Famous People Who Died At 40

The list of famous people who died at 40 includes John Lennon, Paul Walker, Edgar Allan Poe, Kalpana Chawla, Alexander McQueen. Famous personalities featured on this list, include emperors & kings, political leaders, military leaders and actors and from other domains of life. This list of celebrities who died at 40 includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Turkey and many more countries.
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 1 
John Lennon
(The Founder, Co-Songwriter, Co-Lead Vocalist & Rhythm Guitarist of 'The Beatles')
John Lennon
171
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: October 9, 1940
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Died: December 8, 1980

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.

 2 
Paul Walker
(Best Known for His Role as 'Brian O'Conner' in the 'Fast & Furious' Franchise)
Paul Walker
90
Birthdate: September 12, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Glendale, California, United States
Died: November 30, 2013

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.

 3 
Edgar Allan Poe
(Writer and Poet - Widely Regarded as a Central Figure of Romanticism in the United States)
Edgar Allan Poe
60
Birthdate: January 19, 1809
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: October 7, 1849

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).

 4 
Franz Kafka
(Novelist and Short-Story Writer, Widely Regarded as One of the Major Figures of 20th-Century Literature)
Franz Kafka
20
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 3, 1883
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic
Died: June 3, 1924

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.

 5 
Nefertiti
(Queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt)
Nefertiti
34
Birthdate: 1370 BC
Birthplace: Thebes, Egypt
Died: 1330 BC

A queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. She and her husband reigned during a period marked by great prosperity in Ancient Egyptian history. Some scholars even claim that she reigned independently for some time following her husband’s death though this claim is a matter of debate.

 6 
John Coltrane
(One of the Most Influential Saxophonists in Music History)
John Coltrane
11
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 23, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: HaHamlet, North Carolina, United States
Died: July 17, 1967
Jazz saxophonist John Coltrane is remembered for his significant influence on modern jazz. He was initially part of the Navy band and eventually collaborated with musicians such as Miles Davis. He won a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.
 7 
Gus Grissom
(Fighter Pilot, Test Pilot and Astronaut)
Gus Grissom
27
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 3, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mitchell, Indiana, United States
Died: January 27, 1967

Gus Grissom was the second U.S. astronaut to fly into space. The Distinguished Flying Cross-winner had fought in World War II and the Korean War before being part of Mercury-Redstone 4 and Project Gemini. He died during a pre-launch test of the Apollo 1 mission, along with two colleagues.

 8 
Jack London
(Novelist & Journalist)
Jack London
19
Birthdate: January 12, 1876
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: November 22, 1916

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.

 9 
Jonah Lomu
(New Zealand Rugby Union Player)
Jonah Lomu
20
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 12, 1975
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Died: November 18, 2015

Jonah Lomu was a New Zealand rugby player whose dominance on the field had a huge impact on the game. Considered the first global superstar of rugby, Jonah Lomu proved to be a crowd-puller. In 2007, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.

 10 
Pete Maravich
(American Professional Basketball Player and One of the Best Ball Handlers of All Time)
Pete Maravich
10
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 22, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: January 5, 1988
Pete Maravich, or Pistol Pete, played for three NBA teams till injuries ended his career. He initially played under his father, head coach Press Maravich, for the LSU Tigers. He also became the NCAA Division I top scorer of all time, with 3,667 points and 44.2 points per game.
 11 
Lenny Bruce
(American Stand-Up Comedian and Social Critic)
Lenny Bruce
13
Birthdate: October 13, 1925
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mineola, New York, United States
Died: August 3, 1966

Regarded as one of the best American stand-up comedians of all time, Lenny Bruce was renowned for his critical form of comedy. His conviction for obscenity played a major role in redefining freedom of speech in the US. He is also credited with inspiring several comedians of the counterculture era. His life and career have inspired several works of art.

 12 
Glenn Miller
(Trombonist)
Glenn Miller
13
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 1, 1904
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Clarinda, Iowa, United States
Died: December 15, 1944
 13 
Chris Penn
(Actor)
Chris Penn
11
Birthdate: October 10, 1965
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: January 24, 2006
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 14 
Maryam Mirzakhani
(First Iranian to Be Honored With the ‘Fields Medal’, the Most Prestigious Award in Mathematics)
Maryam Mirzakhani
13
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 12, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Died: July 14, 2017

Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician best remembered for her innovative methods and research involving different branches of mathematics like symplectic geometry and ergodic theory. On 13 August 2014, she became the first Iranian and only woman to date to be honored with the prestigious Fields Medal. Maryam Mirzakhani died of breast cancer when she was 40 years old.

 15 
Jean Seberg
(Known for Her Performance in the French Film ‘Breathless’)
Jean Seberg
17
Birthdate: November 13, 1938
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Marshalltown, Iowa, United States
Died: August 30, 1979
Jean Seberg, a French New Wave cinema heroine, had also appeared in many Hollywood films. Some of her notable films were Breathless, Macho Callahan, and Gang War in Naples. The FBI was blamed for causing her suicide by spreading derogatory rumors due to her support for the Black Panther Party.
 16 
Edward IV of England
(King of England from 1461 to 1470 and from 1471 to 1483)
Edward IV of England
11
Birthdate: April 28, 1442
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rouen, France
Died: April 9, 1483

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. 

 17 
Caroline Flack
(Television Presenter)
Caroline Flack
49
Birthdate: November 9, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Enfield, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Died: February 15, 2020

A British television personality, Caroline Flack presented many shows ranging from I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW!  to The X Factor. Accused of assaulting her boyfriend, she was one of the four participants of the dating reality series Love Island who committed suicide. She stated in her autobiography that he had dated Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.  

 18 
Kalpana Chawla
(Indian-Born American Astronaut Who Was the First Woman of Indian Origin to Go to Space)
Kalpana Chawla
76
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 17, 1962
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Karnal, Haryana, India
Died: February 1, 2003
Astronaut Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian-origin woman to go to space in the 1997 STS-87 mission. She and the other crew members of the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 mission died when the shuttle exploded before reaching Earth. The Indian weather satellite MetSat-1 was renamed Kalpana-1 in her honor.
 19 
Chris Benoit
(Canadian Professional Wrestler)
Chris Benoit
51
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 21, 1967
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
Died: June 25, 2007

Often regarded as one of the best wrestlers of all time, Chris Benoit was known for putting his body on the line to create a greater impact than most of his fellow wrestlers. One of his popular moves, a diving headbutt, was cited as one of the reasons for his deteriorating mental health that eventually resulted in his suicide.

 20 
Falco
(Austrian Singer and Musician)
Falco
8
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: February 19, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: February 6, 1998

The man behind iconic tracks such as Der Kommisar and Rock Me Amadeus, legendary Austrian singer Johann "Hans" Hölzel, better known as Falco, was one of the best-selling singers from his country. Unfortunately, his career was short-lived, as he died in a car accident shortly before his 41st birthday.

 21 
Alexander McQueen
(British Fashion Designer and Couturier)
Alexander McQueen
15
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: March 17, 1969
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lewisham, London, United Kingdom
Died: February 11, 2010
Designer Alexander McQueen had won four British Designer of the Year awards and one CFDA International Designer of the Year award. He began his career designing for Givenchy and later formed his own label. The openly gay and HIV positive designer committed suicide in 2010, shortly after his mother’s death.
 22 
Vladimir Komarov
(First Cosmonaut to Fly into Space Twice and the First Human to Die in a Space Flight)
Vladimir Komarov
7
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 16, 1927
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: April 24, 1967

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.

 23 
Rick Rude
(American Professional Wrestler)
Rick Rude
23
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 7, 1958
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Saint Peter, Minnesota, United States
Died: April 20, 1999

Rick Rude was an American wrestler who performed for several promotions, such as World Wrestling Federation (WWF/WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Although he never won the WWE Championship, Rick Rude is often regarded as one of the best WWE wrestlers of his generation. In 2017, he was inducted posthumously into the WWE Hall of Fame.

 24 
Emily Davison
(English Suffragette Who Fought for Votes for Women in Britain in the Early 20th Century)
Emily Davison
9
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: October 11, 1872
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England
Died: June 8, 1913

Activist Emily Davison is remembered for her relentless fight for women’s suffrage. As part of her protest, at the 1913 Epsom Derby, she went in front of King George V’s horse, to attach suffragette flags to it, and was tragically trampled to death. Some regard her as a martyr for women’s causes.

 25 
Jim Reeves
(Singer-Songwriter)
Jim Reeves
8
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: August 20, 1923
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Galloway, Texas, United States
Died: July 31, 1964
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 26 
Roy Halladay
(Baseball Player)
Roy Halladay
11
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 14, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, USA
Died: November 7, 2017
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
 27 
Henry II of France
(King of France (1547 - 1559))
Henry II of France
7
Birthdate: March 31, 1519
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Died: July 10, 1559
Henry II, son of Francis I, reigned as the king of France from 1547 to 1559. Though he achieved the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis, which ended the Italian Wars, he died as a result of a would inflicted by Gabriel de Montgomery during a jousting event to celebrate the same.
 28 
Ray Combs
(Actor, Television actor)
Ray Combs
10
Birthdate: April 3, 1956
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hamilton
Died: June 2, 1996
 29 
Lana Clarkson
(American Actress and Fashion Model)
Lana Clarkson
7
Birthdate: April 5, 1962
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States
Died: February 3, 2003
Lana Clarkson was a famous model and actor of the 1980s, who had appeared in quite a few sword-and-sorcery films, such as Barbarian Queen and Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II. Clarkson was also associated with AIDS charity. She was shot dead by record producer Phil Spector.
 30 
Scott Fischer
(First American to Summit Mt. Lhotse)
Scott Fischer
6
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 24, 1955
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Muskegon, Michigan, United States
Died: May 11, 1996

American mountaineer Scott Fischer was known for scaling the highest peaks of the world, including Mt. Everest and K2, without using oxygen cans. He later became a mountain guide and co-launched his own adventure travel company Mountain Madness. He died in a blizzard while guiding a group of clients to Mt. Everest.

 31 
Gerald Levert
(Singer)
Gerald Levert
8
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: July 13, 1966
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: November 10, 2006
 32 
Lawrence Phillips
(American football player)
Lawrence Phillips
16
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 12, 1975
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Died: January 13, 2016
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 33 
Robert Capa
(Photographer, Photojournalist)
Robert Capa
7
Birthdate: October 22, 1913
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: May 25, 1954

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.

 34 
Joey Feek
(Singer-songwriter)
Joey Feek
6
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: September 9, 1975
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Alexandria, Indiana, United States
Died: March 4, 2016
 35 
Adrienne Shelly
(Actress)
Adrienne Shelly
6
Birthdate: June 24, 1966
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Died: November 1, 2006
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 36 
Paddy Mayne
(One of Britain's Most Highly Decorated Soldiers in Second World War)
Paddy Mayne
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 11, 1915
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Newtownards, County Down, Ireland
Died: December 14, 1955

Paddy Mayne was not just a British Army lieutenant colonel but also a legendary rugby player who had represented both Ireland and the British Lions. He was also known for his reckless behavior, including his drunken brawls. He was part of a huge debate after being denied the Victoria Cross.

 37 
Vitas Gerulaitis
(American Professional Tennis Player)
Vitas Gerulaitis
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 26, 1954
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: September 17, 1994
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 38 
Trevor Goddard
(Best Known for His Role as ‘Kano’ in the Martial Arts Action Film ‘Mortal Kombat’)
Trevor Goddard
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: October 14, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Croydon, Surrey, England
Died: June 7, 2003

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.

 39 
Matthew Flinders
8
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 16, 1774
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Donington
Died: July 19, 1814
 40 
Howard Ashman
(Playwright, Lyricist & Stage Director)
Howard Ashman
6
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: May 17, 1950
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: March 14, 1991
 41 
Ian Charleson
(Scottish actor)
Ian Charleson
2
Birthdate: August 11, 1949
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: January 6, 1990
 42 
Anita Mui
(Legendary Hong Kong Cantopop Singer and Actor)
Anita Mui
6
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: October 10, 1963
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Died: December 30, 2003

Iconic Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actor Anita Mui was known as the Daughter of Hong Kong and the Madonna of the East. Starting her career as a nightclub singer, she grew up to deliver award-winning performances in films such as July Rhapsody and Rouge. She was also a prominent political activist and philanthropist.

 43 
Agustín de Iturbide
(Emperor of Mexico (1822 - 1823))
Agustín de Iturbide
1
Birthdate: September 27, 1783
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Morelia, Mexico
Died: July 19, 1824

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.

 44 
Margaret Fuller
(American Journalist, Critic, Editor, and Women's Rights Advocate)
Margaret Fuller
3
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: May 23, 1810
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Died: July 19, 1850

Margaret Fuller was an American journalist, critic, editor, women's rights advocate, and translator. She is best remembered for her association with the transcendentalism movement. Her 1843 book Woman in the Nineteenth Century is widely regarded as the first major feminist book in the USA. An advocate of women's rights, Margaret Fuller was the first female war correspondent in the USA.

 45 
Alaric I
(King of the Visigoths from 395 to 410)
Alaric I
1
Birthdate: 0370 AD
Birthplace: Peuce Island
Died: 0410 AD

Alaric I reigned as the first king of the Visigoths. Alaric, who operated against the Western Roman regimes, is best remembered for playing a crucial role in the sack of Rome in 410, which was one of the major events leading up to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. After Rome's sack, Alaric fell ill and died in Bruttium.

 46 
Eli Cohen
(Egyptian-born Israeli Spy)
Eli Cohen
11
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 26, 1924
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: May 18, 1965
Israeli spy Eli Cohen is remembered for his espionage activities from 1961 to 1965 in Syria, where he served as the chief advisor to the defense minister. He was eventually convicted and publicly hanged. His story later inspired the Netflix miniseries The Spy and the TV film The Impossible Spy.
 47 
Terry Gordy
(Wrestler)
Terry Gordy
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 23, 1961
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Died: July 16, 2001
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 48 
Víctor Jara
(Chilean Teacher and Theater Director Who Was Tortured and Killed by Dictator Augusto Pinochet’s Men)
Víctor Jara
7
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: September 28, 1932
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Ignacio, Chile
Died: September 16, 1973

Legendary Chilean folk singer Víctor Jara was eventually gearing up for a career as a priest and later studied theater, eventually switching to music. He pioneered the nueva canción genre of music in the middle of extreme political turmoil. He was tortured and shot dead during dictator Augusto Pinochet’s reign.

 49 
Michael J. Smith
Michael J. Smith
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 30, 1945
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Beaufort
Died: January 28, 1986
 50 
Juan Gris
(Spanish Cubist Painter)
Juan Gris
3
Birthdate: March 23, 1887
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
Died: May 11, 1927

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.