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In the year 1939

386 Notable deaths

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist known as the founding father of psychoanalysis.

Born May 6th, 1856 in Příbor. [ref]

Died September 23rd, 1939 at 83 years old in London (laryngeal cancer). [ref]

William Butler Yeats

Irish poet and playwright (1865–1939).

Born March 13th, 1865 in Sandymount. [ref]

Died January 28th, 1939 at 73 years old in Menton, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. [ref]

James Naismith

Canadian-american coach; inventor of basketball.

Born November 6th, 1861 in Almonte.

Died November 28th, 1939 at 78 years old in Lawrence.

Ma Rainey

African-american blues singer.

Born April 26th, 1886 in Alabama. [ref]

Died December 22nd, 1939 at 53 years old in Columbus (myocardial infarction). [ref]

Louis Wain

English artist (1860-1939).

Born August 5th, 1860 in Clerkenwell. [ref]

Died July 4th, 1939 at 78 years old in Napsbury Hospital. [ref]

Douglas Fairbanks

American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer (1883-1939).

Born May 23rd, 1883 in Denver. [ref]

Died December 12th, 1939 at 56 years old in Santa Monica (myocardial infarction). [ref]

Howard Carter

British egyptologist.

Born May 9th, 1874 in Brompton, Kensington. [ref]

Died March 2nd, 1939 at 64 years old in London (lymphoma). [ref]

Alphonse Mucha

Czechoslovak photographer, painter and illustrator (1860-1939).

Born July 24th, 1860 in Ivančice. [ref]

Died July 14th, 1939 at 78 years old in Prague (pneumonia). [ref]

Pius XI

Pope of the catholic church from 1922 to 1939.

Born March 31st, 1857 in Desio. [ref]

Died February 10th, 1939 at 81 years old in Vatican City (myocardial infarction). [ref]

Nadezhda Krupskaya

Russian revolutionary and politician (1869-1939).

Born February 26th, 1869 in Saint Petersburg. [ref]

Died February 27th, 1939 at 70 years old in Moscow. [ref]

Zane Grey

American novelist (1872–1939).

Born January 31st, 1872 in Zanesville.

Died October 23rd, 1939 at 67 years old in Altadena (heart failure).

Eugen Weidmann

Sentenced to death in france.

Born February 5th, 1908 in Frankfurt.

Died June 17th, 1939 at 31 years old in Versailles (decapitation).

Charles M. Schwab

American steel magnate (1862–1939).

Born February 18th, 1862 in Williamsburg.

Died September 19th, 1939 at 77 years old in New York City.

Sayajirao Gaekwad III

Indian maharaja (1863–1939).

Born March 31st, 1863 in Vadodara.

Died February 6th, 1939 at 75 years old in Vadodara.

Norman Bethune

Canadian physician, medical innovator and humanitarian (1890-1939).

Born March 4th, 1890 in Gravenhurst.

Died November 12th, 1939 at 49 years old in Tang County (sepsis).

Ghazi of Iraq

King of the hashemite kingdom of iraq (1912-1939) (ruled 1933-1939).

Born March 21st, 1912 in Mecca. [ref]

Died April 4th, 1939 at 27 years old in Baghdad (cranial trauma, single-vehicle accident). [ref]

Arthur Rackham

English book illustrator.

Born September 19th, 1867 in London, Lewisham.

Died September 6th, 1939 at 71 years old in Limpsfield (cancer).

Havelock Ellis

British physician, writer, and social reformer (1859-1939).

Born February 2nd, 1859 in Croydon.

Died July 8th, 1939 at 80 years old in Hintlesham.

Carl Laemmle

German-american film producer (1867–1939).

Born January 17th, 1867 in Laupheim.

Died September 24th, 1939 at 72 years old in Beverly Hills (cardiovascular disease).

Ford Madox Ford

English writer and publisher (1873-1939).

Born December 17th, 1873 in London, London Borough of Merton.

Died June 26th, 1939 at 65 years old in Deauville.

Masabumi Hosono

Rms titanic survivor (1870–1939).

Born October 15th, 1870 in Niigata Prefecture.

Died March 14th, 1939 at 68 years old in Japan.

Werner von Fritsch

German general (1880-1939).

Born August 4th, 1880 in Benrath.

Died September 22nd, 1939 at 59 years old in Praga.

Karl Radek

Russian revolutionary (1885-1939).

Born October 31st, 1885 in Lviv.

Died May 19th, 1939 at 53 years old in Verkhneuralsk.

Harvey Williams Cushing

American neurosurgeon (1869-1939).

Born April 8th, 1869 in Cleveland.

Died October 8th, 1939 at 70 years old in New Haven (myocardial infarction).

Otto Rank

Austrian psychoanalyst (1884–1939).

Born April 22nd, 1884 in Vienna.

Died October 31st, 1939 at 55 years old in New York City (sepsis).

Deaths 1 to 25 of 386

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All men think that all men are mortal but themselves. Edward Young