Famous people and celebrities who died on December 23

Welcome to Takemeback.to's page dedicated to remembering the celebrities and famous people who passed away on December 23. 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.

• 1834 Thomas Malthus

  Renowned economist who developed the Malthusian theory of population, which explored the relationship between population growth and economic development.

• 1931 Wilson Bentley

  American meteorologist and photographer (b. 1865)

• 1950 Vincenzo Tommasini

  Italian composer (d. 1950).

• 1961 Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

  American author (b. 1875)

• 1973 Irna Phillips

  Pioneering American television screenwriter who revolutionized the soap opera genre by creating iconic daytime dramas 'Guiding Light' and 'As the World Turns'.

• 1973 Gerard Kuiper

  Renowned planetary scientist who made significant contributions to astronomy, including the discovery of the Kuiper Belt and several planetary moons. He played a crucial role in understanding the solar system's outer regions and planetary characteristics.

• 1982 Jack Webb

  Jack Webb was a prominent American actor, producer, and director best known for creating and starring in the iconic police procedural TV series 'Dragnet'. He significantly influenced television crime drama in the 1950s and 1960s, with notable roles in films like 'Sunset Boulevard'.

• 1992 Eddie Hazel

  Legendary funk guitarist known for his groundbreaking work with Parliament-Funkadelic, renowned for his innovative and influential guitar playing style.

• 1994 Sebastian Shaw

  Sebastian Shaw was a renowned English actor, director, and playwright known for his significant contributions to theater and film during the mid-20th century.

• 1994 Didier Rocher

  French business executive who succeeded his father Yves Rocher as president of the Yves Rocher Group in 1992. He implemented significant restructuring, firing 230 employees and turning the company's financial performance around, generating 350 million French francs in profit in 1994.

• 1995 Patric Knowles

  English actor (b. 1911)

• 1996 Rina Ketty

  Renowned Italian-French singer of the mid-20th century, known for her melodic performances in the chanson tradition and popular during the 1930s and 1940s.

• 2000 Victor Borge

  Victor Borge was a renowned Danish-American comedian, pianist, and entertainer who revolutionized musical comedy through his unique blend of classical music and humor. He was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1986 for his significant contributions to American culture. His innovative performances made classical music accessible and entertaining to broad audiences.

• 2000 Billy Barty

  Pioneering American actor and entertainer known for his work as a little person in film and television, who founded the advocacy organization Little People of America.

• 2004 P. V. Narasimha Rao

  P. V. Narasimha Rao was a prominent Indian politician who served as the 9th Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is widely recognized as the architect of India's economic liberalization, initiating critical reforms that transformed the country's economic landscape.

• 2006 Charlie Drake

  Charlie Drake was a popular British comedian known for his slapstick comedy and comedic television performances during the mid-20th century.

• 2007 Oscar Peterson

  Oscar Peterson was a legendary Canadian jazz pianist, widely considered one of the greatest and most virtuosic jazz pianists in history.

• 2007 Michael Kidd

  Renowned Broadway and Hollywood choreographer who revolutionized dance in musical theater, creating iconic choreography for films like 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' and winning multiple Tony Awards.

• 2007 William Francis Ganong

  Jr., american physiologist and academic (b. 1924)

• 2009 Edward Schillebeeckx

  Prominent Flemish Catholic theologian who was a key figure in the Second Vatican Council and modern theological reform, known for his progressive views on church doctrine.

• 2009 Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme

  Prominent Tibetan politician and Chinese general who played a significant role in Tibet's complex political history during the mid-20th century. He was known for his nuanced negotiations between Tibetan and Chinese authorities during a critical period of political transition.

• 2009 Robert L. Howard

  American colonel, medal of honor recipient (b. 1939)

• 2010 K. Karunakaran

  Prominent Indian lawyer and politician who served as the 7th Chief Minister of Kerala, playing a significant role in the state's political landscape.

• 2013 Mikhail Kalashnikov

  Renowned Russian weapons designer who created the iconic AK-47 assault rifle, one of the most widely used and recognizable firearms in world history.

• 2013 Yusef Lateef

  A pioneering jazz multi-instrumentalist who significantly influenced world music by blending jazz with Eastern musical traditions and exploring innovative musical forms.

• 2015 Alfred G. Gilman

  Nobel Prize laureate for their discovery of G-proteins and the role of these proteins in signal transduction in cells

• 2015 Jean-Marie Pelt

  Jean-Marie Pelt was a renowned French botanist, pharmacist, and environmentalist who founded the European Institute of Ecology in 1972. He was a prominent advocate for ecological research and genetic engineering awareness.

• 2017 Maurice Hayes

  Prominent Irish educator and politician who made significant contributions to public service and education.

• 2021 Joan Didion

  Renowned American writer known for her influential novels and essays that captured the cultural landscape of California and American society in the late 20th century. She was a key figure in New Journalism and critically acclaimed for her distinctive narrative style.