Notable Deaths on April 21

Q: Who died on April 21?

Notable people who died on April 21 include: Emperor Xian of Han, Liuvigild, Odgar, Bardas, Bajkam.

Q: What is Diosdado Macapagal known for?

Diosdado Macapagal, Filipino lawyer and politician, 9th President of the Philippines (born 1910)

1997 — Diosdado Macapagal

Filipino lawyer and politician, 9th President of the Philippines (born 1910)

April 21 has seen 86 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 234 – 2025. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · April 21 — Wikipedia

Notable Deaths 86 people 234 – 2025

Did you know

Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr., also known colloquially as “Apung Dadong”, was the ninth president of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965

Did you know

He served as the 5th vice president from 1957 to 1961 under Carlos P

Did you know

He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970

Did you know

He was the father of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who followed his path as President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010

Did you know

Diosdado Macapagal Sr is one of the few presidents with doctoral degrees, earning a Doctors of Civil Law degree and a PHD in Economics degree from University of Santo Tomas.

Emperor Xian of Han

Chinese emperor (born 181)

Emperor Xian of Han, personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty of China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until his abdication and subsequent end of the…

234

Liuvigild

king of the Visigoths

Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or Leovigildo was a Visigothic king of Hispania and Septimania from 569 to 586. Known for his Codex Revisus or Code of Leovigild, a law allowing equal rights between the Visigothic and…

586

Odgar

Frankish archbishop of Mainz

Otgar, Otger or Odgar is a Germanic masculine given name. It may refer to:Saint Otger, missionary Autchar, Frankish nobleman Otgar of Mainz, archbishop (826–847) Otgar, bishop of Eichstätt (847–880) Hoger, abbot and…

847

Bardas

de facto regent of the Byzantine Empire

Bardas was a Byzantine noble and high-ranking minister. As the brother of Empress Theodora, he rose to high office under Theophilos. Although sidelined after Theophilos's death by Theodora and Theoktistos, in 855 he…

866

Bajkam

de facto regent of the Abbasid Caliphate

Abū al-Husayn Bajkam al-Mākānī, referred to as Bajkam, Badjkam or Bachkam, was a Turkish military commander and official of the Abbasid Caliphate. A former ghulam of the Ziyarid dynasty, Bajkam entered Abbasid service…

941

Pope Alexander II

Pope Alexander II, born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria reform movement.…

1073

Anselm of Canterbury

Italian-English archbishop and saint (born 1033)

Anselm of Canterbury OSB, also known as Anselm of Aosta after his birthplace and Anselm of Bec after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine abbot, philosopher and theologian who served as Archbishop of Canterbury…

1109

Stephen

Count of Tréguier Breton noblemen (born c. 1058/62)

Stephen of Penthièvre, Count of Tréguier, 3rd Lord of Richmond was a Breton noble and a younger son of Odo, Count of Penthièvre and Agnes of Cornouaille, sister of Hoël II, Duke of Brittany. In 1093, he succeeded to…

1136

Peter Abelard

French philosopher and theologian (born 1079)

Peter Abelard was a medieval French scholastic, philosopher, leading logician, theologian, teacher, musician, composer, and poet.

1142

Maria of Montpellier

Lady of Montpellier, Queen of Aragon (born 1182)

Marie of Montpellier was Lady of Montpellier and by her three marriages Viscountess of Marseille, Countess of Comminges and Queen of Aragon.

1213

Frederick IV

Duke of Lorraine (born 1282)

Frederick IV, called the Fighter, was the Duke of Lorraine from 1312 to his death in 1328.

1329

John Wittlebury

English politician (born 1333)

John Wittlebury or Whittlebury was an English Member of Parliament.

1400

Henry VII of England (born 1457)

Henry VII, also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.

1509

Petrus Apianus

German mathematician and astronomer (born 1495)

Petrus Apianus, also known as Peter Apian, Peter Bennewitz, and Peter Bienewitz, was a German humanist, known for his works in mathematics, astronomy and cartography. His work on "cosmography", the field that dealt with…

1557

Cosimo I de' Medici

Grand Duke of Tuscany (born 1519)

Cosimo I de' Medici was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the duchy. He built…

1574

Sen no Rikyū

Japanese exponent of the tea ceremony (born 1522)

Sen no Rikyū , also known simply as Rikyū, was a Japanese tea master considered the most important influence on the Japanese tea ceremony, particularly the tradition of wabi-cha. He was also the first to emphasize…

1591

Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi

Japanese samurai (born 1607)

Yagyū Jūbē Mitsuyoshi was one of the most famous and romanticized of the samurai in Japan's feudal era.

1650

Jan Boeckhorst

Flemish painter (born c. 1604)

Jan Boeckhorst or Johann Bockhorst was a German-born Flemish Baroque painter and draughtsman who worked most of his career in Antwerp. He was a versatile artist who produced history paintings, genre scenes and portraits…

1668

Jean Racine

French playwright and poet (born 1639)

Jean-Baptiste Racine was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille, as well as an important literary figure in the Western tradition and world…

1699

Philippe de La Hire

French mathematician and astronomer (born 1640)

Philippe de La Hire was a French painter, mathematician, astronomer, and architect. According to Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, he was an "academy unto himself".

1719

Antoine Hamilton

Irish-French soldier and author (born 1646)

Anthony Hamilton PC (Ire), also known as Antoine and comte d'Hamilton, was a soldier and a writer. As a Catholic of Irish and Scottish ancestry, his parents brought him to France in 1651 when Cromwell's army overran…

1720

Robert Beverley

Jr., English historian and author (born 1673)

Robert Beverley Jr. was a historian of early colonial Virginia, as well as a planter and politician.

1722

Prince Eugene of Savoy (born 1663)

Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy-Carignano, better known as Prince Eugene, was a distinguished feldmarschall in the Army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th and 18th centuries.…

1736

Thomas Tickell

English poet and author (born 1685)

Thomas Tickell was a minor English poet and man of letters.

1740

Francesco Zerafa

Maltese architect (born 1679)

Francesco "Franco" Zerafa was a Maltese architect and donato to the Religion. In 1714, he succeeded Giovanni Barbara as Capomastro delle Opere della Religione, a post which he held until his death.

1758

Joseph Winston

American soldier and politician (born 1746)

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Winston was an American pioneer, politician and American Revolutionary War hero from Surry County, North Carolina, and the first cousin of statesman and Virginia governor Patrick Henry. He also…

1815

Johann Friedrich Pfaff

German mathematician and academic (born 1765)

Johann Friedrich Pfaff was a German mathematician. He is best known for his work on differential equations and as Carl Friedrich Gauss's doctoral advisor.

1825

Ivan Nabokov

Russian general (born 1787)

Ivan Aleksandrovich Nabokov was a Russian adjutant general and general of the infantry prominent during the Napoleonic Wars.

1852

Sir Robert Bateson

1st Baronet, Irish politician (born 1782)

Sir Robert Bateson, 1st Baronet DL was an Irish baronet, landowner and Conservative politician.

1863

Vikramatji Khimojiraj

Indian ruler (born 1819)

Maharaja RanaShri Vikramatji Khimojiraj Sahib was the ruler of Princely State of Porbandar belonging to Jethwa Rajput dynasty.

1900

Mark Twain

American novelist, humorist, and critic (born 1835)

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He has been praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling…

1910

Manfred von Richthofen

German captain and pilot, known popularly as the Red Baron (born 1892)

Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces…

1918

Eleonora Duse

Italian actress (born 1858)

Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse, often known simply as Duse, was an Italian actress, rated by many as the greatest of her time. She performed in many countries, notably in the plays of Gabriele D'Annunzio and Henrik Ibsen.…

1924

Robert Bridges

English poet and author (born 1844)

Robert Seymour Bridges was an English poet who was Poet Laureate from 1913 to 1930. A doctor by training, he achieved literary fame only late in life. His poems reflect a deep Christian faith, and he is the author of…

1930

Friedrich Gustav Piffl

Bohemian cardinal (born 1864)

Friedrich Gustav Piffl was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church and Archbishop of Vienna.

1932

Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Pakistani National philosopher and poet (born 1877)

Sir Muhammad Iqbal was an Islamic philosopher and poet. His poetry in Urdu is considered to be among the greatest of the 20th century, and his vision of a cultural and political ideal for the Muslims of British India is…

1938

Fritz Manteuffel

German gymnast (born 1875)

Julius Carl Fritz Manteuffel was a German gymnast. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.

1941

Walter Model

German field marshal (born 1891)

Otto Moritz Walter Model was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. Although he was a hard-driving, aggressive panzer commander early in the war, Model became best known as a practitioner of defensive…

1945

John Maynard Keynes

English economist and philosopher (born 1883)

John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes, was an English economist whose writings are considered the basis for the school of thought known as Keynesian economics, as well as its various offshoots. Originally trained in…

1946

Meir Feinstein (born 1929

disputed) with Moshe Barazani (born c. 1927), suicide militants.

Meir Feinstein was an Irgun member in Mandatory Palestine, during the Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine. Feinstein, who was sentenced to death by the British authorities, is remembered for his suicide together…

1947

Aldo Leopold

American ecologist and author (born 1887)

Aldo Leopold was an American writer, philosopher, naturalist, scientist, ecologist, forester, professor, conservationist, and environmentalist. He taught at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his book A…

1948

Leslie Banks

American actor, director and producer (born 1890)

Leslie James Banks CBE was an English stage and screen actor, director and producer, now best remembered for playing gruff, menacing characters in black-and-white films of the 1930s and 1940s, but also the Chorus in…

1952

Emil Leon Post

Polish-American mathematician and logician (born 1897)

Emil Leon Post was an American mathematician and logician. He is best known for his work in the field that eventually became known as computability theory.

1954

Charles MacArthur

American playwright and screenwriter (born 1895)

Charles Gordon MacArthur was an American playwright, screenwriter, and 1935 winner of the Academy Award for Best Story for The Scoundrel (1935).

1956

Edward Victor Appleton

English-Scottish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1892)

Sir Edward Victor Appleton was a British physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1947 for his contributions to the knowledge of the ionosphere, which led to the development of radar and shortwave radio.

1965

François Duvalier

Haitian physician and politician, 40th President of Haiti (born 1907)

François Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc, was a Haitian politician and physician who served as president of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971.

1971

Arthur Fadden

Australian accountant and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1894)

Sir Arthur William Fadden was an Australian politician and accountant who served as the 13th prime minister of Australia from 29 August to 7 October 1941. He held office as the leader of the Country Party from 1940 to…

1973

Kemal Tahir

Turkish journalist and author (born 1910)

Kemal Tahir was a prominent Turkish novelist and intellectual. Tahir spent 13 years of his life imprisoned for political reasons and wrote some of his best known novels during this time.

1973

Gummo Marx

American vaudevillian and talent agent (born 1892)

Milton "Gummo" Marx was an American vaudeville performer, theatrical agent and businessman. He was the fourth-born of the five Marx Brothers. Born in Manhattan, he worked with his brothers on the vaudeville circuit,…

1977

Sandy Denny

English singer-songwriter (born 1947)

Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny was an English singer who was the lead vocalist of the folk rock band Fairport Convention. She has been described as "arguably the pre-eminent British folk-rock singer/songwriter of her…

1978

Thomas Wyatt Turner

American biologist and academic (born 1877)

Thomas Wyatt Turner was an American civil rights activist, biologist, and educator. He was the first Black American to receive a Ph.D. in botany, and helped found both the NAACP and the Federated Colored Catholics.

1978

Alexander Oparin

Russian biochemist and academic (born 1894)

Alexander Ivanovich Oparin was a Soviet biochemist notable for his theories about the origin of life and for his book The Origin of Life.

1980

Sohrab Sepehri

Iranian poet and painter (born 1928)

Sohrab Sepehri was an Iranian poet and painter, considered to be one of the five most famous Iranian poets who have practiced modern poetry alongside Nima Youshij, Ahmad Shamlou, Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, and Forough…

1980

Walter Slezak

Austrian-American actor and singer (born 1902)

Walter Slezak was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productions.

1983

Marcel Janco

Romanian-Israeli artist (born 1895)

Marcel Janco was a Romanian and Israeli visual artist, architect and art theorist. He was the co-inventor of Dadaism and a leading exponent of Constructivism in Eastern Europe. In the 1910s, he co-edited, with Ion Vinea…

1984

Hristo Prodanov

Bulgarian engineer and mountaineer (born 1943)

Hristo Ivanov Prodanov, also known as Christo Prodanov was a Bulgarian mountaineer. Prodanov was the first Bulgarian to climb Mount Everest, doing it via the most difficult way—the West Ridge—as well as alone and…

1984

Rudi Gernreich

Austrian-American fashion designer, created the monokini (born 1922)

Rudolf "Rudi" Gernreich was an Austrian-born American fashion designer whose avant-garde clothing designs are generally regarded as the most innovative and dynamic fashion of the 1960s. He purposefully used fashion…

1985

Tancredo Neves

Brazilian banker and politician, Prime Minister of Brazil (born 1910)

Tancredo de Almeida Neves was a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and entrepreneur. He served as Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs from 1953 to 1954, President of the Council of Ministers from 1961 to 1962, Minister…

1985

Marjorie Eaton

American painter and actress (born 1901)

Marjorie Lee Eaton was an American painter, photographer and character actress.

1986

Salah Jahin

Egyptian poet, playwright, and composer (born 1930)

Muhammad Salah Eldin Bahgat Ahmad Helmy, known as Salah Jaheen was a leading Egyptian poet, lyricist, playwright and cartoonist.

1986

Gustav Bergmann

Austrian-American philosopher from the Vienna Circle (born 1906)

Gustav Bergmann was an Austrian-American philosopher. He studied at the University of Vienna and was a member of the Vienna Circle. Bergmann was influenced by the philosophers Moritz Schlick, Friedrich Waismann, and…

1987

Erté

Russian-French illustrator (born 1892)

Romain de Tirtoff, known by the pseudonym Erté, was a Russian-born French artist and designer. He worked in several fields, including fashion, jewellery, graphic arts, costume, set design for film, theatre, and opera,…

1990

Willi Boskovsky

Austrian violinist and conductor (born 1909)

Willibald Karl Boskovsky was an Austrian violinist and conductor, best known as the long-standing conductor of the Vienna New Year's Concert from 1955 to 1979.

1991

Väinö Linna

Finnish author (born 1920)

Väinö Valtteri Linna was a Finnish author and a former soldier who fought in the Continuation War (1941–44). Linna gained literary fame with his third novel, Tuntematon sotilas, and consolidated his position with the…

1992

Abdul Hafeez Kardar

Pakistani cricketer (born 1925)

Abdul Hafeez Kardar PP, HI was a Pakistani cricketer, politician, and diplomat. He was the first captain of the Pakistan cricket team and one of only three players to have played Test cricket for both India and…

1996

Jimmy Snyder

American sportscaster (born 1919)

James George Snyder Sr., better known as Jimmy the Greek, was an American sports commentator and Las Vegas bookmaker. A regular contributor to the CBS program The NFL Today, Snyder predicted the scores of NFL games,…

1996

Jean-François Lyotard

French sociologist and philosopher (born 1924)

Jean-François Lyotard was a French philosopher, sociologist, and literary theorist. His interdisciplinary discourse spans such topics as epistemology and communication, the human body, modern art and postmodern art,…

1998

Buddy Rogers

American actor (born 1904)

Charles Edward "Buddy" Rogers was an American film actor and musician. During the peak of his popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was publicized as "America's Boyfriend".

1999

Nina Simone

American singer-songwriter, pianist, and activist (born 1933)

Nina Simone was an American composer concert pianist, singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Simone's bearing and stage presence earned her the title the High Priestess of Soul. Her music spanned styles…

2003

Zhang Chunqiao

Chinese writer and politician, member of the Gang of Four (born 1917)

Zhang Chunqiao was a Chinese political theorist, writer, and politician. He came to the national spotlight during the late stages of the Cultural Revolution, and was a member of the ultra-Maoist group dubbed the "Gang…

2005

Gustav Lorentzen

Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1947)

Gustav Lorentzen, also known by his stage name Ludvigsen, was a Norwegian singer-songwriter, best known from being half of the successful duo Knutsen & Ludvigsen, alongside Øystein "Knutsen" Dolmen. He went solo in…

2010

Juan Antonio Samaranch

Spanish businessman, seventh President of the International Olympic Committee (born 1920)

Juan Antonio Samaranch y Torelló, 1st Marquess of Samaranch was a Spanish sports administrator under the Franco regime (1973–1977) who served as the seventh president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from…

2010

Kanagaratnam Sriskandan

Sri Lankan-English engineer and civil servant (born 1930)

Kanagaratnam Sriskandan was a Sri Lankan born British engineer and civil servant. He was the former Chief Highway Engineer, of Under Secretary Grade at the British Department for Transport

2010

Catharina Halkes

Dutch theologian and academic (born 1920)

Catharina Joanna Maria Halkes was a Dutch theologian and feminist, notable for having been the first Dutch professor of feminism and Christianity, at the Radboud University Nijmegen from 1983 to 1986. A Roman Catholic…

2011

Doris Betts

American author and academic (born 1932)

Doris Betts was a short story writer, novelist, essayist and Alumni Distinguished Professor Emerita at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the author of three short story collections and six novels.

2012

Shakuntala Devi

Indian mathematician and astrologer (born 1929)

Shakuntala Devi was an Indian mental calculator, astrologer, and writer, popularly known as the "Human Computer". Her talent earned her a place in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. However, the…

2013

Leopold Engleitner

Austrian Holocaust survivor, author, and educator (born 1905)

Leopold Engleitner was an Austrian conscientious objector, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and a concentration camp survivor who spoke publicly and with students about his experiences. He was the subject of the…

2013

George H. Heilmeier

American engineer (born 1936)

George Harry Heilmeier was an American engineer, manager, and a pioneering contributor to liquid crystal displays (LCDs), for which he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Heilmeier's work is an IEEE…

2014

Win Tin

Burmese journalist and politician, co-founded the National League for Democracy (born 1930)

Win Tin was a Burmese journalist, politician and political prisoner. He co-founded the National League for Democracy (NLD). He was imprisoned by the military government for 19 years (1989–2008) for his writings and his…

2014

Prince

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (born 1958)

Prince Rogers Nelson, known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, actor, and filmmaker. Often being credited as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, he pioneered the…

2016

Ugo Ehiogu

English footballer (born 1972)

Ugochukwu Ehiogu was an English professional football coach and player who played as a centre-back. After retiring, he became a record executive, jointly founding the successful record label, Dirty Hit. Ehiogu was the…

2017

Nabi Tajima

Japanese supercentenarian (born 1900)

Nabi Tajima was a Japanese supercentenarian who was the world's oldest living person from 16 September 2017, until her death, and the last surviving person to have been born in the 19th century.

2018

Polly Higgins

Scottish barrister, author and environmental lobbyist (born 1968)

Pauline Hélène "Polly" Higgins was a Scottish barrister, author, and environmental lobbyist, described by Jonathan Watts in her obituary in The Guardian as, "one of the most inspiring figures in the green movement". She…

2019

Terry A. Anderson

American journalist (born 1947)

Terry Alan Anderson was an American journalist and combat veteran. He reported for the Associated Press. In 1985, he was taken hostage by Shia Hezbollah militants of the Islamic Jihad Organization in Lebanon and held…

2024

Pope Francis (born 1936)

Pope Francis was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 13 March 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American, and the first pope born or raised outside…

2025

April 21 in the Blog

Hirohito's Accession — April 21, 1926

124th emperor Hirohito ascended the throne in 1926 Tokyo, Japan, marking a new era in Japanese history with significant changes

Read the full story

Notable deaths

Who died on April 21?

Diosdado Macapagal — President of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965

FeaturedDiosdado Macapagal

Death year1997

Known forHe served as the 5th vice president from 1957 to 1961 under Carlos P

Deaths on this date86 (234 – 2025)

Explore April 21

Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.

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Also on April 21 in History

2021

Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala (402) sinks in the Bali Sea during a military drill, killing all 53 on board. Wikipedia →

2019

Eight bombs explode at churches, hotels, and other locations in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing at least 269. Wikipedia →

2012

Two trains are involved in a head-on collision near Sloterdijk, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, killing one person and injuring 116 others. Wikipedia →

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Notable Deaths on April 21

1997 — Diosdado Macapagal

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