Famous Deaths on September 20

1653 Humphrey Chetham, English cloth merchant (his will leaves money to establish Chetham Library - oldest English language public library in the world), dies at 72 [1]
1679 Cornelis Evertsen the Younger, Dutch vice admiral of Zealand, dies at 51
1703 Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, Scottish privy councillor, dies at 52
1706 Pierre Verdier, French composer working in Sweden, dies at 79
1721 Thomas Doggett, British comedy actor (Drury Lane Theatre), dies at approximately 51
1731 Sicco van Goslinga, Fries diplomat and Secretary of High Council, dies at 67
1773 Pieter de Swart, Dutch architect (Delfts Port Rotterdam), dies at 63
1803 Robert Emmet, Irish nationalist, executed by being hung then beheaded after death at 25
1810 Wouter Johannes van Troostwijk, Dutch painter, dies at 28
1823 Daniel Steibelt, German pianist and composer, dies at 57
1839 Jose Gaspar de Francia, dictator of Paraguay (1816-39), dies at 74
1852 Philander Chase, American Episcopal Church bishop and founder of Kenyon College, dies at 76
1863 Benjamin Hardin Helm, American attorney and Confederate brigadier general and Abraham Lincoln's brother-in-law, dies at the Battle of Chickamauga at 33

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863)

German philologist, folklorist and editor of "Grimm's Fairy Tales", dies at 78

1863 William Haines Lytle, American politician, poet and Brigadier General (Union Army), killed in action during the American Civil War at 36
1880 Donald McKay, Canadian-American naval architect (built fastest clipper ships), dies at 70
1884 Leopold Fitzinger, Austrian zoologist, dies at 82
1886 John Liptrot Hatton, English composer and pianist, dies at 77
1896 Gottfried Conradi, Norwegian composer, dies at 76
1897 Karel Bendl, Czech composer, dies at 59
1898 Theodor Fontane, German writer (Der Stechlin), dies at 78
1905 Vjenceslav Novak, Croatian Realist writer (Pavao Šegota), dies at 46
1905 Walter Cecil Macfarren, British pianist, teacher (Royal Academy, 1846-1903), conductor, and composer, dies at 79
1906 Robert R. Hitt, American politician (b. 1834)
1908 Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (Spanish Dancer), dies at 64
1917 Herbert Morris, Jamaican deserter in France, executed at 17
1927 George Nichols, American director and actor (His Favorite Pastime, Star Boarder), dies at 62 or 63
1931 Sam Morris, Australian cricket all-rounder (1 Test; 1st black & of West Indian origin to rep. Australia in a Test; Victoria CA), dies at 76
1932 Max Slevogt, German painter, dies at 63
1932 Wovoka [Jack Wilson], American Indian leader of the Paiute and visionary (Ghost Dance religious movement), dies at 75 or 76
1933 Annie Besant, English social reformer and supporter of Indian independence, dies at 85
1939 Paul Bruchési, French Canadian Catholic archbishop of Montreal, dies at 83
1944 John Grayburn, British soldier who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the defence of Arnhem bridge, dies during the battle at 26
1945 Augusto Tasso Fragoso, Brazilian military officer and briefly president (1930), dies at 76

Eduard Wirths (1909-1945)

Nazi physician at Auschwitz, commits suicide at 36

1945 William Seabrook, American journalist, occultist and explorer, commits suicide by drug overdose at 61
1946 Raimu [Jules Auguste Cesar Muraire], French actor (The Baker's Wife, Marius, Fanny), dies from a heart attack at 62

Fiorello La Guardia (1882-1947)

American politician and Mayor of New York City (Republican: 1933-45), dies of pancreatic cancer at 64

1949 Nikolaos Skalkottas, Greek composer, dies due to an untreated hernia at 45
1949 Richard Dix, American actor (10 Commandments, Cimarron, The Ghost Ship), dies from a heart attack at 56
1956 Theo Frenkel, Dutch actor (Footlights, Hague's Comedy), dies at 85

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Finnish composer (Valse Triste, Finlandia), dies at 91

1959 Olin Howland, American actor (Gone With The Wind; Them!; Circus Boy), dies at 73
1960 Lee Duncan, American owner and trainer film dog Rin Tin Tin, dies of a heart attack at 67
1960 Michel Brusselmans, Belgian composer, dies at 74
1962 Curley Weaver, American blues guitarist, dies of uremia at 56
1967 Henri Mulet, French organist, cellist, and composer (Carillon-Sortie; Esquisses Byzantines), dies at 88
1968 Frank Pelleg [Pollack], Czech-Israeli harpsichordist, pianist, conductor and educator, dies at 57
1971 Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet and diplomat (Nobel Prize for Literature 1963), dies at 71
1971 James Westerfield, American actor (Jungle Heat, Lucky Johnny), dies from a heart attack at 59
1971 William F. Albright, American old testament scholar and archaeologist, dies at 80
1973 Ben Webster, American jazz tenor saxophonist, dies at 64
1973 Glenn Strange, American actor (Sam the Bartender-Gunsmoke), dies at 74
1973 Jack Marshall, American jazz and session guitarist, film and television composer, arranger, and record producer (Capitol Records), dies at 51

Jim Croce (1943-1973)

American singer-songwriter ("Time in a Bottle"; "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"), dies in a plane crash at 30

1973 Maurice T. "Maury" Muehleisen, American musician and songwriter (Jim Croce), dies in a plane crash at 24
1974 Carlyle Blackwell Jr, American actor (The Pilgrim Lady, The Triumph of the Rat), dies at 71
1974 Robert Herberigs, Flemish composer (La Chanson d'Eve), dies at 88
1975 Saint-John Perse, French diplomat and poet (Nobel 1960), dies at 78
1975 Vincent Lopez, American pianist and big band bandleader ("Nola"), dies at 79
1976 Johan Boskamp, Dutch opera singer and actor, dies at 85
1976 Kermit Bloomgarden, American producer (The Diary of Anne Frank, The Music Man), dies at 71
1979 Ludvík Svoboda, Czech general and politician (8th President of Czechoslovakia, 1968-75), dies at 83
1980 Sanpei Hayashiya, Japanese comedian (b. 1925)
1982 Karel Krautgartner, Czech jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, arranger, composer, conductor and teacher, dies at 60
1984 Steve Goodman, American folk singer and songwriter ("City O f New Orleans"; "Chicken Cordon Blues"), dies of leukemia at 36
1987 Michael Stewart [Myron Stuart Rubin], American playwright (Hello, Dolly!), dies at 63
1988 Roy Kinnear, English actor (Man About the House, Scrooge, Help!), dies at 54
1989 Richie Ginther, American racing driver, dies from a heart attack at 59
1990 Jackie Moran, American actor (Janie, Barefoot Boy), dies of cancer at 65
1993 Erich Hartmann, German WW II pilot (downed 352 Russian aircraft), dies at 71
1993 Leonard Parkin, British TV host (ITN), dies at 64
1993 Loan Volkerijk, Dutch baseball coach (ADO), dies at 65
1994 Davidson Nicol, Sierra Leonean diplomat and author, dies at 70
1994 Jimmy Hamilton, American jazz saxophonist, dies at 77
1994 Jule Styne, American Academy and Tony Award-winning popular music composer ("Three Coins In A Fountain"; Gypsy; Funny Girl, "Make Someone Happy"), dies at 88
1995 Monica Maurice, industrialist and Managing Director and Chairman of the Wolf Safety Lamp Company, Sheffield, dies at 87
1995 Walter Haas Jr., American businessman & sports team owner (Levi Strauss & Co, Oakland A's), dies of prostate cancer at 79
1996 Max Manus, Norwegian resistance fighter and author who specialized in sabotage during World War II, dies at 81
1996 Murtaza Bhutto, Pakistani politician, dies at 42
1996 Paul Draper, American tap dancer and choreographer, dies at 87
1996 Paul Erdos, Hungarian mathematician, dies of a heart attack at 83
1996 Paul Weston [Wetstein], American pianist and orchestra leader (Jim Nabors Hour, Crescent City Suite), dies from natural causes at 84
1999 Raisa Gorbacheva, Russian philanthropist and wife of Mikhail Gorbachev, dies at 67
1999 Robert Lebel, French Canadian ice hockey executive, dies at 93
1999 Tahia Carioca, Egyptian actress and belly dancer (Watch Out For Zouzou), dies at 79
1999 Willy Millowitsch, German actor (National Lampoon's European Vacation), dies from heart failure at 90
2000 Dorothy Emmet, English philosopher, dies at 95
2000 Gherman Titov, Russian cosmonaut and 4th person in space, dies at 65
2001 Marcos Pérez Jiménez, President of Venezuela (1953-58), dies at 87
2003 Gordon Mitchell [Charles Allen Pendleton], American actor and bodybuilder (Sinbad), dies a 80
2003 Lord Williams of Mostyn, Welsh barrister, politician, and Lord President of the Council, dies at 62
2003 Simon Muzenda, Zimbabwean politician (1st Vice-President of Zimbabwe), dies at 80
2004 Brian Clough, English footballer and football manager, dies of cancer at 69
2004 Townsend Hoopes, American assistant secretary of defense, and writer on Vietnam, dies at 82
2005 Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian-Polish Nazi hunter (b. 1908)
2005 Tobias Schneebaum, American writer, anthropologist and explorer dies at 83
2006 Armin Jordan, Swiss conductor, dies at 74
2006 John W. Peterson, American hymn writer ("It Took a Miracle"), publisher and editor (Singspiration), dies of prostate cancer at 84
2006 Sven Nykvist, Swedish cinematographer (Cries and Whispers), dies at 83
2007 Johnny Gavin, Irish soccer winger (7 caps Rep. Ireland; Norwich City 312 games), dies at 79
2007 Juraj Pospíšil, Czech composer (November Triptych), and pedagogue (Bratislavia Conservatory, 1955-91), dies at 76
2009 John Hart, American actor (The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Captain Africa), dies from complications of dementia at 91
2010 Kenny McKinley, American football player (b. 1987)
2010 Leonard Skinner, American high school gym teacher; namesake of rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, dies at 77
2011 Burhanuddin Rabbani, President of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. (b. 1940)
2011 Robert Whitaker, British photographer whose work was used on Beatles and Cream album covers, dies at 71
2014 Polly Bergen [Nellie Burgin], American actress, singer, television host, and writer (Winds of War - "Rhoda"; The Helen Morgan Story), dies of natural causes at 84
2014 Rob Bironas, American football placekicker (First-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, PFW Golden Toe Award 2007; Tennessee Titans), dies in a car crash at 36
2015 Charles Kenneth "C K" Williams, American poet and translator (Pulitzer prize 2000), dies at 78
2015 Jack Larson, American actor (The Adventures of Superman -"Jimmy Olsen"), screenwriter, and librettist (Virgil Thomson's "Lord Byron"), dies at 87
2016 Bill Barrett, American politician (Rep-R-Nebraska 1991-2001), dies at 87
2016 Curtis Hanson, American film director and screenwriter (LA Confidential, 8 Mile), dies at 71
2018 John Cunliffe, British children's book author and television presenter (Postman Pat; Rosie and Jim), dies of cardio-pulmonary failure at 85
2019 Howard Cassady, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1955, Ohio State; NFL C'ship 1957, Detroit Lions), dies at 85
2019 Su Beng [Lim Tiau-hui], Taiwanese revolutionary, 'Father of Taiwanese Independence' (Taiwan’s 400-Year History), dies at 100
2020 Garland F. Pinholster, American college basketball coach (USA: gold Pan American Games 1963; Oglethorpe University 1956-66), dies at 92
2021 Billy Maxwell, American golfer (US Amateur C'ship 1951; Ryder Cup 1963; 7 x PGA Tour wins), dies at 92
2021 Jan Jindra, Czech rower (Olympic gold Coxed four 1952, bronze Eight 1960), dies at 89
2021 Sarah Dash, American pop, R&B, and disco singer (Patti LaBelle & Bluebirds; Labelle - "Lady Marmalade"), dies at 76
2021 Sherwood Boehlert, American politician (Rep-R-NY, 1983-2007), dies at 84
2023 Camille Dimmer, Luxembourgish soccer forward (19 caps; FC Claravallis, Anderlecht, R. Crossing Club Molenbeek, Red Boys Differdange), dies at 84
2023 Katherine Anderson, American singer (The Marvelettes - "Please Mr. Postman"; "Don't Mess With Bill"), dies at 79
2023 Odilon Polleunis, Belgian soccer striker (22 caps; Sint-Truiden, RWD Molenbeek, KSK Tongerenborn), dies from heart failure at 80