Famous Deaths on May 14

Henry IV of France (1553-1610)

1st Bourbon King of Navarra (1572-1610) and France (1589-1610), assassinated at 56

Louis XIII (1601-1643)

King of France (1610-43), dies at 41

1649 Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (b. 1600)
1667 Georges de Scudéry, French writer and dramatist (L'Amour tyrannique), dies at 65
1688 Antoine Furetière, French writer (b. 1619)
1726 John B Wellekens, poet/painter (Wedding Guests), dies
1726 Moshe Darshan, Rabbi/author (Torat Ahsam), dies
1742 Dominique Marie Valet, French Roman Catholic bishop and missionary (Diocese of Quebec), dies at 64
1754 Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée, French writer (L’École des Mères), dies at 62
1761 Thomas Simpson, English mathematician (rule of Simpson), dies at 50
1801 Johann Ernst Altenburg, composer, dies at 66
1818 Matthew Lewis, English novelist (The Monk), dies at 42
1820 Paul Friedrich Struck, composer, dies at 43
1832 John van Speijk, Dutch heroic sailor, buried
1833 Johann Wilhelm Cornelius von Konigslow, German composer, dies at 88
1847 Fanny Cacilia Mendelssohn Hensel, German composer, dies of complications from a stroke at 41
1860 Ludwig Bechstein, German writer (b. 1801)
1863 Emile Prudent, French pianist and composer, dies at 46
1864 William N Green Jr, Union brigadier general, dies
1868 John Newton Brown, American publisher and Baptist teacher, dies at 64
1870 Ramon Vilanova y Barrera, Catalan composer and choirmaster, dies at 69
1873 Gideon Brecher, Austrian physician and writer (b. 1797)
1877 John Roberts, Welsh composer, minister and poet, dies at 54
1878 Ookubo Toshimichi, Japanese statesman, samurai, and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration (b. 1830)
1881 Mary Seacole, Jamaican businesswoman, author and nurse to British soldiers during Crimean War, dies at 76 [1]
1887 Lysander Spooner, American philosopher (b. 1808)
1887 William Burnham Woods, American politician, judge, and Brevet Major General (Union Army), dies at 62
1889 Volney E. Howard, American politician, dies at 79
1893 Earnest E Kummer, German mathematician (surface of Kummer), dies at 83
1904 Richard Hol, Dutch composer, organist and conductor, dies at 78
1906 Carl Schurz, German revolutionary and statesman (b. 1829)
1912 August Strindberg 'Father of modern Swedish Literature', Swedish dramatist and writer (Miss Julie), dies at 63
1912 Frederik VIII, King of Denmark (1906-12), dies at 68
1918 James Gordon Bennett Jr., American newspaper publisher (thought to have inspired the phrase "Gordon Bennett"), dies at 77

Henry John Heinz (1844-1919)

German-American entrepreneur who founded prepared-foods company (H.J. Heinz Company-57 varieties), dies at 74

1923 Charles de Freycinet, French prime minister (b. 1828)
1925 Henry Rider Haggard, British author (King Solomon's Mines, She, Dawn), dies at 68
1930 Władysław Orkan [Franciszek Ksawery Smaciarz], Polish author (Nowele Zebrane), dies at 54
1931 David Belasco, American theatrical producer (b. 1853)
1931 Denys Finch Hatton, English big-game hunter, dies at 44
1934 Lou Criger, American baseball player (b. 1872)

Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935)

German physician and gay rights advocate, dies of a heart attack at 67

1936 Edmund Allenby, Viscount Allenby, English Fieldmarshal, General in Egypt during WWI, dies at 74
1936 Samuel Pierre l'Honoré Naber, Dutch rear-admiral and librarian, dies at 71
1938 Jacobus C J "Jacques" Hermans, actor (Ghetto), dies at 81
1940 Eddy [Charles E] du Platform, writer/poet, dies
1940 Edgar du Perron, Dutch author and poet (Land of Origin), dies at 40

Emma Goldman (1869-1940)

Russian-American anarchist, writer (Anarchism and Other Essays; Living My Life), publisher (Mother Earth), and feminist, dies from stroke complications at 70 [1]

1940 Jacob van Gelderen, Dutch economist (Kondratiev waves), sociologist and politician, dies at 49
1940 Menno ter Braak, Dutch writer (Forum, New Elite), commits suicide at 38
1940 Willem Johannes Leyds, Dutch-South Africa lawyer and diplomat (State Secretary of the South African Republic), dies at 81
1943 Henri La Fontaine, Belgian international lawyer (1st Socialist to win Nobel Peace Prize 1913), dies at 89
1945 Heber J. Grant, 7th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 88
1947 John Ray Sinnock, US chief engraver (1925-47), dies at 59
1953 Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Japanese-American painter, etcher and lithographer, dies at 59
1954 Heinz Guderian, German general during WWII, dies at 65
1955 Betty Ann Davies, British stage and screen actress (Merry Comes To Town), dies of post-surgical complications at 44
1956 Robert Willem Pieter Peereboom, Dutch editor in chief (Haarlem Newspaper), dies at 64
1957 Marie Vassilieff [Mariya Vassiliéva], Russian-French Left Bank artist, dies at 73
1959 Sidney Bechet, American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer ("Petite Fleur"), dies of lung cancer on his 62nd birthday
1962 Florence Auer, American actress (b. 1880)
1965 Frances Perkins, American politician and 1st woman to hold cabinet-level position (Labor 1933-45), dies at 83
1966 Georgia BD Camp Johnson, American poet/playwright, dies at 88
1966 Megan Lloyd George, English politician (1st female MP for Welsh - Carmarthen), dies at 64
1968 Husband Edward Kimmel, commandant US Ocean fleet WW II, dies at 86
1969 Enid Bennett, silent film actress (Skippy, Hairpins), dies at 75
1969 Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (b. 1888)

Walter Pitts ()

1969 American logician ("A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity" with Warren McCulloch), dies at 46

1970 (Mary) "Billie" Burke, American radio, stage, silent and sound film actress (Zieigfield Follies; The Wizard of Oz; Merrily We Live), dies at 85
1972 Sandor Rado, Hungarian-American psychoanalyst,, dies at 82
1973 Jean Gebser, German-born author, linguist, and poet, dies at 67
1975 Ernst Alexanderson, Swedish-American television pioneer (Alexanderson alternator), dies at 97 [1]
1976 Keith Relf, British blues-rock singer and harmonica player (The Yardbirds - "For Your Love"; Renaissance, 1969-71), electrocuted while playing an improperly earthed electric guitar at 33
1977 Robert Maynard Hutchins, American educational philosopher (University of Chicago), dies at 78
1978 Bill Lear, American engineer, manufacturer and CEO (Lear Jet Corp), dies at 75
1979 Paul van 't Veeer, Dutch journalist/writer (Vrije Volk), dies at 57
1980 Hugh Griffith, Welsh actor (Ben-Hur, Mutiny on the Bounty, Oliver!), dies from a heart attack at 67
1980 Wilhelm Weismann, German composer, dies at 79
1982 Hugh Beaumont, American actor (The Mole People, Leave it to Beaver), dies from a heart attack at 73
1982 Mariel-Henri Jaspar, Belgian minister who unsuccessfully attempted to establish a Belgian government in London during World War II, dies at 80
1983 Miguel Alemán Valdés, Mexican attorney and President of Mexico (1946-52), dies at 80
1983 Roger J. Traynor, American judge (b. 1900)
1984 Elmer Riddle, American baseball pitcher (NL wins leader 1943; Cincinnati Reds), dies at 69
1984 Walter Rauff, Nazi German military officer, mobile gas chamber developer, and spy, dies of a heart attack while suffering from lung cancer at 77
1985 Mohammed Munir, Indonesian worker's union leader, executed

Rita Hayworth (1918-1987)

American actress (Gilda; Cover Girl; The Lady from Shanghai), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 68

1988 Willem Drees, Dutch statesman of the Labour Party (PvdA) and Prime Minister of the Netherlands, dies at 101
1989 Joe Primeau, Canadian Hockey HOF center (Stanley Cup, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy 1931–32; Toronto Maple Leafs) and coach (Stanley Cup 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs), dies at 83
1990 Andre Ameller, French double bassist (Paris Opéra, 1937-53), conductor, composer, and educator (École Nationale de Musique - Dijon, 1953-81), dies at 78
1990 Franklyn Seales, West Indian-American stage and screen actor (The Onion Field; Silver Spoons - "Dexter"), dies of AIDS at 37
1991 Aladár Gerevich, Hungarian fencer (7 Olympic gold 1932, 36, 48, 52, 56, 60), dies at 81
1991 Ast Fonteyne, Flemish lecture artist, dies
1991 Herman Niels, Flemish radio director, dies

Jiang Qing (1914-1991)

Chinese communist and wife of Mao Zedong, commits suicide at 77

1991 John Edward Craven, dies
1991 Shintaro Abe, minister of Exterior of Japan (1982-86), dies
1992 Lyle Alzado, NFL defensive linesman (LA Raiders) and actor (Oceans of Fire, Hangfire), dies of cancer at 43
1993 Patrick Haemers, Belgian criminal, commits suicide at 40
1993 William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American newspaper magnate (Hearst Newspapers) and 1955 Pulitzer Prize winner, dies at 85
1994 Dave Albritton, American high jumper (Olympic silver 1936), dies at 81
1994 Leonard Teale, Australian actor/reciter (Homicide), dies
1995 Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist (Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1972 for ribonuclease,), dies at 79
1995 Maezumi Hakuyu Taizan Koun, teacher (Zen Buddhism), dies at 64
1996 Edward John Gurney, American politician, US senator (1969-74), dies at 82
1996 Qazaleh Alizadeh, writer, dies at 48
1996 Sritharan Jeganathan, cricketer, 1st Sri Lankan Test player to die
1996 Vera Chapman, English writer and Tolkien Society founder, dies at 98
1997 Harry Blackstone, Jr., American stage magician (Blackstone Book of Magic & Illusion), dies of cancer at 62
1997 Princess Caradja-Kretzulesco, descendant of Dracula, dies at 76
1997 Thelma Carpenter, American radio and jazz band singer (Coleman Hawkins; Count Basie), and stage and screen actress (Hello, Dolly!; Barefoot In The Park (TV); The Wiz (film)), dies of cardiac arrest at 76

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998)

American singer (Strangers in the Night; My Way; The Summer Wind) and actor (From Here to Eternity; Guys and Dolls), known as the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", dies at 82

1998 Marjory Stoneman Douglas, American journalist, conservationist (1st Lady of the Everglades) and women's suffrage advocate, dies at 108
2000 Obuchi Keizo, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1937)
2001 Gil Langley, Australian cricketer (Australian wicket-keeper 1951-56), dies at 81
2002 Derek Birley, English founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster and sports writer, dies at 75

Dave DeBusschere (1940-2003)

American NBA forward (NY Knicks) and last ABA commissioner (1975-76), dies of a heart attack at 62

2003 Robert Stack, American actor (The Untouchables, Unsolved Mysteries, Written on the Wind), dies of a heart attack at 84
2003 Wendy Hiller, English actress (Major Barbara, David Copperfield), dies at 90
2003 William Jackson [Pepper LaBeija], American drag queen and fashion designer, dies of a heart attack at 54
2004 Anna Lee [Joan Boniface Winnifrith], British actress (General Hospital, How Green Was My Valley), dies of pneumonia at 91
2006 Eva Norvind, Norwegian-Mexican actress, dies from drowning at 62
2006 James Botten, South African cricketer (all-rounder in 1965 South African series v England), dies at 67
2006 Lewis "Lew" Anderson, American actor and musician (The Howdy Doody Show), dies of prostate cancer at 84
2006 Stanley Kunitz, American poet (b. 1905)
2007 Colin St John Wilson, English architect (The British Library), dies at 85
2007 Edward Jones, British Army officer (UK Military Representative to NATO, Black Rod UK parliament), dies fishing at 70
2007 Jean Saubert, American alpine ski racer (Olympic giant slalom silver, slalom bronze 1964), dies of breast cancer at 65
2007 Mary Goldsmith, American ceramist (b. 1908)
2007 Ülo Jõgi, Estonian freedom fighter (b. 1921)
2009 Bob Rosburg, American golfer, broadcaster (PGA Championship 1959), dies of head injuries from a fall at 82
2010 Goh Keng Swee, former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (b. 1918)
2012 Derek Hammond-Stroud, English operatic baritone, dies at 86
2014 Stephen Sutton, English cancer blogger (Stephen's Story), dies at 19
2015 Zdzisław Żygulski, Jr., Polish art historian, dies at 93

B.B. King (1925-2015)

American blues guitarist and singer (The Thrill is Gone), dies at 89

2017 Brad Grey, American film and TV producer (Sopranos), Chairman of Paramount Pictures, dies of cancer at 59
2017 Elske ter Veld, Dutch politician (State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment), dies at 72
2017 Frank Brian, American basketball guard (NBA All Star 1951, 52; Fort Wayne Pistons), dies at 94
2017 Powers Boothe, American Actor (Sin City, Deadwood), dies at 68
2018 Doug Ford, American golfer (PGA Championship 1955, US Masters 1957), dies at 95
2018 Tom Wolfe, American journalist and author (The Right Stuff), dies at 88
2019 (Thomas) "Tim" Conway, American Emmy Award-winning comic actor and screenwriter (McHale's Navy; The Carol Burnett Show, 1975-78; The Apple Dumpling Gang), dies from complications of normal pressure hydrocephalus at 85
2019 Grumpy Cat [Tardar Sauce], American cat internet celebrity, dies following complications from urinary tract infection at 7
2020 (Guillermo) "Jorge" Santana, Mexican rock guitarist (Malo- "Suavecito"), dies at 68
2020 Bob Watson, American baseball utility (MLB All Star 1973, 75; Houston Astros) and sports executive (GM NY Yankees, World Series 1996), dies from kidney disease at 74
2020 Ezio Bosso, Italian pianist, composer (Rain, In Your Black Eyes; Domes of Freedom), and conductor, dies from complications of a neurodegenerative syndrome at 48
2020 Pepper Rodgers, American football coach (University of Kansas, UCLA, Georgia Tech; USFL: Memphis Showboats), dies at 88
2020 Phyllis George, American beauty queen (Miss America, 1971), sportscaster (CBS, 1974-85), and First Lady of Kentucky, 1979-83, dies of a blood disorder at 70
2021 Ester Mägi, Estonian composer 'First Lady of Estonian music', dies at 99
2021 Olga Domuladzhanova, Russian boxer (World amateur heavyweight gold 2001), dies from COVID-19 at 52
2021 Sándor Balassa, Hungarian composer (Requiem for Lajos Kassák; The Third Planet), and educator (Liszt Ferenc Academy, 1981-95), dies at 86
2021 Torkild Brakstad, Norwegian soccer defender (3 caps; Molde) and coach (Molde, Tromsø, Rosenborg), dies at 75

Andrew Symonds (1975-2022)

Australian cricket all-rounder (26 Tests, 2 x 100, 10 x 50, HS 162no, 24 wickets; Queensland CA, Kent CCC, Deccan Chargers), dies in a single-car crash at 46

2022 David West, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1988-98 (Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, and 3 other teams), dies of brain cancer at 57
2023 Doyle Brunson, American poker player (10 x bracelets; World Series of Poker Main Event champion 1976, 77; Poker HOF), dies at 89
2023 Ferran Olivella, Spanish soccer defender (18 caps Spain, 2 Catalonia; FC Barcelona 214 games), dies at 86

May 14 Highlights