Famous People Who Died At 22

The list of famous people who died at 22 includes Aaliyah, Pocahontas, Christina Grimmie, Black Dahlia, Buddy Holly. Famous personalities featured on this list, include emperors & kings, political leaders, soldiers and aviators and from other domains of life. This list of celebrities who died at 22 includes people from United States, Germany, Italy & Russia and many more countries.
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 1 
Aaliyah
(Best Known as 'Princess of R&B' & 'Queen of Urban Pop')
Aaliyah
156
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: January 16, 1979
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: August 25, 2001

Aaliyah was an American singer, actress and model, who became famous when her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number sold three million copies in the US. Her subsequent albums also sold in millions and won her numerous accolades. She also acted in some films. She tragically died in an airplane crash in the Bahamas, at the age of 22.

 2 
Buddy Holly
(Singer-Songwriter & Pioneer in Mid 1950's Rock and Roll)
Buddy Holly
73
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 7, 1936
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lubbock, Texas, United States
Died: February 3, 1959

Musician and singer-songwriter Buddy Holly was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. Born to a musical family, he learned to sing and play the guitar as a child. He began his career as a teenager and found much success within a short period. Sadly, he died in an aircraft crash when he was just 22 years old.

 3 
Christina Grimmie
(American Pop Singer and YouTube Personality)
Christina Grimmie
30
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: March 2, 1994
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Evesham, New Jersey, United States
Died: June 10, 2016

Christina Grimmie was an American singer-songwriter, actress, and YouTuber. She was fatally shot in 2016 when she was signing autographs after performing at The Plaza Live in Florida. Following her murder, celebrities demanded better security measures at concert venues and Billboard published an open letter demanding background checks for gun purchases. Several venues observed safety precautions like adding metal detectors.  

 4 
Aziz Shavershian
(Bodybuilder, Personal Trainer and Model)
Aziz Shavershian
66
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 24, 1989
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: August 5, 2011

Aziz Shavershian was a Russian-born Australian personal trainer, bodybuilder, and model. He started posting videos on YouTube in 2007, establishing a cult following. Aziz was the poster boy of aesthetics, a subculture of amateur bodybuilding. Before his death, due to a heart attack, Aziz Shavershian had established a clothing line and his own protein label called Protein of the Gods.

 5 
Terry Fox
(Canadian Activist Who Became a National Hero and an Inspirational Figure for His Battle Against Cancer)
Terry Fox
33
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 28, 1958
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada
Died: June 28, 1981

Terry Fox was a popular cancer research activist and humanitarian. Despite suffering from cancer and having lost one of his legs to cancer, he embarked on a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research. Although he died at the age of 22, his efforts resulted in a worldwide legacy and gave rise to the annual Terry Fox Run.

 6 
Brandon Burlsworth
(American Football Offensive Lineman)
Brandon Burlsworth
38
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 20, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Harrison, Arkansas, United States
Died: April 28, 1999
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth had joined the team as a walk-on and later became an All-American. He was drafted by the NFL team Indianapolis Colts in 1999 but tragically died in a car accident just 11 days later. Following his death, his Arkansas jersey was permanently retired.
 7 
Freddie Prinze
(American Actor and Stand-up Comedian Known for His TV Sitcom ‘Chico and the Man’)
Freddie Prinze
25
Birthdate: June 22, 1954
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Hell's Kitchen, New York, United States
Died: January 29, 1977

Freddie Prinze, father of Freddie Prinze Jr., was best known as Chico Rodriguez from Chico and the Man. A trained ballet dancer, Freddie had dropped out of high school to become a stand-up comedian. He shot himself to death, though a jury later ruled it an accidental and medicine-induced death.

 8 
Dominique Dunne
8
Birthdate: November 23, 1959
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
Died: November 4, 1982
Dominique Dunne was best known for her portrayal of Dana Freeling in the 1982 cult horror movie Poltergeist. Dunne’s former boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, strangled her at her home in 1982. She slipped into a coma and died 5 days later. Dunne was filming for the miniseries V back then.
 9 
Len Bias
(Basketball player)
Len Bias
20
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 18, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Landover, Maryland, USA
Died: June 9, 1986
Height: 6'8" (203 cm)
 10 
Ariel Camacho
(Singer, songwriter)
Ariel Camacho
17
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: July 8, 1992
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Guamuchil, Sinaloa
Died: February 25, 2015

Ariel Camacho was a Mexican singer and songwriter best remembered for leading his Regional Mexican band, Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho. He died in a car accident at the age of 22. Following his death, his album El Karma became immensely popular. His band continues to make albums in his honor. 

 11 
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
(Eldest Child of Emperor Nicholas II, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia)
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
9
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 15, 1895
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: July 17, 1918
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 12 
Pedro Zamora
(Cuban-American HIV/AIDS Activist and Reality TV Personality )
Pedro Zamora
8
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 29, 1972
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
Died: November 11, 1994
 13 
Kato Svanidze
(First Wife of Joseph Stalin)
Kato Svanidze
5
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 2, 1885
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgia
Died: November 22, 1907

Ekaterine "Kato" Svanidze, a shy girl from a poor Georgian family, was the first of Joseph Stalin’s two wives. Stalin, then 24, fell in love with a 16-year-old Kato while studying together at the Tiflis Spiritual Seminary. She died a year after the birth of their son, Yakov.

 14 
Darby Crash
(Singer)
Darby Crash
3
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: September 26, 1958
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Los Angeles County, California, USA
Died: December 7, 1980
 15 
Black Dahlia
(Murder Victim)
Black Dahlia
30
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 29, 1924
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Died: January 15, 1947

Black Dahlia was an American murder victim whose case gained national attention due to the gruesome nature of the crime. Her murder is often cited as one of Los Angeles County's oldest unsolved cases and the most popular unsolved murders in the history of the United States. Dahlia's life and death have inspired a number of books and films.

 16 
Bobbi Kristina Brown
(Reality TV Personality and Daughter of Whitney Houston)
Bobbi Kristina Brown
17
Birthdate: March 4, 1993
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Livingston, New Jersey, United States
Died: July 26, 2015
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 17 
Robert Wadlow
(Tallest Person Ever Known)
Robert Wadlow
15
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 22, 1918
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Alton, Illinois, United States
Died: July 15, 1940

Also known as the Giant of Illinois and the Alton Giant, Robert Wadlow was the tallest person in recorded history, having reached 2.72 m (8 ft 11.1 in) in height at the time of his death, at the age of 22. His continued growth was due to a medical condition that results in a high level of human growth hormone.

 18 
Hana Kimura
(Japanese Professional Wrestler)
Hana Kimura
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 3, 1997
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Died: May 23, 2020
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 19 
Billy Collins Jr.
(Boxer)
Billy Collins Jr.
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 21, 1961
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Died: March 6, 1984
 20 
Francesca Woodman
(Photographer)
Francesca Woodman
4
Listed In: Photographers
Birthdate: April 3, 1958
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Denver
Died: January 19, 1981
 21 
Jay Moriarity
(American Surfer)
Jay Moriarity
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 16, 1978
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Georgia, United States
Died: June 15, 2001
 22 
Jimmy Doyle
(Boxer)
Jimmy Doyle
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 12, 1924
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: June 25, 1947
 23 
Oscar Taveras
(Baseball player)
Oscar Taveras
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 19, 1992
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Died: October 26, 2014
 24 
Freddie Joe Steinmark
(Football player)
Freddie Joe Steinmark
10
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 27, 1949
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Died: June 6, 1971
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 25 
Horst Wessel
(Nazi Party Stormtrooper Who Was Hailed Asa Nazi Hero & Martyr)
Horst Wessel
7
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 9, 1907
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bielefeld
Died: February 23, 1930

A member of the SA, the paramilitary wing of the German Nazi Party, Horst Wessel was murdered by his enemies, probably Communists. Following his death, he was hailed as a Nazi hero and martyr. The song Horst Wessel Lied later became the Nazi anthem and the co-national anthem of Nazi Germany.

 26 
Beatrice Cenci
(Noblewoman)
Beatrice Cenci
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 6, 1577
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: September 11, 1599
 27 
Cyrus the Younger
(Satrap of Lydia)
Cyrus the Younger
1
Birthdate: 0423 BC
Birthplace: Not known
Died: 0401 BC
 28 
Henry Louis Vivian Derozio
(Indian Poet and Educator Who Disseminate Western Learning and Science Among the Young Men of Bengal)
Henry Louis Vivian Derozio
13
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 18, 1809
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kolkata, India
Died: December 26, 1831

Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was an Anglo-Indian poet who became the assistant headmaster of Hindu College, Kolkata. He was born to a Christian Indo-Portuguese father and an English mother in British India. A brilliant young man, he was a radical thinker of his time, and his activities kindled the intellectual revolution in Bengal. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 22.  

 29 
Neerja Bhanot
(Air Hostess for Hijacked Pan Am Flight 73)
Neerja Bhanot
23
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 7, 1963
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chandigarh, India
Died: September 5, 1986

Neerja Bhanot was an Indian purser and model who died at the age of 22 while trying to save passengers on an airplane that had been hijacked by terrorists. She was posthumously honored with the Ashok Chakra Award, India's highest peacetime gallantry, becoming the youngest recipient of the honor. Her life inspired the 2016 biographical thriller film, Neerja.

 30 
Georges Guynemer
(Iconic French Fighter Pilot of World War I)
Georges Guynemer
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 24, 1894
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: September 11, 1917

One of the best-known French fighter pilots of World War I, Georges Guynemer reportedly shot 54 enemy planes. Awarded with honors such as the Légion d'honneur and the Médaille militaire, he was a national hero. He went MIA and was later declared dead after he failed to return from a combat mission in 1917.

 31 
Henry Spencer, 1st earl of Sunderland
(English Cavalier)
Henry Spencer, 1st earl of Sunderland
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 23, 1620
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Althorp
Died: September 20, 1643
 32 
Bjorg Lambrecht
(Belgian Cyclist Who Died in an Accident during the 2019 'Tour de Pologne')
Bjorg Lambrecht
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 2, 1997
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ghent, Belgium
Died: August 5, 2019

Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht was not just a national junior champion but also made it to the 2018 Vuelta a España starlist. The Lotto–Soudal member was just 22 when he died of internal hemorrhage after crashing into a concrete culvert during the 3rd stage of the 2019 Tour de Pologne.

 33 
John Berchmans
(Saint)
John Berchmans
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 13, 1599
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Diest, Belgium
Died: August 13, 1621
 34 
Herman Perry
(Military personnel)
Herman Perry
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: May 16, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: United States
Died: March 15, 1945
 35 
Alexios IV Angelos
(Emperor)
Alexios IV Angelos
0
Birthdate: 1182 AD
Birthplace: Constantinople
Died: February 8, 1204
 36 
Gian-Carlo Coppola
4
Birthdate: September 17, 1963
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: May 26, 1986
 37 
Felice Schragenheim
(Resistance fighter)
Felice Schragenheim
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 9, 1922
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: December 31, 1944

Felice Schragenheim was a German Jewish resistance fighter who fought against the Nazi regime during the Second World War. She is best remembered for her relationship with Lilly Wust; the tragic love story inspired the 1999 German drama film Aimée & Jaguar. Schragenheim was killed at the age of 22, when she was part of a death march from Poland to Germany.

 38 
Shunzhi Emperor
(Former Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1643 - 1661))
Shunzhi Emperor
1
Birthdate: March 15, 1638
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mukden Palace, Shenyang, China
Died: February 5, 1661

Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty was the first Qing ruler of China proper. Shunzhi relied on Buddhist priests and eunuch officials. While some believe he had died of smallpox, others state he had retired to a monastery to cope with the death of his favorite consort.

 39 
Hans-Joachim Marseille
(German Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot and Flying Ace During World War Ii)
Hans-Joachim Marseille
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 13, 1919
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: September 30, 1942

Remembered for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign, Hans-Joachim Marseille was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and a flying ace, who claimed a total of 158 victories, out of which 151 victories were against the British Commonwealth's Desert Air Force. Nicknamed Star of Africa, he is also credited with shooting down seventeen Allied fighters in a single day.

 40 
Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
(Queen)
Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
0
Birthdate: July 15, 1837
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Krauchenwies, Sigmaringen, Germany
Died: July 17, 1859
 41 
Warren Muck
(Soldier)
Warren Muck
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 31, 1922
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tonawanda, New York, United States
Died: January 10, 1945
 42 
Mayoori
(Actress)
Mayoori
1
Birthdate: 1983 AD
Birthplace: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Died: June 16, 2005
 43 
Burgred of Mercia
(King)
Burgred of Mercia
0
Birthdate: 0852 AD
Birthplace: Unknown
Died: 0874 AD
 44 
Publius Septimius Geta
(Roman emperor)
Publius Septimius Geta
2
Birthdate: March 7, 0189
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Rome
Died: December 26, 0211
 45 
Eva May
(Actress)
Eva May
0
Birthdate: May 29, 1902
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: September 10, 1924
 46 
Louis III of France
(King of West Francia)
Louis III of France
1
Birthdate: 0860 AD
Birthplace: Saint-Denis, France
Died: August 5, 0882
 47 
Arthur Hallam
(Poet)
Arthur Hallam
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 1, 1811
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: September 15, 1833
 48 
Haakon III of Norway
(King of Norway)
Haakon III of Norway
0
Birthdate: 1182 AD
Birthplace: Norway
Died: January 1, 1204
 49 
Frank Hayes
(American Jockey)
Frank Hayes
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: 1901 AD
Birthplace: Ireland
Died: June 4, 1923
 50 
Vera Voloshina
(Military personnel)
Vera Voloshina
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 30, 1919
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kemerovo, Russia
Died: November 29, 1941