In the year 1981
583 Notable deaths
Bob Marley
Jamaican reggae musician (1945–1981).
Born February 6th, 1945 in Nine Mile. [ref]
Died May 11th, 1981 at 36 years old in Jackson Memorial Hospital (melanoma, brain cancer, lung cancer). [ref]
Natalie Wood
American actress (1938-1981).
Born July 20th, 1938 in San Francisco.
Died November 29th, 1981 at 43 years old in Santa Catalina Island (drowning). [ref]
Savitri
Indian actress (1935–1981).
Born December 6th, 1935 in Guntur district.
Died December 26th, 1981 at 46 years old in Chennai (drug overdose).
William Holden
American actor (1918–1981).
Born April 17th, 1918 in O'Fallon.
Died November 16th, 1981 at 63 years old in Santa Monica (exsanguination).
Albert Speer
German nazi architect, government minister of armaments and war production for nazi germany and convicted nazi war criminal (1905–1981).
Born March 19th, 1905 in Mannheim.
Died September 1st, 1981 at 76 years old in London.
Joe Louis
American boxer (1914-1981).
Born May 13th, 1914 in LaFayette.
Died April 12th, 1981 at 66 years old in Las Vegas (myocardial infarction).
Vera-Ellen
Actress, singer, dancer (1921-1981).
Born February 16th, 1921 in Norwood.
Died August 30th, 1981 at 60 years old in Los Angeles (cancer).
Nargis
Indian actress (1929-1981).
Born June 1st, 1929 in Kolkata.
Died May 3rd, 1981 at 51 years old in Mumbai (pancreatic cancer).
Terry Fox
Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist.
Born July 28th, 1958 in Winnipeg, Hamilton.
Died June 28th, 1981 at 22 years old in New Westminster (osteosarcoma).
Anwar Sadat
President of egypt from 1970 to 1981.
Born December 25th, 1918 in Mit Abu al-Kum. [ref]
Died October 6th, 1981 at 62 years old in Cairo (firearm). [ref]
Gloria Grahame
American actress (1923–1981).
Born November 28th, 1923 in Los Angeles.
Died October 5th, 1981 at 57 years old in New York City (breast cancer).
Allen Ludden
American television personality, actor, emcee and game show host (1917-1981).
Born October 5th, 1917 in Mineral Point.
Died June 9th, 1981 at 63 years old in Los Angeles (stomach cancer).
Moshe Dayan
Israeli military leader and politician (1915–1981).
Born May 20th, 1915 in Degania Alef. [ref]
Died October 16th, 1981 at 66 years old in Tel Aviv (cancer, myocardial infarction, colorectal cancer). [ref]
Omar Bradley
United states army general (1893–1981).
Born February 12th, 1893 in Moberly.
Died April 8th, 1981 at 88 years old in New York City.
Bobby Sands
Activist of the provisional irish republican army (1954-1981).
Born March 9th, 1954 in Belfast, Rathcoole. [ref]
Died May 5th, 1981 at 27 years old in HM Prison Maze (starvation). [ref]
Fred Trump Jr.
American airplane pilot; elder brother of donald trump.
Born October 14th, 1938 in Queens. [ref]
Died September 26th, 1981 at 42 years old in Jamaica (myocardial infarction, alcoholism). [ref]
Robert Moses
American urban planner (1888–1981).
Born December 18th, 1888 in New Haven.
Died July 29th, 1981 at 92 years old in West Islip (heart disease).
Harry Chapin
American singer-songwriter (1942–1981).
Born December 7th, 1942 in Brooklyn.
Died July 16th, 1981 at 38 years old in New York City (traffic collision).
Alan Lascelles
British army officer and courtier (1887–1981).
Born April 11th, 1887 in Sutton Waldron.
Died August 10th, 1981 at 94 years old in Kensington Palace.
Jack Albertson
American character actor.
Born June 16th, 1907 in Malden. [ref]
Died November 25th, 1981 at 74 years old in Hollywood (colorectal cancer).
Richard Boone
American actor.
Born June 18th, 1917 in Los Angeles.
Died January 10th, 1981 at 63 years old in St. Augustine (pneumonia, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer).
Jacques Lacan
French psychoanalyst and writer (1901–1981).
Born April 13th, 1901 in 3rd arrondissement of Paris.
Died September 9th, 1981 at 80 years old in 6th arrondissement of Paris (colorectal cancer).
Robert Montgomery
American actor (1904–1981).
Born May 21st, 1904 in Beacon. [ref]
Died September 27th, 1981 at 77 years old in New York City (cancer). [ref]
Hoagy Carmichael
American composer, pianist, singer, actor and bandleader (1899–1981).
Born November 22nd, 1899 in Bloomington.
Died December 27th, 1981 at 82 years old in Rancho Mirage (heart failure).
Bill Shankly
Scottish footballer and manager (1913-1981).
Born September 2nd, 1913 in Glenbuck.
Died September 29th, 1981 at 68 years old in Liverpool (myocardial infarction).
Deaths 1 to 25 of 583
Life is like a very short visit to a toy shop between birth and death. Desmond Morris