Famous people and celebrities who died in August 2008

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in August 2008. 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

• Aug. 1 Gertan Klauber

  Czech-english actor (b. 1932)

• Aug. 2 Fujio Akatsuka

  Renowned Japanese manga artist and cartoonist, famous for creating iconic manga series and significantly influencing Japanese popular culture.

• Aug. 3 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  Renowned Russian novelist and dissident who exposed the brutal realities of Stalin's Soviet regime through powerful literary works. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 and spent years in exile for his critical writings against the Soviet system. His most famous work, 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich', brought international attention to the Soviet labor …

• Aug. 4 Craig Jones (musician)

  Craig Jones is a renowned keyboardist for the iconic heavy metal band Slipknot, known for their intense and groundbreaking music.

• Aug. 5 Neil Bartlett

  Renowned British chemist who made groundbreaking discoveries in noble gas chemistry, particularly known for synthesizing the first noble gas compound with xenon.

• Aug. 6 Angelos Kitsos

  Greek script writer and lawyer (born 1934).

• Aug. 7 Andrea Pininfarina

  Renowned Italian engineer and businessman from the famous Pininfarina automotive design family, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 2008.

• Aug. 9 Bernie Mac

  Renowned African American comedian and actor known for his sharp wit, stand-up comedy, and roles in films like 'The Original Kings of Comedy' and 'Ocean's Eleven'.

• Aug. 9 Mahmoud Darwish

  Mahmoud Darwish was a renowned Palestinian poet and intellectual who became a powerful voice for Palestinian identity, resistance, and cultural expression. His poetry transcended national boundaries and spoke to universal themes of exile, loss, and hope. He is widely considered one of the most important Arab poets of the 20th century.

• Aug. 10 Isaac Hayes

  American singer, composer and black performer. he won the emmy award for the theme on 3/14/1972 and an oscar on 4/10/1973.

• Aug. 11 George Furth

  American playwright and actor best known for his collaborations with Neil Simon and his work in musical theater.

• Aug. 12 Helge Hagerup

  Norwegian playwright, poet and novelist (b. 1933)

• Aug. 13 Henri Cartan

  Renowned French mathematician who made significant contributions to analytic function theory and homological algebra, publishing groundbreaking works in the mid-20th century.

• Aug. 13 Sandy Allen

  Sandy Allen was the world's tallest woman, recognized by Guinness World Records, who stood at 7 feet 7.5 inches tall. She was a notable WNBA player and Olympic gold medalist who became an inspiration for many people with her extraordinary height.

• Aug. 15 Jerry Wexler

  Legendary music producer who played a pivotal role in the development of rhythm and blues and rock and roll, working with iconic artists like Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan.

• Aug. 16 Dorival Caymmi

  Legendary Brazilian musician who pioneered bossa nova and captured the essence of Bahian culture through his music, influencing generations of Brazilian artists.

• Aug. 16 Masanobu Fukuoka

  Renowned Japanese farmer, philosopher, and author who developed the 'natural farming' method, emphasizing minimal human intervention in agriculture.

• Aug. 16 Ronnie Drew

  Irish musician, folk singer and actor (b. 1934)

• Aug. 19 Levy Mwanawasa

  Third President of Zambia, a respected lawyer and politician who served from 2002 until his death in 2008, known for his anti-corruption efforts.

• Aug. 20 Stephanie Tubbs Jones

  Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a pioneering African American politician who served as a U.S. Representative for Ohio's 11th congressional district from 1999 until her unexpected death in 2008. She was a significant figure in Democratic Party politics and congressional representation.

• Aug. 20 Gene Upshaw

  Legendary American football player who played for the Oakland Raiders and later became a prominent leader of the NFL Players Association.

• Aug. 23 Thomas Huckle Weller

  Nobel Prize laureate for their discovery of the ability of poliomyelitis viruses to grow in cultures of various types of tissue

• Aug. 23 John Russell

  Renowned English-American author and literary critic who made significant contributions to literary scholarship and writing.

• Aug. 25 Kevin Duckworth

  Professional NBA basketball player who played as a center, most notably for the Portland Trail Blazers during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

• Aug. 28 Phil Hill

  Renowned American race car driver who became the first American-born driver to win the Formula One World Championship.

• Aug. 29 Michael Schoenberg

  American geophysicist and theorist (b. 1939)

• Aug. 30 Brian Hambly

  Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1937)