Famous People Who Died Today

Actor-singer and teen idol David Cassidy soared to fame with his iconic role of Keith Partridge in the long-running musical sitcom The Partridge Family. Known for hits such as Cherish and Daydreamer, he was often mobbed by girls in his youth. He spent his later life struggling with alcoholism and dementia.

Abdus Salam was a Pakistani theoretical physicist who became the first Pakistani to be honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was also the second person from an Islamic country to receive any Nobel Prize. He won the award in 1979 for his work concerning the electroweak unification theory. Salam played a major role in popularizing physics in Pakistan.

Once accused of being anti-Christian, Australian artist and Art Nouveau veteran Norman Lindsay is remembered for his controversial cartoons and drawings, mostly erotic or politically charged. Some of his works were once burned for being pornographic. He also experimented with sculpture and was an amateur boxer, too.

Charles Francis Adams Sr. was an American writer, historical editor, diplomat, and politician. He played a key role during the American Civil War, serving as the US Minister to the UK under Abraham Lincoln; he used his diplomacy to not recognize the Confederacy and keep the British government neutral. He is credited with building Adams National Historical Park.

Winner of four Olympic golds, three of which came from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Czech long-distance runner Emil Zatopek came to be known as the Czech Locomotive and The Bouncing Czech for his speed. He lost his Communist Party membership for criticizing the 1968 Soviet takeover of Czechoslovakia.

Peder Severin Krøyer was a Danish painter best remembered for painting beach scenes featuring local fishermen as well as recreation life on the beach. Some of his paintings are preserved at the Skagens Museum in Denmark.

Leopold Godowsky was a renowned Polish-born American pianist, composer and teacher counted among the most highly regarded performers of his day. Notable works of the virtuoso, who was reputed for his remarkable piano technique, includes his compositions like Java Suite, Walzermasken, Passacaglia and Triakontameron; and 53 Studies on Chopin's Études, a set of 53 arrangements of Études by Frédéric Chopin.  

Jacques de Vaucanson was a French artist and inventor. He is credited with creating impressive and innovative automata. De Vaucanson was also the first inventor to design an automatic loom. His ideas for the automation of the weaving process were later perfected by Joseph Marie Jacquard, who created the Jacquard machine.    

Maurice-Georges Paléologue was a French diplomat and historian. He was also an essayist of great caliber. He played a pivotal role in the French entry into the First World War. At that time, he was the French ambassador to Russia and was in support of the Russian mobilization against Germany. He was also a published author of novels and essays. 

Swedish sprinter Linda Haglund made her international debut at age 15 and never looked back. She competed in the Olympics thrice, finishing fourth in the 100m event in Moscow. Part of the Legends of 1956, she became a painter, designer, and author after retirement. She died of cancer at 59.

The son of a former London mayor, British merchant and financier Thomas Gresham was initially trained as a lawyer. He advised Queen Elizabeth I to reform Britain’s monetary policies, giving rise to the Gresham’s law. He also established the Royal Exchange, initially known as the Bourse, in London.