Famous People Who Died on January 21
Sebastian Wright
Updated on January 17, 2026
Discover the most famous people who died on January 21. The list includes people like Vladimir Lenin, George Orwell, Louis XVI of France, Cecil B. DeMille, Jack Lord. Famous personalities featured on this list, include actors, political leaders, philosophers and directors and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, France & Russia and many more countries.
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1
George Orwell(Known for His Novels “Animal Farm” and “Nineteen Eighty-Four”)
Birthdate: June 25, 1903
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Motihari, Bihar, India
Died: 1950
The king of dystopia and satire, George Orwell, the pen name adopted by Eric Arthur Blair, was a well-known novelist and critic of the 20th century. A man with a strong mind of his own, Orwell never backed down from stating his views on the socio-political climate he lived in, which he expressed profusely through his influential essays and novels.
2
Vladimir Lenin(Russian Revolutionary & Politician Who Served as the First Head of Government of Soviet Russia)
Birthdate: April 22, 1870
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ulyanovsk, Russia
Died: 1924
Vladimir Lenin played a key role in the history of Russian politics by developing a political ideology called Leninism. During and after his lifetime, Lenin had a massive influence over international communist movement. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant personalities of the 20th century.
Birthdate: August 23, 1754
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France
Died: 1793
Louis XVI of France reigned as the last king of France from 1774 to 1792 before the French Revolution, which ended the monarchy in France. During his reign, Louis made attempts to remove land and labor tax, abolish serfdom, and improve tolerance toward non-Catholics. However, the proposed reforms were opposed by the French nobility.
4
Emiliano Sala(Argentine Professional Footballer Who Played as a Striker)
Birthdate: October 31, 1990
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cululú, Argentina
Died: 2019
Emiliano Sala was an Argentine football player who played for prominent French clubs like Bordeaux and Nantes. He was renowned for his powerful strike and eye for goal. In 2019, he was included in the Nantes Team of the Decade. Emiliano Sala died in a plane crash on 21 January 2019. His body was recovered four days after the crash.
5
Jack Lord(Best Known for His Role of Steve McGarrett in the CBS TV Series 'Hawaii Five-O')
Birthdate: December 30, 1920
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: 1998
Jack Lord is best known as Steve McGarrett from the series Hawaii Five-O. He spent his youth painting landscapes and studied at New York University on a football scholarship. He later held art exhibitions, too. He was also the first to play Felix Leiter in the James Bond franchise.
6
Terry Jones(Actor)
Birthdate: February 1, 1942
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire, Wales
Died: 2020
Starting his career as a comedy writer, actor-director Terry Jones later soared to fame as part of the Monty Python comedy team. An avid historian, too, he wrote several books and presented TV documentaries on the topic. In his later years, the BAFTA Cymru award winner struggled with dementia.
7
Cecil B. DeMille(One of the Most Commercially Successful Producers & Directors in Film History)
Birthdate: August 12, 1881
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ashfield, Massachusetts, United States
Died: 1959
Cecil B. DeMille was an American filmmaker. DeMille is widely regarded as a founding father of the cinema of the United States. He is also considered the most successful filmmaker in the history of American cinema. The recipient of several prestigious awards, DeMille's work has influenced several filmmakers. The Cecil B. DeMille Award is named in his honor.
8
Jackie Wilson(Singer)
Birthdate: June 9, 1934
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Detroit
Died: 1984
9
Peggy Lee(Singer)
Birthdate: May 26, 1920
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jamestown, North Dakota, United States
Died: 2002
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
10
Ann Sheridan(Actress)
Birthdate: February 21, 1915
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Denton, Texas, USA
Died: 1967
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
Birthdate: August 7, 1927
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Paris, Illinois, United States
Died: 1959
Birthdate: May 22, 1938
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: 1999
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
13
Nathalie Delon(Actress)
Birthdate: August 1, 1941
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Oujda, Morocco
Died: 2021
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
Birthdate: July 7, 1843
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Corteno, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, Italy
Died: 1926
Nobel Prize-winning cytologist and physician Camillo Golgi is remembered for his contribution to the study of the central nervous system. He revolutionized medical science with his staining technique and discoveries such as the Golgi cell, the Golgi tendon organ, and the Golgi apparatus, apart from his research on malaria.
15
Elisha Gray(Engineer)
Birthdate: August 2, 1835
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Barnesville
Died: 1901
16
Gojong of Korea(King)
Birthdate: September 8, 1852
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Unhyeongung, Seoul, South Korea
Died: 1919
17
Joseph Schildkraut(Austrian-American Actor)
Birthdate: March 22, 1896
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1964
Joseph Schildkraut was an Austrian-American actor best known for winning an Academy Award for his performance in the film The Life of Emile Zola. The son of an actor, he began stage training with Max Reinhardt. He began his career as a character actor on the stage, eventually transitioning to films. He was also active on television.
18
Princess Ileana of Romania(Nun)
Birthdate: January 5, 1909
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bucharest, Romania
Died: 1991
19
Georges Méliès(One of the First Filmmakers to Use Storyboards & Fictional Narratives in Movies)
Birthdate: December 8, 1861
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: 1938
Initially a professional illusionist and later a film director, Georges Méliès became interested in motion pictures after watching the first real film made by Lumière brothers. Realizing the potential of film-making as an art, he soon started experimenting, making technical and narrative developments. Among the 400 films he made were Christ Walking on Water, A Trip to the Moon etc
20
Geeta Bali(Indian Actress Who Worked in Hindi Language Films)
Birthdate: 1930 AD
Birthplace: Sargodha, Pakistan
Died: 1965
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.
Birthdate: May 11, 1918
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kerala
Died: 2016
Padma Shri- and Padma Bhushan-winning classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai received a unique education, having been part of both the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Shantiniketan. She specialized in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali, and later launched her own dance academy, along with her physicist husband Vikram Sarabhai.
22
Bill Johnson(First American Male to Win an Olympic Gold Medal in Alpine Skiing)
Birthdate: March 30, 1960
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: 2016
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
23
Theodor Kittelsen(Artist, illustrator)
Birthdate: April 27, 1857
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kragerø, Norway
Died: 1914
Theodor Kittelsen was a Norwegian artist best remembered for his nature paintings and illustrations of legends and fairy tales, especially of trolls. Widely regarded as one of the most popular Norwegian artists of all time, Kittelsen's art has inspired the cover design of many albums released by famous folk metal and black metal bands like Empyrium, Burzum, Satyricon, and Otyg.
24
Eiko Ishioka(Art Director)
Birthdate: July 12, 1938
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: 2012
25
George Moore(Irish Novelist Known for His Work ‘Confessions of a Young Man’ and ‘Esther Waters’)
Birthdate: February 24, 1852
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Moore Hall, Ireland
Died: 1933
Irish author George Moore had initially aspired to be a painter and had even traveled to Paris to study the art. However, he soon ditched painting and devoted himself to writing instead. His novels, such as A Modern Lover, showed how much he was inspired by French realism.
26
Alexander Herzen(Russian Writer and Thinker Known as the ‘Father of Russian Socialism’)
Birthdate: April 6, 1812
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: 1870
Alexander Herzen was a Russian thinker and writer. Regarded as the father of Russian socialism, Herzen played an influential role in the political set up of the 19th and 20th century. He also influenced personalities like Isaiah Berlin, who regarded Herzen as his hero. Herzen's book My Past and Thoughts is considered one of the best autobiographies in Russian literature.
Birthdate: September 13, 1922
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Texas City
Died: 1999
28
Victor Perez(Boxer)
Birthdate: October 18, 1911
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tunis, Tunisia
Died: 1945
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
29
Blaise Cendrars(Swiss Novelist and Poet)
Birthdate: September 1, 1887
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Died: 1961
French-speaking Swiss poet Blaise Cendrars was a regular at the artists’ colony known as The Beehive. Remembered for his novels such as Bourlinguer and his poems such as Pâques à New York, he mostly included autobiographical elements in his works, such as his experiences at the front lines for the French army.
30
Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal(Statesman)
Birthdate: August 6, 1820
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Forres, Scotland
Died: 1914
31
Billy Tipton(Musician)
Birthdate: December 29, 1914
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Died: 1989
32
Baron d'Holbach(Author)
Birthdate: December 8, 1723
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Edesheim, Germany
Died: 1789
33
Mustafa III(Sultan)
Birthdate: January 28, 1717
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Constantinople
Died: 1774
34
Alex Groza(Basketball player, Basketball coach)
Birthdate: October 7, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Martins Ferry, Ohio, United States
Died: 1995
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
35
George Washington Goethals(Former 1st Governor of Panama Canal Zone (1914 - 1917))
Birthdate: June 29, 1858
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: 1928
George Washington Goethals was an American civil engineer and US-Army General remembered for his role as an overseer of the construction of the Panama Canal. He also served as the first Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1914 to 1917. Goethals has been honored with several tributes, including the Society of American Military Engineers' establishment of the Goethals Medal.
36
Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha(Princess)
Birthdate: April 30, 1881
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1967
37
La Paiva(Investor)
Birthdate: May 7, 1819
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: 1884
38
Charles MacCarthy(Former Governor of Sierra Leone)
Birthdate: February 15, 1764
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cork, Ireland
Died: 1824
39
Franz Grillparzer(Austrian Dramatist and Poet Known for Plays Such as 'Der Traum', 'ein Leben' and 'Spartacus')
Birthdate: January 15, 1791
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1872
Franz Grillparzer had a tough life, with his father dying in debt and his mother having committed suicide. He studied law and then worked as a government clerk before discovering his passion for writing. Known for his tragedies such as Sappho, he became one of the finest Austrian dramatists ever.
Birthdate: 1742 AD
Birthplace: Volgograd Oblast, Russia
Died: 1775
Yemelyan Pugachev, a Cossack leader, was a significant figure of the peasant rebellion in Russia. Impersonating Emperor Peter III, who had been deposed by Queen Catherine and killed, Pugachev gathered a group of peasants and besieged several major Russian cities, but was eventually sent to Moscow, where he was executed.
41
Mascha Kaleko(Poet)
Birthdate: June 7, 1907
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chrzanow, Poland
Died: 1975
Mascha Kaleko was a poet who wrote in the German language. Born in present-day Poland, Kaleko left for Germany along with her mother and sister when the First World War began. In Germany, she became acquainted with writers like Kurt Tucholsky and Erich Kästner, often meeting them in places like the Romanisches Café. Many of her poems were published posthumously.
42
Dennis Oppenheim(Conceptual artist)
Birthdate: September 6, 1938
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Electric City, Washington, United States
Died: 2011
43
Russell Baker(Journalist)
Birthdate: August 14, 1925
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Loudoun County, Virginia, U.S.
Died: 2019
44
Kemal Monteno(Recording artist)
Birthdate: September 17, 1948
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Died: 2015
45
Lamar Williams(Musician)
Birthdate: January 14, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gulfport, Mississippi, United States
Died: 1983
46
John Couch Adams(Mathematician, Astronomer, University teacher)
Birthdate: June 5, 1819
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Laneast
Died: 1892
47
Charlie Gehringer(Baseball player)
Birthdate: May 11, 1903
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Fowlerville, Michigan, United States
Died: 1993
48
Joan II, Countess of Burgundy(Countess)
Birthdate: 1291 AD
Birthplace: Bracon, France
Died: 1330
49
Alma Rubens(Actress)
Birthdate: February 19, 1897
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: 1931
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
50
Juan de Grijalva(Conquistador)
Birthdate: 1489 AD
Birthplace: Cuéllar, Spain
Died: 1527
