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
May 17th
217 Notable deaths
Michael Jan de Goeje
Dutch orientalist (1836–1909).
Born August 13th, 1836 in Dronryp.
Died May 17th, 1909 at 72 years old in Leiden.
Étienne Hirsch
French civil engineer and administrator (1901-1994).
Born January 24th, 1901 in Paris.
Died May 17th, 1994 at 93 years old in Paris.
Zélia Gattai
Brazilian writer.
Born July 2nd, 1916 in São Paulo.
Died May 17th, 2008 at 91 years old in Salvador. [ref]
Péter Palotás
Hungarian footballer (1929–1967).
Born June 27th, 1929 in Budapest District III.
Died May 17th, 1967 at 37 years old in Budapest District XII (heart failure). [ref]
Christian Almer
Swiss mountain guide (1826-1898).
Born March 29th, 1826 in Grindelwald.
Died May 17th, 1898 at 72 years old in Grindelwald.
Anna Pollatou
Greek rhythmic gymnast (1983–2014).
Born October 8th, 1983 in Cephalonia.
Died May 17th, 2014 at 30 years old in Andravida-Kyllini Municipality (traffic collision).
Gündüz Kılıç
Turkish association football player and manager (1918–1980).
Born October 29th, 1918 in Istanbul.
Died May 17th, 1980 at 61 years old in New York City.
Gordon Lowe
English tennis player (1884–1972).
Born June 21st, 1884 in Edgbaston.
Died May 17th, 1972 at 87 years old in London.
Giulia Salzano
Italian saint (1846–1929).
Born October 13th, 1846 in Santa Maria Capua Vetere.
Died May 17th, 1929 at 82 years old in Casoria.
Harold Muller
American sportsman (1901–1962).
Born June 11th, 1901 in Dunsmuir.
Died May 17th, 1962 at 60 years old in Berkeley.
René Fülöp-Miller
Austrian cultural historian and writer (1891–1963).
Born March 17th, 1891 in Caransebeș.
Died May 17th, 1963 at 72 years old in Hanover.
Gideon Ezra
Israeli politician (1937-2012).
Born June 30th, 1937 in Jerusalem. [ref]
Died May 17th, 2012 at 74 years old in Jerusalem (lung cancer). [ref]
Juris Upatnieks
Latvian-american physicist and inventor (born 1936), one of the inventors of the hologram.
Died May 17th, 2026 at 90 years old [ref]
Roberta Marrero
Spanish artist, writer, singer and poet (1972–2024).
Born March 2nd, 1972 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. [ref]
Died May 17th, 2024 at 52 years old in Madrid. [ref]
Aleksandra Kornhauser Frazer
Slovene chemist.
Born September 26th, 1926 in Virmaše.
Died May 17th, 2020 at 93 years old in Ljubljana. [ref]
Otto Hoffmann von Waldau
German general (1898–1943).
Died May 17th, 1943 at 44 years old in Petrich.
Peter Schulz
German politician (1930-2013).
Born April 25th, 1930 in Rostock.
Died May 17th, 2013 at 83 years old in Hamburg.
José Leite de Vasconcelos
Portuguese ethnographer, archaeologist and author (1858–1941).
Born July 7th, 1858 in Freguesia de Ucanha.
Died May 17th, 1941 at 82 years old in Lisbon.
Neville Lederle
Racecar driver.
Born September 25th, 1938 in Theunissen. [ref]
Died May 17th, 2019 at 80 years old in Western Cape. [ref]
Maurice Lehmann
French actor (1895-1974).
Born May 14th, 1895 in 18th arrondissement of Paris.
Died May 17th, 1974 at 79 years old in 16th arrondissement of Paris.
Irène Hamoir
Belgian writer (1906–1994).
Born July 25th, 1906 in Saint-Gilles.
Died May 17th, 1994 at 87 years old in Watermael-Boitsfort.
Eduardo Fabini
Uruguayan composer (1882–1950).
Born May 18th, 1882 in Solís de Mataojo.
Died May 17th, 1950 at 67 years old in Montevideo.
Eddie Southern
American hurdler and sprinter (1938–2023).
Born January 4th, 1938 in Dallas.
Died May 17th, 2023 at 85 years old in Richardson.
Deaths 126 to 150 of 217
Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive – the risk to be alive and express what we really are. Miguel Angel Ruiz