trigger, Canadian archaeologist (McGill University) (b. 1937)
2006 Claude Jade, French actress (Stolen Kisses), dies at 58
2007 Anton Rodgers, British actor (May to December), dies at 74
2007 Elisabeth Eybers, South African poet (That Woman & Other Verses), dies at 92
2007 Ken McGregor, Australian tennis player (Australian C'ship 1952), dies of stomach cancer at 78
2007 Sally L. Smith, American educator and founder (Lab School of Washington), dies at 78
2008 Joseph B. Wirthlin, American businessmen, religious leader, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), dies at 91
2008 Mikel Laboa, Basque singer and songwriter (b. 1934)
2008 Paul Benedict, American actor (Harry-Jeffersons), dies at 70
2009 Éva Szörényi, Hungarian actress and freedom activist for Hungary, dies at 92
2009 Gustavo Adolfo Palma, Guatemalan singer (b. 1920)
2009 Ramses Shaffy, Dutch singer and cabaret actor (Zaak MP, Liefdesbekentenissen), dies at 76
2009 Tommy Henrich, American baseball utility (MLB All Star 1942, 1947–50; World Series 1938, 41, 47, 49, 51; NY Yankees), dies of a stroke at 96
2010 Alojz Srebotnjak, Slovenian composer, dies at 79
2010 Hillard Elkins, American theatre and film producer (b. 1929)
2011 Arthur Beetson, Australian rugby league front rower (29 Tests; Balmain, Easts, Parramatta; RL "Immortal") and coach (2 Tests Australia, 16 games Queensland), dies of a heart attack at 66
2011 Christa Wolf, German writer (b. 1929)
2011 Ragnhild Hveger, Danish swimmer (Olympic silver 400m freestyle 1936; 44 world records 1938-56), dies at 90
2012 Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano opera singer (Britten's "War Requiem"), dies at 85
2012 Rick Majerus, American college basketball coach (5 × WAC Coach of the Year; Uni of Utah), dies of heart failure at 64
2013 Martin Sharp, Australian cartoonist, album cover artist songwriter (Cream), and filmmaker, dies of emphysema at 71
2013 Richard Coughlan, British progressive rock drummer and percussionist (Caravan - "In the Land of Grey and Pink"), dies of pneumonia at 66
2014 (Moisés) "Mario" Abramovich, Argentinian tango and classical violinist (Sexteto Major, 1974-2014), dies at 88
2015 Jim Loscutoff, American basketball forward (NBA champion (1957, 59–64; Boston Celtics), dies from Parkinson's disease and pneumonia at 85
2016 Elisabeth Carron, American soprano ("The Saint of Bleecker Street"; New York City Opera, 1958-73), dies at 94
2016 Ousmane Sow, Senegalese sculptor, dies at 81
2018 Calvin Newborn, American R&B and jazz guitarist, dies at 85
2018 Kenneth "Ken" Berry, American actor (F Troop, Mayberry RFD, Mama's Family), dies at 85
2019 Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), dies from cancer at 69
2019 Shelley Morrison, American actress (General Hospital, Will & Grace), dies at 83
2020 Arnie Robinson Jr., American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1976; bronze 1972), dies from a brain tumor at 72
2020 Denis Menke, American baseball infielder (MLB All Star 1969, 70; Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds), dies at 80
2020 Maria Itkina, Russian athlete (9 sprint world records, 60m-400m), dies at 88
2022 Ercole Baldini, Italian cyclist (Olympic gold men's road race 1956; World C'ship gold individual pursuit 1956; Giro d'Italia 1958), dies at 89

Gaylord Perry (1938-2022)

American Baseball HOF pitcher (5 x MLB All Star; Cy Young winner 1972, 78; no-hitter 1968; SF Giants, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, SD Padres), dies at 84 [1]