Famous Deaths on December 26

Babur (1483-1530)

Timurid founder and 1st Emperor of the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent (1526-30), dies at 47

1574 Charles Guise, archbishop/cardinal of Reims, dies at 50
1624 Simon Marius, astronomer, dies in Bavaria at 54
1627 Gonzaga, Italian monarch of Mantua/Monferrato, dies
1658 Simon Guillain, French sculptor (Castle of Blois/Sorbonne), dies at 78
1676 Domenicus van Tol, Dutch painter, dies
1679 John van de Cappelle, Amsterdam landscape painter, dies at 53
1731 Antoine Houdar de la Motte, French writer (b. 1672)
1736 Antonio Caldara, composer, dies
1740 Mauritius Louis II earl of Nassau, lt-gen (12 children), dies
1771 Claude Adrien Helvétius, French controversial philosopher (On the Mind), dies at 56
1776 Johann Gottlieb Rall, Hessian colonel/mercenary, dies in battle in American Revolutionary War
1780 John Fothergill, English physician, dies at 68
1784 Otto Friedrich Müller, Danish Naturalist who was a pioneer in the study of microorganisms, dies at 54
1784 Seth Warner, American revolutionary leader, dies at 41
1786 Gasparo Gozzi, Italian critic and dramatist, dies at 73

John Wilkes (1725-1797)

English radical, journalist (The North Briton) and politician, dies of marasmus at 72

1827 Jan David Holland, composer, dies at 81
1836 Hans Georg Nägeli, Swiss composer, dies at 63
1837 Martinus van Marum, chemist/physicist (giant salamander), dies at 87
1861 Philip St. George Cocke, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), commits suicide at 52
1866 Samuel Ryan Curtis, Union general-major, dies at 49
1869 Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille, French physician and physiologist (blood pressure), dies at 72
1887 Jules Francois Blasini, Curacaos pianist and composer, dies at 40

Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890)

German archaeologist who rediscovered Troy, dies of cholesteatoma at 86

1893 Victor Schœlcher, French abolitionist writer, dies at 89
1896 Emil du Bois-Reymond, German physiologist, co-discoverer of nerve action potential and founder of modern electrophysiology, dies at 78
1899 Dwight Lyman Moody, American evangelist (Moody Church), dies at 62
1909 Frederic Remington, American artist and sculptor of American West, dies at 48
1916 Bernhard Scholz, composer, dies at 81
1916 Frank Penn, cricketer (one Test for England v Australia 1880), dies
1916 Willie Smith, Scottish golfer (US Open 1899), dies of pneumonia at 40
1917 Judith Gautier, French poetess, novelist (Le Dragon Impérial) and daughter of Theophile Gautier, dies at 71
1918 Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65
1923 Dietrich Eckart, German Nazi politician (b. 1868)
1931 Melvil Dewey, American librarian and educator (created Dewey Decimal System for libraries), dies at 80
1933 Anatoly Lunacharsky, Russian Marxist revolutionary, author and literary critic, dies at 58
1937 Ivor Gurney, English composer and poet, dies of tuberculosis at 47
1942 Chris 'Red' Cagle, College Football Hall of Fame halfback (All American 1927, 28, 29; Army; NFL: New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers), dies of a fractured skull from a fall at 37
1942 Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, French resistance fighter and assassin of Admiral of the Fleet and Vichy Prime Minister François Darlan, executed by firing squad at 20
1950 Emile Enthoven, Dutch composer and lawyer, dies at 47
1950 James Stephens, Irish poet (Crock of Gold), dies at 68
1952 Pietro Pancrazi, Italian critic (Pegaso), dies at 59
1956 Holmes Herbert, British actor (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Kiss), dies at 74
1957 Artur Malawski, Polish composer, dies at 53
1957 Charles Pathé, French pioneer of film and record industries (Pathé Brothers, 1896), dies at 93
1958 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, dies on 89th birthday
1960 Eduard Ludwig, German architect (Hansa quarter, Berlin), dies at 54
1960 Watsuji Tetsuro, Japanese philosopher (b. 1889)
1961 Charlie Frank, cricketer (S Af Test centurion v Aust 1921-22), dies
1963 "Gorgeous George" Wagner, wrestler, dies
1965 Nico Donkersloot, Dutch literary and writer, dies at 63
1966 Klaziena "Ina" Boudier-Bakker, Dutch playwright and author (Poverty), dies at 91
1966 Noel Gallon, French composer, dies at 75
1967 Sydney Barnes, English cricket fast bowler (27 Tests, 189 wickets, BB 9/103); Warwickshire CCC, Lancashire CCC, Staffordshire CCC), dies at 94
1969 Johannes Gerard van Dillen, Dutch economic historian (Of Wealth & Oligarchists), dies at 86
1969 Josef Hromádka, Czech theologist (Lenin prize 1957), dies at 80
1969 Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin, French poet and author (History d'aimer), dies at 67
1970 Lillian Board, British 400m athlete (Olympic silver 1968), dies at 22
1971 Robert Lowery [Hank], American stage and screen actor (Batman and Robin (1949); Circus Boy - "Big Tim"; The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond), dies of heart failure at 58

Harry Truman (1884-1972)

33rd US President (Democrat: 1945-53), dies in Kansas City Mo at 88

1973 Harold B. Lee, American religious leader, Head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 74
1973 Steven Geray, American actor (French Line), dies at 69
1973 William Haines, American actor (Little Annie Rooney), dies of cancer at 73
1974 Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59

Jack Benny (1894-1974)

American comedian (The Jack Benny Program), dies of pancreatic cancer at 80

1974 Knudåge Riisager, Danish composer (director of the Royal Danish Academy of Music 1956-67), dies at 77
1974 Robert Levine Sanders, American composer, dies at 68
1976 Philip Hart, American lawyer and politician (U.S. Senator (D) from Michigan, 1959-76), dies from cancer at 64
1977 Howard Hawks, American director and producer (Rio Bravo, Scarface, The Big Sleep), dies at 81
1977 Ivan Rezak, Czech composer, dies at 53
1978 Fritz Büchtger, German composer, educator, and modern music proponent (Association for Contemporary Music; Studio for New Music), dies at 75
1980 Tony Smith, American sculptor (b. 1912)
1981 Amber Reeves, feminist writer (b. 1887)
1981 Savithri, Indian actress (b. 1937)
1983 Violet Carson, British actress (b. 1898)
1984 Gösta Jonsson, Swedish saxophonist, accordion player and band leader, dies at 69
1984 Tebbs Lloyd Johnson, English race walker (Olympic bronze 50k 1952; oldest Olympic medal-winning athlete; 48 years and 115 days), dies at 84
1985 Dian Fossey, American zoologist (Gorillas in the Mist), murdered in Rwanda at 53
1985 Harold P. Warren, American movie director (Manos: The Hands of Fate), dies at 62
1985 Jackie Ormes, African-American cartoonist (Torchy Brown), dies at 74
1986 Elsa Lanchester, actress (Bride of Frankenstein), dies at 84
1986 Leslie Dwyer, English actor (Hi-de-Hi!), dies at 80
1988 Cynthia Stone, American actress (That Wonderful Guy, Ad Libbers), dies at 62
1988 Glenn McCarthy, American oil tycoon and businessman (b. 1907)
1988 John Loder, actor (Sabotage, Java Head), dies at 90
1988 Pablo Sorozábal, Spanish composer, dies at 91

Doug Harvey (1924-1989)

Canadian ice hockey defence player ('100 Greatest NHL Players), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 65

1989 Lennox R. F. Berkeley, British composer and pedagogue (Castaway), dies at 86
1989 Peggy Thorpe-Bates, actress (Alcatraz Island), dies
1990 Nancy Cruznan, accident victim/right-to-die case, dies at 33
1991 Sam Cresson, dies at 73
1992 Bert Voeten, Dutch journalist and poet (Antipodes), dies at 74
1992 Constance Carpenter, actress (2 Worlds), dies of stroke at 87
1992 John G Kemeny, US computer pioneer (BASIC), dies
1992 Nikita Magaloff, Russian/Swiss pianist, dies at 80
1993 Jeff Morrow [Leslie Irving Morrow], American actor (Robe, Union Pacific, Temperatures Rising), dies at 86

Allie Reynolds (1919-1994)

American MLB pitcher, 1942-54, 6X All-Star, 1952 AL ERA leader (Cleveland Indians, NY Yankees), dies from complications of lymphoma and diabetes at 77

1994 Asta ER Elstak, Suriname/Neth welfare worker, dies at 74
1994 Johannes J "Joop" Klant, Neth/South African economist/author, dies
1994 Karl Schiller, German economist and politician (Minister of Economics), dies at 83
1994 Robert Emhardt, American actor (Another World, Underworld USA, Mooncussers), dies at 80
1994 Sylvia Koscina, Croatian/Italian actress (Hercules), dies at 61
1997 Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek philosopher and economist, dies at 75
1997 John Hinde, photographer/circus promoter, dies at 81
1997 John Whitley, British air-marshal, dies at 92
1999 Curtis Mayfield, American singer-songwriter and soul musician ("Freddie's Dead"; "Superfly"), dies from complications of type 2 diabetes at 57
1999 Shankar Dayal Sharma, Indian politician and 9th President of India (1992-97), dies at 81
2000 Jack Jacob, British senior master (British Supreme Court), dies at 92
2000 Jason Robards, American actor (A Thousand Clowns, Any Wednesday), dies at 78
2000 Leo Gordon, American actor (Maverick, Circus Boy, Enos, Winds of War), dies of cardiac failure at 78
2000 Paul Kont, Austrian composer, dies at 80
2001 Nigel Hawthorne, English actor (Tartuffe, Pope John Paul II), dies at 72
2002 Armand Zildjian, American cymbal manufacturer (b. 1921)
2002 Herb Ritts, American fashion photographer, dies at 50
2004 Aki Sirkesalo, Finnish musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1962)
2004 Jonathan Drummond-Webb, South African pediatric heart surgeon (b. 1959)
2004 Marianne Heiberg, Norwegian mediator (b. 1945)
2004 Mieszko Talarczyk, Lead singer/Guitarist of grindcore band, Nasum, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1974)

Reggie White (1961-2004)

American NFL defensive end (Green Bay Packers - Super Bowl 31), dies of cardiac arrhythmia at 43

2004 Sigurd Køhn, Norwegian jazz musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1959)
2004 Simon Atlee, British fashion photographer, drowned by tsunami in Thailand at 33
2004 Sir Angus Ogilvy, British businessman and husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, dies at 76
2004 Troy Broadbridge, Australian rules footballer, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1980)
2005 Bill DeArango, American jazz guitarist (Charlie Ventura; Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis; "Slam" Stewart), dies at 85
2005 Erich Topp, German submarine commander (b. 1914)
2005 Kerry Packer, Australian businessman (b. 1937)
2005 Muriel Costa-Greenspon, American mezzo-soprano (b. 1937)
2005 Vincent Schiavelli, American actor, dies of cancer at 57
2006 Enrique Antonio "Tony" Silvester, Panamanian-American R&B singer-songwriter (The Main Ingredient - "Everybody Plays the Fool"), dies at 65

Gerald Ford (1913-2006)

38th US President (R: 1974-77) and 41st US Vice President (R: 1973-74), dies at 93

2006 Ivar Formo, Norwegian skier (b. 1951)
2007 Andrew Grima, Italian-born British jeweller known for his modern designs, dies at 86
2007 Joe Dolan, Irish singer and entertainer (b. 1943)
2007 John A. Garraty, American biographer (b. 1920)
2007 Stu Nahan, American Sportscaster (b. 1926)
2008 Gösta Krantz, Swedish actor (b. 1925)
2009 Felix Wurman, American cellist and composer, dies of Cancer at 51
2010 Edward Bhengu, South African activist (b. 1934)
2010 Teena Marie, American singer and composer (b. 1956)
2011 Sam Rivers, American jazz musician (exponent of free jazz), dies of pneumonia at 88
2012 Fontella Bass, American R&B and soul singer and songwriter (Rescue Me), dies from a heart attack at 72
2012 Gerry Anderson, English writer/producer/director, dies from Alzheimer's disease at 83
2013 Paul Blair, American baseball outfielder (MLB All-Star 1969, 73; World Series 1966, 70, 77-78; Gold Glove Award 1967, 69–75; Baltimore Orioles), dies from a heart attack at 69
2014 Leo Tindemans, Belgian statesman, Prime Minister of Belgium (1974-78), dies at 92
2016 George S. Irving [Shelasky], American broadway singer and actor (Dumplings), dies at 94
2018 Sono Osato, American Japanese ballet dancer and actress, dies at 99
2018 Theodore Antoniou, Greek conductor and composer (Paean, Celebration), dies at 83
2018 Wendy Beckett, South African British nun and TV art critic, dies at 88
2019 Eigil Nielsen, Danish soccer midfielder (10 caps; Basel), dies at 71
2019 Elbert Dubenion, American football wide receiver and running back (AFL All Star 1964; Buffalo Bills), dies from complications related to Parkinson's disease at 86
2019 Jerry Herman, American musical theater composer (Hello, Dolly!; Mame; La Cage aux Folles), dies at 88
2020 Jim McLean, Scottish soccer forward (Hamilton Academical, Clyde, Dundee) and manager (Dundee United 1971-93), dies from dementia at 83

Phil Niekro (1939-2020)

American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (knuckleballer; no-hitter 1973; 5 x MLB All Star; 5 x Gold Glove; Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves), dies of cancer at 81 [1]

Desmond Tutu (1931-2021)

Anglican Archbishop of South Africa and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner, dies at 90

2021 Dorval Rodrigues, Brazilian soccer right winger (13 caps; Santos FC, SE Palmeiras), dies at 86
2021 Edward O. Wilson, American sociobiologist (world’s leading authority on ants), dies at 92
2021 Karolos Papoulias, President of Greece (2005-15), dies at 92
2021 Sarah Weddington, American attorney (represented "Jane Roe" in Roe v. Wade before US States Supreme Court), dies at 76
2022 Sergey Dmitriyev, Russian soccer striker (6 caps USSR; Zenit Saint Petersburg, CSKA Moscow), dies at 58
2022 Tom Danby, English dual-code international wing: rugby union (1 cap; Harlequin RFC) and rugby league (3 caps England, 3 caps GB; Salford RLFC), dies at 96