References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 August 9.

1965 January 1 Gertrude Michael, actress (Caged, Cleopatra), dies at age 53. [1] Juan Bautista Plaza-Alfonzo, composer, dies at age 66. [1] January 2 Staf Gustaf Frans Nees, composer, dies at age 63. [1] January 3 Betty Harte, entertainer, dies at age 82. [1] Julius Tannen, comedian, dies at age 84. [1] January 4 T. S. Eliot poet (Washed Country), dies in London, England, at age 76. [1] [5] January 5 Neil Craig, actor (Calling Dr Kildare), dies at age 73. [1] Paul Arntzenius, painter/graphic artist/etcher, dies at age 81. [1] January 6 John Larkin, director (Circumstanial Evidence), dies of heart attack at age 52. [1] January 8 Aloys-Henri-Gerard Fornerod, composer, dies at age 74. [1] January 12 Lorraine Hansberry, US playwright, dies in New York City, New York at age 34. [1] Porcupine in Washington DC zoo dies at age 27; oldest known rodent. [1] January 14 Jeanette MacDonald, soprano (When I'm Calling You), dies at age 63. [1] January 15 Pierre Ngendandumwe, premier of Burundi, is murdered. [1] January 19 Frank Reicher, actor (King Kong, Nazi Agent, Son of Kong), dies at age 89. [1] January 20 Alan Freed, disc-jockey (Big Beat), dies at age 42. [1] January 21 Harvey Zorbaugh, doctor/TV host (Play the Game), dies at age 68. [1] January 24 Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain (Conservative) (1940-45, 1951-55), dies at age 90. [1] January 25 Staff Nees, Flemish composer (Maria-oratorio), dies at age 63. [1] January 26 Ali Mansoer, premier of Persia, murdered. [1] January 27 Theo Uden Marsman, Dutch orchestra leader, dies at age 63. [1] January 28 Jef van Durme, composer, dies at age 57. [1] Johan Fiolet, Dutch actor/director, dies at age 63. [1] Tich Freeman, cricket (3776 FC wickets leg-spin, 304 in 1928), dies. [1] January 29 John Larkin, actor (Saints and Sinners, 12 O'Clock High), dies at age 52. [1] Michael Spisak, composer, dies at age 50. [1] January 30 Vic Jackson, cricketer (New South Wales/Leicerstershire off-spinner), dies in car. [1] February 2 Richard P Blackmur, American critic/publisher (Good European), dies at age 61. [1] Richard Wurz, composer, dies at age 79. [1] February 4 U C Greyhound, champion trotter (horse), dies at age 33. [1] February 5 Irving Bacon, actor (Fort Ti, Petticoat Fever), dies at age 71. [1] February 6 Jack Wagner, actor (Jive Junction), dies at age 68. [1] February 7 Nance O'Neil, actor (Cimarron, Royal Bed, Rogue Song), dies at age 90. [1] February 12 Henry Kulky, actor (Otto - Life of Riley), dies at age 53. [1] February 13 Jerry Burke, pianist (Lawrence Welk Show), dies. [1] William H Kilpatrick, US mathematician/philosopher, dies at age 93. [1] February 14 Desire-Emile Inghelbrecht, French composer/conductor, dies at age 84. [1] February 15 Nat King Cole, singer (Unforgettable, Mona Lisa), dies at age 45. [1] February 19 Forrest Taylor, actor (This is Life, Man Without a Gun), dies at age 81. [1] Gheorge Gheorghiu Dej, Romanian President, dies at age 63. [1] February 21 Malcolm X [Little], black Muslim leader, assassinated in New York City, New York at age 39. [1] February 23 Stan Laurel, comedian (Laurel and Hardy), dies in California of heart attack at age 74. [1] February 26 Jimmie Lee Jackson, civil rights activist, dies of injuries. [1] February 28 Adolf Schärf, President of Austria (1957-65), dies at age 74. [1] March 1 Boleslav Vomacka, composer, dies at age 77. [1] March 3 Carlo Gatti, composer, dies at age 88. [1] March 6 Margaret Dumont [Daisy Baker], actress (Animal Crackers), dies at age 75. [1] Ruvim Pergament, composer, dies at age 58. [1] March 7 Queen Louise of Sweden dies peacefully. [7] March 8 Esther Howard, actress (Detour), dies of heart attack at age 72. [1] March 9 Anthon van der Horst, Dutch organist/composer, dies at age 65. [1] Kazys Boruta, writer, dies. [1] March 11 James Reeb, US vicar/civil rights activist, is murdered. [1] March 13 George Calinescu, Romanian author (Lauda Lucrorilor), dies at age 65. [1] March 17 Almos Alonzo Stagg, football coach (University of Chicago), dies in California at age 102. [1] Quentin Reynolds, newscaster (It's News to Me)/author (FBI), dies at age 62. [1] March 18 Farouk I, last King of Egypt (1936-52), dies at age 45. [1] March 23 Mae Murray, actress (Bachelor Apartment), dies of heart ailment at age 75. [1] March 25 Giorgio Federico Ghedini, composer, dies at age 72. [1] Viola Gregg Liuzzo, US civil rights activist, is murdered. [1] April 1 Henry D G Crerar, Canadian General (World War I, Normandy), dies at age 76. [1] April 2 Renzo Bossi, composer, dies at age 81. [1] April 8 Erik A Blomberg, Swedish art historian/poet/author, dies at age 70. [1] Jack Durston, cricketer (one Test for England, 4-102 and 1-34), dies. [1] Lars Hanson, Swedish actor (Flesh and Devil), dies after illness at age 78. [1] April 12 Linda Darnell, US actress (Dakota Incident), dies at age 43. [1] April 14 Leonard Mudie dies of heart ailment at age 82. [1] Perry E Smith, US murderer (In Cold Blood), hanged. [1] Robert E Hickok, US murderer (In Cold Blood), hanged. [1] April 15 Syd Chaplin dies at age 80. [1] April 19 George Davis, actor (Private Lives, Devil May Care), dies at age 75. [1] April 20 Richard Wessell actor (Carney - Riverboat), dies of heart attack on 52nd birthday. [1] April 21 Edward V Appleton, English physicist (Nobel Prize 1947), dies at age 72. [1] April 23 Josephina J "Fien" de la Mar, Dutch actress (Pygmalion), dies at age 67. [1] April 24 Louise Dresser, actress (State Fair, Ship Comes In, Mammy), dies at age 86. [1] April 26 Aaron Avshalomov, composer, dies at age 70. [1] April 27 Alan Bunce, actor (Albert - Ethel and Albert), dies at age 61. [1] Edward R Murrow, newscaster (Person to Person), dies at age 57. [1] April 28 Ferdinand Bordewijk, Dutch lawyer/writer (Character), dies at age 80. [1] April 30 Helen Chandler, actress (Dracula, Salute, Last Flight), dies at age 56. [1] May 1 Leo Spies, composer, dies at age 65. [1] Spike Jones, composer (Spike Jones Show), dies at age 53. [1] May 3 Howard Spring, British author (Heaven Lies About Us), dies at age 76. [1] Otto Forst de Battaglia, Austrian diplomat/genealogist, dies at age 75. [1] May 4 Norman Brokenshire, TV moderator (Four Square Court), dies at age 66. [1] May 8 H T W Hardinge, cricketer (scored 25 and five in only Test for England), dies. [1] May 9 Leopold Figl, premier of Austria, dies at age 62. [1] May 10 Hubertus J van Mook, Dutch minister of Colonization (1942-45), dies at age 70. [1] May 11 Ludovicus H "Lode" Baekelmans, Flemish playwright, dies at age 86. [1] May 12 Roger Vailland, French playwright (La Truite), dies at age 57. [1] May 14 Frances Perkins, US first female minister of Labor (1933-45), dies at age 83. [1] May 15 Adrian Schoevers, Dutch director (Schoevers Institution), dies. [1] May 18 Eduard J Dijksterhuis, mathematician (Archimedes), dies at age 72. [1] May 19 Maria Dabrowska, Polish writer (Znaki Zycia), dies. [1] May 22 Bobby Watson, comedian (Hitler Gang, Boys Town), dies at age 77. [1] Heinrich Barth, Swiss philosopher (Das Sein in der Zeit), dies. [1] May 23 David Smith, sculptor, dies. [1] May 25 Sonny Boy Williamson [Aleck Miller], blues player, dies at age 65. [1] June 6 Lester Matthews, actor (Sir Dennis - Adventures of Fu Manchu), dies at age 64. [1] June 7 Judy Holiday, actress, dies at age 42. [1] June 14 H.V. Kaltenborn, newscaster (Who Said That?), dies at age 86. [1] June 20 Ira Louvin, country singer (Louvin Brothers), dies at age 41. [1] June 22 David O Selznick, Gone With the Wind's producer, dies at age 63. [1] July 11 Ray Collins, actor (Halls of Ivy, Perry Mason), dies at age 75. [1] July 26 Constance Bennett, actress, dies at age 59. [1] August 6 Nancy Carroll, actress (Alice - Aldrich Family), dies at age 60. [1] September 8 Dorothy Danridge, actress, dies at age 41 in Hollywood, California. [1] September 27 Harry Reser, orchestra leader (Sammy Kaye Show), dies at age 69. [1] October 3 Zachary Scott, actor (Spotlight Playhouse), dies at age 51. [1] October 15 Carl Hoff, orchestra leader (Music Hall), dies at age 60. [1] October 18 Henry Travers, actor (Bells of Saint Mary, High Sierra), dies at age 91. [1] October 31 Rita Johnson, actress (All Mine to Give), dies at age 53. [1] November 8 Dorothy Kilgallen, columnist (What's My Line?), dies at age 52. [1] November 16 Alexander King, writer (Jack Paar Show), dies at age 66. [1] November 27 Harry Harvey Sr, actor (It's a Man's World), dies at age 64. [1] December 2 The Rajkumar of Vizianagram, cricketer (Indian Test captain 1936), dies. [1] December 6 Alberto Vaccari, Italian jesuit/old testament scholar, dies at age 90. [1] December 10 Henry (Dixon) Cowellm US pianist/composer (Aeolian Harp), dies at age 68. [1] December 12 Johnny Lee, actor (Calhoun - Amos 'n' Andy), dies at age 67. [1] December 14 Hermann Sandby, composer, dies at age 84. [1] December 16 William Somerset Maugham, English author (Razor's Edge, Of Human Bondage), dies at age 91. [1] December 17 Tito [Raffaele A] Schipa, Italian tenor/composer (Rondine), dies at age 76. [1] December 20 Egon Freiherr von Eickstedt, German anthropologist, dies at age 73. [1] December 21 Claude Adonai Champagne, composer, dies at age 74. [1] December 22 Al Ritz, actor (Gorilla, Hi Ya Chum), dies at age 62. [1] December 26 Anthonie Donker, Dutch [Professor N Donkersloot] literary, dies at age 63. [1] December 29 Kusaku Yamada, composer, dies at age 79. [1]