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In the year 1997
664 Notable deaths
Mobutu Sese Seko
Congolese politician and military officer, the first and only president of zaire from 1971 to 1997 (1930 – 1997).
Born October 14th, 1930 in Lisala.
Died September 7th, 1997 at 66 years old in Rabat (prostate cancer).
Fela Kuti
Nigerian musician and activist (1938–1997).
Born October 15th, 1938 in Abeokuta.
Died August 2nd, 1997 at 58 years old in Lagos (death from AIDS-related complications).
Townes Van Zandt
American singer-songwriter.
Born March 7th, 1944 in Fort Worth.
Died January 1st, 1997 at 52 years old in Nashville (myocardial infarction).
Viktor Frankl
Austrian holocaust survivor, psychiatrist, philosopher and author (1905–1997).
Born March 26th, 1905 in Vienna.
Died September 2nd, 1997 at 92 years old in Vienna.
Joanna Moore
American actress (1934-1997).
Born November 10th, 1934 in Parrott. [ref]
Died November 22nd, 1997 at 63 years old in Indian Wells (lung cancer). [ref]
Betty Shabazz
American educator and civil rights advocate.
Born May 28th, 1935 in Pinehurst.
Died June 23rd, 1997 at 62 years old in The Bronx (burn).
Red Skelton
American comedian (1913–1997).
Born July 18th, 1913 in Vincennes. [ref]
Died September 17th, 1997 at 84 years old in Rancho Mirage (pneumonia). [ref]
Marshall Applewhite
American cult leader.
Died March 26th, 1997 at 65 years old in Rancho Santa Fe (intoxication).
Fritz Von Erich
American professional wrestler (1929-1997).
Born August 16th, 1929 in Jewett.
Died September 10th, 1997 at 68 years old in Denton (lung cancer, brain cancer).
Roy Lichtenstein
American pop artist (1923–1997).
Born October 27th, 1923 in Manhattan.
Died September 29th, 1997 at 73 years old in Manhattan (pneumonia).
Brian Pillman
American professional wrestler and football player (1962-1997).
Born May 22nd, 1962 in Cincinnati.
Died October 5th, 1997 at 35 years old in Bloomington (coronary artery disease).
Toshirō Mifune
Japanese actor (1920–1997).
Born April 1st, 1920 in Qingdao.
Died December 24th, 1997 at 77 years old in Mitaka (multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, pancreatic cancer).
Denver Pyle
American actor (1920-1997).
Born May 11th, 1920 in Kit Carson County.
Died December 25th, 1997 at 77 years old in Burbank (lung cancer).
Magda Gabor
Hungarian-american socialite and television personality.
Born June 11th, 1915 in Budapest.
Died June 6th, 1997 at 81 years old in Palm Springs (kidney failure).
Laura Nyro
American singer and songwriter (1947–1997).
Born October 18th, 1947 in The Bronx.
Died April 8th, 1997 at 49 years old in Danbury (ovarian cancer).
Ben Hogan
American golfer.
Born August 13th, 1912 in Dublin.
Died July 25th, 1997 at 84 years old in Fort Worth.
Barry Evans
British actor (1943-1997).
Born June 18th, 1943 in Guildford.
Died February 11th, 1997 at 53 years old in Claybrooke Magna.
Nicolette Larson
American singer.
Born July 17th, 1952 in Helena.
Died December 16th, 1997 at 45 years old in Los Angeles (edema). [ref]
Brian Connolly
Scottish singer-songwriter (1945–1997).
Born October 5th, 1945 in Hamilton.
Died February 9th, 1997 at 51 years old in Slough (disease). [ref]
Paulo Freire
Brazilian educator and philosopher (1921–1997).
Born October 19th, 1921 in Recife.
Died May 2nd, 1997 at 75 years old in São Paulo.
Lillian Disney
American artist and philanthropist (1899–1997).
Born February 15th, 1899 in Spalding.
Died December 16th, 1997 at 98 years old in West Los Angeles (stroke).
Anatoli Boukreev
Russian mountain climber (1958-1997).
Born January 16th, 1958 in Korkino.
Died December 25th, 1997 at 39 years old in Annapurna (avalanche).
William Hickey
American actor (1927–1997).
Born September 19th, 1928 in Brooklyn.
Died June 29th, 1997 at 68 years old in New York City (pulmonary emphysema).
James Goldsmith
French-british tycoon and politician (1933–1997).
Born February 26th, 1933 in 16th arrondissement of Paris.
Died August 18th, 1997 at 64 years old in Benahavís (pancreatic cancer). [ref]
Audra Lindley
American actress (1918-1997).
Born September 24th, 1918 in Los Angeles.
Died October 16th, 1997 at 79 years old in Los Angeles (leukemia).
Deaths 26 to 50 of 664
The harder the pain, the longer the path to recovery, the better the opportunity to learn. Maxime Lagacé