Died On December 22nd

Discover the most famous people who died on December 22. The list includes people like Samuel Beckett, Joe Cocker, George Eliot, Beatrix Potter, Josef von Sternberg. Famous personalities featured on this list, include poets, actors, artists and playwrights and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & Austria and many more countries.
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 1 
Joe Cocker
(British Singer and Musician Known for His Album ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’)
Joe Cocker
10
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 20, 1944
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Crookes, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Died: 2014

Grammy-winning artist Joe Cocker is best remembered for his tracks You Are So Beautiful and Up Where We Belong. His chartbusting version of the Beatles song With a Little Help from My Friends was the theme song of the series The Wonder Years. He also received an OBE.

 2 
Michelle Thomas
25
Birthdate: September 23, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: 1998

Michelle Thomas was an American comedian and actress known for playing important roles in popular TV series, such as The Cosby Show and Family Matters. Thomas had a promising start—even before commencing her acting career Thomas was crowned International Queen in a pageant—but her career and life were cut short by cancer and she died at the age of 30.

 3 
Beatrix Potter
13
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 28, 1866
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kensington
Died: 1943
Born into an affluent English family, Beatrix Potter grew up amidst nature and developed a love for animals. She grew up to be a natural scientist, conservationist, and illustrator, and is best remembered for her children's books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which featured animals.
 4 
Joe Strummer
(Singer, Guitarist)
Joe Strummer
7
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: August 21, 1952
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ankara, Turkey
Died: 2002
Joe Strummer is remembered for his memorable performances with the punk rock band The Clash, with whom he delivered hits such as London Calling and Train in Vain. He was known for his rebellious and politically charged lyrics. He also experimented with acting and hosted on a BBC radio show.
 5 
Samuel Beckett
(Irish Novelist Who Won the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Samuel Beckett
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 13, 1906
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Foxrock, Ireland
Died: 1989

Samuel Beckett was a legendary Nobel Prize-winning Irish postmodernist and minimalist playwright and author, regarded as a prominent figure of the "Theatre of the Absurd.” He is best known for the play Waiting for Godot and for his tragi-comic themes and black comedy. He was also the Saoi of Aosdána.

 6 
George Eliot
(English Novelist, Poet and One of the Leading Writers of the Victorian Era)
George Eliot
6
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 22, 1819
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Warwickshire, England
Died: 1880

Mary Ann Evans, known by her pseudonym George Eliot, was an English poet, novelist, translator, and journalist. One of the most prominent writers of the Victorian era, Eliot's works are known for their psychological insight, realism, and detailed description of the countryside. Her novel Middlemarch was voted one of the greatest literary works in a 2007 poll conducted by Time.

 7 
Ma Rainey
(Street artist, Musician)
Ma Rainey
25
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: April 26, 1886
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Columbus, Georgia, United States
Died: 1939
 8 
Butterfly McQueen
(Actress)
Butterfly McQueen
6
Birthdate: January 7, 1911
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tampa, Florida, United States
Died: 1995
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
 9 
Mehmed III
(Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1595-1603))
Mehmed III
5
Birthdate: May 26, 1566
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Manisa, Turkey
Died: 1603

Mehmed III reigned as the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 16 January 1595 until his death on 22 December 1603. He is best remembered for his role in the Long Turkish War, where he successfully led his army at the all-important Battle of Keresztes. Also remembered for his diplomacy, Mehmed III established communications with the court of Elizabeth I. 

 10 
Nathanael West
(Novelist)
Nathanael West
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 17, 1903
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Died: 1940
 11 
Josef von Sternberg
(Film Director)
Josef von Sternberg
2
Birthdate: May 29, 1894
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1969
 12 
Georg Luger
(Austrian Firearms Designer)
Georg Luger
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 6, 1849
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Steinach am Brenner, Tyrol, Austria
Died: 1923
 13 
Chico Mendes
(Brazilian environmentalist)
Chico Mendes
1
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: December 15, 1944
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Xapuri, Brazil
Died: 1988
 14 
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
(One of the Most Important Figures in Spanish Literature and Most Read Writer After 'Miguel de Cervantes')
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 17, 1836
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seville, Spain
Died: 1870

Spanish Romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer was orphaned at age 11. Inspired by his painter brother Valeriano, he embarked on a literary career, writing for El Contemporáneo in Madrid. His Rimas (Rhymes) and Leyendas (Legends) gained popularity only after his death at 34 due to tuberculosis.

 15 
Harry Langdon
(Comedian)
Harry Langdon
1
Birthdate: June 15, 1884
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Died: 1944
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 16 
Richard von Krafft-Ebing
(German Psychiatrist)
Richard von Krafft-Ebing
1
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: August 14, 1840
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
Died: 1902

Known for his ground-breaking research on sexual psychopathology, German psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing worked on varied subjects such as sexual aberration and hypnosis. His Psychopathia Sexualis was one of the first written works that discussed LGBT sex and also spoke about taboo topics such as sadism, necrophilia, and masochism.

 17 
Lucy Burns
(American Suffragist and Women’s Rights Activist)
Lucy Burns
1
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: July 28, 1879
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States
Died: 1966
 18 
Ram Dass
(Spiritual Teacher)
Ram Dass
5
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 6, 1931
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: 2019

Ram Dass was an American spiritual teacher and psychologist. Born as Richard Alpert in Boston, he embraced Hinduism on a visit to India and changed his name. He traveled extensively, giving talks, and authored or co-authored many books on spirituality. He also founded the charitable organizations, Seva Foundation, and Hanuman Foundation. He was openly bisexual.

 19 
Dylan Sahara
(Actress, Presenter)
Dylan Sahara
4
Birthdate: December 23, 1992
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ponorogo, East Java, Indonesia
Died: 2018
 20 
Guercino
(Italian Baroque Draftsman and Painter)
Guercino
0
Birthdate: February 8, 1591
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cento, Italy
Died: 1666
Guercino was an Italian Baroque draftsman and painter who was active in Bologna and Rome. Many of his drawings are well known for their luminosity and lively style. Born into a family of peasant farmers, Guercino went on to become one of the most prominent painters of his generation. Among his pupils were Giuseppe Bonati, Giulio Coralli, and Sebastiano Bombelli.
 21 
Théodore Rousseau
(Painter)
Théodore Rousseau
1
Birthdate: April 15, 1812
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1867
 22 
William Hyde Wollaston
(Chemist, Physicist, Engineer, Metallurgist)
William Hyde Wollaston
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 6, 1766
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Norfolk
Died: 1828

William Hyde Wollaston was a pioneer of powder metallurgy and the first to develop malleable platinum from its ore. He is also credited with the discoveries of palladium and rhodium. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he dictated his last Bakerian lecture, as he was too ill to deliver it.

 23 
Wallace Thurman
(Novelist)
Wallace Thurman
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 16, 1902
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Died: 1934
 24 
Leonard Jackson
(Actor)
Leonard Jackson
0
Birthdate: February 7, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Died: 2013
 25 
Gilda Gray
(Dancer, Actress)
Gilda Gray
0
Birthdate: October 25, 1895
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rydlewo, Poland
Died: 1959
 26 
Christine Cavanaugh
(Actor, Television actor)
Christine Cavanaugh
6
Birthdate: August 16, 1963
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Utah
Died: 2014
 27 
James Meade
(British Economist and Winner of the 1977 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences)
James Meade
0
Birthdate: June 23, 1907
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Swanage, England
Died: 1995

Nobel Prize-winning British economist James Meade served as a war economist during World War II and was also part of the Labour government. He also taught at Cambridge and the London School of Economics. His research was focused on merging the Keynesian and neoclassical elements of economics.

 28 
Ryan Freel
(Baseball Player)
Ryan Freel
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 8, 1976
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Died: 2012
 29 
Lansana Conté
(2nd President of Guinea)
Lansana Conté
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 30, 1934
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Dubréka, French Guinea
Died: 2008
 30 
Claude Brasseur
(Actor)
Claude Brasseur
1
Birthdate: June 15, 1936
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Died: 2020
 31 
Percivall Pott
(Surgeon)
Percivall Pott
2
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: January 6, 1714
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London, England
Died: 1788
 32 
Rachel Jackson
(Wife of Andrew Jackson)
Rachel Jackson
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: June 15, 1767
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States
Died: 1828
 33 
Libertas Schulze-Boysen
(Revolutionary)
Libertas Schulze-Boysen
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 20, 1913
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1942

Libertas Schulze-Boysen was a German aristocrat who fought against the Nazi regime. Libertas, who had contact with important people in different strata of society, started documenting the atrocities carried out by the Nazis during the early 1940s. She also played an important role in the formation of the Red Orchestra. Libertas Schulze-Boysen was executed by the Nazis, at the age of 29.

 34 
Carol Burns
(Actress, Theatre director)
Carol Burns
0
Birthdate: October 29, 1947
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Brisbane, Australia
Died: 2015
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 35 
John Newbery
(Publisher)
John Newbery
0
Birthdate: July 1, 1713
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Berkshire, England
Died: 1767
 36 
Galina Ustvolskaya
(Classical composer)
Galina Ustvolskaya
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 17, 1919
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg
Died: 2006
 37 
Walter Damrosch
(American Conductor and Composer)
Walter Damrosch
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: January 30, 1862
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Wrocław, Poland
Died: 1950

German-born American conductor and composer Walter Damrosch, best-known in his day as an avowed propagandist and conductor of the music of Richard Wagner, directed the New York Symphony Orchestra for over four decades. He conducted world premiere performances of George Gershwin's An American in Paris and Piano Concerto in F. He played key role in founding of the Carnegie Hall.

 38 
Nobuko Otowa
(Actress)
Nobuko Otowa
0
Birthdate: October 1, 1924
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Yonago, Tottori, Japan
Died: 1994
 39 
Paul de Lagarde
(Orientalist)
Paul de Lagarde
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 2, 1827
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Berlin, Prussia
Died: 1891
 40 
Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon
(Poet, Writer)
Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 11, 1911
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kochi
Died: 1985

Vyloppilli Sreedhara Meno was an Indian poet who composed in the Malayalam language. Kudiyozhikkal, Kannikkoythu, and Mambazham are among his best-known works. The recipient of several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry, he was the founder president of the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham. Besides poetry, he also wrote plays and biographies. 

 41 
Harro Schulze-Boysen
(German Publicist and Military Officer Who was Active During the Second World War)
Harro Schulze-Boysen
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 2, 1909
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kiel, Germany
Died: 1942

Harro Schulze-Boysen was a German publicist and military officer who was active during the Second World War. He is credited with publishing a left-leaning political magazine called Der Gegner (The Opponent). Personalities like Karl Korsch, Ernst von Salomon, and Raoul Hausmann among others contributed to the content of the magazine.

 42 
Gustav Frohlich
(Actor)
Gustav Frohlich
1
Birthdate: March 21, 1902
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hanover Hannover, Germany
Died: 1987
 43 
Tefta Tashko-Koço
(Singer)
Tefta Tashko-Koço
1
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: November 2, 1910
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Faiyum, Egypt
Died: 1947
 44 
Jean Bourgain
(Belgian Mathematician Remembered for His Work on Mathematical Analysis)
Jean Bourgain
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: February 28, 1954
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ostend, Belgium
Died: 2018

Fields Medal-winning Belgian mathematician Jean Bourgain is remembered for his pioneering research on many areas of mathematical analysis, such as the geometry of Banach spaces, the ergodic theory, and spectral problems. He taught at institutes such as the University of California, Berkeley. He died of pancreatic cancer at age 64.

 45 
Princess Sophie Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
(Princess)
Princess Sophie Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 7, 1737
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wolfenbüttel, Niedersachsen, Germany
Died: 1817
 46 
Desmond Hoyte
(Politician)
Desmond Hoyte
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 9, 1929
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Georgetown, Guyana
Died: 2002
 47 
Mikhail Loris-Melikov
(Russian-Armenian Statesman and Military Leader)
Mikhail Loris-Melikov
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 31, 1824
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Russian Empire
Died: 1888

Mikhail Loris-Melikov was a Russian-Armenian statesman. He is best remembered for his service as the Minister of the Interior in Russia from 6 August 1880 to 4 May 1881. Mikhail Loris-Melikov was also an important military leader and is known for his role in the Caucasian War, the Crimean War, and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.

 48 
Giles of Rome
(Medieval Philosopher, Scholastic Theologian and a Friar of the Order of St Augustine)
Giles of Rome
0
Birthdate: 1243 AD
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: 1316

Augustinian philosopher and theologian Giles of Rome, known to be a disciple of St. Thomas Aquinas, was a major figure of St. Augustine’s Order of the Hermit Friars. Named Doctor Fundatissimus, which is Latin for the Best-Grounded Teacher, by Pope Benedict XIV, he is also remembered for his commentaries on Aristotle’s Organon.

 49 
Ernst Krenek
(Composer)
Ernst Krenek
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: August 23, 1900
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1991
 50 
Frances Xavier Cabrini
(Italian-American Catholic Religious Sister and Founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
Frances Xavier Cabrini
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 15, 1850
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy
Died: 1917

Frances Xavier Cabrini was an Italian-American nun who founded a Catholic religious institute called the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The institute played a major role in supporting Italian immigrants to the US. In 1946, Frances Xavier Cabrini became the first American citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.