Famous People Who Died At 21

Hailed as the leading figure of the emo rap scene of the mid-late 2010s, Lil Peep went on to inspire many youth subcultures. Peep achieved tremendous success in less than three years' time. In his personal life though, he struggled with mental health conditions. He died at the age of 21 due to an accidental overdose of drugs.

Rebecca Schaeffer started her career as a model and is best remembered for her role as Patricia "Patti" Russell in the comedy My Sister Sam. She was shot to death at 21, by an obsessed fan named Robert John Bardo, who had been stalking her for a while.

Sophie Scholl was a German anti-Nazi political activist who was involved with a non-violent resistance group called White Rose. Scholl was executed by guillotine at the age of 21 for distributing anti-war leaflets. Since her death, Sophie Scholl has been viewed as an iconic figure. Her life and work have inspired several films, including Sophie Scholl – The Final Days.

Matthew Adam Garber was a British child actor who achieved popularity after playing Michael Banks in the 1964 musical fantasy film, Mary Poppins. Garber appeared in two other movies before retiring from acting. Regarded as a spirited and bright boy, Garber enjoyed playing sports and reading books. He died at the age of 21 due to pancreatitis.

Nathan Hale was an American soldier, Patriot, and spy who worked for the Continental Army. He played an important role during the American Revolutionary War, volunteering for an intelligence-gathering mission. Nathan Hale was captured and executed by the British in 1776. Hale is regarded as an American hero for his important contribution during the American Revolutionary War. 

Fred Hampton was considered an activist and a revolutionary socialist working for social change. He was the deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party. He founded the Rainbow Coalition, aiming to help the Chicago street gangs to end infighting. The FBI considered him as a major threat and he was shot and killed in December 1969 during a raid.

Stuart Sutcliffe was a Scottish musician and painter. He is best remembered for his association with the popular rock band the Beatles, where he was the original bass guitarist. Before achieving popularity as a guitarist, Sutcliffe left the Beatles to pursue painting. Along with John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe is credited with coining the name Beetles, which later became the Beatles.

Napoleon II was the son of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Marie Louise. He was the titular Emperor of the French for a few weeks in 1815. He was just a small child when he became the disputed emperor following his father’s abdication. He died as a young man before getting the chance to serve his nation. 

Child actress and child model Skye McCole Bartusiak is best remembered for her role in the TV series Touched by an Angel, for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award. During her short but successful career, she played versatile roles in TV shows and films. She died at the age of 21 due to an apparent drug overdose.

Pocahontas was a Native American woman born in the Powhatan tribal nation. She was embroiled in the hostility between the English colonial settlers and the natives in Virginia during the 1610s. Later she married an Englishman and was taken to England in 1616 for the world to see the example of the ‘civilised savage’. Her legacy continues in the US.

Though she was married off at age 9 and had had a baby by 14, Anandi Gopal Joshi rose to become one of the first female doctors in India and the first Indian-origin woman to graduate with a medical degree in the US. Unfortunately, she died of tuberculosis shortly before her 22nd birthday.

Matthew Shepard was a gay student who was beaten and tortured by Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, on October 6, 1998, leading to his death 6 days later. The incident led to the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act by Barack Obama, years later, and the LGBT-oriented Matthew Shepard Foundation.

The son of Japanese samurai and the second Great Unifier of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Toyotomi Hideyori is remembered in Japanese history for his suicide at age 21 after being tricked by Ieyasu in the summer Siege of Osaka. Some even believe he had escaped, as his corpse was never found.  

Emperor Go-Momozono was the Emperor of Japan who reigned from 1771 until his death in 1779 at the age of 21. His reign was marked by a series of natural disasters that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and the destruction of several properties. Emperor Go-Momozono became ill and adopted a son named Morohito on his deathbed.

Ana Carolina Reston was a Brazilian model best remembered for her work with popular brands like Giorgio Armani. Reston succumbed to the unfair demands of the fashion industry and suffered from severe anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. She died at the age of 21 and weighed just 40 kgs at the time of her death. 

Beatrice d'Este was one of the most beautiful noblewomen of the Italian Renaissance and a patron of the arts. The duchess of Bari and Milan through her marriage to Ludovico Sforza, she not only influenced the dress sense of her time but also supported the Milanese resistance during the Italian Wars.

Prince Baudouin of Belgium was the son of Prince Philippe of Belgium, Count of Flanders. He is also known as the older brother of Albert I of Belgium, who went on to become King of the Belgians in 1909. Albert I became heir presumptive after the untimely death of Prince Baudouin of Belgium at the age of 21.

Confederate soldier Sam Davis, who was captured, convicted and executed by Union forces at just 21 years of age in Pulaski, Tennessee, during the American Civil War, is remembered for his courage and loyalty and lauded as the Boy Hero of the Confederacy. A martyr to the Confederate cause, Davis was eulogized by Middle Tennesseeans for his bravery and sacrifice.

Al-Hādī reigned as the fourth Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 24 July 785 until his death on 14 September 786. A physically strong ruler, Al-Hādī was renowned for his bravery and generosity. However, he was cruel and continued his father's persecutions and unfair policies. His short reign was marked by internal conflicts and power struggles with his mother.

Mónica Santa María was a Peruvian TV hostess and model. She achieved popularity when she began hosting the popular children's show, Nubeluz. However, the show got cancelled in 1996, partly due to Mónica Santa María's suicide by gunshot at the age of 21.