Who died? Why did they die? Were they assassinated or was it a natural cause? Explore through history who died when and how? Explore every day, for every moment. Learn everything about this day with a historical perspective.

December 22
1989 Samuel Beckett, Samuel Beckett bio, Samuel Beckett biography, Samuel Beckett plays, Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett, an Irish-French writer, died in 1989 at the age of 83.

Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was a novelist, dramatist, short storey writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator fro... Read More

December 23
2004 pv Narasimha Rao, pv Narasimha Rao death, pv Narasimha Rao bio

P. V. Narasimha Rao, the ninth Prime Minister of India, died of a heart attack in 2004 at the age of 83.

Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (June 28, 1921 – December 23, 2004) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as India's ninth Prime Minister fro... Read More

December 24
1524 Vasco da Gama, Vasco da Gama bio, Vasco da Gama death

Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer and viceroy of Cochin, dies at the age of 55 in 1524.

Vasco da Gama is primarily remembered for becoming the first person to sail from Europe to India by circumnavigating Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Da Gama landed... Read More

December 25
1972 Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, C Rajagopalachari, C Rajagopalachari bio, C Rajagopalachari biography,

C. Rajagopalachari, India's liberation warrior and the country's first Governor General, died in 1972 at the age of 94.

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was a distinguished Indian politician, freedom fighter, statesman, and lawyer. He was India's last Governor-General and the first I... Read More

1977 Charlie Chaplin, Mildred Harris, Charlie Chaplin wife, Charlie Chaplin marriage,  Chaplin, Chaplin m

Charlie Chaplin, a British actor and comedian, died in Switzerland in 1977 at the age of 88.

Charlie Chaplin, the film actor, director, and writer, was one of cinema's most creative inventors. His portrayal of "the tramp," a sympathetic comed... Read More

2006 James Brown, James Brown songs, James Brown bio, James Brown death

In 2006, at the age of 73, James Brown, the American R&B, gospel, soul, and funk vocalist regarded as 'The Godfather of Soul,' died of heart failure.

James Joseph Brown was a well-known American musician who made significant contributions to the development of several musical genres, including soul music, funk m... Read More

2016 George Michael, George Michael bio, George Michael songs, George Michael wham, George Michael death,

George Michael, an English singer-songwriter and pop sensation, died in 2016 at the age of 53 from suspected heart failure.

George Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, was an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a major pop performer in the 1980s and 1990s, win... Read More

December 27
2007 Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto husband, Benazir Bhutto assassination, Benazir Bhutto attack,

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's 12th Prime Minister and the first female leader of a Muslim country, was murdered by a suicide bomber in Rawalpindi in 2007.

Benazir Bhutto was the first Muslim woman to head a country. On December 27, 2007, a 15-year-old suicide bomber named Bilal assassinated Bhutto. She had barely com... Read More

1923 Gustave Eiffel, Gustave Eiffel bio, Gustave Eiffel birthday, Gustave Eiffel bio, Gustave Eiffel towe

Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer in chief of the Eiffel Tower, died in 1923 at the age of 91.

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was a civil engineer from France. He gained his mark as a graduate of the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures with many bridges... Read More

December 29
2020 Pierre Cardin, Pierre Cardin bio, Pierre Cardin death, Pierre Cardin biography, Pierre Cardin design

Pierre Cardin, an Italian-French fashion designer, dies at the age of 98 in 2020.

Iconic French designer Pierre Cardin, known for his avant-garde fashions in the 1960s and 1970s, died on December 29, 2020, at the age of 98. The French Academy of... Read More

December 30
1916 Grigori Rasputin, Grigori Rasputin bio, Grigori Rasputin death, Grigori Rasputin assassination

Grigori Rasputin, a Russian monk and companion of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, was killed by reactionary Russian aristocracy in 1916 at the age of 47.

The assassination of Rasputin, Russia's iconic "Mad Monk," provides fuel for a wonderful historical storey that combines truth and mythology. However... Read More

2006 Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein death, Saddam Hussein death sentence, Saddam Hussein hanged

Saddam Hussein, the President of Iraq, was hung in Baghdad in 2006 at the age of 69.

Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging on the morning of Eid al-Adha, December 30, 2006, for crimes against humanity. It is a day that will live on in the minds of... Read More