Famous people and celebrities who died on December 19

Welcome to Takemeback.to's page dedicated to remembering the celebrities and famous people who passed away on December 19. 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.

• 1927 Ashfaqulla Khan

  Revolutionary freedom fighter who played a crucial role in India's independence struggle, known for his involvement with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association and his martyrdom at a young age.

• 1932 Yun Bong-gil

  A significant Korean independence activist who fought against Japanese colonial rule, known for his resistance and sacrifice for national liberation.

• 1953 Robert Andrews Millikan

  Nobel Prize laureate for his work on the elementary charge of electricity and on the photoelectric effect

• 1968 Norman Thomas

  American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.

• 1984 Michel Magne

  French film composer and musician who received an Oscar nomination in 1962 for the film 'Gigot', known for his significant contributions to cinema music.

• 1986 V. C. Andrews

  Renowned American novelist famous for gothic horror and family sagas, particularly her bestselling novel 'Flowers in the Attic'.

• 1993 Michael Clarke

  Influential American drummer who played with notable bands like The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Firefall. Passed away in 1993.

• 1996 Marcello Mastroianni

  Legendary Italian actor who became an international cinema icon, starring in Federico Fellini's masterpieces and defining the style of European art cinema in the 1960s and 1970s.

• 1997 Masaru Ibuka

  Masaru Ibuka was a pioneering Japanese entrepreneur who co-founded Sony Corporation, transforming it into a global technology powerhouse.

• 2000 Pops Staples

  Influential American gospel and soul musician, founding member of the legendary Staple Singers, known for his distinctive guitar playing and spiritual music.

• 2000 John Lindsay

  John Lindsay was a prominent American politician who served as Mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973. He was known for his liberal Republican politics and efforts to address urban challenges during a tumultuous period in the city's history.

• 2000 Rob Buck

  American singer-songwriter who was a member of the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, passed away in 2000.

• 2002 George Weller

  George Weller was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author known for his war correspondence and literary works. He reported extensively from World War II and was one of the first Western journalists to document the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

• 2003 Hope Lange

  Accomplished American actress known for her stage and television work, nominated for an Oscar for her role in Peyton Place and winning two Emmy Awards in the late 1960s.

• 2004 Renata Tebaldi

  Renata Tebaldi was a legendary Italian operatic soprano renowned for her exceptional vocal range and beautiful timbre. She was a leading lyric soprano of the mid-20th century, performing at prestigious venues like La Scala and making significant contributions to the world of classical music. Her two-octave voice and emotive performances made her one of the most celebrated opera singers of …

• 2004 Herbert C. Brown

  CHE - English-american chemist and academic, nobel prize laureate (d. 2004)

• 2005 Vincent Gigante

  Notorious American mobster and former boxer known for his complex criminal career in New York City's organized crime scene.

• 2008 James Bevel

  Prominent civil rights activist and key strategist in the American Civil Rights Movement, who played a crucial role in organizing major protests and marches.

• 2009 Kim Peek

  Extraordinary megasavant who inspired the movie 'Rain Man', known for his incredible memory and ability to recall vast amounts of information with remarkable precision.

• 2012 Peter Struck

  German politician who served as the 13th Federal Minister of Defence, contributing significantly to Germany's political landscape before his death in 2012.

• 2013 Ned Vizzini

  Acclaimed young adult novelist who wrote about mental health and teenage struggles, tragically died by suicide in 2013.

• 2014 Igor Rodionov

  Russian military officer and politician who served as the third Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, playing a significant role in the country's military leadership during a critical period of post-Soviet transformation.

• 2015 Greville Janner

  Baron Janner of Braunstone, a prominent Welsh-English lawyer and politician who served in the House of Lords.

• 2015 Jimmy Hill

  Prominent English footballer, manager, and influential sportscaster who made significant contributions to football broadcasting and player representation.

• 2017 Clifford Irving

  Famous for orchestrating one of the most notorious literary hoaxes in history, Irving falsely claimed to have written an authorized biography of Howard Hughes. His elaborate fraud involved creating fake manuscripts and convincing McGraw-Hill to publish the book before being exposed as a complete fabrication.

• 2021 Robert H. Grubbs

  Nobel Prize laureate for the development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis

• 2021 Sally Ann Howes

  English-American singer and actress known for her roles in film and stage, most famously in the movie 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. She passed away in December 2021.