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In the year 1981
628 Notable deaths
Isao Kimura
Japanese actor (1923-1981).
Born June 22nd, 1923 in Naka-ku.
Died July 4th, 1981 at 58 years old in Tokyo (esophageal cancer).
Robert Russell Bennett
American composer, arranger (1894-1981).
Born June 15th, 1894 in Kansas City.
Died August 18th, 1981 at 87 years old in New York City (liver cancer).
Cozy Cole
American musician (1909–1981).
Born October 17th, 1909 in East Orange.
Died January 29th, 1981 at 71 years old in Columbus (cancer).
Carl Ludwig Siegel
German mathematician (1896-1981).
Born December 31st, 1896 in Berlin.
Died April 4th, 1981 at 84 years old in Göttingen.
Keefe Brasselle
American actor, producer (1923-1981).
Born February 7th, 1923 in Elyria.
Died July 7th, 1981 at 58 years old in Downey (liver disease).
Harvey Fletcher
American physicist (1884-1981).
Born September 11th, 1884 in Provo.
Died July 23rd, 1981 at 96 years old in Provo.
Alexander Kotov
Soviet chess player (1913–1981).
Born August 12th, 1913 in Tula.
Died January 8th, 1981 at 67 years old in Moscow.
Tiny Thompson
Canadian ice hockey goaltender: first goaltender to stop the puck by catching it (1903-1981).
Born May 31st, 1903 in Sandon.
Died February 9th, 1981 at 77 years old in Calgary.
Armando Bó
Argentine actor, director and screenwriter (1914–1981).
Born May 3rd, 1914 in Buenos Aires.
Died October 8th, 1981 at 67 years old in Buenos Aires (brain cancer).
Herman Wirth
Dutch-german pseudohistian (1885-1981).
Born May 6th, 1885 in Utrecht.
Died February 16th, 1981 at 95 years old in Kusel.
Evalyn Knapp
Actress (1906–1981).
Born June 17th, 1906 in Kansas City.
Died June 12th, 1981 at 74 years old in Los Angeles (disease).
Roman Rudenko
Soviet lawyer (1907-1981).
Born August 7th, 1907 in Nosivka. [ref]
Died January 23rd, 1981 at 73 years old in Moscow.
Erwin Schulz
German nazi ss general and holocaust perpetrator (1900–1981).
Born November 27th, 1900 in Berlin. [ref]
Died November 11th, 1981 at 80 years old in Bremen.
Walter Charles Langer
American psychoanalyst (1899-1981).
Born February 5th, 1899 in Boston.
Died July 4th, 1981 at 82 years old in Sarasota.
Hugo Friedhofer
American composer (1901-1981).
Born May 3rd, 1901 in San Francisco.
Died May 17th, 1981 at 80 years old in Los Angeles.
Ruby Payne-Scott
Australian radio astronomer (1912-1981).
Born May 28th, 1912 in Grafton.
Died May 25th, 1981 at 68 years old in Mortdale.
Kevin Lynch
Irish hunger striker (1956-1981).
Born May 25th, 1956 in Park. [ref]
Died August 1st, 1981 at 25 years old in HM Prison Maze (starvation).
Hephzibah Menuhin
American musician (1920–1981).
Born May 20th, 1920 in San Francisco.
Died January 1st, 1981 at 60 years old in London.
Taras Bulba-Borovets
Ukrainian resistance leader (1908–1981).
Born March 9th, 1908 in Bistrichi.
Died May 15th, 1981 at 73 years old in New York City.
Eleonore Baur
Nazi official (1885-1981); rusha affiant.
Born September 7th, 1885 in Bad Aibling, Heufeld. [ref]
Died May 18th, 1981 at 95 years old in Oberhaching.
Paul Green
American playwright (1894–1981).
Born March 17th, 1894 in Lillington.
Died May 4th, 1981 at 87 years old in Chapel Hill.
Gregory Breit
American physicist (1899–1981).
Born July 13th, 1899 in Mykolaiv.
Died September 11th, 1981 at 82 years old in Salem.
Walter Heitler
Physicist (1904-1981).
Born January 2nd, 1904 in Karlsruhe, Karlstadt am Main.
Died November 15th, 1981 at 77 years old in Zurich.
Helen Humes
American jazz and blues singer (1913–1981).
Born June 23rd, 1913 in Louisville.
Died September 9th, 1981 at 68 years old in Santa Monica (cancer).
Angelo Moratti
Italian oil tycoon. (1909–1981).
Born November 5th, 1909 in Somma Lombardo.
Died August 12th, 1981 at 71 years old in Viareggio.
Deaths 226 to 250 of 628
Anything I’ve done that was ultimately worthwhile initially scared me to death. Betty Bender