Famous People Who Died Today

Johnny Cash, the American singer, songwriter and actor, was known for sorrow, moral suffering and redemption themes in his music. His genre was country, rock and roll, blues, folk and gospel sounds and he is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Cash had issues with drinking and drug abuse. Later he was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease.

Civil rights activist Steve Biko, or the Father of Black Consciousness, is remembered for his work against apartheid in South Africa. He founded the Black Consciousness Movement while still a medical school student. He was banned by the pro-apartheid regime in 1973. He was beaten to death in custody.

Norman Borlaug was an American agronomist who played a key role in the Green Revolution, a set of research technology transfer initiatives that increased agricultural production, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. Nicknamed the Father of the Green Revolution, Borlaug was also honored with the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work.

Navid Afkari Sangari was an Iranian professional wrestler who was executed in Shiraz for killing a security guard as part of the 2018 Iranian protests. The execution took place despite opposition from the USA and IOC President Thomas Bach. Interestingly, an audiotape recording later indicated that Navid Afkari had no connection with the murder. 

One of the greatest French opera composers and music theorists of all time, Jean-Philippe Rameau enriched the late Baroque period with his harpsichord pieces. His organist father wanted him to pursue law, but Rameau wasn’t academically bright and had poor grammar, which made Rameau travel to Italy to study music.

Eric Sidney Watkins or Professor Sid, as he was known within the Formula One fraternity, wanted to become a doctor since his childhood. An experienced neurosurgeon and academician, he later became Formula One's trackside consultant and safety adviser. He concentrated on creating sophisticated medical back-up necessary for providing timely treatment, thus saving many lives through prompt actions.

Best known as the founder of the Design Museum in London, British designer and restaurateur Terence Conran had begun a furniture studio while still a student. He later launched popular interior and furniture design firms such as the Conran Design Group and Habitat. He has also penned several books.

Ernesto Geisel was a Brazilian politician and military leader. He was active during the Brazilian military regime and is best remembered for his service as the President of Brazil from 15 March 1974 to 14 March 1979. Ernesto Geisel also served as the Chief Minister of the Military Cabinet on two occasions; in 1961 and again from 1964 to 1967.

Garner Ted Armstrong was an American evangelist who succeeded his father Herbert W. Armstrong and took over the operations of the Worldwide Church of God. After his father's demise, Armstrong became the voice of the church's radio program The World Tomorrow, which was aired around the world.

A trans man, Sir Ewan Forbes of Craigievar, was initially raised as a girl and named Elizabeth. He later underwent medical treatment and presented himself as a man. He later fought a 3-year legal battle with his cousin for the title of the 11th Baronet of Craigievar and won the case.

Boris Yegorov was not part of the world’s first multi-manned spaceflight, Voskhod, but also made history by becoming the first physician to go into space. He specialized in the inner-ear sense of balance mechanism of aerospace medicine. Of his many awards was the Hero of the Soviet Union.

Sara Mustonen was a Finnish alpine skier. In 1977, Mustonen won the gold medal in the slalom event, becoming the youngest skier to win the prestigious Finnish alpine ski championship title at age 14. Sara Mustonen went on to win 25 medals in alpine ski championships between 1975 and 1979. She died in a skiing accident at age 16.

Born in Canada, Jacob Viner earned his PhD from Harvard before teaching at the University of Chicago. He later taught at Yale and Stanford, too, before moving to Princeton. Best remembered for his theories of international trade and cost, he had also been as advisor to Franklin Roosevelt’s government.

Born to a teacher father, Sarah Frances Whiting created history by becoming the first physics professor of Wellesley College, an institute that revolutionized higher education for women, and also established America's second undergraduate and first women’s physics lab. She remains a pioneer of women’s education in science.

Sci-fi author Judith Josephine Grossman, better known by her pen-name, Judith Merril, is also known for editing several anthologies. After her father’s suicide, she was raised by her mother in the Bronx. That Only A Mother remains one of her best-known short stories and has been part of many anthologies.

Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges was a French historian who directed some excavations in Chios and wrote a historical account of the island. He studied at the French School in Athens and proceeded to have a brilliant academic career devoted to teaching and writing. He was elected a member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques in 1875.