Died On December 4th

Discover the most famous people who died on December 4. The list includes people like Thomas Hobbes, Cardinal Richelieu, Benjamin Britten, Irene Dunne, Thomas Hunt Morgan. Famous personalities featured on this list, include poets, philosophers, composers and guitarists and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, India & France and many more countries.
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 1 
Frank Vincent Zappa
(One of the Most Innovative and Stylistically Diverse Musicians of His Generation)
Frank Vincent Zappa
37
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: December 21, 1940
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: 1993

Frank Zappa was an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and bandleader. Widely regarded as one of the most stylistically diverse and innovative rock musicians of his generation, Zappa was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list in 2004. Zappa's works have influenced other musicians like Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Simon Phillips, Steve Vai, and Warren DeMartini.

 2 
Thomas Hobbes
(English Philosopher and One of the Founders of Modern Political Philosophy)
Thomas Hobbes
17
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 5, 1588
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Westport, Wiltshire, England
Died: 1679

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher. Widely regarded as the co-founder of modern political philosophy, Hobbes is best known for his influential book Leviathan. Apart from political philosophy, Thomas Hobbes also contributed immensely to various other fields, such as ethics, theology, geometry, history, and jurisprudence.

 3 
Omar Khayyam
(Mathematician)
Omar Khayyam
24
Birthdate: May 18, 1048
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nishapur, Khorasan, Iran
Died: 1131

Omar Khayyam was a Persian polymath, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and poet. In the field of mathematics, he is best known for his work on the classification and solution of cubic equations. As an astronomer, he designed a solar calendar known as the Jalali calendar. His philosophical attitude towards life had elements of pessimism, nihilism, Epicureanism, and fatalism. 

 4 
Robert Loggia
(Actor and Director)
Robert Loggia
12
Birthdate: January 3, 1930
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Staten Island, New York, United States
Died: 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.
 5 
Fred Hampton
(American Activist and Deputy Chairman of the National Black Panther Party)
Fred Hampton
55
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: August 30, 1948
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
Died: 1969

Fred Hampton was considered an activist and a revolutionary socialist working for social change. He was the deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party. He founded the Rainbow Coalition, aiming to help the Chicago street gangs to end infighting. The FBI considered him as a major threat and he was shot and killed in December 1969 during a raid.

 6 
Hannah Arendt
(One of the Most Influential Political Theorists of the 20th Century)
Hannah Arendt
6
Birthdate: October 14, 1906
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Linden - Mitte, Hanover, Germany
Died: 1975

Hannah Arendt was a political theorist. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most prominent political thinkers, Hannah Arendt's articles and books have had a significant influence on philosophy and political theory. Her life and work inspired the 2012 biographical drama film, Hannah Arendt. Her work has also inspired several biographies written by popular authors.

 7 
Benjamin Britten
(British Composer, Pianist, and Conductor Known for His Iconic Operas)
Benjamin Britten
5
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 22, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lowestoft
Died: 1976

Path-breaking British composer, pianist, and conductor Benjamin Britten was known for his fine operas such as Peter Grimes and the War Requiem. He also created countless orchestral works and is known for his long professional partnership with tenor Peter Pears, a collaboration that led to the formation of the Britten-Pears Foundation.

 8 
Bert Lahr
(Actor)
Bert Lahr
2
Birthdate: August 13, 1895
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Died: 1967
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 9 
Sócrates
(Brazilian Footballer Who Played as a Midfielder)
Sócrates
9
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: February 19, 1954
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Belém, State of Pará, Brazil
Died: 2011
 10 
Eddie Fatu
(American Professional Wrestler)
Eddie Fatu
7
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 28, 1973
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: American Samoa
Died: 2009
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 11 
Cardinal Richelieu
(French Clergyman and First Minister of State (1624 - 1642))
Cardinal Richelieu
10
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 9, 1585
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1642

Cardinal Richelieu was a French clergyman and statesman who was active in the early 17th century. He held powerful positions in both the Catholic Church and French government and served as the chief minister to Louis XIII of France in 1624. He helped the French maintain their dominance in the Thirty Years' War that engulfed Europe. 

 12 
Christine Keeler
(Models)
Christine Keeler
5
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: February 22, 1942
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, UK
Died: 2017
 13 
Tommy Bolin
(Guitarist who worked with Zephyr, Deep Purple, and The James Gang, as well as working as a solo artist)
Tommy Bolin
3
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: August 1, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sioux City, Iowa, United States
Died: 1976
 14 
Karen Horney
(German Psychoanalyst Best Known for Founding Feminist Psychology in Response to Freud’s Theory of Penis Envy)
Karen Horney
0
Birthdate: September 16, 1885
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Blankenese, Hamburg, Germany
Died: 1952

Remembered for her pioneering work on feminist psychology, Karen Horney studied medicine at a time when women weren’t allowed in universities. Going against Sigmund Freud’s concept of penis envy, she suggested the idea of womb envy. She believed psychological differences weren’t rooted in gender but rather depended on the socio-cultural influences.

 15 
Thomas Hunt Morgan
(Geneticist)
Thomas Hunt Morgan
5
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 25, 1866
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lexington
Died: 1945

Thomas Hunt Morgan was an evolutionary biologist, geneticist, and embryologist. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933. He worked extensively on the role that the chromosome plays in heredity and demonstrated that genes are carried on chromosomes. In his later career, he established the division of biology at the California Institute of Technology. 

 16 
John of Damascus
(Saint, Best Known for His Strong Defence of 'Icons')
John of Damascus
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0676 AD
Birthplace: Damascus, Syria
Died: 0749

John of Damascus was a Christian apologist, priest, and monk. A polymath, John contributed to various fields, such as philosophy, theology, law, and music. He also wrote several works explaining the Christian faith. The hymns which he composed are still used in Eastern Christian practice as well as in western Lutheranism.

 17 
Luigi Galvani
(Italian Physician, Physicist, Biologist and Philosopher)
Luigi Galvani
4
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 9, 1737
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bologna, Italy
Died: 1798

Luigi Galvani was an Italian physician, biologist, physicist, and philosopher. He is credited with the discovery of animal electricity and is considered a pioneer of bioelectromagnetics. He and his wife made one of the first forays into the study of bioelectricity when they discovered that the muscles of dead frogs' legs twitched when struck by an electrical spark.  

 18 
John Tyndall
(Irish Experimental Physicist Who Became Famous for His Study of Dimagnetism)
John Tyndall
3
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 2, 1820
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Leighlinbridge, Ireland
Died: 1893

Born into a poor Protestant family, Irish physicist John Tyndall was a self-made man who funded his own doctoral education. His contributions include his research on the greenhouse effect and the discovery of the Tyndall effect. Not known to many, he was also an avid mountaineer and glaciologist.

 19 
Archibald Gracie IV
(American Historian, Writer and Investor)
Archibald Gracie IV
3
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: January 15, 1858
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mobile, Alabama, United States
Died: 1912

Best known as the author of The Truth About The Titanic (currently Titanic: A Survivor's Story), Archibald Gracie IV was one of the few who survived the sinking of RMS Titanic. Beginning his career as colonel of the 7th New York Militia, he later became a real estate agent, concurrently carrying out researches on history, particularly the Battle of Chickamauga.

 20 
John Gay
(Dramatist & Poet)
John Gay
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 30, 1685
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Barnstaple
Died: 1732
 21 
Nick Bollettieri
(American Tennis Coach)
Nick Bollettieri
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 31, 1931
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pelham, New York, United States
Died: 2022
 22 
Forrest J. Ackerman
(Magazine Editor)
Forrest J. Ackerman
3
Birthdate: November 24, 1916
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died: 2008
 23 
Norval Morrisseau
(painter)
Norval Morrisseau
3
Birthdate: March 14, 1931
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Greenstone
Died: 2007

Norval Morrisseau was a Canadian artist best remembered for creating works that portrayed the legends of his Indigenous people, the tensions between native European and Canadian traditions, and his deep mysticism and spirituality. Nicknamed the Picasso of the North, Norval Morrisseau is credited with founding the Woodlands School of Art and was part of the Indian Group of Seven.

 24 
Bob Willis
(English Cricketer and One of the Greatest Fast Bowlers of All Time)
Bob Willis
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 30, 1949
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sunderland, County Durham, England
Died: 2019
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
 25 
Pope John XXII
(Bishop of Rome)
Pope John XXII
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1244 AD
Birthplace: Cahors, France
Died: 1334

Pope John XXII was the head of the Catholic Church from August 1316 to his death in 1334.  Elected by the Conclave of Cardinals, he was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope. He centralized power and income in the Papacy and lived a lavish life. He was considered an excellent administrator who efficiently reorganized the church.

 26 
Frank Sturgis
(American Spy Who Worked as an Undercover Agent for the CIA)
Frank Sturgis
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 9, 1924
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Died: 1993

Frank Sturgis was an American spy who worked as an undercover agent for the Central Intelligence Agency. He was counted among the five Watergate burglars whose arrest led to the end of Richard Nixon's presidency. Frank Sturgis served in multiple branches of the US military. He also served in the Cuban Revolution of 1958.

 27 
Arnold Lobel
(Writer)
Arnold Lobel
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 22, 1933
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: 1987
 28 
William the Lion
(King of Scotland)
William the Lion
0
Birthdate: 1142 AD
Birthplace: Huntingdon
Died: 1214
 29 
Hubert Sumlin
(Musician)
Hubert Sumlin
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 16, 1931
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Greenwood, Mississippi, United States
Died: 2011
 30 
Rouben Mamoulian
(Film director)
Rouben Mamoulian
2
Birthdate: October 8, 1897
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgia
Died: 1987
 31 
Jonathan Luna
(Lawyer)
Jonathan Luna
1
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: October 21, 1965
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mott Haven, New York, United States
Died: 2003
 32 
Geoffrey Elton
(British Political and Constitutional Historian)
Geoffrey Elton
0
Birthdate: August 17, 1921
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tübingen, Germany
Died: 1994

Born to Jewish scholars in Germany, Geoffrey Elton later moved with his family, first to Czechoslovakia and then to Britain. He grew up to become a renowned historian who specialized in the Tudor period. He also taught history at Cambridge and penned books such as England Under the Tudors.

 33 
Charles Dow
(Journalist)
Charles Dow
1
Birthdate: November 6, 1851
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sterling, Connecticut, United States
Died: 1902
 34 
Maurice Barrès
(Novelist)
Maurice Barrès
0
Birthdate: August 19, 1862
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Charmes, France
Died: 1923
 35 
Joseph Wolpe
(Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist, Psychologist, University teacher)
Joseph Wolpe
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 20, 1915
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Johannesburg
Died: 1997

South African psychiatrist Joseph Wolpe, a leading figure in behaviour therapy, is noted for his reciprocal inhibition methods, especially for developing systematic desensitization. He also developed Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale and created Fear Survey Plan and Subjective Anxiety Scale. He was ranked as the 53rd most-cited psychologist of the twentieth-century in a 2002 survey of Review of General Psychology.

 36 
Stefan George
(German Symbolist Poet and a Translator)
Stefan George
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 12, 1868
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Büdesheim, Germany
Died: 1933

Lyric poet Stefan George was a significant part of the 19th-century German Aestheticism. While studying in Paris, he was influenced by Symbolists. He established the George-Kreis school of literature and launched its popular journal, Blätter für die Kunst. He also exhibited homosexual tendencies in his love poems dedicated to Maximin.

 37 
Vyacheslav Tikhonov
(Best Remembered for His Role in the Popular Soviet Television Series 'Seventeen Moments of Spring')
Vyacheslav Tikhonov
0
Birthdate: February 8, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pavlovsky Posad, Russia
Died: 2009

Vyacheslav Tikhonov was a Soviet and Russian actor best remembered for his portrayal of Max Otto von Stierlitz in the popular Soviet television series, Seventeen Moments of Spring. Vyacheslav Tikhonov was a recipient of many state awards. In 1974, he was named People's Artist of the USSR. In 1982, he was honored with the Hero of Socialist Labour title.

 38 
Pamela Bryant
(Actress, Model)
Pamela Bryant
1
Birthdate: February 8, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Died: 2010
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 39 
William Sturgeon
(Physicist, Inventor)
William Sturgeon
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 22, 1783
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Whittington
Died: 1850

William Sturgeon was an English physicist and inventor. He invented the first practical English electric motor and made the first electromagnets. A self-taught genius, he became a lecturer at the East India Company's Military Seminary at Addiscombe, Surrey. Along with John Peter Gassiot and Charles Vincent Walker, he was instrumental in founding the London Electrical Society in 1837. 

 40 
Colin Cowdrey
(English Cricketer Who Played for Kent County Cricket Club From 1950 to 1976)
Colin Cowdrey
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 24, 1932
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ootacamund, Madras, India
Died: 2000
 41 
Rose Bird
(Chief Justice)
Rose Bird
2
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: November 2, 1936
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tucson, Arizona, United States
Died: 1999
 42 
Joseph Mohr
(Austrian Roman Catholic Priest and Writer)
Joseph Mohr
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 11, 1792
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Salzburg, Austria
Died: 1848

Austrian Roman Catholic priest and writer Josephus Mohr is best-known for writing lyrics of the popular Christmas carol Stille Nacht (Silent Night), which was composed by Austrian primary school teacher, church organist, and composer Franz Xaver Gruber. A manuscript in Mohr's handwriting discovered in 1995 states that Mohr penned the poem in 1816 and Gruber composed its music in 1818.

 43 
Henck Arron
(Prime Minister)
Henck Arron
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 25, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paramaribo, Suriname
Died: 2000
 44 
Pierre Jeanneret
(Swiss Architect)
Pierre Jeanneret
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: March 22, 1896
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
Died: 1967
 45 
Charles I, Duke of Bourbon
(Duke)
Charles I, Duke of Bourbon
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1401 AD
Birthplace: Unknown
Died: 1456
 46 
Gustav Meyrink
(Austrian Novelist Famous for His Novel 'The Golem')
Gustav Meyrink
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 19, 1868
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1932

Austrian author, novelist, dramatist, translator, and banker, Gustav Meyer, who used the pseudonym Gustav Meyrink, is best-known for his novel The Golem. Gustav established his own bank but was eventually charged with fraud and jailed for two months. He depicted his jailhouse experiences in The Golem. A prolific translator, Gustav’s translation works include translating fifteen-volumes of Charles Dickens into German.

 47 
Liam Clancy
(Musician)
Liam Clancy
1
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: September 2, 1935
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland
Died: 2009
 48 
Adrien de Gerlache
(Belgian Officer in the Belgian Royal Navy Who Led the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–99)
Adrien de Gerlache
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: August 2, 1866
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hasselt, Belgium
Died: 1934

Adrien de Gerlache was a Belgian Royal Navy officer best remembered for leading the famous Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–99. It was the first winter expedition to the Antarctic region and is also considered the maiden voyage of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Several geographical features like Mount Gerlache and Cape Gerlache have been named in his honor.

 49 
Charles Richet
(Physiologist)
Charles Richet
3
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 25, 1850
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1935

Charles Richet was a French physiologist remembered for his pioneering work in immunology. He is acclaimed for his work on anaphylaxis, which earned him the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1913. He was also interested in the study of the paranormal. A proponent of eugenics, Richet was in charge of the French Eugenics Society for six years.

 50 
Ivana Kobilca
(Painter)
Ivana Kobilca
0
Birthdate: December 20, 1861
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Died: 1926