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December 20th

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228 Notable deaths

Léopold Sédar Senghor

First president of senegal, poet, and cultural theorist (1906–2001).

Born October 9th, 1906 in Joal-Fadiouth. [ref]

Died December 20th, 2001 at 95 years old in France, Verson. [ref]

Luis Carrero Blanco

Spanish admiral and politician.

Born March 4th, 1904 in Santoña.

Died December 20th, 1973 at 69 years old in Fourth professed house in Madrid (car bombing). [ref]

Junior Johnson

American racecar driver (1931–2019).

Born June 28th, 1931 in Ronda.

Died December 20th, 2019 at 88 years old in Charlotte (Alzheimer's disease). [ref]

Arnold Stang

American actor (1918–2009).

Born September 28th, 1925 in New York City. [ref]

Died December 20th, 2009 at 84 years old in Newton (pneumonia). [ref]

Michèle Morgan

French actress (1920-2016).

Born February 29th, 1920 in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Died December 20th, 2016 at 96 years old in Neuilly-sur-Seine. [ref]

Torben Ulrich

Danish tennis player, jazz musician, filmmaker and writer (1928–2023).

Born October 4th, 1928 in Frederiksberg.

Died December 20th, 2023 at 95 years old [ref]

Princess Alexandrine of Baden

Duchess of saxe-coburg and gotha.

Born December 6th, 1820 in Karlsruhe.

Died December 20th, 1904 at 84 years old in Coburg, Callenberg Castle.

Robert Mulligan

American director (1925-2008).

Born August 23rd, 1925 in New York City.

Died December 20th, 2008 at 83 years old in Lyme (heart failure). [ref]

Moss Hart

American playwright, librettist, and theatre director (1904-1961).

Born October 24th, 1904 in New York City.

Died December 20th, 1961 at 57 years old in Palm Springs (myocardial infarction).

C. Aubrey Smith

British actor (1863-1948).

Born July 21st, 1863 in London.

Died December 20th, 1948 at 85 years old in Beverly Hills (pneumonia).

Hans Langsdorff

Recipient of the iron cross (1894–1939).

Born March 20th, 1894 in Bergen auf Rügen.

Died December 20th, 1939 at 45 years old in Buenos Aires (gunshot wound).

Fritz Pfeffer

German physician (1889–1944).

Born April 30th, 1889 in Giessen. [ref]

Died December 20th, 1944 at 55 years old in Neuengamme concentration camp.

Jūzō Itami

Japanese actor, film director (1933–1997).

Born May 5th, 1933 in Ukyō Ward, Kyoto.

Died December 20th, 1997 at 64 years old in Tokyo, Minato (falling).

Hussein-Ali Montazeri

Cleric and deputy supreme leader of iran from 1985 to 1989.

Born September 22nd, 1922 in Najafabad.

Died December 20th, 2009 at 87 years old in Qom (cardiovascular disease).

James Hilton

British novelist and screenwriter (1900–1954).

Born September 9th, 1900 in Lancashire.

Died December 20th, 1954 at 54 years old in Long Beach (hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cancer).

Upendra Kishore Ray Choudhury

Bengali artist (1863-1915).

Born May 10th, 1863 in Mymensingh District.

Died December 20th, 1915 at 52 years old in Giridih.

Fazle Hasan Abed

Bangladeshi social worker and the founder of brac.

Born April 27th, 1936 in Baniachang Upazila.

Died December 20th, 2019 at 83 years old in Dhaka (brain cancer). [ref]

Benigno Aquino, Sr.

Speaker of the house of representatives of the philippines from 1943 to 1944.

Born September 3rd, 1894 in Concepcion.

Died December 20th, 1947 at 53 years old in Rizal Memorial Coliseum (myocardial infarction).

Irene Hervey

American actress (1909-1998).

Born July 11th, 1909 in Venice.

Died December 20th, 1998 at 89 years old in Woodland Hills (heart failure).

Émile Loubet

8th president of france (1838–1929).

Born December 31st, 1838 in Marsanne. [ref]

Died December 20th, 1929 at 90 years old in Montélimar. [ref]

William Lundigan

Actor (1914-1975).

Born June 12th, 1914 in Syracuse.

Died December 20th, 1975 at 61 years old in Duarte (disease).

Dmitriy Ustinov

Soviet military commander and politician (1908-1984).

Born October 30th, 1908 in Samara.

Died December 20th, 1984 at 76 years old in Moscow (myocardial infarction).

George Eastham

English association football player and manager (1936-2024).

Born September 23rd, 1936 in Blackpool.

Died December 20th, 2024 at 88 years old in London. [ref]

Emil Artin

Austrian-armenian mathematician (1898–1962).

Born March 3rd, 1898 in Vienna.

Died December 20th, 1962 at 64 years old in Hamburg (myocardial infarction).

Earle Page

Australian politician, 11th prime minister of australia (1880-1961).

Born August 8th, 1880 in Grafton.

Died December 20th, 1961 at 81 years old in Sydney (lung cancer).

Deaths 26 to 50 of 228

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Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride! Hunter S. Thompson