Famous people and celebrities who died in 1996

A dedicated page for remembering the famous people and celebrities who passed away in 1996. 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.

• Feb. 2 Gene Kelly

  American actor/dancer ("singing in the rain") dies at the age of 83. he was born 1912

• Feb. 3 Audrey Meadows

  American actress, alice - the honeymooners, dies at the age of 69. she was born in 1926.

• Feb. 6 Guy Madison

  American actor who played the role of wild bill hickock on tv and radio. after completing his college education and serving in the u.s navy, he made his film debut in "since you were away" in 1944. he also appeared in "the command," 1953 and "last frontier," 1956, as well as "gentleman of the night" 1963.

• Feb. 13 Martin Balsam

  American actor on stage since 1935. he was the greatest actor of characters in theater, tv and movies. his first stage appearance was in 1935's "pot boiler", and his debut in new york came in 1941. his first movie, "on the waterfront," was his debut film. he began tv in 1948. he was a highly accomplished actor, and was frequently …

• March 5 Whit Bissell

  Whit Bissell was a prolific character actor known for his work in film and television.

• March 9 George Burns

  American comedian, actor, and vaudeville singer-and-dancer, gracie allen teamed up with him in 1925 to start a long career on tv, radio, and film.

• March 22 Don Murray

  American actor. tall and powerful, he is a strong and tall lead on screen and stage. he was nominated for an oscar for his 1956 film "bus stop". he also directed "the bachelor party", 1957, "the hoodlum priest", 1961 and "a hatful of rain," 1957. his tv series "the outcasts" was 1968-1969. murray made his broadway debut with "the rose …

• April 6 Greer Garson

  Anglo-american actress, garson was very popular in the second world war. she was listed by the motion picture herald among america's top ten box office draws between 1942 and 1946. garson was one of the most prominent stars at metro-goldwyn-mayer in the 1940s. she received seven academy award nominations including five consecutive nominations. in 1942, garson won the best actress …

• April 8 Ben Johnson

  100m runner (1988 olympics - gold medalist, disqualified)

• April 22 Erma Bombeck

  American humorist and journalist, author of 11 books and a column that was read by millions across 700 cities. her books include "the grass is always greener than the septic tank", "if life is a bowl of cherries", and "if life is a bowl of cherries: what am i doing in the pits?" "a marriage made in heaven... or too …

• June 10 Jo Van Fleet

  Actress (seize the day cinderella) dies at 75

• June 11 Brigitte Helm

  German-swiss actress (d. 1996)

• June 29 Pamela Mason

  American minor actress, whose films include "i met a murderer," the upturned glass," and "lady possessed", and whose tv credits included "the pamela mason show” and "my wicked, wicked ways." in 1939, she made her stage debut with "the luck of the devil", and entered the show business in that capacity.

• June 30 Margaux Hemingway

  American actress, fashion model and member of a prominent family. hemingway was the grandchild of american novelist ernst hemingway. hemingway reached the height of her modeling career in the mid-'70s when she was awarded a $1million contract to model for faberge's perfume "babe". hemingway was 6ft tall with a beautiful smile, which she displayed on the cover time magazine.

• July 15 Dana Hill

  Actress (vacation), is killed at 32

• July 30 Claudette Colbert

  French-american actress, on the stage and in more than 50 movies. she studied fashion design and art in her early years of school. after a few roles on the stage, she decided to pursue a career in modeling. she signed a contract with paramount after six years of performing in legitimate theater. this contract lasted for 14 years. she was …

• July 30 Magda Schneider

  German actress and singer in musicals and operatic films. she was the mother to actress romy schneider.

• Aug. 27 Greg Morris

  American actor. star of the tv series "mission impossible", 1966-73, and "vega$," 1978-81. he was born in poverty to single parents and a mother who worked as a maid. he graduated high school in 1952, and served three years with the u.s. army. after studying drama at the university of iowa he moved to seattle and then long beach where …

• Sept. 5 Leonard Katzman

  Television producer dies at 69

• Sept. 7 Bibi Besch

  Vienna, austria -- actress for star trek 2, beast within

• Sept. 10 Joanne Dru

  American actress (born in 1923)

• Sept. 14 Juliet Prowse

  South African-born American actress and dancer known for her roles in film and television.

• Sept. 17 Spiro Agnew

  American politician and lawyer, governor of maryland 1967-1969, and vice-president under nixon 1969. in october 1973, he was forced to resign for financial misconduct, income tax fraud, and allegedly accepting corrupt payments. he was the first american vice president to resign in disgrace. he pleaded no contest and resigned from politics to become a business executive.

• Sept. 22 Dorothy Lamour

  American actress who made the sarong a household name in 1936's "the jungle princess", her first film. before moving to hollywood, she was a nightclub singer in new york. she sang in many of her 60 films. her exotic beauty and funny timing are what make her stand out. she did many "road", pictures with bob hope, bing crosby and …

• Sept. 24 Mark Frankel

  Actor (solitaire for 2, simon-sisters), died at 34

• Nov. 14 Joseph Bernardin

  American roman catholic cardinal, whose style was pastoral and not imperial. he was a soft-spoken, conventional priest who spent his entire life behind a desk as a bishop and priest. but he became a moral giant and the leader of chicago's 2.3million catholics. he was a master mediator and helped to steer the u.s. church towards an anti-nuclear position. in …

• Dec. 19 Marcello Mastroianni

  Italian actor known for his roles in classic films such as La Dolce Vita and 8½.

• Dec. 20 Carl Sagan

  American astrophysicist and exobiologist. he is also a popular celebrity. he was the host of "cosmos" and also the author of the book. his enthusiastic lectures, books, and documentaries on space and life inspired generations. he was awarded the pulitzer prize, several nasa medals, the masursky award of nasa, and the public welfare medal, which is the highest award of …

• Dec. 30 Lew Ayres

  American actor onscreen since 1929. he was an actor onscreen since 1929, with films like "all quiet on the western front", 1930, and "johnny belinda," 1948. for both of these films, he was nominated to win an oscar. in 1938, he was the first to film dr. kildare.