Famous People Who Died Today

Ray Liotta was an American actor who voiced the central character, Tommy Vercetti, in one of the most popular video games of all time, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Ray Liotta's incredible journey from being an abandoned child, who was adopted from an orphanage, to becoming a popular actor is a ray of hope for many people.

Alan Bean was an American aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, US naval officer, and painter. He was part of Astronaut Group 3 and was only the fourth person ever to walk on the Moon. Apart from being honored with prestigious awards, Alan Bean was also made an inductee of several Astronaut and Aviation Halls of Fame.

A multitalented racing driver and twice Formula One World Champion, Alberto Ascari began his racing career with motorcycles, eventually shifting to automobiles, making his debut at Mille Miglia. Later, he started participating in other events, winning a total of thirteen races, including 1951 German Grand Prix and 1953 Swiss Grand Prix before passing away at the age of 36 while testing a car.  

Part of the Mayo medical family of the U.S., Charles Horace Mayo had established the Mayo Clinic with his brother William James Mayo and others. He specialized in varied medical fields, mastering neurosurgery, goitre surgery, cataract operations, and other procedures. He later served the U.S. Army surgical team.

The 3rd and 7th vice-president of the Philippines, Fernando López had also chaired the Filipino media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. Though educated in law, he didn’t practice and stepped into politics instead, as the mayor of Iloilo. He also co-founded universities and co-owned several big companies.

Gunnar Björnstrand was a Swedish actor best remembered for his successful collaboration with the popular filmmaker and screenwriter, Ingmar Bergman. He starred in many of Bergman's films during the 1940s, 1950, and 1960s. In 1983, Gunnar Björnstrand was honored at the Guldbagge Awards with the prestigious Ingmar Bergman Award.    

Vardan Mamikonian was an Armenian military and spiritual leader. He is best remembered for his participation in the Battle of Avarayr, where he led the Armenian army. The battle was fought to secure Armenia's right to practice Christianity. Hence, Vardan Mamikonian is considered a saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He is also considered a national hero by Armenians.

Best known for his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, The Venerable Bede was an Anglo Saxon theologian and historian. An English Benedictine monk, he was taken to the monastery of St. Peter at age 7. He is now revered as the patron saint of English writers and historians.

Jack Vance initially dabbled in a variety of subjects, such as mining engineering, physics, and journalism. The Hugo- and Nebula-winning science-fiction and fantasy author, known for works such as The Man in the Cage, later went blind but wrote with the help of a software. He was also an amateur sailor.

Erik Maria Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn was an Austrian socio-political theorist and journalist, who described himself as a “liberal of the extreme right”. Credited with four novels and six socio-political works, apart from numerous articles and collaborations, he started writing for The Spectator magazine at the age of sixteen. Also a polyglot having encyclopedic knowledge, he could read twenty-five languages and speak in eight. 

The daughter of a pipe manufacturer, Emilie Louise Flöge initially worked as a seamstress but later found her calling in fashion designing. Also remembered as the companion of Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt, she featured in many of his paintings and was a major figure of the Fin de siècle movement.

Japanese actor-director So Yamamura first soared to international fame with the film The Barbarian and the Geisha. He had also impressed audiences with his roles in films such as Tora! Tora! Tora! and Gung Ho. He was also active in Japanese television and won honors such as the Order of the Rising Sun.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was an Indian religious leader. He is credited with founding the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which is an Islamic revival movement. A prolific author, Ghulam Ahmad wrote over 90 books on various theological, moral, and religious subjects. He continues to be revered as a subordinate prophet by Ahmadi Muslims, which is often debated by mainstream Muslims.

Ethiopian Olympic legend Degaga "Mamo" Wolde, an international distance running star, was a cross-country, road and track running athlete. He won gold medal in men’s marathon event and silver medal in 10000 m event at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. Wolde bagged his third Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 1972 Olympic marathon in Munich, West Germany.

John Jacob Abel was a biochemist and pharmacologist who established the pharmacology department at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. While at Hopkins, he made several important medical advancements. He made significant contributions in the field of hormone extraction and founded the Journal of Biological Chemistry. He was a recipient of the Conne Medal and the Kober Medal. 

Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay began working in his family’s salt-making business soon after finishing school, as his condition of acute pleurisy prevented him from studying any further. He is remembered for developing the ammonia-soda process that produces soda ash, which is crucial to the glass and soap industries.

Sebastian Münster was a German cosmographer, cartographer, and scholar. He is credited with writing the oldest German description of the world, the Cosmographia. One of the most popular and successful works of the 16th century, the Cosmographia had several editions in different languages such as English, Latin, Italian, and French.

Tamara Karsavina was a Russian ballet dancer who served as a principal artist at Sergei Diaghilev's popular company The Ballets Russes. Karsavina also taught ballet and is credited with co-founding modern British ballet. After settling in Britain, Tamara Karsavina popularized the dance form in Britain and helped establish The Royal Academy of Dance as well as The Royal Ballet.

Lionel Conacher was a Canadian politician and athlete. Counted among the 20th century's greatest Canadian athletes, Conacher won championships in several sports. He was part of the Toronto Argonauts that won the Grey Cup in 1921. In 1926, he won the International League championship as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Conacher also won the Stanley Cup and Memorial Cup.