1857

The first passenger train to run on Indian soil begins service. AI analysis

On December 31, 1857, the first passenger train in India began operation between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Thane. This marked the beginning of the Indian railway system, which would become one of the largest and most vital in the world, transforming transportation and the Indian economy. --AI Explanation

1879

The first performance of "A Christmas Carol" takes place. AI analysis

On December 31, 1879, Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" was performed for the first time. The play, based on Dickens’ famous novella, has since become a Christmas tradition, highlighting themes of generosity, redemption, and social responsibility. --AI Explanation

1891

The first game of basketball is played. AI analysis

On December 31, 1891, Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, marking the birth of one of the world’s most popular sports. Naismith’s creation has since grown into a global phenomenon, with professional leagues and millions of fans worldwide. --AI Explanation

1907

The first New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square. AI analysis

On December 31, 1907, the first New Year's Eve ball drop was held in Times Square, New York City. The event, a symbol of the American tradition of celebrating the New Year, continues to attract millions of spectators worldwide and has become a global cultural event. --AI Explanation

1911

The first major expedition to the South Pole begins. AI analysis

On December 31, 1911, Roald Amundsen's Norwegian team set off on their historic expedition to the South Pole. They became the first to reach the pole in December 1911, marking a major milestone in the exploration of the polar regions. --AI Explanation

1929

The Soviet Union bans the private ownership of land. AI analysis

On December 31, 1929, the Soviet Union officially banned private land ownership, consolidating all agricultural production under state control. This policy was part of Joseph Stalin’s collectivization campaign, which aimed to centralize agriculture and modernize the Soviet economy but resulted in widespread famine. --AI Explanation

1944

U.S. forces land on Mindoro Island during World War II. AI analysis

On December 31, 1944, American forces successfully landed on Mindoro Island in the Philippines, a key strategic point during World War II. This landing helped secure the Philippines from Japanese occupation and paved the way for the liberation of the archipelago. --AI Explanation

1951

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is established. AI analysis

On December 31, 1951, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established to protect and assist refugees worldwide. It remains a key organization for providing humanitarian aid and advocating for the rights of displaced people. --AI Explanation

1959

The Cuban Revolution is complete, and Fidel Castro takes power. AI analysis

On December 31, 1959, Fidel Castro's revolutionary forces officially took control of Cuba, overthrowing the Batista regime. Castro’s rise to power marked the beginning of communist rule in Cuba and the start of significant tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, influencing global geopolitics. --AI Explanation

1961

The U.S. severs diplomatic relations with Cuba. AI analysis

On December 31, 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba following Fidel Castro’s alignment with the Soviet Union. This event deepened the Cold War rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet bloc, leading to economic embargoes and heightened tensions in the Western Hemisphere. --AI Explanation

1967

The Soviet Union devalues the ruble. AI analysis

On December 31, 1967, the Soviet Union devalued the ruble in an attempt to stabilize its economy and improve its international trade relations. The devaluation was part of broader economic reforms, but it also highlighted the inefficiencies and challenges faced by the centrally planned Soviet economy. --AI Explanation

1972

The United States and the Soviet Union sign the SALT I Treaty. AI analysis

On December 31, 1972, the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) treaty, capping the number of nuclear weapons each side could deploy. This was a key step toward détente, easing Cold War tensions and setting the stage for future arms control agreements. --AI Explanation

1978

The Chinese government implements its one-child policy. AI analysis

On December 31, 1978, China formally implemented its controversial one-child policy to curb population growth. The policy, which lasted for decades, had profound demographic, social, and political impacts on the country, but also faced widespread criticism for its human rights implications. --AI Explanation

1981

The U.S. and Iran officially end their diplomatic crisis. AI analysis

On December 31, 1981, the United States and Iran officially ended their diplomatic crisis by releasing the American hostages held in Tehran. This marked the resolution of the 444-day hostage situation, which had been a significant source of tension between the two countries. --AI Explanation

1991

The Soviet Union formally dissolves. AI analysis

On December 31, 1991, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved, ending the Cold War and leading to the emergence of 15 independent republics. This historic event reshaped global politics and marked the end of a superpower rivalry between the U.S. and the USSR. --AI Explanation

2004

A massive earthquake strikes the Indian Ocean, triggering a deadly tsunami. AI analysis

On December 31, 2004, a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a devastating tsunami that affected many countries around the Indian Ocean. The disaster resulted in over 230,000 deaths and became one of the deadliest natural disasters in history. --AI Explanation

2009

A failed bombing attempt occurs on Northwest Airlines Flight 253. AI analysis

On December 31, 2009, a Nigerian man attempted to detonate explosives aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as it was approaching Detroit. The failed attack, later known as the "Underwear Bombing," prompted increased security measures at airports worldwide and renewed concerns about aviation safety. --AI Explanation

2013

The U.S. announces the end of the Iraq War. AI analysis

On December 31, 2013, the U.S. officially declared the end of its military operations in Iraq, marking the conclusion of nearly nine years of war following the 2003 invasion. The decision signaled a shift in American foreign policy and raised questions about Iraq's long-term stability. --AI Explanation

2016

The U.S. expels Russian diplomats over election interference allegations. AI analysis

On December 31, 2016, the United States expelled 35 Russian diplomats and imposed sanctions on Russia in response to allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This action escalated tensions between the two countries and sparked global debates about cybersecurity and foreign influence. --AI Explanation

2019

The United States and China sign the Phase One Trade Agreement. AI analysis

On December 31, 2019, the U.S. and China signed the Phase One Trade Agreement, marking a temporary truce in the ongoing trade war. The deal included commitments from China to purchase more U.S. goods, but the underlying issues of intellectual property rights and tariffs remained unresolved. --AI Explanation

December 31 Birthdays

695

Muhammad ibn al-Qasim

Umayyad general

(d. 715)

1491

Jacques Cartier

French navigator and explorer

(d. 1557)

1493

Eleonora Gonzaga

Duchess of Urbino

(d. 1570)

1504

Beatrice of Portugal

Duchess of Savoy

(d. 1538)

1514

Andreas Vesalius

Belgian anatomist, physician, and author

(d. 1564)

1539

John Radcliffe

English politician

(d. 1568)

1550

Henry I

Duke of Guise

(d. 1588)

1552

Simon Forman

English occultist and astrologer

(d. 1611)

1572

Emperor Go-Yōzei of Japan

(d. 1617)

1585

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba

Spanish general and politician, 24th Governor of the Duchy of Milan

(d. 1645)

1668

Herman Boerhaave

Dutch botanist and physician

(d. 1738)

1714

Arima Yoriyuki

Japanese mathematician and educator

(d. 1783)

1720

Charles Edward Stuart

Scottish claimant to the throne of England

(d. 1788)

1738

Charles Cornwallis

1st Marquess Cornwallis, English general and politician, 3rd Governor-General of India

(d. 1805)

1741

Gottfried August Bürger

German poet and academic

(d. 1794)

1763

Pierre-Charles Villeneuve

French admiral

(d. 1806)

1776

Johann Spurzheim

German-American physician and phrenologist

(d. 1832)

1798

Friedrich Robert Faehlmann

Estonian physician, philologist, and academic

(d. 1850)

1805

Marie d'Agoult

German-French historian and author

(d. 1876)

1815

George Meade

American general and engineer

(d. 1872)

1830

Isma'il Pasha

Egyptian ruler

(d. 1895)

1830

Alexander Smith

Scottish poet and critic

(d. 1867)

1833

Hugh Nelson Scottish-Australian politician

11th Premier of Queensland

(d. 1906)

1838

Émile Loubet

French lawyer and politician, 7th President of France

(d. 1929)

1842

Giovanni Boldini

Italian painter

(d. 1931)

1851

Henry Carter Adams

American economist and academic

(d. 1921)

1855

Giovanni Pascoli

Italian poet and scholar

(d. 1912)

1857

King Kelly

American baseball player and manager

(d. 1894)

1860

Joseph S. Cullinan

American businessman, co-founded Texaco

(d. 1937)

1864

Robert Grant Aitken

American astronomer and academic

(d. 1951)

1869

Henri Matisse

French painter and sculptor

(d. 1954)

1872

Fred Marriott

American race car driver

(d. 1956)

1873

Konstantin Konik

Estonian surgeon and politician, 19th Estonian Minister of Education

(d. 1936)

1874

Julius Meier

American businessman and politician, 20th Governor of Oregon

(d. 1937)

1877

Lawrence Beesley

English journalist and author

(d. 1967)

1878

Elizabeth Arden

Canadian businesswoman, founded Elizabeth Arden, Inc.

(d. 1966)

1878

Horacio Quiroga

Uruguayan-Argentinian author, poet, and playwright

(d. 1937)

1880

Fred Beebe

American baseball player and coach

(d. 1957)

1880

George Marshall

American general and politician, 50th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate

(d. 1959)

1881

Max Pechstein

German painter and academic

(d. 1955)

1884

Bobby Byrne

American baseball and soccer player

(d. 1964)

1884

Mihály Fekete

Hungarian actor, screenwriter, and film director

(d. 1960)

1899

Silvestre Revueltas

Mexican violinist, composer, and conductor

(d. 1940)

1901

Karl-August Fagerholm

Finnish politician, valtioneuvos, the Speaker of the Parliament and the Prime Minister of Finland

(d. 1984)

1901

Nikos Ploumpidis

Greek educator and politician

(d. 1954)

1902

Lionel Daunais

Canadian singer-songwriter

(d. 1982)

1902

Roy Goodall

English footballer

(d. 1982)

1903

William Heynes

English engineer

(d. 1989)

1905

Helen Dodson Prince

American astronomer and academic

(d. 2002)

1908

Simon Wiesenthal

Ukrainian-Austrian Nazi hunter and author

(d. 2005)

1909

Jonah Jones

American trumpet player and saxophonist

(d. 2000)

1910

Carl Dudley

American director, producer, and screenwriter

(d. 1973)

1910

Enrique Maier

Spanish tennis player

(d. 1981)

1911

Dal Stivens

Australian soldier and author

(d. 1997)

1912

John Frost

Indian-English general

(d. 1993)

1914

Mary Logan Reddick

American neuroembryologist

(d. 1966)

1915

Sam Ragan

American journalist, author, and poet

(d. 1996)

1917

Evelyn Knight

American singer

(d. 2007)

1917

Wilfrid Noyce

English mountaineer and author

(d. 1962)

1918

Ray Graves

American football player and coach

(d. 2015)

1919

Tommy Byrne

American baseball player, coach, and politician

(d. 2007)

1919

Carmen Contreras-Bozak

Puerto Rican-American soldier

(d. 2017)

1920

Rex Allen

American actor and singer-songwriter

(d. 1999)

1922

Tomás Balduino

Brazilian bishop

(d. 2014)

1922

Halina Czerny-Stefańska

Polish pianist and educator

(d. 2001)

1922

Luis Zuloaga

Venezuelan baseball player

(d. 2013)

1923

Giannis Dalianidis

Greek actor, director, and screenwriter

(d. 2010)

1924

Taylor Mead

American actor and poet

(d. 2013)

1925

Irina Korschunow

German author and screenwriter

(d. 2013)

1925

Sri Lal Sukla

Indian author

(d. 2011)

1925

Daphne Oram

British composer and electronic musician

(d. 2003)

1926

Valerie Pearl

English historian and academic

(d. 2016)

1926

Billy Snedden

Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Attorney-General for Australia

(d. 1987)

1928

Ross Barbour

American pop singer

(d. 2011)

1928

Hugh McElhenny

American football player

(d. 2022)

1928

Veijo Meri

Finnish author and translator

(d. 2015)

1928

Tatyana Shmyga

Russian actress and singer

(d. 2011)

1928

Siné

French cartoonist

(d. 2016)

1929

Mies Bouwman

Dutch television host

(d. 2018)

1929

Peter May

English cricketer

(d. 1994)

1930

Jaime Escalante

Bolivian-American educator

(d. 2010)

1930

Odetta

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress

(d. 2008)

1931

Bob Shaw

Northern Irish journalist and author

(d. 1996)

1932

Don James

American football player and coach

(d. 2013)

1932

Felix Rexhausen

German journalist and author

(d. 1992)

1933

Edward Bunker

American author, screenwriter, and actor

(d. 2005)

1934

Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan

Indian author, poet, and scholar

(d. 2017)

1937

Avram Hershko

Hungarian-Israeli biochemist and physician, Nobel Prize laureat

e

1937

Barry Hughes

Welsh footballer and manager

(d. 2019)

1937

Tess Jaray

Austrian-English painter and educato

r

1938

Rosalind Cash

American singer and actress

(d. 1995)

1938

Atje Keulen-Deelstra

Dutch speed skater

(d. 2013)

1939

Willye White

American sprinter and long jumper

(d. 2007)

1940

Mani Neumeier

German drumme

r

1941

Sir Alex Ferguson

Scottish footballer and manage

r

1944

Taylor Hackford

American director, producer, and screenwrite

r

1945

Connie Willis

American autho

r

1946

Roy Greenslade

English journalist and academi

c

1946

Bryan Hamilton

Northern Irish footballer and coac

h

1946

Raphael Kaplinsky

South African international development academi

c

1946

Pius Ncube

Zimbabwean archbisho

p

1946

Lyudmila Pakhomova

Russian ice dancer

(d. 1986)

1946

Cliff Richey

American tennis playe

r

1946

Eric Robson

Scottish journalist and autho

r

1946

Nigel Rudd

English businessman, founded Williams Holding

s

1946

Tim Stevens

English bisho

p

1948

Sandy Jardine

Scottish footballer and manager

(d. 2014)

1949

Ellen Datlow

American anthologist and autho

r

1949

Flora Gomes

Bissau-Guinean filmmake

r

1949

Susan Shwartz

American autho

r

1950

Bob Gilder

American golfe

r

1950

Inge Helten

German sprinte

r

1950

Cheryl Womack

American businesswoma

n

1951

Kenny Roberts

American motorcycle race

r

1952

Vaughan Jones

New Zealand mathematician and academic

(d. 2020)

1952

Jean-Pierre Rives

French rugby player, painter, and sculpto

r

1953

Jane Badler

American actres

s

1954

Alex Salmond

Scottish economist and politician, First Minister of Scotland

(d. 2024)

1954

Hermann Tilke

German racing driver, architect and enginee

r

1956

Robert Goodwill

English farmer and politicia

n

1956

Helma Knorscheidt

German shot putte

r

1956

Steve Rude

American author and illustrato

r

1958

Geoff Marsh

Australian cricketer and coac

h

1959

Liveris Andritsos

Greek basketball playe

r

1959

Phill Kline

American lawyer and politician, Kansas Attorney Genera

l

1959

Baron Waqa

Nauruan composer and politician, 14th President of Naur

u

1960

Steve Bruce

English footballer and manage

r

1961

Rick Aguilera

American baseball player and coac

h

1961

Jeremy Heywood

English economist and civil servant

(d. 2018)

1961

Nina Li Chi

Hong Kong actres

s

1962

Tyrone Corbin

American basketball player and coac

h

1962

Chris Hallam

English-Welsh swimmer and wheelchair racer

(d. 2013)

1962

Jennifer Higdon

American compose

r

1964

Winston Benjamin

Antiguan crickete

r

1964

Michael McDonald

American comedian, actor, and directo

r

1965

Tony Dorigo

Australian-English footballer and sportscaste

r

1965

Julie Doucet

Canadian cartoonist and autho

r

1965

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

Indian crickete

r

1967

Paul McGregor

Australian rugby league player and coac

h

1968

Gerry Dee

Canadian comedian, actor, and screenwrite

r

1968

Junot Diaz

Dominican-born American novelist, short story writer, and essayis

t

1970

Jorjão

Brazilian footballe

r

1970

Danny McNamara

English singer-songwrite

r

1970

Carlos Morales Quintana

Spanish-Danish architect and sailo

r

1970

Bryon Russell

American basketball playe

r

1971

Brent Barry

American basketball player and sportscaste

r

1971

Esteban Loaiza

Mexican baseball playe

r

1971

Heath Shuler

American football player and politicia

n

1972

Grégory Coupet

French footballe

r

1972

Scott Manley

Scottish YouTube personalit

y

1973

Shandon Anderson

American basketball playe

r

1973

Malcolm Middleton

Scottish singer-songwriter and guitaris

t

1973

Curtis Myden

Canadian swimme

r

1974

Mario Aerts

Belgian cyclis

t

1974

Tony Kanaan

Brazilian race car drive

r

1974

Ryan Sakoda

Japanese-American wrestler and traine

r

1975

Rami Alanko

Finnish ice hockey playe

r

1975

Toni Kuivasto

Finnish footballer and coac

h

1975

Rob Penders

Dutch footballe

r

1975

Sander Schutgens

Dutch runne

r

1976

Luís Carreira

Portuguese motorcycle racer

(d. 2012)

1976

Matthew Hoggard

English crickete

r

1977

Wardy Alfaro

Costa Rican footballer and coac

h

1979

Paul O'Neill

English racing drive

r

1979

Jeff Waldstreicher

American lawyer and politicia

n

1979

Ricky Whittle

British acto

r

1980

Jesse Carlson

American baseball playe

r

1980

Matt Cross

American wrestle

r

1980

Richie McCaw

New Zealand rugby playe

r

1980

Carsten Schlangen

German runne

r

1981

Jason Campbell

American football playe

r

1981

Francisco García

Dominican basketball playe

r

1981

Matthew Pavlich

Australian footballe

r

1981

Margaret Simpson

Ghanaian heptathlet

e

1982

Julio DePaula

Dominican baseball playe

r

1982

Craig Gordon

Scottish footballe

r

1982

Luke Schenscher

Australian basketball playe

r

1982

The Rocket Summer

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and produce

r

1983

Jana Veselá

Czech basketball playe

r

1984

Corey Crawford

Canadian ice hockey playe

r

1984

Ben Hannant

Australian rugby league playe

r

1984

Édgar Lugo

Mexican footballe

r

1984

Calvin Zola

Congolese footballe

r

1985

Jonathan Horton

American gymnas

t

1985

Jan Smit

Dutch singer and television hos

t

1986

Nate Freiman

American baseball playe

r

1986

Kade Snowden

Australian rugby league playe

r

1987

Javaris Crittenton

American basketball playe

r

1987

Danny Holla

Dutch footballe

r

1987

Nemanja Nikolić

Hungarian footballe

r

1988

Michal Řepík

Czech ice hockey playe

r

1989

Ryo Aitaka

Japanese kickboxer and professional wrestle

r

1989

Kelvin Herrera

Dominican baseball playe

r

1991

Dennis Everberg

Swedish ice hockey playe

r

1991

ND Stevenson

American cartoonis

t

1992

Amy Cure

Australian track cyclis

t

1992

Karl Kruuda

Estonian racing drive

r

1995

Gabby Douglas

American gymnas

t

1995

Edmond Sumner

American basketball playe

r

1996

J. J. Arcega-Whiteside

Spanish-American football playe

r

1997

Cameron Carter-Vickers

English-American soccer playe

r

2000

Alycia Parks

American tennis playe

r

2001

Katie Volynets

American tennis playe

r

2002

Joe Scally

American soccer playe

r

December 31 Deaths

669

Li Shiji

Chinese general

(b. 594)

914

Ibn Hawshab

founder of the Isma'ili community in Yeme

n

1032

Ahmad Maymandi

Persian statesman, vizier of the Ghaznavid Empir

e

1194

Leopold V

Duke of Austria

(b. 1157)

1298

Humphrey de Bohun

3rd Earl of Hereford, English politician, Lord High Constable of England

(b. 1249)

1299

Margaret

Countess of Anjou

(b. 1273)

1302

Frederick III

Duke of Lorraine

(b. 1238)

1384

John Wycliffe

English philosopher, theologian, and translator

(b. 1331)

1386

Johanna of Bavaria

Queen of Bohemia

(b. c. 1362)

1426

Thomas Beaufort

Duke of Exeter

(b. 1377)

1439

Margaret Holland

English noblewoman

(b. 1385)

1460

Richard Neville

5th Earl of Salisbury, English politician, Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom

(b. 1400)

1510

Bianca Maria Sforza

Holy Roman Empress

(b. 1472)

1535

William Skeffington

English-Irish politician, Lord Deputy of Ireland

(b. 1465)

1568

Shimazu Tadayoshi

Japanese daimyō

(b. 1493)

1575

Pierino Belli

Italian commander and jurist

(b. 1502)

1583

Thomas Erastus

Swiss physician and theologian

(b. 1524)

1610

Ludolph van Ceulen

German-Dutch mathematician and academic

(b. 1540)

1637

Christian

Count of Waldeck-Wildungen, German count

(b. 1585)

1650

Dorgon

Chinese emperor

(b. 1612)

1655

Janusz Radziwiłł

Polish–Lithuanian politician

(b. 1612)

1655

Sir John Wray

2nd Baronet, English politicians and Roundheads supporter

(b. 1586)

1673

Oliver St John

English judge and politician, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas

(b. 1598)

1679

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli

Italian physiologist and physicist

(b. 1608)

1691

Robert Boyle

Anglo-Irish chemist and physicist

(b. 1627)

1691

Dudley North

English merchant and economist

(b. 1641)

1719

John Flamsteed

English astronomer and academic

(b. 1646)

1730

Carlo Gimach

Maltese architect, engineer and poet

(b. 1651)

1742

Charles III Philip

Elector Palatine

(b. 1661)

1775

Richard Montgomery

American general

(b. 1738)

1799

Jean-François Marmontel

French historian and author

(b. 1723)

1818

Jean-Pierre Duport

French cellist

(b. 1741)

1872

Aleksis Kivi

Finnish author and playwright

(b. 1834)

1876

Catherine Labouré

French nun and saint

(b. 1806)

1877

Gustave Courbet

French-Swiss painter and sculptor

(b. 1819)

1888

Samson Raphael Hirsch

German rabbi and scholar

(b. 1808)

1889

Ion Creangă

Romanian author and educator

(b. 1837)

1889

George Kerferd

English-Australian politician, 10th Premier of Victoria

(b. 1831)

1890

Pancha Carrasco

Costa Rican soldier

(b. 1826)

1891

Samuel Ajayi Crowther

Nigerian bishop and linguist

(b. 1809)

1894

Thomas Joannes Stieltjes

Dutch mathematician and academic

(b. 1856)

1909

Spencer Trask

American financier and philanthropist

(b. 1844)

1910

Archibald Hoxsey

American pilot

(b. 1884)

1910

John Moisant

American pilot and engineer

(b. 1868)

1921

Boies Penrose

American lawyer and politician

(b. 1860)

1934

Cornelia Clapp

American marine biologist

(b. 1849)

1936

Miguel de Unamuno

Spanish philosopher, author, and poet

(b. 1864)

1948

Malcolm Campbell

English racing driver and journalist

(b. 1885)

1949

Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı

Turkish philosopher, poet, and politician

(b. 1869)

1949

Raimond Valgre

Estonian pianist and composer

(b. 1913)

1950

Charles Koechlin

French composer and educator

(b. 1867)

1951

Murtaza Hasan Chandpuri

Indian Muslim scholar

(b. 1868)

1953

Albert Plesman

Dutch businessman, founded KLM

(b. 1889)

1964

Bobby Byrne

American baseball and soccer player

(b. 1884)

1964

Ólafur Thors

Icelandic lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Iceland

(b. 1892)

1964

Henry Maitland Wilson

English field marshal

(b. 1881)

1968

George Lewis

American clarinet player and composer

(b. 1900)

1970

Cyril Scott

English composer, writer, and poet

(b. 1879)

1972

Roberto Clemente

Puerto Rican-American baseball player and Marine

(b. 1934)

1972

Henry Gerber

German-American activist, founded the Society for Human Rights

(b. 1892)

1978

Basil Wolverton

American illustrator

(b. 1909)

1980

Marshall McLuhan

Canadian philosopher and theorist

(b. 1911)

1980

Raoul Walsh

American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

(b. 1887)

1983

Sevim Burak

Turkish author and playwright

(b. 1931)

1985

Ricky Nelson

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

(b. 1940)

1987

Jerry Turner

American journalist

(b. 1929)

1988

Nicolas Calas

Greek-American poet and critic

(b. 1907)

1990

George Allen

American football player and coach

(b. 1918)

1990

Vasily Lazarev

Russian physician, colonel, and astronaut

(b. 1928)

1990

Giovanni Michelucci

Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station

(b. 1891)

1993

Zviad Gamsakhurdia

Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia

(b. 1939)

1993

Brandon Teena

American murder victim

(b. 1972)

1993

Big Bertha

Irish cattle and twice Guinness World Record holder

(oldest cow, cow with most offspring) (b. 1945)

1994

Woody Strode

American football player, wrestler, and actor

(b. 1914)

1996

Wesley Addy

American actor

(b. 1913)

1997

Floyd Cramer

American singer-songwriter and pianist

(b. 1933)

1997

Billie Dove

American actress

(b. 1903)

1998

Ted Glossop

Australian rugby league player and coach

(b. 1934)

1999

Elliot Richardson

American lawyer and politician, 69th United States Attorney General

(b. 1920)

1999

Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi

Indian Muslim scholar and author

(b. 1914)

2000

Alan Cranston

American journalist and politician

(b. 1914)

2000

José Greco

Italian-American dancer and choreographer

(b. 1918)

2000

Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane

American-Israeli rabbi and scholar

(b. 1966)

2001

Eileen Heckart

American actress

(b. 1919)

2002

Kevin MacMichael

Canadian guitarist, songwriter, and producer

(b. 1951)

2004

Gérard Debreu

French economist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate

(b. 1921)

2005

Enrico Di Giuseppe

American tenor and educator

(b. 1932)

2005

Phillip Whitehead

English screenwriter, producer, and politician

(b. 1937)

2006

Ya'akov Hodorov

Israeli footballer

(b. 1927)

2006

Seymour Martin Lipset

American sociologist, author, and academic

(b. 1922)

2006

George Sisler

Jr., American businessman

(b. 1917)

2007

Roy Amara

American scientific researcher

(b. 1925)

2007

Michael Goldberg

American painter and educator

(b. 1924)

2007

Bill Idelson

American actor, producer, and screenwriter

(b. 1919)

2007

Milton L. Klein

Canadian lawyer and politician

(b. 1910)

2007

Ettore Sottsass

Austrian-Italian architect and designer

(b. 1917)

2008

Donald E. Westlake

American author and screenwriter

(b. 1933)

2009

Cahal Daly

Irish cardinal and philosopher, Archbishop of Armagh

(b. 1917)

2009

Justin Keating

Irish surgeon, journalist, and politician, Minister for Industry and Commerce

(b. 1930)

2010

Raymond Impanis

Belgian cyclist

(b. 1925)

2010

Per Oscarsson

Swedish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

(b. 1927)

2012

Tarak Mekki

Tunisian businessman and politician

(b. 1958)

2012

Jovette Marchessault

Canadian author and playwright

(b. 1938)

2012

Günter Rössler

German photographer and journalist

(b. 1926)

2013

James Avery

American actor

(b. 1945)

2013

Roberto Ciotti

Italian guitarist and composer

(b. 1953)

2013

Bob Grant

American radio host

(b. 1929)

2013

Irina Korschunow

German author and screenwriter

(b. 1925)

2014

Edward Herrmann

American actor

(b. 1943)

2014

Abdullah Hussain

Malaysian author

(b. 1920)

2014

Norm Phelps

American author and activist

(b. 1939)

2014

S. Arthur Spiegel

American captain, lawyer, and judge

(b. 1920)

2014

Valerian Wellesley

8th Duke of Wellington, British soldier and politician

(b. 1915)

2015

Natalie Cole

American singer-songwriter and actress

(b. 1950)

2015

Wayne Rogers

American actor and investor

(b. 1933)

2016

William Christopher

American actor

(b. 1932)

2018

Kader Khan

Indian actor

(b. 1937)

2021

Betty White

American actress, comedian and producer

(b. 1922)

2022

Pope Benedict XVI

German Roman Catholic cardinal and theologian, pope

(2005–2013) and archbishop of Munich and Freising (1977–1982) (b. 1927)

2022

Barry Lane

English golfer

(b. 1960)

2023

Cale Yarborough

American Hall of Fame racing driver and founder of Cale Yarborough Motorsports, NASCAR Cup Series champion

(1976, 1977, 1978) (b. 1939)