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December 15th
222 Notable deaths
Harry Kemelman
American writer (1908-1996).
Born November 24th, 1908 in Boston.
Died December 15th, 1996 at 88 years old in Marblehead (kidney failure).
Friedrich Trendelenburg
German surgeon (1844–1924).
Born May 24th, 1844 in Berlin.
Died December 15th, 1924 at 80 years old in Nikolassee (cancer).
Dorothy Abbott
Actress (1920-1968).
Born December 16th, 1920 in Kansas City.
Died December 15th, 1968 at 47 years old in Los Angeles.
Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach
German symbolist artist, founder of naturism (1851-1913).
Born February 21st, 1851 in Hadamar.
Died December 15th, 1913 at 62 years old in Capri (bowel obstruction).
Achmad Soebardjo
Indonesian politician (1896–1978).
Born March 23rd, 1896 in Karawang.
Died December 15th, 1978 at 82 years old in Jakarta (influenza).
Roman Kondratenko
Russian general (1857–1904).
Born October 12th, 1857 in Tbilisi.
Died December 15th, 1904 at 47 years old in Lüshunkou District.
Diane Ellis
American actress (1909–1930).
Born December 20th, 1909 in Los Angeles.
Died December 15th, 1930 at 20 years old in Chennai (infectious disease).
Julián Marías
Spanish philosopher (1914-2005).
Born June 17th, 1914 in Valladolid.
Died December 15th, 2005 at 91 years old in Madrid.
Alexander Galich
Soviet musician and writer (1918–1977).
Born October 19th, 1918 in Dnipro.
Died December 15th, 1977 at 59 years old in Paris (electrocution).
Penaia Ganilau
President of fiji and governor-general of fiji (1918-1993).
Born July 28th, 1918 in Taveuni. [ref]
Died December 15th, 1993 at 75 years old in Washington, D.C. (leukemia).
Calvin S. Brice
U.s. senator from ohio (1845-1898).
Born September 17th, 1845 in Denmark Township. [ref]
Died December 15th, 1898 at 53 years old in New York City (pneumonia).
Ernst Boepple
German nazi bavarian minister of culture, general, convicted war criminal (1887-1950).
Born November 30th, 1887 in Betzingen. [ref]
Died December 15th, 1950 at 63 years old in Kraków (hanging to death). [ref]
Caroline Cellier
French actress (1945-2020).
Born August 7th, 1945 in Montpellier.
Died December 15th, 2020 at 75 years old in 16th arrondissement of Paris. [ref]
George White
Ohio politician (1872-1953).
Born August 21st, 1872 in Elmira.
Died December 15th, 1953 at 81 years old in West Palm Beach.
Fayez al-Tarawneh
Jordanian politician (1949-2021).
Died December 15th, 2021 at 72 years old in Amman (cancer). [ref]
Edward Martyn
Irish nationalist and cultural activist (1859-1923).
Born January 30th, 1859 in County Galway.
Died December 15th, 1923 at 64 years old in County Galway (brain cancer).
Ana María Vela Rubio
Spanish supercentenarian.
Born October 29th, 1901 in Puente Genil.
Died December 15th, 2017 at 116 years old in Barcelona.
Horatio Caro
British chess player (1862–1920).
Born July 5th, 1862 in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Died December 15th, 1920 at 58 years old in London.
Josiah Bailey
American politician (1873–1946).
Born September 14th, 1873 in Warrenton.
Died December 15th, 1946 at 73 years old in Raleigh.
Carl Joachim Hambro
Norwegian politician (1885-1964).
Born January 5th, 1885 in Bergen.
Died December 15th, 1964 at 79 years old in Oslo.
Randall L. Gibson
Confederate army general and u.s. senator (1832-1892).
Born September 10th, 1832 in Versailles. [ref]
Died December 15th, 1892 at 60 years old in Hot Springs. [ref]
Somachandra de Silva
Sri lankan cricketer.
Born June 11th, 1942 in Galle.
Died December 15th, 2025 at 83 years old
James Ingo Freed
American architect (1930–2005).
Born June 23rd, 1930 in Essen. [ref]
Died December 15th, 2005 at 75 years old in Manhattan (Parkinson's disease).
Kjell Grede
Swedish film director and screenwriter (1936–2017).
Born August 12th, 1936 in Stockholm.
Died December 15th, 2017 at 81 years old in Nyköping (pulmonary emphysema). [ref]
Jacques Goddet
French sports journalist (1905–2000).
Born June 21st, 1905 in Paris.
Died December 15th, 2000 at 95 years old in Paris.
Deaths 76 to 100 of 222
Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is just a passing shadow of a cloud. Yann Martel