Famous People Who Died Today

An actor turned union leader turned politician, Ronald Wilson Reagan served as the 40th president of America. Hailed for his public speaking and communication skills, Reagan is one of the most popular Presidents of USA, mainly due to his ‘America First’ economic policies which led to a decrease in inflation and unemployment rates during his tenure.

Kate Spade was an American entrepreneur and fashion designer. Spade is credited with founding Kate Spade New York, a popular luxury fashion design house, which competes with the likes of Michael Kors. Kate Spade is also credited with creating stylish and affordable handbags that caused quite a revolution in the fashion world.

Douglas Glenn Colvin, or Dee Dee Ramone, was a co-founder, bassist, and singer of the punk rock band The Ramones. He had also written some of the band’s hits such as Wart Hog and Rockaway Beach. He had a lifelong struggle with heroin addiction and died of a drug overdose.

Kurt Thomas was a gymnast who became the first American male gymnast to win a gold medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 1978. He won six medals at the world championship in 1979 and was also the James E. Sullivan Award winner that year. He appeared in the 1985 film Gymkata. 

Astrud Gilberto is a Brazilian singer best known as an exponent of bossa nova and samba. She achieved international recognition in the 1960s after the release of her song The Girl from Ipanema. In 1992, she was honored with the Latin Jazz USA Award. In 2002, Astrud Gilberto was made an inductee of the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and conductor. A significant musical figure in the Romantic era, he played a key role in the development of the German Romantische Oper (German Romantic opera). He also made significant contributions to vocal and choral music. He was a music critic as well and wrote music journalism. 

Cheick Tioté was an Ivorian football player who represented his national football team at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. He also helped his team win the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Cheick Tioté died at the age of 30 when he succumbed to cardiac arrest during a training session in 2017.

Nigerian charismatic pastor, televangelist, and philanthropist T. B. Joshua is the founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN). He is extremely popular across Africa and Latin America, and his YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV, has over a million subscribers. He is considered one of the most influential people from Africa and is the recipient of several awards. 

Legendary German aircraft designer Kurt Tank established the design and testing department at the Rohrbach aircraft factory. Apart from developing the German fighter aircrafts Fw 190 and Fw 200 Condor, he also developed warplanes for other countries, the most notable being the Marut for India’s Hindustan Aeronautics.

Eleanor Farjeon was an English author who wrote children's stories, poetry, biography, and satire. During her illustrious career, Farjeon received several prestigious literary awards. The Eleanor Farjeon Award is presented every year by the Children's Book Circle to honor Eleanor Farjeon's life and career.

Houshang Golshiri was an Iranian writer, editor, and critic. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most important writers of Persian prose, Golshiri was also one of the earliest writers from Iran to use modern literary techniques. Some of Houshang Golshiri's works like Prince Ehtejab and First Innocent have been adapted into films.   

Saint Boniface was an Anglo-Saxon missionary who played an important role in converting the Germanic pagans to Christianity. Considered a unifier of Europe, Boniface is widely regarded as a national figure by German Catholics. Today, Saint Boniface is recognized as the Patron Saint of Devon.

Henri Gaudier-Brzeska was a French sculptor and artist who developed a primitive style of carving that leaves the tool marks on the final work. His unconventional style was viewed as the exact opposite of the highly polished style of ancient Greece. His life and career inspired the book, Savage Messiah, which was adapted into a movie of the same name.

Lamoral, Count of Egmont was a statesman and general in the Spanish Netherlands. His actions helped ignite the national uprising that led to the independence of Holland. He also served as an important member of Philip the Prudent's Council of State for Artois and Flanders.

Heinz Erhardt was a German actor, comedian, entertainer, musician, and poet. After starting his career as a cabaret artist, Erhardt went on to establish himself as a musician and comedian. During his film career, Heinz Erhardt played prominent roles in comedy movies like Of Course, the Motorists, Three Men in a Boat, and Father, Mother and Nine Children.

Israeli Marxist politician Meir Vilner was the youngest of the signatories of Israel's declaration of independence. Known for his rejection of Zionism, he was a champion for Palestinian rights and also supported his nation’s nuclear weapons strategy. He broke away from Maki party to form Rakah and eventually joined Hadash.