World History of July 20

1951 Event

"King Abdullah I of Jordan is assassinated by a Palestinian while attending Friday prayers in Jerusalem."

🌍 Historical Events

70
Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, storms the Fortress of Antonia north of the Temple Mount. The Roman army is drawn into street fights with the Zealots.
792
Kardam of Bulgaria defeats Byzantine Emperor Constantine VI at the Battle of Marcellae.
911
Rollo lays siege to Chartres.
1189
Richard I of England officially invested as Duke of Normandy.
1230
Treaty of San Germano is signed at San Germano between Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX. A Dominican named Guala is responsible for the negotiations.
1398
The Battle of Kellistown was fought on this day between the forces of the English led by Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March against the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles under the command of Art Óg mac Murchadha Caomhánach, the most powerful Chieftain in Leinster.
1592
During the first Japanese invasion of Korea, Japanese forces led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi captured Pyongyang, although they were ultimately unable to hold it.
1705
A fire in Oulu, Finland almost completely destroyed the fourth district, which covered the southern part of the city and was by far the largest of the city districts.
1715
Seventh Ottoman-Venetian War: The Ottoman Empire captures Nauplia, the capital of the Republic of Venice's "Kingdom of the Morea", thereby opening the way to the swift Ottoman reconquest of the Morea.
1738
Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye reaches the western shore of Lake Michigan.
1799
Tekle Giyorgis I begins his first of six reigns as Emperor of Ethiopia.
1807
Nicéphore Niépce is awarded a patent by Napoleon for the Pyréolophore, the world's first internal combustion engine, after it successfully powered a boat upstream on the river Saône in France.
1810
Citizens of Bogotá, New Granada declare independence from Spain.
1831
Seneca and Shawnee people agree to relinquish their land in western Ohio for 60,000 acres west of the Mississippi River.
1848
The first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, a two-day event, concludes.
1864
American Civil War: Battle of Peachtree Creek: Near Atlanta, Georgia, Confederate forces led by General John Bell Hood unsuccessfully attack Union troops under General William T. Sherman.
1866
Austro-Prussian War: Battle of Lissa: The Austrian Navy, led by Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, defeats the Italian Navy near the island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea.
1871
British Columbia joins the Canadian Confederation.
1885
The Football Association legalizes professionalism in association football under pressure from the British Football Association.
1903
The Ford Motor Company ships its first automobile.
1906
In Finland, a new electoral law is ratified, guaranteeing the country the first and equal right to vote in the world. Finnish women are the first in Europe to receive the right to vote.
1917
World War I: The Corfu Declaration, which leads to the creation of the post-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia, is signed by the Yugoslav Committee and Kingdom of Serbia.
1920
The Greek Army takes control of Silivri after Greece is awarded the city by the Paris Peace Conference; by 1923 Greece effectively lost control to the Turks.
1922
The League of Nations awards mandates of Togoland to France and Tanganyika to the United Kingdom.
1932
In the Preußenschlag, German President Hindenburg places Prussia directly under the rule of the national government.
1934
Labor unrest in the U.S.: Police in Minneapolis fire upon striking truck drivers, during the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934, killing two and wounding sixty-seven.
1934
West Coast waterfront strike: In Seattle, police fire tear gas on and club 2,000 striking longshoremen. The governor of Oregon calls out the National Guard to break a strike on the Portland docks.
1935
Switzerland: A Royal Dutch Airlines plane en route from Milan to Frankfurt crashes into a Swiss mountain, killing thirteen.
1936
The Montreux Convention is signed in Switzerland, authorizing Turkey to fortify the Dardanelles and Bosphorus but guaranteeing free passage to ships of all nations in peacetime.
1938
The United States Department of Justice files suit in New York City against the motion picture industry charging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act in regards to the studio system. The case would eventually result in a break-up of the industry in 1948.
1940
Denmark leaves the League of Nations.
1940
California opens its first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway.
1941
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin consolidates the Commissariats of Home Affairs and National Security to form the NKVD and names Lavrentiy Beria its chief.
1944
World War II: Adolf Hitler survives an assassination attempt led by German Army Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.
1949
The Israel-Syria Mixed Armistice Commission brokers the last of four ceasefire agreements to end the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
1950
Cold War: In Philadelphia, Harry Gold pleads guilty to spying for the Soviet Union by passing secrets from atomic scientist Klaus Fuchs.
1950
After a month-long campaign, the majority of North Korea's Air Force was destroyed by anti-communist forces.
1951
King Abdullah I of Jordan is assassinated by a Palestinian while attending Friday prayers in Jerusalem.
1954
Germany: Otto John, head of West Germany's secret service, defects to East Germany.
1960
The Polaris missile is successfully launched from a submarine, the USS George Washington, for the first time.
1961
French military forces break the Tunisian siege of Bizerte.
1964
Vietnam War: Viet Cong forces attack the capital of Định Tường Province, Cái Bè, killing 11 South Vietnamese military personnel and 40 civilians (30 of whom are children).
1968
The first International Special Olympics Summer Games are held at Soldier Field in Chicago, with about 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities.
1969
Apollo program: Apollo 11's crew successfully makes the first human landing on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the Moon six and a half hours later.
1969
A cease fire is announced between Honduras and El Salvador, six days after the beginning of the "Football War".
1974
Turkish invasion of Cyprus: Forces from Turkey invade Cyprus after a coup d'état, organised by the dictator of Greece, against president Makarios.
1976
The American Viking 1 lander successfully lands on Mars.
1977
The Central Intelligence Agency releases documents under the Freedom of Information Act revealing it had engaged in mind-control experiments.
1977
The Johnstown flood of 1977 kills 84 people and causes millions of dollars in damages.
1977
Aeroflot Flight B-2 crashes after takeoff from Vitim Airport in the Sakha Republic, killing 39.
1981
Somali Airlines Flight 40 crashes in Balad, Somalia, killing 50 people.
1982
Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings: The Provisional IRA detonates two bombs in Hyde Park and Regent's Park in central London, killing eight soldiers, wounding forty-seven people, and leading to the deaths of seven horses.
1985
The government of Aruba passes legislation to secede from the Netherlands Antilles.
1989
Burma's ruling junta puts opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.
1992
Václav Havel resigns as president of Czechoslovakia.
1992
A Tupolev Tu-154 crashes during takeoff from Tbilisi International Airport, killing all 24 aboard and four more people on the ground.
1997
The fully restored USS Constitution (a.k.a. Old Ironsides) celebrates its 200th birthday by setting sail for the first time in 116 years.
1999
The Chinese Communist Party begins a persecution campaign against Falun Gong, arresting thousands nationwide.
2005
The Civil Marriage Act legalizes same-sex marriage in Canada.
2012
James Holmes opened fire at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 and injuring 70 others.
2012
Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the cities of Amuda and Efrîn without resistance.
2013
Seventeen government soldiers are killed in an attack by FARC revolutionaries in the Colombian department of Arauca.
2013
Syrian civil war: The Battle of Ras al-Ayn ends with the expulsion of Islamist forces from the city by the People's Protection Units (YPG).
2015
A huge explosion in the mostly Kurdish border town of Suruç, Turkey, targeting the Socialist Youth Associations Federation, kills at least 31 people and injures over 100.
2015
The United States and Cuba resume full diplomatic relations after five decades.
2017
O. J. Simpson is granted parole to be released from prison after serving nine years of a 33-year sentence after being convicted of armed robbery in Las Vegas.
2019
Soyuz MS-13 is launched to the International Space Station on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
2021
American businessman Jeff Bezos flies to space aboard New Shepard NS-16 operated by his private spaceflight company Blue Origin.

🐣 Notable Births

682
Taichō, Japanese monk and scholar (died 767)
1304
Petrarch, Italian poet and scholar (died 1374)
1313
John Tiptoft, 2nd Baron Tibetot (died 1367)
1346
Margaret, Countess of Pembroke, daughter of King Edward III of England (died 1361)
1470
John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath, English noble (died 1539)
1519
Pope Innocent IX (died 1591)
1537
Arnaud d'Ossat, French cardinal (died 1604)
1583
Alban Roe, English Benedictine martyr (died 1642)
1591
Anne Hutchinson, English Puritan preacher (died 1643)
1592
Johan Björnsson Printz, governor of New Sweden (died 1663)
1601
Robert Wallop, English politician (died 1667)
1620
Nikolaes Heinsius the Elder, Dutch poet and scholar (died 1681)
1649
William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (died 1709)
1754
Antoine Destutt de Tracy, French philosopher and academic (died 1836)
1757
Garsevan Chavchavadze, Georgian politician and diplomat (died 1811)
1762
Jakob Haibel, Austrian tenor and composer (died 1826)
1774
Auguste de Marmont, French general (died 1852)
1789
Mahmud II, Ottoman sultan (died 1839)
1804
Richard Owen, English biologist, anatomist, and paleontologist (died 1892)
1816
Sir William Bowman, English surgeon, histologist and anatomist. (died 1892)
1822
Gregor Mendel, Austro-German monk, geneticist and botanist (died 1884)
1830
Clements Markham, English explorer (died 1916)
1838
Augustin Daly, American playwright and manager (died 1899)
1838
William Paine Lord, American lawyer and politician, 9th Governor of Oregon (died 1911)
1838
Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet, English civil servant and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (died 1928)
1847
Max Liebermann, German painter and academic (died 1935)
1849
Robert Anderson Van Wyck, American lawyer and politician, 91st Mayor of New York City (died 1918)
1852
Theo Heemskerk, Dutch lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (died 1932)
1854
Philomène Belliveau, Canadian artist (died 1940)
1864
Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1931)
1864
Ruggero Oddi, Italian physiologist and anatomist (died 1913)
1868
Miron Cristea, Romanian cleric and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Romania (died 1939)
1873
Alberto Santos-Dumont, Brazilian pilot (died 1932)
1876
Otto Blumenthal, German mathematician and academic (died 1944)
1877
Tom Crean, Irish sailor and explorer (died 1938)
1882
Olga Hahn-Neurath, Austrian mathematician and philosopher (died 1937)
1889
John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, Scottish broadcaster, co-founded BBC (died 1971)
1890
Verna Felton, American actress (died 1966)
1890
Julie Vinter Hansen, Danish-Swiss astronomer and academic (died 1960)
1890
Giorgio Morandi, Italian painter (died 1964)
1893
George Llewelyn Davies, English soldier (died 1915)
1895
László Moholy-Nagy, Hungarian painter, photographer, and sculptor (died 1946)
1897
Tadeusz Reichstein, Polish-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1996)
1900
Maurice Leyland, English cricketer and coach (died 1967)
1901
Vehbi Koç, Turkish businessman and philanthropist, founded Koç Holding (died 1996)
1901
Eugenio Lopez Sr., Filipino businessman and founder of the Lopez Group of Companies (died 1975)
1901
Heinie Manush, American baseball player and manager (died 1971)
1901
Ida Mett, Belarusian Jewish anarchist (died 1973)
1902
Leonidas Berry, American gastroenterologist (died 1995)
1905
Joseph Levis, American foil fencer (died 2005)
1909
Eric Rowan, South African cricketer (died 1993)
1910
Vilém Tauský, Czech-English conductor and composer (died 2004)
1911
Baqa Jilani, Indian cricketer (died 1941)
1911
José Zabala-Santos, Filipino author and illustrator (died 1985)
1911
Loda Halama, Polish dancer and actress (died 1996)
1912
George Johnston, Australian journalist and author (died 1970)
1914
Dobri Dobrev, Bulgarian philanthropist (died 2018)
1914
Charilaos Florakis, Greek politician (died 2005)
1914
Ersilio Tonini, Italian cardinal (died 2013)
1918
Cindy Walker, American singer-songwriter and dancer (died 2006)
1919
Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer and explorer (died 2008)
1919
Jacquemine Charrott Lodwidge, English writer (died 2012)
1920
Elliot Richardson, American lieutenant and politician, 11th United States Secretary of Defense (died 1999)
1921
Henri Alleg, English-French journalist and author (died 2013)
1922
Alan Stephenson Boyd, American lawyer and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Transportation (died 2020)
1923
Stanisław Albinowski, Polish economist and journalist (died 2005)
1924
Lola Albright, American actress and singer (died 2017)
1924
Thomas Berger, American author and playwright (died 2014)
1924
Mort Garson, Canadian-American songwriter and composer (died 2008)
1925
Jacques Delors, French economist and politician, 8th President of the European Commission (died 2023)
1925
Frantz Fanon, French-Algerian psychiatrist and philosopher (died 1961)
1927
Barbara Bergmann, American economist and academic (died 2015)
1927
Heather Chasen, English actress (died 2020)
1927
Michael Gielen, Austrian conductor and composer (died 2019)
1927
Ian P. Howard, English-Canadian psychologist and academic (died 2013)
1928
Józef Czyrek, Polish economist and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2013)
1928
Belaid Abdessalam, Prime Minister of Algeria (died 2020)
1929
Hazel Hawke, Australian social worker and pianist, 23rd Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia (died 2013)
1929
Mike Ilitch, American businessman, founded Little Caesars (died 2017)
1929
Rajendra Kumar, Pakistani-Indian actor and producer (died 1999)
1929
David Tonkin, Australian politician, 38th Premier of South Australia (died 2000)
1930
Chuck Daly, American basketball player and coach (died 2009)
1930
William H. Goetzmann, American historian and author (died 2010)
1930
Sally Ann Howes, English-American singer and actress (died 2021)
1931
Shakuntala Karandikar, Indian biographer, essayist and philanthropist (died 2018)
1931
Tony Marsh, English race car driver (died 2009)
1932
Nam June Paik, American artist (died 2006)
1932
Otto Schily, German lawyer and politician, German Minister of the Interior
1933
Buddy Knox, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1999)
1933
Cormac McCarthy, American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter (died 2023)
1933
Rex Williams, English snooker player
1935
Peter Palumbo, Baron Palumbo, English businessman and art collector
1936
Alistair MacLeod, Canadian novelist and short story writer (died 2014)
1936
Barbara Mikulski, American social worker and politician
1938
Deniz Baykal, Turkish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey (died 2023)
1938
Roger Hunt, English footballer (died 2021)
1938
Tony Oliva, Cuban-American baseball player and coach
1938
Diana Rigg, English actress (died 2020)
1938
Natalie Wood, American actress (died 1981)
1939
Judy Chicago, American feminist artist
1941
Don Chuy, American football player (died 2014)
1941
Periklis Korovesis, Greek author and journalist (died 2020)
1941
Kurt Raab, German actor, screenwriter, and production designer (died 1988)
1942
Pete Hamilton, American race car driver (died 2017)
1943
Chris Amon, New Zealand race car driver (died 2016)
1943
John Lodge, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (died 2025)
1943
Bob McNab, English footballer
1943
Adrian Păunescu, Romanian poet, journalist, and politician (died 2010)
1943
Wendy Richard, English actress (died 2009)
1944
Mel Daniels, American basketball player and coach (died 2015)
1944
W. Cary Edwards, American politician (died 2010)
1944
Olivier de Kersauson, French sailor
1944
T. G. Sheppard, American country music singer-songwriter
1945
Charles Bowden, American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist (died 2014)
1945
Kim Carnes, American singer-songwriter
1945
Larry Craig, American soldier and politician
1945
Bo Rein, American football player and coach (died 1980)
1946
Randal Kleiser, American actor, director, and producer
1947
Gerd Binnig, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1947
Carlos Santana, Mexican-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1948
Muse Watson, American actor and producer
1948
Francis Billy Hilly, Solomon Islands politician (died 2025)
1950
Edward Leigh, English lawyer and politician
1950
Lucille Lemay, Canadian archer
1951
Jeff Rawle, English actor and screenwriter
1953
Dave Evans, Welsh-Australian singer-songwriter
1953
Thomas Friedman, American journalist and author
1953
Marcia Hines, American-Australian singer and actress
1954
Moira Harris, American actress
1954
Jay Jay French, American guitarist and producer
1955
Desmond Douglas, Jamaican-English table tennis player
1955
René-Daniel Dubois, Canadian actor and playwright
1955
Jem Finer, English banjo player and songwriter
1956
Paul Cook, English drummer
1956
Thomas N'Kono, Cameroonian footballer
1956
Jim Prentice, Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Premier of Alberta (died 2016)
1958
Mick MacNeil, Scottish keyboard player and songwriter
1958
Billy Mays, American salesman (died 2009)
1959
Radney Foster, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1960
Claudio Langes, Italian race car driver
1960
Prvoslav Vujčić, Serbian-Canadian poet and philosopher
1960
Sudesh Berry, Indian actor
1960
Mike Witt, American baseball player
1961
Óscar Elías Biscet, Cuban physician and activist, founded the Lawton Foundation
1962
Carlos Alazraqui, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
1962
Giovanna Amati, Italian race car driver
1962
Julie Bindel, English journalist, author, and academic
1963
Frank Whaley, American actor, director, and screenwriter
1964
Bernd Schneider, German race car driver
1964
Chris Cornell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2017)
1964
Terri Irwin, American-Australian zoologist and author
1964
Sebastiano Rossi, Italian footballer
1965
Jess Walter, American journalist and author
1966
Anton Du Beke, English dancer and presenter
1966
Stone Gossard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1966
Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexican lawyer and politician, 57th President of Mexico
1967
Courtney Taylor-Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1968
Jimmy Carson, American ice hockey player
1968
Hami Mandıralı, Turkish footballer and manager
1968
Kool G Rap, American hip-hop artist
1969
Josh Holloway, American actor
1969
Kreso Kovacec, Croatian-German footballer
1969
Giovanni Lombardi, Italian cyclist
1969
Joon Park, South Korean-American singer
1969
Tobi Vail, American singer and guitarist
1969
Vitamin C, American singer-songwriter
1971
Charles Johnson, American baseball player
1971
Sandra Oh, Canadian actress
1971
DJ Screw, American hip hop DJ, creator of the chopped and screwed genre (died 2000)
1972
Jamie Ainscough, Australian rugby league player
1972
Jozef Stümpel, Slovak ice hockey player
1972
Erik Ullenhag, Swedish jurist and politician
1973
Omar Epps, American actor
1973
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
1973
Peter Forsberg, Swedish ice hockey player and manager
1973
Nixon McLean, Caribbean cricketer
1973
Roberto Orci, Mexican-American screenwriter and producer (died 2025)
1973
Claudio Reyna, American soccer player
1974
Monica Nielsen, Norwegian politician
1975
Ray Allen, American basketball player and actor
1975
Judy Greer, American actress and producer
1975
Erik Hagen, Norwegian footballer
1975
Birgitta Ohlsson, Swedish journalist and politician, 5th Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs
1975
Jason Raize, American singer and actor (died 2004)
1975
Yusuf Şimşek, Turkish footballer and manager
1976
Erica Hill, American journalist
1976
Debashish Mohanty, Indian cricketer and coach
1976
Andrew Stockdale, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1976
Alex Yoong, Malaysian race car driver
1977
Kiki Musampa, Congolese footballer
1977
Yves Niaré, French shot putter (died 2012)
1977
Alessandro Santos, Brazilian-Japanese footballer
1978
Pavel Datsyuk, Russian ice hockey player
1978
Will Solomon, American basketball player
1978
Elliott Yamin, American singer-songwriter
1978
Ieva Zunda, Latvian runner and hurdler
1979
Miklós Fehér, Hungarian footballer (died 2004)
1979
Charlotte Hatherley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1979
David Ortega, Spanish swimmer
1980
Tesfaye Bramble, English-Montserratian footballer
1980
Gisele Bündchen, Brazilian model, fashionista, and businesswoman
1981
Viktoria Ladõnskaja, Estonian journalist and politician
1982
Antoine Vermette, Canadian ice hockey player
1984
Alexi Casilla, Dominican baseball player
1984
Matt Gilroy, American ice hockey player
1985
John Francis Daley, American actor and screenwriter
1985
Harley Morenstein, Canadian actor and YouTube personality
1985
David Mundy, Australian footballer
1986
Osric Chau, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1987
Nicola Benedetti, Scottish violinist
1987
Niall McGinn, Irish footballer
1988
Julianne Hough, American singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer
1988
Stephen Strasburg, American baseball player
1988
Shahram Mahmoudi, Iranian volleyball player
1989
Javier Cortés, Mexican footballer
1989
Cristian Pasquato, Italian footballer
1990
Lars Unnerstall, German footballer
1991
Chiyoshōma Fujio, Mongolian sumo wrestler
1991
Ryan James, Australian rugby league player
1991
Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015
1991
Philipp Reiter, German mountaineer and runner
1991
Tawan Vihokratana, Thai actor, host, and model
1993
Steven Adams, New Zealand basketball player
1993
Nick Cousins, Canadian ice hockey player
1995
Moses Leota, New Zealand rugby league player
1996
Ben Simmons, Australian basketball player
1999
Pop Smoke, American rapper and singer (died 2020)
2001
Álex Baena, Spanish footballer

🕯️ Notable Deaths

518
Amantius, Byzantine grand chamberlain and Monophysite martyr
833
Ansegisus, Frankish abbot and saint
985
Boniface VII, antipope of Rome
1031
Robert II, king of France (born 972)
1128
Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi, Fatimid vizier (born c. 1086)
1156
Toba, emperor of Japan (born 1103)
1320
Oshin, king of Armenia (born 1282)
1332
Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, regent of Scotland
1387
Robert IV, French nobleman (born 1356)
1398
Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, Welsh nobleman (born 1374)
1405
Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, fourth son of King Robert II of Scotland (approximate, b. 1343)
1453
Enguerrand de Monstrelet, French historian and author (born 1400)
1454
John II, king of Castile and León (born 1405)
1514
György Dózsa, Transylvanian peasant revolt leader (born 1470)
1524
Claude, queen consort of France (born 1499)
1526
García Jofre de Loaísa, Spanish explorer (born 1490)
1600
William More, English courtier (born 1520)
1616
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, Irish nobleman and rebel soldier (born 1550)
1704
Peregrine White, English-American farmer and soldier (born 1620)
1752
Johann Christoph Pepusch, German-English composer and theorist (born 1667)
1816
Gavrila Derzhavin, Russian poet and politician (born 1743)
1866
Bernhard Riemann, German mathematician and academic (born 1826)
1897
Jean Ingelow, English poet and author (born 1820)
1901
William Cosmo Monkhouse, English poet and critic (born 1840)
1903
Leo XIII, pope of the Catholic Church (born 1810)
1908
Demetrius Vikelas, Greek businessman and author, first IOC president (born 1835)
1908
Karl Bernhard Zoeppritz, German geophysicist and seismologist (born 1881)
1910
Anderson Dawson, Australian politician, 14th Premier of Queensland (born 1863)
1917
Ignaz Sowinski, Galician architect (born 1858)
1922
Andrey Markov, Russian mathematician and theorist (born 1856)
1923
Pancho Villa, Mexican general and politician, Governor of Chihuahua (born 1878)
1926
Felix Dzerzhinsky, Soviet educator and politician of Belarusian origin (born 1877)
1927
Ferdinand I, king of Romania (born 1865)
1928
Kostas Karyotakis, Greek poet and author (born 1896)
1932
René Bazin, French author and academic (born 1853)
1937
Olga Hahn-Neurath, Austrian mathematician and philosopher from the Vienna Circle (born 1882)
1937
Guglielmo Marconi, Italian physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1874)
1941
Lew Fields, American actor and producer (born 1867)
1944
Ludwig Beck, German general (born 1880)
1944
Mildred Harris, American actress (born 1901)
1945
Paul Valéry, French author and poet (born 1871)
1951
Abdullah I, king of Jordan (born 1882)
1953
Dumarsais Estimé, Haitian lawyer and politician, 33rd President of Haiti (born 1900)
1953
Jan Struther, English author and hymn-writer (born 1901)
1955
Calouste Gulbenkian, Armenian businessman and philanthropist (born 1869)
1956
James Alexander Calder, Canadian educator and politician, Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence (born 1868)
1959
William D. Leahy, American admiral and diplomat, United States Ambassador to France (born 1875)
1965
Batukeshwar Dutt, Indian activist (born 1910)
1968
Bray Hammond, American historian and author (born 1886)
1970
Iain Macleod, English journalist and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1913)
1972
Geeta Dutt, Indian singer and actress (born 1930)
1973
Bruce Lee, American actor and martial artist (born 1940)
1973
Robert Smithson, American photographer and sculptor (born 1938)
1974
Allen Jenkins, American actor and singer (born 1900)
1974
Kamal Dasgupta, Bengali music director, composer and folk artist. (born 1912)
1976
Joseph Rochefort, American captain and cryptanalyst (born 1900)
1977
Gary Kellgren, American record producer, co-founded Record Plant (born 1939)
1980
Maria Martinez, San Ildefonso Pueblo (Native American) potter (born 1887)
1981
Kostas Choumis, Greek-Romanian footballer (born 1913)
1983
Frank Reynolds, American soldier and journalist (born 1923)
1987
Richard Egan, American soldier and actor (born 1921)
1989
Forrest H. Anderson, American judge and politician, 17th Governor of Montana (born 1913)
1990
Herbert Turner Jenkins, American police officer (born 1907)
1992
Bruce Conde, American US army officer, stamp collector, and royalist mercenary general in the North Yemen civil war.
1993
Vince Foster, American lawyer and political figure (born 1945)
1994
Paul Delvaux, Belgian painter (born 1897)
1997
M. E. H. Maharoof, Sri Lankan politician (born 1939)
1998
June Byers, American wrestler (born 1922)
1999
Sandra Gould, American actress (born 1916)
2002
Michalis Kritikopoulos, Greek footballer (born 1946)
2003
Nicolas Freeling, English author (born 1927)
2004
Lala Mara, Fijian politician (born 1931)
2004
Valdemaras Martinkėnas, Lithuanian footballer and coach (born 1965)
2005
James Doohan, Canadian-American actor (born 1920)
2005
Finn Gustavsen, Norwegian journalist and politician (born 1926)
2005
Kayo Hatta, American director and cinematographer (born 1958)
2006
Ted Grant, South African-English theorist and activist (born 1913)
2006
Gérard Oury, French actor, director, and producer (born 1919)
2007
Tammy Faye Messner, American Christian evangelist and talk show host (born 1942)
2008
Artie Traum, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (born 1943)
2008
Dinko Šakić, Croatian concentration camp commander (born 1921)
2009
Vedat Okyar, Turkish footballer (born 1945)
2009
Mark Rosenzweig, American psychologist and academic (born 1922)
2011
Lucian Freud, German-English painter and illustrator (born 1922)
2012
Alastair Burnet, English journalist (born 1928)
2012
Jack Davis, American hurdler (born 1930)
2012
José Hermano Saraiva, Portuguese historian, jurist, and politician, Portuguese Minister of Education (born 1919)
2013
Pierre Fabre, French pharmacist and businessman, founded Laboratoires Pierre Fabre (born 1926)
2013
Khurshed Alam Khan, Indian politician, 2nd Governor of Goa (born 1919)
2013
Augustus Rowe, Canadian physician and politician (born 1920)
2013
Helen Thomas, American journalist and author (born 1920)
2014
Victor G. Atiyeh, American businessman and politician, 32nd Governor of Oregon (born 1923)
2014
Constantin Lucaci, Romanian sculptor and educator (born 1923)
2014
Bob McNamara, American football player (born 1931)
2014
Klaus Schmidt, German archaeologist and academic (born 1953)
2015
Wayne Carson, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1943)
2015
Fred Else, English footballer and manager (born 1933)
2015
Dieter Moebius, Swiss-German keyboard player and producer (born 1944)
2016
Radu Beligan, Romanian actor, director, and essayist (born 1918)
2017
Chester Bennington, American singer (born 1976)
2020
Michael Brooks, political commentator (born 1983)
2024
Jerry Miller, American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist (born 1943)
2024
Jill Schary Robinson, American novelist (born 1936)
2025
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, American actor (born 1970)