Famous people and celebrities who died in 1978

A dedicated page for remembering the famous people and celebrities who passed away in 1978. 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. 13 Hubert Humphrey

  American politician who was vice-president of america from 1965-1969 under president lyndon b. johnson. he was elected senator from minnesota in 1949 and was reelected three more times. he held that position until 1964. he unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in 1968.

• Jan. 23 Jack Oakie

  American comedian who appeared on more than 100 films, including charlie chaplin’s classic 1940 film "the great dictator".

• Jan. 29 Tim McCoy

  American actor and military officer (b. 1891)

• Feb. 2 Wendy Barrie

  British-american actress. she was a vibrant minor star and was seen on-screen in hollywood starting in 1935. in 1930, she made her london stage debut. the following year, she entered british film. she began with "it's a small world", her first american film. she made 25 movies of which "wings over honolulu", "dead end" (and "i am the law") were …

• Feb. 18 Maggie McNamara

  Actress (3 coins in the fountain, cardinal), died at 49

• March 12 John Cazale

  Actor (dog day afternoon, deer hunter), dies at 41

• March 25 Jack Hulbert

  Actor (bulldog jack), passes away at 85

• April 22 Will Geer

  Actor (grandpa walton–waltons), passes away at 75

• May 26 Cybele

  Ancient Phrygian and Greek goddess associated with nature, fertility, and the Great Mother

• June 29 Bob Crane

  American actor who rose to fame in "hogan's heroes", a tv series that ran from 1965 to 1971. it was a unique vehicle that revolved around the fun and games of a pow camp in germany. he began his career as a radio announcer in 1956. he stayed at knx for nine year, interviewing many celebrities, perfecting his delivery, and …

• July 3 James Daly

  American actor who has been seen in film, television and theater. perhaps his most well-known role is that of dr. paul lochner, the superior in the hospital drama medical center. his four children tim (james timothy) and tyne ("ellen tyne") were both born in 1956. kathryne dora brown is tyne's daughter and actor georg stanford brown. james daly, who was …

• July 20 Amarien Delacroix

  Famous for vibrant and expressive artworks.

• Aug. 5 Queenie Smith

  Actress/dancer (funny side), passes away at the age of 79.

• Aug. 21 Charles Eames

  Renowned American designer known for his contributions to architecture and furniture design.

• Aug. 22 Kenyatta Kenyatta

  Kenyatta was the first president of Kenya and a prominent figure in the Kenyan independence movement.

• Aug. 24 Louis Prima

  American actor and trumpet player (d. 1978).

• Aug. 28 Robert Shaw

  American conductor and longtime musical director of atlanta symphony. he is also the dean of american choral conducting. shaw founded the "collegiate chorale", which was part of the "rca victor chorale," 1944-1948. he also directed the "the robert shaw chorale," 1948-1948. he was appointed associate conductor of the cleveland orchestra eight years later. he loved to work with amateur singers …

• Sept. 6 Tom Wilson

  American cartoonist, ziggy, creator of the character. ziggy can be seen across the country in newspapers and on bookstands. ziggy was a popular cartoonist and creator of the character ziggy. ziggy's t-shirts, key chains, and other humor were worn by the general public for a period of time.

• Sept. 9 Jack Warner

  American film executive, who was the president of warner bros. studios, los angeles, california. warner's forty-five year career was longer than any of the other seminal hollywood studio moguls.

• Sept. 30 Edgar Bergen

  American ventriloquist. he studied a 25-cent book on ventriloquism in high school and then paid $35 to a carpenter to carve the head for his first dummy, charlie mccarthy. his beloved characters were rated number one in every radio poll. he continued to perform vaudeville, radio and nightclubs as well as film and television. he was earning $6,000 per week …

• Oct. 9 Jacques Brel

  Belgian-born french composer and lyricist, as well as singer. from 1953 to 1967, he was a parisian troubadour. brel was the author of over 500 songs and also produced and starred as the french actor in "man of la mancha" in 1968.

• Oct. 16 Dan Dailey

  Actor/dancer (gov drinkwater governor & jj), who dies at 63

• Oct. 19 Gig Young

  American actor. he was handsome, charming, and friendly. his quirky humor made him a great choice for romantic comedy on tv, film, and stage.

• Nov. 8 Norman Rockwell

  American illustrator known for his portraits depicting american life. norman was the son of a businessman, and his wife. he began drawing at a young age. he had already illustrated children's books by age 17. he was a freelancer and sold his first saturday evening post cover at 22. he would produce many more covers for the highly-read magazine. he …

• Nov. 9 Joe Wong

  Actor ken murray show, dies at 75

• Nov. 15 Margaret Mead

  An American cultural anthropologist who was a frequently featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 20th century.

• Nov. 18 Jim Jones

  American cult leader, the leader of the people's temple. he led his followers from san francisco, california to guyana in 1977. jones was a manic-depressive and suffered from paranoia, delusions, and manic-depression. he was a remarkable persuader and led almost 1000 people to commit suicide in georgetown, guyana, on the 19th of january 1978.

• Dec. 12 Fay Compton

  Actress (othello) dies at 74

• Dec. 15 Chill Wills

  Seagoville (texas) -- actor (fronteir circus and rounders).