Famous people and celebrities who died in April 1986

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in April 1986. 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

• April 1 Erik Bruhn

  Renowned Danish ballet dancer who was a pivotal figure in 20th-century classical ballet, known for his exceptional performances and captivating stage presence. He was a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, celebrated for his interpretations of classic roles like Giselle.

• April 1 Edwin Boston

  English clergyman, author, and railway preservationist

• April 5 Manly Wade Wellman

  Prolific American writer known for his contributions to fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, particularly in pulp magazines.

• April 7 Leonid Kantorovich

  Soviet mathematician and economist who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1975 for his work on optimal resource allocation.

• April 7 Leonid Vitaliyevich Kantorovich

  Nobel Prize laureate for their contributions to the theory of optimum allocation of resources

• April 10 Joseph P Addabbo

  Us defence specialist/(senator-democrat), dies at age 61.

• April 12 Valentin Kataev

  Russian playwright and author (d. 1986).

• April 13 Stephen Stucker

  Actor (trading places, airplane).

• April 14 Simone de Beauvoir

  Simone de Beauvoir was a groundbreaking French philosopher, writer, and feminist theorist who profoundly influenced 20th-century intellectual thought. Her seminal work 'The Second Sex' is considered a foundational text in feminist philosophy. She was a key figure in existentialism and maintained a lifelong intellectual partnership with Jean-Paul Sartre.

• April 15 Jean Genet

  Jean Genet was a groundbreaking French writer who transformed his tumultuous life experiences of marginalization, crime, and social rejection into powerful literary works. He became an influential novelist, playwright, and political activist known for exploring themes of sexuality, social outcasts, and rebellion. His autobiographical writings and provocative plays challenged societal norms and established him as a significant 20th-century literary figure.

• April 15 Sergei Nikolayevich Anokhin

  Cosmonaut dies at the age of 76.

• April 17 Bessie Head

  Bessie Head was a prominent South African writer who made significant contributions to African literature, addressing critical social issues through her powerful narratives about race, identity, and apartheid's impact.

• April 17 Marcel Dassault

  French aviation industrialist and aviator, known for being an outstanding pilot.

• April 18 Marcel Dassault [Bloch]

  French plane builder dies at the age of 94.

• April 20 Sibte Hassan

  Influential Pakistani journalist, writer, and political activist who played a significant role in intellectual discourse during the mid-20th century.

• April 21 Salah Jahin

  Renowned Egyptian poet, playwright, and composer who made significant contributions to Arabic literature and cultural arts.

• April 22 Mircea Eliade

  Renowned Romanian historian of religions, philosopher, and writer who significantly contributed to the understanding of religious symbolism and comparative mythology.

• April 23 Harold Arlen

  Harold Arlen was a renowned American composer best known for writing the iconic song 'Over the Rainbow' for the classic film 'The Wizard of Oz'. He was a significant figure in the Great American Songbook and composed numerous popular songs for Broadway and Hollywood.

• April 23 Otto Preminger

  Renowned Austrian-born film director, producer, and actor who made significant contributions to Hollywood cinema during the mid-20th century.

• April 23 Harold Arlen [Hyman Arluck]

  American music composer, killed at the age of 81 (born in 1905).

• April 24 Wallis Simpson

  American socialite and jet-set woman from 1931. after her second divorce, she met prince edward, the heir to great britain's throne, and began an affair. she was american and had been divorced.

• April 24 Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson (wife of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom

  Duchess of windsor) dies at the age of 89 (b. 1896).

• April 26 Broderick Crawford

  Broderick Crawford was an acclaimed American actor best known for his Oscar-winning role in 'All the King's Men' and his starring role in the popular TV series 'Highway Patrol'.

• April 26 Bessie Love

  Actress (broadway melody and isadora), is killed at 87

• April 26 Dechko Uzunov

  Bulgarian painter (b. 1899)

• April 29 Seamus McElwaine

  Terrorist in the irish republican army, aged 25.

• April 30 Robert Stevenson

  Renowned English film director known for directing classic Disney movies like 'Mary Poppins' and numerous other significant films in the mid-20th century.