Famous People Who Died In 1976

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1976. This list includes people like Howard Hughes, J. Paul Getty, Mao Zedong, Agatha Christie, Werner Heisenberg and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include artists, political leaders, directors and poets who died in 1976. This list includes people from United States, Germany, United Kingdom & France and many more countries.
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 1 
Agatha Christie
(English Author Known for Her Detective Novels and Short Stories)
Agatha Christie
33
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 15, 1890
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Torquay, Devon, England
Died: January 12

Even after four decades after her death, Agatha Christie remains an influential figure in the world of literature and entertainment as most of her books continue to serve as inspiration to films, TV series, and video games. With over two billion copies of her novels sold, she holds the Guinness World Records for best-selling fiction writer of all time.

 2 
Howard Hughes
(Film Producer and an Important Figure in the Aviation Industry Who Became Known for His Ecentric Behavior)
Howard Hughes
47
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 24, 1905
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Humble, Texas, United States
Died: April 5

A multi-talented personality, Howard Hughes was one of the richest person of his time. A business tycoon, he made big investments in films and aviation industry. Passionate about flying, he set numerous flying records, and also risked his own life in process. Howard Hughes who inherited his family business and became millionaire at the age of 18, was later on troubled with mental illness and turned recluse.

 3 
Werner Heisenberg
(German Theoretical Physicist and One of the Main Pioneers of the Theory of Quantum Mechanics)
Werner Heisenberg
12
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 5, 1901
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Würzburg, Germany
Died: February 1
German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg is best known for pioneering quantum mechanics. He received the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics. He had also helped Germany plan nuclear weapon strategies during World War II and was the director of what is now known as the Max Planck Institute for Physics.
 4 
Paul Robeson
(Singer, Actor, and Black Activist.)
Paul Robeson
9
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: April 9, 1898
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Died: January 23

Singer and actor, Paul Robeson, was as much known for his music and films as he was for his political activism. As a black man who had to endure great difficulties to establish himself, he was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement and other social justice campaigns. As a performer, he was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

 5 
Sal Mineo
(Best Known for His Role as ‘John "Plato" Crawford’ in the Film ‘Rebel Without a Cause’)
Sal Mineo
11
Birthdate: January 10, 1939
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: February 12

Sal Mineo was an American actor, director, and singer. He is best remembered for playing John Crawford in the 1955 drama film, Rebel Without a Cause, for which he received an Academy Award nomination, becoming the fifth-youngest nominee under the Best Supporting Actor category.

 6 
Jack Cassidy
(Actor)
Jack Cassidy
5
Birthdate: March 5, 1927
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Richmond Hill, New York, USA
Died: December 12
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 7 
J. Paul Getty
(British Petroleum Industrialist and Founder of the ‘Getty Oil Company’)
J. Paul Getty
20
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: December 15, 1892
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Died: June 6

As the patriarch of the Getty family, J. Paul Getty was an influential petrol-industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Company. In 1966, Paul made it to the Guinness Book of Records as the world's richest private citizen. An avid collector of antiquities and art, his collection is preserved at the J. Paul Getty Museum in California.

 8 
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
(British Army Officer Who Served in the First and Second World Wars and the Irish War of Independence)
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
8
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 17, 1887
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kennington, London, United Kingdom
Died: March 24

Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, was a British Army officer who played important roles in World War I, World War II, and the Irish War of Independence. He commanded the British Eighth Army during the Second World War and also oversaw the operations during the Battle of Normandy. Bernard Montgomery has a couple of statues dedicated to him.

 9 
Rosalind Russell
(Best Known for Her Roles in Films: ‘His Girl Friday’,’ Gypsy’ and ‘Auntie Mame')
Rosalind Russell
3
Birthdate: June 4, 1907
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
Died: November 28

Rosalind Russell is remembered as Hildy Johnson from the film His Girl Friday and as Mame Dennis from Auntie Mame. She won five Golden Globes and was nominated for several Academy Awards. Mostly seen playing professional women, she also won a Tony for her role in the musical Wonderful Town.

 10 
Martin Heidegger
(One of the Most Important and Influential Philosophers of the 20th Century)
Martin Heidegger
5
Birthdate: September 26, 1889
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Messkirch, Germany
Died: May 26
German philosopher Martin Heidegger was one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century and is remembered for his work on phenomenology, existentialism, and hermeneutics. He explained his ideas in his book Being and Time. He also introduced the concept of Dasein, or “being,” characteristic of human beings.
 11 
Anissa Jones
(Child Actress)
Anissa Jones
22
Birthdate: March 11, 1958
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Died: August 28
Height: 4'11" (150 cm)
 12 
Howlin' Wolf
(Singer)
Howlin' Wolf
6
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: June 10, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Whites, Mississippi, United States
Died: January 10
 13 
Florence Ballard
(American Singer and Member of Vocal Female Group ‘The Supremes’)
Florence Ballard
4
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: June 30, 1943
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died: February 22
 14 
Benjamin Britten
(British Composer, Pianist, and Conductor Known for His Iconic Operas)
Benjamin Britten
5
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 22, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lowestoft
Died: December 4

Path-breaking British composer, pianist, and conductor Benjamin Britten was known for his fine operas such as Peter Grimes and the War Requiem. He also created countless orchestral works and is known for his long professional partnership with tenor Peter Pears, a collaboration that led to the formation of the Britten-Pears Foundation.

 15 
Kathryn Kuhlman
(Evangelist)
Kathryn Kuhlman
25
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: May 9, 1907
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Johnson County, Missouri, United States
Died: February 20
 16 
Lee J. Cobb
(American Film and Stage Actor)
Lee J. Cobb
4
Birthdate: December 8, 1911
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States
Died: February 11

Lee J. Cobb was an American actor best remembered for playing intimidating, arrogant, and abrasive characters. He received two nominations for the prestigious Academy Award under the Best Supporting Actor category. Also renowned for his theatre work, Lee J. Cobb was inducted posthumously into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981. 

 17 
Man Ray
(Modernist Artist)
Man Ray
9
Listed In: Photographers
Birthdate: August 27, 1890
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Philadelphia
Died: November 18

Famous photographer, painter and filmmaker, Man Ray was the sole American who was a significant part of both the Dada and Surrealist movements. Despite his contributions in various artistic mediums, he is best remembered as a photographer who popularised solarisation and Rayographs techniques. He also made films including the Surrealist classic L’Étoile de mer and published his autobiography Self-Portrait.

 18 
L. S. Lowry
(Artist)
L. S. Lowry
9
Birthdate: November 1, 1887
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Stretford, Lancashire, England
Died: February 23

Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English painter, known for his bleak urban industrial landscapes, peopled with human figures akin to “matchstick men”. He became interested in the subject while working at a Manchester real-estate and began depicting what he saw. Although critics are divided over his stature, they all agree on the relevance of his works as a social commentary.

 19 
Max Ernst
(Primary Pioneer of the 'Dada Movement' and 'Surrealism' Known for His Work 'A Week of Kindness')
Max Ernst
5
Birthdate: April 2, 1891
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brühl, Germany
Died: April 1

Max Ernst was a German painter, graphic artist, sculptor, and poet. A pioneer of the Dada movement, Ernst played an important role in popularizing surrealism during the early-20th century. He is also credited with inventing a couple of techniques, namely frottage and grattage. In 2005, the Max Ernst Museum was opened in his honor in Brühl, Germany.

 20 
Freddie King
(Guitarist, Singer, Singer-songwriter)
Freddie King
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 3, 1934
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Gilmer
Died: December 28
 21 
Mao Zedong
(Communist Leader of China)
Mao Zedong
110
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 26, 1893
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Shaoshan, Xiangtan, China
Died: September 9

One of the most significant and controversial leaders of the 20th century, Mao Zedong was a communist revolutionary and the founding father of the People's Republic of China which he governed as the chairman of Chinese Communist Party. He is appreciated for numerous development work but is criticised for his authoritarian regime and policies which resulted in millions of deaths .

 22 
Fritz Lang
(Austrian Filmmaker Who Was a Pioneer of Science-Fiction Movies)
Fritz Lang
5
Birthdate: December 5, 1890
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: August 2

While Austrian filmmaker Fritz Lang initially studied civil engineering, he later trained as a painter, before switching to screenwriting and direction. He was a prominent figure of German Expressionism and mostly worked in Germany and the US. His Woman in the Moon was a pioneering science-fiction movie.

 23 
Alastair Sim
(Actor)
Alastair Sim
4
Birthdate: October 9, 1900
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Died: August 19
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 24 
Johnny Mercer
(Lyricist, songwriter,)
Johnny Mercer
2
Birthdate: November 18, 1909
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Savannah, Georgia, United States
Died: June 25
 25 
Phil Ochs
(Singer)
Phil Ochs
6
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 19, 1940
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: El Paso, Texas, USA
Died: April 9
 26 
Vince Guaraldi
(Jazz musician, Pianist)
Vince Guaraldi
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: July 17, 1928
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: February 6
 27 
Tommy Bolin
(Guitarist who worked with Zephyr, Deep Purple, and The James Gang, as well as working as a solo artist)
Tommy Bolin
3
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: August 1, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sioux City, Iowa, United States
Died: December 4
 28 
Alvar Aalto
(Architect)
Alvar Aalto
7
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: February 3, 1898
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kuortane
Died: May 11

Finnish architect Alvar Aalto initially had his studies interrupted by the Finnish Civil War, which saw him fighting for the White Army. His first architectural design was for his parents’ house. He had experimented with furniture and glassware, too. His works showcase a move from classicism to functionalism.

 29 
Alexander Calder
(Sculptor, Painter)
Alexander Calder
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 22, 1898
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lawnton
Died: November 11

Alexander Calder was an American sculptor best remembered for his innovative kinetic sculptures designed to use either motor, air currents, or other forces of nature. A multi-talented personality, Calder was also known for his paintings, miniatures, prints, jewelry design, theater set design, political posters, and tapestries and rugs. In 1977, he was honored with the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 30 
Luchino Visconti
(Italian Filmmaker, Director and Screenwriter)
Luchino Visconti
1
Birthdate: November 2, 1906
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Milan, Italy
Died: March 17

Born to Duke Modrone, Luchino Visconti belonged to one of the most affluent families of Italy. He was also one of the pioneers of neo-realism and created masterpieces such as Senso and Rocco and His Brothers. A chain smoker, he was rumored to have had 120 cigarettes per day.

 31 
James Wong Howe
(Cinematographer)
James Wong Howe
1
Birthdate: August 28, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Taishan, Guangdong, China
Died: July 12
Chinese-American James Wong Howe Known, known as The Poet of the Camera, had aspired to be a boxer but then earned his living as a bellboy and a cleaner, before stepping into cinematography. The Oscar-winning cinematographer used innovative techniques with the camera, such as roller-skating to film fighting scenes.
 32 
Benjamin Graham
(Economist, Investor)
Benjamin Graham
2
Birthdate: May 8, 1894
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
Died: September 21
 33 
Alfred Lennon
(Singer-songwriter)
Alfred Lennon
3
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 14, 1912
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Liverpool
Died: April 1
 34 
Stanley Baker
(Welsh Actor, Producer and One of the Top British Film Actors of the Late 1950s)
Stanley Baker
4
Birthdate: February 28, 1928
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ferndale, Glamorgan, Wales
Died: June 28

Stanley Baker was a Welsh actor whose rugged appearance and intense screen persona earned him popularity during the late 1950s and early 1960s. His portrayal of Captain Langford in the 1959 war film Yesterday's Enemy earned him a nomination at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He received an honorary title of knighthood in 1976.

 35 
Paul Kossoff
(Former Guitarist mainly known as the co-founder and guitarist for the English rock band Free)
Paul Kossoff
3
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 14, 1950
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, United Kingdom
Died: March 19
 36 
Kazi Nazrul Islam
(One of the Greatest Poets in Bengali Literature)
Kazi Nazrul Islam
9
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 24, 1899
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Churulia, India
Died: August 29

The Rebel Poet of Bengal Kazi Nazrul Islam is remembered for his vast body of literary work, including poems and songs written during the British Raj, mostly laced with socio-political overtones. His songs, known as Nazrul Geeti, are the staple for any Bengali household. He is also Bangladesh’s national poet.

 37 
Andre Malraux
(French Author and Statesman Best Known for His Novel ‘La Condition Humaine’)
Andre Malraux
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 3, 1901
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: November 23

A prominent supporter of President Charles de Gaulle, author Andre Malraux had served as the French minister of cultural affairs for a decade. He initiated anti-colonial and socialist movements in South-east Asia and also went on expeditions to discover mythical wonders such as the capital of the Queen of Sheba.

 38 
Jean Gabin
(Actor)
Jean Gabin
1
Birthdate: May 17, 1904
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: November 15
 39 
Busby Berkeley
(Film director)
Busby Berkeley
2
Birthdate: November 29, 1895
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: March 14
 40 
Adolph Zukor
(Film producer)
Adolph Zukor
1
Birthdate: January 7, 1873
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ricse
Died: June 10
 41 
Jimmy Reed
(Former blues musician and songwriter)
Jimmy Reed
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 6, 1925
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dunleith, Mississippi, United States
Died: August 29
 42 
Károly Takács
(Olympic Shooter)
Károly Takács
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 21, 1910
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: January 5
 43 
Carol Reed
(Film Director)
Carol Reed
1
Birthdate: December 30, 1906
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Putney, London, England
Died: April 25
 44 
Godfrey Cambridge
4
Birthdate: February 26, 1933
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Died: November 29
 45 
Yonatan Netanyahu
('Israel Defense Forces' Officer Best Remembered for Commanding 'Operation Entebbe')
Yonatan Netanyahu
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 13, 1946
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City
Died: July 4

Yonatan Netanyahu was an Israel Defense Forces officer best remembered for commanding Sayeret Matkal, an elite commando unit, during Operation Entebbe. The operation, which was a planned mission to rescue hostages at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, was successful. However, Yonatan Netanyahu was killed in action. His life and career inspired the 2012 film Follow Me.

 46 
Mukesh
(Singer who won National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his song "Kai Baar Yuhi Dekha Hai" from the film Rajnigandha)
Mukesh
1
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: July 22, 1923
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Delhi, India
Died: August 27
 47 
Martha Mitchell
(Political Activists)
Martha Mitchell
5
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: September 2, 1918
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA
Died: May 31
 48 
Ernesto Miranda
(Soldier)
Ernesto Miranda
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 9, 1941
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mesa
Died: January 31
 49 
Paul Gilbert
(Actor)
Paul Gilbert
3
Birthdate: December 27, 1918
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: February 13
 50 
Wilder Penfield
(Surgeon, Neuroscientist, Neurosurgeon, University teacher, Neurologist)
Wilder Penfield
1
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: January 26, 1891
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Spokane
Died: April 5

Neuroscientist Wilder Penfield redefined medical science with his innovative way of treating epilepsy patients through surgery. He would note down his patients’ responses when they would be conscious under local anesthesia. He also founded the Montreal Neurological Institute, but was unable to cure his sister’s brain cancer.