Died On October 17th

Discover the most famous people who died on October 17. The list includes people like Frédéric Chopin, Liaquat Ali Khan, Gustav Kirchhoff, Emily Murphy, John Reed. Famous personalities featured on this list, include journalists, poets, composers and actors and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, France, United Kingdom & Canada and many more countries.
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 1 
Frédéric Chopin
(Polish Composer and Virtuoso Pianist of the Romantic Period)
Frédéric Chopin
23
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: March 1, 1810
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Żelazowa Wola, Poland
Died: 1849

Romantic Era virtuoso pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin, nicknamed The Poet of the Piano, is remembered as the inventor of the instrumental ballade. The legendary composer mostly created solo piano masterpieces but also experimented with piano concertos and chamber pieces. He was influenced by Bach, Mozart, and Polish folk music.

 2 
Puyi
(Last Emperor of China)
Puyi
15
Birthdate: February 7, 1906
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Beijing, China
Died: 1967

Puyi served as the final emperor of China's last imperial dynasty, The Qing dynasty. After Manchuria was invaded by Japan, Puyi became a puppet at the hands of the Japanese and was chosen as the emperor of the puppet state of Manchukuo. He then signed many edicts, given to him by the Japanese, including the one that made slavery legal.

 3 
Joey Bishop
(Entertainer)
Joey Bishop
1
Birthdate: February 3, 1918
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, USA
Died: 2007
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 4 
Tennessee Ernie Ford
(American Singer and Television Host)
Tennessee Ernie Ford
6
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: February 13, 1919
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bristol, Tennessee, United States
Died: 1991
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 5 
Levi Stubbs
(Baritone Singer)
Levi Stubbs
8
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: June 6, 1936
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died: 2008
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 6 
Joan Hickson
(Actress)
Joan Hickson
0
Birthdate: August 5, 1906
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kingsthorpe, Northampton, England
Died: 1998
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 7 
J. Bruce Ismay
(Businessman)
J. Bruce Ismay
7
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: December 12, 1862
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Crosby, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Died: 1937

J. Bruce Ismay was an English businessman. He served as managing director and chairman of the popular shipping company White Star Line, which operated the ill-fated passenger liner RMS Titanic. In 1912, Ismay was subjected to severe criticism after surviving the sinking of the Titanic. In the 1997 film Titanic, J. Bruce Ismay was played by actor Jonathan Hyde.

 8 
Sylvia Kristel
(Dutch Actress and Model Best Known for Her Eponymous Role in 'Emmanuelle' Films)
Sylvia Kristel
4
Birthdate: September 28, 1952
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Utrecht, Netherlands
Died: 2012

Best known for her title role in the Emmanuelle series of soft-core erotica, Dutch actor Sylvia Kristel ran away from her strict Calvinist home in Utrecht to Amsterdam, where she took up odd jobs. She began modeling at 17 and won a couple of beauty pageants, before stepping into films full-time.

 9 
Eliza Hamilton Holly
(Alexander Hamilton's Daughter)
Eliza Hamilton Holly
5
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 20, 1799
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Died: 1859
 10 
Gordon Downie
(Former Lead singer of rock band The Tragically Hip, a group that has received more than ten JUNO Awards)
Gordon Downie
11
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: February 6, 1964
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Amherstview, Canada
Died: 2017
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 11 
Bill Macy
(Actor)
Bill Macy
5
Birthdate: May 18, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Revere, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died: 2019
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 12 
Emory Tate
(American Chess International Master)
Emory Tate
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 27, 1958
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: 2015
 13 
Liaquat Ali Khan
(First Prime Minister of Pakistan)
Liaquat Ali Khan
29
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 1, 1895
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Karnal
Died: 1951
Born to a landowner, Liaquat Ali Khan received an elite education at Oxford. The lawyer-turned-politician was Pakistan’s first prime minister. The place where he was assassinated by an Afghan, the Company Bagh, was later renamed Liaquat Bagh, and years later, witnessed the assassination of prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
 14 
Yaa Asantewaa
(Queens Mother)
Yaa Asantewaa
15
Birthdate: 1840 AD
Birthplace: Besease
Died: 1920

The Queen Mother of the Ashanti Empire, or modern-day Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa is remembered for leading her country against the British in the War of the Golden Stool. The war began when a British representative sat on the Golden Stool, considered a sacred emblem of the Ashanti people.

 15 
John Reed
(Journalist, Poet)
John Reed
5
Birthdate: October 22, 1887
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States
Died: 1920
 16 
Masaru Emoto
(Essayist, Writer)
Masaru Emoto
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 22, 1943
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Yokohama
Died: 2014

Masaru Emoto was a Japanese author, businessman, and pseudo-scientist. He is best remembered for his New York Times bestseller book The Hidden Messages in Water in which he claimed that thought can influence the molecular structure of water. He also served as the president emeritus of a non-profit organization called International Water For Life Foundation.

 17 
Gustav Kirchhoff
(Physicist)
Gustav Kirchhoff
3
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 12, 1824
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Königsberg, Kingdom of Prussia
Died: 1887

Gustav Kirchhoff was a German physicist who is credited with coining the term black-body radiation. He is best remembered for his contribution to the basic understanding of spectroscopy, electrical circuits, and the emanation of black-body radiation. In 1862, he received the prestigious Rumford Medal. The Bunsen-Kirchhoff Award is named after Gustav Kirchhoff and German chemist Robert Bunsen.

 18 
Emily Murphy
(First Female Magistrate in Canada)
Emily Murphy
16
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: March 14, 1868
Sun Sign: Pisces
Died: 1933

Canadian women’s rights activist Emily Murphy was part of The Famous Five, a group of women activists who launched the Persons Case to make women eligible to be part of the Senate. Murphy also served as the first police magistrate in Canada and the British Empire.

 19 
Danielle Darrieux
(Actress)
Danielle Darrieux
2
Birthdate: May 1, 1917
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bordeaux, France
Died: 2017
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 20 
Teresa Brewer
(Singer)
Teresa Brewer
4
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 7, 1931
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio
Died: 2007
 21 
Alicia Alonso
(Dancer)
Alicia Alonso
3
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: December 21, 1920
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
Died: 2019
 22 
Julia Ward Howe
(Known for Writing the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’)
Julia Ward Howe
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 27, 1819
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Died: 1910
 23 
Margaret Mary Alacoque
(Nun)
Margaret Mary Alacoque
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: July 22, 1647
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Verosvres, France
Died: 1690
 24 
Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri
(Luthier)
Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: August 21, 1698
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cremona, Italy
Died: 1744
 25 
Sarah Winnemucca
(Former writer known for Activist and Spokeswoman for Northern Paiute)
Sarah Winnemucca
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 1844 AD
Birthplace: Nevada, United States
Died: 1891
 26 
Criss Oliva
(American Musician, Guitarist and Co-founder of the Heavy Metal Band 'Savatage')
Criss Oliva
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: April 3, 1963
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Morris County, United States
Died: 1993
 27 
Natalya Goncharova
(Russian artist)
Natalya Goncharova
1
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: June 3, 1881
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Nagayevo, Russia
Died: 1962

Natalya Goncharova was a Russian avant-garde painter, writer, illustrator, costume designer, and set designer. A member of avant-garde groups like Jack of Diamonds and Donkey's Tail, Goncharova influenced several unconventional artists in Russia and Paris. Goncharova also had a successful career as a costume designer; she designed costumes for the Ballets Russes.

 28 
Cleo de Merode
(Ballet dancer)
Cleo de Merode
0
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: September 27, 1875
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1966

Cleo de Merode was a French dancer whose glamor overshadowed her dancing skills. Often referred to as the first modern celebrity and the first real celebrity icon, de Mérode was also the first female public figure whose pictures were distributed worldwide. She is also remembered for her sculpture La Danseuse which was sculpted from a plaster cast of her body.

 29 
Chris Acland
(Musician, Drummer)
Chris Acland
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 7, 1966
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lancaster
Died: 1996
 30 
George, Crown Prince of Serbia
(Serbian Prince Who Was Locked up by His Brother, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia)
George, Crown Prince of Serbia
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 27, 1887
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cetinje, Montenegro
Died: 1972

Serbian prince George was the older brother of Alexander I, the king of Yugoslavia. While he had to give up his claim to the throne for murdering his servant, he later served the army. Locked up and declared insane by his brother, he was freed by Germans during World War II.

 31 
Michael Balcon
(Film producer)
Michael Balcon
2
Birthdate: May 19, 1896
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Birmingham
Died: 1977
 32 
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
(Composer and virtuoso pianist)
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 14, 1778
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bratislava, Slovakia
Died: 1837
 33 
Ben Weider
(Businessperson, Writer)
Ben Weider
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: February 1, 1923
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
Died: 2008
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 34 
Alberta Hunter
(American singer)
Alberta Hunter
3
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: April 1, 1895
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Memphis
Died: 1984
 35 
Lalon
(Prominent Bengali Philosopher Regarded as an Icon of  Bengali Culture)
Lalon
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 17, 1774
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Jhenaidah District, Bangladesh
Died: 1890

Lalon, also known as Lalon Fakir, or Lalon Shah, was an iconic Baul saint, considered a symbol of Bengali culture. Since his poems and songs belonged to the oral tradition, they weren’t published during his lifetime. Eventually, Rabindranath Tagore published about 200 songs from one of Lalon’s manuscripts.

 36 
Rosanna Schiaffino
(Actress)
Rosanna Schiaffino
0
Birthdate: November 25, 1939
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Genoa, Italy
Died: 2009
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 37 
S. J. Perelman
(Humorist)
S. J. Perelman
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 1, 1904
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: 1979
 38 
Jean Améry
(Austrian Author)
Jean Améry
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 31, 1912
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1978

Jean Améry went from being a prisoner at the Auschwitz labor camp to being one of the finest essayists of the post-war era. His best-known work, At the Mind's Limits, depicts his experiences during World War II. He eventually committed suicide by consuming sleeping pills in a Salzburg hotel.

 39 
Ninon de l'Enclos
(Author)
Ninon de l'Enclos
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 10, 1620
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1705
 40 
Ba Jin
(Writer, Translator, Esperantist, Autobiographer, Children's writer)
Ba Jin
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 25, 1904
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chengdu
Died: 2005
 41 
Jay Livingston
(Composer)
Jay Livingston
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: March 28, 1915
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: McDonald, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 2001
 42 
Avetik Isahakyan
(Lyric poet)
Avetik Isahakyan
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 30, 1875
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Gyumri, Armenia
Died: 1957
 43 
Frank Dicksee
(Painter, Illustrator)
Frank Dicksee
0
Birthdate: November 27, 1853
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London
Died: 1928
 44 
Karl Kautsky
(Czech-Austrian Journalist, Philosopher, and Marxist Theorist)
Karl Kautsky
0
Birthdate: October 16, 1854
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Prague, Czechia
Died: 1938
 45 
Charles A. Dana
(American journalist)
Charles A. Dana
0
Birthdate: August 8, 1819
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hinsdale, New Hampshire, United States
Died: 1897
 46 
Giovanni Gronchi
(President of Italy from 1955 to 1962)
Giovanni Gronchi
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 10, 1887
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Pontedera, Italy
Died: 1978
 47 
Peyo Yavorov
(Poet , Playwright and a Pioneer of the Bulgarian Symbolist Movement)
Peyo Yavorov
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 1, 1878
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chirpan, Bulgaria
Died: 1914

Iconic Bulgarian poet and playwright Peyo Yavorov pioneered the Bulgarian symbolist movement. He was also a major figure of the Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman rule. His initial works had a sociopolitical theme, but he later ditched realism. He was 36 when he committed suicide by consuming poison and then shooting himself.

 48 
Turk Broda
(Ice Hockey Player)
Turk Broda
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 15, 1914
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Died: 1972
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 49 
Laura Secord
(Canadian loyalist)
Laura Secord
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 13, 1775
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States
Died: 1868
 50 
Danièle Delorme
(French Film Producer and Actress)
Danièle Delorme
0
Birthdate: October 9, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Levallois-Perret, France
Died: 2015

Danièle Delorme was a French film producer and actress. She is best remembered for playing important roles in movies directed by popular filmmakers like Yves Robert, Julien Duvivier, and Marc Allégret. In 1988, Danièle Delorme was part of the Camera d'Or jury at the Cannes Film Festival.