Famous people and celebrities who died in April 1997

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in April 1997. 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 Norman Carr
British conservationist (born 1912)
April 1 Nancy Woodhull
At 52, usa today's news editor dies from cancer
April 1 Jolie Gabor
At the age of 97, eva and zsa zsa's mother die.
April 2 Tomoyuki Tanaka
Tomoyuki Tanaka was a legendary Japanese film producer at Toho Studios, most famous for creating the iconic movie monster Godzilla, which revolutionized the kaiju genre in cinema.
April 4 Alparslan Türkeş
Prominent Turkish nationalist politician who served as deputy prime minister and was a key figure in Turkish political history.
April 5 Allen Ginsberg
Iconic Beat Generation poet, known for his groundbreaking work 'Howl' and significant influence on American counterculture.
April 7 Georgi Shonin
Soviet cosmonaut (born 1935)
April 8 Laura Nyro
Influential American singer-songwriter who wrote iconic songs like 'And When I Die' at a young age, later popularized by other artists like Peter, Paul, and Mary.
April 9 Helene Hanff
Helene Hanff was a renowned American writer best known for her book '84, Charing Cross Road', which chronicled her decades-long correspondence with a London bookshop. Her witty and charming memoir became a beloved literary work and was later adapted into a successful film.
April 11 Muriel McQueen Fergusson
Canadian lawyer and politician, canadian speaker of the senate (b. 1899)
April 11 Wang Xiaobo
Contemporary chinese novelist and essayist (b. 1952)
April 11 Michael Dorris
Writer commits suicide at 52
April 12 George Wald
MED - American neurobiologist and academic, nobel prize laureate (d. 1997)
April 13 Bryant Bowles
American soldier and activist, founded the national association for the advancement of white people (b. 1920)
April 13 Dorothy Frooks
American author and actress (b. 1896)
April 13 Alan Cooley
Australian public servant (b. 1920)
April 13 Voldemar Vali
Estonian wrestler (born in 1903)
April 13 Ann Craft
Writer/researcher, who dies at 53
April 16 Roland Topor
Roland Topor was a renowned French-Polish Jewish artist, writer, and multidisciplinary creative who significantly influenced avant-garde culture through his surreal cartoons, literature, and multimedia works.
April 16 Michael Stroka
Actor (aristede dark shadows), dies from cancer at 57
April 21 Andres Rodriguez
Paraguayan president (1989-93), dies.
April 21 Diosdado Macapagal
Filipino politician and lawyer 9th president of the philippines (d. 1997).
April 23 Denis Compton
Denis Compton was a legendary English sportsman who excelled in both cricket and football, playing for Arsenal and becoming one of the most celebrated multi-sport athletes of his era.
April 24 Eugene Stoner
Eugene Stoner was a pioneering American firearms designer who revolutionized modern military weaponry by creating the AR-15 rifle, which became the basis for the M16 rifle used extensively by the US military.
April 24 Allan Francovich
American director and producer (b. 1941)
April 26 Peng Zhen
Mayor of beijing china (1951-66)
April 26 Yegorov
Russian leader (1994-95)
April 28 Ann Petry
Ann Petry was an influential African American novelist and journalist known for her powerful narratives exploring racial and social issues in mid-20th century America. Her most famous novel, 'The Street', won the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award and was the first novel by an African American woman to sell over one million copies.
April 29 Mike Royko
Renowned Chicago newspaper columnist who won the Pulitzer Prize, known for his sharp wit, social commentary, and influential writing style.