Famous people and celebrities who died in 1961

A dedicated page for remembering the famous people and celebrities who passed away in 1961. 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. 14 Barry Fitzgerald
Irish actor (born 1888).
Jan. 14 Ernest Thesiger
Actor (brass monkey ghoul), is killed at 81
Jan. 17 Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first democratically elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was assassinated in a political coup.
Feb. 2 Anna May Wong
Pioneering Chinese-American actress who was the first Chinese-American Hollywood movie star, breaking significant racial barriers in early 20th-century cinema.
Feb. 17 Nita Naldi
Actress (dr jekyll and mr hyde) dies at 63 from a heart attack
Feb. 20 Percy Grainger
Australian-born composer and pianist known for his innovative musical compositions.
March 6 George Formby
Renowned English comedian, singer, and actor famous for his ukulele performances and comedic films during the early to mid-20th century.
April 7 Marian Jordan
Fibber mcgee and molly, a radio comedian, dies at 62
April 16 Carl Hovland
Renowned American social psychologist who made groundbreaking contributions to communication theory and social psychology research.
April 21 James Melton
American operatic tenor, of pneumonia at 56
April 26 Gail Russell
American actress known for her roles in Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s, with a tragic personal life marked by alcoholism.
May 4 Anita Stewart
American actress and producer (d. 1961).
May 13 Gary Cooper
Legendary Hollywood actor of the Golden Age, Gary Cooper was a prominent leading man known for his iconic roles in Western and war films. He won an Academy Award for his performance in 'Sergeant York' and was nominated for several other prestigious acting awards. Cooper was one of the most recognizable and respected actors of his era.
May 22 Joan Davis
Actress joan (i married joan) dies at 53 from a heart attack
June 17 Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler was a prominent American actor and singer known for his versatile roles in Hollywood during the 1950s. He appeared in numerous films and was particularly recognized for his performances in Western movies. Tragically, he died at a relatively young age of 42.
July 1 Louis-Ferdinand Céline
French novelist known for his controversial and influential novels such as 'Journey to the End of the Night' and 'Death on the Installment Plan'.
July 9 Whittaker Chambers
American journalist, writer, and former Soviet spy who became a prominent anti-communist witness in the Alger Hiss espionage case during the Cold War era.
July 15 Nina Bari
Nina Bari was a prominent Soviet mathematician known for her significant contributions to mathematical analysis and set theory. She was a professor at Moscow State University and made groundbreaking research in functional analysis during the mid-20th century.
Aug. 30 Charles Coburn
American actor and singer (d. 1961).
Sept. 1 Eero Saarinen
Renowned Finnish-American architect and designer famous for pioneering modernist architecture and iconic structures like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. He was a significant figure in mid-20th century design, creating innovative buildings and furniture that blended organic forms with technological precision.
Sept. 10 Leo Carrillo
American cartoonist and actor (d. 1961).
Sept. 18 Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hammarskjöld was a renowned Swedish diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. He was a Nobel Prize laureate known for his significant contributions to international diplomacy and peacekeeping efforts.
Sept. 22 Marion Davies
American actress. she is most well-known as the mistress to william randolph hearst for 37 years. he first noticed her when she was 16 and was performing on stage. she was 50 at the time. he wanted to make her a star, but one critic said that miss davies had a wide range of expressions from a to b.
Sept. 25 Frank Fay
American vaudeville star and light actor. he had a gift of holding his audience. from 1929, he made a few small films. he was once married to barbara stanwyck.
Oct. 11 Chico Marx
American comedian, who was a star on both the stage and in films. his act featured an absurdly fake italian accent and eccentric playing of a piano. he was a member of the marx brothers and was known for his reputation as a gambler and womanizer whose debts put him in serious danger.
Oct. 18 Tsuru Aoki
American actress born in japan (born 1892)
Nov. 2 Harriet Bosse
Actress from sweden, norwegian (d. 1961).
Nov. 24 Ruth Chatterton
American actress, writer, and pilot. at 14 she was a dare in a new york chorus. four years later, she made her broadway debut in a 21-day-old turkey. she was already a star in a henry miller production at the age of 21. she was a star in a series of henry miller plays, including "daddy long legs," "come out …