Historical Archives & Public Figures

Paul Van Doren

United States

1930 – 2021 (90 years old)

American shoe manufacturer and entrepreneur who co-founded the Van Doren Rubber Company in Anaheim in 1966, creating Vans sneakers and revolutionizing skateboarding, punk rock, and youth street culture worldwide.

Anaheim, California, United States

28 Full Record →

Sciences & Discovery

27

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Michael Collins

Italy

1930 – 2021 (90 years old)

American astronaut and test pilot who flew the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in July 1969 while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the first human lunar landing below.

Arlington, Virginia, United States

27 Full Record →

Arts & Music

25

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Albert Elbaz

אלבר אלבז

Morocco

1961 – 2021 (59 years old)

Celebrated Israeli-Moroccan fashion designer who revitalized historic French couture house Lanvin during a dazzling fourteen-year tenure (2001–2015), famed for making women feel radiant, elegant, and comfortable.

Holon, Israel

25 Full Record →

Arts & Music

26

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Christa Ludwig

Germany

1928 – 2021 (93 years old)

Beloved German dramatic mezzo-soprano regarded as one of the supreme opera and lieder singers of the 20th century, renowned for her radiant tone and historic interpretations of Wagner, Mahler, and Richard Strauss under Karajan and Bernstein.

Klosterneuburg, Austria

26 Full Record →

Resistance & Human Rights

20

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Annie Steiner

آني شتاينر

Algeria

1928 – 2021 (93 years old)

European-Algerian patriot who served as clandestine bomb liaison agent for the FLN in the Battle of Algiers, endured horrific prison abuse, and lived as a proud Algerian citizen.

Algiers, Algeria

20 Full Record →

Statesmanship & Statesmen

30

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Idriss Déby Itno

Chad

1952 – 2021 (68 years old)

President of Chad for over thirty years (1990–2021) and seasoned military commander who turned the Chadian military into one of West Africa's most effective counterterrorism forces against Boko Haram, dying in combat on the frontlines against rebels.

Amdjarass, Chad

30 Full Record →

Statesmanship & Statesmen

30

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Walter Frederick Mondale

Walter Mondale

United States

1928 – 2021 (93 years old)

42nd Vice President of the United States under Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) who revolutionized the modern vice presidency into an active governing partnership, and made history by selecting Geraldine Ferraro as the first woman on a major US party ticket in 1984.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

30 Full Record →

Resistance & Human Rights

15

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Fettouma Ouzegane

فطومة أوزقان

Algeria

1928 – 2021 (93 years old)

Pioneering Algerian feminist activist and trade unionist who coordinated clandestine FLN communication networks and defended women's rights in independent Algeria.

Algiers, Algeria

15 Full Record →

Arts & Music

27

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Helen Elizabeth McCrory

Helen McCrory

Great Britain

1968 – 2021 (52 years old)

Powerhouse British actress celebrated for her commanding, fierce portrayals as matriarch Polly Gray in the BBC hit drama Peaky Blinders, Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series, and Cherie Blair in The Queen.

London, United Kingdom

27 Full Record →

Literature & Poetry

0

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Guillaume Oyônô Mbia

Cameroon

1939-03-02 – 2021-04-10 (82 years old)

Preeminent Cameroonian playwright whose immortal 1964 satirical comedy 'Trois Prétendants... un mari' (Three Suitors: One Husband) became the most performed and studied play in African school history.

Sangmélima, Cameroon

0 Full Record →

Arts & Music

30

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Earl Simmons

DMX

United States

1970 – 2021 (50 years old)

Raw, passionate American hip-hop icon and actor who became the first artist in music history to debut his first five consecutive albums at number one on the Billboard 200, defining hardcore 1990s rap with Ruff Ryders.

Yonkers, New York, United States

30 Full Record →

Monarchs, Kings & Royalty

45

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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

Greece

1921 – 2021 (99 years old)

Royal consort of Queen Elizabeth II for seventy-three years—the longest-serving consort of any British monarch—who served with distinction as a Royal Navy officer in World War II, founded the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and championed wildlife conservation.

Windsor, United Kingdom

45 Full Record →

Arts & Music

26

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Hajja Hamdaouia

الحاجة الحمداوية

Morocco

c. 1930 – 2021 (91 years old)

Pioneering Moroccan vocalist and cultural icon who modernized the traditional rural 'Aita Marsawiya' genre, defying French colonial authorities with patriotic songs in the 1950s.

Casablanca, Morocco

26 Full Record →

Religious Figures & Theologians

44

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Christian Wiyghan Tumi

Christian Tumi

Cameroon

1930 – 2021 (90 years old)

First Cardinal of Cameroon, Archbishop of Douala, and fearless moral conscience who challenged authoritarian governance, mediated democratic transitions, and fought tirelessly for peace in the Anglophone Crisis, surviving kidnapping by separatists.

Douala, Cameroon

44 Full Record →

Sciences & Discovery

28

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Isamu Akasaki

赤﨑勇

Japan

1929 – 2021 (92 years old)

Japanese semiconductor physicist awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing efficient blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using gallium nitride, enabling energy-saving white LED lighting and modern smartphone screens.

Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

28 Full Record →

Literature & Poetry

43

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Larry Jeff McMurtry

Larry McMurtry

United States

1936 – 2021 (84 years old)

Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winning American novelist and screenwriter who demythologized the American West in masterpieces including Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show, Terms of Endearment, and co-wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Brokeback Mountain.

Archer City, Texas, United States

43 Full Record →

Literature & Poetry

29

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Beverly Atlee Bunn Cleary

Beverly Cleary

United States

1916 – 2021 (104 years old)

Centenarian American children's author who sold over 85 million books featuring relatable, humorous everyday characters including Ramona Quimby, Beezus, Henry Huggins, and Ralph S. Mouse.

Yamhill, Oregon, United States

29 Full Record →

Arts & Music

24

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George Segal Jr.

George Segal

United States

1934 – 2021 (87 years old)

Charming Oscar-nominated American actor known for his witty dramatic and comedic roles in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Where's Poppa?, A Touch of Class, and beloved late-career television roles in Just Shoot Me! and The Goldbergs.

Santa Rosa, California, United States

24 Full Record →

Public Figures & Cultural Luminaries