Famous Deaths on August 11

• 480 BC Leonidas, King of Sparta (b. circa 540 BC)
• 353 Magnentius, Roman usurper (b. 303)
• 449 Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople

• 897 Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona
• 1171 Louis I, Earl of Wage/Rieneck, dies
• 1180 William of Sens, French master builder and mason (built Canterbury Cathedral choir – 1st early Gothic architecture in England ), dies
• 1183 Christian I, archbishop of Mainz, dies
• 1204 King Guttorm of Norway (b. 1199)
• 1253 Saint Clare of Assisi, Italian follower of Francis of Assisi and founder of the Order of Poor Ladies (the Poor Clares), dies at 59
• 1394 Jan III, mister of Polanen, dies
• 1456 Janos Hunyadi, Hungarian general strategist, dies at about 49
• 1464 Nicholas of Cusa, German philosopher and humanist, Prince-Bishop of Brixen and papal legate, dies
• 1490 Frans van Brederode, Dutch rebel (Hook faction), dies in prison at about 25
• 1494 Hans Memling [John Memlinc], Flemish painter (Passietaferelen), dies
• 1519 Johann Tetzel, Dominican monk, dies at about 79
• 1522 Martin Siebenborger, mayor of Vienna, beheaded

• 1563 Bartolomé de Escobedo, Spanish composer, dies at about 63 [birthdate uncertain, circa 1500]
• 1578 Pedro Nunes [Nonius], Port mathematician/astronomer (nonius), dies
• 1589 Maarten Schenck van Nydeggen, military commander for the Dutch Republic, dies in an assault on Nijmegen at about 49
• 1596 Hamnet Shakespeare, son of William Shakespeare (b. 1585)
• 1614 Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter, dies at 61
• 1656 Prince Ottavio Piccolomini, Italian nobleman, Duke of Amalfi, and field marshal of the Holy Roman Empire, dies at 56
• 1729 Nicola Francesco Haym, Italian composer, dies at 51
• 1757 José Pradas Gallén, Spanish composer, dies at 67
• 1774 Tiphaigne de la Roche, French fantasy writer with early sci-fi themes (“Zamar, Delegated to the Moon by Amilec”), dies at 52
• 1778 Augustus Montague Toplady, British hymn writer (“Rock of Ages”), dies at 37
• 1794 Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht, German composer, dies at 72
• 1813 Henry James Pye, English poet, British Poet Laureate (1790-1813), dies at 68
• 1820 János Lavotta, Hungarian violinist and composer, dies at 56
• 1844 Jernej Kopitar, Slovene philologist and linguist (Slavic Grammatica), dies at 63
• 1851 Lorenz Oken, German naturalist, dies at 72

• 1852 Nicolaas Plomp, Dutch architect (Strugle), dies at 70
• 1854 Macedonio Melloni, Italian physicist (radiant light), dies at 56
• 1857 Marshall Hall, English physician, physiologist and early neurologist (physiology of reflex function), dies of a throat infection at 67
• 1860 James Wilson, British economist who delivered India’s first budget and introduced taxation, dies at 55
• 1868 Halfdan Kjerulf, Norwegian composer (Brudefaerden i Hardanger), dies at 52
• 1868 Thaddeus Stevens, US Radical Republican congressional leader (Rep-R-Pennsylvania 1849-53 1859-68), dies at 76
• 1872 Lowell Mason, American organist and composer (Zebulo), dies at 80
• 1886 Lydia Koidula, Estonian poet (b. 1843)
• 1890 John Henry Newman, British thologian (Tract 90), educator, poet (Dream of Gerontius), Anglican priest, Catholic priest, cardinal and saint, dies of pneumonia at 89
• 1892 Enrico Betti, Italian mathematician (b. 1813)
• 1901 Francesco Crispi, Italian statesman, dies at 82
• 1903 Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Puerto Rican educator and nationalist, dies at 64
• 1908 Khudiram Bose, Indian freedom fighter (b. 1889)

• 1935 William Watson, British poet (Purple East), dies at 77
• 1936 Blas Infante, Spanish writer and politician (b. 1885)
• 1937 Bakr Sidqi, Iraqi general and dictator, assassinated at 47

• 1937 George Morrison, American entrepreneur (owner of Mammoth Caves), commits suicide at 71 [1]
• 1939 Jean Bugatti, Italian automobile designer (b. 1909)
• 1940 Alfred Zamara Austrian harpist, composer, and teacher, dies at 77
• 1942 Richard Heinrich Stein, German composer, and music theorist (La musica moderna), dies at 60
• 1949 Karl Weigl, Austrian-American pianist, composer (Apocalyptic Symphony), and educator, dies of bone marrow cancer at 68
• 1951 Ebbe Hamerik, Danish opera composer (Stepan; Marie Grubbe), drowns in a sailing accident at 52
• 1952 Riccardo Martin, American tenor and composer, dies at 77
• 1953 Ludwig Strauss, German-Israeli writer (Heimliche Gegenwart), dies at 60
• 1953 Tazio Nuvolari, Italian auto racer (72 x major race wins; 24 Hours of Le Mans 1933; European Championship 1932), dies from a stroke at 60
• 1954 Santo Trafficante, Sr., Sicilian-American mobster, dies at 68

• 1961 Antanas Škėma, Lithuanian writer actor and director (b. 1910)
• 1965 Bill Woodfull, Australian cricketer (35 Tests for Australia), dies at 67
• 1965 Ethel Larcombe, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1912), dies at 86
• 1966 (Joshua) “Peg Leg” Howell, American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist (“New Prison Blues”), and early recording artist, dies at 78
• 1966 Frank Nelson, English politician and civil servant (head of the Special Operations Executive, 1940-42), dies at 83
• 1968 Lucien Cerfaux, Belgian New Testament scholar, dies at 85
• 1970 Irawati Karve, India’s first female anthropologist, dies at 64 [1]
• 1972 Max Theiler, South African-American virologist who developed vaccine for Yellow Fever (Nobel Prize 1951), dies at 73
• 1972 Rose Schneiderman, American socialist, feminist, trade union leader and secretary of labor for New York State (1937-44), dies at 90
• 1973 Peggy Castle, American actress (Lily Merrill-Lawman), dies of cirrhosis at 46
• 1974 Vicente Emilio Sojo, Venezuelan composer, and conductor (Venezuelan Symphony Orchetsra), dies at 86
• 1975 Anthony McAuliffe, American general and commander of the 101st Airborne Division celebrated for his reply of “Nuts!” to a German surrender ultimatum, dies at 77
• 1975 Howard Wendell, American actor (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Murder Your Wife), dies at 67
• 1976 Robert L. May, American advertising copy writer and creator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, dies at 71
• 1977 John Howard Lawson, American scriptwriter and playwright (Blockade, Algiers, Sahara), dies at 82
• 1980 Paul Robert, French lexicographer and publisher (b. 1910)
• 1980 Willi Forst, Austrian actor and director (Bel Amis, Operette, Vienna Blood), dies at 77
• 1982 Tom Drake [Alfred Sinclair Alderdice], American actor (Meet Me In St. Louis; Warlock), dies of lung cancer at 63
• 1984 Alfred A. Knopf, American publisher (1966 Alexander Hamilton Medal), dies at 91
• 1984 Pat McCauley, Northern Irish rock keyboardist and drummer (Them. 1964-65 – “Here Comes The Night”; The Other Them, 1965-67), dies at 40
• 1984 Paul Felix Schmidt, Estonian-German chess player, dies at 67
• 1984 Percy Mayfield, American singer (“Hit the Road Jack”), dies at 63

• 1987 Clara Peller, Russian-American manicurist and commercial spokesperson (Wendy’s – “Where’s the beef?”), dies of congestive heart failure at 85
• 1988 Anne Ramsey, American actress (Throw Mama from the Train), dies of cancer at 59
• 1988 Jean-Pierre Ponnele, French opera director (Carmina Burana), dies at 56
• 1988 Pauline Lafont, daughter of Bernadette, dies in hiking accident at 25
• 1989 John Meillon, Australian actor (Wild Duck, Crocodile Dundee), dies of cirrhosis at 55
• 1991 Helmut Walcha, blind German organist (church music), dies at 83
• 1991 J. D. McDuffie, American auto racer (653 x NASCAR Cup Series races; 106 x top-10 finishes), dies in a race accident at 52
• 1991 Jef Contryn, Flemish pioneer puppet theatre, dies at 89
• 1991 Rodolfo Cornejo, Filipino classical pianist, composer, and conductor, dies at 82
• 1994 Dorothy Grenfell Williams, radio producer and broadcaster, dies at 60
• 1994 Gordon Cullen, architect, dies at 80
• 1994 Mark “Red” Mitchell, American actor (JFK; 8 Seconds; Want to Live), dies when his car is struck by a train at 33

• 1995 (Wonga) Phil Harris], American singer, actor (The Jungle Book; The Aristocrats; Robin Hood), comedian, and orchestra leader (The Jack Benny Program; The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show), dies of a heart attack at 91
• 1995 Alonzo Church, American mathematician whose work provided foundation for computer science, dies at 92
• 1995 Douglas John Gorman, British businessman (Chairman of CMG (Computer Management Group)), dies at 58
• 1995 Herbert Sumsion, English organist (Gloucester Cathedral, 1928-67), and composer (Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis; A Mountain Tune), dies at 96
• 1995 Kenneth Lo [Lo Hsiao Chien], Chinese-British food writer, restaurateur, and television personality dies at 81
• 1995 Wilbur Stark, American film screenwriter, director, and producer (Vmpire; Circus The Thing), dies at 83
• 1996 Mel Taylor, American rock drummer (The Ventures, 1962-73 and 1979-96), dies of cancer at 63
• 1996 Rafael Kubelik, Czech conductor (Cornelia Farooli), dies at 82
• 1996 Sigmund Koch, psychologist/philosopher, dies at 79
• 1998 Benny Waters, American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, dies at 96
• 2000 Jean Papineau-Couture, Canadian composer, dies at 83
• 2002 Galen Rowell, American photographer and mountain climber (b. 1940)
• 2003 Armand Borel, Swiss mathematician known for his work on algebraic topology and Lie groups, dies at 80 [1]
• 2003 Diana Mitford, English biographer, famous beauty, wife of Oswald Mosley and one of the Mitford sisters, dies at 93

• 2005 James Booth [David Geeves], British actor and screenwriter (Zulu, Keeping Mum), dies at 77
• 2005 Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, American baseball pitcher-catcher (6×NgL East-West All Star) and manager (Memphis Red Sox 1938 NgL AL pennant), dies at 103

• 2007 Franz Antel, Austrian filmmaker (Der Bockerer), dies at 94
• 2008 Don Helms, American steel guitarist (Hank Williams’s Drifting Cowboys), dies at 81
• 2008 Fred Sinowatz, Austrian politician (Chancellor of Austria, 1983-86; Vice-Chancellor, 1981-83; Minister of Education 1971-83), dies at 79
• 2008 George Furth, American actor and director (Tammy, Good Guys, Dumplings), dies at 75
• 2008 Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist and radio host, dies at 84
• 2008 Sir William “Bill” Cotton, British television producer and executive (Noel Gay TV), dies at 80
• 2009 Eunice Kennedy Shriver, American sister of President John F. Kennedy, founder of the Special Olympics, dies at 88
• 2010 Dan Rostenkowski, American politician (Rep-D-Il, 1959-94), convicted of mail fraud, dies at 82
• 2010 Geoffrey Johnson Smith, Scottish Conservative politician (1959-2001), dies at 86
• 2010 Markus Liebherr, Swiss businessman and sports executive (owner Southampton FC 2008-10), dies of a heart attack at 62
• 2011 Jani Lane [John Oswald], American heavy metal rock songwriter, and singer (Warrant – “Cherry Pie”), dies of acute alcohol poisoning at 47
• 2012 Carlo Curley, American classical concert organist dies at 59
• 2012 Sid Waddell, English darts commentator (the ‘Voice of Darts’; Granada, BBC, Sky Sports), dies from bowel cancer at 72
• 2013 Lamberto Puggelli, Italian stage and opera director (Spoleto Festival), dies at 75

• 2015 Harald Nielsen, Danish soccer forward (14 caps; Olympic silver 1960; Frederikshavn fI, Bologna FC), dies at 73
• 2015 Serge Collot, French violist (Paris Opera, 1957-86; Le Trio à Cordes Français, 1960-92), and music educator (Conservatoire de Paris, 1969-89), dies at 91
• 2016 Glenn Yarborough, American pop-folk singer and guitarist (The Limeliters, 1959-63 – “A Dollar Down”, “Red Roses and White Wine”; solo “Baby the Rain Must Fall”, “Jubilee”), sailor, and philanthropist, dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 86

• 2017 Kent Lee, American vice-admiral (WW II-Marianas, Korea and Vietnam), dies at 94

• 2020 Gordon J. Brand, English golfer (British Open 1986 runner-up), dies at 65
• 2020 Patrick Fairley, Scottish pop rock guitarist (Marmalade, 1961-72 – “Ob La Di, Ob La Da”), and music publisher, dies of throat cancer at 77
• 2020 Sumner Redstone, American media mogul (ViacomCBS), dies at 97
• 2020 Trinidad “Trini” Lopez, American singer and guitarist (“If I Had A Hammer”; “Lemon Tree”), and actor (The Dirty Dozen), dies of COVID-19 at 83 [1]
• 2021 Dick Huddart, English rugby league second rower (16 Tests Great Britain; St. Helens, St. George), dies at 85
• 2021 Roy Gaines, American electric and Texas blues and session guitarist, singer, and songwriter (“A Hell of a Night”), dies at 83
• 2022 Bill Pitman, American touring and session jazz and rock guitarist (Peggy Lee; The Wrecking Crew, “Be My Baby”), and ukulele player (“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”), dies from complications after a fall at 102
• 2022 Darius Danesh, Scottish pop, opera, and swing singer-songwriter (Colourblind; Live Twice) and stage actor, dies of respiratory arrest at 41
• 2022 Jean-Jacques Sempé, French cartoonist (Le Petit Nicolas), dies at 89 [1]
• 2022 József Tóth, Hungarian soccer left-back (56 caps; Újpesti FC 268 games), dies at 70
• 2022 Paul Green, Australian rugby league coach (North Queensland Cowboys NRL premiership 2015; Queensland) and halfback (Australia SL 2 games, Queensland 7 games), dies by suicide at 49
• 2023 Alexandru Penciu, Romanian rugby union fullback, centre (34 caps; Locomotiva PTT, CSA Steaua București, Rugby Rovigo), dies at 90
• 2023 Gus Solomons Jr., American experimental dancer and the first Black dancer in the Merce Cunningham company, dies of heart failure at 84
• 2023 Julian Ogilvie Thompson, South African businessman (CEO of De Beers Diamonds. 1985-97), dies at 89
• 2023 Tom Jones, American musical theatre lyricist (The Fantasticks; 110 In the Shade), dies of cancer at 95 [1]

August 11 Highlights