Famous People Who Died in 1941

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1941. This list includes people like Rabindranath Tagore, Lou Gehrig, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include poets, artists, political leaders and novelists who died in 1941. This list includes people from Germany, United States, United Kingdom & France and many more countries.

Vote for Your Favourite People Who Died In 1941

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

Lou Gehrig

(One of the Most Durable Players in American Professional Baseball and One of its Great Hitters)

Birthdate: June 19, 1903

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Yorkville, New York, United States

Died: June 2

Lou Gehrig was an American baseball player. Nicknamed The Iron Horse for his durability and prowess as a hitter, Lou Gehrig played for the New York Yankees of the Major League Baseball (MLB). His life and career inspired the 1942 film The Pride of the Yankees in which he was portrayed by actor Gary Cooper.

Virginia Woolf

(One of the Most Important Modernist 20th-Century Authors)

Birthdate: January 25, 1882

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Kensington, London, England

Died: March 28

Virginia Woolf was an English writer who pioneered a narrative mode called stream of consciousness to describe the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Regarded as one of the most prominent modernist 20th-century writers, Woolf's works have gained much attention for inspiring feminism. Her life and work have inspired several films, novels, and plays.

Wilhelm II

(German Emperor and King of Prussia (1888 - 1918))

Birthdate: January 27, 1859

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Berlin, Germany

Died: June 4

Wilhelm II reigned as the King of Prussia and German emperor from 1888 to 1918. He is credited with promoting scientific innovation and building a blue-water navy, which strengthened Germany’s position as a great power. However, he was also responsible for getting his country involved in World War I, which eventually brought an end to the Hohenzollern dynasty’s rule.

James Joyce

(One of the Most Influential Writers of the 20th Century)

Birthdate: February 2, 1882

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Rathgar, Ireland

Died: January 13

James Joyce was an Irish novelist, poet, teacher, short story writer, and literary critic. Widely considered one of the 20th century's most important and influential writers, James Joyce contributed immensely to the modernist avant-garde movement. Joyce's work has influenced several scholars and writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges, Salman Rushdie, Seán Ó Ríordáin, Flann O'Brien, John Updike, and Cormac McCarthy.

Birthdate: May 7, 1861

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Died: August 7

Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian polymath who contributed greatly to the fields of literature, art, and philosophy. Referred to as the Bard of Bengal, Tagore is credited with reshaping Bengali literature and music. The first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, Tagore is also credited with composing the national anthems of India and Bangladesh.

Birthdate: November 14, 1891

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Alliston, New Tecumseth, Canada

Died: February 21

Frederick Banting was a Canadian medical scientist and physician. In 1923, Banting and Scottish biochemist John James Rickard Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of insulin and its therapeutic potential. Aged 32 at that time, Banting remains the youngest Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine. He was knighted by King George V in 1934.

Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell

Birthdate: February 22, 1857

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Paddington, London, England

Died: January 8

Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell was a British Army officer and first Chief Scout of the world-renowned Scout Movement. He is also credited with co-founding the Guide Association, the national guiding organization of the UK. The recipient of the first Silver Buffalo Award, Robert Baden-Powell was also nominated for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize on many occasions.

Birthdate: February 17, 1864

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Orange

Died: February 5

Remembered for the legendary poems Waltzing Matilda and The Man from Snowy River, Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson was an Australian bush poet who depicted rural life through his works. Initially a law clerk and a journalist, he later adopted the pseudonym Banjo, which was his favorite horse’s name.

Louis Chevrolet

(Race Car Driver and Co-Founder of the ‘Chevrolet Motor Car Company’ and ‘Frontenac Motor Corporation’)

Birthdate: December 25, 1878

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland

Died: June 6

Louis Chevrolet was a Swiss race car driver. He is credited with co-founding the Chevrolet Motor Car Company, which is currently a major manufacturer of cars. He is also credited with founding the Frontenac Motor Corporation. Louis Chevrolet was inducted into several halls of fame, including the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Birthdate: July 1, 1903

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Died: January 5

Jelly Roll Morton

(Pianist, Bandleader, Composer, Conductor, Jazz musician)

Birthdate: October 20, 1890

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Gulfport

Died: July 10

Henri Bergson

(French Philosopher and Winner of the 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: October 18, 1859

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: January 4

French philosopher, Henri Bergson, is remembered for his contribution to the tradition of continental philosophy. His works were considered extremely influential, especially during the first half of the 20th century. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1927) and Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur (1930). He was a simple man who led a humble life despite his great achievements.

Birthdate: November 13, 1856

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Died: October 5

Birthdate: December 11, 1863

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Dover

Died: April 13

After studying physics and astronomy at Wellesley College, Annie Jump Cannon traveled across Europe and focused on photography for a decade, before venturing to study astronomy again. At the Harvard Observatory, she made a considerable contribution to the classification of stellar bodies. She was almost deaf due to scarlet fever.

Birthdate: September 13, 1876

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Ohio, United States

Died: March 8

Amrita Shergil

(Greatest avant-garde women artists of the early 20th century)

Birthdate: January 30, 1913

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary

Died: December 5

Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter best remembered as a pioneer of modern Indian art. Widely regarded as one of the early-20th century's greatest avant-garde women artists, Sher-Gil's work has influenced several Indian artists like Arpita Singh and Sayed Haider Raza. Her life and career inspired the 1969 documentary film Amrita Sher-Gil which was directed by Bhagwan Das Garga.

Ignacy Jan Paderewski

(3rd Prime Minister of Poland)

Birthdate: November 6, 1860

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Kurylivka, Ukraine

Died: June 29

Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a Polish musician who went on to become the third Prime Minister of Poland after being a spokesman for Polish independence for a long time. He also played a significant role as the nation's foreign minister in 1919 when he signed the Treaty of Versailles, an important event that marked the end of World War I.

Birthdate: August 14, 1883

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Died: October 27

Ernest Everett Just was an African-American biologist and academic. He is credited with recognizing the fundamental role of the cell surface in the development of organisms. As a black boy growing up in the late 19th century, he had to face enormous challenges before he could establish himself in his career. He co-founded the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Maurice Leblanc

(French Novelist Known as the Creator of the Fictional Gentleman Thief and Detective ‘Arsène Lupin')

Birthdate: December 11, 1864

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Rouen, France

Died: November 6

French author Maurice Leblanc is best known for creating the character Arsène Lupin, who has been part of 60 of Leblanc’s crime stories and novels. He quit his law studies to become an author. Several of his films have been turned into films. He also earned the Légion d'Honneur.

Edward Rydz-Śmigły

(Commander-In-Chief and Inspector General of the Polish Armed Forces (1935 - 1939))

Birthdate: March 11, 1886

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Berezhany, Ukraine

Died: December 2

Edward Rydz-Śmigły was a Polish statesman, politician, poet, Marshal of Poland, painter, and supreme commander of Poland's armed forces. He was a much admired and respected public figure in Poland during the interwar period and was widely regarded as a national hero for his service as an army commander during World War I and the Polish–Soviet War.

Bruno Mussolini

(Aviator)

Birthdate: April 22, 1918

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Milan

Died: August 7

Isaac C. Kidd

(Military officer)

Birthdate: March 26, 1884

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Died: December 7

Birthdate: June 25, 1864

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Wąbrzeźno

Died: November 18

Walther Nernst was a German chemist best remembered for his work in physical chemistry, thermodynamics, solid state physics, and electrochemistry. He is credited with formulating the Nernst heat theorem, which was in turn used in the formulation of the third law of thermodynamics. Walther Nernst received the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the year 1920.

Arthur Evans

(Archaeologist)

Birthdate: July 8, 1851

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Nash Mills, England

Died: July 11

James George Frazer

(Anthropologist, Writer, Historian, Mythographer)

Birthdate: January 1, 1854

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Glasgow

Died: May 7

British anthropologist James George Frazer is best known for his book The Golden Bough, which details his study of ancient cults and myths. He also taught social anthropology at Cambridge. He was also knighted for his achievements and was also made a Fellow of The Royal Society.

Robert Delaunay

(Artist)

Birthdate: April 12, 1885

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: October 25

Birthdate: January 8, 1894

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Zduńska Wola, Poland

Died: August 14

Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar and a Catholic priest. Venerated as Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Maximilian is best remembered for volunteering to die at the death camp of Auschwitz in place of a stranger during World War II. In 1982, Pope John Paul II declared Maximilian Kolbe a martyr of charity.

Helen Morgan

(Actress)

Birthdate: August 2, 1900

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Danville, Illinois, United States

Died: October 9

Kurt Koffka

(German Psychologist and Professor)

Birthdate: March 18, 1886

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Berlin, Germany

Died: November 22

Edwin S. Porter

(Pioneering Filmmaker of the Early 1900s)

Birthdate: April 21, 1870

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Connellsville, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: April 30

Director Edwin S. Porter, best known for films such as The Life of An American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery, revolutionized filmmaking with his pioneering technique of cross-cutting in editing. He had previously been a tailor and had served the US Navy, before being hired by the Edison Company.

Benjamin Lee Whorf

(Anthropologist, Linguist)

Birthdate: April 24, 1897

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Winthrop, Massachusetts

Died: July 26

Benjamin Lee Whorf was a linguist cum fire prevention engineer. Along with his mentor Edward Sapir, he developed what is frequently called the “Sapir–Whorf hypothesis.” Even though he was a chemical engineer by profession, he developed an early interest in linguistics and presented several papers at linguistics conferences. Unfortunately, he died at the relatively young age of 44.

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya

(Resistance fighter)

Birthdate: September 13, 1923

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Osino-Gay, Russia

Died: November 29

Émile Nelligan

(Canadian Poet)

Birthdate: December 24, 1879

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Died: November 18

Émile Nelligan was French-Canada’s one of the most beloved and admired poets. A hugely talented poet, Nelligan's literary career was short-lived as he was sent to mental asylum aged 20. He took French-Canadian poetry into the modern age and poetry inspired several music composers. His poems have become the subject of numerous films, novels, and a ballet and an opera.

Birthdate: May 17, 1886

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Died: February 28

Alfonso XIII began ruling as the king of Spain under the regency of his mother, María Cristina. His strategy of rotating governments led to 33 governments in 21 years. Known as El Africano for his support to those who wished to colonialize African countries, he eventually had to leave Spain.

John Lavery

(Painter)

Birthdate: March 20, 1856

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Belfast, Ireland

Died: January 10

A major figure of the Glasgow school of painting, Irish painter John Lavery is remembered for his realism in his portraits, landscapes, and war paintings. Though made the official artist for World War I, health issues prevented him from fulfilling the role. He was, nevertheless, knighted for his achievements.

Elizabeth von Arnim

(Novelist)

Birthdate: August 31, 1866

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Kirribilli Point, Australia

Died: February 9

Tullio Levi-Civita

(Mathematician)

Birthdate: March 29, 1873

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Padua

Died: December 29

Werner Sombart

(German Economist and Sociologist Known for Coining the Term ‘Late Capitalism')

Birthdate: January 19, 1863

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Ermsleben, Falkenstein, Germany

Died: May 18

Werner Sombart was a German sociologist and economist. He was one of the 20th century's most important Continental European social scientists who served as the leader of the Youngest Historical School. Werner Sombart is credited with coining the phrase late capitalism. He is also remembered for his magnum opus, Der moderne Kapitalismus.

Eduard Freiherr von Böhm-Ermolli

(Austrian general during World War I who rose to the rank of field marshal in the Austro-Hungarian Army)

Birthdate: February 12, 1856

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Ancona, Italy

Died: December 9

Prajadhipok

(Monarch)

Birthdate: November 8, 1893

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Bangkok, Siam, Thailand

Died: May 30

Gaetano Mosca

(Former Member of Italian Chamber of Deputies for Palermo (1909 - 1919))

Birthdate: April 1, 1858

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Palermo, Italy

Died: November 8

Gaetano Mosca was an Italian journalist, political scientist, and public servant. He developed the elite theory and is credited with co-founding the Italian school of elitism along with Robert Michels and Vilfredo Pareto. As a political journalist, Gaetano Mosca contributed immensely to popular Italian publications like the Corriere della Sera and the Tribuna.

Émile Bernard

(Post-Impressionist painter, Writer)

Birthdate: April 28, 1868

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Lille, France

Died: April 16

Alexej von Jawlensky

(Russian Expressionist Painter)

Birthdate: March 26, 1864

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Torzhok, Russia

Died: March 15

Alexej von Jawlensky was a Russian painter best remembered for his work in Germany. An influential figure, Jawlensky was an important member of several popular groups like the New Munich Artist's Association, The Blue Rider, and The Blue Four. TheJawlensky Awardwas established in his honor in 1991. The award is presented once every five years.

Frank Bridge

(Composer, Conductor, Music educator)

Birthdate: February 26, 1879

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Brighton

Died: January 10

William Gibbs McAdoo

(Politician)

Birthdate: October 31, 1863

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Marietta, Georgia, U.S

Died: February 1

Nicolae Titulescu

(Diplomat)

Birthdate: March 4, 1882

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Craiova, Romania

Died: March 17

Hugh Walpole

(British Novelist)

Birthdate: March 13, 1884

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand

Died: June 1

While he initially taught and read at the Anglican Church, British author Sir Hugh Walpole later focused on writing. He is perhaps best known for his works such as the Jeremy series of autobiographical novels and Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill. He also penned scripts for a few Hollywood movies.

Émile Picard

(Mathematician)

Birthdate: July 24, 1856

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: December 11

Simon Dubnow

(Russian Historian Who Introduced a Sociological Emphasis Into the Study of Jewish History)

Birthdate: September 10, 1860

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Mstislavl, Belarus

Died: December 8

Russian historian Simon Dubnow is best remembered for instilling a sociological element in the study of Jewish history. A well-known teacher and author, he was also involved with the Jewish magazine Voskhod. He escaped to Germany to avoid Bolshevism but was eventually killed by the Nazis.

Harry M. Daugherty

(Attorney General)

Birthdate: January 26, 1860

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Washington Court House, Ohio, United States

Died: October 21