Famous People Who Died Today

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the first Russian composer to place Russian music on the international stage. Often described as a musician who transcended the stereotypes of classical Russian music, Tchaikovsky is credited with making the Western world take note of Russian music. Although he was criticized by the critics, his popularity among the public never faded.

James Watson is a geneticist, molecular biologist, and zoologist. He is credited with co-authoring the academic paper that propounded the double helix structure of nucleic acids such as DNA for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. In 1977, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1997, he was awarded the National Medal of Science.

George Meade was a civil engineer and United States Army officer best remembered for decisively defeating Robert E. Lee in the American Civil War. After the war, he played an important role during the Reconstruction era. As a civil engineer, George Meade was involved in the construction of many lighthouses. 

Erich Raeder was a German admiral best remembered for his role in World War II. In 1939, Raeder became the first person since Henning von Holtzendorff to hold the rank of Grand Admiral, the highest possible naval rank. Raeder led the Kriegsmarine, the navy of Nazi Germany, for the first half of the Second World War before resigning in 1943.

The 3rd president of the Philippines, José P. Laurel had also led the country as its Commissioner of Justice and Minister of the Interior. His rule as a president, though, was largely nominal, as the Philippines was occupied by Japan back then. Charged with treason multiple times, he managed to escape trials.

French author Maurice Leblanc is best known for creating the character Arsène Lupin, who has been part of 60 of Leblanc’s crime stories and novels. He quit his law studies to become an author. Several of his films have been turned into films. He also earned the Légion d'Honneur.

Agustín Lara was a Mexican composer and songwriter. Apart from gaining popularity in Mexico, Lara's work has also been appreciated in places like the Caribbean, United States, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Central and South America. Many of his songs have been recorded by several international singers like Enrico Caruso. Lara's life inspired the 1959 film The Life of Agustín Lara.

Ali Kemal was a Turkish journalist, poet, newspaper editor, government official, and liberal-leaning politician. He is best remembered for his brief service as the Minister of the Interior of the Ottoman Empire in 1919. During the Turkish War of Independence, Ali Kemal was assassinated by paramilitary officers.

Prince Maximilian of Baden was a German politician and general. Maximilian, who belonged to the German aristocracy, was the last chancellor of the German Empire. He also played an important role in the events leading up to the creation of the Weimar Republic.

L. Sprague de Camp was an American writer who wrote more than 100 books in an illustrious career that spanned nearly six decades. A popular writer of science fiction, De Camp was a leading figure in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s. Over the course of his career, he won several prestigious awards like the International Fantasy Award.

Annette Kellerman was an Australian vaudeville star, writer, film actress, and professional swimmer. A fashion icon, Kellerman was among the first women to wear and popularize a one-piece swimsuit. She also helped popularize synchronized swimming. An advocate of natural beauty, health, and fitness, Annette Kellerman was one of the first major actresses to appear nude in a Hollywood film.

Hungarian musical legend Zoltán Kocsis, often compared to American conductor Leonard Bernstein, had started learning the piano at age 5. While he later soared to fame with concerts and music festivals, he later won accolades for his recordings of Béla Bartók and Debussy. He also later co-established the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Johnny Warren was an Australian football player, coach, writer, broadcaster, and administrator. Nicknamed Captain Socceroo, Warren is best remembered for his work to promote and popularize soccer in Australia. The award presented to the A-League's best player is named after Johnny Warren. His life and career inspired the 2006 documentary film Johnny Warren’s Football Mission.

Born to a farmer in Ireland, Daniel Mannix grew up to become a Catholic bishop and had a 46-year stint as the Archbishop of Melbourne, Australia. He made many controversial moves, such as demanding education for Catholics in exchange for their taxes. He was instrumental in establishing over 180 educational institutes.

Renowned British diplomat Thomas Roe had started his career as an ambassador to the Mughal emperor Jahangir’s court in India, where he furthered British interests, and was later an ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He also negotiated treaties during the Thirty Years’ War and was later knighted for his achievements.

Welsh inventor William Henry Preece spent his entire life working at the British Post Office, where he experimented on the post office telegraph system. He helped Guglielmo Marconi gain financial assistance and also developed the wireless telegraphy and the telephone system of Britain. He was knighted for his achievements.

Harry Bertoia was an artist, modern furniture designer, and sound art sculptor. Born in Italy, he moved to USA, where he trained at the Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts and the Cranbrook Academy of Art before starting his career. Extremely creative and innovative, he was considered to be much ahead of his time.