Famous People Who Died At 82

The first person to walk on the Moon, Neil Armstrong was an astronaut and aeronautical engineer. Prior to his trip to the Moon, he became NASA's first civilian astronaut to fly in space. After resigning from NASA, he taught in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He was a Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee.

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.

Called a sex symbol, Burt Reynolds was one of the most charismatic actors to rule the silver screen. The star of movies like The Longest Yard, Boogie Nights and Best Friends was a massive box-office attraction from 1978 to 1982, with Smokey and the Bandit being his biggest hits. However, he really did not get thumbs up from movie critics.

Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, is widely considered as one of the greatest authors ever. After experiencing a profound moral crisis in the 1870s, Tolstoy went through a phase of spiritual awakening, which had a great impact on his subsequent works that incorporated ideas on nonviolent resistance. These works influenced personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, thereby effectively changing the course of history.

Best known for playing the iconic character of Sonny Corleone in the movie, The Godfather, James Caan is a practising martial artist, apart from being an actor and director. He has trained under Japanese-American master of karate, Takayuki Kubota, for almost 30 years. For his contributions to arts, he was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Considered one of the greatest actors ever, Cary Grant’s good looks, popular appeal and a knack for romantic comedy made him an enduring Hollywood star from the 1930s to the 1960s. Penny Serenade, An Affair to Remember, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest and Charade are some of his classic films. He was bestowed an honorary Oscar in 1970.

Leonard Cohen was one of the most popular Canadian celebrities of all time. After starting his career as a poet and novelist, Leonard went on to become a famous singer-songwriter, exploring themes like sexuality, religion, depression, and romantic relationships in his work. Leonard Cohen was one of the inspirations for Steven Clark and Matthew Bissonnette's 2002 film Looking for Leonard.

Ansel Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist. Best known for capturing the beauty of the American West, Adams helped found the Group f/64. He also formulated a photographic technique called the Zone System, which helped photographers come up with clearer images. For his photographic work and advocacy for environmental conservation, Ansel Adams was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Vincent Price was an American actor who was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Remembered for his iconic voice, Price narrated many animation films and documentaries. His life inspired Tim Burton to direct a stop-motion film titled Vincent. Since he was also an ardent art collector, The Vincent Price Art Museum is named in his honor.

Barbara Stanwyck went on to become one of the greatest actresses of Classical Hollywood cinema after being orphaned at age four. One of the favorite actresses of directors like Cecil B. DeMille, Barbara had become the highest-paid actress in America by 1944. Known for her realistic screen presence, Barbara won several prestigious honorary lifetime awards for her contribution to cinema.

Actress Dawn Wells is best remembered for her role as Mary Ann Summers in the CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island. She studied theater arts and design at the University of Washington and made her TV debut soon after. Venturing into films as well, she went on to build a successful acting career. Besides acting, she was involved in many charitable endeavors.

English actress Diana Rigg had a wide-ranging career in films, television and theatre that spanned over six decades. Memorable roles of Diana include Emma Peel in television series The Avengers, which made her a sex-symbol; Mrs. Danvers in television drama Rebecca that won her an Emmy Award; and title role in the play Medea that won her a Tony Award.

Regarded as the greatest literary figure in Germany's modern era, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a statesman and writer. Apart from writing poetry and prose, he also wrote treatises on color, anatomy, and botany. Thanks to his literary genius, Goethe was made part of the Duke's privy council in Weimar and he implemented several reforms at the University of Jena.

Wilhelm II reigned as the King of Prussia and German emperor from 1888 to 1918. He is credited with promoting scientific innovation and building a blue-water navy, which strengthened Germany’s position as a great power. However, he was also responsible for getting his country involved in World War I, which eventually brought an end to the Hohenzollern dynasty’s rule.

Albert Finney was an English actor known for his contribution across all the three major acting mediums: films, television and theatre. A recipient of Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and Emmy awards, Albert Finney also received nominations for prestigious awards, such as the Academy Award and Tony Award. 

Wayne Rogers worked his fingers to the bone for years in regional plays and off-Broadway before he seized the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in M*A*S*H that made him a star. In later years, he found substantial success in the financial field as an investor, businessman, and stock analyst.

Cornelius Vanderbilt was an American business magnate credited with vastly expanding and improving America's transportation infrastructure. For his contributions to the country's railroad industry, Vanderbilt was made an inductee of the North America Railway Hall of Fame in 1999. He is also remembered for providing an initial $1 million endowment to Vanderbilt University, which was named in his honor.

Alfredo Bowman was a Honduran self-proclaimed healer and herbalist. Bowman was known for his dramatic claims that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS and diseases could be cured with a vegan diet and herbs. His client list included celebrities like Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy. Bowman often landed in trouble for his controversial claims and was arrested on a couple of occasions.

Greek polymath Eratosthenes of Cyrene was a mathematician, poet, geographer, music theorist, and astronomer. He also served as the Library of Alexandria’s chief librarian. He was also the first to calculate the Earth’s circumference and the tilt of the Earth's axis. Nicknamed Pentathlos, he also invented many scientific terms.

Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian poet, novelist, professor, and critic. Often described as Africa's greatest storyteller, Achebe is widely regarded as the father of modern African writing. He was the recipient of several awards and honors, including the Man Booker International Prize 2007. His novel Things Fall Apart is one of the most read books in Africa.

Merv Griffin was an American media mogul and television show host best known for hosting, The Merv Griffin Show, from 1965 to 1986. He is also credited with creating famous game shows, such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, through his TV production companies. For his contribution to TV, Merv Griffin was inducted posthumously into the Television Hall of Fame.

Peter Ustinov was a British actor, writer, and filmmaker. An intellectual, Ustinov held several academic posts and served as the president of the World Federalist Movement. Over the course of his illustrious career, Peter Ustinov won many prestigious awards, such as the Golden Globes, Emmy Awards, Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and BAFTA Awards.

Lawyer Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, served as the U.S. Secretary of War from 1881 to 1885 and as the U.S. minister to the U.K. from 1889 to 1893. He had served in the Civil War, too, and had also been the president of the Pullman Car Company. 

John Carradine is considered one of the most famous character actors in Hollywood history. With an extensive career spanning almost six decades, he became known for his roles in horror films. He holds 351 film and TV credits and is among the most prolific English-speaking actors of all time. Many of his descendants are also actors.

Maria von Trapp was the matriarch of the Austrian singing family, Trapp Family Singers. As a young woman, she married widowed naval commander Georg von Trapp. He already had seven children from his first wife, and the couple had three more. The family began singing together at events and became a popular touring act called the Trapp Family Singers. 

Mamie Eisenhower was the First Lady of the U.S. through her marriage to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Her love for elegant attires got her featured on the New York Dress Institute’s list of the best-dressed women. She gave rise to the Mamie Look and the Mami Pink shade.

Rex Harrison was an English actor who won a couple of Tony Awards and an Academy Award in a career spanning 60 years. For his contribution to the film and TV industry, Harrison was honored with a couple of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1979, he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Bruno Sammartino was an Italian-American wrestler. He was one of the most popular wrestlers to participate in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) during the 1960s and 1970s. Nicknamed The Strongest Man in the World, Sammartino is often considered one of the greatest wrestlers ever. In 2013, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Francis Bacon was an English philosopher and statesman. He played a major role in the development of the scientific method and was an influential figure through the scientific revolution. He served as attorney general and as lord chancellor of England and was the first recipient of the queen's counsel designation. He has created Baron Verulam in 1618. 

A veteran actor with a career spanning six decades, Ron Leibman was best known for his work as a theater actor. He was the recipient of one Drama Desk Award and one Tony Award. He appeared in over 500 performances of the play Rumors in a span of three years. He had also acted in many films and TV shows.