Died On May 17th
Discover the most famous people who died on May 17. The list includes people like Sandro Botticelli, John Jay, Lawrence Welk, John C. Breckinridge, Gunnar Myrdal. Famous personalities featured on this list, include political leaders, diplomats, empresses & queens and emperors & kings and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, France and many more countries.
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1
Donna Summer
(Singer-Songwriter)
Birthdate: December 31, 1948
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: 2012
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
Birthdate: 1445 AD
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: 1510
Italian painter Sandro Botticelli was one of the most influential figures of the Early Renaissance. His works later influenced the Pre-Raphaelites. He is best known for his iconic works Primavera and The Birth of Venus and his versions of the Madonna and Child. He also painted the Sistine Chapel.
Birthdate: February 26, 1920
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Died: 2004
Tony Randall is best remembered as Felix Unger from the sitcom The Odd Couple, based on the 1965 play of the same name, also winning an Emmy for the role. He also appeared in series such as Love, Sidney and delivered Golden Globe-nominated roles in films such as Pillow Talk.
4
John Jay(1st Chief Justice of the United States (1789 - 1795))
Birthdate: December 12, 1745
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: 1829
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States who signed the famous Paris Treaty, John Jay was best known as the first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, although he occupied various other important public positions. He was a diplomat, who shaped his country’s foreign policy. He passed legislation to gradually abolish slavery, but he himself owned five enslaved people.
5
Lawrence Welk(Accordionist, Bandleader, and Television Impresario)
Birthdate: March 11, 1903
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Strasburg, North Dakota
Died: 1992
Lawrence Welk was an American accordionist and bandleader. From 1951 to 1982, Welk hosted the popular musical variety show, The Lawrence Welk Show. Also known for his entrepreneurship skills, Welk had investments in music publishing and real estate. He also owned a club and restaurant. In 1994, he was made an inductee of the International Polka Music Hall of Fame.
Birthdate: April 5, 1933
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 2005
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
7
Harmon Killebrew
(Baseball player)
Birthdate: June 29, 1936
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Payette, Idaho, United States
Died: 2011
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
Birthdate: February 7, 1804
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Rutland, Vermont, United States
Died: 1886
Birthdate: January 16, 1821
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Died: 1875
From being the youngest vice-president of the United States to joining the Confederate Army during the American civil war, John Breckinridge was a controversial figure in politics. While he was regarded as a shrewd military commander, the former Democratic Congressman was considered a traitor in the northern region. He fled the US after the Civil War but later on returned.
10
Shad Gaspard
(American Professional Wrestler and Actor)
Birthdate: January 13, 1981
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: 2020
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
Birthdate: November 6, 1941
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Monahans, Texas, U.S.
Died: 2016
Birthdate: February 2, 1754
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1838
While his clubfoot prevented him from joining the army and also earned him the nickname The Lame Devil, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord later became the bishop of Autun. Known for his womanizing ways, he also went down in history as an opportunist who changed sides.
13
Mario Benedetti
(Uruguayan Journalist, Novelist and Poet)
Birthdate: September 14, 1920
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paso de los Toros, Uruguay
Died: 2009
Mario Benedetti was a Uruguayan novelist, journalist, and poet. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most important writers in the Spanish-speaking world, Benedetti was a key member of the Generation '45. Benedetti's works were published in 20 languages and he also contributed to the weekly newspaper, Marcha, where he served as the literary director from 1954 to 1973.
14
Paul Dukas(French Composer Best Known for the Orchestral Piece 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice')
Birthdate: October 1, 1865
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1935
Best known for his masterpiece The Sorcerer's Apprentice, French composer Paul Dukas was admired by both conservative and progressive French musicians. Born to a pianist mother, Dukas had begun composing while recovering from an ailment at age 14. Shortly before his death, he destroyed most of his manuscripts.
15
Dorothy Kamenshek
(Baseball Player)
Birthdate: December 21, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Norwood, Ohio, United States
Died: 2010
16
Bruce Fairbairn
(Canadian Record Producer)
Birthdate: December 30, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada
Died: 1999
Bruce Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer whose style was notable for introducing dynamic horn arrangements into rock music productions. A classically trained trumpet player, Fairbairn gave many hits like Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, Big Ones, Loverboy’s albums among others. He also established Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver.
17
Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
(Politician)
Birthdate: February 2, 1754
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1838
French diplomat and bishop Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord is counted among the most pragmatic and prominent diplomats in European history. He served King Louis XVI and thereafter changed sides several times, serving at highest levels of successive French governments of Napoleon I, Louis XVIII and Louis Philippe I. He served as the first Prime Minister of France under Louis XVIII.
18
William Jefferson Blythe Jr.
(Soldier)
Birthdate: February 27, 1918
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sherman, Texas, United States
Died: 1946
19
Gunnar Myrdal(Swedish economist & sociologist. who received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.)
Birthdate: December 6, 1898
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Skattungbyn, Sweden
Died: 1987
Son of a building contractor, Nobel Memorial Prize-winning Swedish economist and sociologist Gunnar Myrdal attained a Rockefeller fellowship to the U.S. and also taught as a professor. Through his book An American Dilemma, he explored the socio-economic issues of the African-American community and laid down concepts such as cumulative causation.
20
Milena Jesenska
(Czech Writer Who Helped Many Jews Escape From Czechoslovakia After the Advent of The Nazis)
Birthdate: August 10, 1896
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Prague, Czechia
Died: 1944
Milena Jesenska was a Czech writer, editor, journalist, and translator. She is best remembered for translating Franz Kafka's works from German to Czech and for her romantic relationship with Kafka when she was still married to Ernst Pollak. She is also known for her action of saving the lives of many Jewish and political refugees when the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia.
21
Cass Gilbert
(American Architect Who Designed the Woolworth Building and the United States Supreme Court Building)
Birthdate: November 24, 1859
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Zanesville, Ohio, United States
Died: 1934
Prominent American architect, Cass Gilbert was an early proponent of skyscrapers and designed public buildings in the Beaux-Arts style. Some of his works include the United States Supreme Court building, the Woolworth Building, and the Saint Louis Art Museum and Public Library. He also planned the campuses of the Universities of Texas (Austin) and Minnesota (Minneapolis).
Birthdate: May 27, 1915
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States
Died: 2019
23
Owen Roberts
(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US)
Birthdate: May 2, 1875
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 1955
Birthdate: 1335 AD
Birthplace: Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Died: 1395
25
Matthew Parker
(Archbishop of Canterbury)
Birthdate: August 6, 1504
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Norwich, England
Died: 1575
Anglican archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker had faced hostility under Roman Catholic queen Mary I’s reign but got his privileges back when Elizabeth I came to power. Among his many works was his own translation of the Bible. He had also been the vice chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
26
Guido von List
(Poet, Journalist, Novelist)
Birthdate: October 5, 1848
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1919
27
Takasugi Shinsaku
(Samurai)
Birthdate: September 27, 1839
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Died: 1867
28
Randolph Turpin
(British Boxer)
Birthdate: June 7, 1928
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
Died: 1966
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Birthdate: August 8, 1880
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States
Died: 1948
30
Gerald Edelman(American Biologist Who Won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for His Work in the Immune System)
Birthdate: July 1, 1929
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Ozone Park, New York, United States
Died: 2014
Gerald Edelman was an American biologist best remembered for winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1972 for his work on the immune system; he shared the award with Rodney Robert Porter. Gerald Edelman is also credited with founding a nonprofit research center named The Neurosciences Institute, where he served as the director.
31
Warda Al-Jazairia
(Singer)
Birthdate: July 22, 1939
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Puteaux, France
Died: 2012
Birthdate: December 18, 1910
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: 1985
33
José Santos Zelaya
(President of Nicaragua (1893 - 1909))
Birthdate: November 1, 1853
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Managua, Nicaragua
Died: 1919
José Santos Zelaya was a Nicaraguan political figure best remembered for his service as the President of Nicaragua from 1893 to 1909. During his presidency, Zelaya enacted many progressive programs, such as established steam ship lines and improved railroads and public education. José Santos Zelaya also enacted a number of constitutional rights.
34
Toe Blake
(Ice-hockey player)
Birthdate: August 21, 1912
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Victoria Mines, Canada
Died: 1995
35
Ladislao Kubala
(Hungarian and Slovak Professional Footballer)
Birthdate: June 10, 1927
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: 2002
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
36
Alexis Clairaut
(Mathematician)
Birthdate: May 13, 1713
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1765
Born to a math teacher, French mathematician and physicist Alexis Clairaut had mastered calculus at 10. He is best remembered for devising the Clairaut’s equation and for validating the scientific claims of Sir Isaac Newton. He was part of an expedition to Lapland to ascertain a degree of the meridian arc.
37
Radomir Putnik
(Serbia's First Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff)
Birthdate: January 24, 1847
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kragujevac, Serbia
Died: 1917
Serbian army commander Radomir Putnik was the country’s first Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff. He led the Serbs in the Balkan Wars and World War I. One of his most significant wins was against the Austro-Hungarian army in the battles of Cer and Kolubara in 1914.
38
Aleksandr Dargomyzhsky
(Composer)
Birthdate: February 14, 1813
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tula, Russia
Died: 1869
39
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima
(Monk)
Birthdate: April 25, 1989
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lhari County, Nagqu, China
Died: 1995
40
David Herbert Donald
(Historian)
Birthdate: October 1, 1920
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Goodman, Mississippi, United States
Died: 2009
41
William Robinson
(Gardener)
Birthdate: July 15, 1838
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Ireland
Died: 1935
42
Béla Balázs
(Hungarian Film Critic, Aesthetician, Writer and a Proponent of Formalist Film Theory)
Birthdate: August 4, 1884
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Szeged, Hungary
Died: 1949
Hungarian author Béla Balázs, known for his Symbolist poems, also made pathbreaking studies in formalist film theory. He later established the Film Studies Institute of Hungary and also contributed to films such as The 3 Penny Opera. The Béla Balázs Prize, named after him, now honors talented cinematographers.
43
Frank G Slaughter
(Author)
Birthdate: February 25, 1908
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Died: 2001
44
Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu
(Statesman)
Birthdate: September 14, 1766
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1822
Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu was a French statesman. He served as an officer in the Russian Imperial Army during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. He was a royalist and actively supported monarchy during the Bourbon Restoration, following which he became the prime minister of France. He was married to Alexandrine Rosalie Sabine de Rochechouart-Faudoas.
45
Robert Maynard Hutchins
(Educationist, University teacher)
Birthdate: January 17, 1899
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: 1977
46
Donald Coggan
(Archbishop of Canterbury)
Birthdate: October 9, 1909
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England
Died: 2000
Apart from being the Archbishop of Canterbury, Donald Coggan had also been the Bishop of Bradford and the Archbishop of York. An academic, too, he taught at several universities. Progressive in his views, he supported the admission of women priests. He was made a life peer.
47
Daniel Carasso
(French American Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: December 16, 1905
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Thessaloniki, Greece
Died: 2009
48
Mary, Queen of Hungary
(Queen)
Birthdate: April 14, 1371
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Buda, Hungary
Died: 1395
Birthdate: January 20, 1924
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Houilles, France
Died: 2010
Birthdate: November 16, 1531
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ferrara, Italy
Died: 1607
The eldest daughter of Ercole II, the duke of Ferrera, Anna d'Este was initially married to Francis, Duke of Guise and then to Jacques, Duke of Nemours. A supporter of the Catholic League, Anna was targeted by Henry III. She later served the Queen of France, Marie de' Medici, but died poor.