Famous People Who Died Today

Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who sold 20 million records in his career. He was the first international star to come from the ‘Third World’ and is considered one of the forerunners of reggae. A fusion of reggae, ska and rocksteady was his music’s hallmark. Marley died due to cancer at the age of 36.

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher whose philosophy came to be known as Confucianism. Confucianism is often credited with shaping Chinese communities and East Asian societies. Confucius is considered one of the most influential individuals in the history of mankind as his teachings have had a great impact on people around the world. His philosophy continues to remain influential.

Science-fiction author Kurt Vonnegut is best remembered for the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, which became a New York Times bestseller. The Hugo Award-winner had also fought against the Germans in World War II and expressed his anti-war and atheist views through his works, which also include short stories, plays, and autobiographical works.  

Two-time Grammy-winning artist and comedian Jonathan Winters is best remembered for his comedy albums such as Crank(y) Calls. He won an Emmy for playing Gunny Davis in the sitcom Davis Rules and voiced Papa Smurf in The Smurfs franchise. He also wrote a bestselling short-story anthology and held painting exhibitions.

Remembered as versatile mathematician, game wizard and polymath, John Horton Conway had limitless curiosity, which matched with his scientific originality. Although he is best known for devising the cellular automation called Game of Life, he made significant contributions to group theory, number theory, algebra, geometric topology, theoretical physics, combinatorial game theory and geometry. Conway published many outstanding papers in these fields.

James A. Bailey was an American impresario and circus ringmaster. He is credited with co-founding one of the greatest circus companies of all time, Barnum and Bailey's Circus. A year after his death, his widow sold the circus to the Ringling brothers, resulting in the formation of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Maria Tallchief was an American ballet dancer. Widely regarded as America's first major prima ballerina, Tallchief is credited with revolutionizing ballet. A close associate of George Balanchine, Tallchief went on to become the first star in New York City Ballet, the company co-founded by Balanchine. A National Medal of Arts recipient, Tallchief also received other prestigious awards during her career.

Welsh actor/comedian Harry Secombe soared to fame with The Goon Show. Part of the British army during World War II, he would often perform comedy acts for the troops. Known for his slapstick comedy, he was also a talented singer. He later hosted religious shows such as ITV’s Highway.

Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria’s first president, had humble beginnings, as the son of a farmer and small-time businessman. He once went to prison after robbing a post office to fund his revolutionary operations and later formed the National Liberation Front to fight against the French colonial reign.

Hilary Koprowski was a Polish virologist and immunologist. He spent the majority of his career in USA and created an effective live polio vaccine. He also contributed significantly to the development of an improved rabies vaccine. He was the author or co-author of over 875 scientific papers. He was the recipient of many awards, including the Albert Sabin Gold Medal.

Ronglu was a Manchu military and political leader who lived during the late Qing dynasty. A close associate of Empress Dowager Cixi, Ronglu served in many prominent military and civil positions, such as the Grand Council, Viceroy of Zhili, Grand Secretary, Zongli Yamen, Secretary of Defence, Wuwei Corps Commander, Nine Gates Infantry Commander, and Beiyang Trade Minister.

Luther Burbank was an American horticulturist and botanist. A pioneer in agricultural science, Luther Burbank developed over 800 varieties of plants and strains in an illustrious career that spanned 55 years. He is also credited with developing a spineless cactus that served as cattle feed. In 1986, Luther Burbank was made an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Donato Bramante was an Italian painter and architect. He is credited with introducing the High Renaissance style to Rome and Renaissance architecture to Milan. Bramante is also credited with planning the structure of St. Peter's Basilica, which was later executed by Michelangelo. Bramante is also remembered for designing buildings like Santa Maria presso San Satiro and Santa Maria delle Grazie.  

Maurice Hilleman was an American microbiologist who developed more than 40 vaccines. His vaccines save almost eight million lives every year and he is regarded as one of the most important vaccinologists of all time. He also played a major role in the discovery of antigenic drift and shift. In 1988, he was honored with the National Medal of Science.

Harold Ballard was a Canadian sportsman and businessman. He owned the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. Ballard also owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. Harold Ballard was made an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and 1987 respectively.

Stanislaus of Szczepanów was a Polish priest who also served as the Bishop of Kraków. He is best remembered for his conflict with the King of Poland Bolesław II the Generous whose violent behavior was criticized by Bishop Stanislaus. Enraged, the king executed Stanislaus and he became known as Saint Stanislaus the Martyr.

Junior Delgado was a reggae singer best remembered for his roots style, a subgenre of reggae. He achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s with the release of hit albums like Dance a Dub and Taste of the Young Heart. He was also imprisoned for 18 months in the 1980s for a drug-related offence. Junior Delgado died at age 46.

Thomas Robert “Tommy” Dewar, also known as Whisky Tom, was born to a distiller father, who had founded John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. in Scotland. He later expanded his family business, along with his brother, traveling to about 26 nations, and making Dewar’s an internationally renowned whiskey brand.

Enver Hoxha was an Albanian politician. From 1944 to 1954, Hoxha served as the prime minister of Albania. He is credited with rebuilding Albania after World War II. He was also responsible for building the country's first railway line, wiping out epidemics, raising the adult literacy rate, and electrification the country.