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
In the year 1981
517 Notable deaths
Dušan Popov
Serbian double agent.
Born July 10th, 1912 in Titel.
Died August 10th, 1981 at 69 years old in Opio.
Mary Lou Williams
American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer.
Born May 8th, 1910 in Atlanta. [ref]
Died May 28th, 1981 at 71 years old in Durham (bladder cancer). [ref]
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Welsh-english christian theologian and preacher (1899-1981).
Born December 20th, 1899 in Cardiff. [ref]
Died March 1st, 1981 at 81 years old in Ealing. [ref]
Ann Harding
American actress (1902-1981).
Born August 7th, 1902 in Fort Sam Houston.
Died September 1st, 1981 at 79 years old in Sherman Oaks.
Valeri Kharlamov
Soviet ice hockey player.
Born January 14th, 1948 in Moscow. [ref]
Died August 27th, 1981 at 33 years old in Solnechnogorsky District (traffic collision). [ref]
Georges Brassens
French singer-songwriter and poet (1921–1981).
Born October 22nd, 1921 in Sète.
Died October 29th, 1981 at 60 years old in Saint-Gély-du-Fesc (cancer).
Roy Wilkins
African american rights activist.
Born August 30th, 1901 in St. Louis. [ref]
Died September 8th, 1981 at 80 years old in New York City.
Durgabai Deshmukh
Indian freedom fighter, politician, and social worker.
Born July 15th, 1909 in Rajahmundry.
Died May 9th, 1981 at 71 years old in Narasannapeta.
Yip Harburg
American lyricist (1896-1981).
Born April 8th, 1896 in Lower East Side. [ref]
Died March 5th, 1981 at 84 years old in Hollywood (myocardial infarction).
Yasuhiko Asaka
Japanese prince (1887-1981).
Born October 20th, 1887 in Kyoto.
Died April 12th, 1981 at 93 years old in Atami.
Deaths 71 to 80 of 517
Do not fear death so much but rather the inadequate life. Bertolt Brecht