Famous People Who Died Today

Phil Hartman was a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He is credited with helping Paul Reubens develop his famous character, Pee-wee Herman, as part of his contribution to the popular comedy group The Groundlings. After he was murdered in 1998, Hartman was honored with several awards. In 2015, Rolling Stone named him one of the greatest Saturday Night Live cast members.

Noah Webster was an American textbook pioneer, lexicographer, political writer, English-language spelling reformer, author, and editor. Dubbed the Father of American Scholarship and Education, Webster's books have been credited with teaching the art of spelling and reading to five generations of American children. Thanks to his work as a spelling reformer, his name became synonymous with dictionary in the US.

Alfred Adler was an Austrian psychotherapist and medical doctor. He is credited with founding the school of individual psychology. He was also one of the founders of the psychoanalytic movement along with Sigmund Freud and Freud's colleagues. In 2002, a survey conducted by Review of General Psychology named Adler among the 20th century's most eminent psychologists.

German violinist and composer Leopold Mozart is best remembered as the father and music teacher of legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, Leopold was often blamed for exploiting his son’s musical talent by pushing him to perform as a child. He also had a troubled relationship with his adult son.

Italian-Spanish composer and cellist Luigi Boccherini of Classical era is noted for his influence in developing string quartet as a musical genre. Two of his best-known works include String Quintet in E major, Op. 11, No. 5 (G 275) that became famous for its minuet third movement; and Cello Concerto, No. 9 in B-flat Major, G. 482.

Ilya Prigogine was a physical chemist remembered for his work on irreversibility, complex systems, and dissipative structures. A respected member of several scientific organizations, Prigogine was honored with the Francqui Prize in 1955. In 1976, he won the Rumford Medal for his work concerning irreversible thermodynamics. His work on irreversible thermodynamics earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1977.

Stefan Wyszyński was a Polish prelate best remembered for his service as the bishop of Lublin between 1946 and 1948. He also served as the archbishop of Gniezno and archbishop of Warsaw from 1948 to 1981. Stefan Wyszyński is credited with saving Christianity in Poland during the Communist regime, which witnessed the repression of Christianity. 

His mastery of Scottish politics earned Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville the nickname King Harry the Ninth. Apart from serving as the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Secretary of State for War, he also played a significant role in the British expansion in India. He was also a successful lawyer initially.

Ruby Bradley was a US Army Nurse Corps officer and one of the most celebrated women in the history of US military. She was a prisoner of war in Japan during the Second World War, for which she was honored with the Prisoner of War Medal. Ruby Bradley was also awarded many other medals, including the American Campaign Medal.

Julius Boros was an American professional golfer. He was known for his effortless-looking swing on difficult golf courses. He worked as an accountant before turning into a professional golfer. In his entire career, he won 18 PGA Tour events, including the 1963 US Open and the 1968 PGA Championship. His son, Guy Boros, is also a professional golfer. 

Dick Quax was a Dutch-born New Zealand athlete best remembered for winning the silver medal in the 5000 metres event at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Dick Quax had also won the silver medal in the 1500 metres event at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Jens C. Skou was a Danish biochemist best known for his work in the field of animal cells. Along with Paul D. Boyer and John E. Walker, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1997. He had a brilliant academic career and remained active well into his 90s. He died at the age of 99. 

Belgian comic artist Benoit Sokal is perhaps best remembered for developing the comic series Inspector Canardo and the adventure game franchise Syberia. With the first-person fantasy game Amerzone, he had become one of the first visual designers to supervise the development of a video game.

Japanese businessman and industrial engineer Ohno Taiichi is remembered for his efforts toward the reduction of muda, or waste, and the implementation of the kanban, or just-in-time system in Toyota. His popular books on manufacturing include Toyota Production System and Just-in-Time for Today and Tomorrow.

Greek shipping magnate Stavros G. Livanos was a third-generation sailor who revolutionized the shipping business by investing in cash instead of credit. He was the father-in-law of his rival shipping tycoons Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos, through his daughters Tina and Eugenia. He lived in London but also owned a villa in Greece.

Finnish mathematician Rolf Nevanlinna is remembered for his pioneering research on complex analysis. He developed what later came to be known as the Nevanlinna theory. Hailing from a family of renowned mathematicians, he grew up to be a school teacher before he joined the faculty of the University of Helsinki.

While he initially studied law, Kálmán Mikszáth later became a renowned journalist and later penned some of the best social commentaries of his time. Remembered for his short story collections such as The Slovak Kinsfolk and novels such as The Black City, he was also an elected member of the National Assembly.

Austrian-Jewish feminist and social worker Bertha Pappenheim founded the Jewish Women's Association (Jüdischer Frauenbund), mainly with the objective of improving women's experiences in the Jewish community. She was treated by Austrian physician Josef Breuer for nervous symptoms and her case study (under the pseudonym Anna O.) found place in Breuer’s book Studies on Hysteria, co-authored with Sigmund Freud.

Although the son of a meat seller and fishmonger, George Grove grew up appreciating music and literature. Although he began his career as a civil engineer, his passion for music drove him to write the iconic Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He also served the Royal College of Music as its first director.

John Macquarrie was a Scottish-born philosopher, theologian, and Anglican priest. One of the most celebrated systematic theologians of the 20th century, Macquarrie was presented with several prestigious honors during his illustrious career that spanned more than six decades. John Macquarrie is also remembered for his works, such as An Existentialist Theology, The Scope of Demythologizing, and Principles of Christian Theology.