Famous Deaths on January 26

Edward Jenner (1749-1823)

English physician, father of (western) immunology, pioneered smallpox vaccinations, dies of a stroke at 73

Théodore Géricault (1791-1824)

French painter (The Raft of the Medusa), dies at 32

1831 Sangolli Rayanna, Indian military chief warrior, dies at 32
1844 John Wedgwood, British ceramicist and founder of the Royal Horticultural Society, dies at 77
1849 Thomas Lovell Beddoes, English poet (Death's Jest-Book), committed suicide at 45
1850 Francis Jeffrey, Baron Jeffrey, judge/literary critic, dies
1855 Gérard de Nerval, French writer (b. 1808)
1869 Duncan Gordon Boyes, English recipient of the Victoria Cross, committed suicide at 22
1870 Cesare Pugni, Italian composer, dies at 67
1870 Victor de Broglie, 3rd Duke of Broglie, 14th Prime Minister of France (1835-36), dies at 84
1878 Ernst Heinrich Weber, German anatomist and physiologist (one of the founders of experimental psychology), dies at 82
1884 John Letcher, American lawyer and politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia, dies at 70
1885 Charles George Gordon, British general (put down Taiping rebellion in China) and administrator (Governor-General of Sudan), killed during the fall of Khartoum at 51
1885 Edward Davy, English inventor (b. 1806)
1886 David Rice Atchison, American politician ((not President of the United States for a day on March 4, 1849), dies at 78 [1]
1891 Nikolaus Otto, German auto pioneer (internal combustion engine), dies. (b. 1833)
1893 Abner Doubleday, American Union Army General-Major, and inventor (San Francisco cable cars), dies at 73
1895 Arthur Cayley, mathematician, dies
1904 John P R Tak, Dutch liberal politician, dies at 64
1904 Whitaker Wright, English mining tycoon (b. 1846)
1911 Charles Dilke, British statesman and Radical politician, dies at 67
1922 Luigi Denza, Italian composer (Funiculì, Funiculà), dies at 77
1926 John Flannagan, Catholic priest, 2nd president of St. Ambrose University, dies at 66
1932 William K Wrigley, owner (Wrigley Gum, Chicago Cubs), dies
1933 Alva Belmont, American socialite (b. 1853)

Zitkála-Šá (1876-1938)

Native American (Yankton Dakota) writer, violinist, librettist (The Sun Dance Opera), educator, and political activist, dies at 61

1942 Felix Hausdorff, German mathematician (Hausdorff space), dies at 73
1942 Gerard Philips, Dutch industrialist and manufacturer (Philips), dies at 83
1943 Harry H. Laughlin, American educator and eugenicist, dies at 62
1943 Nikolai Vavilov, Soviet botanist and geneticist (identified the centers of origin of cultivated plants), dies at 55
1946 Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer (b. 1884)
1947 Grace Moore, American soprano and actress (One Night of Love), dies at 48
1947 Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, Swedish prince second in line to the Swedish throne, dies in an airplane crash at 40
1948 Ignaz Friedman, Polish pianist and composer, dies at 65
1950 Betsy van den Arend, Dutch actress (Miss Hobbs), dies at 78
1952 André Cheron [Duval], French-American silent and sound screen character actor (The King of Kings; Anna Karenina; Wife vs. Secretary), dies at 71
1952 Khorloogiin Choibalsan, leader of Mongolia (b. 1895)
1952 Louis van Deyssel, Dutch writer (Diary of Franc Rozelaar), dies at 87
1953 Athanase David, French Canadian politician and businessman (b. 1882)
1953 Martinus Nijhoff, Dutch poet and linguistic (spelling), dies at 58
1954 Carl Eldh, Swedish artist and sculptor, dies at 80
1961 Morris Nichols, cricketer (41 wkts in 14 Tests for Eng 1930-39), dies

Charles "Lucky" Luciano (1896-1962)

Italian-American gangster of the New York mafia, dies of a heart attack at 65

1962 Fran Lhotka, Czech composer, dies at 78
1963 Ole Olsen, American comedian (Olsen & Johnson), dies at 70
1965 Ali Mansoer, premier of Persia, murdered
1967 Albert Rémy, French actor (Grand Prix, The 400 Blows, The Train), dies at 51
1967 Kenneth Thomson, American character actor (Broadway Melody, Little Giant), dies of emphysema at 68
1968 Merrill C. Meigs, American newspaper publisher (b. 1883)
1968 Yvor Winters, American poet (b. 1900)
1973 Edward G. Robinson [Goldenberg], Romanian actor (Double Indemnity, The Stranger, The Ten Commandments), dies at 79
1973 Jay C. Higginbotham, American swing jazz trombonist (Luis Russell'; Red Allen;, Benny Carter), dies at 67
1973 Meijer Sluyser, Dutch journalist/commentator (VARA), dies at about 71
1974 Siegfried von Vegesack, German writer, dies at 85
1974 Wiktor Labunski, Polish-American composer, dies at 78
1975 Lubov Orlova, Russian actress (Moscow Laughs; Man of Music; Tanya), dies at 74
1976 João Branco Núncio, Portuguese Bullfighter (b. 1901)
1977 Margaret Hayes, American actress (Blackboard Jungle, Robert Montgomery Presents), dies from cancer and hepatitis at 60
1978 Leo Genn, British lawyer and actor (Mourning Becomes Electra, Moby-Dick, Affair in Monte Carlo), dies at 72

Nelson Rockefeller (1908-1979)

American politician (Vice President: 1974-1977; Governor of New York (R), 1959-73), dies of a heart attack at 70

1983 Paul "Bear" Bryant, American college football coach (Alabama), dies at 69
1985 James Cameron, journalist, dies
1989 Morton DaCosta, American film and theatre director (Island of Love; The Music Man), dies at 74
1989 Paul Daels, Flemish chairman (IJzerbedevaart committee), dies
1990 Bob Gerard, British racing driver (b. 1914)
1990 Boy Trip, Dutch minister, dies at 68
1990 Lewis Mumford, American cultural historian, city planner and writer, dies at 94
1990 Miloslav Ištvan, Czech composer, dies at 61
1991 Johnny van Doorn, Dutch writer/poet, dies at 46
1991 Karen Young, American disco singer ("Hot Shot"), dies at 39
1992 Gilroy Roberts, American sculptor (Chief Engraver of the US Mint, 1948-64), dies at 96

José Ferrer (1912-1992)

Puerto Rican actor and director (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies at 80

1992 Okke Jager, Dutch theologist, writer and poet, dies at 63
1993 Axel Von Dem Bussche, German aristocrat, dies
1993 Jan Gies, Dutch resistance fighter (helped Anne Frank), dies at 87
1993 Jeanne Sauvé, 23rd Governor-General of Canada (1984-90), dies at 70
1993 Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor (large iron sculptures), dies at 80
1995 Bernardo Leighton, Chilian politician (1964-70), dies
1995 Geoffrey Penwill Parsons, piano accompnaist, dies at 65
1995 Louis Heren, journalist, dies at 65
1995 Vic Buckingham, English soccer player/trainer (Ajax), dies at 79
1996 Charles Jewtraw, American 500m speed skater (Olympic gold 1924), dies at 95
1996 David Schultz, American wrestler (Olympic gold 1984), killed by John Du Pont at 36
1996 Georg Alexander, Duke of Mecklenburg, head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, dies at 74
1996 Gerrit Cornelis Berkouwer, Dutch theologist (Dogmatic Studies), dies at 92
1996 Harold Brodkey, American writer (My Venice), dies at 65
1996 Henry Jay Lewis, American double-bassist and conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic 1948-65), dies of a heart attack at 63
1996 Neil Lawson, British high court judge, dies at 88
1996 Stevie Plunder, Australian musician (b. 1963)
1997 Margaret Hesse, Irish-born Princess of Hesse and by Rhine, dies at 83
1998 S P Leary, Texan blues drummer (Muddy Waters), dies at 67
1998 Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese music teacher (Suzuki Method), dies at 99
1998 Walter Edmonds, writer (Drums Along the Mohawk), dies at 93
2000 A. E. van Vogt, Canadian sci-fi author (Wizard of Linn), dies at 87
2000 Don Budge, American tennis player (6 Grand Slam singles titles, Grand Slam 1938), dies of cardiac arrest at 84
2000 Kathleen Hale, British children book writer and illustrator (Orlando), dies at 101
2001 Al McGuire, American basketball coach (Marquette), dies at 72
2003 George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, British politician (b. 1931)
2003 Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian (The Last Days of Hitler), dies at 89
2003 John Browning, American pianist (Leventritt Award-1956), dies at 69
2003 Valeriy Brumel, Soviet Olympic athlete (b. 1942)
2004 Fred Haas, American golfer (5 PGA Tour titles; Ryder Cup 1953), dies at 88
2006 Carol Lambrino, son of Carol II of Romania and Zizi Lambrino (b. 1920)
2006 Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Pakistani opposition leader and Pashtun nationalist (b. 1917)
2006 Len Carlson, Canadian actor (b. 1937)
2007 Gump Worsley, Canadian ice hockey player, dies at 77
2007 Hans J. Wegner, Danish furniture designer (b. 1914)
2008 Christian Brando, American actor and son of Marlon Brando, dies of pneumonia at 49
2008 Viktor Schreckengost, American industrial designer, dies at 101
2010 Louis Auchincloss, American lawyer and novelist (Watchfires), dies at 92
2011 Charlie Louvin, American country singer-songwriter (Louvin Brothers - "The Only Way Out (Is to Walk Over Me)")dies of cancer at 83
2011 Gladys Horton, American pop singer (The Marvelettes- "Please Mr. Postman"; "Too Many Fish In The Sea"), dies at 65 [or 66]
2012 Clare Fischer, American musician, composer and arranger, dies at 83
2012 Dimitra Arliss [Arlys], American actress (Rich Man Poor Man II, The Sting), dies at 79
2012 Ian Abercrombie, English actor (Birds of Prey, Desperate Housewives), dies from kidney failure at 77
2012 Roberto Mières, Argentine auto racer (USAC Road Racing C'ship Daytona 1,000 km 1959; 17 x F1 GP), dies at 87
2013 Edwin London, American horn player, conductor (Cleveland Chamber Orchestra; Ineluctable Modality Choir), and composer (Dream Thing on Biblical Episodes), dies at 83
2013 Hiroshi Nakajima, Japanese physician and medical researcher (WHO Director-General, 1988-98), dies at 84
2014 Tom Gola, American basketball player, dies at 81
2015 Tom Uren, Australian politician, Australian heritage and conservation campaigner, dies at 93
2016 Abe Vigoda, American actor (Barney Miller, The Godfather), dies at 94
2016 Colin Vearncombe, British singer-songwriter (Black - "Wonderful Life"), dies from injuries in a car accident at 53
2017 Barbara Hale, American actress (Della Street in Perry Mason), dies at 94
2017 Mike Connors [Krekor Ohanian], American actor (Mannix), dies at 91
2018 Francisco Savín, Mexican conductor and composer (Quasar I), dies at 88
2018 Igor Zhukov, Russian pianist, conductor (Moscow Chamber Orchestra), and sound engineer, dies at 80
2019 Michel Legrand, French composer, film score arranger and jazz musician (Summer of '42; "Windmills of Your Mind"), dies at 86
2019 Wilma Lipp, Austrian soprano (Vienna Opera, 1945-81; Mozart's Die Zauberflöte - "Queen of the Night"), dies at 93
2020 Bob Shane, American folk vocalist (Kingston Trio - "Tom Dooley"), dies at 85

Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)

American basketball guard (NBA champion 2000–02, 09-10; NBA MVP 2008; 18 x NBA All Star; LA Lakers; Olympic gold 2008, 12), dies in a helicopter crash at 41

2021 Alan Ashcroft, English rugby union number 8 (16 caps England, 2 caps British & Irish Lions; Waterloo FC), dies at 90
2021 John Mortimore, English soccer defender (Chelsea 249 games) and manager (Portsmouth, Benfica, Real Betis), dies at 86
2021 Jozef Vengloš, Slovak soccer manager (Australia, Czechoslovakia, Malaysia, Fenerbahçe, Aston Villa, Celtic, Slovakia), dies at 84
2021 Margitta Gummel-Helmbold, German track & field athlete (Olympic gold GDR women's shot put 1968), dies at 79
2021 Peter Thorburn, New Zealand rugby union coach (North Harbour, NZ sevens, Bristol RFC, United States), dies at 81
2021 Sekou Smith, American sportswriter (The Clarion-Ledger, The Indianapolis Star, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; NBA TV), dies from COVID-19 at 48
2022 (Clarence) "Bud" Brown, Jr, American politician (US Representative from Ohio, 1965-83), dies at 94
2022 Janet Mead, Australian Catholic nun and pop-rock singer (The Lord's Prayer), dies of cancer at 84
2023 Billy Packer, American college basketball broadcaster (Raycom Sports, NBC, CBS), dies of kidney failure at 82
2023 Gary Peters, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1964, 67; AL Rookie of the Year 1963; AL wins leader 1964; Chicago WS, Boston Red Sox), dies at 85
2023 Irvine Shillingford, West Indian cricket batsman (4 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 120; Combined Islands, Windward Islands), dies at 78
2023 Keith Thomson, New Zealand cricket batsman (2 Tests, 1 x 50; Canterbury) and field hockey centre-half (28 Tests; Canterbury), dies at 81