Famous People Who Died At 85

The list of famous people who died at 85 includes Hedy Lamarr, Agatha Christie, Shirley Temple, Mary of Teck, V. S. Naipaul. Famous personalities featured on this list, include political leaders, artists, actors and poets and from other domains of life. This list of celebrities who died at 85 includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Germany and many more countries.
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 1 
Agatha Christie
(English Author Known for Her Detective Novels and Short Stories)
Agatha Christie
33
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 15, 1890
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Torquay, Devon, England
Died: January 12, 1976

Even after four decades after her death, Agatha Christie remains an influential figure in the world of literature and entertainment as most of her books continue to serve as inspiration to films, TV series, and video games. With over two billion copies of her novels sold, she holds the Guinness World Records for best-selling fiction writer of all time.

 2 
Shirley Temple
(Actress, 27th United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia)
Shirley Temple
58
Birthdate: April 23, 1928
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
Died: February 10, 2014

After starting her film career at the age of three, Shirley Temple went on to become Hollywood's highest-grossing child actress from 1935 to 1938. She is the epitome of popular child stars who lose their charm as they grow up. Despite failing as an adult actress, she is ranked 18th in the greatest female screen legends of Classic Hollywood list.

 3 
Hedy Lamarr
(Actress Best Known for Her Films 'Algiers', 'Lady of the Tropics' & 'Boom Town')
Hedy Lamarr
38
Birthdate: November 9, 1914
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: January 19, 2000

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress whose early career was defined by her performance in the controversial Czech erotic film Ecstasy. Apart from gaining popularity as a beautiful Hollywood actress, Hedy Lamarr became known as an inventor after co-inventing frequency-hopping spread spectrum. Her career has inspired several works of art. She was also the inspiration behind the iconic character Catwoman.

 4 
James Madison
(4th President of The United States)
James Madison
28
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 16, 1751
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Port Conway, Virginia, United States
Died: June 28, 1836

James Madison played an important role in drafting the US Constitution and the US Bill of Rights and is hailed as the Father of the Constitution. He also co-wrote The Federalist Papers, considered to be a seminal work of political science. As president, he led the country into the 1812 war and historians place him as an above-average president.

 5 
John Madden
(Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders)
John Madden
41
Birthdate: April 10, 1936
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Austin, Minnesota, United States
Died: December 28, 2021
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 6 
Carl Jung
(Swiss Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst and Founder of Analytical Psychology)
Carl Jung
13
Birthdate: July 26, 1875
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kesswil, Switzerland
Died: June 6, 1961

Widely regarded as the father of analytical psychology, Carl Jung is one of the most important contributors to symbolization and dream analysis. The concepts of socionics and a popular psychometric instrument called Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) were developed from Jung's theory. Apart from working as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Carl Jung was also an artist, craftsman, builder, and prolific writer.

 7 
Karl Lagerfeld
(Famous as the Creative Director of the French Fashion House 'Chanel')
Karl Lagerfeld
26
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: September 10, 1933
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
Died: February 19, 2019
German fashion magnate Karl Lagerfeld, son of businessman Otto Lagerfeld, had served as the creative director of Chanel and Fendi. He was also a talented photographer and caricaturist, and had a penchant for collecting books. He was known for his signature sunglasses, white hair, fingerless gloves, and detachable collars.  
 8 
Daniel Boone
(American Frontiersman and One of the First Folk Heroes of the United States)
Daniel Boone
17
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 2, 1734
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States
Died: September 26, 1820

Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, woodsman, explorer, and frontiersman. His exploits as an American frontier made him one of the earliest folk heroes of the US. Widely regarded as the founder of Kentucky, Daniel Boone is popular for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky. His life and work have inspired several movies, such as the 1936 movie Daniel Boone.

 9 
Lloyd Bridges
(American Film, Stage and Television Actor)
Lloyd Bridges
13
Birthdate: January 15, 1913
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: San Leandro, California, United States
Died: March 10, 1998

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

 10 
Tim Conway
(Actor)
Tim Conway
16
Birthdate: December 15, 1933
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Willoughby, Ohio, USA
Died: May 14, 2019
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 11 
Wilford Brimley
19
Birthdate: September 27, 1934
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Died: August 1, 2020

A stint at U.S. Marine Corps and a variety of jobs later, Wilford Brimley finally entered the world of acting, albeit as an extra. He established himself as a character actor and bagged his first leading role at the age of fifty. His notable work include Cocoon, The Natural and Our House. He is known for Quaker Oats commercials too.

 12 
Shelley Winters
(American Actress Best Known for Her Films: 'The Diary of Anne Frank' and 'A Patch of Blue')
Shelley Winters
5
Birthdate: August 18, 1920
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: January 14, 2006

Shelley Winters was an American actress who contributed immensely to all the three major acting mediums in a career spanning almost sixty years. The winner of two Academy Awards, Shelley Winters remained popular throughout her life. She was also known for her much-publicized personal life, which included her four marriages and the romance with actor Farley Granger.

 13 
Grace Hopper
(Computer Scientist, Mathematician and One of the First Programmers of the ‘Harvard Mark I’ Computer)
Grace Hopper
15
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 9, 1906
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: January 1, 1992
Computer scientist and U.S. Navy rear admiral Grace Hopper was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computing system. She pioneered the machine-independent programming language technique, and the FLOW-MATIC language used by her was later used to create COBOL. She received a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.
 14 
Tony Curtis
25
Birthdate: June 3, 1925
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, United States
Died: September 29, 2010

Tony Curtis was an American actor who achieved the height of his fame in the 1950s and 1960s in a career spanning six decades. Also a well-known philanthropist, Tony Curtis helped fund the rebuilding of the Great Synagogue in Hungary. In 1998, he founded a non-profit organization called Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, which works towards the restoration of synagogues.

 15 
Dean Stockwell
(Actor)
Dean Stockwell
10
Birthdate: March 5, 1936
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: November 7, 2021
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 16 
Burl Ives
(American Musician, Actor and Folk Singer Known for His Hit 'A Little Bitty Tear')
Burl Ives
9
Birthdate: June 14, 1909
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hunt City, Illinois, United States
Died: April 14, 1995
 17 
Jessica Tandy
(British-American Actress Who Became the Oldest Actress to Win an Oscar for Best Actress)
Jessica Tandy
7
Birthdate: June 7, 1909
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: September 11, 1994

Jessica Tandy was an English-American actress who completed the triple crown of acting in 1990 after winning Tony Awards, an Academy Award, and Primetime Emmy Award. She is also the oldest actress to win an Oscar. Also known for her good looks, Tandy was named in People magazine's list of 50 Most Beautiful People at the peak of her career.

 18 
Bettie Page
(American Model who Gained Notoriety in the 1950s for her Pin-Up Photos)
Bettie Page
17
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: April 22, 1923
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, US
Died: December 11, 2008

Model Bettie Page was an iconic figure in pop culture in the 1950s. Considered a sex symbol, she was most popular for her pin-up photos. In 1955, she became one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine. After a short but immensely successful modeling career, she converted to Christianity and quit modeling.

 19 
Harriet Beecher Stowe
11
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 14, 1811
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Litchfield, Connecticut, United States
Died: July 1, 1896
 20 
Ralph Waite
(American Actor Best Known for His Lead Role as ‘John Walton SR.’ in the TV Series ‘The Waltons’)
Ralph Waite
14
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: June 22, 1928
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: White Plains, New York, United States
Died: February 13, 2014
Ralph Waite is best remembered for his Emmy-nominated roles of John Walton Sr. in The Waltons and Slater in Roots. Fans also loved him in series such as NCIS and Bones, and in movies such as Cliffhanger. He was a U.S. Marine and also ran for Congress as a Democrat.
 21 
Anne Meara
(Actress & Comedian)
Anne Meara
8
Birthdate: September 20, 1929
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Died: May 23, 2015
Comedian and actor Anne Meara, mother of actor Ben Stiller, was part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara, along with her husband, Jerry Stiller. She appeared in series such as Archie Bunker's Place and many films, too. She also earned a Writers Guild Award for co-writing The Other Woman.
 22 
Robert Downey Sr.
(Known for Having Written and Directed the 1969 Underground Film ‘Putney Swope’)
Robert Downey Sr.
11
Birthdate: June 24, 1936
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: July 7, 2021

Robert Downey Sr. was an American actor and filmmaker. He is best remembered for making satirical films, such as Putney Swope that influenced and inspired the Counterculture of the 1960s. He is also credited with shaping the film career of his son Robert John Downey Jr.

 23 
Robert Loggia
(Actor and Director)
Robert Loggia
12
Birthdate: January 3, 1930
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Staten Island, New York, United States
Died: December 4, 2015
Robert Loggia is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role of Sam Ransom in Jagged Edge and his Saturn Award-winning role in Big. He also appeared in series such as Malcolm in the Middle and The Sopranos. His humanitarian work earned him the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
 24 
Bart Starr
(American football quarterback and coach)
Bart Starr
5
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 9, 1934
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Died: May 26, 2019
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 25 
Roy Clark
(Singer)
Roy Clark
6
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: April 15, 1933
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Meherrin, Virginia, United States
Died: November 15, 2018
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 26 
Carl Rogers
(Psychologist)
Carl Rogers
22
Birthdate: January 8, 1902
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Oak Park
Died: February 4, 1987

Psychologist Carl Rogers was the first to introduce a client-centric approach to psychotherapy and addressed the patient as the client. Besides working on troubled children, he also taught at various institutes, such as the University of Chicago. On Becoming a Person remains one of his best-known books.

 27 
Don Ameche
(Actor and Comedian Best Known for His Leading Man Roles in 1930's and 40's)
Don Ameche
3
Birthdate: May 31, 1908
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
Died: December 6, 1993
Don Ameche started as a comedian and vaudeville performer. He later gained fame on radio, too, appearing in the sketch comedy The Bickersons. He also earned a 20th Century Fox contract, appeared in movies such as Trading Places, and won an Academy Award for his role in Cocoon.
 28 
Mary Wickes
(Actress)
Mary Wickes
5
Birthdate: June 13, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: October 22, 1995

Mary Wickes was an American actress who often played professional women, housekeepers, and nuns in films and TV series. A tall woman with a distinctive voice, Wickes proved to be a popular comedian. She was often cast to play wisecracking characters, such as Nurse Dora Pickford in the 1942 drama film Now, Voyager.

 29 
James Doohan
(Screenwriter, Television actor, Film actor, Actor, Novelist, Science fiction writer)
James Doohan
8
Birthdate: March 3, 1920
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vancouver
Died: July 20, 2005

Canadian actor James Doohan was initially a soldier in the Canadian army and had even sustained injuries in World War II. He later soared to fame with his Saturn Award-nominated role of Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek film and TV franchise. He also voiced the character in various video games.

 30 
Hermann Hesse
(Poet, Novelist & Painter Who Won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Hermann Hesse
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 2, 1877
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Calw, Germany
Died: August 9, 1962

German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter Hermann Hesse received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. He explored individuals’ search for authenticity, self-knowledge, and spirituality in his works. An intense and headstrong person from childhood, he developed an early interest in reading. He started writing as a young man and became an influential author in the German-speaking world. 

 31 
Howard Keel
(Actor and Singer Known for His Rich Bass-Baritone Singing Voice and His Role in TV Series ‘Dallas’)
Howard Keel
4
Birthdate: April 13, 1919
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gillespie, Illinois, United States
Died: November 7, 2004

Howard Keel was an American actor. Renowned for his bass-baritone voice, Keel starred in several MGM musicals throughout the 1950s. Also known for his work in TV and films, Keel was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. In 1996, a Golden Palm Star was dedicated to him on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

 32 
Art Carney
(Actor and Comedian Best Known for His Role as ‘Ed Norton’ in the TV Sitcom ‘The Honeymooners’)
Art Carney
4
Birthdate: November 4, 1918
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Died: November 9, 2003

Art Carney is best remembered for his Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning role of Harry Coombes in the film Harry and Tonto. The six-time Emmy-winning actor had also gained fame as Ed Norton in the sitcom The Honeymooners. He had suffered a leg injury while serving at World War II.

 33 
Richard Georg Strauss
(Considered a Leading Composer of The Late Romantic & Early Modern Eras)
Richard Georg Strauss
8
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 11, 1864
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: September 8, 1949

Richard Georg Strauss was a German conductor, composer, violinist, and pianist. Renowned for his pioneering subtleties of orchestration, Strauss is generally regarded as a modernist, although he was initially considered a conservative, backwards-looking composer. Over the years, his music has influenced other prominent composers like Béla Viktor János Bartók, Karol Maciej Szymanowski, Edward Elgar, and Benjamin Britten.

 34 
Billie Burke
(Actress)
Billie Burke
4
Birthdate: August 7, 1884
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Died: May 14, 1970
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 35 
Annie Besant
(British Social Reformer, Theosophist and Women's Rights Activist)
Annie Besant
12
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: October 1, 1847
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Clapham Town, London, United Kingdom
Died: September 20, 1933

Annie Besant was a British theosophist, socialist, writer, orator, educationist, women's rights activist, and philanthropist. Despite being British, Besant supported India's freedom movement and even joined the Indian National Congress. She is also credited with co-founding Banaras Hindu University. Besant also helped launch the Indian Home Rule movement to campaign for democracy in the country.

 36 
Jack Warden
(Actor)
Jack Warden
5
Birthdate: September 18, 1920
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: July 19, 2006
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 37 
Tom Poston
(Actor)
Tom Poston
7
Birthdate: October 17, 1921
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States
Died: April 30, 2007
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 38 
Philip Roth
(One of the Most Awarded American Writers of His Generation)
Philip Roth
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 19, 1933
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: May 22, 2018

Philip Roth was a novelist and short-story writer best remembered for creating the fictional character Nathan Zuckerman, who featured in many of his novels. The recipient of the 1997 Pulitzer Prize, he also received the inaugural Franz Kafka Prize. Roth was one of the most awarded American writers of his generation. Born a Jew, he became an atheist later on.

 39 
Fess Parker
(Actor)
Fess Parker
6
Birthdate: August 16, 1924
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Died: March 18, 2010
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 40 
Desmond Llewelyn
(Welsh Actor Best Known for His Role as ‘Q’ in James Bond Films)
Desmond Llewelyn
8
Birthdate: September 12, 1914
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newport, Wales Newport, Wales
Died: December 19, 1999

Welsh actor, Desmond Llewelyn, is best known for his role as Q in many James Bond films over a span of four decades. Even though he originally wanted to be a minister, his interest shifted to acting while in high school. He served in the army during World War II and resumed his acting career afterward. 

 41 
Chespirito
(One of the Greatest Comedians of All Time)
Chespirito
18
Birthdate: February 21, 1929
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Died: November 28, 2014

Mexican comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños became a cultural icon with his show Chespirito, which also starred him as the titular character and thus made him adopt Chespirito as his stage name later. He was a boxer before venturing into entertainment and had even dropped out of an engineering course.

 42 
V. S. Naipaul
(Trinidadian-Born British Writer Who Won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001)
V. S. Naipaul
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 17, 1932
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Trinidad and Tobago
Died: August 11, 2018

Born to Indian descendants in Trinidad, V. S. Naipaul grew up to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The author of iconic novels such as Half a Life and A House for Mr. Biswas, Naipaul was also knighted. His realistic depiction of developing countries and their miseries won hearts worldwide.

 43 
James Drury
(Actor Known for Having Played the Title Role in the 90-Minute Weekly Western Television Series 'The Virginian')
James Drury
1
Birthdate: April 18, 1934
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: April 6, 2020

James Drury was the quintessential tall, dark, and handsome Western hero of Hollywood in the 1950s and the 1960s. he had started his acting career at age 12. Interestingly he graduated in horticulture and animal husbandry. He is best remembered for his role in the NBC series The Virginian.

 44 
Dorothy McGuire
9
Birthdate: June 14, 1916
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Died: September 13, 2001
 45 
F. W. de Klerk
(1st Deputy President of South Africa)
F. W. de Klerk
15
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 18, 1936
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
Died: November 11, 2021
F. W. de Klerk served as the State President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as the Deputy President from 1994 to 1996. He was also the National Party leader from 1989 to 1997. His government helped crush the apartheid system and established universal suffrage. 
 46 
Alexander Haig
(United States Secretary of State (1981-82))
Alexander Haig
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 2, 1924
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: February 20, 2010
 47 
Clayton Moore
(American actor)
Clayton Moore
2
Birthdate: September 14, 1914
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: December 28, 1999
 48 
Howard Morris
1
Birthdate: September 4, 1919
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States
Died: May 21, 2005
 49 
Fred Perry
(British Tennis & Table Tennis Player Who Won Eight Grand Slam Tournaments & Two Pro Slam Singles Titles)
Fred Perry
7
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 18, 1909
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Portwood, Stockport, England
Died: February 2, 1995

Fred Perry was a British tennis player. A former world No. 1, Perry won three successive Wimbledon Championships from 1934. He won eight Grand Slam tournaments, including a Career Grand Slam. He was the first player and only British player to date to achieve a Career Grand Slam. Also a table tennis player, Perry was the world champion in 1929.

 50 
Ernst Haeckel
(Zoologist & Evolutionist Who Was a Strong Proponent of 'Darwinism')
Ernst Haeckel
4
Birthdate: February 16, 1834
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Potsdam, Germany
Died: August 9, 1919

Ernst Haeckel had initially practiced medicine before he gained an interest in Charles Darwin’s theory and began exploring zoology and related fields. He not only coined terms such as ecology, but also named numerous species and created a genealogical tree. He drew numerous figures of animals and sea creatures, too.