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August 17th
215 Notable deaths
Delmer Daves
American film director, producer, and screenwriter (1904–1977).
Born July 24th, 1904 in San Francisco.
Died August 17th, 1977 at 73 years old in La Jolla.
Frank Kermode
Manx writer, literary critic and professor (1919–2010).
Born November 29th, 1919 in Isle of Man.
Died August 17th, 2010 at 90 years old in Cambridge. [ref]
Carlos Drummond de Andrade
Brazilian poet, chronicler, and writer (1902–1987).
Born October 31st, 1902 in Itabira.
Died August 17th, 1987 at 84 years old in Rio de Janeiro.
Wage Rudolf Soepratman
Indonesian composer and songwriter.
Born March 9th, 1903 in Jakarta. [ref]
Died August 17th, 1938 at 35 years old in Surabaya.
Arsen Dedić
Croatian singer-songwriter, composer and poet (1938–2015).
Born July 28th, 1938 in Šibenik.
Died August 17th, 2015 at 77 years old in Zagreb.
Mariama Bâ
Senegalese writer (1929–1981).
Born April 17th, 1929 in Dakar. [ref]
Died August 17th, 1981 at 52 years old in Dakar (cancer). [ref]
Hans Gude
Norwegian painter (1825–1903).
Born March 13th, 1825 in Christiania.
Died August 17th, 1903 at 78 years old in Berlin.
David Ostrosky
Mexican actor (1956-2023).
Born September 13th, 1959 in Mexico City. [ref]
Died August 17th, 2023 at 63 years old in Mexico City. [ref]
Moufdi Zakaria
Algerian poet (1908–1977).
Born June 12th, 1908 in Ghardaia.
Died August 17th, 1977 at 69 years old in Tunis.
Eve Miller
American actress (1923-1973).
Born August 8th, 1923 in Los Angeles.
Died August 17th, 1973 at 50 years old in Van Nuys.
Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke
Painter and prince of sweden (1865-1947).
Born August 1st, 1865 in Drottningholm Palace.
Died August 17th, 1947 at 82 years old in Hedvig Eleonora parish.
Shamsur Rahman
Bangladeshi poet, writer, journalist (1929–2006).
Born October 23rd, 1929 in Dhaka.
Died August 17th, 2006 at 76 years old in Dhaka (kidney failure). [ref]
Luigi Chinetti
Racecar driver (1901–1994).
Born July 17th, 1901 in Jerago con Orago.
Died August 17th, 1994 at 93 years old in Greenwich.
Edwin Morgan
Scottish poet and translator (1920-2010).
Born April 27th, 1920 in Glasgow.
Died August 17th, 2010 at 90 years old in Glasgow (pneumonia). [ref]
David Landes
American economic historian (1924-2013).
Born April 29th, 1924 in New York City.
Died August 17th, 2013 at 89 years old in Haverford.
Shizuo Kakutani
Japanese mathematician (1911–2004).
Born August 28th, 1911 in Osaka.
Died August 17th, 2004 at 92 years old in New Haven.
Gao Gang
Chinese politician (1905-1954).
Born October 25th, 1905 in Hengshan District.
Died August 17th, 1954 at 48 years old in Beijing (intoxication).
David McReynolds
American activist (1929-2018).
Born October 25th, 1929 in Los Angeles.
Died August 17th, 2018 at 88 years old in New York City (falling from height).
Karol J. Bobko
American astronaut (1937–2023).
Born December 23rd, 1937 in Brooklyn.
Died August 17th, 2023 at 85 years old in Half Moon Bay. [ref]
John W. Kern
American politician (1849–1917).
Born December 20th, 1849 in Alto.
Died August 17th, 1917 at 67 years old in Asheville.
Camille Bulcke
Jesuit missionary (1909–1982).
Born September 1st, 1909 in Ramskapelle.
Died August 17th, 1982 at 72 years old in New Delhi.
Billy Fiske
American bobsledder and pilot (1911-1940).
Born June 4th, 1911 in Brooklyn.
Died August 17th, 1940 at 29 years old in Chichester.
Helen Singer Kaplan
Austrian-american psychiatrist and sex therapist.
Born February 6th, 1929 in Vienna.
Died August 17th, 1995 at 66 years old in New York City (cancer).
Gualtiero Jacopetti
Italian film director (1919–2011).
Born September 4th, 1919 in Barga.
Died August 17th, 2011 at 91 years old in Rome. [ref]
Maurice Dobb
British economist (1900-1976).
Born July 24th, 1900 in London.
Died August 17th, 1976 at 76 years old in Cambridge.
Deaths 51 to 75 of 215
Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves. Rabindranath Tagore