Famous People Who Died in 1974

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1974. This list includes people like Virginia Apgar, Oskar Schindler, Cass Elliot, Charles Lindbergh, Georgy Zhukov and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include poets, political leaders, novelists and physicists who died in 1974. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, India & Germany and many more countries.

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 1 

Oskar Schindler

(German Industrialist and Member of Nazi Party Who Saved the Lives of 1,200 Jews During the Holocaust)

Birthdate: April 28, 1908

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Svitavy, Czechia

Died: October 9

Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist who displayed extraordinary dedication and courage to save the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. Oskar Schindler's act is viewed by many as the kind of act that restores faith in humanity.  His inspirational and heart-warming story was adapted into an Oscar-winning film titled Schindler's List.

Birthdate: April 29, 1899

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States

Died: May 24

Jazz legend Duke Ellington managed his orchestra till his death, and over a 6-decade-long career. He is known for his collaborations with legends such as pianist and composer Billy Strayhorn. He termed his music “American music” and refused to attach any category to it. He received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize.

 3 

Charles Lindbergh

(Remembered for Making the First Nonstop Solo Flight Across the Atlantic)

Birthdate: February 4, 1902

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Died: August 26

Charles Lindbergh shot to fame after completing the first solo, and the longest, trans-Atlantic flight, in 1927. In his later years, his son’s highly publicized kidnapping and murder broke him completely. He also participated in World War II and worked on inventions that made flight navigation and heart surgeries easier.

 4 

Cass Elliot

(American Singer Who was a Member of the Folk-Rock Band 'The Mamas & the Papas')

Birthdate: September 19, 1941

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Died: July 29

Cass Elliot was a popular American singer and actress. As part of the famous folk-rock vocal group The Mamas and the Papas, Cass Elliot played an important role in influencing the counterculture of the 1960s and its music scene. She had a great impact on the American entertainment industry of the 1960s.

Birthdate: July 25, 1894

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Lynn, Massachusetts, United States

Died: September 21

Actor and singer, Walter Brennan, was one of the best known Hollywood actors in the mid-20th century. The veteran actor was the recipient of three Academy Awards, becoming one of only three male actors to do so. In an extensive career spanning almost five decades, he had appeared in over a hundred films and TV shows.

 6 

Agnes Moorehead

(Best Known for Her Role as ‘Endora’ in the TV Series ‘Bewitched’)

Birthdate: December 6, 1900

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Clinton, Massachusetts, United States

Died: April 30

Agnes Moorehead is best known for her Emmy-winning performance in the series The Wild Wild West and her Golden Globe-winning roles in the films Mrs. Tarkington and Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte. She was also famous as Endora from the series Bewitched. She was the first female to host the Academy Awards.

Birthdate: July 12, 1916

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Died: October 27

Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko belonged to the Red Army during World War II and is believed to have killed over 300 people. Also known as Lady Death, she was awarded the Order of Lenin and was made a Hero of the Soviet Union. She later became a Soviet Navy researcher.

 8 

Jack Benny

(One of the Leading Entertainers of the 20th Century)

Birthdate: February 14, 1894

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: December 26

Benjamin Kubelsky, better known as Jack Benny, was an American vaudeville violinist who later soared to fame with the radio/TV comedy show The Jack Benny Program. He became famous for his signature expression “Well!” He also appeared in films such as The Hollywood Revue of 1929 and Mr. Broadway.

 9 

Ed Sullivan

(Legendary Host of the TV Variety Show 'The Ed Sullivan Show')

Birthdate: September 28, 1901

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Harlem, New York, United States

Died: October 13

Sports reporter and TV personality Ed Sullivan is best remembered as the host and creator of the variety show named The Toast of the Town, later renamed The Ed Sullivan Show. One of TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time, he was also a skilled columnist.

Birthdate: December 1, 1896

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Zhukov, Kaluga Oblast

Died: June 18

Soviet general and Marshal of the Soviet Union, Georgy Zhukov, is remembered for overseeing some of the Red Army's most decisive victories during the Second World War. As a young man, he served in the First World War and the Russian Civil War. The recipient of four Hero of the Soviet Union awards, he was made the defence minister.

Birthdate: December 22, 1946

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Weed, California, United States

Died: April 25

Pamela Courson was the girlfriend of legendary singer Jim Morrison of the iconic rock band The Doors. She was the one who found Morrison dead in the bathtub of their Paris apartment in 1971. She inherited his fortune and was dragged into court battles for 2 years.

 12 

Frank Sutton

(Known for His Role as ‘Sgt. Vince Carter’ in the TV Series ‘Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..’)

Birthdate: October 23, 1923

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Clarksville, Tennessee, United States

Died: June 28

Frank Sutton is best remembered for his performance as Vince Carter in the series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. He was a regular guest on Jim Nabors Hour and also appeared in series such as The Untouchables and Love American Style. He had earlier been a Purple Heart- and Bronze Star-winning sergeant. 

 13 

Bud Abbott

(Comedian)

Birthdate: October 2, 1897

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States

Died: April 24

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

 14 

Earl Warren

(30th Governor of California (1943-53), 14th Chief Justice of the United States (1953-69))

Birthdate: March 19, 1891

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: July 9

Earl Warren served as the chief justice of the U.S. from 1953 to 1969. He was also the California governor from 1943 to 1953. The "Warren Court" revolutionized the American justice system by making landmark judgments, such as making school segregation unconstitutional in the Brown v. Board of Education case.

Birthdate: June 7, 1909

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Westfield, New Jersey, United States

Died: August 7

 16 

Nick Drake

(English Singer-Songwriter)

Birthdate: June 19, 1948

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Rangoon, Burma

Died: November 25

Nick Drake was a British singer-songwriter best remembered for his acoustic guitar-based music. Although he failed to achieve popularity during his lifetime, Drake's music has achieved recognition in recent times. He suffered from depression throughout his life and died at the age of 26 from an overdose of a prescribed antidepressant called amitriptyline.

Birthdate: March 26, 1898

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Herzogenaurach, Germany

Died: October 27

The rivalry between German shoemaker Rudolf Dassler and his brother, Adolf Dassler, led to the creation of two of the most popular shoe brands of the world. While Rudolf and Adolf were initially partners in their shoe business, a feud made Rudolf create Puma, while Adolf formed Adidas.

 18 

James J. Braddock

(American Boxer Who Held the World Heavyweight Title From 1935 to 1937)

Birthdate: June 7, 1905

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Hell's Kitchen, New York, United States

Died: November 29

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

 19 

U Thant

(3rd Secretary General of the United Nations (1961 - 1971))

Birthdate: January 22, 1909

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Pantanaw, Burma

Died: November 25

Burmese diplomat U Thant made history by becoming the first non-Scandinavian to be named the UN secretary-general. Later in life, he tried applying Buddhist principles such as detachment to solve major international conflicts. Following his death in New York, his burial in Burma became a source of riots.

 20 

Tex Ritter

(Singer)

Birthdate: January 12, 1905

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Murvaul, Texas, USA

Died: January 2

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

Birthdate: October 20, 1891

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Bollington

Died: July 24

Best remembered as a Nobel laureate who discovered neutron, Sir James Chadwick began his career at Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, where he worked with Ernest Rutherford to investigate the nature of atomic nucleus, a work that led to the epoch-making discovery. Credited with writing the final draft of the MAUD Report, he also headed the British team at the Manhattan Project

 22 

Georges Pompidou

(President of France (1969 - 1974), Prime Minister of France (1962 - 1968))

Birthdate: July 5, 1911

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Montboudif, French Third Republic France

Died: April 2

Georges Pompidou was a French politician whose tenure as prime minister of France between 1962 and 1968 was the longest in the history of France. From 1969 to 1974, Pompidou served as president of France. He is credited with mending France's relationship with the US and maintaining positive relations with many other countries. 

Birthdate: August 17, 1879

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Warsaw

Died: January 31

 24 

Karen Silkwood

(Former chemical technologist known for raising concerns about corporate practices related to health and safety in a nuclear facility)

Birthdate: February 19, 1946

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Longview, Texas, United States

Died: November 13

 25 

Cliff Arquette

(Actor)

Birthdate: December 27, 1905

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio, United States

Died: September 23

 26 

Candy Darling

(Actress)

Birthdate: November 24, 1944

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Long Island, New York, USA

Died: March 21

 27 

Satyendra Nath Bose

(Indian Mathematician and Physicist, Best Known for His Work on Quantum Mechanics)

Birthdate: January 1, 1894

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Kolkata, India

Died: February 4

Best known for working with Albert Einstein to form Bose–Einstein statistics, Indian scientist Satyendra Nath Bose was a master of quantum mechanics. He played the esraj, loved poetry, and had mastered quite a few languages. The Padma Vibhushan winner was also made a Fellow of The Royal Society.

 28 

Alberta Williams King

(Martin Luther King Jr.'s Mother)

Birthdate: September 13, 1904

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Died: June 30

 29 

Dizzy Dean

(Baseball Player)

Birthdate: January 16, 1910

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Lucas, Arkansas, United States

Died: July 17

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

Birthdate: February 20, 1901

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Kuressaare, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire

Died: March 17

Louis Kahn was an American architect who is credited with creating a style that was monolithic and monumental. Regarded as one of the 20th century's most influential architects, Kahn served as a professor at Yale School of Architecture and at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design. His life and career inspired a documentary titled My Architect: A Son's Journey.

Birthdate: November 9, 1928

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Newton, Massachusetts, United States

Died: October 4

Birthdate: September 23, 1889

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Died: December 14

 33 

Bill Finger

(Comic Book Writer & Co-creator of the DC Comic Superhero 'Batman')

Birthdate: February 8, 1914

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States

Died: January 18

Bill Finger was an American film, TV, comic book, and comic strip writer. Although he had co-created the popular superhero character Batman along with Bob Kane, Finger's work was uncredited until 2015. As a result, Finger died in poverty and obscurity. He was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame.

 34 

Anne Klein

(Fashion designer and Businesswoman, the founder and namesake of Anne Klein & Company)

Birthdate: August 3, 1923

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Died: March 19

Birthdate: September 15, 1914

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Springfield, Massachusetts, United States

Died: September 4

 36 

Vittorio De Sica

(Italian Film Director and Actor Who was a Leading Figure in the Neorealist Movement)

Birthdate: July 7, 1901

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Sora, Italy

Died: November 13

Four-time Academy Award-winning director Vittorio De Sica was a symbol of Italian neorealism. Apart from creating masterpieces such as Bicycle Thieves and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. He had begun his career acting in silent films and had then also participated in musical theater. He was both a Roman Catholic and a communist.

 37 

Darius Milhaud

(French Composer, Conductor and a Member of the Group 'Les Six')

Birthdate: September 4, 1892

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Marseille, France

Died: June 22

Darius Milhaud was a French composer, teacher, and conductor. One of the 20th century's most prolific composers, Milhaud was part of a famous group known as The Group of Six. He also contributed greatly to the French film industry, composing music for films like Madame Bovary and The Beloved Vagabond. Milhaud is often counted among the most important modernist composers. 

Birthdate: September 23, 1908

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Simaria

Died: April 24

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar was an Indian poet, academic, patriot, and essayist. Regarded as one of the most prominent modern Hindi poets, Dinkar played an important role during the Indian independence movement,; writing poems that sparked nationalism. In 1959, he was honored with the prestigious Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award. The same year, he also received the Sahitya Akademi Award.

 39 

Erich Kästner

(Known Primarily for His Humorous, Socially Astute Poems and the Children’s Book 'Emil and the Detectives')

Birthdate: February 23, 1899

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Dresden, Germany

Died: July 29

Four-time Nobel Prize-nominated German author Erich Kästne is best remembered for his children’s books such as Emil and the Detectives. Initially aspiring to be a teacher, he later had stints as a journalist and a freelance author. A leading satirist, he contributed to Die Weltbühne and also headed PEN.

Birthdate: December 12, 1937

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Adamsville, Tennessee

Died: August 21

Buford Hayse Pusser served as the Sheriff of McNairy County of Tennessee and as the Constable of Adamsville. He clamped down on practices such as prostitution and gambling in the Mississippi-Tennessee area. He was also a wrestler known as Buford the Bull and later inspired several books and songs.

 41 

David Oistrakh

(Violinist)

Birthdate: September 30, 1908

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Odessa

Died: October 24

Two-time Grammy Award-winning Soviet violinist David Oistrakh had been trained in the instrument since age 5 and performed in his first concert at age 6. He later taught at the Moscow Conservatory and performed throughout the world, especially in Europe and the US. He also played for Soviet soldiers during World War II.

Birthdate: October 19, 1899

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Guatemala City, Guatemala

Died: June 9

Miguel Ãngel Asturias was a Guatemalan poet-diplomat, journalist, playwright, and novelist. He played a significant role in spreading the importance of indigenous cultures. In 1966, he was honored with the International Lenin Peace Prize. In 1967, he became only the second Latin American author to win the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature.

Birthdate: October 8, 1895

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Lobos

Died: July 1

Juan Perón, the Argentine president who reigned first from 1946 to 1955 and then from 1973 to 1974, established the movement known as Peronism, now known as Justicialism. Both he and his wife, Evita, became icons for the working class. His critics, however, termed him a dictator.

 44 

Allen Jenkins

(Actor)

Birthdate: April 9, 1900

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Staten Island, New York, United States

Died: July 20

 45 

Olga Baclanova

(Actress Known for Her Roles in the Films: 'Freaks' and 'The Man Who Laughs')

Birthdate: August 19, 1893

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Died: September 6

Russian actor Olga Baclanova was also a skilled ballerina and opera singer who had a decent career in Hollywood, too. A star of the silent-film age, she was seen in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street and Are You There? Post-retirement, she moved to Switzerland.

Birthdate: May 16, 1905

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Rushden, England

Died: January 29

Birthdate: May 21, 1902

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Kiev, Russian Empire

Died: December 15

Anatole Litvak was a Russian-born American filmmaker. He was notable for bringing previously little-known actors to the spotlight and enabling them to win Academy Awards. French actors Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux and Swedish star Ingrid Bergman are among the ones he helped become internationally famous. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6633 Hollywood Blvd. 

 48 

Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta

(Princess)

Birthdate: February 13, 1904

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Athens, Greece

Died: April 15

 49 

Jack Cole

(Choreographer, Dancer)

Birthdate: April 27, 1911

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States

Died: February 17

 50 

Amy Vanderbilt

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Birthdate: July 22, 1908

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: New York City

Died: December 27