Famous People Who Died In 1998

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Legendary American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner is still regarded as the fastest woman in the world. Her world records in both the 100m and 200m categories have still not been broken. The three-time Olympic gold medal winner was also known for her six-inch nails and her unconventional outfits.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.