Welcome! Check out today's deaths, recent deaths, or our deaths stats.
Feeling experimental? Head on over to our newest (and darkest) feature: Next-2-Die™ predictions
In the year 1972
557 Notable deaths
Harry Gold
American chemist (1910–1972).
Born December 11th, 1910 in Philadelphia.
Died August 28th, 1972 at 61 years old in Philadelphia (disease).
Betty Smith
American author (1896–1972).
Born December 15th, 1896 in Brooklyn.
Died January 17th, 1972 at 75 years old in Shelton (pneumonia).
Reverend Gary Davis
American blues and gospel singer and guitarist.
Born April 30th, 1896 in Laurens County. [ref]
Died May 5th, 1972 at 76 years old in Hammonton (myocardial infarction). [ref]
Andrei Tupolev
Russian and soviet aerospace engineer (1888-1972).
Born November 10th, 1888 in Pustomazovo.
Died December 23rd, 1972 at 84 years old in Moscow.
Yossef Romano
Israeli weightlifter (1940–1972).
Born April 15th, 1940 in Benghazi.
Died September 5th, 1972 at 32 years old in Munich.
Fred McDowell
American blues musician (1904–1972).
Born January 12th, 1904 in Tennessee, Rossville.
Died July 3rd, 1972 at 68 years old in Los Angeles (cancer).
Kenny Dorham
American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer.
Born August 30th, 1924 in Fairfield. [ref]
Died December 5th, 1972 at 48 years old in New York City. [ref]
Jerome Cowan
American actor (1897–1972).
Born October 6th, 1897 in New York City.
Died January 24th, 1972 at 74 years old in Encino.
Harlow Shapley
American astronomer (1885-1972).
Born November 2nd, 1885 in Nashville. [ref]
Died October 20th, 1972 at 86 years old in Boulder. [ref]
Marie Wilson
Us actress (1916-1972).
Born August 19th, 1916 in Anaheim. [ref]
Died November 23rd, 1972 at 56 years old in Hollywood (cancer). [ref]
Rochelle Hudson
American actress (1916–1972).
Born March 6th, 1916 in Oklahoma City.
Died January 17th, 1972 at 55 years old in Palm Desert (pneumonia).
Paul-Henri Spaak
Belgian politician (1899-1972).
Born January 25th, 1899 in Schaerbeek.
Died July 31st, 1972 at 73 years old in Braine-l'Alleud.
Paul Goodman
American writer and public intellectual (1911–1972).
Born September 9th, 1911 in Greenwich Village.
Died August 2nd, 1972 at 60 years old in North Stratford.
Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
German prince.
Born August 2nd, 1906 in Callenberg Castle.
Died May 4th, 1972 at 65 years old in Grein.
Maria Goeppert Mayer
German-born american theoretical physicist (1906-1972).
Born June 28th, 1906 in Katowice.
Died February 20th, 1972 at 65 years old in San Diego (circulatory collapse).
Compton Mackenzie
Scottish writer, cultural commentator, raconteur and nationalist (1883-1972).
Born January 17th, 1883 in West Hartlepool.
Died November 30th, 1972 at 89 years old in Edinburgh.
Moshe Weinberg
1972 munich massacre victim (1939–1972).
Born September 19th, 1939 in Haifa. [ref]
Died September 5th, 1972 at 32 years old in Munich. [ref]
Edgar Snow
American journalist.
Born July 17th, 1905 in Kansas City.
Died February 25th, 1972 at 66 years old in Geneva.
Frank Tashlin
American film director (1913–1972).
Born February 19th, 1913 in Weehawken.
Died May 5th, 1972 at 59 years old in Hollywood (pulmonary embolism).
L. P. Hartley
British novelist and short story writer (1895–1972).
Born December 30th, 1895 in Whittlesey.
Died December 13th, 1972 at 76 years old in London.
Mark Van Doren
American poet and literary critic (1894-1972).
Born June 13th, 1894 in Vermilion County. [ref]
Died December 10th, 1972 at 78 years old in Torrington. [ref]
Heinrich Lübke
German politician (1894-1972).
Born October 14th, 1894 in Sundern. [ref]
Died April 6th, 1972 at 77 years old in Bonn (stomach cancer).
Aspasía Mánou
Princess of greece and denmark (1896-1972).
Born September 4th, 1896 in Athens.
Died August 7th, 1972 at 75 years old in Venice.
Dino Buzzati
Italian writer (1906-1972).
Born October 16th, 1906 in Belluno.
Died January 28th, 1972 at 65 years old in Milan (pancreatic cancer).
Frank Knight
American economist (1885-1972).
Born November 7th, 1885 in McLean County.
Died April 15th, 1972 at 86 years old in Chicago.
Deaths 101 to 125 of 557
Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things. Arthur Schopenhauer