World History of December 27

1927 Event

"Kern and Hammerstein's musical play Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical play, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway."

🌍 Historical Events

537
The second Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is consecrated.
1512
The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World.
1521
The Zwickau prophets arrive in Wittenberg, disturbing the peace and preaching the Apocalypse.
1655
Second Northern War/the Deluge: Monks at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa are successful in fending off a month-long siege.
1657
The Flushing Remonstrance articulates for the first time in North American history that freedom of religion is a fundamental right.
1703
Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which allows Portugal to export wines to England on favorable trade terms.
1814
War of 1812: The destruction of the schooner USS Carolina brings to an end Commodore Daniel Patterson's makeshift fleet, which fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
1831
Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate his theory of evolution.
1836
The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes, Sussex, killing eight people.
1845
Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Georgia.
1845
Having coined the phrase "manifest destiny" the previous July, journalist John L. O'Sullivan argued in his newspaper New York Morning News that the United States had the right to claim the entire Oregon Country.
1911
"Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of India, is first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
1918
The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.
1918
Ukrainian War of Independence: The Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine occupies Yekaterinoslav and seizes seven airplanes from the UPRAF, establishing an Insurgent Air Fleet.
1922
Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō becomes the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.
1927
Kern and Hammerstein's musical play Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical play, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway.
1929
Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin orders the "liquidation of the kulaks as a class".
1932
Radio City Music Hall, "Showplace of the Nation", opens in New York City.
1935
Regina Jonas is ordained as the first female rabbi in the history of Judaism.
1939
The 7.8 Mw  Erzincan earthquake shakes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). At least 32,700 people were killed.
1939
Winter War: Finland holds off a Soviet attack in the Battle of Kelja.
1945
The International Monetary Fund is created with the signing of an agreement by 29 nations.
1949
Indonesian National Revolution: The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence. End of the Dutch East Indies.
1966
The Cave of Swallows, the largest known cave shaft in the world, is discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
1968
Apollo program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the first orbital crewed mission to the Moon.
1968
North Central Airlines Flight 458 crashes at O'Hare International Airport, killing 28.
1978
Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of fascist dictatorship.
1983
Pope John Paul II visits Mehmet Ali Ağca in Rebibbia's prison and personally forgives him for the 1981 attack on him in St. Peter's Square.
1985
Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside the airports of Rome, Italy, and Vienna, Austria.
1989
The Romanian Revolution concludes, as the last minor street confrontations and stray shootings abruptly end in the country's capital, Bucharest.
1991
Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 crashes in Gottröra in the Norrtälje Municipality in Sweden, injuring 92.
1996
Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram Airfield which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul, Afghanistan.
1997
Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
1999
Burger King and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission order a recall of plastic Poké Ball containers after they are determined to be a choking hazard.
2002
Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya, Russia.
2004
Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.
2007
Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in a shooting incident.
2007
Riots erupt in Mombasa, Kenya, after Mwai Kibaki is declared the winner of the presidential election, triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.
2008
Operation Cast Lead: Israel launches three-week operation on Gaza.
2009
Iranian election protests: On the Day of Ashura in Tehran, Iran, government security forces fire upon demonstrators.
2019
Bek Air Flight 2100 crashes during takeoff from Almaty International Airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan, killing 13.
2025
An estimated €30 million were stolen from a Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

🐣 Notable Births

(baptised)
Francis Blake Delaval, British Royal Navy officer and Member of Parliament (died 1752)
(baptised)
Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian field marshal and politician, Governor-General of Finland (died 1818)
1350
John I of Aragon (died 1395)
1390
Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (died 1411)
1459
John I Albert, King of Poland (died 1501)
1481
Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Margrave of Bayreuth (died 1527)
1493
Johann Pfeffinger, German theologian (died 1573)
1566
Jan Jesenius, Bohemian physician, politician and philosopher (died 1621)
1571
Johannes Kepler, German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer (died 1630)
1572
Johannes Vodnianus Campanus, Czech poet, playwright, and composer (died 1622)
1584
Philipp Julius, Duke of Pomerania (died 1625)
1595
Bohdan Khmelnytsky, hetman of Ukraine (died 1657)
1622
Teofil Rutka, Polish philosopher (died 1700)
1633
Jean de Lamberville, French missionary (died 1714)
1636
William Whitelock, English gentleman, Member of Parliament (died 1717)
1637
Petar Kanavelić, Venetian writer (died 1719)
1645
Giovanni Antonio Viscardi, Swiss architect (died 1713)
1655
Abstrupus Danby, English politician (died 1727)
1660
Veronica Giuliani, Italian Capuchin mystic (died 1727)
1663
Johann Melchior Roos, German painter (died 1731)
1683
Conyers Middleton, English priest and theologian (died 1750)
1689
Jacob August Franckenstein, Encyclopedia editor, professor (died 1733)
1697
Sollom Emlyn, Irish legal writer (died 1754)
1705
Prince Frederick Henry Eugen of Anhalt-Dessau, German prince of the House of Ascania (died 1781)
1713
Giovanni Battista Borra, Italian architect and engineer (died 1770)
1714
George Whitefield, English preacher and saint (died 1770)
1715
Philippe de Noailles, French general (died 1794)
1721
François Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher and author (died 1790)
1773
George Cayley, English engineer and politician (died 1857)
1776
Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (died 1811)
1797
Ghalib, Indian poet (died 1869)
1797
Charles Hodge, American theologian (died 1878)
1803
François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Canadian activist (died 1839)
1809
Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, Greek poet and politician, Foreign Minister of Greece (died 1892)
1822
Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist (died 1895)
1823
Mackenzie Bowell, English-Canadian journalist and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Canada (died 1917)
1827
Stanisław Mieroszewski, Polish-born politician, writer, historian and member of the Imperial Council of Austria (died 1900)
1832
Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and philanthropist, founded the Tretyakov Gallery (died 1897)
1838
Lars Oftedal, Norwegian priest, social reformer, politician, and newspaper editor (died 1900)
1858
Juan Luis Sanfuentes, Chilean lawyer and politician, 17th President of Chile (died 1930)
1863
Louis Lincoln Emmerson, American lawyer and politician, 27th Governor of Illinois (died 1941)
1864
Hermann-Paul, French painter and illustrator (died 1940)
1878
Kalle Korhonen, Finnish politician (died 1938)
1879
Sydney Greenstreet, English-American actor (died 1954)
1882
Mina Loy, British modernist poet and artist (died 1966)
1883
Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist (died 1979)
1888
Thea von Harbou, German actress, director, and screenwriter (died 1954)
1892
Alfred Edwin McKay, Canadian captain and pilot (died 1917)
1896
Louis Bromfield, American author and theorist (died 1956)
1896
Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (died 1952)
1896
Carl Zuckmayer, German author and playwright (died 1977)
1898
Inejiro Asanuma, Japanese politician (died 1960)
1900
Hans Stuck, German racing driver (died 1978)
1901
Marlene Dietrich, German-American actress and singer (died 1992)
1901
Irene Handl, English actress (died 1987)
1904
René Bonnet, French racing driver and engineer (died 1983)
1905
Cliff Arquette, American actor and comedian (died 1974)
1906
Oscar Levant, American pianist, composer, and actor (died 1972)
1907
Asaf Halet Çelebi, Turkish poet (died 1958)
1907
Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and author (died 1999)
1907
Mary Howard, English author (died 1991)
1907
Conrad L. Raiford, American baseball player and activist (died 2002)
1907
Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor and composer (died 1978)
1909
James Riddell, English skier and author (died 2000)
1910
Charles Olson, American poet and educator (died 1970)
1911
Anna Russell, English-Canadian singer and actress (died 2006)
1913
Elizabeth Smart, Canadian poet and novelist (died 1986)
1915
William Masters, American gynecologist, author, and academic (died 2001)
1915
Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian-Cypriot footballer and manager (died 1999)
1916
Werner Baumbach, German pilot (died 1953)
1916
Cathy Lewis, American actress (died 1968)
1917
Buddy Boudreaux, American saxophonist and clarinet player (died 2015)
1917
T. Nadaraja, Sri Lankan lawyer and academic (died 2004)
1917
Onni Palaste, Finnish soldier and author (died 2009)
1918
John Celardo, American captain and illustrator (died 2012)
1919
Charles Sweeney, American general and pilot (died 2004)
1920
Bruce Hobbs, American jockey and trainer (died 2005)
1921
John Whitworth, English countertenor (died 2013)
1923
Bruno Bobak, Polish-Canadian painter and educator (died 2012)
1923
Lucas Mangope, South African politician (died 2018)
1924
Jean Bartik, American computer scientist and engineer (died 2011)
1924
James A. McClure, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (died 2011)
1925
Michel Piccoli, French actor, singer, director, and producer (died 2020)
1926
Jerome Courtland, American actor, director, and producer (died 2012)
1927
Antony Gardner, English engineer and politician (died 2011)
1927
Nityanand Swami, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (died 2012)
1927
Audrey Wagner, American baseball player, obstetrician, and gynecologist (died 1984)
1930
Marshall Sahlins, American anthropologist and academic (died 2021)
1930
Wilfrid Sheed, English-born American novelist and essayist (died 2011)
1931
Scotty Moore, American guitarist and songwriter (died 2016)
1933
Dave Marr, American golfer (died 1997)
1934
Larisa Latynina, Ukrainian gymnast and coach
1934
Jeffrey Sterling, Baron Sterling of Plaistow, English businessman
1935
Michael Turnbull, English bishop
1936
James Harrison, Australian blood plasma donor (died 2025)
1936
Phil Sharpe, English cricketer (died 2014)
1936
Eve Uusmees, Estonian swimmer and coach
1939
John Amos, American actor (died 2024)
1940
David Shepherd, English cricketer and umpire (died 2009)
1941
Miles Aiken, American basketball player and coach
1941
Mike Pinder, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player (died 2024)
1941
Nolan Richardson, American basketball player and coach
1942
Byron Browne, American baseball player
1942
Thomas Menino, American politician, 53rd Mayor of Boston (died 2014)
1942
Ron Rothstein, American basketball player and coach
1943
Cokie Roberts, American journalist and author (died 2019)
1943
Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist
1943
Peter Sinfield, English songwriter and producer (died 2024)
1943
Roy White, American baseball player and coach
1944
Mick Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
1946
Lenny Kaye, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
1946
Joe Kinnear, Irish footballer and manager (died 2024)
1946
Janet Street-Porter, English journalist and producer
1946
Polly Toynbee, English journalist and author
1947
Bill Eadie, American wrestler and coach
1947
Doug Livermore, English footballer and manager
1947
Willy Polleunis, Belgian runner
1948
Gérard Depardieu, French-Russian actor
1949
Terry Ito, Japanese director, producer, and critic
1950
Haris Alexiou, Greek singer-songwriter
1950
Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer and manager
1950
Terry Bozzio, American drummer and songwriter
1951
Karla Bonoff, American singer-songwriter
1951
Ernesto Zedillo, Mexican economist and politician, 54th President of Mexico
1952
Jay Hill, Canadian farmer and politician
1952
David Knopfler, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1954
Kent Benson, American basketball player
1954
Mandie Fletcher, English director, producer, and production manager
1954
Teo Chee Hean, Singaporean politician and 5th Senior Minister of Singapore
1955
Brad Murphey, American race car driver
1955
Barbara Olson, American journalist and author (died 2001)
1956
Doina Melinte, Romanian runner
1958
Steve Jones, American golfer
1959
Gerina Dunwich, American astrologer, historian, and author
1959
Andre Tippett, American football player and coach
1960
Maryam d'Abo, English actress
1960
Donald Nally, American conductor and academic
1960
Terry Price, Australian golfer
1961
Guido Westerwelle, German lawyer and politician, 15th Vice-Chancellor of Germany (died 2016)
1962
Mark Few, American basketball player and coach
1962
John Kampfner, Singaporean journalist and author
1962
Bill Self, American basketball player and coach
1962
Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer
1963
Gaspar Noé, Argentine-French director and screenwriter
1964
Ian Gomez, American actor
1964
Theresa Randle, American actress
1965
Salman Khan, Indian film actor and producer
1966
Marianne Elliott, English director and producer
1966
Bill Goldberg, American football player, wrestler and actor
1966
Eva LaRue, American model and actress
1969
Jean-Christophe Boullion, French racing driver
1969
Chyna, American professional wrestler and actress (died 2016)
1969
Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist
1970
Lorenzo Neal, American football player and radio host
1970
Naoko Yamazaki, Japanese pilot and astronaut
1971
Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer and coach
1971
Guthrie Govan, English guitarist and educator
1971
Savannah Guthrie, American television journalist
1972
Colin Charvis, Welsh rugby union player and coach
1972
Kevin Ollie, American basketball player and coach
1972
Matt Slocum, American guitarist and songwriter
1973
Wilson Cruz, American actor
1973
Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch pianist and composer
1974
Tomáš Janků, Czech high jumper
1974
Masi Oka, Japanese-American actor and visual effects designer
1974
Fumiko Orikasa, Japanese voice actress and singer
1974
Jay Pandolfo, American ice hockey player and coach
1975
Aigars Fadejevs, Latvian race walker and therapist
1975
Heather O'Rourke, American actress (died 1988)
1976
Nikolaos Georgeas, Greek footballer
1976
Piotr Morawski, Polish mountaineer (died 2009)
1976
Daimí Pernía, Cuban basketball player and hurdler
1976
Fernando Pisani, Canadian-Italian ice hockey player
1977
Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress
1977
Chris Tate, English footballer
1978
Deuce McAllister, American football player
1978
Lisa Jakub, Canadian actress
1979
Pascale Dorcelus, Canadian weightlifter
1979
David Dunn, English footballer and manager
1979
Carson Palmer, American football player
1980
Bernard Berrian, American football player
1980
Claudio Castagnoli, Swiss wrestler
1980
Dahntay Jones, American basketball player
1980
Meelis Kompus, Estonian journalist
1981
David Aardsma, American baseball player
1981
Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
1981
Jay Ellis, American actor
1981
Moise Joseph, American-Haitian runner
1981
Patrick Sharp, Canadian ice hockey player
1982
Erin E. Stead, American illustrator
1983
Anthony Boric, New Zealand rugby union player
1983
Cole Hamels, American baseball player
1983
Jesse Williams, American high jumper
1984
Andrejs Perepļotkins, Ukrainian-Latvian footballer
1984
Gilles Simon, French tennis player
1985
Logan Bailly, Belgian footballer
1985
Jérôme d'Ambrosio, Belgian racing driver
1985
Adil Rami, French footballer
1985
Paul Stastny, Canadian-American ice hockey player
1986
Torah Bright, Australian snowboarder
1986
Jamaal Charles, American football player
1986
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican sprinter
1987
Lily Cole, English model
1988
Jorge Gutiérrez, Mexican basketball player
1988
Hera Hilmar, Icelandic actress
1988
Zavon Hines, Jamaican-English footballer
1988
Ok Taec-yeon, South Korean singer and actor
1988
Rick Porcello, American baseball player
1988
Hayley Williams, American singer-songwriter
1989
Ingrid Várgas Calvo, Peruvian tennis player
1990
Max Lindholm, Finnish figure skater
1990
Jonathan Marchessault, Canadian ice hockey player
1990
Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player
1990
Zelina Vega, American wrestler
1991
Chloe Bridges, American actress
1991
Michael Morgan, Australian rugby league player
1991
Beth Potter, Scottish triathlete and long-distance runner
1991
Danny Wilson, Scottish footballer
1992
Joel Indermitte, Estonian footballer
1992
Maicel Uibo, Estonian decathlete
1993
Olivia Cooke, English actress
1994
Isi Palazón, Spanish footballer
1995
Nick Chubb, American football player
1995
Ghislain Konan, Ivorian footballer
1995
Mark Lapidus, Estonian chess player
1995
Timothée Chalamet, French-American actor
1997
Mads Juel Andersen, Danish footballer
1997
Vachirawit Chivaaree, Thai actor and singer
1997
Ana Konjuh, Croatian tennis player
1997
Jang Gyu-ri, South Korean actress
1998
Luka Garza, American basketball player
1999
Brock Purdy, American football player
2001
Ander Barrenetxea, Spanish footballer

🕯️ Notable Deaths

683
Gaozong of Tang, 3rd emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty (born 628)
870
Aeneas of Paris, Frankish bishop
975
Balderic, bishop of Utrecht (born 897)
1003
Emma of Blois, French duchess and regent
1005
Nilus the Younger, Byzantine abbot (born 910)
1076
Sviatoslav II, Grand Prince of Kiev (born 1027)
1087
Bertha of Savoy, Holy Roman Empress (born 1051)
1381
Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician (born 1352)
1518
Mahmood Shah Bahmani II, sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate (born c. 1470)
1543
George, margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (born 1484)
1548
Francesco Spiera, Italian lawyer and jurist (born 1502)
1603
Thomas Cartwright, English minister and theologian (born 1535)
1637
Vincenzo Giustiniani, Italian banker (born 1564)
1641
Francis van Aarssens, Dutch diplomat (born 1572)[citation needed]
1642
Herman op den Graeff, Dutch bishop (born 1585)
1656
Andrew White, English Jesuit missionary (born 1579)
1660
Hervey Bagot, English politician (born 1591)
1663
Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy (born 1606)
1672
Jacques Rohault, French philosopher (born 1618)
1683
Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen consort of Portugal (born 1646)
1689
Gervase Bryan, English clergyman (born 1622)
1693
Henri de Villars, French prelate (born 1621)
1694
Henrik Span, naval officer in the Dutch (born 1634)
1704
Hans Albrecht von Barfus, Prussian field marshal and politician (born 1635)
1707
Jean Mabillon, French monk and scholar (born 1632)
1707
Robert Leke, 3rd Earl of Scarsdale, English earl, politician (born 1654)
1737
William Bowyer, English printer (born 1663)
1743
Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (born 1659)
1771
Henri Pitot, French engineer, invented the Pitot tube (born 1695)
1776
Johann Rall, Hessian colonel (born c. 1726)
1782
Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish judge and philosopher (born 1697)
1800
Hugh Blair, Scottish minister and author (born 1718)
1812
Joanna Southcott, English religious leader (born 1750)
1834
Charles Lamb, English essayist and poet (born 1775)
1836
Stephen F. Austin, American soldier and politician (born 1793)
1858
Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French pianist and composer (born 1785)
1895
Eivind Astrup, Norwegian explorer (born 1871)
1896
John Brown, English businessman and politician (born 1816)
1900
William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong, English engineer and businessman, founded Armstrong Whitworth (born 1810)
1914
Charles Martin Hall, American chemist and engineer (born 1863)
1919
Achilles Alferaki, Russian-Greek composer and politician, Governor of Taganrog (born 1846)
1923
Gustave Eiffel, French architect and engineer, co-designed the Eiffel Tower (born 1832)
1924
Agda Meyerson, Swedish nurse and healthcare activist (born 1866)
1936
Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Turkish poet, academic, and politician (born 1873)
1938
Calvin Bridges, American geneticist and academic (born 1889)
1938
Osip Mandelstam, Polish-Russian poet and critic (born 1891)
1938
Zona Gale, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (born 1874)
1939
Rinaldo Cuneo, American painter (born 1877)
1943
Ants Kurvits, Estonian general and politician, 10th Estonian Minister of War (born 1887)
1950
Max Beckmann, German-American painter and sculptor (born 1884)
1952
Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian priest, author, and educator (born 1878)
1953
Şükrü Saracoğlu, Turkish soldier and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1887)
1953
Julian Tuwim, Polish poet and author (born 1894)
1955
Alfred Carpenter, English admiral, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1881)
1956
Lambert McKenna, Irish priest and lexicographer (born 1870)
1965
Edgar Ende, German painter (born 1901)
1972
Lester B. Pearson, Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1897)
1974
Vladimir Fock, Russian physicist and mathematician (born 1898)
1974
Amy Vanderbilt, American author (born 1908)
1978
Chris Bell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1951)
1978
Houari Boumediene, Algerian colonel and politician, 2nd President of Algeria (born 1932)
1978
Bob Luman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1937)
1979
Hafizullah Amin, Afghan educator and politician, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (born 1929)
1981
Hoagy Carmichael, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (born 1899)
1982
Jack Swigert, American pilot, astronaut, and politician (born 1931)
1985
Jean Rondeau, French racing driver (born 1946)
1986
George Dangerfield, English-American historian and journalist (born 1904)
1986
Dumas Malone, American historian and author (born 1892)
1987
Rewi Alley, New Zealand writer and political activist (born 1897)
1988
Hal Ashby, American director and producer (born 1929)
1992
Kay Boyle, American novelist, poet, and educator (born 1902)
1993
Feliks Kibbermann, Estonian chess player and philologist (born 1902)
1993
Evald Mikson, Estonian footballer (born 1911)
1993
André Pilette, Belgian racing driver (born 1918)
1994
Fanny Cradock, English author and critic (born 1909)
1994
J. B. L. Reyes, Filipino lawyer and jurist (born 1902)
1995
Shura Cherkassky, Ukrainian-American pianist (born 1909)
1995
Genrikh Kasparyan, Armenian chess player and composer (born 1910)
1997
Brendan Gill, American journalist and essayist (born 1914)
1997
Billy Wright, Northern Irish loyalist leader (born 1960)
1999
Michael McDowell, American author and screenwriter (born 1950)
2002
George Roy Hill, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921)
2003
Alan Bates, English actor (born 1934)
2003
Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (born 1962)
2004
Hank Garland, American guitarist (born 1930)
2007
Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani politician, Prime Minister of Pakistan (born 1953)
2007
Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Polish director and screenwriter (born 1922)
2007
Jaan Kross, Estonian author and poet (born 1920)
2008
Delaney Bramlett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1939)
2008
Robert Graham, Mexican-American sculptor (born 1938)
2009
Isaac Schwartz, Ukrainian-Russian composer and educator (born 1923)
2011
Catê, Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1973)
2011
Michael Dummett, English soldier, philosopher, and academic (born 1925)
2011
Helen Frankenthaler, American painter and educator (born 1928)
2011
Johnny Wilson, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (born 1929)
2012
Harry Carey, Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921)
2012
Lloyd Charmers, Jamaican singer, keyboard player, and producer (born 1938)
2012
Tingye Li, Chinese-American physicist and engineer (born 1931)
2012
Archie Roy, Scottish astronomer and academic (born 1924)
2012
Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., American general and engineer (born 1934)
2012
Salt Walther, American race car driver (born 1947)
2013
Richard Ambler, English-Scottish biologist and academic (born 1933)
2013
Mohamad Chatah, Lebanese economist and politician, Lebanese Minister of Finance (born 1951)
2013
Gianna D'Angelo, American soprano and educator (born 1929)
2013
John Matheson, Canadian colonel, lawyer, and politician (born 1917)
2013
Farooq Sheikh, Indian actor, philanthropist and a popular television presenter (born 1948)
2014
Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, American-Israeli religious leader, founded the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem (born 1939)
2014
Ulises Estrella, Ecuadorian poet and academic (born 1939)
2014
Ronald Li, Hong Kong accountant and businessman (born 1929)
2014
Karel Poma, Belgian bacteriologist and politician (born 1920)
2015
Stein Eriksen, Norwegian-American skier (born 1927)
2015
Dave Henderson, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1958)
2015
Ellsworth Kelly, American painter and sculptor (born 1923)
2015
Meadowlark Lemon, American basketball player and minister (born 1932)
2015
Alfredo Pacheco, Salvadoran footballer (born 1982)
2015
Stevie Wright, English-Australian singer-songwriter (born 1947)
2016
Carrie Fisher, American actress, screenwriter, author, producer, and speaker (born 1956)
2016
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Sri Lankan politician (born 1933)
2018
Frank Blaichman, Polish resistance fighter (born 1922)
2019
Maria Creveling, American League of Legends player (born 1995)
2023
Lee Sun-kyun, South Korean actor (born 1975)
2023
Gaston Glock, Austrian firearm engineer and founder of Glock (born 1929)
2024
Greg Gumbel, American sportscaster (born 1946)
2024
Olivia Hussey, Argentinian-English actress (born 1951)
2024
Charles Shyer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1941)