Famous Deaths on August 24

• 661 Kōgyoku [Saimei], 35th and 37th Empress of Japan (642-5, 655-61) and 2nd woman to rule Japan, dies at 67
• 842 Saga, 52nd Emperor of Japan (809-23), dies at 57
• 1101 Su Shi [Zizhan], Chinese poet, artist and important figure in Song Dynasty politics, dies at 64

• 1103 Magnus III Berbein [Blootbeen], King of Norway (1093-1103), dies
• 1217 Eustace “the Monk”, French buccaneer, dies in the naval Battle of Sandwich
• 1313 Henry VII, Roman Catholic German King (1308-1313) and Holy Roman Emperor (1312-13), dies of fever
• 1371 Edward Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen (1361-71), mortally wounded in the battle at 35
• 1516 Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri, Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, fought the Portuguese and the Ottomans, dies at the Battle of Marj Dabiq at 75 or 76
• 1540 Parmigianino [Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola,], Italian painter (Madonna of the Long Neck), dies at 37
• 1542 Gasparo Contarini, Italian diplomat and cardinal who advocated for church reform, dies at 55 (b. 1483)
• 1572 Charles de Téligny, French Huguenot soldier, one of the 1st murdered during St. Bartholomew’s day massacre, dies at about 37

• 1595 Thomas Digges, English astronomer (Universe Infinite), dies
• 1617 Saint Rose of Lima [Isabel Flores de Olivia], Peruvian saint, a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, dies at 31
• 1647 Nicholas Stone “Elder”, English sculptor and architect, dies at about 61
• 1664 Maria Cunitz, Silesian astronomer (Urania propitia), dies at about 54
• 1666 Francisco Manuel de Melo, Portuguese author (Obras Morales), dies at 57
• 1679 Jean François Paul de Gondi, cardinal de Retz, French churchman and agitator (b. 1614)
• 1680 Ferdinand Bulb, Dutch painter and etcher, buried
• 1680 Thomas Blood, Irish-born thief of the British crown jewels, dies at 62
• 1682 John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale, Scottish politician (Lord High Commissioner, 1669-80; Secretary of State, 1661-80), dies at 66
• 1683 John Owen, English non-conformist theologian (b. 1616)
• 1712 Thomas Bullis, Jr. English organist and composer, dies at 54 (burial date)
• 1724 Andreas Kneller, German composer, dies at 75
• 1759 Ewald Christian von Kleist, German poet and soldier, dies in battle at 44
• 1770 Thomas Chatterton, English poet (Revenge), dies at 17
• 1779 Saint Kosmas of Aetolia, Greek Orthodox martyr, executed at Kolkondas (b. c. 1714)
• 1798 Thomas Alcock, English clergyman (b. 1709)
• 1801 Jacques-Denis Antoine, French builder (La Monnaie Paris), dies at 68

• 1833 Adrian Hardy Haworth, English entomologist and botanist, dies at 65
• 1840 Joseph Waast Aubert Nonot, French organist (St Géry in Cambrai, 1768-83), and composer, dies at 89
• 1841 Karl Friedrich Curschmann, German composer, dies at 36
• 1841 Theodore Hook, English author, famous practical joker and recipient of the world’s 1st postcard, dies at 52
• 1870 Edwin Gray Lee, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 34
• 1888 Rudolf Clausius, German physicist (one of the founders of the study of thermodynamics), dies at 66
• 1889 Jan Matzeliger, Surinamese-Dutch-American inventor (shoe lasting machine), dies of tuberculosis at 36
• 1894 Ranald MacDonald, North American-born educator and interpreter, 1st English speaker to teach English in Japan, dies at 70
• 1895 John F. Loudon, Dutch sugar and indigo manufacturer, who Delft collection was left to the Rijksmuseum, dies at 74
• 1901 Clara Maass, American army nurse who sacrificed her life at 25 to prove that mosquitoes carry yellow fever. Her death put an end to yellow fever experiments on human beings.
• 1906 Alfred Stevens, Belgian painter, dies
• 1907 Pieter Lodewijk Tak, Dutch journalist (The Chronicle; Het Volk), and politician, dies of heart failure at 58
• 1912 Alfred Berger, Austrian playwright, dies at 59
• 1914 Johannes Weiss, German New Testament scholar, dies at 50
• 1921 Nikolay Gumilyov, Russian poet, dies at 35
• 1923 Kate Douglas Wiggin, American author (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm), dies at 66
• 1924 George Shiras Jr., U.S. Supreme Court justice (1892-1903), dies at 92
• 1929 Charles Van de Woestijne, Flemish writer and poet (God on Sea), dies at 51
• 1929 Karel van de Woestijne, Flemish writer and poet (God at Sea), dies at 51
• 1932 Gheorghe Cucu, Romanian composer, dies at 50
• 1939 William Moule, Australian lawyer, politician and cricketer (Australia v England 1880), dies at 81
• 1940 Paul G. Nipkow, German inventor, television technology pioneer (Nipkow disk), and namesake of the Nipkow Programm, dies at 80
• 1943 Ernst Ottwalt [pen name for Ernst Gottwalt Nicolas], German writer and playwright, dies in a Soviet gulag at 41
• 1943 Simone Weil, French philosopher and social activist, dies from cardiac failure at 34
• 1950 Ernst Wiechert, German writer (The Jeromin children), dies at 63

• 1956 Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese film director (Ugetsu), dies of leukemia at 58
• 1957 Albert Edward Sammons, British violinist, and composer (Phantasy Quartet), dies at 71
• 1957 Ronald Arbuthnott Knox, British priest, broadcaster and author (Viaduct Murder), dies at 69
• 1958 John G. Strijdom, South African politician and nationalist, Prime Minister of South Africa (1954-58), dies at 65
• 1958 Kenneth Leighton, British pianist and composer, dies of esophageal cancer at 58
• 1958 Leo Blech, German opera composer and conductor, (Königliches Opernhaus, 1906-37; Städtische Oper, 1949-53). dies at 87
• 1958 Paul Henry, Northern Irish artist, dies at 82
• 1962 Henry George Ley, British organist, and choral composer, dies at 74
• 1963 Jack Pettis, American jazz saxophonist and bandleader, dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 61
• 1964 Maurice Schoemaker, Belgian composer (Fireworks), dies at 73
• 1966 Lao She, Chinese writer and playwright (Rickshaw Boy, Teahouse), commits suicide during the Cultural Revolution at 67 (or possibly murdered)
• 1967 Amanda Randolph, American jazz and blues piano player and singer; stage, radio, and screen actress (The Laytons; Amos ‘n Andy – “Ramona”; Danny Thomas Show – “Louise”), and restaurateur, dies of a stroke at 70

• 1968 (Edmond) “Doc” Souchon, American jazz guitarist, music journal writer and editor, and New Orleans jazz historical preservationist, dies at 70
• 1968 Cyril Vincent, South African cricketer (84 wkts slow lefty for S Af 1927-35), dies at 66
• 1971 Carl Blegen, American archaeologist (excavator at Troy, Pylos), dies at 84
• 1972 [Carlos] Don Byas, American swing and be-bop jazz saxophonist, and bandleader, dies of lung cancer at 59
• 1973 Billy Greene, American actor (Single Room Furnished, One Man’s Family), dies at 76
• 1973 Sláva Vorlová [Miroslava Johnová], Czech composer (Bílá oblaka (White Clouds)), dies at 79
• 1974 Alexander de Seversky, Russian-American aviation pioneer (b. 1894)
• 1975 Charles H. Revson, American cosmetic magnate (Revlon), dies at 68
• 1976 Michael Head, British organist, pianist, and composer, dies at 76
• 1977 Buddy O’Connor, Canadian Hockey HOF center (Stanley Cup 1944, 46 Montreal Canadiens; Hart Memorial Trophy & Lady Byng Memorial Trophy 1948), dies at 61
• 1977 Soewarsih Djojopoespito, Indonesian writer (Toe the Line), dies at 65
• 1978 Kathleen Kenyon, English archaeologist, her excavations at Jericho established it as the oldest continuously occupied city, dies at 72
• 1978 Louis Prima, American jazz and pop singer, trumpeter, and bandleader (“That Old Black Magic”; “Oh, Marie”), dies at 67
• 1979 Hanna Reitsch, German aviator and WWII military test pilot, dies of a heart attack at 67
• 1979 Sampson Sievers, Russian Orthodox Christian monk, priest and wonder-worker, dies at 79
• 1980 Andre Parrot, French archaeologist (Mari, Assur), dies at 79
• 1980 Frederick A. Fox, American classical composer (Nightscenes; Shaking The Pumpkin),and educator (Indiana University, 1974-94), dies at 80
• 1980 Yootha Joyce, British actress (Man About the House, George and Mildred), dies of liver failure at 53
• 1982 Giorgio Abetti, Italian astronomer (Solar physics), dies at 99
• 1982 Jack Siedle, South African cricketer (batted in 18 Tests for South Africa), dies at 79
• 1983 Jack Somack, American actor (Ball Four, The Frisco Kid, Stockard Channing Show), dies of a heart attack at 64
• 1983 Scott Nearing, American sociologist, pacifist and author (The Good Life), dies at 100
• 1983 Shawn Stephens Lewis, 5th wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, dies of methadone OD, after 77 days of marriage at 25
• 1985 Paul Creston [Giuseppe Guttoveggio], Italian-American composer (Zanoni), educator, and music theorist (Creative Harmony), dies at 78

• 1987 Malcolm Kirk “King Kong Kirk”, English professional wrestler, dies of a heart attack in the ring at 51
• 1988 Leonard Frey, American stage and screen actor (Fiddler on the Roof; The Magic Christian), dies of AIDS at 49
• 1988 Max Shulman, American author (Dobie Gillis, Tender Trap), dies at 69
• 1990 Gely Abdel Rahman, Sudanese writer and poet (b. 1931)
• 1990 Sergei Dovlatov, Russian writer, dies at 48
• 1991 Abel Kiviat, American athlete (Olympic gold 3000m team race, silver 1500m 1912), dies at 99
• 1991 Beb] Vuyk, Dutch-Indonesian writer (Camp Diary), dies at 86
• 1991 Bernard Castro, American inventor of the patented convertible couch, dies at 87
• 1991 Mark Lawrence, American pianist (Alice Pearce), and songwriter, and theatrical producer, dies at 70
• 1991 Mike Sokoll, Hungarian-American cowboy actor, dies at 97
• 1992 André Donner, Dutch jurist (2nd President European Court of Justice), dies at 74
• 1992 Larrie Londin [Ralph Gallant], American session drummer (Motown and Nashville), dies of a heart attack at 48
• 1993 D. B. Deodhar, Indian cricketer (Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket), dies at 101
• 1994 Jason McRoy, English mountain bike racer, dies in a motorcycle accident at 23
• 1995 Erich Geiringer, New Zealand general practitioner campaigner (founder of the New Zealand Medical Association), dies at 78
• 1995 Gary Crosby, American singer (with Bing -“Play a Simple Melody”), and actor (The Bill Dana Show -“Eddie”; Mardi Gras), dies of lung cancer at 62
• 1996 Émile Noël, French European civil servant (helped bring about European Union), dies at 73
• 1996 John Christopherson, English artist and collector, dies at 75
• 1996 Robert Tewdwr Moss, English journalist and travel writer, found dead at 34
• 1997 (Vincente) “Tete” Montoliu, Catalonian jazz pianist, dies at 64
• 1997 Louis Essen, British physicist (time measurement, speed of light determination), dies at 88
• 1997 Phillip Vellacott, English classical scholar (Penguin Books classical translations), dies at 90
• 1998 E. G. Marshall [Everett Eugene Grunz], American actor (12 Angry Men, The Defenders), dies of lung cancer at 84
• 1998 Gene Page, American arranger, composer, and record producer (Righteous Brothers; Marvin Gaye; Whitney Houston), dies at 58
• 1998 Jerry Clower ‘The Mouth of the Mississippi’, American country comedian (Nashville on Road), dies following surgery at 71
• 1999 Alexandre Lagoya, Greek-Italian-French classical guitarist and composer, dies at 70
• 1999 Mary Jane Croft, American actress (Our Miss Brooks; The Lucy Show), dies of natural causes at 83
• 2001 Bettejane “Jane” Greer, American actress (Out of the Past, Prisoner of Zenda, Clown), dies at 76
• 2001 Hank Sauer, American baseball left fielder (NL MVP, HR leader, RBI leader 1952; MLB All Star 1950, 52; Chicago Cubs), dies from a heart attack at 84
• 2001 Raymond Wilding-White, American composer, dies at 78
• 2002 Nikolay Guryanov Russian Orthodox Christian mystic and priest (b. 1909)
• 2003 John Jacob Rhodes, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona), dies at 86
• 2003 Wilfred Thesiger, British military officer, explorer and travel writer (Arabian Sands, dies at 93
• 2004 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Swiss-born psychiatrist (b. 1926)
• 2004 Kees [Cornelis Johannes] Ouwens, Dutch writer and poet (Intimate Acts), dies at 60
• 2005 Kaleth Morales, Colombian vallenato folk music singer and songwriter (“Vivo en el Limbo” – I Live in the Limbo), dies in a vehicle crash at 22
• 2006 Cristian Nemescu, Romanian film director (b.1979)
• 2006 James Carl Tenney, American composer, dies at 72
• 2006 Léopold Simoneau, French Canadian tenor, dies at 90
• 2007 Aaron Russo, American political activist, movie producer and director (Trading Places, Wise Guys, The Rose), dies of cancer at 64
• 2007 Andrée P. Boucher, Canadian politician, Mayor of Quebec City, dies at 70
• 2007 Mark Birley, British nightclub owner (Annabel’s, Mark’s Club, Harry’s Bar), dies at 77 [1]
• 2008 Tristram Ogilvie Cary, British-Australian composer, electronic music pioneer, and educator, dies at 82
• 2009 Toni Sailer, Austrian alpine skier (Olympic gold Downhill, Giant slalom, Slalom 1956; 7 x World C’ship gold), dies from laryngeal cancer at 73
• 2010 Satoshi Kon, Japanese anime film director (Perfect Blue, Paprika), dies of cancer at 46
• 2011 Mike Flanagan, American baseball pitcher (b. 1951)
• 2012 Pauli Ellefsen, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (1981-85), dies at 76
• 2012 Richard Evans, British diplomat, ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (1984-88), dies at 84
• 2013 Julie Harris, American actress (The Bell Jar: I Am A Camera; East of Eden), dies of, heart failure at 87

• 2015 Justin Wilson, English auto racer (International Formula 3000 C’ship; Champ Car Series 4 wins), dies as a result of on track accident at 37
• 2015 Vardo Rumessen, Estonian classical pianist, musicologist, politician, and independence advocate, dies at 73
• 2016 Michel Butor, French novelist and essayist (La Modification), dies at 89
• 2016 Roger Tsien, American chemist (Nobel Prize 2008, green fluorescent variants), dies at 64
• 2016 Walter Scheel, German politician, West German Foreign Minister and President, dies at 97
• 2017 Charlie Robertson, American politician (mayor of York, Pennsylvania 1994-2002), dies of cancer at 83
• 2017 Jay Thomas [Jon Thomas Terrell], American actor and comedian (Cheers, Murphy Brown), dies of cancer at 69
• 2018 Adrian Swire, British aircraft magnate (Cathay Pacific), dies at 86
• 2018 Robin Leach, English TV host (Life Styles of Rich & Famous), dies at 76
• 2018 Tom Frost, American rock climber (founder gear & apparel company Patagonia), dies of prostate cancer at 82
• 2019 Arun Jaitley, Indian politician and lawyer, leader of the opposition (2009-14), and MP (2000-19), dies at 66 [1] [2]
• 2020 Pascal Lissouba, Congo politician, 1st democratically-elected President of the Republic of the Congo (1992-97), dies at 88
• 2020 Paul Wolfisberg, Swiss soccer forward (FC Luzern) and coach (Switzerland 1981-85), dies at 87
• 2020 Tony Colton [Chalk], British singer-songwriter, and record producer (Head, Hands, and Feet), dies of kidney failure at 68

• 2021 Jerry Harkness, American College Basketball HOF point guard (Loyola [Illinois]; New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers), dies at 81
• 2021 Wilfried van Moer, Belgian soccer midfielder (57 caps; Belgian Golden Shoe x 3; Beveren, Antwerp, Standard Liège), dies from a stroke at 76
• 2022 Kazuo Inamori, Japanese business executive (Kyocera Ceramics Co), dies at 90
• 2022 Ken Jones, Welsh rugby union centre (14 caps Wales, 6 British Lions; Cardiff RFC, London Welsh RFC, Barbarian FC), dies at 81
• 2022 Len Dawson, American Pro Football HOF quarterback (Super Bowl MVP 1970 KC Chiefs; AFL Championship MVP 1966; AFL MVP 1962; First-team All-AFL 1962, 66) and broadcaster (HBO, NBC), dies at 87
• 2022 Orlando de la Torre, Peruvian soccer defender (39 caps; Sporting Cristal SA), dies at 78
• 2023 Arleen Sorkin, American actress (Days of Our Lives – “Calliope Jones”; America’s Funniest Videos, 1990-92), and screenwriter, dies at 67
• 2023 Bernie Marsden, English rock and blues guitarist and songwriter (Whitesnake – “Fool for Your Loving”; “Here I Go Again”), dies at 72
• 2023 Bray Wyatt, American pro wrestler (WWE Championship 2017, Smackdown & Raw Tag Team C’ships), dies of a heart attack at 36
• 2023 George Montgomery, American drag racer (7 x NHRA national title gas class; Motorsports HOF of America), dies at 90
• 2024 Christoph Daum, German soccer manager (Romania 2016-17; VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Köln, Bayer Leverkusen, Beşiktaş, Austria Wien, Fenerbahçe), dies at 70
• 2024 Don Wert, American baseball third baseman (MLB All Star & World Series 1968 Detroit Tigers), dies at 86
• 2024 Gail Sheehy (née Henlon), American author (Hustling; Passages), and journalist (Vanity Fair; New York Times), dies at 83 [1]
• 2024 George Rhoden, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1952), dies at 97
• 2024 William Reynolds, American actor (The Gallant Men; All That Heaven Allows), dies at 90

August 24 Highlights