Famous People Who Died in 1951

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1951. This list includes people like William Randolph Hearst, Henrietta Lacks, Philippe Pétain, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ludwig Wittgenstein and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, composers, novelists and playwrights who died in 1951. This list includes people from United States, Germany, Austria & France and many more countries.

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Birthdate: July 16, 1887

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Pickens County, South Carolina, United States

Died: December 5

MLB player Joseph Jefferson Jackson, or Shoeless Joe, was associated with the Philadelphia Athletics, the Cleveland Naps/Indians, and the Chicago White Sox. He was dragged into the Black Sox Scandal, through which the 1919 Chicago White Sox team members conspired to fix the World Series, leading him to be banned.

Birthdate: April 29, 1863

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States

Died: August 14

William Randolph Hearst was an American newspaper publisher, businessman, and politician. He is credited with developing America's largest newspaper chain, Hearst Communications. Today, Hearst Communications has grown into a multinational business information and mass media conglomerate. William Randolph Hearst’s life and work inspired the creation of Charles Foster Kane, the main character in the 1941 drama film, Citizen Kane.

Birthdate: April 26, 1889

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Vienna, Austria

Died: April 29

Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is remembered for his works related to logic, the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of mathematics, and the philosophy of language. He taught at the University of Cambridge for many years. He published only one book during his lifetime. Most of his manuscripts were collected later and published posthumously.

Birthdate: September 3, 1875

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: ratislavice nad Nisou, Liberec, Czechia

Died: January 30

Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian-German automotive engineer. He is credited with founding one of the most popular car companies in the world, Porsche AG. He is also credited with creating the Lohner-Porsche mixed hybrid, the first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle. During World War II, Porsche was a prominent contributor to the German war effort.

Birthdate: September 13, 1874

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria

Died: July 13

Austrian-born composer Arnold Schoenberg was part of the German Expressionist Movement and led the Second Viennese School. Being Jewish, he was banned by the Nazis and later became an American citizen. Known for his twelve-tone technique, he coined the term developing variation and formed motifs without a centralized melodic idea.

Birthdate: October 29, 1891

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States

Died: May 29

Fanny Brice was an American singer, comedienne, and actress. She is credited with creating one of the most popular radio comedy series of her generation, The Baby Snooks Show. Fanny Brice was posthumously honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the radio and film industries. Her life inspired the 1964 musical, Funny Girl.

Birthdate: April 7, 1860

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Battle Creek

Died: October 6

Robert Walker

(Actor)

Birthdate: October 13, 1918

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Died: August 28

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

Birthdate: June 4, 1867

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Askainen, Finland

Died: January 27

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was a Finnish statesman and military leader who served as the leader of the White Guard during the Finnish Civil War of 1918. He also played a key role during World War II where he served as the Chief of Defense of Finland's defense forces. Thanks to his achievements, Mannerheim is regarded as Finland's greatest statesman.

Birthdate: February 7, 1885

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Sauk Centre

Died: January 10

Birthdate: July 22, 1895

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Parkersburg, Iowa, U.S.

Died: October 1

Birthdate: October 1, 1895

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Karnal

Died: October 17

Born to a landowner, Liaquat Ali Khan received an elite education at Oxford. The lawyer-turned-politician was Pakistan’s first prime minister. The place where he was assassinated by an Afghan, the Company Bagh, was later renamed Liaquat Bagh, and years later, witnessed the assassination of prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Abdullah I of Jordan

(King of Jordan (1946 - 1951))

Birthdate: February 2, 1882

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Died: July 20

Abdullah I of Jordan reigned as the King of Jordan from 25 May 1946 until his assassination on 20 July 1951. Prior to his service as the king of Jordan, Abdullah I of Jordan served as the Emir of Transjordan from 11 April 1921 to 25 May 1946.

Birthdate: August 27, 1865

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Marietta, Ohio

Died: April 23

Andre Gide

(French Author and Winner of the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: November 22, 1869

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: February 19

Nobel Prize-winning French author Andre Gide is remembered for exhibiting the conflict between sexuality and the puritanical standards of society through his works. Much of his work was autobiographical and used the confessional format. A homosexual himself, he defended homosexuality through works such as Corydon.

Leonard M. Kravitz

(Posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor)

Birthdate: August 8, 1931

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: New York City, United States

Died: March 7

Birthdate: January 2, 1884

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Metropolis, Illinois, United States

Died: March 25

Ivor Novello

(Actor, Playwright, Composer, Writer, Screenwriter, Songwriter)

Birthdate: January 15, 1893

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Cardiff

Died: March 6

Jesse E. James

(Lawyer, Actor)

Birthdate: August 31, 1875

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Nashville

Died: March 26

Birthdate: August 1, 1920

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Roanoke

Died: October 4

Henrietta Lacks was a woman whose cancer cells were preserved and led to the first immortalized cell line, or the HeLa cell line, that was later used for medical research. Neither Lacks or her family members were compensated, and no consent was sought. Her story later inspired an HBO movie.

Sadegh Hedayat

(Iranian Writer Best Known for His Novel 'The Blind Owl')

Birthdate: February 17, 1903

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Tehran, Iran

Died: April 9

Sadegh Hedayat was an Iranian translator and writer best remembered for his book The Blind Owl, which inspired the 1987 French film La Chouette aveugle. Hedayat was one of the earliest writers from Iran to make literary modernism an important aspect of his work and career. Sadegh Hedayat's life and career have inspired several documentary films like From No. 37.

Birthdate: December 5, 1868

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Königsberg

Died: April 26

German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld initially taught math and theoretical physics and later came to be known for his groundbreaking work on atomic and quantum physics and wave mechanics. He also laid down the magnetic quantum number. Many of the doctoral and post-doctoral students he supervised later won the Nobel Prize.

Birthdate: March 9, 1881

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Winsford, Somerset

Died: April 14

Zaifeng, Prince Chun

(Prince Regent of the Qing Dynasty)

Birthdate: February 12, 1883

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Beijing, China

Died: February 3

Maria Montez

(Actress)

Birthdate: June 6, 1912

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Barahona, Dominican Republic

Died: September 7

Amy Carmichael

(Writer)

Birthdate: December 16, 1867

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Millisle, County Down, Ireland

Died: January 18

J. C. Leyendecker

(American Illustrator and Painter)

Birthdate: March 23, 1874

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Montabaur, Germany

Died: July 26

Nellie McClung

(Canadian Author, Politician and Social Activist)

Birthdate: October 20, 1873

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Chatsworth, Ontario, Canada

Died: September 1

Canadian author and social reformer Nellie McClung had struck gold with her first novel, Sowing Seeds in Danny, a bestseller. She also spoke widely about woman suffrage and was part of the Alberta legislature. She was part of The Famous Five, a group of women who launched the Persons Case.

Albert C. Barnes

(Chemist)

Birthdate: January 2, 1872

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: July 24

René Guénon

(Former Philosopher who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics)

Birthdate: November 15, 1886

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Blois, France

Died: January 7

Mary White Ovington

(American Journalist and Co-founder of the 'National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)')

Birthdate: April 11, 1865

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: July 15

Mary White Ovington was an American journalist and suffragist. She is best remembered as one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Throughout her life, Mary White Ovington remained active in the fight for women's suffrage in the United States of America. She also wrote several articles and books including an autobiography.

Louis Jouvet

(Actor)

Birthdate: December 24, 1887

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Crozon, France

Died: August 16

Agrippina Vaganova

(Russian Ballet Teacher Known for Developing the 'Vaganova Method' )

Birthdate: June 26, 1879

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: November 5

The person behind the development of the Vaganova method, Agrippina Vaganova was a significant name in the Russian ballet scene. She also penned Fundamentals of the Classical Dance, which is the most-followed text on ballet. At Mariinsky Ballet, she was known as the queen of variations.

Algernon Henry Blackwood

(Broadcaster)

Birthdate: March 14, 1869

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Shooter's Hill, Kent, England

Died: December 10

Robert Flaherty

(Filmmaker)

Birthdate: February 16, 1884

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Iron Mountain, Michigan

Died: July 23

Harald Bohr

(Danish Mathematician and Footballer)

Birthdate: April 22, 1887

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark

Died: January 22

Not only was Harald Bohr the younger brother of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr, but he was also a renowned mathematician in his own right. He is remembered for his research on periodic functions. Interestingly, he was also part of the silver-winning Danish football team at the 1908 London Olympics.

Martina von Trapp

(Austrian Singer)

Birthdate: February 17, 1921

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Klosterneuburg, Austria

Died: February 25

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Hermann Broch

(Austrian Writer)

Birthdate: November 1, 1886

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Vienna, Austria

Died: May 30

Born into an affluent family, Hermann Broch sold his family’s textile factory to focus on studying physics, math, and philosophy. Mostly known for his literary works such as The Sleepwalkers, he had ventured into writing only after 40. He was imprisoned by the Nazis and later fled to the U.S.

Riad al-Sulh

(Prime Minister of Lebanon (1946 - 1951))

Birthdate: 1894 AD

Birthplace: Sidon, Lebanon

Died: July 17

One of the most prominent figures of Lebanon’s independence movement, Riad al-Sulh became the country’s first prime minister after its independence. He was assassinated by Syrian Nationalist Party members, while visiting King Abdullah of Jordan. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of Lebanon.

Dorothy Dix

(Journalist)

Birthdate: November 18, 1861

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States

Died: December 16

Mohammad-Taqi Bahar

(Iranian Poet, Politician, Journalist and Historian)

Birthdate: December 10, 1886

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Mashhad, Iran

Died: April 22

Mohammad-Taqi Bahar was a renowned Iranian scholar, poet, historian, journalist, politician, and Professor of Literature. Counted among the most influential cultural icons of modern Iran, Bahar had a strong impact on the progression of modern Persian poetry and literature through his literary magazine Majaleh-ye Dāneshkadeh. Bahar is also known as the father of another great historian and mythologist Mehrdad Bahar.

Jens Jensen

(Landscape Architect)

Birthdate: September 13, 1860

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Dybbl, Denmark

Died: October 1

Born in Denmark, Jens Jensen witnessed his family farm being burned by the Prussians during the Second War of Schleswig. He then moved to Chicago, where he initially worked a laborer and then as a foreman, before designing gardens. He designs include the Humboldt Park and the Columbus Park.

Artur Schnabel

(Composer and pedagogue known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician)

Birthdate: April 17, 1882

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Lipnik, Poland

Died: August 15

Coretti Arle-Titz

(Singer, Actress)

Birthdate: December 5, 1881

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Churchville, New York, United States

Died: December 14

Mildred Bailey

(Singer)

Birthdate: February 27, 1907

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Tekoa, Washington, United States

Died: December 12

Constant Lambert

(Composer)

Birthdate: August 23, 1905

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Fulham, London, England

Died: August 21

Birthdate: April 12, 1884

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Hanover, Germany

Died: October 6

Otto Fritz Meyerhof was a German physician and biochemist. He studied medicine in Strasbourg and Heidelberg and later became a professor at the University of Kiel. He jointly won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine with Archibald Vivian Hill in 1922. He became one of the directors of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Medical Research in 1929.