Famous People Who Died Today

Legendary singer, songwriter and lead vocalist of the British rock band, Queen, Frederick Bulsara adopted the name Freddie Mercury which aptly suits his on-stage vibrant and exuberant persona. A four-octave vocal range musician, Mercury owned every stage he set foot on as much with his vivid performance as with his superhuman voice modulation.  

American actor, voice actor, and comedian, Pat Morita first gained recognition with drama series Happy Days, though it was his inspiring performance as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid film series that really skyrocketed his fame. The Asian-American actor was also known for his TV movie Amos and animated movie Mulan and Mulan II where he voiced the Chinese Emperor.

The eldest child of Alexander Hamilton—one of the founding fathers of the USA—Philip Hamilton was an intelligent student and the pride of his father. His young life came to end following a deadly duel with lawyer, George Eacker, who made offensive remarks about Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton, himself, lost his life in a similar manner three years later.

Doris Miller was a US Navy cook third class. He became the first black American to be honored with the Navy Cross for saving the lives of many sailors aboard West Virginia by manning an anti-aircraft machine gun to shoot down Japanese planes during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was killed in action while serving in World War II.

John Knox was a Scottish minister, writer, and theologian. Knox, who played a major role in the Scottish Reformation, is also credited with founding the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Considered a major contributor to the field of theology, John Knox's statue stands tall at New College in the University of Edinburgh, UK.

Georges Clémenceau, or The Tiger, who had served as the French prime minister, is remembered as a key figure of the French Third Republic. He not only played a major role in the Allied victory in World War I, but was also a key framer of the Treaty of Versailles.

The grandson of Max Katz, who once headed the Society of American Magicians, Ricky Jay started his career as an opening act for prominent entertainers such as singer Tina Turner. He gradually established himself as the greatest sleight-of-hand artist of his time. He has also appeared in films such as Boogie Nights.

The Schock Prize and National Humanities Medal-winning American moral and political philosopher John Bordley Rawls is often counted among the most influential political philosophers of the twentieth-century. Notable books of Rawls, where he elucidated his theory of justice and which has influenced a variety of thinkers, includes A Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism.

Clive James was an Australian critic, journalist, and writer who worked mainly in the United Kingdom. He had a difficult life as a young man and faced many challenges on his way to building a successful career. He began his career as a TV critic and proceeded to establish himself as a writer and poet as well. 

Hungarian artist László Moholy-Nagy was known for his non-representational art and his love for constructivism. Though he initially studied law, he later experimented with many forms of art, such as painting, sculpting, and photography. He also taught at the Bauhaus school of avant-garde design and co-edited the Bauhausbook series.

Robert McFerrin was an American operatic baritone. In 1955, he performed at the famous Metropolitan Opera, becoming the first African-American to do so. He was also the first African-American to win the Auditions of the Air contest at the Metropolitan Opera. Robert McFerrin is credited with inspiring a generation of African-American singers. 

Born into nobility, Saionji Kinmochi came to prominence early in his life when he took part in the Meiji Restoration. He later entered politics and eventually rose to become the Prime Minister of Japan. During his reign, he tried to curtail military expenditure and keep the cabinet under party control. He wielded a moderating influence in Japanese politics even after retirement.

Ismail Samani was the Samanid amir of Khorasan and Transoxiana. His reign as the Amir of the Samanid Empire witnessed the development of the Samanids as a dominant force. Ismail Samani is remembered as a strong ruler and a competent general.

Ion Ionel Constantin Brătianu served as Prime Minister of Romania for five-terms and played an instrumental role in unification of Old Romanian Kingdom with Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina. He served as Foreign Minister of Romania. He led National Liberal Party (PNL) for over 18-years. He hailed from the influential Brătianu family of Romanian politicians, who dominated PNL throughout its existence.

Juice Leskinen was a Finnish singer-songwriter who was voted 38th in the 100 Greatest Finns poll conducted during the summer of 2004. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most important Finnish singer-songwriters, Juice Leskinen is also remembered for his work as a poet and playwright.

Born to a farmer, Peter Binsfeld grew up to be a bishop. He was also a witch hunter and was known for his classification of demons, which paired each of the seven deadly sins with a particular demon. He was one of the main figures behind the Trier witch trials.