Famous Deaths on February 26

1076 Godfrey IV "the Hunchback", Duke of Lower Lorraine murdered (or Feb 27)

Roger II (1095-1154)

Count of Sicily (1105-30) and later King of Sicily (1130-54), dies at 60

1266 Manfred, bastard son of Emperor Frederik II/king of Sicily, dies at the Battle of Benevento
1324 Dino Compagni, Italian silk seller, poet and chronicler, dies
1360 Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, English military leader (b. 1328)
1401 William Sawtrey, English Roman Catholic priest and 1st English religious martyr, sentenced to be burned at the stake for heresy in London
1538 Worp van Thabor, Frisian abbott of Thabor (Chronicon Frisiae), dies
1552 Heinrich Faber, German singer, music theorist, and composer, dies at about 52
1561 Jorge de Montemayor, Spanish writer
1577 Erik XIV, King of Sweden (1560-69), dies of arsenic poisoning at 43
1608 John Still, English Bishop of Bath and Wells, dies at about 64
1630 William Brade, English composer and violinist (1st Englishman to write a canzona), dies at 70
1650 Claude Favre de Vaugelas, Savoyard grammarian and man of letters, dies at 65
1686 Godefroi L Comte d'Estrades, French diplomat/marshal, dies at about 78
1723 Thomas d'Urfey, English songwriter and playwright who helped evolve ballad opera, dies at around 69-70
1726 Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and governor of the Spanish Netherlands (1691-1714), dies at 63
1733 Johann Adam Birkenstock, German composer and violinist, dies at 46
1766 August Bernhard Valentin Herbing, German organist and composer, dies at 30
1770 Francois Hanot, French composer and violinist, dies at 72
1770 Giuseppe Tartini, Venetian Baroque composer and violinist (Trillo del Diavolo), dies at 77
1802 Esek Hopkins, American Revolutionary War admiral and Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy, dies at 83
1810 Johann Ernst Rembt, German organist and composer, dies at 60

Robert R. Livingston (1746-1813)

US Founding Father who delivered the oath of office to George Washington, dies at 66

1814 Johan Tobias Sergel, Swedish sculptor, dies at 73
1815 Prince Josias of Coburg, Austrian general (b. 1737)
1821 Joseph de Maistre, Savoyard diplomat and writer (b. 1753)
1823 John Philip Kemble, British actor and director (Drury Lane, Covent Garden), dies at 66
1827 David Moritz Michael, German composer who worked in America, dies at 75
1839 Sybil Ludington, American revolutionary heroine (rode to alert militia), dies at 77
1857 Ole Andreas Lindeman, Norwegian organist (Trondheim Vor Frelsers Kirke, 1799-57), composer, and educator, dies at 88
1859 Ferdinand Schubert, Austrian composer, brother of Franz Schubert, dies at 64
1864 Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, French Canadian politician (Prime Minister of the Province of Canada), dies at 56
1870 Wyatt Outlaw, African American Town Councillor and Constable, leader of Union League in NC, lynched by the Ku Klux Klan at about 50
1871 Charles Niellon, Belgian general (Liberation of Antwerp during Belgian Revolution), dies at 76
1871 Sophia Hawthorne, American writer, painter and illustrator, dies at 61
1883 Alexandros Koumoundouros, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1817)
1889 Karl Davydov, Russian virtuoso cellist, dies at 51
1891 Ted Barratt, English cricket spin bowler (10-43 in tour match vs Australia 1878; MCC, Surrey CCC), dies from consumption at 46
1896 Arsène Houssaye, French novelist and poet, dies at 80
1901 Chi-hsui, during Boxer Rebellion in China, beheaded
1901 Hsu Cheng-yu, during Boxer Rebellion in China, beheaded

Richard Jordan Gatling (1818-1903)

American inventor famous for the Gatling Gun, the 1st hand-cranked machine gun, dies at 84

1906 Manuel Fernandez Caballero, Spanish composer, dies at 70
1910 Adelaide Hoodless, Canadian educational reformer (founder of the Women's Institute), dies at 51 [1]
1913 Bud Fowler, American Baseball HOF executive (earliest known African-American player in organized pro baseball), dies at 54
1913 Felix Draeseke, German composer (Christus: Mysterium in a Prelude and Three Oratorios), dies from a stroke at 77
1918 Pedro Miguel Marques y Garcia, Spanish violinist and composer, dies at 74
1920 Ludwig Rubiner, German poet and essayist, dies at 38
1921 Carl Menger, Austrian economist (marginal utility theory, subjective theory of value), dies at 81
1926 Frederik Pijper, Dutch vicar and church historian (The Monasteries), dies at 67
1926 Peter Lange-Muller, Danish composer and pianist, dies at 75
1927 Willie Simms, American jockey (US Champion Jockey by wins 1893, 94; Kentucky Derby 1896, 98; Preakness Stakes 1898; Belmont Stakes 1893, 94), dies at 57
1930 Rafael Merry del Val, British-born Spanish Roman Catholic cardinal, dies at 64
1931 Otto Wallach, German chemist (Nobel 1910), dies at 83
1933 Antoni Nicolau, Spanish composer and conductor, dies at 74
1933 Princess Thyra, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark (b. 1853)
1941 Jan Keizer, Zaanse February striker, shot to death
1943 Theodor Eicke, German Nazi official who developed the concentration camps, killed at 50 when his plane shot down
1947 Ben Webster, British actor (Old Curiosity Shop), dies at 82
1947 Heinrich Häberlin, Swiss politician, member of the Federal Council, dies at 78
1947 Kálmán Tihanyi, Hungarian physicist and engineer (invented cathode ray tube for television), dies at 49
1950 Harry Lauder, Scottish comedian and singer ("Roamin' in the Gloamin'"), dies at about 75
1953 Elisabeth Kuyper, Dutch pianist, conductor, composer, educator, and women's rights activist dies at 75
1954 William Inge, English author, theologist and Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, dies at 93
1956 Herman Courtens, Belgian baron and painter, dies at 72
1959 Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, granddaughter of King Edward VII and great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, dies at 67
1960 Aleksandar Belic, Serbian linguist, dies at 83
1961 Karl Albiker, German sculptor (Problem of the Plastic), dies at 83
1961 Mohammed V, Sultan of Morrocco 1925-57), King of Morocco (1957-61), dies at 51
1962 Carl Ehrenberg, German composer, kapellmeister, and pedagogue, dies at 83
1963 Artturi Leinonen, Finnish journalist and writer (Kati), dies at 74

Jimmie Lee Jackson (1938-1965)

American civil rights protester and church deacon, shot and killed at 26 by an Alabama State Trooper

1966 Minerva Urecal [Dunnock], American stage, radio, and screen character actress (Accent on Love; The Adventures of Tugboat Annie; Peter Gunn; The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao), dies of a heart attack at 71
1966 Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian independence activist and writer (The Indian War of Independence), dies at 82
1967 Harry McNaughton, comedian (It Pays to be Ignorant), dies at 70
1968 Eric Feldary, Hungarian actor (Hold Back the Dawn, 16 Fathoms Deep), dies of burns at 55
1969 Karl Jaspers, German psychiatrist and philosopher, dies at 86
1969 Levi Eshkol [Sjkolnik], Israeli Prime Minister (1963-69), dies in office of a heart attack at 73
1970 Ethel Leginska [Liggins], British pianist, conductor, composer, and music educator, dies of a stroke at 83
1971 Edward van der Merwe, South African cricket wicket-keeper (2 Tests in 30's), dies at 67
1971 Fernandel [Fernand Contandin], French actor (The Little World of Don Camillo), dies of lung cancer at 67
1971 Josef Berg, Czech composer, and librettist dies at 43
1971 Tullio Carminati, Austrian actor (War and Peace; Roman Holiday), dies at 76
1972 Tom Manders, Dutch cabaret artist (Dorus), dies at 50
1973 Doc Hayes, American basketball coach (Southern Methodist University 1947-67), dies in an auto accident at 67
1973 Mary Finney, American actress (Honestly Celeste), dies at 68
1976 Frieda Inescort, Scottish-American stage and screen actress (Hay Fever; Pride and Prejudice (1940)), dies from complications of multiple sclerosis at 74
1977 (Booker T. Washington) "Bukka" White, American country and Delta blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter ("Shake'Em On Down"; "Parchman Farm Blues"), dies of cancer at 70
1977 Maxime Jacob, French composer and organist, dies at 71
1977 Sherman Garnes, American rock vocalist (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers), dies of a heart attack at 36
1981 FC Terborgh [Reijnier Flaes], Dutch lawyer and writer (Turkish War), dies at 79

Howard Hanson (1896-1981)

American classical music composer and conductor (Nordic), dies at 84

1981 Robert Aickman, English writer and conservationist (co-founding the Inland Waterways Association), dies at 66
1982 Gabor Szabo, Hungarian jazz guitarist (Perfect Circle), dies at 45
1982 Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japanese actor and director (Gate of Hell; A Page of Madness; Jujiro; Jigoku-mon), dies at 86
1989 Melvin Moore, American jazz trumpeter, and singer, dies at 65
1989 Roy Eldridge, American jazz trumpet player, dies at 78
1990 Cornell Gunther, American musician (The Coasters - "Poison Ivy"), dies at 53
1990 Maurine Stuart, Zen teacher (head of Cambridge Buddhist Association), dies
1990 Scott Jarvis, American theatrical actor and singer (1776; Here's Where I Belong), dies of AIDS at 48
1991 (Bulee) "Slim" Galliard, American jazz singer, musician, songwriter ("Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)"), and actor, dies of cancer at 75
1992 Gerrit Schulte, Dutch road and track cyclist (World Champion Track Pursuit 1948), dies at 76
1992 Jean R Yawkey, American baseball executive (owner Boston Red Sox 1976-92), dies of a stroke at 83
1993 Constance Ford, American model and actress (Burden Hunt, Another World), dies from cancer at 69
1993 Fletcher Knebel, American author (Seven Days in May), commits suicide following long bout with cancer at 81
1993 Mark Kolthoff, Dutch painter and photographer, dies at 92
1994 Avery Fisher, US audio manufacturer (1st hi-fi), dies at 87
1994 Bill Hicks, American stand-up comedian and social critic, dies of pancreatic cancer at 32
1994 Leopold "Hans" Kohr, Austrian social philosopher, dies at 84
1995 Frank O’Keefe, American southern rock bassist (The Outlaws, 1968-76), dies of pain medication overdose at 44
1995 Willie Johnson, American electric blues guitarist (Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years"), dies at 71
1996 Daniel John Cunningham, British physiologist (human breathing control), dies at 76
1996 Mieczysław Weinberg [Moisey Samuilovich Vaynberg], Polish-Soviet composer, dies from Crohn's disease at 77
1997 David Doyle, American actor (Charlie's Angels, Rugrats), dies of a heart attack at 67
1997 Nuccio Bertone, Italian automobile designer, dies at 82
1998 Theodore Schultz, American agricultural economist (1979 Nobel Prize for Economics for development economics), dies at 95 [1]
2000 George L. Street III, American Navy Submariner and Medal of Honor recipient, dies at 86
2001 Arturo Uslar Pietri, Venezuelan writer, historian and politician (Lanzas Coloradas), dies at 94
2002 Lawrence Tierney, American actor (Abduction, Dillinger, Reservoir Dogs), dies of pneumonia at 82
2002 Oskar Sala, German physicist, composer, electronic music pioneer, and Trautonium (an early synthesizer) player, dies at 91
2003 Christian Goethals, Belgian racing driver, dies at 74
2004 Adolf Ehrnrooth, Finnish general (b. 1905)
2004 Boris Trajkovski, 2nd President of the Republic of Macedonia, dies at 47
2004 Ralph E. Winters, Canadian film editor, dies at 94
2004 Shankarrao Chavan, Indian politician (b. 1920)
2005 Ian Colquhoun, New Zealand cricket wicket-keeper (2 Tests, 4 dismissals), dies at 80
2005 Jef Raskin, American computer scientist (b. 1943)
2006 Florian ZaBach, American violinist ("The Hot Canary") and TV personality, dies at 87
2008 (George) "Buddy" Miles, American rock drummer (The Electric Flag; Band of Gypsies), dies of congestive heart disease at 60
2008 Dick Fletcher, American meteorologist, dies at 65
2008 Glory Mukwati, Zimbabwean politician
2009 Johnny Kerr, American basketball forward (NBA All Star 1956, 59, 63; Syracuse Nats/Philadelphia 76ers), coach (Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns) and broadcaster (Chicago Bulls), dies of prostate cancer at 76
2009 Norm Van Lier, American basketball point guard (NBA All Star 1974, 76, 77; Chicago Bulls) and broadcaster (Comcast SportsNet), dies at 61
2009 Wendy Richard, English actress (EastEnders), dies of cancer at 65
2010 Nujabes, Japanese Hip Hop producer and inspiration to many around the world.
2010 Richard Devon, American character actor (Magnum Force, Battle of Blood Island), dies at 83
2010 Violet Barclay, American illustrator, dies at 87
2011 Arnošt Lustig, Czech writer (b. 1926)
2011 Eugene Fodor, American classical violinist (1974 Tchaikovsky Award), dies from cirrhosis at 60
2011 James A. McClure, American politician (Senator - Idaho), dies at 86
2012 Rolf "Hazy" Osterwald, Swiss jazz bandleader, trumpeter, and vibraphonist, dies at 90
2013 Marie-Claire Alain, French organist and composer (world's most recorded classical organist), dies at 86
2014 Frank Reed, American R&B singer (Chi-Lites, 1988-2014), dies at 59
2015 Avijit Roy, Bangladeshi-American activist and blogger, killed by assailants in Dhaka, Bangladesh at 42

Earl Lloyd (1928-2015)

1st African American basketball player in the NBA, dies at 86

2015 Theodore Hesburgh, president (University of Notre Dame), dies at 97
2016 Andy Bathgate, professional ice hockey player (New York Rangers, 1958 NHL MVP), dies at 83
2016 Eri Klas, Estonian conductor (Netherlands Radio Symphony; Aarhus Symphony; Estonian National Opera, 1975-95), and educator, dies at 76
2016 Howard Quilling, American classical composer (From Quiet Beginnings), and educator, dies at 80
2017 Dimiter Khristov, Bulgarian composer, dies at 83
2017 Gerald Kaufman, British Labour MP, dies at 86
2017 James E. Sellars, American composer, dies at 76
2017 Joseph Wapner, American judge (People's Court), dies at 97
2017 Robert Allworth, Australian composer (A Different Time, A Different Place), dies at 74
2019 (Clifford) "Andy" Anderson, British session and touring drummer (Steve Hillage; The Cure, 1983-84), dies of cancer at 68
2019 Charles McCarry, American author and former CIA spy (The Tears of Autumn), dies of a cerebral haemorrhage at 88
2020 Michael Medwin, English actor and film producer ("Four in a Jeep, Scrooge"; "Checkpoint"), dies at 96
2020 Nexhmije Hoxha, Albanian wife of dictator Enver Hoxha 'Lady Macbeth of Albania', dies at 99
2021 Aleksandr Klepikov, Russian rower (Olympic gold Soviet Union coxed four 1976), dies at 70
2021 Hannu Mikkola, Finnish rally driver (World Rally champion 1983), dies from cancer at 78
2021 John Mallard, English medical physicist (developed MRI and PET scans), dies at 94
2022 Danny Ongais, American auto racer (inducted Motorsports Hall of Fame of America 2000), dies at 79
2023 Alberto Mario González, Argentine soccer forward (19 caps; Unión Española Santiago, CA Boca Juniors, Atlanta Buenos Aires), dies at 81
2023 Betty Boothroyd, English politician (1st female Speaker of the UK House of Commons 1992-2000), dies at 93 [1]
2023 Bob Richards, American athlete (Olympic gold pole vault 1952, 56; bronze 1948), dies at 97
2023 Fred Shabel, American basketball coach (Connecticut Huskies 1963-67) and executive (AD University of Pennsylvania 1967-75; Comcast Spectacor), dies at 90
2023 Terry Holland, American college basketball coach (Davidson, Virginia) and athletics administrator (Davidson, Virginia, East Carolina), dies at 80
2023 Tony O'Donoghue, Irish sports broadcaster (Raidió Teilifís Éireann - RTÉ), dies at 86
2023 Ziya Şengül, Turkish soccer defender (20 caps; Fenerbahçe SK, PTT Ankara), dies from organ failure at 82