Famous People Who Died Today

Singer-songwriter, dancer, and musician, Prince is is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was considered a guitar virtuoso and could also play several other instruments. With worldwide sales of over 150 million records, he is ranked among the best-selling music artists of all time. He was also well known for his flamboyant persona.

Mark Twain, “the father of American literature,” was one of the world’s greatest 19-th century humorists and authors. His novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were drawn from his childhood experiences in Missouri. In his later life, he sunk into bankruptcy and also recovered.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Nina Simone was a pioneering recording artist whose career was characterized by improvisational genius and fits of outrage. Nina continues to be an important musician and has influenced several artists like Elton John, Adele, David Bowie, Madonna, and Aretha Franklin. She was also a civil rights activist.

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.

A child prodigy who was never formally educated, Shakuntala Devi became a mathematical genius earning the title of Human Computer for her exceptional calculating abilities. The Indian genius was also an astrologer and a gifted writer who authored books on maths, astrology, homosexuality in India and a crime thriller novel.

Pope Francis is the sovereign of the Vatican City and head of the Catholic Church. He is the first Jesuit pope and first non-European pope since Pope Gregory III. Often praised for having a comparatively less formal approach, Pope Francis is popular for his humility, international visibility, and concern for the poor.

Muhammad Iqbal was a Scholar, poet, and politician. Born in British India (present-day Pakistan), Iqbal's poetry in Persian and Urdu languages is regarded as one of the greatest of the modern era. Also an influential politician, Muhammad Iqbal's vision of an independent Muslim state helped inspire the creation of Pakistan where he is recognized as the national poet.

English singer-songwriter Sandy Denny, considered a leading British folk-rock singer, performed as lead-singer of the famous folk-rock band Fairport Convention, and fronted it through many of its successful albums like What We Did on Our Holidays. Other notable works of Denny includes her solo-albums like Rendezvous; and her folk-duet The Battle of Evermore with Robert Plant for Led Zeppelin's album.

Diosdado Macapagal was a Filipino politician who served as the president of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965. Prior to his presidency, Macapagal served as the sixth vice-president from 1957 to 1961. Diosdado Macapagal is credited with inspiring his daughter Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who later became the president of the Philippines.

François Duvalier was a Haitian politician. From 1957 to 1971, he served as the president of Haiti. Over the course of his political career, Duvalier's regime became despotic and totalitarian. In 1964, Duvalier declared himself President for Life and remained in power until his death. Since his demise, several books have been written about his rule in Haiti. 

Prince Eugene of Savoy was a field marshal who served in the army of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty and of the Holy Roman Empire. One of the most influential military commanders of his generation, Prince Eugene served three Holy Roman emperors in a career spanning 60 years. Consequently, he played important roles in many battles, including the Battle of Turin.

Owing to his quality classical education, Anselm of Canterbury became one of the finest Latinists of his time. As Archbishop of Canterbury, he resisted the English kings and was exiled. He is now remembered as a significant figure in the Investiture Controversy, which pitted the king against the pope.

Russian-French designer and artist Romain de Tirtoff, better known as Erté, not just designed clothes but also created sets, costumes, and posters for opera and ballet performances. He had worked for Harper’s Bazaar and the Folies-Bergère, and had also penned quite a few books on design and illustration.

Vivian Maier was an American street photographer whose works received critical acclaim after her death. Maier's photographs were unpublished during her lifetime. However, her works went viral on the internet when it was published on Flickr five months after her death. Vivian Maier's life and work have inspired documentary films like Finding Vivian Maier.

True-crime writer, Michelle McNamara, is remembered for coining the name "Golden State Killer" for the serial killer later identified as Joseph James DeAngelo. Sadly, the author died before his identification and arrest. Fascinated by true crime from a young age, she launched her website TrueCrimeDiary in 2006 and dedicated her life to researching and writing about true crime.

Walter Slezak was an Austrian-born actor with an illustrious career spanning over half a century. He often played clever, talkative, and philosophical characters. The son of a famous opera tenor, he was fascinated by the show business and began acting in the 1920s. He was famous as both a stage performer and a film actor. 

Sohrab Sepehri was an Iranian poet and painter. He is counted amongst the five most famous Iranian poets who have practiced modern poetry. His poems have been translated into several languages, including English, Italian, French, Spanish, and Lithuanian. He is also considered one of Iran's foremost modernist painters and is known for developing a new technique called texture. 

Joaquim José da Silva Xavier was a revolutionary who played a major role in a colonial Brazilian revolutionary movement called Inconfidência Mineira, which called for a creation of a Brazilian republic and full independence from the Portuguese Empire. Joaquim José da Silva Xavier was arrested and publicly hanged. Today, he is regarded as a national hero in Brazil.

Known as Two Ton Tessie for her plus-size built, Tessie O'Shea was a Welsh entertainer who had begun performing at age 6. Known for her signature hats and striped stockings, she later soared to fame singing bawdy tracks. She also won a Tony Award for The Girl Who Came to Supper.

Considered a pioneer in radio physics, Nobel laureate Sir Edward Victor is remembered as much for his pioneering work on physics of the upper atmosphere as for his discovery of the Appleton layer. His investigations, which proved the existence of ionosphere and established its characteristics, helped not only to develop an unfailing long-range radio communication, but also the much-needed radars.

Laisenia Qarase was a Fijian politician who served as the Fijian prime minister from 2000 to 2006. He was overthrown from power as a result of a military coup in 2006. Subsequently, the military-backed regime pressed corruption charges against Qarase and he was imprisoned in 2012 amidst rumors that the charges were politically motivated.

One of the best-known Finnish post-war authors, Väinö Linna soared to fame with his iconic third novel, Tuntematon sotilas, or The Unknown Soldier. Equipped with little education, he initially worked as a lumberjack and a farm help, and also fought in the army, before stepping into his literary career.

Former Stanford University president and renowned neurobiologist Donald Kennedy had also been the chief editor of Science and the FDA commissioner. He is best remembered for his research on motor activity and the central nervous system, and his memoir, A Place in the Sun. He died of COVID-19 at age 88.

Italian traveler Pietro della Valle, known for his voyages to India and Persia, was also a talented musicologist and composer. In Baghdad, he married a Syrian Christian woman, who died in Persia. He later also touched Surat and Calicut in India. His three-volume treatise on his travels focuses on Turkey, Persia, and India.

In spite of growing up as a poor orphan, who aspired to be a priest, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada ended up completing a law degree and became a professor. He later stepped into politics and, as a Liberal leader, led Mexico as its 31st president.

Tancredo Neves was a Brazilian politician, entrepreneur, and lawyer. In 1985, he was elected as the President of Brazil; however, Neves died on 21 April 1985 before taking office. An important politician, Tancredo Neves served as the Prime Minister of Brazil from 1961 to 1962. He also served as the Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs from 1953 to 1954.