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In the year 1978
594 Notable deaths
André Morell
English actor (1909–1978).
Born August 20th, 1909 in London.
Died November 28th, 1978 at 69 years old in London (lung cancer).
Herbert Kappler
Nazi war criminal (1907-1978).
Born September 23rd, 1907 in Stuttgart.
Died February 9th, 1978 at 70 years old in Soltau (cancer).
Willy Messerschmitt
German aircraft designer and manufacturer (1898-1978).
Born June 26th, 1898 in Frankfurt.
Died September 15th, 1978 at 80 years old in Munich.
Malcolm Caldwell
British academic (1931–1978).
Born September 27th, 1931 in Scotland.
Died December 23rd, 1978 at 47 years old in Phnom Penh.
Maggie McNamara
American actress (1928-1978).
Born June 18th, 1929 in New York City. [ref]
Died February 18th, 1978 at 48 years old in New York City (drug overdose).
Leo Genn
English actor (1905–1978).
Born August 9th, 1905 in London.
Died January 26th, 1978 at 72 years old in London (myocardial infarction, pneumonia).
Bruce Geller
American television producer and writer (1930–1978).
Born October 13th, 1930 in New York City.
Died May 21st, 1978 at 47 years old in Santa Barbara.
Kathleen Lockhart
English actress (1894-1978).
Born August 9th, 1894 in Southsea.
Died February 18th, 1978 at 83 years old in Los Angeles (disease).
Robert Sobukwe
South african teacher, pan-africanist, and anti-apartheid activist (1924-1978).
Born December 5th, 1924 in Graaff-Reinet. [ref]
Died February 27th, 1978 at 53 years old in Kimberley (lung cancer).
Wendy Barrie
British actress.
Born April 18th, 1912 in British Hong Kong.
Died February 2nd, 1978 at 65 years old in Lillian Booth Actors Home (stroke).
Mary Blair
American artist (1911-1978).
Born October 21st, 1911 in McAlester.
Died July 26th, 1978 at 66 years old in Soquel (cerebral hemorrhage). [ref]
F. R. Leavis
British literary critic (1895–1978).
Born July 14th, 1895 in Cambridge.
Died April 14th, 1978 at 82 years old in Cambridge.
Harold Lasswell
American political scientist (1902-1978).
Born February 13th, 1902 in Donnellson.
Died December 18th, 1978 at 76 years old in Manhattan.
Mohammed Daoud Khan
Politician, first president of afghanistan (1973-1978).
Born July 18th, 1909 in Kabul.
Died April 28th, 1978 at 68 years old in Kabul (gunshot wound). [ref]
Jack Oakie
American actor (1903–1978).
Born November 12th, 1903 in Sedalia.
Died January 23rd, 1978 at 74 years old in Northridge (aortic aneurysm).
Julio Jaramillo
Ecuadorian singer.
Born October 1st, 1935 in Guayaquil.
Died February 9th, 1978 at 42 years old in Guayaquil (cardiac arrest).
Nazli Sabri
Egyptian queen consort (1894–1978).
Born June 19th, 1894 in Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate.
Died May 29th, 1978 at 83 years old in Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate.
Robert Shaw
British actor and writer (1927–1978).
Born August 9th, 1927 in Westhoughton.
Died August 28th, 1978 at 51 years old in Tuar Mhic Éadaigh (myocardial infarction).
Hawwari Bumadian
Head of state of algeria from 1965 to 1978.
Born August 23rd, 1932 in Guelma.
Died December 27th, 1978 at 46 years old in Algiers (Waldenström macroglobulinemia).
Lucius D. Clay
United states general (1897–1978).
Born April 23rd, 1897 in Marietta.
Died April 16th, 1978 at 80 years old in Chatham.
Alma Thomas
American painter and art educator (1891-1978).
Born September 22nd, 1891 in Columbus.
Died February 24th, 1978 at 86 years old in Washington, D.C..
Susan Shaw
English actress (1929–1978).
Born August 29th, 1929 in London Borough of Lambeth.
Died November 27th, 1978 at 49 years old in Middlesex (liver cirrhosis).
Malvina Reynolds
American folk singer (1900–1978).
Born August 23rd, 1900 in San Francisco.
Died March 17th, 1978 at 77 years old in Berkeley.
G. Sankara Kurup
Indian malayali poet and literary critic (1901-1978).
Born June 3rd, 1901 in Nayathod.
Died February 2nd, 1978 at 76 years old in Thiruvananthapuram.
Fernando Peyroteo
Portuguese football player/manager (1918-1978).
Born March 10th, 1918 in Humpata.
Died November 28th, 1978 at 60 years old in Lisbon.
Deaths 76 to 100 of 594
I could just remember how my father used to say that the reason for living was to get ready to stay dead a long time. William Faulkner