Famous People Who Died Today

Arguably the best Canadian actor of all time, Christopher Plummer is the only Canadian and one of the few actors to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting (winning Emmy, Tony, and Academy Award). He won the Academy Award at the age of 82, becoming the oldest person to do so. Not surprisingly, he is the most respected actor in Canada.

The quintessential American action hero of the 1950s, Kirk Douglas remained one of the most bankable stars of Hollywood throughout the decade. Regarded as one of the greatest actors of classic Hollywood cinema, Kirk Douglas was a man of many talents. Also known as a writer and philanthropist, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981.

Thelma Ritter was an American actress best remembered for her comedic roles and strong New York accent. Ritter received six nominations for the prestigious Academy Award, three nominations for the Golden Globe Award, and one Emmy Award nomination. Ritter also won a Tony Award under the Best Actress in a Musical category for her role in New Girl in Town.  

Remembered for the legendary poems Waltzing Matilda and The Man from Snowy River, Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson was an Australian bush poet who depicted rural life through his works. Initially a law clerk and a journalist, he later adopted the pseudonym Banjo, which was his favorite horse’s name.

El Santo was a Mexican professional wrestler and actor. Widely regarded as a folk hero, El Santo is an iconic luchador (masked wrestler) and is often counted among the greatest in Mexican sports history. During his illustrious wrestling career, he became a symbol of justice through his appearances in comic books and lucha films.   

Apart from serving as the US ambassador to France and as a Democratic political activist, Pamela Harriman had also been in the news for her three marriages, all to high-profile men, namely, Randolph Churchill, Leland Hayward, and W. Averell Harriman. She also had countless affairs with rich and influential men.

Violette Szabo was a British-French spy who worked as a Special Operations Executive agent during World War II. During her second mission in occupied France, Violette Szabo was captured by the Germans. She was tortured, interrogated, and deported to Ravensbrück, where she was executed on 5 February 1945 at the age of 23.

While he initially studied math and engineering, Emeric Pressburger later quit studies due to his father’s sudden death. He worked as a journalist and screenwriter in Berlin but had to flee to England after being chased by the Nazis. He later collaborated with Michael Powell to produce films such as Black Narcissus.

Society Architect Addison Mizner is remembered for designing resorts and Palm Beach mansions for the rich. He developed much of Boca Raton and also designed structures such as the Everglades Club and John F. Kennedy's Winter White House. His designs remain archived at the Society of the Four Arts Library.

Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is best remembered for pioneering the concept of Transcendental Meditation. A disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, he started the TM-Sidhi program, founded the Natural Law Party, and launched the non-profit Global Country of World Peace. He also set up TM teaching centers worldwide.

William Morris Davis was an American geologist, geographer, meteorologist, and geomorphologist. Often referred to as the father of American geography, Davis is credited with founding the Association of American Geographers. He is also remembered for his association with the Geological Society of America, where he served as the president. In 1919, he was awarded the Royal Geographical Society's Gold Medal.

A pioneer of modern anthropology and a renowned ethnographer, 16th-century Spanish priest and missionary Bernardino de Sahagún remains one of the greatest resources of the history of ancient Mexico. Best remembered for compiling Historia General and its manuscript the Florentine Codex, he developed the Aztec language Nahuatl.

Iuliu Maniu held office as 32nd Prime Minister of Romania. He served as President of Romanian National Party and thereafter co-founded National Peasants' Party and served as its President for around five years. He was later arrested as a result of the Tămădău affair, convicted of treason and sentenced to life-imprisonment at hard-labour. He died in prison after six years.

Pedro Arrupe, who was the superior general of the Society of Jesus, had dropped out of medical school to care for the poor. He was part of one of the first rescue teams at Hiroshima after the tragic atomic bomb destruction. He later resigned due to paralysis caused by a stroke.