Famous People Who Died at 97
The list of famous people who died at 97 includes John D. Rockefeller, Louis Zamperini, Bertrand Russell, Marc Chagall, John Kenneth Galbraith. Famous personalities featured on this list, include spiritual & religious leaders, mathematicians, political leaders and philosophers and from other domains of life. This list of celebrities who died at 97 includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Italy & Canada and many more countries.
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1
Doris Day(One of the Biggest Film Stars of Golden Age of Hollywood )
Birthdate: April 3, 1922
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: May 13, 2019
Doris Day began her career singing with the Les Brown Band and as a solo artist. As an actor, she delivered many hits with Rock Hudson, including Pillow Talk, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. She is remembered as a legend from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Birthdate: August 9, 1757
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States
Died: November 9, 1854
The better half of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was involved in her husband’s political career during his lifetime and worked towards protecting his legacy after his death. A social worker, she lent support to multiple charitable causes including establishing New York’s first private orphanage.
Birthdate: July 8, 1839
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Richford, New York, United States
Died: May 23, 1937
Widely regarded as the richest person in modern history and the wealthiest American ever, John D. Rockefeller was a business magnate who founded the Standard Oil Company. He was America’s first billionaire. He also defined the structure of modern philanthropy as the foundations created by him had a major effect on scientific research, medicine, and education.
4
Chuck Yeager(American Test Pilot and the First Air Force Officer to Exceed the Speed of Sound in Flight)
Birthdate: February 13, 1923
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Myra, West Virginia, United States
Died: December 7, 2020
U.S. Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager was the first human to break the sound barrier, when he flew the Bell X-1 in 1947. He was a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot in World War II and also fought in the Vietnam War. He inspired the novel and movie The Right Stuff.
Birthdate: May 18, 1872
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Trellech, Monmouthshire, Wales
Died: February 2, 1970
Bertrand Russell was a British polymath and Nobel laureate. His work, which is spread across various fields, has had a considerable influence on philosophy, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, mathematics, linguistics, and logic. Russell is also credited with leading the revolt against idealism in Britain and is regarded as one of the founders of analytic philosophy.
6
Carol Channing(Actress)
Birthdate: January 31, 1921
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
Died: January 15, 2019
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
Birthdate: March 22, 1912
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: July 1, 2009
Karl Malden is best remembered for his Academy Award-winning role of Harold Mitchell in A Streetcar Named Desire. He also won a BAFTA for the film Baby Doll and an Emmy for Fatal Vision. Fans also loved him as Mike Stone in The Streets of San Francisco and its spin-off.
Birthdate: February 22, 1908
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: North Elmham, Norfolk, England, UK
Died: April 23, 2005
Sir John Mills was an English actor whose career spanned 70 years. During the course of his career, Mills won several prestigious awards, including an Academy Award for his portrayal of Michael in the 1970 epic romantic drama film, Ryan's Daughter. In 2002, he was honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts with a BAFTA Fellowship.
9
Marc Chagall(Jewish-French Artist Who was a Pioneer of Modernism)
Birthdate: July 6, 1887
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lizona, Belarus
Died: March 28, 1985
Russian-French artist Marc Chagall, a key figure of modernism, had explored a wide range of media as an artist, from paintings and drawings to stained glass and ceramics. His major projects included the ceiling of the Paris Opéra, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Jerusalem Windows of Israel.
Birthdate: October 27, 1920
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States
Died: February 22, 2018
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
11
Rhonda Fleming(Actress)
Birthdate: August 10, 1923
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: October 14, 2020
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Birthdate: March 16, 1750
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hanover, Germany
Died: January 9, 1848
Caroline Herschel was a German astronomer who is credited with the discovery of many comets, such as 35P/Herschel-Rigollet, which is named in her honor. In 1828, Herschel became the first woman to be honored with a Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. She was also the first female scientist to receive a salary.
Birthdate: April 28, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chinsali, Awemba North, Northern Rhodesia
Died: June 17, 2021
Kenneth Kaunda is a Zambian former politician. He served as the first president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. A major figure in Zambia’s struggle for independence from British rule, he became the first president of independent Zambia. As the president, he implemented many educational and economic reforms to accelerate the rate of modernization in the country.
14
Art Linkletter(Genial host of TV's House Party from 1943 to 1967)
Birthdate: July 17, 1912
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Moose Jaw, Canada
Died: May 26, 2010
15
Bill Macy(Actor)
Birthdate: May 18, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Revere, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died: October 17, 2019
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Birthdate: November 15, 1919
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: February 26, 2017
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
17
John Kenneth Galbraith(Famous for His Trilogy on Economics 'American Capitalism', 'The Affluent Society' and 'The New Industrial State')
Birthdate: October 15, 1908
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Iona Station, Canada
Died: April 29, 2006
John Kenneth Galbraith was an intellectual, diplomat, economist, and public official. One of the most influential exponents of 20th-century American liberalism, Galbraith published many books concerning the American economy. Galbraith is one of the few individuals to be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Medal of Freedom. He also received 50 honorary degrees from various institutions.
Birthdate: February 2, 1912
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London
Died: May 31, 2009
19
Empress Kōjun(Consort)
Birthdate: March 6, 1903
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: June 16, 2000
Empress Kōjun was an Empress consort of Japan. As the wife of Emperor Shōwa, Kōjun was one of the most important members of the Imperial House of Japan. She reigned as empress consort from 1926 to 1989, becoming the longest-serving empress consort in the history of Japan. Kōjun performed her ceremonial duties and accompanied Emperor Shōwa on his foreign tours.
20
Leon Askin(Austrian Actor Best Known for Portraying the Character 'General Burkhalter' in the TV Series 'Hogan’s Heroes')
Birthdate: September 18, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: June 3, 2005
Leon Askin was a prominent actor of Austrian origin. Born in Vienna to a Jewish family, he fled to the United States in 1940 to escape the Nazis. Already trained in acting, he was able to get work in Hollywood. He ventured into television as well and became widely popular with his role in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes.
Birthdate: October 10, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hall Green, Birmingham, England
Died: March 13, 2021
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
22
Bess Truman(Former First Lady of the United States)
Birthdate: February 13, 1885
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Independence, Missouri, United States
Died: October 18, 1982
23
June Havoc(Canadian-American Actor, Dancer, and Stage Director)
Birthdate: November 8, 1912
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada
Died: March 28, 2010
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Birthdate: January 26, 1917
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Olean, New York
Died: July 2, 2014
Louis Zamperini finished 8th in the 5000-meter race at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He then became a U.S. Air Forces lieutenant. Following a plane crash, he drifted at sea for 47 days and was captured by the Japanese. He was later released. His story inspired a book and several movies.
25
Erté(Russian-born French Artist and Designer)
Birthdate: November 23, 1892
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: April 21, 1990
Russian-French designer and artist Romain de Tirtoff, better known as Erté, not just designed clothes but also created sets, costumes, and posters for opera and ballet performances. He had worked for Harper’s Bazaar and the Folies-Bergère, and had also penned quite a few books on design and illustration.
26
Margaret Chase Smith(Politician)
Birthdate: December 14, 1897
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Skowhegan, Maine, United States
Died: May 29, 1995
27
Gene Sarazen(American Professional Golfer Who Was a World-Class Player in the 1920s and 1930s)
Birthdate: February 27, 1902
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Harrison, New York, United States
Died: May 13, 1999
Gene Sarazen was an American golfer who won seven major championships. Regarded as one of the greatest golfers of his generation, Sarazen is one of the five golfers who have achieved a Career Grand Slam. In 1974, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1992, Sarazen was honored with the prestigious Bob Jones Award.
28
Agathe von Trapp(Austrian American Singer)
Birthdate: March 12, 1913
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pola, Istria, Austria-Hungary (present-day Pula, Croatia)
Died: December 28, 2010
29
Gerda Weissmann Klein(American Holocaust Survivor Who Became an Inspiring Speaker and Human Rights Activist)
Birthdate: May 8, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bielsko, Poland
Died: April 3, 2022
Gerda Weissmann Klein is a Polish American writer. She survived the Holocaust in which her entire family perished. Later on, she wrote an autobiographical account of the Holocaust, All but My Life, which was adapted into a short film. She and her husband became advocates of Holocaust education. She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
30
Pinetop Perkins(Jazz Pianist)
Birthdate: July 7, 1913
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Belzoni, Mississippi, United States
Died: March 21, 2011
31
Leon Theremin(Inventor of the First Electronic Musical Instrument 'Theremin')
Birthdate: August 27, 1896
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: November 3, 1993
One of the pioneers of electronic music, Léon Theremin invented the aetherphone, also known as the theremin, which was the first electronic musical instrument to be mass-produced. He also doubled up as a Soviet spy, eavesdropping on the British, French, and US embassies, using the Buran device and The Thing.
Birthdate: May 11, 1918
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kerala
Died: January 21, 2016
Padma Shri- and Padma Bhushan-winning classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai received a unique education, having been part of both the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Shantiniketan. She specialized in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali, and later launched her own dance academy, along with her physicist husband Vikram Sarabhai.
33
Paul Henry Nitze(Military strategist)
Birthdate: January 16, 1907
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Amherst, Massachusetts
Died: October 19, 2004
34
Raymond Smullyan(Mathematician, Philosopher)
Birthdate: May 25, 1919
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Far Rockaway, New York, United States
Died: February 6, 2017
35
Mary Stewart(Author)
Birthdate: September 17, 1916
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sunderland, England
Died: May 9, 2014
36
Sister Lúcia(Religious sister)
Birthdate: March 28, 1907
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Aljustrel, Portugal
Died: February 13, 2005
37
Yusuf ibn Tashfin(Political Leader)
Birthdate: 1009 AD
Birthplace: Sahara Desert, Africa
Died: September 2, 1106
38
Kenan Evren(The 7th President of Turkey)
Birthdate: July 17, 1917
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Alaşehir
Died: May 9, 2015
After leading the coup of 1980, Turkish military commander Kenan Evren took over as the 7th president of Turkey. Following his retirement, he settled in Marmaris and mastered oil painting. Evren died before his final conviction and sentencing in the trial for the 1980 coup.
39
Joaquín Rodrigo(Spanish Composer and a Virtuoso Pianist Best Known for Composition 'Concierto de Aranjuez')
Birthdate: November 22, 1901
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sagunto, Spain
Died: July 6, 1999
Joaquín Rodrigo was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist best known for composing the Concierto de Aranjuez. He lost his sight as a child and was encouraged by his parents to study music. He excelled in his musical education and began composing in braille as a young man. In 1983, he was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música.
40
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan(Political & Spiritual Leader and Founder of the 'Khudai Khidmatgar' Resistance Movement against British Colonial Rule in India)
Birthdate: February 6, 1890
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Utmānzai, Pakistan
Died: January 20, 1988
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun independence activist who opposed the British rule in India. A spiritual and political leader, Khan called for Hindu-Muslim unity in India and opposed the partition of India. Khan is still revered by many in India and Pakistan for his pacifist ideology. Many places in India are named in his honor.
41
Gertrude Ederle(American Competition Swimmer, Olympic Champion, and World Record-Holder in Five Events)
Birthdate: October 23, 1906
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: November 30, 2003
Gertrude Ederle made history when she became the first female to cross the English Channel. Unfortunately, she lost her sense of hearing while achieving the feat and later devoted herself to coaching deaf swimmers. She also won 2 bronze medals and a relay gold medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
42
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar(Sufi Saint and Poet)
Birthdate: 1177 AD
Birthplace: Marand, Iran
Died: February 19, 1274
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was a Sufi poet and saint of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Revered by the Sindhi population, Shahbaz is credited with helping many people convert to Islam. A profound scholar of religions, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is viewed as a holy figure in Sindh as it is believed that he performed many miracles during his time.
43
Mary Gilmore(Journalist, Poet, Writer)
Birthdate: August 16, 1865
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Goulburn
Died: December 3, 1962
Mary Gilmore was an Australian writer and journalist. She wrote both prose and poetry and is recognized for her tremendous contribution to Australian literature. As a young woman, she became a school teacher and held utopian socialist views. She eventually started writing and gained fame as an author and poet later in life.
44
Gertrude Himmelfarb(Historian)
Birthdate: August 8, 1922
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: December 30, 2019
45
Walter Scheel(Former President of Germany (1974 - 1979))
Birthdate: July 8, 1919
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Solingen, Germany
Died: August 24, 2016
Walter Scheel was a German politician who led the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) between 1968 and 1974. He also served as vice-chancellor and minister of Foreign Affairs from 1969 to 1974 during Willy Brandt's chancellorship. When Willy Brandt resigned in 1974, Walter Scheel served as the acting chancellor of West Germany for a few days.
46
Gabriel Okara(Nigerian Novelist and Poet Who was the First Poet of Anglophone African Origin to Embrace Modernism)
Birthdate: April 24, 1921
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Eastern Region, Nigeria
Died: March 25, 2019
Gabriel Okara was a Nigerian novelist and poet best remembered for his experimental novel, The Voice. Over the course of his career, Okara won several prestigious awards such as the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the Nigeria Prize for Literature. Nicknamed the Nigerian Negritudist, Gabriel Okara was the first poet of Anglophone African origin to embrace modernism.
47
Lewis Gilbert(Film director, Screenwriter, Film producer)
Birthdate: March 6, 1920
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London, England
Died: February 23, 2018
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
48
Vincent Scully(Art historian)
Birthdate: August 21, 1920
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died: November 30, 2017
Birthdate: May 11, 1924
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Fowey, Cornwall, England
Died: September 13, 2021
Radio astronomer and physicist Antony Hewish is best known for his Nobel Prize-winning research on pulsars. Apart from teaching at Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, he has also served as an advisory council member for the Campaign for Science and Engineering. He also has six honorary degrees to his credit.
50
Princess Anna of Montenegro(Aristocrat)
Birthdate: August 18, 1873
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cetinje, Montenegro
Died: April 22, 1971
