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.

1981 January 2 David Lynch, singer (Platters-My Prayer), dies at age 51. [1] January 5 Death of Lanza del Vasto, Italian-born philosopher, poet, and activist (born 1901). [119] Harold C Urey, American chemist (Deuterium, Nobel Prize 1934), dies at age 87 (born 1893). [1] [119] Paul Félix, Flemish architect (Song of the Sun), dies at age 67. [1] January 6 A[rchibald] J[oseph] Cronin, Scottish physician/author (Citadel), dies at age 84 (born 1896). [1] [119] January 7 Jose Ardevol, composer, dies at age 69. [1] January 8 Matthew Beard, entertainer, dies. [1] Woody Chamblis, actor (Mr Lathrop - Gunsmoke), dies at age 66. [1] January 9 Kazimierz Serocki, composer, dies at age 58. [1] January 10 Richard Boone, actor (Paladin - Have Gun Will Travel), dies at age 63. [1] Death of Katherine Alexander, American actress (born 1898). [119] January 12 Beulah Bondi, Chicago, Illinois, actress (It's a Wonderful Life), dies at age 89. [1] Isobel Elsom, actress (Unseen, Jane Eyre, Illegal), dies at age 87. [1] January 13 Emiel van Hemeldonck, Belgian writer (Mary, My Child), dies at age 83. [1] January 15 Emanuel Celler (Representative-Democrat-New York, 1923-73), dies at age 92. [1] January 16 Bernard Lee, actor (M in James Bond Movies), dies at age 73. [1] January 21 Allyn Joslyn, actor (They Won't Forget, Cafe Society), dies at age 79. [1] January 22 Fannie Thomas, American, dies at age 113. [1] January 23 Bobby Sherwood, orchestra leader (Milton Berle Show), dies at age 66. [1] Samuel Barber, US composer (School for Scandal), dies at age 70. [1] Death of Samuel Barber, American composer (born 1910). [119] January 25 Adele Marie Astaire, actress/sister of Fred Astaire (Last Man on Earth, Millie), dies at age 82. [1] Richard Talmadge, actor (Speed Reporter), dies. [1] January 27 Leo Collard, Belgian minister of Education (1946/1954-58), dies at age 78. [1] January 31 Death of Cozy Cole, American jazz drummer (born 1909). [1] [119] February 1 Ernst Pepping, composer, dies at age 79. [1] Nils Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer, dies at age 72 (born 1908). [1] [119] Wanda Hendrix, actress (Sierra, Ride the Pink Horse), dies. [1] February 2 Louise Lorraine, actress (Adventures of Tarzan), dies. [1] Donald W Douglas, US aircraft pioneer/builder, dies at age 88. [1] Jan Donner, Dutch chairman of High Council, dies at age 89. [1] February 5 Kuda Bux, Indian mystic (I'd Like to See), dies at age 75. [1] Barend Barendse, Dutch sportscaster, dies at age 73. [1] February 9 Bill Haley, American vocalist ("Rock Around Clock"), dies of heart attack at age 55 (born 1925). [1] [119] February 12 Jean Dixon, actress (Joy of Living, You Only Live Once), dies. [1] February 15 Death of Karl Richter, German conductor (born 1926). [119] Jack Crapp, cricketer (7 Tests for England 1948-49, 319 runs), dies. [1] Mike Bloomfield, rocker (Electric Flag), dies of drug overdose at age 36. [1] Thomas Beversdorf, composer, dies at age 56. [1] February 16 Howard Hanson, composer, dies at age 84. [1] February 18 Death of John Knudsen Northrop, American airplane manufacturer (born 1895). [119] February 19 Frank Merrik, composer, dies at age 94. [1] February 20 Death of Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, French magazine editor and playboy (born 1904). [119] February 26 FC Terborgh [Reijnier Flaes], lawyer/writer (Turkish War), dies at age 79. [1] Howard Hanson, American composer/conductor (Nordic), dies at age 84 (born 1896). [1] [119] Munabi, assistant to Ugandan President Obote, murdered. [1] February 27 Death of Jacob H. Gilbert, American politician (born 1920). [119] March 2 Janear Hines, actress (Roberta-Julia), dies at age 30. [1] March 4 Torin Thatcher, actor (Houdini, Isranbul, Lady Godiva), dies. [1] March 5 Brenda De Banzie, actress (39 Steps, Hobson's Choice), dies at age 64. [1] Paul Horbiger, actor (3rd Man), dies at age 86. [1] March 6 George Geary, English cricketer (14 Tests for England, 46 wickets), dies (born 1893). [1] [119] Klaus Grabowski, child molester, shot by parent. [1] March 7 John Gnagy, artist (Learn to Draw), dies at age 73. [1] Kirill Petrovich Kondrashin, Russian conductor/composer, dies at age 67 (born 1914). [1] [119] First homicide at Disneyland, 18-year old is stabbed to death. [1] March 9 Max Delbrück, German/US biologist (Nobel Prize 1969), dies at age 74 (born 1906). [1] [119] March 14 René Clair, French director (It Happened Tomorrow), dies at age 82?. [1] Ken Barrington, cricketer (82 Tests for England, 6806 runs), dies. [1] March 23 Death of Beatrice Tinsley, English astronomer (born 1941). [119] March 26 Tim Wall, cricketer (SA vs New South Wales 1933 is Sheffield Shield record), dies. [1] Cyril Dean Darlington, biologist (hereditary mechanisms), dies at age 77. [1] March 29 Eric Williams, Prime Minister (Trinidad and Tobago), dies at age 79. [1] March 30 Dewitt Wallace, American magazine founder/publisher (Reader's Digest), dies at age 91 (born 1889). [1] [119] Noel Harford, cricketer (8 Tests for New Zealand 1955-58), dies. [1] March 31 Death of Frank Tieri, American gangster (born 1904). [119] April 1 D[ennis] F[eltham] Jones, sci-fi author (Colossus), dies at age 65. [1] April 3 Death of Juan Trippe, Airline entrepreneur (born 1899). [119] April 4 Brad Johnson, actor (Annie Oakley), dies at age 56. [1] April 5 Cornelis Verolme, Dutch ship builder, dies at age 80. [1] Death of Maurice Zbriger, Canadian violinist, composer and conductor (born 1896). [119] April 6 Bob "The Bear" Hite, singer (Canned Heat - "Goin' up the Country"), dies of a heart attack at age 36. [1] April 7 Death of Norman Taurog, American film director (born 1899). [119] (April 8 [1]) April 8 Omar Bradley, last American five-star General, dies in New York at age 88. [1] April 11 Marie Ney dies at age 85. [1] April 12 Hans Chemin-Petit, composer, dies at age 78. [1] Hendrik F Andriessen, Dutch organist/composer (Te Deum), dies at age 88. [1] Joe Louis [Brown bomber], US heavyweight champion (1937-49), dies at age 66. [1] Death of Joe Louis, American boxer (born 1914). [119] April 15 French Duynstee, Dutch states rights leader, dies at age 67. [1] April 16 Eric Hollies, cricketer (13 Tests for England, 44 wickets), dies. [1] April 18 Death of James H. Schmitz, German-born writer (born 1911). [119] April 19 Ernst Levy, composer, dies at age 85. [1] April 21 Harry Lee, cricketer (scored 18 and one in only Test for England), dies. [1] April 22 Brailsford Reese Brazeal, dean (Morehouse College), dies at age 76. [1] April 25 Dixie, a mouse who lived 6.5 years, dies. [1] April 26 Jim Davis, actor (Jack Ewing - Dallas), dies at age 65. [1] Madge Evans, TV panelist (Masquerade Party), dies at age 71. [1] Robert Davi dies at age 54. [1] April 27 Death of John Aspinwall Roosevelt, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1916). [119] April 28 Mickey "Toy Bulldog" Walker, welterweight champion (1922-26) dies at age 79. [1] May 1 Dr Clarence A Bacote, historian and political scientist, dies at age 75. [1] Peter Huchel, writer, dies at age 78. [1] May 5 Bobby Sands, Irish Republican Army activist, dies in his 66th day of hunger strike (born 1954). [1] [119] May 7 Mieczyslaw Kolinski, composer, dies at age 79. [1] May 8 Daniel Gillès, Belgian writer, dies at age 64. [1] Margaret Lindsay, actress (G Men, Lady Killer, Jezebel), dies from emphysema at age 40. [1] Maurice Fernandes, cricket captain (West Indies in first Test win, 1930 vs England), dies. [1] May 9 Nelson Algren, American writer (Man with the Golden Arm), dies at age 72 (born 1909). [1] [119] Death of Ralph Allen, English footballer (born 1906). [119] C E "Nip" Pellew, cricketer (10 Tests 484 runs at age 37), dies. [1] May 11 Bob Marley, Jamaican reggae singer, dies of brain and lung cancer at age 36 (born 1945). [1] [119] Hoyt J Fuller, editor (first World magazine), dies at age 57. [1] Death of Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1897). [119] May 12 Benjamin H Sheares, President of Singapore, dies. [1] May 13 Carl Weinrich, composer, dies at age 76. [1] May 15 Donna Payant is murdered by serial killer Lemuel Smith - the first time a female prison officer has been killed on-duty in the United States. [119] May 17 Hugo Freidhofer, composer, dies at age 80. [1] Jeannette Ridlon Piccard, first US woman free balloon pilot, dies. [1] May 18 William Saroyan, American stagewriter (Time of your life), dies at age 72 (born 1908). [1] [119] Arthur O'Connell, actor (Mr Peepers, Second Hundred Years), dies at age 73. [1] May 21 Yuki Shimoda, actor (Farewell to Manzanar), dies. [1] May 24 George Jessel, US comedian/America's toastmaster general (Diary of Young Comic), dies from a heart attack at age 83. [1] (May 23 [5]) Jack Warner [Waters], actor (Captive Heart), dies at age 84. [1] Jaime Roldós Aguilera, President of Ecuador, dies in air crash. [1] May 25 Rosa Ponselle, US singer (Metropolitan Opera), dies at age 84. [1] Roy James Brown, rocker (Good rockin' tonight), dies of a heart attack at age 55. [1] May 28 Stefan Wyszynski, Polish Cardinal, dies. [1] Mary Lou Williams, musician, dies at age 71 in Durham, North Carolina. [1] May 30 Ziaur Rahmen, President of Bangladesh, is assassinated by a group of rebel officers. [1] [119] Death of Don Ashby, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1955). [119] June 1 Death of Carl Vinson, U.S. Congressman (born 1883). [119] June 2 Death of Rino Gaetano, Italian singer-songwriter (born 1950). [119] June 3 Dr Carleton Coon, anthropology professor (What in the World), dies at age 76. [1] June 9 Allen Ludden, American television game show host (Password), dies at age 63 (born 1917). [1] [119] June 10 Russell "Lucky" Hayden, actor (Judge Roy Bean), dies at age 68. [1] Death of Jenny Maxwell, American actress (born 1941). [119] June 17 Death of Zerna Sharp, American writer and educator (born 1889). [119] Death of Sir Richard O'Connor, English general (born 1889). [119] June 18 Death of Pamela Hansford Johnson, English poet, novelist, playwright, literary and social critic (born 1912). [119] June 19 Death of Lotte Reiniger, German-born silhouette animator (born 1899). [119] June 23 Death of Zarah Leander, Swedish actress and singer (born 1907). [119] June 28 Death of Terry Fox, Canadian athlete and cancer activist (born 1958). [119] July 1 George Voskovec, actor (Fred - Nero Wolfe, Peter - Skag), dies at age 76. [1] July 3 Ross Martin, actor (Mr Lucky, Wild Wild West), dies at age 61. [1] July 7 Keefe Brasselle, actor (Be Our Guest), dies at age 58. [1] July 8 Death of Joe McDonnell, Irish political prisoner (born 1951). [119] Loring Smith, actor (The Hartmans), dies at age 86. [1] July 16 Harry Chapin, American singer and songwriter, dies at age 39 of a heart attack when his car is rear-ended (born 1942). [1] [119] July 25 Ian Martin, actor (Uncle Bill - O'Neills), dies at age 69. [1] July 27 Death of Adam Walsh, American murder victim, inspired Code Adam (born 1974). [119] Death of William Wyler, American movie director (born 1902). [119] Ray Harrison, dancer (American Song), dies at age 64. [1] July 29 Death of Robert Moses, American urban planner (born 1888). [119] July 31 General Omar Torrijos, leader of Panama, dies in plane crash. [1] August 4 Melvyn Douglas, actor, dies at age 80. [1] August 14 Death of Karl Böhm, Austrian conductor (born 1894). [119] August 26 Roger Nash Baldwin, founder of the ACLU, dies. [1] August 27 Joan Edwards, singer (Joan Edwards Show), dies at age 62. [1] August 29 Lowell Thomas, newscaster (High Adventure), dies in Pawling New York, at age 89. [1] August 30 Death of Vera-Ellen, American actress and dancer (born 1921). [119] Mohammad Ali Rajai, president of Iran, is assassinated by a bomb. [1] Mohammad Javad Bahonar, prime minister of Iran, is assassinated by a bomb. [1] September 1 Death of Albert Speer in London (born in Mannheim, Germany); Adolf Hitler's chief architect and the minister of armaments and war production from 1942-1945. [37] [119] September 2 Death of Enid Lyons, Australia politician (born 1897). [119] September 4 Verne Rowe, actor (Verne - Fernwood 2 Night), dies at age 59. [1] September 5 Ayatollah Ali Qoddusi, prosecutor-general of Iran, is assassinated. [1] September 6 Death of Christy Brown, Irish Author, Poet, and Artist (born 1932). [119] September 8 Death of Hideki Yukawa, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1907). [119] Roy Wilkins, longtime executive director of NAACP, dies at age 80. [1] September 9 Death of Sir Robert (Bob) Askin, Premier of New South Wales (born 1907). [119] September 11 Frank McHugh, actor (Dawn Patrol, Going My Way), dies at age 83. [1] September 12 Death of Eugenio Montale, Italian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1896). [119] September 13 William Loeb, publisher of Manchester Union Leader, New Hampshire, dies at age 75. [1] September 15 Death of Rafael Méndez, Mexican-born trumpet virtuoso (born 1906). [119] Death of Harold Bennett, British actor (born 1899). [119] Sara Haden, actress (A Family Affair), dies at age 83. [1] September 24 Patsy Kelly, actress (Brigid Murphy - Cop and the Kid), dies at age 71. [1] September 27 Robert Montgomery, actor/director (Robert Montgomery Presents), dies at age 77. [1] September 28 Death of Sir Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth, British Conservative cabinet minister (born 1923). [119] September 29 Death of Bill Shankly, British football manager (born 1914). [119] October 2 Death of Harry Golden, American journalist (born 1902). [119] Hazel Scott, singer/pianist, dies at age 61. [1] October 5 Gloria Grahame, actress (Sue - Rich Man Poor Man), dies at age 55. [1] Jud Strunk, singer/comedian (Laugh-In), dies at age 48. [1] October 6 Egyptian president Anwar Sadat is assassinated during a parade by army members who were part of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization; they opposed his negotiations with Israel. [1] [119] October 16 Death of Stanley Clements, American actor (born 1926). [119] Moshe Dayan, Israeli general, dies at age 66 (born 1915). [1] [119] October 24 Deborah Baltzell, actress (Karen-I'm a Big Girl Now), dies at age 25. [1] October 29 Death of Georges Brassens, French singer and songwriter (born 1921). [119] William O Walker, publisher of the Cleveland Call Post, dies at age 85. [1] November 7 Death of Will Durant, American philosopher and writer (born 1885). [119] November 10 Abel Gance, French movie director, dies at age 92. [1] November 14 Death of Robert Bradford, Northern Irish footballer and politician (born 1941). [119] November 16 Death of William Holden, American actor (born 1918). [5] [119] Enid Markey, actress (Aunt Violet-Bringing Up Buddy), dies at age 85. [1] November 17 Bob Eberly, singer (Jimmy Dorsey Band), dies at age 65. [1] November 21 Harry Von Zell, TV announcer (Burns and Allen), dies at age 75. [1] November 22 Death of Hans Adolf Krebs, German physician and biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1900). [37] [119] November 25 Jack Albertson, American actor (Chico and the Man), dies at age 74 (born 1907). [1] [119] November 27 Death of Lotte Lenya (Karoline Blamauer) at age 83 in New York (born in Penzig, Austria); stage/film actress/dancer. [1] [37] November 29 Natalie Wood, American actress, drowns off Santa Catalina, California, at age 43 (born 1938). [1] [119] November 30 Robert H Harris. actor (Jake-The Goldbergs), dies at age 72. [1] December 2 Hershy Kay, composer, dies at age 62. [1] Nicolaas "Cola" Debrot, Governor of Dutch Antilles (1962-70), dies at age 79. [1] Wallace K[irkman] Harrison, US architect (United Nations), dies at age 86. [1] December 3 Death of Walter Knott, American farmer and theme park creator (born 1889). [119] December 8 Walter "Shakey" Horton, harmonica stylist (Everybody's Fishin'), dies at age 64. [1] December 9 Tonny Til, rocker, dies at age 56. [1] December 10 John Kieran, TV host (Information Please), dies at age 89. [1] December 13 Cornelius Cardew, composer, dies at age 45. [1] Pigmeat Markham, comedian (Here Comes da Judge-Laugh In), dies at age 75. [1] December 15 Death of Catherine T. MacArthur, American philanthropist (born 1909). [119] December 18 Mehmet Shehu, Prime Minister Albania (1954-81)/"US-Russian spy", commits suicide. [1] December 23 Death of Reginald Miles Ansett, Australian businessman and aviator (born 1909). [119] December 27 Death of Hoagy Carmichael, American jazz composer (born 1899). [119] Hoagy Carmichael, US actor/songwriter (Stardust), dies at age 82. [1] December 28 Death of Allan Dwan, Canadian-born film director (born 1885). [119] December 29 Guido Provoost, Belgian historian, dies at age 41. [1] December 30 Death of Alfie Anido, Filipino actor (born 1959). [119] December 31 Frantisek Chaun, composer, dies at age 60. [1]