Famous people and celebrities who died in September 1978

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in September 1978. 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

Sept. 2 Fred G. Meyer
American businessman, founded fred meyer (b. 1886)
Sept. 6 Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson was an American cartoonist famous for creating the beloved comic character Ziggy, which became a popular cultural icon in newspapers and merchandise during the late 20th century.
Sept. 6 Adolf Dassler
German cobbler and entrepreneur, founded adidas (b. 1900)
Sept. 6 Max Decugis
French tennis player (b. 1882)
Sept. 7 Keith Moon
Legendary drummer of the iconic rock band The Who, known for his explosive and innovative drumming style and notorious wild behavior both on and off stage.
Sept. 7 Cecil Aronowitz
South african-english viola player (b. 1916)
Sept. 7 Charles Williams
English composer and conductor (b. 1893)
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. 9 Hugh MacDiarmid
Scottish linguist, poet, and author (b. 1892)
Sept. 10 Ronnie Peterson
Talented Swedish Formula One racing driver who tragically died young in a racing accident, leaving a significant mark in motorsport history.
Sept. 11 Georgi Markov
Bulgarian dissident writer and journalist who was assassinated by the Bulgarian secret service using a ricin-loaded umbrella in London during the Cold War. His critical works against the communist regime made him a target of political persecution.
Sept. 11 Mike Gazella
American baseball manager and player (d. 1978).
Sept. 11 Janet Parker
English photographer (b. 1938)
Sept. 12 William Hudson
New zealand-australian engineer (b. 1896)
Sept. 12 Frank Ferguson
Actor (wagons west, dynamite and my gal sal), died at 69
Sept. 15 Robert Cliche
Robert Cliche was a prominent Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician who played a significant role in Quebec's legal and political landscape during the mid-20th century. He was known for his contributions to the judicial system and public service in Quebec.
Sept. 15 Willy Messerschmitt
German industrialist. he was an engineer and designer and designed his first plane in 1916. by 1923, he had his own manufacturing business. his messerschmitt was the aircraft that spearheaded germany's air attacks in ww ii. his planes set four world speed records. he was convicted of war crimes and fined after the war.
Sept. 19 Etienne Gilson
French philosopher and historian. he was a scholar of medieval philosophy and also philosophized according to the traditions of thomas aquinas. however, he didn't consider himself a neoscholastic or neothomist philosopheraeur". in fact, he was a constant critic of both of these schools. he was elected "immortal", (member) to the acada(c),mie franassaise in 1946.
Sept. 24 James Bassett
American journalist and author (b. 1912)
Sept. 24 Hasso von Manteuffel
German general and politician (b. 1897)
Sept. 24 Ruth Etting
Us singer / dancer (ziegfeld follies), passes away at 80
Sept. 26 Manne Siegbahn
PHY - Swedish physicist and academic, nobel prize laureate (b. 1886)
Sept. 26 Karl Manne Georg Siegbahn
Nobel Prize laureate for his discoveries and research in the field of X-ray spectroscopy
Sept. 28 Pope John Paul I
Pope who served an extraordinarily brief papacy of just 33 days in 1978, dying suddenly and unexpectedly at age 65, which sparked significant speculation and controversy.
Sept. 30 Edgar Bergen
Pioneering American ventriloquist who revolutionized entertainment through radio and film, creating iconic characters like Charlie McCarthy and becoming one of the highest-paid performers of his era.