Famous People Who Died in 1965
Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1965. This list includes people like Winston Churchill, Malcolm X, T. S. Eliot, Nat King Cole, Le Corbusier and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, playwrights, novelists and diplomats who died in 1965. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Germany and many more countries.
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Birthdate: November 30, 1874
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Blenheim Palace, England, United Kingdom
Died: January 24
The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdoms, Winston Churchill, is known for successfully leading his country during the Second World War against the Nazi Germany. An officer in the British army, he also served as a war correspondent before venturing into politics. One of the most influential peoples in British history, Churchill was also an accomplished painter.
2
Malcolm X(Major Figure of American Civil Rights Movement)
Birthdate: May 19, 1925
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Died: February 21
An African-American leader of the civil rights movement, Malcolm X was a vocal spokesman of the Nation of Islam and called upon the blacks to protect themselves from the white, even if it meant adopting violence. His radical views and preaching later evolved and he accepted the possibility of peaceful resolution of racial issues in America.
3
Nat King Cole(Singer and Jazz Pianist Best Known His Soft Baritone Voice)
Birthdate: March 17, 1919
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Died: February 15
Jazz pianist/singer Nat King Cole, father of singer Natalie Cole, is best remembered for tracks such as Too Young and Mona Lisa. His last album, L-O-V-E, was recorded while he battled lung cancer. With The Nat King Cole Show, he became the first African-American to host his own show.
4
Stan Laurel(Comic Actor Who was Part of The Comedy Duo 'Laurel and Hardy'. and Appeared with His Comedy Partner Oliver Hardy in 107 Short Films)
Birthdate: June 16, 1890
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Died: February 23
Comedian Stan Laurel entertained audiences as part of the iconic duo Laurel and Hardy, along with Oliver Hardy, in over 100 films. He began his career with music-hall sketch comedy and worked as an understudy of Charlie Chaplin in Fred Karno's Army. He was known for his trademark bowler hat.
5
T. S. Eliot(Best Known as a Leader of the Modernist Movement in Poetry)
Birthdate: September 26, 1888
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: January 4
American-born British poet T. S. Eliot is best remembered for his poems The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, and Ash Wednesday, and his plays such as Murder in the Cathedral. He won the Nobel Prize for literature and became a prominent figure of Modernist poetry.
6
Dorothy Dandridge(The First African-American Film Star to be Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress,)
Birthdate: November 9, 1922
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Died: September 8
Actress, singer, and dancer Dorothy Dandridge was one of the earliest African-American women stars to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Incredibly successful in her career, she was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a singer, she used to perform in night clubs. Unfortunately, she died under mysterious circumstances at 42.
7
Shirley Jackson(American Writer Known Primarily for Her Works of Horror and Mystery)
Birthdate: December 14, 1916
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: September 8
Shirley Jackson redefined the genres of horror and mystery through her works, which include over 200 short stories and six novels. Her iconic novel The Haunting of Hill House was made into a popular Netflix series and several movies, including the 1963 and 1999 versions of The Haunting.
8
Clara Bow(American Actress Who was a Big Star During Silent Era of the 1920s)
Birthdate: July 29, 1905
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: September 27
Clara Bow gained fame during the 1920s’ silent film era and then switched to "talkies" in 1929. Her performance in the movie It earned her the nickname The It Girl, and she soon became a sex symbol of the Roaring Twenties. Following her retirement, she started ranching in Nevada.
Birthdate: October 6, 1887
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Died: August 27
Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French designer, painter, architect, writer, and urban planner. He was one of the pioneers of modern architecture. During his illustrious career, which spanned 50 years, Le Corbusier designed buildings in India, Japan, Europe, and North and South America. He is also credited with revolutionizing urban planning.
10
Albert Schweitzer(Physician and Founder of the “Albert Schweitzer Hospital” in Lambaréné,)
Birthdate: January 14, 1875
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kaysersberg-Vignoble, France
Died: September 4
Albert Schweitzer was an Alsatian polymath who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his philosophical work, Reverence for Life. He is credited with founding the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, which was a direct result of his philosophical expression. Schweitzer is also credited with influencing the Organ reform movement, which began in the mid-20th-century.
Birthdate: July 6, 1914
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Died: February 7
Though born bi-racial, Viola Desmond became a Black icon for her business acumen. After not being allowed to train as a beautician in Halifax, she moved to Montreal. Her beauty products, salon, and training institute, all catering specifically to Black women, filled a major void in the beauty industry.
Birthdate: October 16, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, United States
Died: April 10
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
13
Dorothy Kilgallen(American Journalist and Panelist on the TV Game Show ‘What's My Line?’)
Birthdate: July 3, 1913
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: November 8
Dorothy Kilgallen was an American television game show panelist and journalist. After starting her career as a reporter for the New York Evening Journal, Kilgallen began writing The Voice of Broadway, a newspaper column that became popular over a period of time. She also wrote articles on controversial and sensitive subjects like John F. Kennedy's assassination.
Birthdate: June 21, 1921
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: June 7
Comedy actor Judy Holliday began her career as a nightclub performer and then gained fame on Broadway. She is remembered for her Academy Award-winning role of Emma "Billie" Dawn in Born Yesterday. She won a Tony for the play Bells Are Ringing and also recorded two albums.
15
Lauri Törni(Finnish Army Officer Who Fought Under Three Flags in the Winter War and the Continuation War)
Birthdate: May 28, 1919
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Viipuri, Finland
Died: October 18
Lauri Törni was a Finnish-born American soldier who served in the Vietnam War as part of the U.S. Army Special Forces. He died during the war due to a helicopter crash in 1965. In the 1990s, several books were written about Lauri Törni, making him a war hero. He was inducted into the USSOCOM Commando Hall of Honor in 2011.
Birthdate: April 25, 1908
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Died: April 27
Birthdate: February 5, 1900
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: July 14
Adlai Stevenson II served as the Illinois governor from 1949 to 1953. He contested as the Democratic presidential nominee in 1952 and 1956 but was defeated by Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower both the times. Stevenson II also served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 to 1965.
Birthdate: April 6, 1909
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cumberland County
Died: December 24
19
Wesley Branch Rickey(Baseball player)
Birthdate: December 20, 1881
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Portsmouth, Ohio, United States
Died: December 9
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
20
David O. Selznick(Film producer, Screenwriter and Film studio executive)
Birthdate: May 10, 1902
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 22
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
21
Jeanette MacDonald(Actress and Singer Known for Her Musical Films: ‘Maytime’, 'Naughty Marietta' and 'The Love Parade')
Birthdate: June 18, 1903
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: January 14
Jeanette MacDonald was an American actress and singer best remembered for her performances in the musical films of the 1930s. Renowned for her singing skills, MacDonald appeared in opera and concerts. One of the 20th century's most influential sopranos, Jeanette MacDonald is credited with inspiring a generation of singers and introducing opera to film-going audiences.
22
Lorraine Hansberry(Writer, Theatre director, Screenwriter, Playwright, Human rights activist)
Birthdate: May 19, 1930
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: January 12
Lorraine Hansberry was a writer and playwright best remembered for her play A Raisin in the Sun which emphasizes the plight of African-Americans living under racial segregation. At the age of 29, Lorraine Hansberry received the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, becoming the youngest playwright and the first African-American dramatist to win the prestigious award.
23
Spike Jones(Musician)
Birthdate: December 14, 1911
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States
Died: May 1
24
Constance Bennett(Actress)
Birthdate: October 22, 1904
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Died: July 24
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
25
Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt(Socialite best known as the mother of fashion designer and artist Gloria Vanderbilt)
Birthdate: August 23, 1904
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Switzerland
Died: February 13
Birthdate: April 11, 1925
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: California, Pennsylvania
Died: March 25
27
Henry Travers(Best Known for His Role as ‘Clarence Odbody’ in the Film ‘It's a Wonderful Life’)
Birthdate: March 5, 1874
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Prudhoe, Northumberland, England
Died: October 18
Travers John Heagerty, better known as Henry Travers, is best remembered as Clarence Odbody from It's a Wonderful Life. He had started his career as a stage actor and appeared frequently on Broadway. He won an Academy Award for Mrs. Miniver and was known for playing friendly old men.
Birthdate: December 26, 1924
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: May 18
Israeli spy Eli Cohen is remembered for his espionage activities from 1961 to 1965 in Syria, where he served as the chief advisor to the defense minister. He was eventually convicted and publicly hanged. His story later inspired the Netflix miniseries The Spy and the TV film The Impossible Spy.
29
Alan Freed(American Disc Jockey and Radio Personality)
Birthdate: December 15, 1921
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: January 20
Birthdate: May 26, 1895
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Died: October 11
Birthdate: April 9, 1898
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States
Died: June 1
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
32
Louise Mountbatten(Queen)
Birthdate: July 13, 1889
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Schloss Heiligenberg, Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany
Died: March 7
Birthdate: March 26, 1875
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Haeju
Died: July 19
South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, plunged into politics fighting for independence from Japan. His PhD from Princeton made him the first Korean to get a U.S. doctorate. Faced with the April Revolution and the Second Republic of Korea, he resigned and spent his final years exiled in Honolulu.
34
Martin Buber(Religious Philosopher Known for His Philosophy of Dialogue)
Birthdate: February 8, 1878
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: June 13
Martin Buber was an Austrian and Israeli philosopher who received ten nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literatureand seven nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. Renowned for his philosophy of dialogue, Buber is best known for his famous essay, I and Thou. In 1951, he was honored by the University of Hamburg with the prestigiousGoethe Award.
35
Felix Frankfurter(Judge)
Birthdate: November 15, 1882
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria-Hungary small (now Austria)
Died: February 22
Birthdate: January 25, 1874
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 15
37
Paul Tillich(Christian Existentialist Philosopher and One of the Most Influential Theologians of the 20th Century)
Birthdate: August 20, 1886
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Starosiedle, Poland
Died: October 22
German-American theologian and philosopher Paul Tillich is remembered for his work in the field of Christian existentialism and for concepts such as the method of correlation. His notable works, such as The Courage to Be and the three-volume Systematic Theology, has inspired intellectual thinkers and commoners alike.
38
Bernard Mannes Baruch(Financier)
Birthdate: August 19, 1870
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Camden, South Carolina, United States
Died: June 20
Birthdate: December 22, 1883
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: November 6
40
Helena Rubinstein(Business women)
Birthdate: March 27, 1870
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kraków, Austrian Poland
Died: April 1
41
Sonny Boy Williamson II(Singer)
Birthdate: December 5, 1912
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Glendora, Mississippi, United States
Died: May 25
42
Zachary Scott(Actor)
Birthdate: February 21, 1914
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Austin, Texas, United States
Died: October 3
Birthdate: April 10, 1880
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: May 14
44
Margaret Dumont(Actress)
Birthdate: October 20, 1882
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Died: March 6
45
Father Divine(American Spiritual Leader)
Birthdate: 1876 AD
Birthplace: Rockville, Maryland, United States
Died: September 10
African-American religious leader George Baker, better known as Father Divine, founded Peace Mission, a movement that is now considered the basis of the civil rights movement. Father Divine claimed that divine intervention had caused the death of the judge who had sentenced him to prison for arranging meetings in Sayville.
46
Geoffrey de Havilland(Aerospace engineer, Engineer, Test pilot, Aviator, Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: July 27, 1882
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: High Wycombe
Died: May 21
Aviation pioneer and aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland is best remembered for his double-engine warplane Mosquito and the jet airliner Comet. He was part of the Royal Flying Corps and had been knighted for his achievements. He was also the founder of the De Havilland Aircraft Company.
47
Bill Black(Musician)
Birthdate: September 17, 1926
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Died: October 21
48
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki(Japanese Novelists and One of the Most Prominent Figures in Modern Japanese Literature)
Birthdate: July 24, 1886
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: July 30
Tanizaki Jun'ichirō was a Japanese author whose works made him a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964. Widely regarded as one of the most important personalities in modern Japanese literature, Tanizaki's work ranges from the depictions of erotic obsessions to the dynamics of family life in 20th-century Japan. Many of his works have been adapted into films.
49
Jimmie Lee Jackson(African American Civil Rights Activist)
Birthdate: December 16, 1938
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Marion, Alabama, United States
Died: February 26
50
Geeta Bali(Indian Actress Who Worked in Hindi Language Films)
Birthdate: 1930 AD
Birthplace: Sargodha, Pakistan
Died: January 21
Geeta Bali was an Indian actress best remembered for her work in Hindi language films. Bali appeared in over 70 movies in a career spanning more than a decade. Geeta Bali's acting career was cut short when she died at age 35 due to smallpox.
