Famous people and celebrities who died on February 18

Welcome to Takemeback.to's page dedicated to remembering the celebrities and famous people who passed away on February 18. On this day, we honor the lives and legacies of notable figures from various fields who left an indelible mark on the world. Explore our list to learn about their remarkable contributions and celebrate their enduring impact.

• 1294 Kublai Khan

  Grandson of Genghis Khan, he established the Yuan Dynasty in China.

• 1546 Martin Luther

  German reformer who was ordained as a roman catholic priest, but he left the church in 1519 to deny papal supreme power. he was condemned as a heretic and founded the reformed church in 1995.

• 1902 Charles Tiffany

  Tiffany & co. was founded by an american jeweler (d. 1902).

• 1910 Lucy Stanton

  American activist (d. 1910).

• 1945 Ivan Chernyakhovsky

  Soviet military commander and Army General who was one of the youngest generals in the Red Army during World War II. He played a crucial role in several major Eastern Front battles and was killed in action near Königsberg in 1945.

• 1956 Gustave Charpentier

  French composer of operas, such as "louise" or "julien".

• 1957 Dedan Kimathi

  Kenyan anti-colonial rebel leader who played a crucial role in the Mau Mau uprising against British colonial rule. He was a key figure in Kenya's struggle for independence.

• 1964 Joseph-Armand Bombardier

  Joseph-Armand Bombardier was a pioneering Canadian inventor and industrialist who founded Bombardier Inc., a global transportation company. He is best known for inventing the snowmobile and developing innovative transportation technologies. His entrepreneurial spirit transformed Canadian industrial manufacturing.

• 1966 Robert Rossen

  Robert Rossen was an acclaimed American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for significant Hollywood works like 'All the King's Men' and 'The Hustler'.

• 1967 Robert Oppenheimer

  Renowned American physicist who led the Manhattan Project's atomic bomb development during World War II. He was a key scientific figure who significantly influenced nuclear physics and modern warfare. Known as the 'father of the atomic bomb', he later became a prominent advocate for international nuclear control.

• 1975 Raymond Moley

  American political figure and advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

• 1976 Joseph Henabery

  Actor/director (cobra) dies at 88

• 1977 Andy Devine

  Prominent American character actor known for his distinctive raspy voice, who appeared in numerous Western films and television shows during the mid-20th century.

• 1978 Maggie McNamara

  Actress (3 coins in the fountain, cardinal), died at 49

• 1980 Gale Robbins

  American actress known for her roles in 'Fuller Brush Girl' and 'Mr. Hex', active in mid-20th century Hollywood comedy films.

• 1990 Hulk

  Famous Brazilian footballer known for his powerful playing style and successful career in international soccer.

• 1995 Yank Lawson

  Yank Lawson was a prominent American jazz trumpeter known for his performances in the swing era, particularly famous for his work in 'Stormy Weather'.

• 1996 Brian Daley

  American science fiction author known for his novel 'The Doomfarers of Coramonde' and contributions to the Star Wars expanded universe, particularly writing Han Solo novels.

• 2000 Alla Rakha

  Legendary Indian tabla maestro who revolutionized world music by introducing classical Indian percussion to global audiences.

• 2001 Dale Earnhardt

  Legendary NASCAR driver known as 'The Intimidator', Dale Earnhardt was a seven-time Winston Cup Series champion who revolutionized stock car racing. He won numerous prestigious titles, including the Daytona 500, and became an iconic figure in motorsports before his tragic death in 2001.

• 2001 Eddie Mathews

  Eddie Mathews was a Hall of Fame baseball player who spent most of his career with the Milwaukee Braves, forming a legendary home run duo with Hank Aaron and helping the team win its first World Series title.

• 2001 Balthus

  Renowned Polish-French painter known for his controversial and provocative artworks, with a unique style that challenged traditional artistic conventions and explored complex psychological themes.

• 2004 Jean Rouch

  Jean Rouch was a pioneering French filmmaker and anthropologist who significantly influenced documentary filmmaking. He was a key figure in the cinéma-vérité movement, which revolutionized documentary film techniques by capturing unscripted, spontaneous moments. His work bridged ethnographic research and innovative cinematographic approaches.

• 2008 Alain Robbe-Grillet

  French novelist, filmmaker, and literary theorist who pioneered the Nouveau Roman movement, challenging traditional narrative structures and emphasizing the physical experience of reality over psychological interpretation.

• 2013 Otto Beisheim

  German businessman and philanthropist who founded Metro AG, a major international wholesale and retail company. He was a significant figure in German business development.

• 2014 Maria Franziska von Trapp

  Member of the famous von Trapp Family Singers, immortalized in 'The Sound of Music', who lived from 1914 to 2014 and was part of the real-life story that inspired the legendary musical.

• 2017 Norma McCorvey

  Pivotal plaintiff in the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United States, a significant figure in reproductive rights history.

• 2018 Gunter Blobel

  Renowned cell biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1999 for his groundbreaking research on protein targeting and cellular organization. His work revolutionized understanding of how proteins are transported within and between cellular compartments.

• 2018 Idrissa Ouedraogo

  Renowned Burkinabe film director who was a key figure in African cinema, known for his powerful storytelling and cultural representation through films that explored African social realities.

• 2020 Flavio Bucci

  Prominent Italian actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows between 1971 and 2020, known for his versatile acting career.