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

Last updated: 2008 June 28.

1977 January 2 Erroll Garner, jazz pianist (Misty), dies at age 53. [1] January 3 Avraham Ofer, Israeli minister of housing, commits suicide. [1] Benno Stokvis, Dutch attorney/politician, dies at age 75. [1] January 5 Onslow Stevens, actor (Mr Fisher-This is the Life), dies at age 74. [1] January 9 Alexey Kozlovsky, composer, dies at age 71. [1] Hal Sawyer, TV host (Sawyer Views Hollywood), dies at age 62. [1] January 12 Henri-Georges Clouzot, director (Diabolique, Truth), dies at age 69. [1] January 14 Abdul Razak bin Hussain, premier of Malaysia (1970-77), dies at age 53. [1] Anaïs Nin, Cuban/American writer (Delta of Venus), dies at age 73. [1] Anthony Eden, British premier (1955-57), dies at age 79. [1] Peter Finch, actor (Network, Nun's Story, Judith), dies at age 60. [1] January 17 Gary Gilmore executed in Utah, first US execution since 1967. [1] January 18 Carl Zuckmayer, German/Swiss/US playwright (Second Wind), dies at age 80. [1] Paul Nordoff, US composer (Frog Prince), dies at age 67. [1] Yvonne Printemps, actress (Paris Waltz, Voyage to America), dies at age 81. [1] January 19 Geraldine Brooks, actress (Faraday and Co, Dumplings), dies at age 51. [1] January 21 John Vincent, composer, dies at age 74. [1] Zoltan Vasarhelyi, composer, dies at age 76. [1] January 23 Bernard "Toots" Shor, barkeeper, dies at age 73. [1] January 25 Donald Kerr, actor (Devil Bat, Killer Bats), dies at age 85. [1] January 26 Margaret Hayes, actress (Robert Montgomery Presents), dies at age 61. [1] January 27 Walter Baldwin, actor (Gay Amigo), dies at age 88. [1] January 28 Burt Mustin, actor (All in the Family, Andy Griffith Show), dies at age 92. [1] January 29 E P "Buster" Nupen, cricketer (50 wickets for South Africa, lost eye), dies. [1] Freddie Prinze, comedian/actor (Chico and the Man), shoots himself dead at age 22. [1] [5] February 1 Edmond [Moore] Hamilton, American sci-fi author (Danger Planet), dies at age 72. [1] February 3 Pauline Starke, actress (Dante's Inferno, Viking, Sun Up), dies at age 76. [1] February 5 Izaak Boleslavski, Russian chess player, dies at age 67. [1] February 7 Herman Dooyeweerd, Dutch philosopher/lawyer, dies at age 82. [1] February 9 Denys Amiel, French dramatist/playwright (Le mouton noir), dies at age 92. [1] Death of Gaus, an orangutan who lived to be 59. [1] Sergei Ilyushin Russian, airplane builder (Ilyushin), dies at age 82. [1] February 10 Grace Mary Williams, composer, dies at age 70. [1] February 11 Louis J M Beel, Dutch premier (1946-48, 1958-59), dies at age 74. [1] February 13 Jack Gardner, actor (Wild Bill Hickok, Three Russian Girls), dies at age 77. [1] February 17 Quincy Howe, newscaster (CBS Weekend News), dies at age 76. [1] February 18 Andy Devine [Jeremiah Schwartz], actor (Andy's Gang), dies at age 71. [1] Maria Realino, teacher (Botany of Curaçao), dies at age 87. [1] Ralph Graves, actor (Extra Girl), dies at age 77. [1] February 22 Edith Barrett, actress (Molly and Me, Ghost Ship), dies at age 64. [1] Jack O'Connor, cricketer (batted in four Tests for England 1929-30), dies. [1] February 26 Bukka White, rocker, dies at age 43. [1] Maxime Jacob, composer, dies at age 71. [1] February 27 Allison Hayes, actress (Attack of 50 Foot Woman), dies at age 47. [1] February 28 Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, comedian (Jack Benny Show), dies at age 71. [1] March 3 Percy Marmont, actor (Secret Agent, Lisbon), dies at age 93. [1] March 5 Lockrem Johnson, composer, dies at age 52. [1] Moses Pergament, composer, dies at age 83. [1] March 8 Henry Hull, actor (Werewolf of London, Boys Town), dies at age 86. [1] March 10 E Power Biggs, English organist/composer (CBS), dies at age 70. [1] Pieter Jan Bouman, Dutch sociologist/historian, dies at age 74. [1] Willem Schermerhorn, Dutch premier (1945-46), dies at age 82. [1] March 13 Fanie Lou Hamer, freedom fighter, dies. [1] Jan Patocka, Czechoslovakian philosopher, dies in prison. [1] March 15 Kamal Joemblat, Lebanese politician, murdered. [1] March 18 Marien Ngouabi President of Congo-Brazzaville, is murdered. [1] March 24 Saburo Moroi, composer, dies at age 73. [1] March 27 Diana Hyland, actress (Peyton Place, Eight is Enough), dies at age 41. [1] Eve Meyer [Turner], Playboy Playmate/actress (Immoral Mr Teas), dies in a plane crash at age 46. [1] Lodewijk de Vocht, composer, dies at age 89. [1] March 30 Levko Mykolayevich Revutsky, composer, dies at age 88. [1] April 3 Jack Ryder, cricketer (20 Tests for Australia, 1394 runs), dies. [1] April 4 Jeno Zador, composer, dies at age 82. [1] April 5 John Marriott dies at age 83. [1] April 8 Frank Milan, actor (The Witness), dies at age 71. [1] April 11 Jacques Prévert, French poet (La puil et le beau), dies at age 77. [1] April 12 Philip K Wrigley, baseball owner (Chicago Cubs), dies at age 82. [1] April 14 Riekus Waskowsky, Dutch poet, dies at age 44. [1] April 17 Marjorie Gateson, actress (One Man's Family), dies at age 86. [1] April 20 Bryan Foy, director/writer, dies at age 80. [1] Len Johnson, cricketer (one Test for Australia, 3-66 and 3-8), dies. [1] April 21 Gummo [Milton] Marx, US comic (Marx Brothers), dies at age 84. [1] April 22 Charles Sanford, orchestra leader (Your Show of Shows), dies at age 71. [1] April 27 Stanley Adams, actor (Lillies of the Field, Thunder Alley), dies at age 61. [1] April 28 Ricardo Cortez, actor/director (Bad Company, Flesh), dies at age 87. [1] April 30 Clive Martin Douglas, composer, dies at age 73. [1] May 5 Ludwig Erhard, German minister of Economic Affairs (CDU), dies at age 80. [1] May 7 Irwin Fischer, composer, dies at age 73. [1] May 9 James Jones, US writer (Bad Blood, From Here to Eternity), dies at age 55. [1] Walter Kraft, composer, dies at age 71. [1] May 10 Joan Crawford, actress (Mildred Pierce), dies at age 69. [1] May 22 Gijsbert van Hall, banker/mayor of Amsterdam (1957-67), dies at age 73. [1] Marius Monnikendam, Dutch choir composer, dies at age 80. [1] May 26 Jim Boles, actor (Kraft Music Hall, One Man's Family), dies at age 63. [1] William Powell, rocker (O'Jays), dies of cancer at age 35. [1] May 28 Jiri Reinberger, composer, dies at age 63. [1] May 29 Goddard Lieberson, composer, dies at age 66. [1] May 30 Claire Goll, writer, dies at age 86. [1] Paul Desmond, US jazz saxophonist, dies at age 52. [1] June 2 Forrest Lewis, actor (Great Gildersleeve, Ichabod and Me), dies at age 77. [1] June 13 Tom C Clark, former US Supreme Court Justice, dies in New York at age 77. [1] June 14 Alan Reed, actor (Mr Adams and Eve/voice of Fred Flintstone), dies at age 69. [1] Robert Middleman, actor (Barney-The Monroes), dies at age 66. [1] June 16 Wernher von Braun dies at age 65 from smoking. [1] June 20 Abner Biberman, actor (Imhook-Kodiak), dies at age 68. [1] July 9 Dr Loren Eiseley, professor of Anthropology (Animal Secrets), dies at age 69. [1] July 10 Norman Paris, orchestra leader (For Your Pleasure), dies at age 41. [1] July 12 Ed Holmes, actor (Growing Paynes, Once Upon a Tune), dies at age 66. [1] July 31 Stacy Moskowitz shot to death by Son of Sam, at age 20. [1] August 10 Vince Barnett, actor (Star is Born, Human Jungle), dies at age 75. [1] August 16 Elvis Presley dies of heart ailment at Graceland, Nashville at age 42. [1] August 19 Julius (Groucho) Marx, comedian (Marx Bros), dies in Los Angeles at age 86. [1] August 22 Sebastian Cabot, actor (Mr French - Family Affair), dies at age 59. [1] August 26 HA Rey, author of popular constellation book, dies at age 78. [1] August 27 Steve Dunne, actor (Professional Father), dies at age 59. [1] September 1 Ethel Waters, actress (Beulah)/singer (Stormy Weather), dies at age 76. [1] September 10 Hamida Djandoubi, convicted murderer, last to die in the guillotine. [1] September 12 Steven Biko, South African black student leader, dies in police custody. [1] September 13 Leopold Stokowski, symphonic conductor, dies in England, at age 95. [1] September 16 Maria Callas, American-born prima donna, dies in Paris, France at age 53. [1] October 11 Dr Mason Gross, professor (Think Fast, Two for the Money), dies at age 66. [1] October 14 Bing Crosby dies of a heart attack at age 74, in Madrid, Spain. [1] October 20 Three members of rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd die in charter plane crash. [1] November 5 Guy Lombardo, orchestra leader ("Auld Lang Syne"), dies in Houston, Texas, at age 75. [1] November 25 Richard Carlson, actor (Colonel MacKenzie-MacKenzie's Raiders), dies at age 65. [1] November 28 Trevor Bardette, actor (Clanton-Legend of Wyatt Earp), dies at age 75. [1] November 29 George Hamilton Combs, TV host (Through the Curtain), dies at age 78. [1] December 1 Paul Hardy, Belgian designer (Italian Country), dies at age 69. [1] December 4 Leila Hyams, actress (Red Headed Woman, Freaks), dies at age 72. [1] December 7 Paul Gibb, cricketer (England batsman, 8 Tests), dies. [1] December 9 Clarice Lispector, writer, dies. [1] December 12 Clementine O Spencer-Churchill (Hozier), British barones, dies at age 92. [1] December 18 Cyril Ritchard, actor (Peter Pan), dies at age 80. [1] Louis Untermeyer, poet/critic/TV panelist (What's My Line), dies at age 92. [1] December 19 Nellie Taylor Ross, first woman governor, dies at age 101. [1] December 22 Johann Nepomuk David, composer, dies at age 82. [1] December 24 Harriët Freezer, Dutch journalist/author, dies at age 66. [1] December 25 Charlie Chaplin, actor (Modern Times), dies in Switzerland at age 88. [1] [5] December 26 Howard Hawks, director (Rio Lobo, Hatari!), dies at age 81. [1] Ivan Rezak, composer, dies at age 53. [1] December 31 Nora Marlowe, actress (Sara - Governor and JJ), dies at age 62. [1]