April 17

Famous Deaths on April 17

April

326 Alexander of Alexandria, Patriarch of Alexandria, dies, age unknown [date disputed]
485 Proclus, Greek mathematician, dies in Athens [or Apr 14]
617 Donnán of Eigg, Celtic Christian martyr, patron saint of Eigg

818 Bernard of Italy, King of Italy (810-18), dies from trauma at about 21, two days after being blinded via a red-hot stiletto to the eyeballs by his uncle Louis the Pious after Bernard conspired against him
858 Benedict III, Italian Pope (855-58), dies
1080 Harald Hen, King of Denmark (1076-80), dies at about 40
1297 Willem van Afflighem, Flemish poet and abbot of St Truiden, dies at about 86
1427 John IV, Duke of Brabant and Limburg (founded University of Leuven), dies at 23
1539 George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony (1500-39), dies at 67
1574 Joachim Camerarius [Liebhard Kammerer], German classical scholar, dies at 74
1630 Christian I, German Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg who led an army of 21,000 Bohemians at the Battle of White Mountain, dies at 61
1679 John van Kessel, Flemish painter, dies at 53
1680 Kateri Tekakwitha [Lily of the Mohawks], Algonquin-Mohawk Catholic convert and the first Native American saint, dies at 23 or 24
1696 Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné, French author famous for her letter-writing, dies of a fever at 70
1711 Joseph I Habsburg, German King of Hungary (1687-1711), King in Germany (1690-1711) and Holy Roman Emperor (1705-11), dies of smallpox at 32
1713 David Hollatz, Pomeranian dogmatician (b. 1648)

1714 Philipp Heinrich Erlebach, German composer, dies at 56
1726 Princess Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau, monarch of Nassau-Dietz, dies at 49
1742 Count Arvid Horn, Swedish general and diplomat, leading figure of the Swedish Age of Liberty, dies at 78
1761 Thomas Bayes, English mathematician and statistician (Bayes' theorem), dies at about 59
1764 Johann Balthasar Freisslich, German organist, composer, Kapellmeister (Marienkirche (Danzig), 1731-64), dies at 77
1764 Johann Mattheson, German composer, dies at 82

Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790)

USFounding Father, inventor, ambassador and writer (Poor Richards Almanac), dies at 84

1799 Richard Jupp, English architect (East India House) (b. 1728)
1835 William Henry Ireland, English forger (Shakespearean manuscripts), dies
1837 Édouard de Walckiers, Southern Netherlands nobleman (Viscount), banker, and revolutionary (Brabant Revolt, 1789), dies at 78
1838 Johanna Schopenhauer, German writer and mother of Arthur Schopenhauer, dies at 71
1840 Hannah Webster Foster, American author (The Coquette; or, The History of Eliza Wharton), dies at 81

Samuel Morey(1762-1843)

Americaninventor of early internal combustion engines and a steamship pioneer, dies at 80

1854 Gottlob Wiedebein, German composer, dies at 74
1863 Daniel Smith Donelson, American Confederate general and planter, raised by Andrew Jackson, dies of illness at 61
1873 Semen Hulak-Artemovsky, Ukrainian baritone, playwright, and opera composer (Zaporozhets za Dunayem), dies at 60
1882 George Jennings, English sanitary engineer (invented first public flush toilets), dies at 71
1891 Guildo Alary, Italian-born French composer, dies at 77

Alexander Mackenzie(1822-1892)

2ndPrime Minister of Canada (Liberal: 1873-78), dies of astroke at 70

1899 Hans Balatka, Moravian-American conductor (Milwaukee Musikverein; Chicago Oratorio Society), author (Condensed History of Music), and composer, dies at 74
1902 Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz and King Consort of Spain (1846-68), dies at 79
1910 Ignacio Mariscal, Mexican lawyer and diplomat (Secretary of Foreign Affairs), dies at 80
1930 Alexander Golovin, Russian painter and stage designer, dies at 67
1932 Patrick Geddes, Scottish biologist and town planner who coined the term conurbation, dies at 77
1936 Charles Ruys de Beerenbrouck, Dutch PM (1918-23, 29-33), dies at 62
1937 Yi Sang, Korean author and poet (Dying Words, Wings, Child’s Bone), dies of tuberculosis in a Japanese prison camp at 26
1941 Al Bowlly, South African-British dance band vocalist ("Midnight, The Stars, And You"), and bandleader, dies in a German bombing raid of London at 43
1942 Jean Baptiste Perrin, French physicist, (1926 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovery of sedimentation equilibrium), dies at 71
1944 Jack Hearne, English cricket spin bowler (12 Tests, 49 wickets; England's first hat-trick vs Australia 1899), dies at 76
1945 Hannie Schaft, Dutch communist resistance fighter known as the "Girl with red hair", executed at 24
1945 Ion Pillat, Romanian poet and senator (Umbra timpului), dies at 54
1945 Walter Model, German WWII field marshal and panzer commander (Battle of the Bulge), and WW1 junior officer (Second Battle of the Marne), commits suicide, after learning of his indictment for war crimes, at 54
1946 John Iddon, cricketer (car accident 5 Tests for Eng 1934-35), dies
1946 Juan Bautista Sacasa, President of Nicaragua (1932-36), dies at 71
1948 Johan Paul van Limburg Stirum, Dutch diplomat (Governor General of the Dutch East Indies 1916-21), dies at 75
1948 Percy Sherwell, South African cricket wicketkeeper and captain (13 Tests, 1 x 100, 36 dismissals; Transvaal), dies at 67
1954 Lucreţiu Pătrăşcanu, Romanian communist activist and sociologist, dies at 53
1960 Eddie Cochran, American rock vocalist and guitarist ("Summertime Blues"; "C'Mon Everybody"), dies in a English taxi-car crash at 21
1962 Louise Fazenda, American vaudeville, and silent and sound screen actress (Mack Sennett comedies), dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 66
1967 Giorgio Cesana, Italian coxswain (Olympic gold 1906), dies at 75
1967 Henry "Red" Allen, American jazz trumpeter, dies of pancreatic cancer at 59
1968 Margaret Seddon, American stage and screen actress (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town), dies at 95
1970 Sergei Aleksi [Alexy], patriarch of Russian-Orthodox church, dies at 92
1971 Carmen Lombardo, Canadian musician, dies at 67
1971 Roberto Lupi, Italian composer, dies at 62
1974 Frank McGee, American news anchor (NBC Evening News), dies of cancer at 52
1974 Herbert Elwell, American composer (Happy Hypocrite), dies at 75
1974 Vinnie Taylor, American rock guitarist (Sha Na Na), dies of a drug overdose at 25
1975 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Indian philosopher and leader, Second President of India (1962-67), dies at 86
1976 Henrik Dam, Danish biochemist who discovered vitamin K and won the 1943 Nobel Prize in Medicine, dies at 81
1976 Jean-Jacques Gailliard, Belgian painter, dies at 85
1977 Marjorie Gateson, American actress (One Man's Family), dies at 86
1977 William Cardinal Conway, Northern Irish clergyman, head of the Catholic Church in Ireland during Vatican II reforms, dies at 64
1983 Dutch Leonard, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1940, 43, 44, 45, 51; Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs), dies of congestive heart failure at 74
1983 Felix Pappalardi, American rock music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bassist (Mountain - "Mississippi Queen"), shot and killed by his wife, Gail, at 43
1984 Claude Provost, French Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1933)
1984 Mark W. Clark, American general, dies at 87
1986 Bessie Head, Botswana writer (When Rain Clouds Gather, Maru, A Question of Power), dies at 49
1986 Paul Costello, American rower (Olympic gold double sculls 1920, 24, 28), dies at 86
1986 Teddy Kotick, American jazz double bassist (Phil Woods; Charlie Parker; Bill Evans), dies of a brain tumor at 57
1987 Carlton "Carly" Barrett, Jamaican reggae drummer (The Upsetters; Bob Marley & Wailers), murdered at 36
1987 Cecil Harmsworth King, Irish-British owner of Mirror Group Newspapers, dies at 86
1987 Cornelius Van Til, Dutch philosopher and Christian apologist, dies at 91
1987 Dick Shawn [Richard Schulefand], American character actor and comedian (The Producers - "L.S.D."; Maid to Order), suffers a fatal heart attack on stage in San Diego on stage at 57
1987 Willie Donnell Smith, American fashion designer (WilliWear), dies of pneumonia at 39
1988 Eva Novak, American actress (Medicine Man), dies of pneumonia at 90
1988 Louise Nevelson, American sculptor who featured at the 31st Venice Biennale (Sky Cathedral), dies of a brain tumor at 88
1989 Charles Lampkin, American character actor (Frank’s Place - "Tiger Shepin"; Roots: The Next Generation), spoken word artist, musician, and educator, dies at 76[1]

Ralph Abernathy(1926-1990)

Americancivil rights leader (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), dies of a blood clot at 64

1991 Jack Yellen, American poet (Sons o' Fun), dies at 97
1992 Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt, American jazz and session saxophonist and clarinetist (Dorsey Brothers; Benny Goodman; Lawrence Wlek), dies at 80
1992 Hank Penny, country music singer, dies at 73 of heart failure
1993 Turgut Özal, Turkish politician (President of Turkey 1989-93, PM of Turkey 1983-89), dies at 65
1994 Peter Hacker, American journalist/actor (NBC, Broadcast News), dies at 69
1995 Anton Murray, South African cricket all-rounder (10 Tests; 1 x 100; 18 wickets), dies at 72
1995 Frank E. Resnik, American business executive (Philip Morris USA), dies at 66
1995 Nancy Mayhew Youngman, English painter and educationalist, dies at 88
1996 Eva Jones, German poet and novelist (Taboo), dies at 82
1996 Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren, philosopher, dies at 86
1997 (Averil) Mary Thomas, Welsh lyric soprano of both early and contemporary concert music, dies at 64
1997 Allan Francovich, American documentarian
1997 Chaim Herzog, 6th President of Israel (1983-93), dies at 78

Linda McCartney(1941-1998)

Americanphotographer,musician (Wings) and wife of Paul McCartney, dies ofbreast cancer at 56

2003 Earl King, American R&B and blues guitarists, singer, and songwriter ("Come On"; "Big Chief"), dies from diabetes-related complications at 69
2003 John Paul Getty Jr., American-born British oil magnate and billionaire (Getty Oil), dies of a chest infection at 70
2003 Robert Atkins, American cardiologist, known for the Atkins diet, dies at 72
2003 Yiannis Latsis, Greek shipping tycoon, dies at 92
2004 Edmond Pidoux, Swiss writer (L'histoire de Jonas), dies at 95
2004 Soundarya, Indian actress (b. 1971)
2004 [Andrew] Bruce Boa, Canadian actor (The Empire Strikes Back), dies of cancer at 73
2005 Hans Gruijters, Dutch journalist and politician (Mayor of Lelystad, 1980-96; co-founder of D66 party), dies at 73
2005 James Archibald Houston, Canadian author and filmmaker (Tikta'Liktak), dies at 83
2006 Henderson Forsythe, American actor (As the World Turns, Crisis at Central High), dies at 88
2006 Jean Bernard, French physician and haematologist, dies at 98
2007 Kitty Carlisle, American actress and television personality, dies at 96
2008 Aimé Césaire, French Martinican poet and politician, dies at 94
2008 Danny Federici, American rock organist, accordionist, and glockenspieler (E Street Band), dies of melanoma at 58
2009 Honoré Desmond Sharrer, American artist (Tribute to the American Working People), dies aged 88
2009 Martin Garrod, British Commandant General Royal Marines, dies at 73
2011 AJ Perez, Filipino teen actor (b. 1993)
2011 Eric Gross, Austrian-Australian pianist, composer (Na shledanou v Praze (Good-bye in Prague); Moonscape), conductor, and educator (University of Sydney, 1960-91), dies at 84
2011 Everard Goodman, English real estate developer (Tops Estates), dies at 79
2011 Michael Sarrazin, Canadian actor (Seduction, They Shoot Horses Don't They), dies at 70
2011 Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer and songwriter (b. 1948)
2012 Dimitris Mitropanos, Greek singer, dies from a heart attack at 64
2013 Bi Kidude, Tanzanian Taarab singer, dies at c. 100
2013 Deanna Durbin [Edna Mae Durbin], Canadian actress and vocalist (Every Sunday, Three Smart Girls, 100 Men & a Girl), dies at 91

Gabriel García Márquez(1927-2014)

Colombiannovelist, short-storywriter, screenwriter and journalist (1982 Nobel Prize in Literature), dies ofpneumonia at 87

Doris Roberts(1925-2016)

Americanactress (Everybody Loves Raymond), dies at 90

2016 Warren Davis, American doo-wop singer (The Monotones - "The Book of Love"), dies at 77

Barbara Bush(1925-2018)

First Lady of the US (1989-93) and wife of George H. W. Bush, dies following long illness at 92

2019 Alan García, President of Peru (Peruvian Aprista Party: 1985-90, 2006-11), commits suicide by shooting himself as police try to arrest him on corruption charges at 69
2020 Arlene Saunders [Soszynski], American soprano, 1961-85 (Hamburg Opera; New York Metropolitan Opera), dies of COVID-19 complications at 89
2020 Bobby Winkles, American College Baseball Hall of Fame coach (Arizona State University) and manager (California Angels, Oakland A's), dies at 90
2020 Carlos Contreras, Chilean soccer defender (30 caps; Universidad de Chile), dies at 81
2020 Matthew Seligman, British studio and touring new wave rock bassist (Robyn Hitchcock; Thompson Twins; Thomas Dolby), dies from COVID-19 complications at 64
2020 Norman Hunter, English soccer defender (28 caps; Leeds United, Bristol City, Barnsley; FIFA World Cup 1966), dies from COVID-19 at 76
2020 Raymond Van Gestel, Belgian soccer winger (5 caps; Lyra) and athlete (Belgian long jump champion), dies at 90
2021 Fred Arbanas, American football tight end (All-AFL 1962–67; Super Bowl 1970; Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs), dies at 82
2022 Catherine Spaak, French-Italaian actress (The Libertine; Hotel; Circle of Love), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 77
2022 James Olsen, American stage and screen actor (Rachel, Rachel; Moon Zero Two; The Andromeda Strain), dies at 91
2022 Jim Hartz, American journalist and newscaster (NBC-TV Today, 1974-77; PBS - Innovations), dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at 82
2022 Kevin Meates, New Zealand rugby union flanker (2 Tests; Canterbury), dies at 92
2022 Radu Lupu, Romanian Grammy Award-winning concert pianist (Van Cliburn Competition - gold, 1966; George Enescu Competition - 1st prize, 1967), dies at 76
2022 Re Styles [Shirley Macleod], Dutch-American actress (Space Is The Place), designer, and rock vocalist (The Tubes, 1976-79), dies at 72
2023 April Stevens [Caroline LoTempio], American vocalist ("Deep Purple" - the song, not the band), dies at 93
2023 Pavlo Shkapenko, Ukrainian midfielder/striker (10 caps; FC Dynamo Kyiv, FC Torpedo Moscow), dies at 50
2024 Per Henriksen, Norwegian soccer central defender (10 caps; Viking FK 180 games), dies at 72
2024 Raman Subba Row, English cricket batsman (13 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 137; Surrey CCC, Northamptonshire CCC), dies at 92