Famous People Who Died Today

Rick James was an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with forming several bands, including The Mynah Birds and Stone City Band. His career was hampered by his controversial personal life and drug addiction problems; he was convicted of kidnapping and torturing women on two separate instances under the influence of crack.

Largely known for popularizing the teen movie genre in the 1980s, John Hughes had dropped out of university to work as an ad copywriter and then a comedy writer. He soared to fame with his stories in National Lampoon magazine and then directed many films of the National Lampoon franchise.

Alfredo Bowman was a Honduran self-proclaimed healer and herbalist. Bowman was known for his dramatic claims that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS and diseases could be cured with a vegan diet and herbs. His client list included celebrities like Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy. Bowman often landed in trouble for his controversial claims and was arrested on a couple of occasions.

Diego Velázquez was a Spanish painter who served as the most important artist in King Philip IV's court. The leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, Velázquez's work served as a model for impressionist and realist painters of the 19th century. In the 20th century, personalities like Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso re-interpreted some of Velázquez's most iconic images.

One of the most prominent intellectuals of the 20th century, Theodor Adorno was a pioneer of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and despised the culture industry. Born to a singer mother, the German sociologist grew up amid music and could even play Beethoven on the piano by 12.

Fe del Mundo was a Filipina paediatrician who achieved international recognition in 1977 when she was honored with the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. In 1980, she was named National Scientist of the Philippines, becoming the first woman to be named so. Del Mundo is credited with founding Philippines' first pediatric hospital.

English actor Cedric Hardwicke is mostly remembered for his roles in the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw. Nicknamed Butch and Badger, he was one of the finest character actors of the initial days of talkies. He was also known for his baritone voice and later moved to the US permanently.

A pioneering computer scientist from the Netherlands, Edsger W. Dijkstra had initially studied theoretical physics, before focusing on computers. He developed the domain of structured programming and also won honors such as the Turing Award. He died at 72, after a long struggle with cancer.

Shahpur Bakhtiar was an Iranian politician best remembered for serving as the 45th Prime Minister of Iran from 6 January 1979 to 11 February 1979. Bakhtiar also wrote many articles and books, including Ma Fidélité and 37 Days after 37 Years. Shahpur Bakhtiar was killed in France on 6 August 1991 after he had escaped a couple of assassination attempts.

French mathematician Andre Weil, who was also the brother of philosopher Simone Weil, is best known for his contribution to algebraic geometry. He also co-founded the Bourbaki group, consisting of mathematicians who collectively wrote using the pseudonym Nicolas Bourbaki. Weil took a keen interest in Hinduism and also learned Sanskrit.

Supreme Court lawyer and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had held several ministries, such as external affairs and information and broadcasting. Named India’s “best loved politician” by Wall Street Journal, Swaraj was known for her prompt assistance to Indians in emergency situations abroad and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.

Pope Callixtus III was initially a professor of law. He later helped King Alfonso V with Pope Martin V reconcile. He was infamous for his nepotism, as he was highly biased toward his nephew, Rodrigo Borgia, whom he made a cardinal and who later took over as the pope.

Ibrahim Ferrer was a Cuban singer best remembered for his association with Los Bocucos. Apart from performing with the band for nearly 40 years, Ferrer also collaborated with other popular musical groups like Chepín y su Orquesta Oriental and Conjunto Sorpresa.

Bernadine Healy created history by becoming the first woman to serve as the director of the National Institutes of Health. Apart from being a seasoned cardiologist, she had also taught medicine at institutes such as Johns Hopkins and had been the president of the American Red Cross and other non-profits.

Pope Sixtus II served as the bishop of Rome from 257 to 258. He was among the deacons who were persecuted by Emperor Valerian. One of the first victims to be beheaded on 6 August 258, Pope Sixtus II was martyred with six other deacons. He is venerated by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.  

Girolamo Fracastoro was an Italian poet, physician, and scholar in astronomy, geography and mathematics. He is credited with authoring a theory, which is regarded as a precursor to germ theory; his theory was influential for almost three centuries. He is also credited with inventing terms, such as syphilis. 

Saint Dominic was a Castilian Catholic priest who is credited with founding the Dominican Order. Dominic is said to have abstained from meat throughout his life. He is also remembered for putting himself to undue hardship like traveling barefoot and rejecting the luxury of a bed. He is regarded as the patron saint of astronomers.

Yale University historian Donald Kagan is best known for his expertise in ancient Greece and his iconic four-volume work History of the Peloponnesian War, which is the main text in the area. The Lithuanian-born American is a National Humanities Medal winner and the father of authors Robert and Frederick Kagan.

Jorge Amado was a Brazilian writer affiliated with the modernist school. He is regarded as one of the best modern Brazilian writers, and his works have been translated into around 49 languages. He was the 23rd chairperson of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, holding this post from 1961 until he died in 2001.  

Bernard Lovell was a British physicist and radio astronomer who served as the first director of Jodrell Bank Observatory, holding this position from 1945 to 1980. He studied at the University of Bristol and embarked on an academic career. During World War II, he worked for the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE). He was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 1980. 

Fulgencio Batista was the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944. He formed the constitution of Cuba. He later became a dictator through a coup. He was finally ousted by Che Guevara at the Battle of Santa Clara, as part of Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement.

Alexander Bustamante was a Jamaican politician best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Jamaica from 6 August 1962 to 23 February 1967. He also served as the Chief Minister of Jamaica from 5 May 1953 to 2 February 1955.

Kurt Kasznar was an American actor who contributed immensely to Broadway, TV, and the film industry. He also served in the Second World War as a soldier and was among the first Army photographers from the USA to capture the ruins of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on camera.

Emilio Fernández was a Mexican film actor, director, and screenwriter. One of the most prolific directors of the 1940s and 1950s, Fernández is best remembered for his work in the 1944 romantic film María Candelaria, which won the prestigious Palme d'Or in the Cannes Film Festival in 1946.