Famous People Who Died At 62

Famous Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, made significant contributions to various fields of science and arts of his era–logic, biology, politics, economics, ethics and aesthetics. Along with Socrates and Plato, he laid much of the foundation of Western philosophy. Student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great, he founded Lyceum, the school of philosophy, and the Aristotelian tradition.

German monk Martin Luther challenged the dogmas of Roman Catholicism and the authority of the pope, in his Ninety-five Theses, and was thus excommunicated. His German translation of the Bible enriched the German culture, and his marriage set an example for clerical marriage. His teachings are now known as Lutherans.

Farrah Fawcett is best remembered for posing for the iconic red swimsuit poster, which sold over 12 million copies and is regarded as a symbol of the late-1970s and a modern icon. Known for her good looks, Farrah was a popular Playboy model. The actress was also named in Men's Health magazine's 100 Hottest Women of All-Time list in 2011.

Actress Elizabeth Montgomery had a flourishing acting career that spanned five decades. Throughout her career, she touched the lives of many with her charitable work and political activism. Such was her popularity that after she succumbed to cancer, a bronze statue of her famous character Samantha Stephens from the TV series Bewitched was erected in Massachusetts.

Hailed as a brilliant scientific mind, American physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, led the Manhattan Project which resulted in the development of atomic bomb during the World War II. The bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. However, Oppenheimer was in a constant conflict over the moral issue of the weapons of mass destruction and rallied against nuclear proliferation.

Nostradamus was a French physician, astrologer, and respected seer whose book Les Prophéties is viewed as a document that predicts future events. Since the publication of the book, Nostradamus has been praised for his accurate predictions of major world events. His life has been the subject of several films and hundreds of books.

Anne Baxter is best remembered for her Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning performance as Sophie MacDonald in The Razor's Edge. Her other notable projects were the film All About Eve and the series The Name of the Game. She also actively participated in Republican campaigns.

Christopher Hitchens was an advocate for New Atheism and a harsh critic of religion and of famous personalities such as Bill Clinton and Mother Teresa. He authored and edited many books on socio-political issues. As a journalist, he wrote for well-known publications such as New Statesman and The Weekly Standard.

Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian revolutionary and politician. He played an important role in the independence of the Gold Coast in 1957, after which he served as the first prime minister of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and then as the first president of Ghana from 1960 to 1966. He also played an influential role as an advocate of Pan-Africanism.

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist best remembered for creating an idea in psychology called Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow, who advocated self-actualization, is also credited with co-founding the school of transpersonal psychology. In 1967, he was adjudged Humanist of the Year by the popular non-profit organization, American Humanist Association.

John Maynard Keynes was an English economist. His ideas are credited with changing the theory and practice of the economic policies and macroeconomics of governments at a fundamental level. Counted among the 20th century's most influential economists, Keynes' ideas are the basis for Keynesian economics. In 1999, he was named in Time magazine's Most Important People of the Century list.

Alexander II of Russia was the Emperor of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland, and King of Poland from 1855 to 1881. He became known as Alexander the Liberator for his most significant reform, which was the Emancipation Reform of 1861. He is also credited with reorganizing the judicial system, abolishing corporal punishment, and imposing universal military service in Russia.

Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is remembered for his works related to logic, the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of mathematics, and the philosophy of language. He taught at the University of Cambridge for many years. He published only one book during his lifetime. Most of his manuscripts were collected later and published posthumously.

Antonín Dvořák was a Czech composer who achieved worldwide recognition for his works. His life and career inspired the 1980 historical biographical film Concert at the End of Summer, in which Dvořák was played by actor Josef Vinklář. Canadian children's author Ian Krykorka has based many of his works on some of Antonín Dvořák's operas.

Ted Knight was an American actor known for portraying comedic roles in TV series like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Too Close for Comfort. For his contributions to the TV industry, Knight was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 1985. After his death, his hometown of Terryville dedicated a bridge in his memory.

Terry Melcher was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Melcher played a key role in shaping the California Sound and folk rock movements of the 1960s. He is also credited with forming the popular rock music duo Bruce & Terry along with Bruce Johnston. Melcher is also known for his association with The Byrds and Charles Manson.

Glenne Headly is best remembered for her Emmy-nominated roles in the TV film Bastard Out of Carolina and the series Lonesome Dove. She also won a CFCA Award for the film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. She had also delivered award-winning stage performances. She died midway while filming for Future Man.

Emile Zola was a French novelist, journalist, and playwright. He played a key role in the development of theatrical naturalism and was a well-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism. He was also a political journalist and was influential in the political liberalization of France. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twice.

L. Frank Baum was an author remembered for writing children's books including The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which inspired the 1902 Broadway musical and the 1939 live-action film of the same name. His works anticipated the invention of gadgets like TV that would be invented later. In 2013, Baum was made an inductee of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.

Chang Bunker was a Siamese-American man and one-half of the popular conjoined twin brothers. Chang and his conjoined twin Eng were two of the most studied human beings during the 19th century. They toured the United States and Europe as part of their freak shows, gaining financial success and fame. They are credited with coining the colloquial term Siamese twins.

Rick Rescorla was a British American police officer, soldier, private security specialist, and educator. He is best remembered for saving thousands of lives by anticipating the 9/11 attacks and implementing evacuation procedures while serving as the director of security for the banking and financial services firm, Morgan Stanley, at the ill-fated WTC on September 11. Rescorla died during the attacks.

Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. A patron of Julius Caesar, he became involved in the unofficial political alliance known as the First Triumvirate. An excellent military commander and a wealthy man, he died at the battle of Carrhae.

Peter Paul Rubens is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. He lived during the Dutch Golden Age. His style of art emphasized movement, color, and sensuality. He painted altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings and also drew cartoons for the Flemish tapestry workshops. He was a classically educated humanist scholar as well.

Gilbert K. Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, and art critic. A prolific writer, he composed around 80 books, hundreds of poems, around 200 short stories, and 4,000 essays. Often referred to as the "prince of paradox", he had as many detractors as he had admirers. He is considered a successor to Victorian authors like Matthew Arnold and John Ruskin.

William Morris was a British poet, novelist, textile designer, translator, and socialist activist. He played a major role in reviving the traditional British textile arts and the various methods of production. As a novelist and poet, Morris helped establish the fantasy genre, which is prevalent today. He is counted among the most important cultural figures of the Victorian era.

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, the son of King George I of Greece, served as a major general in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. The Turkish forces recaptured Smyrna and Andrew was blamed for the loss of Greek territory. As a result, he was exiled from Greece and he lived in France where he died.

A dependable character actor of his time, Van Heflin won the Academy Award for his performance as Jeff Hartnett in Johnny Eager. While he initially studied law, he later took up a master’s degree in theater at Yale. Apart from films, he also made a name for himself in radio and theater.

Dieter Dengler was a German-born American aviator who served the US Navy during the Vietnam War. He was caught and tortured by the enemies for over six months, after which Dengler escaped from captivity, becoming only the second U.S. airman to escape captivity during the war. The experience was documented by Dieter Dengler in his book, Escape From Laos.

Tom Lister Jr. was an American actor whose career spanned four decades. Often cast to play negative roles, Tom Lister Jr. thrived playing bad guys and bullies in popular movies. Tom, who also dabbled in professional wrestling, passed away on December 10, 2020, leaving a vacuum in the film industry.