Famous People Who Died In 1998

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1998. This list includes people like Frank Sinatra, Phil Hartman, Sonny Bono, Linda McCartney, Pol Pot and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, poets, artists and composers who died in 1998. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, India & Germany and many more countries.
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 1 
Frank Sinatra
(One of The World's Best-selling Music Artists of All Time)
Frank Sinatra
98
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 12, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Died: May 14

Amongst the most popular singers of the 20th century and one of the bestselling artists of all time, Frank Sinatra began his musical career singing with bands and later established his successful solo career with albums like The Voice of Frank Sinatra. Also an award winning actor, he featured in movies like From Here to Eternity and The Manchurian Candidate.

 2 
Phil Hartman
(Former Member of the Comedy Group 'The Groundlings' and 'Saturday Night Live', Co-writer of 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure')
Phil Hartman
29
Birthdate: September 24, 1948
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brantford, Canada
Died: May 28

Phil Hartman was a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He is credited with helping Paul Reubens develop his famous character, Pee-wee Herman, as part of his contribution to the popular comedy group The Groundlings. After he was murdered in 1998, Hartman was honored with several awards. In 2015, Rolling Stone named him one of the greatest Saturday Night Live cast members.

 3 
Alan Shepard
(Astronaut, Aviator, Entrepreneur)
Alan Shepard
19
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: November 18, 1923
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Derry
Died: July 21

Alan Shepard was an astronaut and the first American to travel into space. In 1971, Shepard became the fifth and oldest astronaut to walk on the Moon; he was 47 years and 80 days old at that time. From 1963 to 1969, he played an important role as the Chief of the Astronaut Office. His work inspired several TV series.

 4 
Linda McCartney
(American Photographer, Musician, Animal Rights Activist and Vegetarian Cook Book Author)
Linda McCartney
28
Listed In: Photographers
Birthdate: September 4, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Scarsdale, New York, United States
Died: April 17
Linda McCartney, the first wife of Paul McCartney, formed the band Wings with her husband, after the Beatles disbanded. An animal rights activist, she wrote several vegetarian cookbooks, apart from launching Linda McCartney Foods. She was also a skilled photographer and published a photo book. She died of breast cancer.  
 5 
Sonny Bono
(One-half of the Popular Singing Duo 'Sonny & Cher')
Sonny Bono
36
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: February 16, 1935
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died: January 5
Sonny Bono formed the musical duo Sonny & Cher, with his second wife, Cher. They also starred in The Sonny and Cher Show. He also served as the mayor of Palm Springs and a congressman for California's 44th district. The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act was named after him.
 6 
Lloyd Bridges
(American Film, Stage and Television Actor)
Lloyd Bridges
13
Birthdate: January 15, 1913
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: San Leandro, California, United States
Died: March 10

The father of actors Beau and Jeff Bridges, Lloyd Bridges was an American actor who played important roles across all the three major acting mediums. Apart from his acting career, which spanned more than 60 years, Bridges was also known for his involvement in groups, such as Heal the Bay and the American Oceans Campaign

 7 
Tammy Wynette
(American Music Artist Who is Known as the ‘First Lady of Country Music’)
Tammy Wynette
25
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 5, 1942
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Itawamba County, Mississippi, United States
Died: April 6
Country singer Tammy Wynette, named the First Lady of Country Music, is best remembered for the track Stand by Your Man. She remains one of the best-selling female country artists of all time. She was also married to country singer George Jones, which made them a musical power couple.
 8 
Michelle Thomas
27
Birthdate: September 23, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: December 22

Michelle Thomas was an American comedian and actress known for playing important roles in popular TV series, such as The Cosby Show and Family Matters. Thomas had a promising start—even before commencing her acting career Thomas was crowned International Queen in a pageant—but her career and life were cut short by cancer and she died at the age of 30.

 9 
Roddy McDowall
(Best Known for Portraying ‘Cornelius’ and ‘Caesar’ in the Original ‘Planet of the Apes’ Film Series)
Roddy McDowall
7
Birthdate: September 17, 1928
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Herne Hill, London, England
Died: October 3
Roddy McDowall is best remembered as Cornelius and Caesar from the original Planet of the Apes movie series and as Galen from the 1974 spin-off series. His portrayal of Octavian in Cleopatra earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He was also a talented photographer and was associated with several boards.
 10 
Akira Kurosawa
(Japanese Filmmaker Who is Regarded as One of the Most Important & Influential Filmmakers in Film History)
Akira Kurosawa
23
Birthdate: March 23, 1910
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Shinagawa City, Tokyo, Japan
Died: September 6

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker. Widely considered one of the most influential and important filmmakers of all time, Kurosawa's works opened up Western film markets to the products of the Japanese entertainment industry, enabling other Japanese filmmakers to achieve international recognition. Such is his impact as a filmmaker that he is credited with contributing to the development of Asia.

 11 
Roy Rogers
(King of the Cowboys)
Roy Rogers
12
Birthdate: November 5, 1911
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Died: July 6

Roy Rogers was an American singer, television host, and actor. Credited with co-founding one of America's earliest Western singing groups, Sons of the Pioneers, Rogers is widely regarded as one of the most famous Western stars of his generation. One of the earliest actors to popularize Western films, Roy Rogers was often referred to as the King of the Cowboys.

 12 
Ted Hughes
(Poet and Children's Writer)
Ted Hughes
33
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 17, 1930
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mytholmroyd
Died: October 28
Poet and children’s author Ted Hughes is best remembered for his iconic poems The Hawk in the Rain, Birthday Letters, and Crow. He was married to poet Sylvia Plath, who eventually committed suicide at 30. Most people blamed him for mistreating Plath and indirectly causing her death.   
 13 
Barry Morris Goldwater
(Former United States Senator)
Barry Morris Goldwater
25
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 2, 1909
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Phoenix
Died: May 29

Entrepreneur Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term Arizona senator. He represented the Republican Party in the 1964 presidential election, which he lost by a landslide margin to Lyndon B Johnson. He impacted the conservative and libertarian movements. He was a skilled photographer and loved collecting kachina dolls.

 14 
Jack Lord
(Best Known for His Role of Steve McGarrett in the CBS TV Series 'Hawaii Five-O')
Jack Lord
9
Birthdate: December 30, 1920
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: January 21
Jack Lord is best known as Steve McGarrett from the series Hawaii Five-O. He spent his youth painting landscapes and studied at New York University on a football scholarship. He later held art exhibitions, too. He was also the first to play Felix Leiter in the James Bond franchise.
 15 
Carl Wilson
(American musician)
Carl Wilson
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: December 21, 1946
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hawthorne, California
Died: February 6
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 16 
Gene Autry
(Actor and singer known as The Singing Cowboy for his appearances in ninety-three movies and ninety-one TV productions)
Gene Autry
4
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: September 29, 1907
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tioga, Texas, United States
Died: October 2
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 17 
Esther Rolle
(Former Actress known for Florida Evans in Maude and Good Times)
Esther Rolle
8
Birthdate: November 8, 1920
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pompano Beach, Florida, United States
Died: November 17
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 18 
Flip Wilson
(Comedian, Actor)
Flip Wilson
6
Birthdate: December 8, 1933
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Died: November 25
 19 
Stokely Carmichael
(Key Leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States)
Stokely Carmichael
15
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: January 29, 1941
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Died: November 15

Stokely Carmichael was a significant part of the American civil rights movement and the worldwide Pan-African movement. He was associated with the Black Panther Party and the All-African People's Revolutionary Party. The Black Power movement leader later adopted the name Kwame Ture and traveled extensively through Africa.

 20 
Maureen O'Sullivan
(Actress)
Maureen O'Sullivan
5
Birthdate: May 17, 1911
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland
Died: June 23
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 21 
John Derek
(Actor & Director)
John Derek
18
Birthdate: August 12, 1926
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: May 22
John Derek, known for his stunning good looks, launched his last wife, Bo Derek, in Hollywood. He appeared in films such as All the King's Men and had also served in World War II. He directed Bo in Tarzan, the Ape Man and even photographed her for Playboy.
 22 
Martha Gellhorn
(Novelist & Travel writer)
Martha Gellhorn
17
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 8, 1908
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: February 15
 23 
Richard McDonald
(Co-Founder of McDonald's)
Richard McDonald
10
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: February 16, 1909
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Died: July 14

Richard McDonald was an entrepreneur who co-founded the fast-food company McDonald's with his brother, Maurice. Their father ran a food stall. As young men, Richard and Maurice took over their father’s business and redesigned the restaurant. The restaurant was highly successful, and the brothers began franchising their system. The first McDonald's restaurant has now been converted into a museum. 

 24 
Harry Caray
(Sports commentator)
Harry Caray
10
Birthdate: March 1, 1914
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: February 18
 25 
Roy Benavidez
(Soldier)
Roy Benavidez
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 5, 1935
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cuero
Died: November 29
 26 
Norman Fell
(Actor)
Norman Fell
4
Birthdate: March 24, 1924
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: December 14
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 27 
Eddie Rabbitt
(Singer)
Eddie Rabbitt
9
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 27, 1941
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died: May 7
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 28 
Robert Young
(Actor)
Robert Young
1
Birthdate: February 22, 1907
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: July 21
 29 
James Thomas Patrick Walsh
(Actor)
James Thomas Patrick Walsh
5
Birthdate: September 28, 1943
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: February 27
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 30 
Shari Lewis
(Former Children's puppeteer and cheerful TV personality whose character's, Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse)
Shari Lewis
9
Birthdate: January 17, 1933
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States
Died: August 2
Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
 31 
Rob Pilatus
(German Singer, Rapper and Member of the Pop Music Group ‘Milli Vanilli’)
Rob Pilatus
27
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: June 8, 1965
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: April 3

German model, dancer, and singer, Rob Pilatus, was a member of the pop music duo, Milli Vanilli, with Fabrice Morvan. As an interracial child growing up in Munich, he had a difficult childhood. He began working as a model as a teenager and soon ventured into music. He struggled with substance abuse and died at the age of 32.

 32 
Carl Perkins
(Singer-songwriter)
Carl Perkins
4
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: April 9, 1932
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tiptonville, Tennessee, United States
Died: January 19
 33 
Vasili Arkhipov
(Soviet Naval Officer)
Vasili Arkhipov
6
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 30, 1926
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Zvorkovo, Russia
Died: August 19

Vasili Arkhipov was a Soviet Navy officer who played a crucial role in the Cuban Missile Crisis. He prevented a Soviet nuclear strike, which could’ve easily caused an all-out nuclear war. He refused to authorize the use of nuclear torpedoes, for which he was posthumously honored with the Future of Life Award by the Future of Life Institute in 2017.

 34 
Jeanette Nolan
9
Birthdate: December 30, 1911
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: June 5
 35 
Eldridge Cleaver
(American Writer and Political Activist who Became an Early Leader of the Black Panther Party)
Eldridge Cleaver
17
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 31, 1935
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wabbaseka, Arkansas
Died: May 1
 36 
Bob Kane
(Comic Book Writer)
Bob Kane
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 24, 1915
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: November 3

Bob Kane was an American animator, comic book writer, and artist. He is credited with co-creating the world-renowned DC Comics character Batman. He is also credited with co-creating the popular animated series Cool McCool. In 1977, Bob Kane was honored with the prestigious Inkpot Award. In 1996, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

 37 
Joan Hickson
(Actress)
Joan Hickson
0
Birthdate: August 5, 1906
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kingsthorpe, Northampton, England
Died: October 17
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 38 
Grandpa Jones
(Banjoist, Singer, Songwriter)
Grandpa Jones
20
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 20, 1913
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Niagara
Died: February 19
 39 
Mary Frann
(Actress)
Mary Frann
8
Birthdate: February 27, 1943
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: September 23
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 40 
E. G. Marshall
8
Birthdate: June 18, 1914
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Owatonna, Minnesota, United States
Died: August 24
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 41 
Valerie Hobson
(Actress)
Valerie Hobson
4
Birthdate: April 14, 1917
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Larne, County Antrim, Ireland
Died: November 13
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 42 
Alice Faye
(Actress)
Alice Faye
5
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 5, 1915
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Died: May 9
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 43 
Benjamin Spock
(Pediatrician Whose 1946 Book 'Baby and Child Care' Revolutionized Parental Upbringing)
Benjamin Spock
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 2, 1903
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died: March 15

American paediatrician Benjamin Spock was the first paediatrician who studied psychoanalysis to comprehend needs of children and family dynamics. He penned Baby and Child Care, a best-seller book of the twentieth-century. His concepts of child-rearing influenced generations of parents. Spock was also an Olympic gold-medallist in rowing and ran during the 1972 United States presidential election as People's Party nominee.

 44 
Wendy O. Williams
(Singer)
Wendy O. Williams
4
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 28, 1949
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Webster, New York, United States
Died: April 6
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 45 
Octavio Paz
(Writer, Poet, Diplomat and Noble Prize Laureate)
Octavio Paz
7
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 31, 1914
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Died: April 19
Born into a family of intellectuals, Nobel Prize-winning Mexican poet Octavio Paz had been introduced to literature through his grandfather’s library. Apart from poetry, he had also written essays on art, politics, and culture. As a Mexican diplomat, he had been to countries such as India and France.
 46 
Cozy Powell
(Drummer)
Cozy Powell
6
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: December 29, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cirencester
Died: April 5
 47 
Jerome Robbins
(Dance Choreographer)
Jerome Robbins
1
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: October 11, 1918
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan
Died: July 29
 48 
Mae Questel
(Actress)
Mae Questel
1
Birthdate: September 13, 1908
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, USA
Died: January 4
 49 
Dermot Morgan
(Comedian)
Dermot Morgan
4
Birthdate: March 31, 1952
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: February 28
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 50 
Archie Moore
(American Professional Boxer Who Has Had One of the Sport’s Longest Professional Careers)
Archie Moore
10
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 13, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Benoit, Mississippi, United States
Died: December 9
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)