Famous People Who Died Today

Bruno Sammartino was an Italian-American wrestler. He was one of the most popular wrestlers to participate in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) during the 1960s and 1970s. Nicknamed The Strongest Man in the World, Sammartino is often considered one of the greatest wrestlers ever. In 2013, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

German chemist Justus von Liebig is best known for his research on organic compounds and his contribution to biochemistry and agriculture. The Copley Medal-winning scientist initially studied pharmacy but later switched to chemistry. As a professor, he stressed on laboratory-based teaching of chemistry and separating it from pharmacy, opposing traditional methods.

French Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau is best remembered for his erotic paintings of mythological and religious figures. His works were deeply influenced by Théodore Chassériau, his teacher, and later by the Italian Renaissance. The Apparition and Jupiter and Sémélé remain two of his best-known works.

William R. King served as the vice president of the U.S. in 1853 and died 45 days after assuming his duties. He was a representative from North Carolina and an Alabama senator. He led to the drafting of the Compromise of 1850 and had also been a minister to France.

Best remembered for leading the Indian Rebellion of 1857, tribal leader Tantia Tope used guerilla tactics in his fights against the British. In spite of no formal military training, he also managed to seize Gwalior temporarily with Rani Lakshmibai. He was later hanged to death by the British.

Turing Award-winning computer scientist Edgar F. Codd is best remembered for his relational data model, which contributed to the development of the relational database used in storing and retrieving computer data. An Oxford graduate, he had also worked for the army during World War II.

Edward Alan John George was a British economist and banker who served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 1993 to 2003. Credited with guiding BOE to independence, enabling it to take full control of the country’s monetary policy, he was also acclaimed for his adept handling of UK’s withdrawal from the European Communities’ exchange-rate mechanism in 1992.

Vytautas Šapranauskas was a Lithuanian theatre and film actor and TV personality. He was regarded by some as one of the most talented Lithuanian actors of his generation. Apart from achieving popularity as an actor who could ace comedy and dramatic roles, Vytautas Šapranauskas was also famous for hosting a number of TV shows, including Lithuania's Got Talent.

Swedish professor of anatomy Anders Retzius is best remembered for his ground-breaking research on craniometry, or the human skull. He was associated with the Karolinska Medic-Kirurgiska Institutet in Stockholm. A Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences member, he was also the father of renowned Swedish physican Gustaf Retzius.

Japanese-American opera singer Brian Asawa established himself as a leading countertenor globally even before he turned 30. He became the first countertenor to win the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. He also redefined the countertenor voice by including emotion and a personal touch to the otherwise impersonal medium.

Nelson Gonçalves was a Brazilian singer-songwriter best remembered for his hit song A Volta do Boêmio. Having sold over 79 million copies worldwide, Gonçalves is one of the best-selling artistes in the history of Brazil. Nelson Gonçalves' life and career inspired a couple of musicals and a documentary film.    

Lester Frank Ward was an American paleontologist, botanist, and sociologist. He is best remembered for his service as the American Sociological Association's first president. Lester Frank Ward played an important role in bringing Sociology courses into the higher education system in America. 

Gian-Carlo Rota went down in history as the first and the only professor of applied mathematics and philosophy at MIT. His illustrious scientific career revolved around research on subjects such as combinatorics, probability, and functional analysis. He had also led the American Mathematical Society as its vice president.

Italian-born humanist scholar, historian and priest, Polydore Vergil is especially famed for his magnum opus, Twenty-six Books of English History, often being dubbed as the Father of English History for this feat. Sent to England soon after being ordained as priest, he spent major part of his life there, authoring many other works, including Proverbiorum libellus and De rerum inventoribus.