Did you know
Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, particularly in the Spanish language, he was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Notable Deaths on April 17
2014 — Gabriel García Márquez
Colombian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1927)
April 17 has 103 recorded notable deaths across history, from 485 to 2022. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
103 source records
485 – 2022
Today in history
Major events on April 17
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1895 The Treaty of Shimonoseki between China and Japan is signed. This marks the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, and the defeated Qing Empire is forced to renounce its claims on Korea and to concede the southern portion of the Fengtian province, Taiwan and the Penghu to Japan. Source
- 2014 NASA's Kepler space telescope confirms the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star. Source
- 2003 Anneli Jäätteenmäki takes office as the first female prime minister of Finland. Source
- 1998 Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-90, the final Spacelab mission. Source
Did you know
Barbara Bush was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, as the wife of George H.
Did you know
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian academic, philosopher and statesman who served as the Vice President of India from 1952 to 1962 and President of India from 1962 to 1967.
Did you know
Chaim Herzog was an Irish-Israeli politician, military officer, lawyer and author who served as President of Israel from 1983 to 1993.
Did you know
Alan García was the second leader of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), and its only member to serve as president.
More major people who died on April 17
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
2018
Barbara Bush
American political matriarch and literacy advocate, First Lady of the United States (1989–1993), and Second Lady of the United States (1981–1989) (born 1925)
Barbara Bush was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, as the wife of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States.
1975
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Indian philosopher and politician, 2nd President of India (born 1888)
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian academic, philosopher and statesman who served as the Vice President of India from 1952 to 1962 and President of India from 1962 to 1967.
1997
Chaim Herzog
Israeli general, lawyer, and politician, 6th President of Israel (born 1918)
Chaim Herzog was an Irish-Israeli politician, military officer, lawyer and author who served as President of Israel from 1983 to 1993.
2019
Alan García
Peruvian lawyer and politician, twice President of Peru (born 1949)
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru for two non-consecutive terms, from 1985 to 1990 and from 2006 to 2011.
1990
Ralph Abernathy
American minister and activist (born 1936)
Ralph David Abernathy Sr. was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was ordained in the Baptist tradition in 1948.
1695
Juana Inés de la Cruz
Mexican poet and scholar (born 1651)
Juana Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez de Santillana, better known as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, was a Hieronymite nun and a Novohispanic writer, philosopher, composer and poet of the Baroque period, nicknamed "The Tenth Muse",…
1954
Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu
Romanian lawyer and politician, Romanian Minister of Justice (born 1900)
Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu was a Romanian communist politician and leading member of the Communist Party of Romania (PCR), also noted for his activities as a lawyer, sociologist and economist.
2015
Robert P. Griffin
American soldier, lawyer, and politician (born 1923)
Robert Paul Griffin was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.
2013
V. S. Ramadevi
Indian politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (born 1934)
V. S. Ramadevi was an Indian politician who was the first lady to become the 8th Governor of Karnataka and 9th Chief Election Commissioner of India from 26 November 1990 to 11 December 1990.
1961
Elda Anderson
American physicist and health researcher (born 1899)
Elda Emma Anderson was an American physicist and health researcher.
1921
Manwel Dimech
Maltese journalist, author, and philosopher (born 1860)
Emmanuel Giovanni Salvatore Pietro Dimech, also known as Manwel Dimech was a Maltese socialist, philosopher, journalist, writer, poet and social revolutionary.
1960
Eddie Cochran
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1938)
Edward Ray Cochran was an American rock and roll musician. His songs, such as "Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", "C'mon Everybody" and "Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in the mid-1950s…
1987
Dick Shawn
American actor (born 1923)
Dick Shawn was an American actor and comedian. He played a wide variety of supporting roles and was a prolific character actor.
744
Al-Walid II
Umayyad caliph (born 706)
Al-Walid ibn Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik, commonly known as al-Walid II, was the eleventh Umayyad caliph, ruling from 743 until his assassination in 744. He succeeded his uncle, Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.
2003
John Paul Getty Jr.
American-English philanthropist (born 1932)
Sir John Paul Getty, known widely as John Paul Getty Jr., was a British-American businessman, philanthropist, and book collector. He was the third son of the American-born British oil tycoon J.
485
Proclus
Greek mathematician and philosopher (born 412)
Proclus Lycius, called Proclus the Successor, was a Greek Neoplatonic philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity.
1711
Joseph I
Holy Roman Emperor (born 1678)
Joseph I was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1705 until his death in 1711. He was the eldest son of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor from his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg.
2008
Aimé Césaire
Caribbean-French poet and politician (born 1913)
Aimé Fernand David Césaire was an Afro-Martinican French poet, author, and politician. He was one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature and coined the word "négritude" in French.
1080
Harald III of Denmark (born 1041)
Harald Hen was King of Denmark from 1076 to 1080. Harald III was an illegitimate son of Danish king Sweyn II Estridsson, and contested the crown with some of his brothers.