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In the year 1979
608 Notable deaths
A. Philip Randolph
Black american civil rights activist, labor unionist, politician (1889-1979).
Born April 15th, 1889 in Crescent City.
Died May 16th, 1979 at 90 years old in Manhattan.
Peter Butterworth
English actor (1919–1979).
Born February 4th, 1915 in Bramhall.
Died January 17th, 1979 at 63 years old in Coventry (myocardial infarction).
Nicholas Ray
American film director (1911-1979).
Born August 7th, 1911 in La Crosse. [ref]
Died June 16th, 1979 at 67 years old in New York City (lung cancer). [ref]
Philippe Cousteau
French diver and cinematographer (1940–1979).
Born December 30th, 1940 in Toulon.
Died June 28th, 1979 at 38 years old in Alverca do Ribatejo.
Ali Hassan Salameh
Palestinian leader (1941-1979).
Died January 22nd, 1979 at 37 years old in Beirut (gunshot wound).
Donyale Luna
American model and actress (1945-1979).
Born January 1st, 1945 in Detroit.
Died May 17th, 1979 at 34 years old in Rome (drug overdose).
Gracie Fields
British actress, singer and comedian (1898–1979).
Born January 9th, 1898 in Rochdale.
Died September 27th, 1979 at 81 years old in Capri (pneumonia).
George Brent
Irish-american actor (1899-1979).
Born March 15th, 1904 in Shannonbridge.
Died May 26th, 1979 at 75 years old in Solana Beach (pulmonary emphysema).
Michael Wilding
English television and film actor (1912-1979).
Born July 23rd, 1912 in Leigh-on-Sea. [ref]
Died July 8th, 1979 at 66 years old in London (fall).
Airey Neave
British politician (1916-1979).
Born January 23rd, 1916 in Knightsbridge.
Died March 30th, 1979 at 63 years old in Westminster Hospital (car bomb).
Elizabeth Bishop
American poet (1911–1979).
Born February 8th, 1911 in Worcester.
Died October 6th, 1979 at 68 years old in Boston (intracranial aneurysm).
Hafizullah Amin
2nd general secretary of the people's democratic party of afghanistan.
Born August 1st, 1929 in Paghman.
Died December 27th, 1979 at 50 years old in Tajbeg Palace (ballistic trauma).
Nino Rota
Italian composer.
Born December 4th, 1911 in Milan.
Died April 10th, 1979 at 67 years old in Rome (coronary thrombosis).
Dolores Costello
American actress (1903–1979).
Born September 17th, 1903 in Pittsburgh.
Died March 1st, 1979 at 75 years old in Fallbrook (pulmonary emphysema).
Giuseppe Meazza
Italian association football player and manager (1910-1979).
Born August 23rd, 1910 in Milan.
Died August 21st, 1979 at 68 years old in Rapallo.
Reinhard Gehlen
German general, nazi, spy (1902-1979).
Born April 3rd, 1902 in Erfurt.
Died June 8th, 1979 at 77 years old in Berg.
Judee Sill
American singer (1944–1979).
Born October 7th, 1944 in Studio City.
Died November 23rd, 1979 at 35 years old in North Hollywood (drug overdose).
Laurie Bird
American actress, photographer (1953–1979).
Born September 26th, 1953 in Glen Cove.
Died June 15th, 1979 at 25 years old in Manhattan (drug overdose).
Jean Rhys
British novelist (1890–1979).
Born August 24th, 1890 in Roseau.
Died May 14th, 1979 at 88 years old in Exeter. [ref]
Nadia Boulanger
French musician, conductor, and teacher (1887-1979).
Born September 16th, 1887 in 9th arrondissement of Paris.
Died October 22nd, 1979 at 92 years old in 9th arrondissement of Paris.
Arthur Hunnicutt
Actor (1910-1979).
Born February 17th, 1910 in Gravelly.
Died September 26th, 1979 at 69 years old in Woodland Hills (cancer, lip and oral cavity carcinoma).
Barnes Wallis
English scientist, engineer and inventor (1887-1979).
Born September 26th, 1887 in Ripley.
Died October 30th, 1979 at 92 years old in Leatherhead.
Jacques Mesrine
French criminal (1936–1979).
Born December 28th, 1936 in Clichy.
Died November 2nd, 1979 at 42 years old in 18th arrondissement of Paris (gunshot wound).
Nur Muhammad Taraki
1st general secretary of the people's democratic party of afghanistan.
Born July 15th, 1917 in Nawa District.
Died October 9th, 1979 at 62 years old in Kabul (murder, asphyxia).
Al Capp
Cartoonist (1909-1979).
Born September 28th, 1909 in New Haven.
Died November 5th, 1979 at 70 years old in Cambridge (pulmonary emphysema).
Deaths 51 to 75 of 608
Death is nothing, but to live defeated is to die every day. Napoleon Bonaparte