Famous People Who Died Today

One of the most popular actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, Lucille Ball created the sitcom, I Love Lucy, in 1951. In 1962, she started managing the Desilu Productions, becoming the first woman to run a major TV studio. The recipient of two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Lucille Ball was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1984.

A self-taught genius Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan is known for his contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory and continued fractions. Born into a humble family, the celebrated mathematician struggled with poverty but still managed to publish first of his papers in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society. Later, his collaboration with English mathematician G. H. Hardy proved very productive.

George Jones was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Renowned for his distinctive voice and phrasing, George Jones was widely regarded as the greatest living country singer during the last 20 years of his life. Jones is also remembered for staying painstakingly loyal to country music throughout his life. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992.

Gypsy Rose Lee was an American vedette and burlesque entertainer best remembered for her striptease act. She was also an actress, playwright, and author whose memoir inspired the 1959 stage musical, Gypsy. Lee's life inspired several works of art, including a song titled Gypsy Rose Lee by The Distillers. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Maria Schell was an Austrian-Swiss actress who achieved immense popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, when she was considered one of the leading actresses of German cinema. Maria Schell is best remembered for her portrayal of Dr. Helga Reinbeck in the 1954 Austrian-Yugoslavian war drama film The Last Bridge, which earned her the Cannes Best Actress Award in 1954.

Morihei Ueshiba was a Japanese martial artist. Referred to as the Great Teacher, Ueshiba is credited with founding aikido, a martial art which is now practiced around the world. During the course of his career, Ueshiba set up many dojos, including the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, and taught several students, many of whom are celebrated martial artists in their own right.

German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld initially taught math and theoretical physics and later came to be known for his groundbreaking work on atomic and quantum physics and wave mechanics. He also laid down the magnetic quantum number. Many of the doctoral and post-doctoral students he supervised later won the Nobel Prize.

American philosopher and social psychologist George Herbert Mead was one of the pioneers of pragmatism and symbolic interactionism. He taught at the University of Chicago, and his ideas later came to be known as the Chicago school of sociology. His notable lectures were published as books only after his death.

Carl Bosch was a German engineer and chemist. He is credited with founding IG Farben, which went on to become one of the largest chemical companies in the world. He is also credited with developing the Haber–Bosch process, which is used even today for the production of ammonia. Carl Bosch was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1931.

Then first Black to have graduated from West Point’s Military Academy, Henry Ossian Flipper was born to slave parents. He also became the first African-American to command US Army troops. He was dismissed unjustly on embezzlement charges and later worked as a civil engineer. His name was cleared posthumously.

Legendary Japanese karate master Mas Oyama, who founded Kyokushin Karate, was known by his fans as The God Hand. Known as someone who had fought bears and bulls with his bare hands, he was also an actor and author. Following his death, he was declared a God by a Japanese religion.

Gwalior-born composer Tansen, also known as Ramtanu Pandey, was an iconic figure of Hindustani classical music. Best known for his dhrupad and raga compositions, he was one of the navratnas, or nine gems, of Mughal emperor Akbar’s court. He also invented a stringed instrument named the rabab.

Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, the first Nobel laureate from his country, is regarded as one of The Four Greats of Norwegian Literature. He also penned the Norwegian national anthem and is known for books such as Absalom's Hair and short stories such as The Railroad and the Churchyard.

Austrian-American author and parapsychologist Hans Holzer, often credited for coining the term ghost hunter, penned over 120 books like Murder in Amityville on supernatural and occult subjects. He believed in life after death, reincarnation and the existence of spirits, ghosts, and stay behinds, and remained involved in researching the supernatural in some prominent haunted locations across the globe.

John Heartfield was a German visual artist. He is credited to have pioneered the use of art as a political weapon. He used photomontages to satirize Adolf Hitler and depict his anti-Nazi and anti-fascist sentiments. He studied at the Royal Bavarian Arts and Crafts School and went on to launch a publishing house, Malik-Verlag, with his brother.  

Pope Anacletus, or Cletus, was once the bishop of Rome and later set up 25 Roman parishes as the pope. He was said to have been martyred during Domitian’s rule. He finds mention in Dante’s Divine Comedy and has been named to the Roman Canon of the Mass.

Philippine politician Pedro Paterno was educated in Spain, where he graduated in philosophy and theology. He later became the prime minister of his country. A poet and novelist, too, he eventually became infamous as a traitor after supporting the U.S. and favoring American dominion during the Philippine–American War.

Cicely Courtneidge was an Australian-born British comedian, actress, and singer. She is best remembered for her partnership with her husband Jack Hulbert as they performed together on stage and screen for over six decades. Cicely Courtneidge was also a humanitarian as she raised funds and entertained the armed forces during the Second World War.

Once a dentist, Charles Eugster stunned the world when he took to sprinting at age 95. In fact, he participated in age-group rowing in his 60s, winning countless gold medals, and also took up body building in his 80s. He penned his memoir, Age is Just a Number, at 97.

Ki Hajar Dewantara was an Indonesian freedom fighter, politician, writer, and columnist. A pioneer of education for Indonesians during the Dutch occupancy of Indonesia, Dewantara is credited with founding the Taman Siswa school, which provided education for native Indonesians. His accomplishments in pioneering public education made him a national hero. 

In spite of being born into an impoverished working-class family, Steve Tshwete was given a decent education by his parents. The South African politician was an African National Congress member and had been imprisoned for his anti-apartheid activities. He was also known as Mr Fixit for supporting non-racial sports rules.

Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, or Skeffy, was an Irish author and radical activist. Known for his quirks such as wearing a badge that said “Votes for Women” in college, he started his career as a journalist and later added his wife’s surname to his. He was killed while preventing looting during the Easter Rising.

Salamo Arouch was a Jewish Greek boxer remembered for winning the Greek Middleweight Boxing Championship and the All-Balkans Middleweight Championship in 1938 and 1939 respectively. He is best remembered for surviving the Holocaust by performing as an entertainment boxer for Nazi officers. His life inspired the 1989 drama film Triumph of the Spirit where he was played by Willem Dafoe.

Yossi Harel was an Israeli military leader who served as the commander of a mission called Exodus 1947, which transported 4,515 Jewish migrants from France to Mandatory Palestine. The mission was dramatized in the 1960 film Exodus, where he was played by Paul Newman. Yossi Harel was also one of the most important members of the Israeli intelligence community.

Magnus Gabriel, Count De la Gardie was a Swedish military man and statesman. He is remembered as the holder of three of the five Great Offices of the Realm, namely the offices of the Lord High Treasurer, Lord High Chancellor, and Lord High Steward of Sweden. He is also regarded as one of the biggest patrons of art and science.