- Jan 3 Joseph Wirth, 5th Chancellor of the Weimar Republic, Germany (Stalin Peace Prize), dies at 76
- Jan 8 Jim Elliot, American Christian missionary, dies at 28
- Jan 10 Henk Bremmer, Dutch art historian (Beeldende Kunst), dies at 84
- Jan 10 Karl L Schmidt, German/Swiss theologist (Urchristentum), dies at 64
- Jan 12 John Raedecker, Dutch sculptor (WW II Monument Amsterdam), dies at 70
- Jan 14 Siegfried Frederick Nadel, Austrian-British anthropologist (Nuba), dies at 52
- Jan 18 Konstantin Päts, Estonian Prime Minister (1921-23, 1932-33) and dictator (1933-40), dies at 81
- Jan 22 P A M Speet, Dutch broadcast CEO (KRO), dies
H. L. Mencken
Jan 29 H[enry] L[ouis] Mencken, US essayist/critic (Smart Set), dies at 75
- Jan 30 Gerrit Mannoury, Dutch mathematician and philosopher, dies at 88
A. A. Milne
Jan 31 A. A. Milne, English author of the Winnie-the-Pooh books, dies at 74
- Feb 2 Pyotr Konchalovsky, Russian painter (b. 1876)
- Feb 3 Émile Borel, French mathematician (b. 1871)
- Feb 4 Leendert Antonie Donker, Dutch Minister of Justice (PvdA), dies at 56
- Feb 13 Jan Łukasiewicz, Polish logician, philosopher, professor, and author, dies at 77
- Feb 26 Herman Courtens, Belgian baron and painter, dies at 72
- Feb 28 Emile Buisson, French murderer executed (b. 1902)
Elpidio Quirino
Feb 29 Elpidio Quirino, 6th President of Philippines (1949-53), dies at 65
- Mar 3 Willem Hendrik Keesom, Dutch physicist (Helium I/II), dies at 79
Irene Joliot-Curie
Mar 17 Irene Joliot-Curie, French physicist (Nobel laureate 1935) and daughter of Marie Curie, dies at 58
- Mar 18 Friedrich Panzer, German germanist (Hilde-Gudrun), dies at 85
- Mar 18 Louis Bromfield, writer, dies at 59
- Mar 20 Wilhelm Miklas, Austrian politician and 3rd President of Austria (1928-38), dies at 83
- Mar 22 George Al Sarton, Belgian-American chemist and historian, dies at 71
- Mar 24 Edmund Taylor Whittaker, British mathematician (applied mathematics and the theory of special functions), dies at 82
- Mar 27 Frans Beelaerts van Blokland, minister of Foreign affairs, dies at 84
- Mar 29 Infante Alfonso of Spain, younger brother of King Juan Carlos, dies from an accidental gunshot at 14
- Apr 2 Albert Marie Leon Adolphe de Bassompierre, Belgium ambassador to Tokyo (1921-39), dies at 82
- Apr 2 Philippo de Pisis, Italian painter, dies at 59
- Apr 10 Clarence Beaumont, 1st batter in 1st World Series, dies at 75
- Apr 15 Emile Nolde [Hansen], German painter (Grablegung Christi), dies at 88
- Apr 19 Ernst Robert Curtius, German literature historian, dies at 70
- Apr 19 Leon N H Jungschlaeger, head milt intelligence Neth-Indies, dies at 52
- Apr 24 Albrecht G Alt, German theologist (Small Schriften), dies at 72
- Apr 30 Alben W Barkley, (VP-D-1949-53), dies at 78
- May 5 Karel Rudolph Gallas, Dutch lexicographer (French Dictionary), dies at 88
- May 7 Josef Hoffmann, Austrian architect (Vienna Secession Movement), dies at 85
- May 11 Walter S Adams, American astronomer & director of Mount Wilson, dies at 79
- May 12 Hendrik P. Marchant, Dutch minister of Education, dies at 87
- May 13 Aleksandr A. Fadejev, Russian author (Young Guard), commits suicide at 54
- May 14 Robert Willem Pieter Peereboom, Dutch editor in chief (Haarlem Newspaper), dies at 64
- May 15 Austin Osman Spare, English magician (b. 1886)
- May 16 H. B. Reese, American inventor of Reese's, dies at 76
- May 20 Max Beerbohm, English caricaturist, writer and parodist (Saturday Review), dies at 83
- May 29 Albert H. Edelkoort, Dutch theologist (Christusverwachting), dies at 65
Hiram Bingham
Jun 6 Hiram Bingham, American Archaeologist (Incan site of Machu Picchu), dies at 80
- Jun 7 Julien Benda, Fren philosopher/writer (La trahison des clercs), dies
- Jun 8 Marie Laurencin, French painter, dies at 72
- Jun 11 Corrado Alvaro, Italian writer (Poesie grigio-verdi), dies at 61
- Jun 17 Paul Rostock, German doctor (b. 1892)
- Jun 19 (Luise) "Lulu" von Strauss und Torney, German poet (Erde der Väter - Our Forefathers' Soil), and novelist (Der jüngste Tag - Judgment Day), dies at 82
Thomas J. Watson
Jun 19 Thomas J. Watson, Sr., American businessman (Chairman and CEO of IBM, 1914-1956), dies at 87
- Jun 22 Walter de la Mare, British poet and author (The Listeners, Memoirs of a Midget), dies at 83
- Jun 23 Michael Arlen [Dikran Kouyoumdjian], British author and scriptwriter (An American Verdict), dies at 60
- Jun 24 Earl Morris, American archaeologist (Aztec Ruins National Monument), dies at 66
- Jun 25 Ernest J. King, US fleet admiral, Chief of Naval Operations, dies at 77
- Jul 7 Gottfried Benn, German poet and essayist, dies at 70
- Jul 8 Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart, dutch min of Justice (Nobel 54), dies
- Jul 8 Giovanni Papini, Italian author/poet (Un Uomo Finito), dies at 75
- Jul 12 Maurice Lippens, Belgian governor of Congo (1921-23), dies at 80
- Jul 18 Willem Kernkamp, Dutch minister of Colonies (Islam & Woman), dies at 57
- Jul 20 James Alexander Calder, Canadian politician, dies at 87
- Jul 29 Ludwig Klages, German philosopher (study of graves), dies at 83
- Jul 30 Maude Royden, English suffragist and preacher, dies at 79
- Aug 2 Albert Woolson, last veteran US Union army, dies at 109
Jackson Pollock
Aug 11 Jackson Pollock, abstract artist, dies in auto accident (East Hampton)
- Aug 14 Freiherr Constantine von Neurath, German foreign min (1932-38), dies
- Aug 14 Bertolt Brecht, German poet and playwright (Mother Courage), dies of a heart attack at 58
- Aug 15 Constantine Freiherr von Neurath, German foreign minister, dies at 83
- Aug 25 Alfred Kinsey, American entomologist and sexologist (Kinsey Report), dies from a heart ailment and pneumonia at 62
- Aug 26 Alfred Wagenknecht, German-born American activist, dies at 75
- Sep 6 Michael Ventris, English architect who deciphered Linear B, dies in a car accident at 34
- Sep 8 Gerrit Bolkestein, Dutch minister of Education (1939-45), dies at 84
- Sep 8 Vital Celen, Flemish writer ('t Pastoorke van Vossendonck), dies at 69
Billy Bishop
Sep 11 Billy Bishop, Canadian First World War flying ace, dies at 62
- Sep 12 Hans Carossa, German writer, dies at 77
- Sep 12 Sándor Graf Festetics, Hungarian nobleman and politician, dies at 74
- Sep 18 Adélard Godbout, Canadian politician (15th Premier of Quebec), dies at 63
- Sep 21 Anastasio Somoza García [Tacho], General, dictator and President of Nicaragua (1937-56), assassinated by Roliberto Lopez at 60
Frederick Soddy
Sep 22 Frederick Soddy, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate, dies at 79
William Boeing
Sep 28 William Boeing, American aviation pioneer who founded The Boeing Company, dies at 74
Clarence Birdseye
Oct 7 Clarence Birdseye, American inventor and founder of the modern frozen food industry (Birdseye), dies of a heart attack at 69
Charles Strite
Oct 18 Charles Strite, American inventor who invented the automatic pop-up toaster, dies at 78
Pío Baroja
Oct 30 Pío Baroja y Nessi, Spanish Basque writer, author of over 100 novels (The Struggle for Life, Zalacain the Adventurer), dies at 83
Harry Ford Sinclair
Nov 10 Harry Ford Sinclair, founder of Sinclair Oil, dies at 80
B.R. Ambedkar
Dec 6 B.R. Ambedkar [Baba Saheb], Indian politician, jurist (architect of the Constitution of India) and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement, dies after suffering from diabetes at 65
- Dec 14 Juho Kusti Paasikivi, Finnish politician (7th President of Finland 1946-56), dies at 86
- Dec 16 Nina Hamnett, Welsh artist and writer, dies at 66
- Dec 20 Ramon Carrillo, Argentine neuroscientist and Public Health minister (b. 1906)
- Dec 21 Lewis M Terman, psychologist (Genetic studies of genius), dies at 79
- Dec 25 Robert Walser, Swiss writer, dies at 78
- Dec 27 Lambert McKenna, Irish editor and lexicographer, dies at 86
- Dec 28 Roelof Kranenburg, Dutch social democratic chairman (1st Chamber), dies at 76
- Dec 29 Martin Albertz, German theologist (Jesus Christ's Church) and resistance fighter against the Nazi regime, dies at 73