Famous People Who Died Today

Antoine Lavoisier was a French chemist and nobleman. He played a crucial role during the chemical revolution of the 18th-century. Widely regarded as the father of modern chemistry, Lavoisier had a major influence on the history of biology as well as the history of chemistry. He also helped build the metric system. 

Robert A. Heinlein was an American author, naval officer, and aeronautical engineer. Heinlein is credited with pioneering a literary subgenre called hard science fiction as he was among the first to stress the importance of scientific accuracy in fiction. Robert A. Heinlein is one of the most influential science-fiction writers of all time.

Russian philosopher Helena Blavatsky, or Madame Blavatsky, was one of the co-founders of the Theosophical Society. She popularized the slogan “There is no religion higher than truth.” She was inspired by the Arya Samaj and later converted to Buddhism. She also wrote books such as The Secret Doctrine.

Gustave Flaubert was a French novelist best remembered for his first novel Madame Bovary, which was later adapted into an opera. One of the most influential French novelists of all time, Flaubert is widely regarded as the main exponent of literary realism in France. His work inspired his protégé and short story writer Guy de Maupassant, who later achieved much acclaim.

A country music legend, Eddy Arnold had 28 number one singles in his kitty. His father’s death forced him to quit school and work on his family farm at age 11. A Grand Ole Opry member, he soared to fame with tracks such as Make the World Go Away.

Robert Morris was an English-born merchant best remembered as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was also one of the signers of the United States Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, and the Declaration of Independence. From 1789 to 1795, Robert Morris served as the United States Senator from Pennsylvania.

Lionel Rose was an Australian boxer who became the first Aboriginal Australian to win a world title when he defeated Harada for the world bantamweight title in 1968. This win made him a national hero and an icon among Indigenous Australians. In 1968, he also became the first Aboriginal Australian to be adjudged Australian of the Year.

Celebrated American zoologist Jim Fowler is best remembered for co-hosting Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins. He also appeared multiple times on The Tonight Show and Late Night. A talented baseball player in college, he rejected pro baseball offers to follow a career as a naturalist.

German historian Oswald Spengler is best remembered for his iconic The Decline of the West, which had a huge influence on social theory. He believed that culture cannot be transferred and that it can only decline and decay like an organism. He lived his final years in isolation in Munich.

Eadweard Muybridge was an English photographer best remembered for his contribution to photographic studies of motion. Muybridge achieved international prominence when he exhibited photographs of Yosemite Valley in 1868. He is said to have inspired several artists and inventors like Sol LeWitt, Thomas Eakins, William Dickson, and Francis Bacon.

Mary Tsoni was a Greek singer and actress best remembered for playing important roles in films like Evil, Evil: In the Time of Heroes, and Dogtooth. She was honored at the Sarajevo Film Festival with the Best Actress award for her performance in Dogtooth. A month before her 30th birthday, Mary Tsoni was found dead due to pulmonary edema.

American theatrical and industrial designer, Norman Bel Geddes helped popularize “streamlining” as a distinct modern style. He influenced the design of major furniture, railroads, automobiles, and hotels. His revolutionary vision led to a collaboration with Max Reinhardt in the theatrical production of The Miracle. Among his most notable designs was Futurama exhibit at the New York World's Fair of 1939.

Rudolf Serkin was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American pianist who won a number of prestigious awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 and National Medal of Arts in 1988. Rudolf Serkin is considered one of the 20th century's greatest Beethoven interpreters.

Jules Dumont d'Urville was a French naval officer and explorer best remembered for exploring the western and south Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, and Antarctica. Jules Dumont d'Urville was also a cartographer and botanist; he is credited with naming several plants, seaweeds, and shrubs.

Ellen Churchill Semple was an American geographer best remembered for her association with the Association of American Geographers, where she served as the first female president. Semple made immense contributions to the development of geography as discipline in the US, especially studies of human geography. In 1914, Semple was honored by the American Geographical Society with the Cullum Geographic Medal.

Mordecai Anielewicz was a Polish political activist who was the leader of the Jewish Fighting Organization. He was a key player in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the largest Jewish insurrection during World War II. He was killed when the Germans found out his hideout and gassed the bunker. His image represents Jewish resistance during the Holocaust to this day.