Died On July 1st

One of the greatest movie actors of all time, heartthrob of millions of women around the world, and a cultural icon, who had immense influence on actors of future generations, there are very few like Marlon Brando. In a career spanning six decades, Marlon Brando delivered critical and commercial successes in movies like A Streetcar Named Desire and The Godfather.

One of the most popular actors of his generation, Michael Landon appeared on the cover of TV Guide on 22 occasions, the most for an actor and second only to Lucille Ball. Also a singer and director, Landon had a major impact on the film industry, so much so that a community building was named after him following his demise.

Luther Vandross was an American record producer and singer-songwriter. As a background vocalist, Vandross contributed to the success of several songs recorded by artists like David Bowie, Diana Ross, and Judy Collins. Regarded as a singer with one of the greatest voices in recorded history, Luther Vandross' works have influenced many artists like D'Angelo, Jaheim, Ne-Yo, John Legend, and Usher.

Walter Matthau was an American actor who won major acting awards, such as an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Tony Awards. He is best remembered for his acting partnership with Jack Lemmon in films like The Odd Couple and Grumpy Old Men. His death was mourned by the entire film industry, with Lemmon paying tribute on Larry King Live.

Erik Satie was a French pianist and composer. An influential artist during his time, Satie's works served as a predecessor to later artistic movements like repetitive music, minimalism, and the Theatre of the Absurd. Apart from being a musician, Erik Satie was also a prolific writer, who contributed to publications, such as Vanity Fair and 391.

Karl Malden is best remembered for his Academy Award-winning role of Harold Mitchell in A Streetcar Named Desire. He also won a BAFTA for the film Baby Doll and an Emmy for Fatal Vision. Fans also loved him as Mike Stone in The Streets of San Francisco and its spin-off.

Buckminster Fuller was an American systems theorist, architect, designer, inventor, author, and futurist. He is credited with popularizing the geodesic dome, which resembles carbon molecules known as fullerenes. Fullerenes were named after Fuller for their resemblance to geodesic spheres. Fuller's work has influenced several personalities from different walks of life. His work has also inspired a couple of documentary films.

German army officer Claus von Stauffenberg, a significant figure of the German Resistance Movement within the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany, attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler in July 1944, but failed. He was executed by a firing squad soon after Operation Valkyrie. He had earlier actively participated in World War II.

Nicholas Winton was a British humanitarian and banker best remembered for founding an organization to save children at risk from Czechoslovakia. He is credited with overseeing the rescue of 669 children from Czechoslovakia just before the commencement of the Second World War. This rescue mission came to be known as the Czech Kindertransport.

A walk through the woods in Dundee, changed Allan Pinkerton’s life, as he bumped into a group of counterfeiters and reported them to the police. This incident inspired him to later become Chicago's first full-time detective. His agency’s logo, an unblinking eye, inspired the phrase “Private Eye.”

Mahmud II reigned as the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 to 1839. His reign was marked by the extensive military, administrative, and fiscal reforms which he initiated. The reforms that he initiated eventually led to the formation of the modern Turkish Republic. He is also credited with rebuilding a strong naval force for the empire.

Charles Goodyear was an American manufacturing engineer and self-taught chemist who developed vulcanized rubber. He invented the chemical process to manufacture pliable, moldable, and waterproof rubber which revolutionized the automobile industry. In 1976, Charles Goodyear was inducted posthumously into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Nicaraguan professional boxer Alexis Arguello had once held the world featherweight, lightweight, and junior lightweight titles. He fought for the Contras against the Sandinista regime, and then continued his boxing career in the US, before returning to politics and becoming the mayor of Managua. He eventually died by suicide.

Zimbabwean politician Joshua Nkomo was founder and leader of ZAPU. He was incarcerated for a decade by white minority government of Rhodesia and following his release, ZAPU along with Robert Mugabe's ZANU contributed to the fall of that government. The two parties later merged to become ZANU–PF. Nkomo served as first Second Vice-President of Zimbabwe with Mugabe as President.

Bidhan Chandra Roy was an Indian educationist, physician, statesman, philanthropist, and freedom fighter. Widely regarded as the chief designer of modern West Bengal, Roy founded several institutions and four cities in the state. He also served as West Bengal's chief minister from 1948 to 1962. In 1961, Bidhan Chandra Roy was honored with India's highest civilian award, The Bharat Ratna.

Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen was a prominent architect of Finland. He later moved to the US where he influenced modern architecture. He also collaborated with son Eero, a leading American architect. Notable buildings designed by Eliel, known for his designs in Art Nouveau style, includes Helsinki Central Station and Joensuu City Hall in Finland; and St Paul's Church in Estonia.   

Arguably the most popular Jamaican reggae singer of his time, Dennis Brown popularized what is now known as lovers rock. The Grammy-nominated singer started singing at age 9 and later soared to fame with tracks such as Africa. He had a lifelong struggle with drugs and of a lung collapse.

Women’s aviation pioneer, Harriet Quimby became the first female pilot to complete a flight across the English Channel. Starting her career as a journalist for Dramatic Review, she later worked as a drama critic for Leslie’s Weekly, before stepping into aviation. She was killed when her aircraft lost control over Dorchester Bay.

Born to a math and physics professor in Australia, Sir William Lawrence Bragg later moved to England, where his father was posted for work. He and his father jointly won the Nobel Prize for Physics for their research on X-ray diffraction through crystals. Bragg was an avid shell collector, too.

George Voskovec was a Czech actor, dramatist, writer, and director. He acted in 72 films, out of which only the first five were Czech and the rest were either American or English. In the USA, George Voskovec became known for his portrayal of Juror 11 in the 1957 courtroom drama film 12 Angry Men.

Georg Ratzinger was a German musician, conductor, and Catholic priest. He is best remembered for his work as the conductor of the cathedral choir of Regensburg, Regensburger Domspatzen. The older brother of Pope Benedict XVI, Georg Ratzinger achieved notoriety when he turned a blind eye to the issues of young choir members who were sexually abused under his directorship.

George Frederic Watts was a British painter best remembered for his association with the Symbolist movement. Watts achieved fame for his allegorical works like Love and Life and Hope. In addition to being a painter, George Frederic Watts was also a sculptor. He is credited with sculpting the famous Physical Energy statue at Rhodes Memorial in South Africa.

Mihail Kogălniceanu was a Romanian statesman, historian, lawyer, and publicist. He is best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Romania from 11 October 1863 to 26 January 1865. He was also a two-time Foreign Affairs Minister and four-time Internal Affairs Minister of Romania. Mihail Kogălniceanu was also one of the most influential intellectuals of his generation.

Moshé Feldenkrais was a Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and engineer. He founded the Feldenkrais Method of physical exercise that aims to improve mind-body coordination. He earned his Doctor of Science in Physics at the University of Paris, where he studied under Marie Curie. He earned a black belt in judo and became a co-founding member of the Ju-Jitsu Club de France. 

Remembered for pioneering the eurythmics approach of learning music, Swiss composer Émile Jaques-Dalcroze was a major figure of the modernist movement in music. Starting his career as a professor at the Geneva Conservatory, he later launched his own music school, which was later shut down by the Nazis.