Famous People Who Died Today

Alfredo Di Stéfano was an Argentine-born Spanish football player and coach. Counted among the greatest football players of all time, Di Stéfano is remembered for his association with Real Madrid, where he played a major role in the club's domination of La Liga and the European Cup during the 1950s. In 2004, he was included in Pele’s FIFA 100 list.

Robert Downey Sr. was an American actor and filmmaker. He is best remembered for making satirical films, such as Putney Swope that influenced and inspired the Counterculture of the 1960s. He is also credited with shaping the film career of his son Robert John Downey Jr.

Ub Iwerks was an American cartoonist, animator, inventor, character designer, and special effects technician. He is credited with designing such popular characters as Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Apart from being honored with several Academy Awards for his work, Iwerks was also named a Disney Legend. The Ub Iwerks Award for Technical Achievement is named in his honor.

An iconic figure of Indian cinema, actor Dilip Kumar has delivered hits like Madhumati, Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Ganga Jamuna, Ram Aur Shyam and Kohinoor in his six decades career. His brilliant portrayal of tragic roles had earned him the nickname of The Tragedy King. The veteran actor has been the recipient of prestigious honours like Filmfare Awards, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Geneticist Anne McLaren is remembered for her pioneering research in embryology that paved the way for further research in fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization. The Royal Society fellow had also appeared as a child actor in the film adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel Things to Come.

Johanna Spyri made a significant contribution to children’s literature with her novel Heidi. After the death of her husband and her child, the Swiss author focused on charitable causes. A professor later claimed Heidi had been plagiarized by Spyri, though later studies proved the claim was baseless.

Ursula Kuczynski was a German Communist activist. She is best remembered for her work as a spy for the Soviet Union. She coordinated with Klaus Fuchs, a German atomic spy, who started passing information on the British atomic bomb project through Ursula Kuczynski to the Soviet Union.

Irish-born playwright and satirist Richard Brinsley Sheridan is remembered for his plays such as The School for Scandal and A Trip to Scarborough. He owned Drury Lane Theatre in London and was known for reviving the Restoration comedy of manners, replete with stock characters and satire.

Cazuza was a Brazilian singer-songwriter remembered as one of the greatest exponents of Brazilian rock music. Over the course of his nine-year career, Cazuza sold over five million albums and achieved 18 Top 10 singles in Brazil. He died due to a septic shock triggered by AIDS at age 32. His life inspired the 2004 biopic Cazuza–O Tempo Não Pára.

Bora Todorovic was a Serbian actor who was a prominent part of the Yugoslav theater and film scene. In 2002, he won the Pavle Vujisić Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Yugoslav cinema. In 2006, Bora Todorovic was honored with the prestigious Dobričin prsten Award for his contribution to Yugoslav theater.

Govindappa Venkataswamy was an Indian ophthalmologist best remembered for his work which aimed at eliminating needless blindness. The founder of Aravind Eye Hospitals, Venkataswamy developed a high volume, high quality, and low-cost service delivery model that effectively restored sight to many people. Govindappa Venkataswamy was honored with the Padma Shri Award in 1973. 

Gottfried Benn was a German poet, physician, and essayist. As an expressionist, Benn had a significant influence on German poetry before the First World War. Renowned for his literary work, Benn was nominated for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature on five occasions. In 1951, he was honored with the Georg Büchner Prize.

Josef Suk was a Czech violinist, chamber musician, violist, and conductor. He was counted among the best interpreters of Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. Apart from his career as a performer, Josef also taught music at Vienna's Music College from 1979 to 1986. For his significant contributions to the cultural heritage of Czechoslovakia, Josef Suk was recognized as a National Artist.

Angélique Ionatos was a Greek singer, composer, and guitarist. Over the course of her illustrious music career, which spanned over four decades, Ionatos set and sang many classical and modern Greek texts, including those of Sappho. Consequently, Angélique Ionatos has popularized several modern and classical Greek texts. 

Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius was a Lithuanian philologist, poet, writer, playwright, and novelist. He is perhaps best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Lithuania for just about a week in 1940 when he was appointed by acting President Justas Paleckis.