Died On January 15th

Discover the most famous people who died on January 15. The list includes people like Rosa Luxemburg, Gulzarilal Nanda, Ivan Meštrovi?, Edward Everett, Marshall W. Nirenberg. Famous personalities featured on this list, include political leaders, soldiers, diplomats and journalists and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, Germany, Poland & Nigeria and many more countries.
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 1 
Rocky Johnson
(Professional Wrestler and Father of Actor and Former WWE Wrestler Dwayne Johnson)
Rocky Johnson
33
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 24, 1944
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Amherst, Canada
Died: 2020

The father of former WWE wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson, Rocky Johnson was a popular Canadian professional wrestler. He was the first black wrestler to win the Georgia Heavyweight Championship. He inspired several popular wrestlers, such as The Rock. He is also credited with helping wrestlers like Hulk Hogan establish themselves in the wrestling world.

 2 
Harry Nilsson
(Former Singer-songwriter known for Everybody's Talkin' and Without You, both of which won Grammy Awards)
Harry Nilsson
8
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 15, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: 1994
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 3 
Carol Channing
(Actress)
Carol Channing
6
Birthdate: January 31, 1921
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
Died: 2019
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 4 
Rosa Luxemburg
(Revolutionary Socialist, Marxist Philosopher & Anti-War Activist)
Rosa Luxemburg
17
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 5, 1871
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Zamosc, Poland
Died: 1919
Polish Marxist and socialist revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg was a member of parties such as the SPD, the USPD, and the KPD. Luxemburg was an anti-war activist and taught economics and Marxism at SPD's Berlin training center. She was assassinated by the Freikorps troops during the German Revolution
 5 
Ray Bolger
(Actor)
Ray Bolger
8
Birthdate: January 10, 1904
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dorchester, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 1987
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 6 
Dan Haggerty
(Actor best known for playing the title role in the film and television series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.)
Dan Haggerty
6
Birthdate: November 19, 1941
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pound, Wisconsin, United States
Died: 2016
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 7 
Brad Renfro
16
Birthdate: July 25, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Died: 2008

Brad Renfro was living in a trailer park when director Joel Schumacher spotted him and cast him in The Client. Over the years, Renfro appeared in films such as Tom and Huck and Apt Pupil. He, however, struggled with drug abuse and died of a heroin overdose at 25.

 8 
Roger Lloyd Pack
(Actor)
Roger Lloyd Pack
5
Birthdate: February 8, 1944
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Islington, London, England
Died: 2014
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 9 
Galba
(Roman Emperor)
Galba
7
Birthdate: December 24, 0003
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Terracina, Italy
Died: 0069
Galba reigned as the Roman emperor from 68 to 69 and was the Year of the Four Emperors’ first emperor. He was the governor of Hispania when the rebellion of Gaius Julius Vindex broke out in Gaul, and he took over the throne after the tyrannical Nero's suicide.
 10 
Susannah York
(Actress)
Susannah York
2
Birthdate: January 9, 1939
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chelsea, London, England
Died: 2011
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 11 
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
(Spanish Explorer)
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
48
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 1475 AD
Birthplace: Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain
Died: 1519

Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa became the first European to reach the Pacific from the New World, when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama. He is remembered for his long-term conflict with Spanish administrator Pedrarias, who eventually charged Balboa with treason and ill-treatment of Indians. Balboa was eventually beheaded.

 12 
Gordon Jackson
(Actor)
Gordon Jackson
0
Birthdate: December 19, 1923
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died: 1990
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 13 
Prithvi Narayan Shah
(First Ruler of the Kingdom of Nepal)
Prithvi Narayan Shah
5
Birthdate: January 11, 1723
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gorkha, Nepal
Died: 1775

Prithvi Narayan Shah reigned as the King of Gorkha from 1743 to 1768. He also reigned as the King of Nepal from 1768 to 1775. As the first ruler of the Kingdom of Nepal, Shah began the unification of Nepal. Due to his efforts to unify Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah is regarded as the Father of the Nation.

 14 
Black Dahlia
(Murder Victim)
Black Dahlia
30
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 29, 1924
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Died: 1947

Black Dahlia was an American murder victim whose case gained national attention due to the gruesome nature of the crime. Her murder is often cited as one of Los Angeles County's oldest unsolved cases and the most popular unsolved murders in the history of the United States. Dahlia's life and death have inspired a number of books and films.

 15 
Henry H. Arnold
(Military Leader)
Henry H. Arnold
12
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: June 25, 1886
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 1950
 16 
Emma, Lady Hamilton
(Model)
Emma, Lady Hamilton
1
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: April 26, 1765
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Great Neston, England
Died: 1815
 17 
Jimmy Snuka
(American Professional Wrestler)
Jimmy Snuka
13
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 18, 1943
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Suva, Fiji
Died: 2017
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 18 
Banastre Tarleton
(Former Lieutenant Colonel at the End of the American Revolution)
Banastre Tarleton
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: August 21, 1754
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Died: 1833

Banastre Tarleton was a British politician and general. He served in the American Revolutionary War where he was a lieutenant colonel. An iconic figure, Tarleton has been portrayed in several films, such as Sweet Liberty, The Patriot, and Amazing Grace. He has also been depicted in many TV series and novels.   

 19 
Rudolf Wanderone
(American Professional Billiards Player)
Rudolf Wanderone
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 19, 1913
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: 1996
 20 
Sammy Cahn
(Lyricist)
Sammy Cahn
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 18, 1913
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: 1993
 21 
Ruth Warrick
(Singer)
Ruth Warrick
2
Birthdate: June 29, 1916
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States
Died: 2005
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 22 
Dee Murray
(Musician, Guitarist, Songwriter)
Dee Murray
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: April 3, 1946
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gillingham
Died: 1992
 23 
Gulzarilal Nanda
(Former Prime Minister of India)
Gulzarilal Nanda
8
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 4, 1898
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sialkot, Punjab, British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan)
Died: 1998

Gulzarilal Nanda was the acting prime minister of India after the deaths of sitting prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964 and Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966. The Bharat Ratna winner had previously been jailed twice for his participation in Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. He had also been an economics professor.

 24 
Mathew Brady
(One of the Earliest Photographers in American History)
Mathew Brady
2
Birthdate: May 18, 1822
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Warren County, New York, United States
Died: 1896

Mathew Brady was an American photographer who captured the American Civil War through his lenses. One of the earliest photographers in the history of the US, Brady is credited with taking pictures of prominent personalities like Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, and Andrew Jackson. Dubbed the father of photojournalism, Mathew Brady was the most renowned American photographer during the 19th century.   

 25 
Edward Everett
(Former American senator)
Edward Everett
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 11, 1794
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: 1865

Edward Everett was an American politician, diplomat, educator, pastor, and orator. Widely regarded as one of the great orators of the Civil War and antebellum eras, Everett is remembered for his two-hour speech at the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg in 1863, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his popular Gettysburg Address. Edward Everett also taught ancient Greek literature at Harvard University.

 26 
Yves Tanguy
(Painter)
Yves Tanguy
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 5, 1900
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1955
 27 
Junior Wells
(Musician)
Junior Wells
1
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 9, 1934
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Died: 1998
 28 
Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
(Monarch)
Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
4
Birthdate: May 29, 1926
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kuwait City, Kuwait
Died: 2006
 29 
Seraphim of Sarov
(Saint)
Seraphim of Sarov
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 30, 1754
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kursk, Russia
Died: 1833
 30 
Jack Teagarden
(Trombonist)
Jack Teagarden
0
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: August 20, 1905
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Vernon, Texas, US
Died: 1964
 31 
Ahmadu Bello
(The First and Only Premier of Northern Nigeria)
Ahmadu Bello
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: June 12, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rabbah bar Nahmani
Died: 1966

Nigerian statesman Ahmadu Bello was the only Premier of Northern Nigeria. The Sardauna of Sokoto, he was one of the main spokespersons for Northern Nigeria during the country’s struggle for independence. He is also remembered as a founding father of modern Nigeria. He was assassinated in Nigeria’s first military coup.

 32 
Eliza McCardle Johnson
(U.S. First Lady)
Eliza McCardle Johnson
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 4, 1810
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Telford, Tennessee, United States
Died: 1876
 33 
Ivan Meštrović
2
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: August 15, 1883
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Vrpolje
Died: 1962

Ivan Meštrović was a Croatian architect, sculptor, and writer. Counted among the most important Croatian sculptors of the modern era, Ivan Meštrović is sometimes credited with taking Croatian arts to the world stage. He also had a strong artistic influence on Serbia where many streets are named in his honor.

 34 
Fannie Farmer
(Cook)
Fannie Farmer
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 23, 1857
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: 1915
 35 
Fanny Kemble
(Actress)
Fanny Kemble
1
Birthdate: November 27, 1809
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: 1893
 36 
Gyorgy Cziffra
(Pianist)
Gyorgy Cziffra
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 5, 1921
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: 1994

Hungarian-French virtuoso pianist Gyorgy Cziffra was born into a poor family of gypsy musicians and lost his father and sister to starvation. His piano skills got him a job at a circuses and nightclubs. He eventually trained at the Franz Liszt Academy. Following his son’s death in a fire, he stopped performing.

 37 
Hal Baylor
(Actor, Boxer)
Hal Baylor
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 10, 1918
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Banner County, Nebraska, United States
Died: 1998
 38 
Mariana Victoria of Spain
(Queen)
Mariana Victoria of Spain
0
Birthdate: March 31, 1718
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain
Died: 1781
 39 
Marshall W. Nirenberg
(Biochemist and Geneticist)
Marshall W. Nirenberg
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: April 10, 1927
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States
Died: 2010

American biochemist and Nobel laureate Marshall W. Nirenberg is best known for his research on solving the genetic code. The son of a Jewish shirtmaker father, Nirenberg showed an early interest in biology. He led the National Heart Institute’s genetics department and was associated with the National Institutes of Health.

 40 
Martin Kosleck
(Actor)
Martin Kosleck
0
Birthdate: March 24, 1904
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Barkocin, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
Died: 1994
 41 
Homai Vyarawalla
(India’s First Woman Photojournalist)
Homai Vyarawalla
1
Birthdate: December 9, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Navsari, Gujarat, India
Died: 2012
Homai Vyarawalla, better known as Dalda 13, created history as India’s first female photojournalist. The Padma Vibhushan-winning photographer had initially released her photos under the initials of her husband, M.J.V., the renowned photographer Manekshaw Vyarawala. Mostly found in crisp khadi sarees, she documented Indian politics accurately.
 42 
Olivia Goldsmith
(Author)
Olivia Goldsmith
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 1, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dumont, New Jersey, United States
Died: 2004
 43 
John Dobson
(Astronomer)
John Dobson
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 14, 1915
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Beijing, China
Died: 2014

Known as the "Pied Piper of Astronomy" or the "Star Monk," amateur astronomer John Dobson created a low-cost Newtonian telescope, known as the Dobsonian telescope. Born in China, Dobson later moved to the U.S., where he spent 23 years at the Vedanta Monastery, following which he promoted astronomy and cosmology.

 44 
Giovanni Battista Sammartini
(Composer)
Giovanni Battista Sammartini
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: 1700 AD
Birthplace: Milan
Died: 1775
 45 
Neil M. Gunn
(Novelist)
Neil M. Gunn
0
Birthdate: November 8, 1891
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland
Died: 1973
 46 
Elizabeth Janeway
(Author)
Elizabeth Janeway
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 7, 1913
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: 2005
 47 
Leah Goldberg
(Writer)
Leah Goldberg
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 29, 1911
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kaliningrad, Russia
Died: 1970

Leah Goldberg was an Israeli poet, playwright, literary translator, and author who wrote in the Hebrew language. An important writer, Goldberg's works are generally regarded as classics of Israeli literature. In 1949, she received the Ruppin Prize. In 1970, Leah Goldberg was honored with the prestigious Israel Prize for literature.

 48 
Bo Yibo
(Former Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (1956 - 1966, 1979 - 1983))
Bo Yibo
1
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 17, 1908
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Taiyuan, China
Died: 2007

Bo Yibo was a Chinese military and political leader. After joining the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) at the age of 17, he went on to become one of the most respected Chinese political figures in the 1980s and 1990s. During his career, he held important posts, such as chairman of State Economic Commission and Communist China's first Minister of Finance.

 49 
Romulus Linney
(Playwright, Novelist)
Romulus Linney
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 21, 1930
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 2011
 50 
Paolo Sarpi
(Italian Historian, Scholar, and State Theologian During Venice’s Struggle With 'Pope Paul V')
Paolo Sarpi
0
Birthdate: August 14, 1552
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Venice, Italy
Died: 1623

Italian theologian and scientist Paolo Sarpi was also a lawyer. He lost his father early and was raised by his mother and uncle. His intellect and seriousness had earned him the nickname The Bride in his early days. He advocated for the separation of the Church and the state.