Famous Deaths on August 15

• 423 Flavius Honorius, Western Roman Republic emperor (395-423), dies at 38
• 778 Roland, Frankish commander, whose death at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass would become basis of 11th Century epic poem “The Song of Roland”
• 1038 Stefanus I [Arpad], 1st king of Hungary, dies

• 1064 Muhammad ibn Hazm, Andalusian historian, jurist and author of Islamic Spain, dies at 69
• 1118 Alexius I Comnenus [Alexios I Komnenos], Emperor of Byzantium (1081-1118), dies
• 1196 Conrad II, Duke of Swabia (b. 1173)
• 1274 Robert de Sorbon, French theologian and founder of the Sorbonne College, dies at 72

• 1464 Pius II [Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini], Italian Pope (1458-64), (Commentaries – only biography by a reigning Pope), dies at 58
• 1528 Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec, French military leader (b. 1485)
• 1552 Hermann of Wied, German Catholic Archbishop-Elector of Cologne (1515-46), Protestant convert who was excommunicated by the Pope, dies at 75
• 1576 (Valentin) Bálint Bakfark, Hungarian lutenist, and composer, dies of the plague at about 70
• 1600 Johann Baptista Serranus, German singer and composer, dies at 60
• 1615 Cornelis C. Vrancx, Flemish poet and writer (Comfort of Soles), dies
• 1615 Mír ‘Imád al-Ḥasaní, Persian calligrapher (Master of the Nasta‘liq style – St. Petersburg Muraqqa), assassinated on Shah’s authorization (b. 1554)
• 1619 Miriam Bella, head of Jewish community of Kraków, dies
• 1621 John Barclay, Scottish satirist writer and poet (Euphormio’s Satyricon), dies at 39
• 1666 Johann Adam Schall von Bell, German missionary in China and astronomer, dies at 75
• 1714 Constantin Brâncoveanu, Prince of Wallachia (b. 1654)
• 1725 Gerhard Noodt, Dutch lawyer, dies at 77
• 1728 Marin Marais, French composer, dies at 72
• 1729 Benjamin Neukirch, German poet (Herrn von Hofmannswaldau), dies at 64
• 1758 Pierre Bouguer, French mathematician (fotometrie), dies at 60
• 1786 Thomas Tyrwhitt, English classical scholar and critic, dies at 56
• 1798 Felice Alessandri, Italian organist, harpsichordist, pianist, and opera composer, dies at 50
• 1799 Giuseppe Parini, Italian prose writer and poet (Il Giorno), dies at 70
• 1807 Johann Nikolaus Tetens, German-Danish philosopher and mathematician, dies at 70
• 1848 Timothy Olmstead, American fifer and composer, dies at 88
• 1852 Johan Gadolin, Finnish chemist (discovered yttrium), dies at 92
• 1853 Giovanni Battista Polledro, Italian composer, dies at 72
• 1864 Daniel Phineas Woodbury, US engineer/Union general-major, dies
• 1880 Adelaide Neilson, English stage actress (Julia-The Hunchback), dies while horse riding at 32
• 1888 Carter L. Stevenson, American Major General (Confederate Army), dies at 70
• 1895 John Daniel Imboden, American lawyer and Confederate general, dies at 72
• 1901 Karl Weinhold, German sociologist (founder of Journal of the Association of Folklore), dies at 77
• 1907 Joseph Joachim, German violinist (Hungarian Concerto), dies at 76
• 1909 Euclides da Cunha, Brazilian writer and sociologist (b. 1866)
• 1910 Constantin Fahlberg, Russian chemist who discovered Saccharin (artificial sweetener), dies at 59 [1]
• 1914 Anatoly Liadov, Russian composer (Baba yaga), dies at 59
• 1915 Albert Siegfried Bettelheim, Jew convicted of murder, lynched
• 1917 Thomas J. Higgins, Union Army soldier during the American Civil War, recipient of America’s highest military decoration (Medal of Honor), dies at 86
• 1918 Heinrich Köselitz [Peter Gast], German composer, dies at 64
• 1925 Konrad Mägi, Estonian painter, dies at 46
• 1935 Gerard Brucken Fock, Dutch composer and painter, dies at 75
• 1935 Paul Signac, French painter (developed the technique called pointillism with Georges Seurat), dies at 71

• 1936 Grazia Deledda, Italian author (Nobel Prize for Literature 1926), dies at 64
• 1936 Henry Lytton, British actor and opera singer (The Mikado), dies at 71
• 1936 Stanisław Niewiadomski, Polish composer, dies at 76
• 1945 Korechika Anami, Japanese War Minister (who opposed surrender in WWII), commits suicide a day after signing Japan’s surrender at 58
• 1946 Edward R. Bradley, American businessman and horse owner (1st to own 4 Kentucky Derby winners), dies at 86
• 1951 Artur Schnabel, Austrian pianist (Reflections on Music), dies at 69
• 1953 Ludwig Prandtl, German physicist (considered the father of aerodynamics – discovered the boundary layer), dies at 78
• 1956 Constantine Freiherr von Neurath, German foreign minister, dies at 83
• 1959 “Blind” Willie McTell [McTier], American blues and ragtime singer and guitarist, dies at 61
• 1961 (Granville) “Stick” McGhee, American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter (“Drinkin’ Wine. Spo-Dee-O-Dee”), dies of lung cancer at 43
• 1961 Willie Macfarlane, Scottish golfer (US Open 1925), dies at 72
• 1962 Lei Feng, Chinese soldier (became a propaganda icon after his death), dies in an accident at 21
• 1963 John Powell, American composer, dies at 80
• 1966 Gerhart Pohl, German broadcaster, writer (The Crazy Ferdinand; Flüchtburg), and publisher, dies at 64
• 1966 Jan Kiepura, Polish vocalist and actor (Her Wonderful Lie; Give Us this Night), dies of a heart attack at 64
• 1966 Seena Owen, American silent screen actress and screenwriter (Queen Kelly), dies at 71
• 1967 René Magritte, Belgian surrealist painter (This is Not a Pipe), dies at 68
• 1968 Edward Kilenyi, Sr. [Ede Kilényi], Hungarian-American composer and teacher (Clipped Wings; Outside the Law), dies at 84
• 1969 Stijn Streuvels [Frank Lateur], Flemish writer (De Vlaschaard), dies at 97
• 1970 Karl August Andersen, Norwegian cellist and composer, dies at 66

• 1971 Thomas Wayne, American rockabilly singer (“Tragedy”), dies in a car accident at 31
• 1972 Alf Hurum, Norwegian composer (Lilja), and painter, dies at 89
• 1972 Jeff Pfeffer, American baseball pitcher (no-hitter Boston Doves v Cincinnati Reds 1907), dies at 84
• 1974 Edmund Cobb, American silent and sound screen actor, specializing in western film (A Final Reckoning; Motorcycle Gang; Comanche Territory), dies of a heart attack at 82
• 1974 Yuk Young-So, wife of South Korean president Park Chung-Hee, murdered in an assassination attempt on her husband at 48
• 1975 Clay Shaw, American businessman and alleged John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracist, dies of lung cancer at 61

• 1976 Jean Haesaert, Flemish lawyer and sociologist, dies at 84
• 1978 Harrison Kerr, American composer, dies at 80
• 1981 Humphrey Waldock, British lawyer (UN International Law Commission, 1961-72), and jurist (European Court of Human Rights, 1966-74; International Court of Justice, 1973-81), dies of a heart attack at 77
• 1981 Pappy Waldorf, American College Football Hall of Fame tackle and coach (Northwestern, California), dies at 78
• 1982 (Axel) Hugo Theorell, Swedish biochemist (Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology, 1955, for discovery of oxidoreductase enzymes), dies at 79 [1]
• 1983 Anthony Costello, American actor (Will Penny, The Outer Limits), dies of HIV/AIDS at 45
• 1983 Benjamin V Cohen, American author of New Deal legislation, dies at 88
• 1983 Carol Ryrie Brink, American Newberry Medal-winning novelist (Caddie Woodlawn), dies of heart failure at 85
• 1984 Norman Petty, American musician, songwriter, recording studio owner, and record producer (Buddy Holly), dies of leukemia at 57
• 1985 Joe Carveth, Canadian ice hockey right wing (NHL All Star 1950; Stanley Cup 1943, 50 Detroit Red Wings; Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens), dies at 67
• 1985 Richard Yardumian, American composer (Creator Spirit), dies at 68
• 1986 Richard E. Holz, American composer for brass band (Salvation Army), dies at 74
• 1988 Barry Bingham Sr, American newspaper publisher (The Courier-Journal, The Louisville Times), dies at 82
• 1988 Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, Pakistani general and politician (President of Pakistan 1978-88), killed in plane crash at 64
• 1989 Fritz de Jong Edz, Dutch historian (director of IISG), dies at 70
• 1990 Lew DeWitt, American country singer and composer (Statler Brothers – “Flowers on the Wall”), dies of Crohn’s disease complications at 52
• 1990 Nina Bara [Frances Bauer], Argentinian actress (Missile to the Moon, Space Patrol), dies of cancer at 70
• 1990 Viktor Tsoi, Russian rock singer-songwriter (Kino), dies in a car accident at 28
• 1991 Marietta Tree, American diplomat and ambassador (1st woman to serve as chief U.S. delegate to the UN in 1961), dies at 74
• 1992 Giorgio Perlasca, Italian anti-fascist (who saved 5,200 Jews from deportation in Hungary), dies at 82
• 1992 Jackie Edwards, Jamaican songwriter (Keep On Running), dies at 53 or 54
• 1992 Marie Paxton, British stage and screen actress (Ouanga; Kind Lady), dies at 87
• 1992 Martha Blackburn, Canada newspaper publisher (London Free Press), dies at 48
• 1992 Osamu Inaba, Japanese Minister of justice (helped bring down Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka in Lockheed bribery scandal), dies at 82
• 1993 Robert W. Kempner, German officer of justice in Prussia, dies at 93
• 1994 Paul Anderson, American weightlifter (Olympic gold +90kg 1956; World C’ship gold 1955), dies from kidney disease at 61
• 1994 Shepherd Mead, American writer (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), dies of stroke at 80
• 1994 Simon R. Naoli, Tanzanian marathoner, dies in an accident at 28
• 1994 Wout Wagtmans, Dutch cyclist (Rome-Naples-Rome 1957), dies at 64
• 1995 Erbie Bowser, American blues and jazz pianist, dies at 77
• 1995 Humphrey Sims Moore, British pacifist and journalist (founder of Peace News), dies at 86
• 1995 Jesse “Babyface” Thomas, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (“Blue Goose Blues”), dies at 84
• 1996 Masao Maruyama, Japanese social scientist, dies at 82
• 1999 Hugh Casson, British architect (director of architecture of the Festival of Britain 1948, President of the Royal Academy) and artist, dies at 89
• 2000 Helmut Coing, German legal historian (Max Planck institute), dies at 88
• 2001 Richard Chelimo, Kenyan athlete (b. 1972)
• 2002 Kyle Rote, American college football HOF halfback (SMU; 4 × Pro Bowl; NY Giants) and broadcaster (WNEW, NBC, WNBC New York), dies at 74
• 2003 Gösta Sundqvist, Finnish songwriter and singer (Leevi and the Leavings), dies of a heart attack at 43
• 2004 Amarsinh Chaudhary, Indian politician, dies at 63
• 2004 Semiha Berksoy, Turkish operatic soprano (Istanbul Opera, 1940-72), dies of heart surgery complications at 94
• 2004 Sune Bergström, Swedish biochemist, (1982 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for identification of prostaglandins), dies at 88
• 2006 Doug White, American news anchor, dies of cancer at 61
• 2006 Faas Wilkes, Dutch soccer star (Xerxes, Fortuna, Inter Milan), dies at 82
• 2006 Rick Bourke, Australian rugby league player (Cronulla), dies of cancer at 52
• 2006 Te Atairangikaahu, New Zealand Māori Queen for 40 years, dies at 75
• 2007 Dave Hassinger, American recording engineer and record producer, dies at 80
• 2007 Geoffrey Orbell, New Zealand bush walker (rediscovered Takahe, thought extinct), dies at 98
• 2007 John Gofman, American Manhattan Project scientist and advocate (b. 1918)
• 2007 Richard Bradshaw, British opera conductor (Canadian Opera Company, 1989-2007), dies of a heart attack at 63
• 2007 Sam Pollock, Canadian NHL hockey general manager, 9X Stanley Cups (Montreal Canadiens, 1964-78), dies at 81
• 2008 James Orthwein, American businessman (owner of the New England Patriots), dies at 84
• 2008 Jerry Wexler, American music producer who coined the term “rhythm and blues” (Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan), dies from congestive heart failure at 91
• 2008 Leroy Sievers, American journalist (CBS News, Nightline), dies of cancer at 53
• 2008 Vic Toweel, South African boxer (undisputed world bantamweight champion), dies at 79
• 2009 Jim Dickinson, American record producer (Mud Boy), dies at 67
• 2010 James J. Kilpatrick, American newspaper journalist and columnist (60 Minutes), dies at 89
• 2011 Betty Thatcher [Newsinger], English progressive rock lyricist (Renaissance – “Carpet of the Sun”; “Mother Russia”), dies of cancer at 67
• 2011 Eric Dempster, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (5 Tests, TS 47, 2 wickets; Wellington CA), dies at 86
• 2011 Rick Rypien, Canadian ice hockey player, dies at 27
• 2012 Bob Birch, American session and touring bassist (Elton John), commits suicide at 56
• 2012 Harry Harrison, American-Irish sci-fi author (Deathworld trilogy), dies at 87
• 2014 Jay Adams, American skateboarder (Z-Boys; Skateboarding HOF), dies of a heart attack at 53
• 2014 Jerry Lumpe, American baseball player, dies at 81
• 2014 Licia Albanese, Italian-American operatic soprano (NY Metropolitan Opera, 1940-66), dies at 105
• 2015 Julian Bond, American civil rights leader and politician (D-Ga), dies at 75
• 2016 Bobby Hutcherson, American jazz vibraphone and marimba player (“Little B’s Poem”; SFJAZZ Collective), dies of emphysema at 75
• 2017 Vernon “Vern” Ehlers, American politician (Michigan House of Representatives), dies of complications from Alzheimers disease at 83
• 2018 Ajit Wadekar, Indian cricket batsman and captain (37 Tests; top score 143; Bombay), dies at 77
• 2020 Henk Wullems, Dutch soccer manager (NAC Breda, SBV Vitesse, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ; Indonesia 1996-98), dies from a Cerebral infarction at 84
• 2021 Gary Woollard, New Zealand rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Wellington), dies at 79

• 2021 Hiro [Yasuhiro Wakabayashi], Japanese-American fashion photographer (Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue), dies at 90 [1]
• 2021 Joe Walton, American football coach (New York Jets 1983-89; Robert Morris University), dies at 85
• 2022 Frederick Buechner, American minister and author (Godric), dies at 96
• 2022 Pete Carril, American basketball coach (13 × Ivy League champion, Princeton University), dies at 92
• 2023 Joel Eric Suben, American conductor and composer, dies at 77
• 2024 Jim McLaughlin, Irish soccer striker (12 caps Northern Ireland; Shrewsbury Town 297 games) and manager (Dundalk, Derry City), dies at 83
• 2024 Lars Björn, Swedish International Ice Hockey Fed HOF defenceman (217 caps; World C’ship gold 1953, 57; Olympic bronze 1952; Djurgårdens IF), dies at 92

August 15 Highlights