Famous people and celebrities who died in February 1966

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in February 1966. This month marked the loss of influential and beloved figures whose contributions spanned various fields and touched many lives. Explore our detailed list to remember and celebrate their enduring legacies and the remarkable impact they had on the world

• Feb. 1 Hedda Hopper

  American journalist and hollywood gossip columnist. she was in both radio and syndication. despite a poor education, she was syndicated by national newspapers two years after her column was launched in 1936. she made silent films in numerous formats and tried her hand at fashion.

• Feb. 1 Buster Keaton

  Buster keaton was a pioneering actor and filmmaker known for his deadpan expression and physical comedy in silent films.

• Feb. 1 Buster Keaton [Joseph Francis]

  At 69, the american comic "the general" dies.

• Feb. 2 Hacı Ömer Sabancı

  Turkish businessman (b. 1906)

• Feb. 3 June Walker

  Actress (war nursings), dies at age 65

• Feb. 6 Narcisa de Leon

  Filipino film producer (d. 1966)

• Feb. 6 Johan Algot Haquinius

  Composer dies at 79

• Feb. 9 Sophie Tucker

  Slavic-american actress. she was a star on the stage for 60 year and is well known for her powerful voice, extravagant dress, and jewelry. her most popular songs included "some of these days" and "i'm the last of the red hot mamas."

• Feb. 10 Billy Rose

  American composer and songwriter (b. 1899)

• Feb. 13 Elio Vittorini

  Elio Vittorini was a prominent Italian novelist and anti-fascist writer known for his modernist style. His novel 'Conversations in Sicily' is considered a significant work of 20th-century Italian literature, with an introduction by Ernest Hemingway. He was a contemporary of Cesare Pavese and played a crucial role in shaping post-war Italian literature.

• Feb. 15 Gerard Antoni Ciołek

  A notable Polish architect and architectural historian who made significant contributions to the preservation and study of historical architectural landscapes in Poland during the mid-20th century.

• Feb. 15 Camilo Torres Restrepo

  Colombian priest and theologian (b. 1929)

• Feb. 17 Hans Hofmann

  German/us painter (search for the real), reaches 85 years old.

• Feb. 18 Robert Rossen

  Robert Rossen was an acclaimed American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for significant Hollywood works like 'All the King's Men' and 'The Hustler'.

• Feb. 18 Grigori Grigoyevich Nelyubov

  Russian cosmonaut, who died at 31 years old

• Feb. 18 Casimir von Paszthory

  Composer dies at 79

• Feb. 20 Chester Nimitz

  The united states navy's fleet admiral. as commander in chief of the united states pacific fleet (cincpac), he played a key role in the naval history during world war ii. he was also commander in chief of the pacific ocean areas (cincpoa) for u.s. air, land and sea forces.

• Feb. 21 Paul Comtois

  Canadian politician and lawyer 21st lieutenant governor, quebec (d. 1966).

• Feb. 22 Paul de Keyser

  Flemish philologist/folklorist, dies at age 74.

• Feb. 26 Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

  Indian independence activist and politician who played a key role in the freedom struggle.

• Feb. 26 Gino Severini

  Italian painter and leading member of the Futurist movement.

• Feb. 28 Elliot See

  NASA astronaut and naval aviator who tragically died in a training plane crash while preparing for the Gemini 9 space mission. His promising career was cut short, but he is remembered as a dedicated space exploration pioneer.

• Feb. 28 Charles Bassett

  American captain, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1931)

• Feb. 28 Elliot McKay See Jr

  Astronaut, who was 38 years old, is killed in a t-38 jet crash.

• Feb. 28 Jonathan Hale

  Canadian-american actor (d. 1966).