Famous Deaths on October 3

• 695 Saint Ewald, the Black, British priest, missionary, helper of Saint Willibrord, murdered by pagan Saxons at Aplerbeke (modern Germany)
• 695 Saint Ewald, the Fair, British priest, missionary, helper of Saint Willibrord, murdered by pagan Saxons at Aplerbeke (modern Germany)
• 744 Yazid III, Twelfth Umayyad caliph (744), dies
• 1207 Xin Qiji, Chinese poet and military leader, dies at 67

• 1283 Dafydd ap Gruffyd, last monarch of Gwynnedd (North-Wales), dies
• 1369 Margarete Maultasch, Countess of Tyrol (b. 1318)
• 1564 Christophorus Fabritius [Christoffel Smit], calvinist vicar, burned
• 1568 Elisabeth of Valois, daughter of King Henry II of France and 3rd wife of Philip II of Spain, dies in childbirth at 23
• 1596 Florent Chrestien, French writer and satirist, dies at 55
• 1611 Charles, Duke of Mayenne, French military leader, dies at 57
• 1611 Margarita of Austria, Queen of Spain and Portugal by marriage to King Philip III & II of Spain, dies at 26
• 1629 Giorgi Saakadze, Georgian military leader (b. 1570)
• 1646 Virgilio Mazzocchi, Italian composer, dies at 49
• 1649 Giovanni Diodati, Swiss Protestant clergyman, dies at 73
• 1653 Mark Zuesius Boxhorn, Dutch historian, dies at 41

• 1685 Fidel Molitor, Swiss composer, dies at 58
• 1690 Robert Barclay, Scottish writer (b. 1648)
• 1701 Joseph Williamson, English politician (b. 1633)
• 1703 Pieter van Wooden, Amersfoorts rebel leader, beheaded
• 1703 Richard Saab, Amersfoorts rebel leader, beheaded
• 1704 Jean-Baptiste Denys, French physician who performed the 1st human blood transfusion, a xenotransfusion, dies at about 61
• 1750 Georg Matthias Monn, Austrian composer, dies at 33
• 1777 Jeremias van Riemsdijk, Dutch administrator (Governor-General of Dutch East Indies 1775-77), dies at 64
• 1795 Tula, leader of Curacaose slave uprising, executed
• 1801 Philippe Henri, marquis de Ségur, Marshal of France (b. 1724)
• 1820 Ludwig Wenzel Lachnith, Bohemian horn player and composer, dies at 74
• 1826 Jens Baggesen, Danish writer and linguist (Labyrinth), dies at 62
• 1828 Josephus Andreas Fodor, Dutch Classical era violinist and composer, dies at 77
• 1833 François, Marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat, French general and military engineer, dies at 79
• 1838 Black Hawk, Sauk leader and warrior (Black Hawk War) who published the 1st US Native American autobiography (Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak or Black Hawk, Embracing the Traditions of his Nation), dies at 70 or 71
• 1853 George Onslow, British-French composer, chiefly of chamber music, dies at 69
• 1860 Rembrandt Peale, American portrait and historical painter (Margaret Irvine Miller ,1805; Court of Death, 1820), and museum keeper (Baltimore), dies at 82
• 1862 Pleasant Adam Hackleman, Union brigadier general, dies in battle at 47

• 1873 Kintpuash (also known as Captain Jack), Native American leader, chief of the Modoc tribe of California and Oregon, hanged by US Army for war crimes at about 35
• 1877 James Roosevelt Bayley, first Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, and the eighth Archbishop of Baltimore, dies at 63
• 1881 Orson Pratt, American mathematician and religious leader, dies at 70
• 1884 Hans Makart, Austrian painter (Plague in Florenz), dies at 44
• 1889 Karel Miry, Belgian composer (De Vlaamse Leeuw), dies at 66
• 1890 Joseph Hergenröther, German historian (b. 1824)
• 1891 Edouard Lucas, French mathematician (Lucas sequences), dies at 49
• 1895 Harry Wright, English Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder and manager (established baseball’s first fully professional team, Cincinnati Red Stockings 1869), dies of a lung ailment at 60
• 1896 William Morris, English artist, writer and socialist associated with Arts and Crafts movement who championed handmade production, dies at 62 [1]
• 1897 Hamilton Prioleau Bee, American politician in Texas and Brigadier Confederate Army general, dies at 75
• 1903 Benedetto Junck, Italian composer, dies at 51
• 1907 Alfred Reisenauer, German pianist and composer, dies at 43
• 1910 Lucy Hobbs Taylor, 1st American woman dentist (1866), and women’s rights activist, dies at 77
• 1912 Guido Papini, Italian violinist and composer, dies at 65
• 1919 Daniel Brink Towner, American hymn composer (“He’s A Friend of Mine”; “Though the Fig Tree Shall Not Blossom”), and music director, dies at 69

• 1929 Jeanne Eagels, American actress and former Ziegfeld Girl (Rain, Under False Colors), dies of a drug overdose at 39
• 1930 Charles Louis Philippe Zilcken, Dutch painter and author (Bauer), dies at 73
• 1931 Carl Nielsen, Danish violinist and composer (Det Uudslukkelige), dies of a heart attack at 66
• 1933 Young Stribling, American boxer (vs Max Schmeling, Ring Magazine fight of the year 1931), dies in a motorcycle accident at 28
• 1934 Henri Marteau, French violinist and composer, dies of pneumonia at 60

• 1938 Viktor Kosenko, Russian-Ukrainian pianist, composer (Moldavian Poem), and educator, dies of kidney cancer at 41
• 1941 Wilhelm Kienzl, Austrian composer (Der Evangelimann – The Evangelist; Der Kuhreigen), dies at 84
• 1952 Alfred Neumann, German playwright (Devil), dies at 56
• 1953 Arnold Bax, British composer known for his orchestral music (Tintagel), and memoirist (Farewell My Youth), dies of heart failure at 69
• 1953 Florence Sabin, American Scientist who was the first woman to graduate from Johns Hopkins and the first lifetime woman member of the National Academy of Sciences, dies at 82
• 1954 Herbert Prior, British actor (Caught Short, Slave of Desire), dies at 87
• 1957 Bernard Maybeck, American architect (Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco), dies at 95
• 1959 William Bishop, American stage and screen actor (Black Eagle; Adventures in Silverado; It’s a Great Life), dies of cancer at 41
• 1963 Bobby McDermott, American Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame guard and coach (2 × NBL Coach of the Year 1944-45, Fort Wayne Pistons), dies at 49
• 1965 Zachary Scott, American actor (Spotlight Playhouse, Mildred Pierce), dies from a malignant brain tumor at 51
• 1967 Malcolm Sargent, British organist, composer, and conductor (Last Night of Proms, 1947-66), dies at 72
• 1967 Pinto Colvig, American animation voice actor (Goofy, Pluto), dies at 75
• 1967 Walter Muller von Kulm, Swiss composer, dies at 68

• 1969 Nehemiah “Skip” James, American Delta blues singer, guitarist and piano player (“I’m So Glad”), dies at 67
• 1971 Leah Baird, American actress and screenwriter (Jungle Bride), dies of anemia at 88
• 1971 Seán Ó Riada [John Reidy], Irish composer (Mise Éire), traditional music revivalist, and bandleader (Ceoltóirí Chualann), dies at 40

• 1976 Herb Flemming [Nicolaiih El-Michelle], American jazz trombonist and vocalist, dies at 77
• 1976 Victoria Spivey, American vaudeville and blues singer, pianist, organist, and songwriter (“Dope Head Blues”; Organ Grinder Blues”), dies at 69
• 1978 Alfred Strange, English soccer right half (20 caps, 3 as captain; Sheffield Wednesday, 253 games), dies at 78
• 1979 Charles White, American artist (The Contribution of the Negro to American Democracy), dies at 61
• 1979 Claudia Jennings [Mary Ellen Chestrerton], American actress and Playboy playmate (Nov, 1969, Playmate of the Year 1970), dies in car crash at 29
• 1981 Walter Mehring, German writer (Die Gedichte, Lieder und Chansons des Walter Mehring), dies at 85
• 1982 Roger Claessen, Belgian soccer striker (17 caps; Standard de Liège), dies at 41
• 1982 Vivien Merchant [Ada Thompson], British actress (Alfie; The Homecoming; The Offence), dies from alcoholism at 53
• 1983 John K. M. McCaffery, American TV host (One Minute Please), dies at 69
• 1983 Kurt Kusenberg, German writer (Wein Auf Lebenszeit), dies at 79
• 1985 Charles Collingwood, American news commentator (Chronicles), dies at 68
• 1985 Maurice Copeland, American actor (Ralph-Those Young Charmings), dies at 74
• 1986 Vince DiMaggio, American baseball center fielder (MLB All Star 1943-44; Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 74

• 1987 Kalervo Palsa, Finnish artist (Turva/Security), dies of pneumonia at 40 [1]
• 1988 Franz Josef Strauss, German politician, Minister of Defense (1956-62), dies at 73
• 1988 Generoso Pope Jr., American media mogul, created “The National Enquirer”, dies of a heart attack at 61
• 1989 Del Wool [Adelaide Hazelwood], American country musician, dies at 69
• 1989 Hans Deutgen, Swedish archer (World C’ship gold individual 1947, 48, 49, 50; team 1948), dies at 72
• 1989 Joseph Wybran, Belgian physician and Jewish leader, murdered in mysterious circumstances at 49
• 1989 Norman Yardley, English cricket batsman and captain (20 Tests; Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1948), dies of a stroke at 74
• 1990 Eleanor Steber, American soprano (Metropolitan Opera, 1940-66), dies following unsuccessful heart surgery at 76
• 1990 Stefano Casiraghi, Italian speedboat racer, businessman and husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, dies in a motor boat race at 30
• 1991 Max Cantor, American actor and journalist, dies of a drug overdose at 32
• 1993 Gary Gordon, American army sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient, killed in action at the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia at 33
• 1993 Sgt. First Class Randy Shughart, American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, killed in action at the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia at 35
• 1994 Dennis Wolfberg, American comedian (Quantum Leap), dies from cancer at 48
• 1994 Dub Taylor [Walter Clarence Taylor Jr], American character actor (Gunsmoke), dies from a heart attack at 87
• 1994 Heinz Rühmann, German actor and director (Der Hauptmann von Köpenick), dies at 92
• 1994 Virginia Dale, American actress and dancer (Holiday Inn), dies at about 77
• 1995 Charles Lacy Veach, American astronaut (STS 39, STS 52), dies at 51
• 1996 Denis Frank Owen, British ecologist and natural historian, dies at 65
• 1996 Thomas ap Rees, British botanist, dies in a cycling accident at 65
• 1996 Tony Parker, British oral historian, dies at 73
• 1997 A. L. Rowse, British author and historian, dies at 93
• 1998 Roddy McDowall, British actor (Planet of Apes, Cleopatra, Lord Love a Duck), dies at 70

• 2000 Benjamin Orr [Orzechowski], American rock bassist and singer (The Cars – “Just What I Needed”, “Drive”), dies of pancreatic cancer at 53
• 2000 John Grant, British Labour and SDP politician, dies at 67
• 2002 Bruce Paltrow, American television and film producer (b. 1943)
• 2002 John Weitz, American author and fashion designer (Friends in High Places), dies at 79
• 2002 Robert Krausz, Israeli stock market advisor and investor (b. 1936)
• 2003 Florence Stanley, American stage, film, and television actress (Barney Miller, Fish, My Two Dads), dies of stroke complications at 79
• 2003 William Steig, American cartoonist (The New Yorker, 1930-2003) and children’s author (Shrek!; Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; Doctor De Soto), dies at 95 [1]

• 2004 John Cerutti, American baseball pitcher (Toronto Blue Jays) and broadcaster (Rogers Sportsnet), dies of ventricular arrhythmia at 44
• 2005 Adrian Ratiu, Romanian composer, dies at 77
• 2005 Ronnie Barker, English comedian (The Two Ronnies, Porridge), dies at 76
• 2006 Alberto Ramento, Filipina bishop (b. 1937)
• 2006 John Crank, British mathematician (b. 1913)
• 2006 Peter Norman, Australian track star (b. 1942)
• 2007 M.N. Vijayan, Indian writer, orator, and academic, dies at 77
• 2007 Richard Trant, British general who was Land Deputy Commander during the Falklands War, dies at 79
• 2008 Aurel Stroe, Romanian composer, dies at 76
• 2008 Karam ud Din, Pakistani Navy officer (b. 1941)
• 2008 Zulfiqar Ahmed, Pakistani cricket pace bowler (9 Tests, 20 wickets; Punjab, Bahawalpur), dies at 81
• 2009 Fatimah el-Sharif, Queen consort of Libya (1951-69), dies at 98
• 2009 Robert Kirby, British music arranger (Nick Drake), dies at 61
• 2010 Abraham Sarmiento, Sr., Filipino Supreme Court jurist (1987-91), dies at 88
• 2010 Ben Mondor, Canadian baseball executive who was International League Executive of the Year 1978, 99 Pawtucket Red Sox, dies at 85
• 2012 (Kathryn) “Kathi” McDonald, American blues and rock singer (Ike & Tina Turner Revue; Big Brother & The Holding Company), and songwriter, dies at 64
• 2012 Francis Burt, British composer, and educator (Musikhochschule Wien, 1974-92), dies at 86
• 2015 Dave Pike, American jazz vibraphone and marimba player, dies at 77
• 2015 Denis Healey, English politician (Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer), dies at 98
• 2016 Joan Marie Johnson, American pop singer (The Dixie Cups – “Chapel Of Love”; “Iko Iko”), dies of congestive heart failure at 72
• 2016 Ljupka Dimitrovska, Macedonian-Croat pop singer (“Adio”), dies at 70
• 2017 Isabella Karle, American scientist who was instrumental in developing techniques to extract plutonium chloride, dies from a brain tumor at 95

• 2017 Michel Jouvet, French neuroscientist and medical researcher who discovered the region of the brain that controls rapid eye movement (REM sleep), dies at 91
• 2017 Solly Hemus, American baseball infielder (St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies) and manager (St. Louis Cardinals 1959–61), dies at 94
• 2018 Bent Lorentzen, Danish orchestral, electronic, and opera composer, dies at 83
• 2018 Leon M. Lederman, American experimental physicist (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1988 – for research on quarks and leptons) and author (The God Particle), dies from complications of dementia at 96 [1]
• 2019 Vinnie Bell [Gambella], American session guitarist, electric sitar player, and pioneer of electronic effects in pop music, dies at 87
• 2021 Budge Patty, American tennis player (French C’ship, Wimbledon men’s singles 1950), dies at 97
• 2021 Cynthia Harris, American stage and screen actress (Edward & Mrs. Simpson; Mad About You – “Sylvia”), dies at 87
• 2022 Charles Fuller, American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (A Soldier’s Play; Zooman and the Sign; The Brownsville Raid), and screenwriter (A Soldier’s Story; A Gathering of Old Men), dies at 83 [1]
• 2022 Joe Bussard, American musicologist, preservationist, and record label owner (Fonotone), dies of pancreatic cancer at 86
• 2022 Per Bredesen, Norwegian soccer forward (18 caps; Ørn Horten FK, Lazio, Udinese, AC Milan, Bari, Messina), dies at 91
• 2023 Bob Wagner, American college football coach (University of Hawaiʻi 1988-95), dies at 76
• 2023 Joe Christopher, American MLB baseball outfielder, 1959-1966 (Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox), dies at 87
• 2023 Lena McLin (née Johnson), American music teacher, composer (Oh Freedom), and Baptist pastor, dies at 95
• 2023 Patrice Lecornu, French soccer striker (3 caps; Red Star FC, SC Angers, Nantes FC), dies at 65

October 3 Highlights