Famous People Who Died At 97

The list of famous people who died at 97 includes John D. Rockefeller, Louis Zamperini, Bertrand Russell, Marc Chagall, John Kenneth Galbraith. Famous personalities featured on this list, include spiritual & religious leaders, mathematicians, political leaders and philosophers and from other domains of life. This list of celebrities who died at 97 includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Italy & Canada and many more countries.
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 1 
Doris Day
(One of the Biggest Film Stars of Golden Age of Hollywood )
Doris Day
67
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: April 3, 1922
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: May 13, 2019
Doris Day began her career singing with the Les Brown Band and as a solo artist. As an actor, she delivered many hits with Rock Hudson, including Pillow Talk, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. She is remembered as a legend from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
 2 
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton
(American Socialite, Philanthropist and Co-Founder of the Private Orphanage ‘Graham Windham’)
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton
32
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 9, 1757
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States
Died: November 9, 1854

The better half of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was involved in her husband’s political career during his lifetime and worked towards protecting his legacy after his death. A social worker, she lent support to multiple charitable causes including establishing New York’s first private orphanage.

 3 
John D. Rockefeller
(American Businessman and Founder of the 'Standard Oil Company')
John D. Rockefeller
47
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: July 8, 1839
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Richford, New York, United States
Died: May 23, 1937

Widely regarded as the richest person in modern history and the wealthiest American ever, John D. Rockefeller was a business magnate who founded the Standard Oil Company. He was America’s first billionaire. He also defined the structure of modern philanthropy as the foundations created by him had a major effect on scientific research, medicine, and education.

 4 
Chuck Yeager
(American Test Pilot and the First Air Force Officer to Exceed the Speed of Sound in Flight)
Chuck Yeager
15
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 13, 1923
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Myra, West Virginia, United States
Died: December 7, 2020
U.S. Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager was the first human to break the sound barrier, when he flew the Bell X-1 in 1947. He was a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot in World War II and also fought in the Vietnam War. He inspired the novel and movie The Right Stuff.
 5 
Bertrand Russell
(Philosopher)
Bertrand Russell
35
Birthdate: May 18, 1872
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Trellech, Monmouthshire, Wales
Died: February 2, 1970

Bertrand Russell was a British polymath and Nobel laureate. His work, which is spread across various fields, has had a considerable influence on philosophy, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, mathematics, linguistics, and logic. Russell is also credited with leading the revolt against idealism in Britain and is regarded as one of the founders of analytic philosophy.

 6 
Karl Malden
1
Birthdate: March 22, 1912
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: July 1, 2009

Karl Malden is best remembered for his Academy Award-winning role of Harold Mitchell in A Streetcar Named Desire. He also won a BAFTA for the film Baby Doll and an Emmy for Fatal Vision. Fans also loved him as Mike Stone in The Streets of San Francisco and its spin-off.

 7 
Carol Channing
(Actress)
Carol Channing
7
Birthdate: January 31, 1921
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
Died: January 15, 2019
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 8 
Marc Chagall
(Jewish-French Artist Who was a Pioneer of Modernism)
Marc Chagall
9
Birthdate: July 6, 1887
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lizona, Belarus
Died: March 28, 1985

Russian-French artist Marc Chagall, a key figure of modernism, had explored a wide range of media as an artist, from paintings and drawings to stained glass and ceramics. His major projects included the ceiling of the Paris Opéra, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Jerusalem Windows of Israel.

 9 
Sir John Mills
5
Birthdate: February 22, 1908
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: North Elmham, Norfolk, England, UK
Died: April 23, 2005

Sir John Mills was an English actor whose career spanned 70 years. During the course of his career, Mills won several prestigious awards, including an Academy Award for his portrayal of Michael in the 1970 epic romantic drama film, Ryan's Daughter. In 2002, he was honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts with a BAFTA Fellowship.

 10 
Nanette Fabray
4
Birthdate: October 27, 1920
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States
Died: February 22, 2018
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 11 
Rhonda Fleming
(Actress)
Rhonda Fleming
7
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: August 10, 1923
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: October 14, 2020
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 12 
Caroline Herschel
(Astronomer)
Caroline Herschel
7
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 16, 1750
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hanover, Germany
Died: January 9, 1848

Caroline Herschel was a German astronomer who is credited with the discovery of many comets, such as 35P/Herschel-Rigollet, which is named in her honor. In 1828, Herschel became the first woman to be honored with a Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. She was also the first female scientist to receive a salary.

 13 
Bill Macy
(Actor)
Bill Macy
5
Birthdate: May 18, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Revere, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died: October 17, 2019
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 14 
Kenneth Kaunda
25
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 28, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chinsali, Awemba North, Northern Rhodesia
Died: June 17, 2021

Kenneth Kaunda is a Zambian former politician. He served as the first president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. A major figure in Zambia’s struggle for independence from British rule, he became the first president of independent Zambia. As the president, he implemented many educational and economic reforms to accelerate the rate of modernization in the country.

 15 
Art Linkletter
(Genial host of TV's House Party from 1943 to 1967)
Art Linkletter
1
Birthdate: July 17, 1912
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Moose Jaw, Canada
Died: May 26, 2010
 16 
Joseph Wapner
2
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: November 15, 1919
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: February 26, 2017
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 17 
John Kenneth Galbraith
(Famous for His Trilogy on Economics 'American Capitalism', 'The Affluent Society' and 'The New Industrial State')
John Kenneth Galbraith
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 15, 1908
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Iona Station, Canada
Died: April 29, 2006

John Kenneth Galbraith was an intellectual, diplomat, economist, and public official. One of the most influential exponents of 20th-century American liberalism, Galbraith published many books concerning the American economy. Galbraith is one of the few individuals to be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Medal of Freedom. He also received 50 honorary degrees from various institutions.

 18 
Empress Kōjun
(Consort)
Empress Kōjun
6
Birthdate: March 6, 1903
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: June 16, 2000

Empress Kōjun was an Empress consort of Japan. As the wife of Emperor Shōwa, Kōjun was one of the most important members of the Imperial House of Japan. She reigned as empress consort from 1926 to 1989, becoming the longest-serving empress consort in the history of Japan. Kōjun performed her ceremonial duties and accompanied Emperor Shōwa on his foreign tours.

 19 
Leon Askin
(Austrian Actor Best Known for Portraying the Character 'General Burkhalter' in the TV Series 'Hogan’s Heroes')
Leon Askin
4
Birthdate: September 18, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: June 3, 2005

Leon Askin was a prominent actor of Austrian origin. Born in Vienna to a Jewish family, he fled to the United States in 1940 to escape the Nazis. Already trained in acting, he was able to get work in Hollywood. He ventured into television as well and became widely popular with his role in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes.  

 20 
Bess Truman
(Former First Lady of the United States)
Bess Truman
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 13, 1885
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Independence, Missouri, United States
Died: October 18, 1982
 21 
Murray Walker
(Formula One Commentator & Journalist)
Murray Walker
4
Birthdate: October 10, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hall Green, Birmingham, England
Died: March 13, 2021
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 22 
June Havoc
(Canadian-American Actor, Dancer, and Stage Director)
June Havoc
2
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: November 8, 1912
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada
Died: March 28, 2010
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 23 
Millvina Dean
(Cartographer)
Millvina Dean
11
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 2, 1912
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London
Died: May 31, 2009
 24 
Louis Zamperini
(Prisoner of War Survivor)
Louis Zamperini
7
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 26, 1917
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Olean, New York
Died: July 2, 2014
Louis Zamperini finished 8th in the 5000-meter race at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He then became a U.S. Air Forces lieutenant. Following a plane crash, he drifted at sea for 47 days and was captured by the Japanese. He was later released. His story inspired a book and several movies.
 25 
Erté
(Russian-born French Artist and Designer)
Erté
2
Birthdate: November 23, 1892
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: April 21, 1990

Russian-French designer and artist Romain de Tirtoff, better known as Erté, not just designed clothes but also created sets, costumes, and posters for opera and ballet performances. He had worked for Harper’s Bazaar and the Folies-Bergère, and had also penned quite a few books on design and illustration.

 26 
Gene Sarazen
(American Professional Golfer Who Was a World-Class Player in the 1920s and 1930s)
Gene Sarazen
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 27, 1902
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Harrison, New York, United States
Died: May 13, 1999

Gene Sarazen was an American golfer who won seven major championships. Regarded as one of the greatest golfers of his generation, Sarazen is one of the five golfers who have achieved a Career Grand Slam. In 1974, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1992, Sarazen was honored with the prestigious Bob Jones Award.

 27 
Margaret Chase Smith
(Politician)
Margaret Chase Smith
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 14, 1897
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Skowhegan, Maine, United States
Died: May 29, 1995
 28 
Agathe von Trapp
(Austrian American Singer)
Agathe von Trapp
1
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: March 12, 1913
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pola, Istria, Austria-Hungary (present-day Pula, Croatia)
Died: December 28, 2010
 29 
Gerda Weissmann Klein
(American Holocaust Survivor Who Became an Inspiring Speaker and Human Rights Activist)
Gerda Weissmann Klein
2
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: May 8, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bielsko, Poland
Died: April 3, 2022

Gerda Weissmann Klein is a Polish American writer. She survived the Holocaust in which her entire family perished. Later on, she wrote an autobiographical account of the Holocaust, All but My Life, which was adapted into a short film. She and her husband became advocates of Holocaust education. She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

 30 
Pinetop Perkins
(Jazz Pianist)
Pinetop Perkins
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: July 7, 1913
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Belzoni, Mississippi, United States
Died: March 21, 2011
 31 
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
(Political Leader)
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 1009 AD
Birthplace: Sahara Desert, Africa
Died: September 2, 1106
 32 
Leon Theremin
(Inventor of the First Electronic Musical Instrument 'Theremin')
Leon Theremin
0
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: August 27, 1896
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: November 3, 1993

One of the pioneers of electronic music, Léon Theremin invented the aetherphone, also known as the theremin, which was the first electronic musical instrument to be mass-produced. He also doubled up as a Soviet spy, eavesdropping on the British, French, and US embassies, using the Buran device and The Thing.

 33 
Mrinalini Sarabhai
(Classical Dancer and Choreographer)
Mrinalini Sarabhai
3
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: May 11, 1918
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kerala
Died: January 21, 2016

Padma Shri- and Padma Bhushan-winning classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai received a unique education, having been part of both the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Shantiniketan. She specialized in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali, and later launched her own dance academy, along with her physicist husband Vikram Sarabhai.

 34 
Joaquín Rodrigo
(Spanish Composer and a Virtuoso Pianist Best Known for Composition 'Concierto de Aranjuez')
Joaquín Rodrigo
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 22, 1901
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sagunto, Spain
Died: July 6, 1999

Joaquín Rodrigo was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist best known for composing the Concierto de Aranjuez. He lost his sight as a child and was encouraged by his parents to study music. He excelled in his musical education and began composing in braille as a young man. In 1983, he was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música. 

 35 
Kenan Evren
(The 7th President of Turkey)
Kenan Evren
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 17, 1917
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Alaşehir
Died: May 9, 2015

After leading the coup of 1980, Turkish military commander Kenan Evren took over as the 7th president of Turkey. Following his retirement, he settled in Marmaris and mastered oil painting. Evren died before his final conviction and sentencing in the trial for the 1980 coup.

 36 
Paul Henry Nitze
(Military strategist)
Paul Henry Nitze
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 16, 1907
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Amherst, Massachusetts
Died: October 19, 2004
 37 
Gertrude Ederle
(American Competition Swimmer, Olympic Champion, and World Record-Holder in Five Events)
Gertrude Ederle
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: October 23, 1906
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: November 30, 2003

Gertrude Ederle made history when she became the first female to cross the English Channel. Unfortunately, she lost her sense of hearing while achieving the feat and later devoted herself to coaching deaf swimmers. She also won 2 bronze medals and a relay gold medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

 38 
Raymond Smullyan
(Mathematician, Philosopher)
Raymond Smullyan
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 25, 1919
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Far Rockaway, New York, United States
Died: February 6, 2017
 39 
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
(Political & Spiritual Leader and Founder of the 'Khudai Khidmatgar' Resistance Movement against British Colonial Rule in India)
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
8
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 6, 1890
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Utmānzai, Pakistan
Died: January 20, 1988

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun independence activist who opposed the British rule in India. A spiritual and political leader, Khan called for Hindu-Muslim unity in India and opposed the partition of India. Khan is still revered by many in India and Pakistan for his pacifist ideology. Many places in India are named in his honor.

 40 
Walter Scheel
(Former President of Germany (1974 - 1979))
Walter Scheel
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 8, 1919
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Solingen, Germany
Died: August 24, 2016

Walter Scheel was a German politician who led the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) between 1968 and 1974. He also served as vice-chancellor and minister of Foreign Affairs from 1969 to 1974 during Willy Brandt's chancellorship. When Willy Brandt resigned in 1974, Walter Scheel served as the acting chancellor of West Germany for a few days.

 41 
Mary Gilmore
(Journalist, Poet, Writer)
Mary Gilmore
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 16, 1865
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Goulburn
Died: December 3, 1962

Mary Gilmore was an Australian writer and journalist. She wrote both prose and poetry and is recognized for her tremendous contribution to Australian literature. As a young woman, she became a school teacher and held utopian socialist views. She eventually started writing and gained fame as an author and poet later in life. 

 42 
Gabriel Okara
(Nigerian Novelist and Poet Who was the First Poet of Anglophone African Origin to Embrace Modernism)
Gabriel Okara
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 24, 1921
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Eastern Region, Nigeria
Died: March 25, 2019
Gabriel Okara was a Nigerian novelist and poet best remembered for his experimental novel, The Voice. Over the course of his career, Okara won several prestigious awards such as the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the Nigeria Prize for Literature. Nicknamed the Nigerian Negritudist, Gabriel Okara was the first poet of Anglophone African origin to embrace modernism.
 43 
Gertrude Himmelfarb
(Historian)
Gertrude Himmelfarb
1
Birthdate: August 8, 1922
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: December 30, 2019
 44 
Mary Stewart
(Author)
Mary Stewart
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 17, 1916
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sunderland, England
Died: May 9, 2014
 45 
Antony Hewish
(Radio Astronomer)
Antony Hewish
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 11, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Fowey, Cornwall, England
Died: September 13, 2021

Radio astronomer and physicist Antony Hewish is best known for his Nobel Prize-winning research on pulsars. Apart from teaching at Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, he has also served as an advisory council member for the Campaign for Science and Engineering. He also has six honorary degrees to his credit.       

 46 
Vincent Scully
(Art historian)
Vincent Scully
0
Birthdate: August 21, 1920
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died: November 30, 2017
 47 
Lilian Jackson Braun
(Novelist)
Lilian Jackson Braun
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 20, 1913
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States
Died: June 4, 2011
 48 
Lewis Gilbert
(Film director, Screenwriter, Film producer)
Lewis Gilbert
0
Birthdate: March 6, 1920
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London, England
Died: February 23, 2018
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 49 
Steven Runciman
(Historian)
Steven Runciman
2
Birthdate: July 7, 1903
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Northumberland, England
Died: November 1, 2000
 50 
Clarence Brown
(Film Director)
Clarence Brown
0
Birthdate: May 10, 1890
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Clinton, Massachusetts, United States
Died: August 17, 1987