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 1981
583 Notable deaths
Torin Thatcher
British actor (1905–1981).
Born January 15th, 1905 in Mumbai.
Died March 4th, 1981 at 76 years old in Thousand Oaks (cancer).
Hideki Yukawa
Japanese theoretical physicist (1907-1981).
Born January 23rd, 1907 in Azabu.
Died September 8th, 1981 at 74 years old in Kyoto.
Kazuo Taoka
Japanese mob boss (1913–1981).
Born March 28th, 1913 in Sanshō.
Died July 23rd, 1981 at 68 years old in Kansai Rosai Hospital (myocardial infarction).
Jack Northrop
American aircraft industrialist and designer, founder of northrop corporation (1895–1981).
Born November 10th, 1895 in Newark.
Died February 18th, 1981 at 85 years old in Glendale.
Benjamin Sheares
2nd president of singapore (1907-1981).
Born August 12th, 1907 in Singapore.
Died May 12th, 1981 at 73 years old in Singapore (disease).
Wally Wood
American comic strip cartoonist and illustrator.
Born June 17th, 1927 in Menahga. [ref]
Died November 3rd, 1981 at 54 years old in Los Angeles (ballistic trauma). [ref]
Rómulo Betancourt
President of venezuela (1908-1981).
Born February 22nd, 1908 in Guatire.
Died September 28th, 1981 at 73 years old in New York City (cerebral hemorrhage).
Max Euwe
Dutch chess player and mathematician.
Born May 20th, 1901 in Amsterdam. [ref]
Died November 26th, 1981 at 80 years old in Amsterdam (myocardial infarction). [ref]
Ann Lowe
African american fashion designer (1898–1981).
Born December 14th, 1898 in Clayton.
Died February 25th, 1981 at 82 years old in Queens. [ref]
J. Posadas
Argentine trotskyist (1912-1981).
Born January 20th, 1912 in Argentina.
Died May 14th, 1981 at 69 years old in Rome.
Zarah Leander
Swedish actress and singer (1907–1981).
Born March 15th, 1907 in Karlstad church parish. [ref]
Died June 23rd, 1981 at 74 years old in Oscar Parish (stroke).
Jerzy Neyman
Polish statistician (1894-1981).
Born April 16th, 1894 in Bender.
Died August 5th, 1981 at 87 years old in Oakland.
Harry Bloom
South african journalist, novelist, and lecturer (1913–1981).
Born January 1st, 1913 in Johannesburg.
Died July 28th, 1981 at 68 years old in Canterbury.
Stymie Beard
American actor (1925-1981).
Born January 1st, 1925 in Los Angeles.
Died January 8th, 1981 at 56 years old in Los Angeles (stroke, pneumonia).
Leo Kanner
American physician and psychiatrist (1894-1981).
Born June 13th, 1894 in Klekotiv.
Died April 3rd, 1981 at 86 years old in Sykesville. [ref]
Peace Pilgrim
American non-denominational spiritual teacher.
Born July 18th, 1908 in Egg Harbor City.
Died July 7th, 1981 at 72 years old in Knox (traffic collision).
Victor Kugler
Austrian righteous among the nations.
Born June 5th, 1900 in Vrchlabí. [ref]
Died December 31st, 1981 at 81 years old in Toronto. [ref]
Jiří Voskovec
Czech theater manager, playwright, actor, humorist, comedian, publicist, translator, director, scriptwriter, writer, lyricist and singer.
Born June 19th, 1905 in Sázava. [ref]
Died July 1st, 1981 at 76 years old in Pearblossom (cardiovascular disease). [ref]
Kit Lambert
British record producer, record label owner, and the manager of the who.
Born May 11th, 1935 in Knightsbridge.
Died April 7th, 1981 at 45 years old in London (fall).
Stanley Rother
American priest, martyr and blessed (1935–1981).
Born March 27th, 1935 in Okarche.
Died July 28th, 1981 at 46 years old in Santiago Atitlán.
Fredric Wertham
German-american psychiatrist (1895-1981).
Born March 20th, 1895 in Nuremberg.
Died November 18th, 1981 at 86 years old in Pennsylvania.
Lydia Lopokova
Russian ballet dancer (1892–1981).
Born October 21st, 1892 in Saint Petersburg.
Died June 8th, 1981 at 88 years old in East Sussex.
William F. Dean
United states army medal of honor recipient.
Born August 1st, 1899 in Carlyle.
Died August 24th, 1981 at 82 years old in San Francisco.
David Garnett
British writer and publisher (1892-1981).
Born March 9th, 1892 in Brighton.
Died February 17th, 1981 at 88 years old in Montcuq.
J. L. Mackie
Australian philosopher (1917-1981).
Born August 25th, 1917 in Sydney. [ref]
Died December 12th, 1981 at 64 years old in Oxford. [ref]
Deaths 101 to 125 of 583
Losing your life is not the worst thing that can happen. The worst thing is to lose your reason for living. Jo Nesbø