Famous people and celebrities who died in 1946

A dedicated page for remembering the famous people and celebrities who passed away in 1946. This year saw the loss of many influential and beloved figures who left a lasting impact on the world. From entertainment icons and sports legends to renowned scholars and public figures, our comprehensive list pays tribute to their lives and legacies. Join us in honoring their contributions and celebrating their achievements as we reflect on their remarkable stories.

• Jan. 9 Countee Cullen

  Countee Cullen was a prominent Harlem Renaissance poet known for his powerful lyrical works exploring African American identity and social issues. He was a key literary figure who significantly contributed to the cultural and artistic movement of the 1920s and 1930s.

• Feb. 5 George Arliss

  British actor on the stage who rose to fame at the age of 53. before he retired in 1937, he remade some of the films he had seen as talkies. arliss' films included "the man who played god" as well as the oscar-winning "disraeli." arliss wrote two autobiographical books: "up the years from bloomsbury" in 1927, and "my ten years …

• Feb. 8 Miles Mander

  Actor/director (murder, 3 musketeers), dead at 57

• Feb. 17 Dorothy Gibson

  American singer and actress (d. 1946).

• April 1 Noah Beery

  Jr. american actor and singer

• April 22 Lionel Atwill

  Actor (captain blood and great waltz), died at 61

• May 28 Carter Glass

  Carter Glass was a prominent American politician known for his role in the creation of the Federal Reserve System.

• May 29 Martin Gottfried Weiss

  Nazi SS officer who served as commandant of the Dachau concentration camp during World War II. He was tried and executed for war crimes in 1946.

• June 1 Ion Antonescu

  Ion Antonescu was a Romanian military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister and Conducător (Leader) of Romania during World War II.

• June 6 Gerhart Hauptmann

  German playwright, poet, novelist, and dramatist. he is one of the most prolific and important german writers of his generation. he was the son of a hotelkeeper and studied art in breslau jena, rome, and rome. after a successful marriage in 1885, hauptmann began writing plays for the theatre. some of his plays are still being performed today. hauptmann was …

• June 6 Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann

  Nobel Prize laureate primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art

• June 9 Rama VIII

  King of Siam (Thailand) who ascended to the throne at a young age and tragically died at 21, marking a significant moment in Thai royal history.

• June 10 Jack Johnson

  Jack Johnson is an American singer-songwriter and musician known for his mellow acoustic pop style, popularizing surf-folk music in the early 2000s. He gained widespread recognition with albums like 'Brushfire Fairytales' and hit singles such as 'Banana Pancakes' and 'Better Together'.

• June 14 John Logie Baird

  Inventor of the world's first practical, publicly demonstrated television system.

• July 13 Alfred Stieglitz

  Us photographer / art dealer (camera work), dies at 82

• July 27 Gertrude Stein

  American playwright and novelist. her works include "three lives," 1908, a biography, "alice b. toklas," 1933, and an autobiography, “everybody's autobiography,” 1937. she was an eccentric and one of the most prominent figures in post-wwii literary life. she established a salon in paris that was the epicenter for intellectuals, artists, and writers. when she was 14, her weak-willed mother died. …

• July 28 Saint Alphonsa

  First woman of Indian origin to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church, known for her extraordinary devotion and spiritual life in Kerala, India.

• Aug. 6 Tony Lazzeri

  Tony Lazzeri was a prominent Major League Baseball player who played for the New York Yankees during the 1920s and 1930s. He was a key member of the legendary 'Murderers' Row' lineup and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.

• Aug. 13 H. G. Wells

  Nobel Prize-winning biologist known for his work on the discovery of the structure of DNA.

• Aug. 31 Harley Granville-Barker

  British playwright and actor (d. 1946).

• Sept. 13 Amon Göth

  Notorious Nazi SS officer and commandant of the Płaszów concentration camp, infamous for his extreme cruelty during the Holocaust.

• Oct. 16 Ernst Kaltenbrunner

  High-ranking Nazi SS officer who served as chief of the Reich Main Security Office during World War II. He was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials and executed in 1946.

• Nov. 18 Donald Meek

  Scotland, actor (stage fair and stagecoach), is killed at 86

• Dec. 10 Damon Runyon

  Renowned American journalist known for his newspaper columns and short stories.

• Dec. 25 W.C. Fields

  Legendary American comedian and actor known for his witty humor and distinctive persona.

What happened in 1946?

Discover what the world looked like in 1946: