On This Day

Deaths in Sport on November 18

  • 1918 Reggie Schwartz, English cricket spin bowler (20 Tests South Africa, 55 wickets, BB 6/47) and rugby union fly half (3 Tests England), dies from Spanish flu at 43
  • 1946 John King, cricketer (scored 60 & 4 in only Test Eng v Aus 1909), dies
  • 1946 Johnny Lush, American MLB pitcher (2 no-hitters), dies at 61
  • 1958 Sivert Samuelson, cricketer (one Test South Africa v England 1910), dies
  • 1961 Clarence "Bud" Pinkston, American diver (Olympic gold 10m platform, silver 3m springboard 1920), dies at 61
  • 1977 Davey O'Brien, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1938, Texas Christian University; NFL: Philadelphia Eagles), dies from cancer at 60
  • 1979 Freddie Fitzsimmons, American baseball pitcher (MLB record career double plays [79] 1938-64) and manager (Philadelphia Phillies), dies of a heart attack at 78
  • 1980 Conn Smythe, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame team owner (Toronto Maple Leafs 1927-61; Stanley Cup x 8), dies of heart failure at 85

Jacques Anquetil

1987 Jacques Anquetil, French road cyclist (Tour de France 1957, 61-64; first 5-time winner), dies of stomach cancer at 53

Jacques Anquetil
Road Cyclist Jacques Anquetil
  • 1997 Joyce Wethered, British golfer (English Ladies' champion 1920–24), dies at 96
  • 2003 Ken Brett, American baseball player, dies at 55
  • 2009 Red Robbins, American basketball player (b. 1944)
  • 2011 Walt Hazzard, American basketball player (Olympic gold 1964), dies at 69
  • 2012 Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya, Russian Woman Grandmaster of chess, dies from brain cancer at 55

Jonah Lomu

2015 Jonah Lomu, New Zealand rugby union winger (youngest ever All Black, 63 internationals), dies of a heart attack linked to kidney disease at 40

Jonah Lomu
Rugby Union Superstar Jonah Lomu
  • 2015 Mal Whitfield, American track athlete (Olympic 3 gold, silver & bronze 1948, 52), dies at 91
  • 2017 Gillian Rolton, Australian equestrian (Summer Olympics 1992, 1996- gold), dies from endometrial cancer at 61
  • 2020 Adam Musiał, Polish soccer defender (34 caps; Wisła Kraków) and manager (Wisła Kraków, Lechia Gdańsk, Stal Stalowa Wola), dies at 71
  • 2020 Pim Doesburg, Dutch soccer goalkeeper (8 caps; Eredivisie record 687 games; Sparta, PSV), dies at 77
  • 2021 Dzyanis Kowba, Belarusian soccer defensive midfielder (36 caps; PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara 247 games), dies from complications of COVID-19 at 42
  • 2021 Kim Suominen, Finnish soccer midfielder (39 caps; TPS, FF Jaro), dies at 52


Famous People by Cause of Death

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