Famous People Who Died At 79

Plato was one of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers, who contributed greatly to the fields of mathematics, metaphysics, politics, art, and poetry. Along with his famous student Aristotle and equally famous teacher Socrates, Plato is considered one of the founders of spirituality and Western religion. Platonism remains one of his important contributions.

Considered an incandescent beauty, Elizabeth Taylor was a very popular and successful actor and her legacy is an everlasting one. She shone in movies like A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Butterfield 8 in the 1950s and 60s. Recipient of two Oscars, she married eight times.

Six-time Emmy Award-winner Johnny Carson was known for hosting NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. After serving in World War II, Carson started hosting radio shows and then graduated to TV. He also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is said to have inspired David Letterman.

Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer. Referred to as the Queen of Jazz, First Lady of Song, and Lady Ella, Fitzgerald was renowned for her impeccable diction, purity of tone, timing, and intonation. The winner of Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts, Fitzgerald's legacy lives on several years after her death.

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher whose works in fields like aesthetics and metaphysics have made him an important and influential personality in Western philosophy. His views continue to influence contemporary philosophy. Kant has had a major influence on prominent philosophers like Hegel, Schelling, Reinhold, and Fichte. Kant's work on mathematics is cited by Albert Einstein as an early influence.

H. G. Wells was an English writer. Although he was prolific in many genres, he is best remembered for his work on sci-fi novels, for which he is often referred to as the father of science fiction. His 1901 novel The First Men in the Moon became so influential that a lunar impact crater is named after him.

Yip Man was a Chinese martial artist best remembered for teaching martial arts to the famous Chinese American martial artist, Bruce Lee. Yip Man is credited with teaching not only Bruce Lee but also many other students who went on to become martial arts masters. A biographical martial arts film titled Ip Man was inspired by his life and career.

Charles de Gaulle was a French statesman and army officer. Charles de Gaulle fought against Nazi Germany in the Second World War by leading the Free French Forces. He also worked towards re-establishing democracy in France. He founded the Fifth Republic, France's current republican system, and rewrote the Constitution of France. He then served as the president of France.

English-American actor and comedian, Richard Dawson, is best known for playing Corporal Peter Newkirk in the TV series Hogan's Heroes. He grew up during World War II and had a difficult childhood. As a young man, he began his career as a stand-up comedian and started getting acting roles as well. He also gained fame as a game show host.

Walter Matthau was an American actor who won major acting awards, such as an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Tony Awards. He is best remembered for his acting partnership with Jack Lemmon in films like The Odd Couple and Grumpy Old Men. His death was mourned by the entire film industry, with Lemmon paying tribute on Larry King Live.

Danny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian, actor, singer, and producer. He is credited with creating one of the most successful sitcoms in the history of American TV, Danny Thomas Show. Also a well-known philanthropist, Danny Thomas founded the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, such as leukemia and other cancers.

Martin Van Buren was an American statesman credited with co-founding the Democratic Party, one of the world's oldest and contemporary political parties. He served as the eighth president of the US and later became a prominent anti-slavery abolitionist leader. He also played a key role in forming the two-party system in the US.

English-born American television presenter, actor, politician, and musician Jerry Springer is a multifaceted man. A qualified lawyer, he shifted to politics from law as a young man. After a few years, he moved to journalism and found considerable success. As a TV presenter, he is best known for the tabloid talk show, The Jerry Springer Show. 

The last Viceroy of India and the first governor-general of independent India, Lord Mountbatten was a British Royal Navy officer and statesman. Born to a prominent aristocratic family in England, he had a successful military career and was made the NATO Commander Allied Forces Mediterranean in his later career. He was assassinated in 1979.

Peter Fonda, son of Henry Fonda and brother of Jane Fonda, was an icon of the anti-establishment 1960s’ counterculture. He is best known for his Academy Award-nominated screenplay of Easy Rider and his Golden Globe-winning performances in the TV film The Passion of Ayn Rand and the film Ulee's Gold.

Scalia played an important role as an associate justice of the US Supreme Court for 30 years. Not only was he regarded as one of the most important justices in the history of the court, but he was also considered one of the most influential jurists of the 20th century. He was posthumously honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Edward G. Robinson was an American actor who achieved popularity during the Hollywood's Golden Age. The quintessential tough guy of classical Hollywood cinema, Robinson has been featured in AFI's 25 greatest male stars of Hollywood list. Edward G. Robinson was posthumously awarded an Academy Honorary Award for his contribution to the film industry.

René Auberjonois is best remembered as Odo from the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also delivered a Tony-winning performance in the play Coco. He had voiced many video-game characters, such as Karl Schafer in the Uncharted video games. He had also narrated many books, including several Pendergast novels

Paulette Goddard was an American actress best known for playing the female lead in Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times. Goddard, who started her career as a child fashion model, went on to establish herself as a major star in the 1940s. Over the years, she has been depicted in many films by actresses like Diane Lane and Natalie Wilder.

John Ford was an American naval officer and film director. The recipient of five Oscars, Ford is renowned for directing films like The Searchers and Stagecoach. He also holds the record for winning the most number of Academy Awards (four) under the Best Director category.John Ford is widely considered one of the most influential and important filmmakers of his generation.

Johnny Weissmuller was an American swimmer and actor. Although Weissmuller won five Olympic gold medals and set several world records during his illustrious swimming career, he is best remembered for his portrayal of the title role in the 1932 action-adventure film Tarzan the Ape Man. In 1965, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

The inventor of the saxophone, Belgian musician Adolphe Sax, was born to instrument-maker parents who had themselves re-designed the French horn. As a child, he was known as "the ghost" for his frequent brushes with death. He made many other instruments, which were included in the French army bands.

Edward Woodward was an English singer and actor. After starting his career as a stage actor, Woodward achieved popularity in 1967 when he started playing the title role in the popular television series Callan, for which he won the British Academy Television Award in 1970. In 1986, he won the Golden Globe Award for his performance in the movie The Equalizer.

John Marshall was an American lawyer and politician. From 1801 to 1835, Marshall worked as the fourth Chief Justice of the US. He remains the longest-serving chief justice in Supreme Court history and is considered one of the most influential Supreme Court justices of all time. In 2005, a commemorative dollar was minted in his honor.

Occultist and herbalist Marie Laveau was known as the Vodoo Queen of New Orleans. Though a hairdresser, she was chiefly known for her spiritual practices which she used to heal the sick and the poor. She has inspired several books, such as Robert Tallant's The Voodoo Queen.

James Stacy was an American actor remembered for his portrayal of Johnny Madrid Lancer in the CBS Western series, Lancer. In 1973, he lost his left arm and leg when his motorcycle was hit by a drunk driver. He made a comeback in 1975, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for playing a double-amputee veteran in the movie Just a Little Inconvenience.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for two non-consecutive terms, Harold Wilson was a British Labour politician. Historians commend him for leading his party through difficult political issues with considerable skill. With a moderate approach to socialism, he was a popular politician during his first tenure as the prime minister; his second tenure wasn’t as successful.

Welsh-American actor-director Ray Milland is best remembered for his Oscar-winning role of Don Birnam in The Lost Weekend. Fans also loved him in films such as Dial M for Murder and The Jungle Princess. He was previously part of the British Army’s Household Cavalry, as a marksman, pilot, and horseman.

The first to discover the entire process of human blood circulation, physician William Harvey was a Royal College of Physicians fellow. He also served as the personal physician of James I. He later worked at the Bartholomew’s Hospital but was replaced for being a staunch monarchist.

Jaime Escalante  was a Bolivian-American educator. He is best remembered for teaching calculus to students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles from 1974 to 1991. He had an illustrious career and was a much-respected figure in teaching.  The film Stand and Deliver is based on his life. He received Presidential Medal for Excellence in Education in 1988.