Famous People Who Died Today

Victor Hugo was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist of the Romantic movement. Regarded as one of the best-known and greatest French writers of all time, Victor Hugo wrote abundantly during his career that spanned over six decades. Thanks to his works, such as Hernani and Cromwell, Victor Hugo was one of the leading figures of the Romantic literary movement.

Langston Hughes is best remembered as a prominent leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He was one of the first to write jazz poetry. He also wrote plays and short stories. He was a columnist for The Chicago Defender and wrote the iconic poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers.

Martha Washington became the inaugural First Lady of the United States when her husband George Washington took office as the first President of the United States in 1789. She was the daughter of a wealthy man and was first married to Daniel Parke Custis, with whom she had four children. Following Custis’ death, she married George Washington.

Philip Roth was a novelist and short-story writer best remembered for creating the fictional character Nathan Zuckerman, who featured in many of his novels. The recipient of the 1997 Pulitzer Prize, he also received the inaugural Franz Kafka Prize. Roth was one of the most awarded American writers of his generation. Born a Jew, he became an atheist later on.

Nicky Hayden was an American motorcycle racer best remembered for winning the 2006 MotoGP World Championship by breaking Valentino Rossi's five-year streak. Hayden met with an accident while riding his bicycle in 2017 in Italy and died of traumatic brain injury at the age of 35. In 2018, he was inducted posthumously into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

American actor and bass-singer Thurl Ravenscroft is best-remembered for providing deep bass-voice for breakfast-cereal icon Tony the Tiger for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes breakfast-cereal for over five-decades and for creating and making popular the catchphrase "They're gr-r-reat!". Other notable works of Ravenscroft includes singing the Christmas song You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch and doing voice-over work and singing for Disney.  

Margaret Rutherford was an English actress best known for playing the Duchess of Brighton in the 1963 drama film, The V.I.P.s, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. In 1961, she was made an Officer of the OBE. In 1967, she was elevated to become a DBE.

C. Day-Lewis was an Anglo-Irish poet who also wrote many mystery stories. From 1968 to 1972, he served as the Poet Laureate. He also contributed as a publications editor during World War II, working for the Ministry of Information.

Claude McKay was a poet who played an influential role in the Harlem Renaissance. Remembered for his work If We Must Die, a poem written in response to mob attacks on African-American communities by white Americans, McKay was named the national poet of Jamaica in 1977. For his contribution to literature, he was posthumously honored with the Order of Jamaica.

James Forrestal was an American financier who served as the first US Secretary of Defense from 1947 to 1949. He is also remembered for his service as the US Secretary of the Navy from 1944 to 1947. James Forrestal was honored with the Medal of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal by President Harry S. Truman.

A world-renowned Indian pehlwan, or wrestler, Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt competed using the ring name The Great Gama. Also known as Rustam-e-Hind, he remained undefeated over an illustrious career of almost 5 decades and even saved many Hindus during the communal riots at the time of the Partition of India.

Lino Brocka was a Filipino film director best remembered for co-founding Concerned Artists of the Philippines and the Free the Artist Movement. Considered one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in Philippine cinema's history, Lino Brocka is credited with directing landmark films like Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim, and Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag.

Elizabeth David was a British cookery writer who strongly influenced the resuscitation of home cookery with books and articles about traditional British dishes and European cuisines. She is credited with authoring the influential cookery book, A Book of Mediterranean Food. Her works have influenced several prominent chefs like Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Tom Parker Bowles, Prue Leith, and Terence Conran.

German playwright and author Ernst Toller is best remembered for his Expressionist plays and his Marxism. Though he served the German Army initially, he suffered a physical breakdown soon and quit, propagating peace instead. His best-known play, Man and the Masses, was written in prison.

Bata Zivojinovic was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician and actor. Counted amongst the best actors in former Yugoslavia, Živojinović played important roles in over 340 films and TV series. Over the course of his career, Bata Zivojinovic was honored with several prestigious awards including the prestigious Beogradski pobednik for his lifetime achievement.

Yugoslav Croat communist Stjepan Filipović became an icon of opposition to fascism when a picture of him with his arms raised just prior to his execution by the Germans in 1942 became public. He was a major figure of the 1941 Partisan uprising in Serbia and was posthumously named People's Hero of Yugoslavia.

Sándor Ferenczi is best remembered for his research on free association and the psychoanalytic theory. Initially an army doctor, he specialized in subjects such as neuropathology and hypnosis. He was also close to Sigmund Freud and later taught at the University of Budapest. He also established the Hungarian Psychoanalytic Society.

Nobel Prize-winning biologist Alfred Day Hershey is best remembered for his research on bacteriophages, or viruses that infect bacteria. He was associated with the Washington University throughout most of his life. He is also known for his blender experiment, which he conducted with his work partner Martha Chase.

Zbigniew Wodecki was a Polish singer, composer, musician, TV presenter, and actor. He achieved tremendous popularity in Poland during the 1970s and '80s and was recognized as one of the most famous singers. He was also honored with several prestigious awards, including the Fryderyk Award. In 2017, Zbigniew Wodecki was posthumously honored with the Order of Polonia Restituta.

John French, 1st Earl of Ypres was a British Army officer best remembered for his heroics during the Second Boer War, for which he is considered a national hero. John French also served as Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, which was perhaps his most important role. He also gained notoriety as a womanizer throughout his life.

British engineer William Lindley is remembered for his contribution toward the renovation of the city of Hanover in Germany, rebuilding everything from gas works to public baths, after a devastating fire that destroyed the city for 3 days. He also designed the sewerage systems of several European cities, such as Frankfurt.