In the year 1981
583 Notable deaths
Claud Cockburn
British journalist (1904-1981).
Born April 12th, 1904 in Beijing.
Died December 15th, 1981 at 77 years old in Cork.
Eric Williams
First prime minister of trinidad and tobago (1911–1981).
Born September 25th, 1911 in Trinidad. [ref]
Died March 29th, 1981 at 69 years old in Port of Spain (cancer). [ref]
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Welsh-english christian theologian and preacher (1899-1981).
Born December 20th, 1899 in Cardiff.
Died March 1st, 1981 at 81 years old in Ealing.
Mary Lou Williams
American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer.
Born May 8th, 1910 in Atlanta. [ref]
Died May 28th, 1981 at 71 years old in Durham (bladder cancer). [ref]
Ann Harding
American actress (1902-1981).
Born August 7th, 1902 in Fort Sam Houston.
Died September 1st, 1981 at 79 years old in Sherman Oaks.
Yip Harburg
American lyricist (1896–1981).
Born April 8th, 1896 in Lower East Side.
Died March 5th, 1981 at 84 years old in Hollywood (myocardial infarction).
Margaret Lindsay
American actress (1910-1981).
Born September 19th, 1910 in Dubuque.
Died May 9th, 1981 at 70 years old in Los Angeles (pulmonary emphysema).
Durgabai Deshmukh
Indian freedom fighter, politician, and social worker.
Born July 15th, 1909 in Rajahmundry.
Died May 9th, 1981 at 71 years old in Narasannapeta.
Valeri Kharlamov
Soviet ice hockey player (1948–1981).
Born January 14th, 1948 in Moscow. [ref]
Died August 27th, 1981 at 33 years old in Solnechnogorsky District (traffic collision). [ref]
Georges Brassens
French singer-songwriter and poet (1921–1981).
Born October 22nd, 1921 in Sète.
Died October 29th, 1981 at 60 years old in Saint-Gély-du-Fesc (cancer).
Nelson Algren
American novelist, short story writer (1909-1981).
Born March 28th, 1909 in Detroit.
Died May 9th, 1981 at 72 years old in New York City.
Hamka
Indonesian minangkabau journalist and activist (1908–1981).
Born February 17th, 1908 in Agam. [ref]
Died July 24th, 1981 at 73 years old in Jakarta. [ref]
George Jessel
American actor, singer, songwriter, film producer (1898-1981).
Born April 3rd, 1898 in The Bronx.
Died May 24th, 1981 at 83 years old in Los Angeles (myocardial infarction).
Lobsang Rampa
English writer (1910-1981).
Born April 8th, 1910 in Plympton.
Died January 25th, 1981 at 70 years old in Calgary.
Sam Bartram
English footballer (1914–1981).
Born January 22nd, 1914 in Jarrow. [ref]
Died July 17th, 1981 at 67 years old in Harpenden.
Frank de Kova
Actor (1910-1981).
Born March 17th, 1910 in New York City.
Died October 15th, 1981 at 71 years old in North Hills (heart failure).
Lowell Thomas
American journalist, news analyst and businessman (1892–1981).
Born April 6th, 1892 in Woodington.
Died August 29th, 1981 at 89 years old in Pawling.
Béla Guttmann
Hungarian football player and manager (1899–1981).
Born March 13th, 1900 in Budapest.
Died August 28th, 1981 at 81 years old in Vienna.
Jessie Matthews
English actress, singer and dancer (1907–1981).
Born March 11th, 1907 in Soho.
Died August 19th, 1981 at 74 years old in Eastcote (cancer).
Nigel Patrick
British actor and director.
Born May 2nd, 1913 in Clapham. [ref]
Died September 21st, 1981 at 68 years old in London (lung cancer).
Harry Warren
American composer and lyricist (1893–1981).
Born December 24th, 1893 in Brooklyn.
Died September 22nd, 1981 at 87 years old in Los Angeles.
Harold Urey
American physical chemist.
Born April 29th, 1893 in Walkerton. [ref]
Died January 5th, 1981 at 87 years old in La Jolla. [ref]
Frank McHugh
American actor (1898-1981).
Born May 23rd, 1898 in Homestead. [ref]
Died September 11th, 1981 at 83 years old in Greenwich. [ref]
Bosley Crowther
American film critic.
Born July 13th, 1905 in Lutherville. [ref]
Died March 7th, 1981 at 75 years old in Mount Kisco (heart failure). [ref]
Anita Loos
American screenwriter, playwright, author, actress and television producer.
Born April 26th, 1889 in Mount Shasta. [ref]
Died August 18th, 1981 at 92 years old in New York City (myocardial infarction). [ref]
Deaths 76 to 100 of 583
Die happily and look forward to taking up a new and better form. Like the sun, only when you set in the west can you rise in the east. Rumi