Famous People Who Died Today

The 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant held office from 1869 to 1877. He led the Union Army as Commanding General of the United States Army during the American Civil War and was a war hero. As president, he stabilized the post-war national economy and created the Department of Justice. Historians generally recognize his presidential accomplishments.

Montgomery Clift was an American actor whose decision not to sign a contract in Hollywood for the first couple of films went on to help establish the structure of the star-studio relationship from the 1950s to the '80s. One of the original American method actors, Clift was the subject of a documentary named Making Montgomery Clift, which released in 2018.

A dependable character actor of his time, Van Heflin won the Academy Award for his performance as Jeff Hartnett in Johnny Eager. While he initially studied law, he later took up a master’s degree in theater at Yale. Apart from films, he also made a name for himself in radio and theater.

Eddie Rickenbacker was an American fighter pilot who played an important role in World War I. With 26 aerial victories under his belt, Rickenbacker was the most decorated and most successful US flying ace of the First World War. A multi-talented personality, Eddie Rickenbacker was also an automotive designer and race car driver.

Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti was no stranger to music, being the son of famous composer Alessandro Scarlatti. From being the official composer for the queen of Poland, to teaching music to the princess of Spain and creating 555 keyboard sonatas, the legendary harpsichordist had an illustrious life.

The son of a civil engineer, Nobel Prize-winning Scottish chemist William Ramsay revolutionized science with his pathbreaking discovery of the noble gases, thus forming an entirely new segment of the periodic table. He is also remembered for his long association with UCL. He was knighted for his achievements.

Nuclear physicist and Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg is known for establishing the electroweak theory, along with Sheldon Lee Glashow and Abdus Salam. He was born to Jewish immigrants in New York and made it to Cornell and Princeton. He is an atheist and supports the Israeli cause.

One of the six patron saints of Europe, Bridget of Sweden is also the most celebrated saint of her native land. Married with eight children, she gave up worldly life after her husband’s death, establishing the Order of the Most Holy Savior (later the Bridgettines). With an ever smiling face, she bravely faced all problems, breathing her last in Rome.

Glenn Curtiss was an American motorcycling and aviation pioneer. He is credited with founding the U.S. aircraft industry. He is also credited with forming the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company which merged with the Wright Aeronautical to form Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1929. Glenn Curtiss’ company played a major role in the years leading up to the First World War.

William Tubman grew up sleeping on floor pallets because his father believed beds would hinder Tubman's character development. The former Liberian president had a long tenure of almost 3 decades. He introduced several modern reforms such as property rights for women and the participation of tribes in the government.

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa was an Italian writer best remembered as the last Prince of Lampedusa. Tomasi is quite popular for his novel The Leopard which was published posthumously in 1958. His life and career inspired a docufilm titled Die Geburt des Leoparden which was directed by Luigi Falorni and screened at the 14th Rome Film Festival.

Robin Warren is an Australian pathologist best known for re-discovering the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Along with Barry J. Marshall, Warren proved that Helicobacter pylori causes stomach ulcers. In 2005, he won the prestigious Nobel Prize in Medicine, which he shared with Marshall. Their Nobel Prize-winning work became the subject of a documentary titled The Winner's Guide to the Nobel Prize.

Ahmad Shamlu was an Iranian poet, journalist, and writer. Widely regarded as one of the most influential poets of modern Iran, Shamlou is often counted among the pioneers of modern Persian poetry. Along with Nima, Shamlu has had the greatest influence on Iranian poets of his generation. Ahmad Shamlu is a recipient of prestigious awards like the Stig Dagerman Prize.

Former Lebanese president and Marada Movement politician Suleiman Franjieh was largely blamed for the civil war in his country in the 1970s. Initially an import-export dealer, he was later elected to the Lebanese Parliament. He was named The Tough Man for his mercurial temper and ruthless demeanour.

Russian artist and architect Viktor Vasnetsov is best remembered for his work on the façade of Moscow’s State Tretyakov Gallery. He also remains one of the most significant figures of the Peredvizhniki movement, with paintings such as Moving House and A Game of Preference. He later depicted folk tales and legends.

Ahmad Qavam was a politician best remembered for serving as the Prime Minister of Iran on five occasions between 1921 and 1952. During one of his terms as the Prime Minister, Ahmad Qavam played a key role in the signing of the 1942 Tripartite Treaty between Britain, Russia, and Iran.

Italian composer Piero Piccioni began his career with the radio and his jazz band 013. He also composed using the American name Piero Morgan, and starting with the score for La Tempesta, he became a regular in Hollywood. He had composed more than 300 film soundtracks, ranging from horror to romance.

Orphaned as a toddler, Viktor Hartmann was raised by her aunt, who was the wife of architect Alexandre Hemilian. While he initially worked as an architect, he later focused on pencil sketching and water-color painting. He died of aneurysm at 39, following which most of his work was lost.

Boer leader Andries Pretorius was a chief force behind the creation of the South African Republic. He not only led the Great Trek from British-occupied Cape Colony but also defeated thousands of Zulus in the Battle of Blood. His negotiations with the British led to the Sand River Convention.

One of the most popular children’s authors from New Zealand, Margaret Mahy was a librarian for a decade. The Order of New Zealand winner has also won the Carnegie Medal twice. She was in her 60s when she got tattooed to help her write about a tattooed character in a book.