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 1978
549 Notable deaths
Joe Gordon
American baseball player and coach (1915–1978).
Born February 18th, 1915 in Los Angeles.
Died April 14th, 1978 at 63 years old in Sacramento.
Giovanni Gronchi
3rd president of italy (1887-1978).
Born September 10th, 1887 in Pontedera.
Died October 17th, 1978 at 91 years old in Rome.
Fay Compton
English actress (1894–1978).
Born September 18th, 1894 in Kensington.
Died December 12th, 1978 at 84 years old in London (disease).
József Bozsik
Hungarian footballer (1925-1978).
Born November 28th, 1925 in Kispest, 19th district of Budapest.
Died May 31st, 1978 at 52 years old in Budapest (heart failure).
Janet Flanner
American journalist (1892–1978).
Born March 13th, 1892 in Indianapolis.
Died November 7th, 1978 at 86 years old in New York City.
Dalal al-Mughrabi
Palestinian female freedom fighter and member of the plo (1959-1978).
Born December 29th, 1959 in Beirut. [ref]
Died March 11th, 1978 at 18 years old in Highway 2.
Ray Noble
English jazz and big band musician (1903–1978).
Born December 17th, 1903 in Brighton.
Died April 3rd, 1978 at 74 years old in London.
Carlos Chávez
Mexican composer (1899–1978).
Born June 13th, 1899 in Popotla. [ref]
Died August 2nd, 1978 at 79 years old in Mexico City. [ref]
Roger Caillois
French author and philosopher (1913-1978).
Born March 3rd, 1913 in Reims.
Died December 21st, 1978 at 65 years old in Le Kremlin-Bicêtre.
Tamara Karsavina
Russian ballet dancer.
Born March 10th, 1885 in Saint Petersburg.
Died May 26th, 1978 at 93 years old in Beaconsfield.
Larry Young
American jazz musician (1940-1978).
Born October 7th, 1940 in Newark.
Died March 30th, 1978 at 37 years old in New York City (pneumonia).
Queenie Smith
American actress (1898-1978).
Born September 8th, 1898 in New York City.
Died August 5th, 1978 at 79 years old in Burbank (cancer).
Samuel Goudsmit
Dutch physicist.
Born July 11th, 1902 in The Hague.
Died December 4th, 1978 at 76 years old in Reno.
Gaston Julia
French mathematician.
Born February 3rd, 1893 in Sidi Bel Abbès.
Died March 19th, 1978 at 85 years old in 7th arrondissement of Paris.
Kathleen Kenyon
British archaeologist (1906-1978).
Born January 5th, 1906 in London.
Died August 24th, 1978 at 72 years old in Wrexham.
Theodor Tolsdorff
German world war ii general (1909-1978).
Born November 3rd, 1909 in Lenarty.
Died May 25th, 1978 at 68 years old in Dortmund.
Ammu Swaminathan
Indian politician (1894-1978).
Born April 22nd, 1894 in Palakkad.
Died July 4th, 1978 at 84 years old in Palakkad.
Giuseppe Impastato
Italian political activist murdered by the mafia (1948-1978).
Born January 5th, 1948 in Cinisi.
Died May 9th, 1978 at 30 years old in Cinisi. [ref]
Neil Johnston
American hall of fame basketball player (1929–1978).
Born February 4th, 1929 in Chillicothe.
Died September 28th, 1978 at 49 years old in Irving (myocardial infarction).
Sally Eilers
American actress (1908–1978).
Born December 11th, 1908 in New York City.
Died January 5th, 1978 at 69 years old in Woodland Hills (myocardial infarction).
Paul Scott
British writer (1920–1978).
Born March 25th, 1920 in Southgate.
Died March 1st, 1978 at 57 years old in London (colorectal cancer).
Claude Dauphin
French actor (1903-1978).
Born August 19th, 1903 in Corbeil-Essonnes. [ref]
Died November 16th, 1978 at 75 years old in 7th arrondissement of Paris (gastrointestinal system disease). [ref]
Alexander Belov
Soviet basketball player (1951–1978).
Born November 9th, 1951 in Saint Petersburg.
Died October 3rd, 1978 at 26 years old in Saint Petersburg (heart sarcoma).
Salvador de Madariaga
Spanish diplomat, writer and historian (1886-1978).
Born July 23rd, 1886 in A Coruña. [ref]
Died December 14th, 1978 at 92 years old in Locarno. [ref]
Deaths 151 to 175 of 549
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride! Hunter S. Thompson