Famous People Who Died Today

Considered the prototypical rock star, Jim Morrison remains one of the most influential singer-songwriters, almost five decades after his death. Jim influenced the counterculture of the 1960s as he embodied the hippie counterculture rebellion. Due to his erratic performances and wild personality, he is regarded as one of the most iconic frontmen in rock history.

Brian Jones was an English musician credited with founding the world-renowned rock band, The Rolling Stones. He was also considered the original leader of the band before his fellow band members, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, took over the musical direction of the band. Jones became the first member of the infamous 27 Club, when he died at age 27.

André Citroën was a French industrialist. He is credited with founding the popular automobile company Citroën and is best remembered for making Citroën cars. He also helped his company become the world's fourth-largest automobile manufacturer by the beginning of the 1930s. In 1998, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Kemal Sunal was a Turkish actor who achieved immense popularity among Turkish cinema goers for his portrayal of Şaban in many films between 1975 and 1985. Kemal Sunal appeared mostly in comedy films and is considered one of the most popular Turkish actors of his generation.

Initially part of the Soviet army, Andrian Nikolayev later became a pilot and then joined the Communist Party, before stepping into cosmonaut training. He soon scripted history as the third Russian cosmonaut to make it to space. He was also the husband of pioneering female cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.

Hipólito Yrigoyen was an Argentine politician best remembered for his service as the President of Argentina on two occasions; from 1916 to 1922 and again from 1928 to 1930. He is also remembered for introducing numerous social reforms, including compulsory pensions, regulation of working hours, and improvements in factory conditions, for which he was called the father of the poor.

U.S. Army physician William C. Gorgas was in charge of the sanitation of Panama and successfully eradicated both malaria and yellow fever from the zone, thus paving the way for the construction of the Panama Canal. He was later made part of the Hall of Fame For Great Americans.

Sadeq Chubak was an Iranian author whose literary works, especially novels, contemplate the dark side of society. In his novels, he often studied the lives of the downtrodden who are victimized by natural deterministic forces and iniquities. Sadeq Chubak is widely regarded as the best naturalist writer in Persian literature.

Architect John Hejduk was an alumnus of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and later taught architecture there. He was part of the New York Five and the Texas Rangers architects. He was also known for his signature use of cubes and grids.

Spanish mariner Antonio de Ulloa was sent by the government to explore America and ended up being captured by the British while returning. His scientific zeal made him a Fellow of the Royal Society there. He is remembered for his metallurgical, astronomical, and geographical discoveries and treatises.

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson was an American mezzo-soprano best remembered for her performances of both contemporary works and Baroque era. Lieberson, who started her career as a violist, began to focus on singing only when she was in her 30s. She then went on to perform at popular venues like the Metropolitan Opera. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson received two Grammy Awards posthumously.  

American detective Lafayette C. Baker who served the Union Army during the American Civil War, is also remembered for his espionage activities. He apparently spied on the Confederate Army for General Winfield Scott. However, in spite of heading the Union intelligence forces, he was sacked for allegedly spying on President Andrew Johnson.

Bao Zheng was a Chinese politician who played an important role in China's Song Dynasty under Emperor Renzong. Remembered for his extreme honesty, Bao was bestowed with the honorific title, Justice Bao. Today, he is revered in Chinese society as the cultural symbol of justice. Thanks to his popularity, Bao Zheng has been portrayed in many films and TV series.

Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov was a Russian painter. He is best remembered for his work The Appearance of Christ Before the People which took him 20 years to complete, earning him the nickname master of one work. Over the course of his career, Ivanov also produced other popular works like the Last supper that are preserved at the State Russian Museum.

Frederick Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell was a British physicist known for serving as the prime scientific adviser to Winston Churchill in World War II. Much respected for his scientific brilliance, he was notorious for being arrogant and quarrelsome as a person. He formed a close bond with Churchill and was given a  cabinet seat in Churchill’s second government.