Famous People Who Died At 40

Actor Paul Walker is remembered for his role as Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise. A talented star who made his debut as a child actor, he was known for taking up challenging roles, especially in action films. Besides acting, he had a keen interest in marine biology. He was killed in a tragic car accident in 2013.

Considered one of the major authors of the 20th century, Franz Kafka was a Bohemian short-story writer and novelist. Franz Kafka is credited for being one of the earliest German-speaking authors to explore themes like absurdity, existential anxiety, and alienation. The term Kafkaesque is now widely used in the English language to explain those situations experienced by his characters.

Jack London was an American novelist, social activist, and journalist. A pioneer of American magazines and commercial fiction, London was one of the first authors from the US to become an international celebrity. His life and work inspired several films, such as the 1943 movie Jack London and 1980 film Klondike Fever. He was also portrayed in several TV series.

John Lennon was part of the hugely successful and popular music band, Beatles. It became the first British band to break out big in the US. However, they eventually broke up. Subsequently, Lennon went solo, with 1971 album, Imagine, being his most successful and acclaimed post-Beatles efforts. Sadly he was shot dead by a deranged fan in New York.

American writer Edgar Allan Poe is regarded as the architect of modern short story, the inventor of the detective-fiction genre and a major contributor towards science fiction genre. The influential writer is recognised for his tales of mystery and macabre. His notable works include The Raven (poem), The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher (short stories).

The King of England for several years from 1461 until his death in 1483, Edward IV of England was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses. He was a brave warrior and his contemporaries described him as handsome, affable, and energetic. He died at the relatively young age of 40. The cause of his death remains unknown. 

Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was the first from his country to fly into space twice. He died when his Soyuz 1 capsule crashed while re-entering the Earth, due to a parachute failure, on April 24, 1967, which made him the first human to die in a space flight.

Robert Capa was a Hungarian-American photojournalist and war photographer. Regarded as the greatest adventure and combat photographer of all time, Robert Capa is best remembered for covering five major wars, namely Second Sino-Japanese War, Spanish Civil War, World War II, First Indochina War, and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In 1947, he was honored with the prestigious Medal of Freedom.

Agustín de Iturbide was a Mexican politician and army general who played a key role during the Mexican War of Independence. During the war, Agustín built a successful military and political coalition that brought the entire Mexico City under its control on 27 September 1821, thus playing an important role in gaining independence for Mexico.

Juan Gris was a Spanish painter whose paintings are counted among the Cubism movement's most distinctive works. Gris's works and style influenced the Purist style of Charles Edouard Jeanneret and Amédée Ozenfant. Some of his paintings, such as Still Life with Checked Tablecloth and The musician's Table, have sold for millions of dollars at the auction.

Tim Hetherington was a British photojournalist who produced films and books among other work that ranged from fly-poster exhibitions to multi-screen installations. Hetherington is remembered for co-directing the 2010 documentary film Restrepo, which received the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Hetherington was killed at the age of 40 while covering the Libyan civil war in 2011. 

Alex Lowe was an American mountaineer who was admired and respected by his peers for doing exceptionally well in every aspect of mountaineering. He was associated with the North Face climbing team for nearly 10 years and is credited with inspiring an entire generation of climbers. In 1995, Lowe was honored by the American Alpine Club with the Underhill Award.

Anthony Radziwill was a Swiss-born American filmmaker and television executive. The son of Polish Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł and socialite Lee Radziwiłł, Anthony started his career as a television producer, winning the prestigious Peabody Award in 1990 for his investigation on the revival of Nazism in the US. Anthony Radziwill died at the age of 40 due to cancer.

Apart from being an actor, best known for the film Mortal Kombat and the series JAG, Trevor Goddard had also been a talented light heavyweight boxer. He also played cricket and football in his youth. He died of an accidental drug overdose at age 40, in his North Hollywood home.

Vazgen Sargsyan was an Armenian politician and military commander. He is best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Armenia from 11 June 1999 until his murder on 27 October 1999. He also served as the Defence Minister of Armenia on two occasions between 1991 and 1999. Vazgen Sargsyan is often counted among Armenia's greatest national heroes.

Dragutin Dimitrijević was a Serbian army officer best remembered for his association with a secret military society called the Black Hand, which organized the May Coup and the assassination of Queen Draga and King Alexander I of Serbia. Dragutin Dimitrijević was found guilty of conspiracy and executed by firing squad on 26 June 1917.

David Purley was a British racing driver who competed in 11 F1 World Championship Grands Prix. He is best remembered for his heroics at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix where he stopped in the middle of a race to save his fellow racer Roger Williamson. Purley was honored with the George Medal for his bravery in trying to save Williamson.

English navigator and Royal Navy officer George Vancouver was the first to explore the Pacific coast of North America. His explored territories included the Canada’s British Columbia, the US’s Alaska, and Australia’s southwest coast. His 3-volume treatise on his journeys, with a collection of maps, was published posthumously.

Slovak author and politician Ľudovít Štúr was a major figure of the 19th-century Slovak national revival. He had started writing poems as a teenager and had also penned The Theory of the Slovak Language. He was also part of the Hungarian Assembly. He later accidentally shot himself during a hunt.

Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian explorer and scholar. He was part of the famous expedition to the Spice Islands, which was led by Ferdinand Magellan. Pigafetta served as Magellan's assistant during the expedition and kept a journal, which is the first recorded document pertaining to the Cebuano language. Antonio Pigafetta was among the men who achieved the world's first circumnavigation.

Jaime Roldós Aguilera was an Ecuadorian political figure who served as the President of Ecuador from 1979 until his death in 1981. Although his presidency was short-lived, Jaime Roldós Aguilera achieved immense popularity and reverence for his support for human rights.

Born to a Sudanese shipbuilder, Muhammad Ahmad grew up to become a Sufi religious leader. His war against the Ottoman-Egyptian rule and his capture of Khartoum led him to establish a vast Islamic state. Named the first Mahdi, he was one of the rare African rulers to defeat the British.

Pope Alexander I was a 2nd-century bishop of Rome. Some believe he introduced the custom of the holy water and of mixing sacramental wine with water. Some also believe he may have been martyred during the reign of Trajan or Hadrian. He is believed to have had a vision of baby Jesus.