Famous People Who Died Today

Viktor Tsoi, the lead singer of the legendary Russian rock band Kino, broke the hearts of his fans across the world when he died in a tragic car crash at age 28. A symbol of rebellion, Tsoi transformed rock music from an underground movement to a mainstream phenomenon in Russia.

Native American aviator Wiley Post scripted history as the first person to complete a solo flight around the world. Post and actor/humorist Will Rogers were killed when their flight crashed in Alaska in 1935. Post had created many high-altitude records and invented one of the world’s first pressure suits.

Paul Signac had initially aspired to become an architect but later deviated to painting. A major figure of the post-Impressionist period, he, along with Georges Seurat, pioneered the technique called pointillism. A sailor and an avid traveler, he mirrored the beauty of the European coasts in his works.

Hungarian violinist and composer Joseph Joachim was trained in Budapest and London before he became the director of the Hochschule für Ausübende Tonkunst in Berlin. He formed the Joachim Quartet and gained fame as a music teacher. He is best known for his versions of works by legends such as Beethoven.

Grazia Deledda was an Italian writer who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926, becoming the first Italian woman to receive the prize. Interested in writing from a young age, she became a writer despite her family’s objections. Today, her work is highly regarded across the world, and generations of writers continue to be inspired by her.  

While actor Paul Lukas initially ruled the Hungarian stage and worked in several productions of Austrian filmmaker and theater director Max Reinhardt, he later moved to the US. He is best remembered for his Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Kurt Muller in the film Watch on the Rhine.

Mexican painter and writer Gerardo Murillo Cornado, more famous by his pseudonym Dr. Atl, was a pioneer of the Mexican movement for artistic nationalism. During Mexican Revolution, Cornado supported the Constitutionalist faction. He was also interested in study of volcanoes and was considered an expert volcanologist. His notable paintings include those of the volcanoes of Popocatépetl and Ixtacihuatl.

Sune Bergström was a Swedish biochemist best remembered for winning the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside John R. Vane and Bengt I. Samuelsson for their discoveries concerning prostaglandins. Over the course of his career, Sune Bergström was also honored with Columbia University's Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize and the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh.

Johan Gadolin was a Finnish physicist, chemist, and mineralogist. He achieved popularity for his description of yttrium, the first rare-earth element. Johan Gadolin is also remembered for his service as a professor at the Royal Academy of Turku, where he became one of the first chemists to give laboratory exercises to students.

The 1975 Gold Logie-winning Australian TV and radio presenter, comedian, and singer Ernie Sigley had 20 more Logie Awards under his belt. Best known for his appearances on Saturday Night Live and The Ernie Sigley Show, he also released hit singles such as Love Is A Golden Ring.

One of the main figures of the Ẓāhirī school of jurisprudence, Ibn Hazm had penned masterpieces such as The Ring of the Dove. The Spanish Muslim polymath was from an influential family and grew up to write on varied topics, such as history, religion, medicine, and ethics.

Hugo Theorell was a Swedish scientist best remembered for winning the 1955 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Theorell, who dedicated his career to enzyme research, earned the Nobel Prize for discovering oxidoreductase enzymes. Hugo Theorell's work led to pioneering development on alcohol dehydrogenases.

Imru Haile Selassie was an Ethiopian soldier, diplomat, and noble. He is perhaps best remembered for his service as the acting Prime Minister of Ethiopia in 1960 after the murder of Prime Minister Abebe Aregai. Imru Haile Selassie also served as the Governor of Gojjam from 1932 to 1936.

Finnish composer-lyricist Eino Kettunen is best-remembered for the song Ievan Polkka that he wrote to a traditional Finnish polka-tune. Counted among the most-famous Finnish songs, Ievan Polkka resurfaced following a cappella-performance by Loituma. The song’s Loituma version gained immense-popularity when leekspin.com posted an endless flash animation-loop showing Orihime Inoue, from anime series Bleach, spinning a leek while singing the song.

Frankish military-leader Roland, a foremost member of Charlemagne’s court, became a central-figure in Matter of France literary cycle. Charlemagne’s Paladins, led by Roland, first featured in chanson de geste cycle of Matter of France. It includes Chanson de Roland that narrates heroic death of Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass and is considered first major work in French language. 

Chilla Porter was an Australian track and field athlete and political figure. He is best remembered for his silver medal-winning performance in the high jump event at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He also won silver medals at the 1958 and 1962 Commonwealth Games. After his athletics career, Porter served as general secretary of Liberal Western Australia from 1978 to 1987.

Lisa Robin Kelly was an American actress best known for playing Laurie Forman in the popular sitcom, That '70s Show. Troubled by legal issues and alcohol addiction throughout her life, Lisa Robin Kelly died at Pax Rehab House in California due to multiple drug intoxication.