Famous People Who Died Today

Stan Lee was one of the most popular comic book writers, thanks to his appearances in several Marvel movies. He is well-known as the co-creator of many famous superheroes, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. He pioneered a naturalistic method to writing superhero comics and challenged the Comics Code Authority, which ultimately led to changes in its policies.

William Holden is best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in Stalag 17 and his Emmy-winning role in the TV film The Blue Knight. He also appeared in the films Sunset Boulevard and The Bridge on the River Kwai, and on Lux Radio Theatre. He was also a wildlife conservationist.

Sprinter Wilma Rudolph made history by becoming the first American female athlete to win three track and field gold medals in a single Olympic game. As a child, she needed orthopedic shoes to help her walk. The sports icon lost her life to cancer but was immortalized through books and movies.

Liu Shaoqi was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and theorist. He served as the vice-chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from 1956 to 1966. From 1959 to 1968, he served as the Chairman of the People's Republic of China, implementing several policies of economic reconstruction in the country. For 15 long years, Liu was the third most influential man in China.

Canadian thoracic surgeon Norman Bethune served as an army physician for the Canadian Army during World War I. He revolutionized medical science by introducing the concept of mobile blood-transfusion. A Communist Party of Canada member, he later served the Chinese army against Japan, becoming a revered name in China.

Born into the famous Brahmin Lowell family of Massachusetts, Percival Lowell studied at Harvard, where he excelled in math. He managed a cotton mill and also spent time in Asia as a diplomat. He is best remembered for initiating the discovery of Pluto and for studying the canals on Mars.

Didacus of Alcalá was a Franciscan lay brother best remembered for his missionary work in the Canary Islands. Many miracles have been attributed to him and he is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Didacus of Alcalá is the patron of the Diocese of San Diego.

Madan Mohan Malaviya was an Indian educational reformer and politician. He is best remembered for playing an important role in India's freedom struggle. He served as the president of the Indian National Congress on three occasions and founded a political party named Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha. He also co-founded Central Hindu College and worked towards promoting modern education in India.

Polish composer Henryk Górecki of contemporary classical music emerged as a prominent figure of the Polish avant-garde during the post-Stalin cultural thaw. His recording of Symphony no.3 with American soprano Dawn Upshaw and American conductor David Zinman became both a critical and commercial success selling over a million copies and raising Górecki’s international popularity to new heights.

Born into a poor peasant family, Marcus Daly was 14 when he arrived in New York as an Irish refugee. He started his career unloading ships and then worked as a ranch boy and a railroad worker, eventually taking over the copper mining industry and emerging as a Copper King of Montana.

Best known for her historical novel The Scarlet Pimpernel, Hungarian-British novelist Emma Orczy was the only child of noted composer Baron Felix Orczy. While she initially studied art, she later took to writing. Apart from the Pimpernel sequels, she also penned several collections of detective stories, such as Lady Molly of Scotland Yard.

Juan Negrín was a Spanish physician and politician. He is best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Spain from 17 May 1937 to 31 March 1939. An important political leader, Juan Negrín also served as the Minister of the Treasury and as the Minister of National Defence from 5 April 1938 to 31 March 1939.

Fernand Khnopff was a Belgian painter whose works gained him recognition and helped achieve a cult status during his lifetime. He was honored with the prestigious Order of Leopold for his immense contribution to Symbolism.

Alfréd Hajós was a Hungarian football player, swimmer, and architect. He is best remembered for winning two gold medals in swimming at the 1896 Olympic Games, becoming the first modern Olympic swimming champion. He was also Hungary's first Olympic champion. Alfréd Hajós was made an inductee of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.

Scottish engineer Dugald Clerk is best known for his invention of the two-stroke engine, used widely in motorcycles and other machines. He also headed engineering research of the British Admiralty as its director and was knighted, too. He also co-established the intellectual property service provider Marks & Clerk.

Manuel Oribe was a Uruguayan politician who served as the second Constitutional President of the country from 1 March 1835 to 24 October 1838. He is credited with founding the famous National Party, the oldest political party in the country.