Notable Deaths on December 26

Q: Who died on December 26?

Notable people who died on December 26 include: Dionysius, Zosimus, Euthymius of Sardis, Zheng, Masrur al-Balkhi.

Q: What is Doug Harvey known for?

Doug Harvey, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1924)

119 people 268 – 2025

December 26 has seen 119 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 268 – 2025. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · December 26 — Wikipedia

1989 — Doug Harvey

Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1924)

Did you know

Individually he won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenceman seven times, and was named to the end of season NHL All-Star team as a First All-Star 10 times

Did you know

Widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in National Hockey League (NHL) history, Harvey was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973 and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017

Did you know

He played from 1947 until 1964, and from 1966 until 1969

Did you know

Douglas Norman Harvey was a Canadian professional hockey defenceman

Did you know

Best known for playing with the Montreal Canadiens, Harvey also played for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and St

Dionysius

pope of the Catholic Church

Pope Dionysius was the Bishop of Rome from 22 July 259 to 26 December 268. His pontificate oversaw the transition from Valerian's persecutions to the toleration issued by Gallienus in 260. During this period, he…

268

Zosimus

pope of the Catholic Church

Pope Zosimus was the bishop of Rome from 18 March 417 to his death on 26 December 418. He was born in Mesoraca, Calabria. Zosimus took a decided part in the protracted dispute in Gaul as to the jurisdiction of the See…

418

Euthymius of Sardis

Byzantine bishop and saint (born 754)

Euthymius of Sardis or Euthymius the Confessor was metropolitan bishop of Sardis between ca. 785 and ca. 804, and a leading iconophile during the period of Byzantine Iconoclasm. Martyred in 831, he is a saint in the…

831

Zheng

empress of the Tang Dynasty

Empress Dowager Zheng, formally Empress Xiaoming, was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Tang dynasty. She was a concubine to Emperor Xianzong and, after her son Emperor Xuānzong became emperor, she became…

865

Masrur al-Balkhi

Abbasid general

Masrur al-Balkhi was a senior military officer in the late-9th century Abbasid Caliphate.

893

Gao Qiong

Chinese general (born 935)

Gao Qiong was a Northern Song dynasty general and Zhong-Wu military governor. Gao conducted many military exploits.

1006

Reginald Fitz Jocelin

archbishop-elect of Canterbury

Reginald Fitz Jocelin was a medieval Bishop of Bath and an Archbishop of Canterbury-elect in England. A member of an Anglo-Norman noble family, he was the son of a bishop, and was educated in Italy. He was a household…

1191

Valdemar

king of Sweden (born 1239)

Valdemar Birgersson, also Waldemar, was King of Sweden from 1250 to 1275.

1302

Philip I

Prince of Taranto, titular Latin Emperor (born 1278)

Philip II, also known as Philip I of Taranto, was titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople by marriage to Catherine of Valois–Courtenay, Despot of Romania, King of Albania, Prince of Achaea and Taranto.

1331

Jean de Marigny

French archbishop

Jean de Marigny, French bishop, was a younger brother of Enguerrand de Marigny.

1350

John

3rd Earl of Kent, English politician (born 1330)

John, an English nobleman, was the Earl of Kent (1331–1352) and 4th Baron Wake of Liddell (1349–1352). His promising career was cut short by an untimely death at the age of twenty-two.

1352

Thomas Holland

1st Earl of Kent, English commander (born 1314)

Thomas Holland, 2nd Baron Holand, and jure uxoris 1st Earl of Kent, KG was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. By the time of the Crécy campaign, he had apparently lost one of his…

1360

Michele Steno

doge of Venice (born 1331)

Michele Steno was a Venetian statesman who served as the 63rd Doge of Venice from 1 December 1400 until his death. He is remembered as the ruler crucial for establishing the Domini di Terraferma, in the aftermath of the…

1413

Niccolò III d'Este

marquess of Ferrara

Niccolò III d'Este was Marquess of Ferrara from 1393 until his death. He was also a condottiero.

1441

Arthur III

duke of Brittany (born 1393)

Arthur III, more commonly known as Arthur de Richemont, was briefly Duke of Brittany from 1457 until his death. He is noted primarily, however, for his role as a leading military commander during the Hundred Years' War.…

1458

Galeazzo Maria Sforza

duke of Milan (born 1444)

Galeazzo Maria Sforza was the fifth Duke of Milan from 1466 until 1476. He was born to Francesco Sforza, a popular condottiero and ally of Cosimo de' Medici who would gain the Duchy of Milan in 1450, and Bianca Maria…

1476

Babur

Mughal emperor (born 1483)

Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his father and mother respectively. He was also given the posthumous name of Firdaws Makani.

1530

Charles de Lorraine

French cardinal (born 1524)

Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Chevreuse, was a French Cardinal, a member of the powerful House of Guise. He was known at first as the Cardinal of Guise, and then as the second Cardinal of Lorraine, after the death of his…

1574

Henri de Bourbon

prince of Condé (born 1588)

Henri II de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French prince who was the head of the House of Bourbon-Condé, the senior-most cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. From the age of 2 to 12, Henri was the presumptive heir to…

1646

Antoine Houdar de la Motte

French author (born 1672)

Antoine Houdar de la Motte was a French writer.

1731

Claude Adrien Helvétius

French philosopher and activist (born 1715)

Claude Adrien Helvétius was a French philosopher, Freemason, and littérateur.

1771

John Fothergill

English physician and botanist (born 1712)

John Fothergill FRS was an English physician, plant collector, philanthropist and Quaker. His medical writings were influential, and he built up a sizeable botanic garden in what is now West Ham Park in London.

1780

Seth Warner

American colonel (born 1743)

Seth Warner was an American soldier. He was a Revolutionary War officer from Vermont who rose to the rank of Continental colonel and was often given the duties of a brigade commander. He is best known for his…

1784

Gasparo Gozzi

Italian playwright and critic (born 1713)

Gasparo, count Gozzi was a Venetian critic and dramatist.

1786

Francis Caulfeild

2nd Earl of Charlemont, Irish politician, Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone (born 1775)

Francis William Caulfeild, 2nd Earl of Charlemont, styled Viscount Caulfeild until 1799, was an Irish peer and politician.

1863

Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille

French physician and physiologist (born 1797)

Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille was a French physicist and physiologist.

1869

Heinrich Schliemann

German archaeologist, businessman and author (born 1822)

Johann Ludwig Heinrich Julius Schliemann was a German businessman and an influential archaeologist. He was an advocate of the historicity of places mentioned in the works of Homer and an archaeological excavator of…

1890

Mary Hartwell Catherwood

American author and poet (born 1849)

Mary Hartwell Catherwood was an American writer of popular historical romances, short stories, and poetry. Early in her career she published under her birth name, Mary Hartwell, and under the pseudonym Lewtrah. She was…

1902

Frederic Remington

American painter and illustrator (born 1861)

Frederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United States in the last…

1909

Dietrich Eckart

German journalist, poet, and politician (born 1868)

Dietrich Eckart was a German völkisch poet, playwright, journalist, publicist, and political activist who was one of the founders of the German Workers' Party (DAP), the precursor of the Nazi Party. Eckart was a key…

1923

Jan Letzel

Czech architect, designed the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (born 1880)

Jan Letzel was a Czech architect who was active in early 20th century Japan. He is most famous for designing the Hiroshima Products Exhibition Hall that was partially destroyed in the atomic bombing of the city. The…

1925

Albert Giraud

Belgian poet (born 1860)

Albert Giraud was a Belgian poet who wrote in French.

1929

Melvil Dewey

American librarian and educator, created the Dewey Decimal Classification (born 1851)

Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey was an American librarian and educator who invented the Dewey Decimal system of library classification. He was a founder of the Lake Placid Club, a chief librarian at Columbia…

1931

Mary Ann Bevan

English nurse who, after developing acromegaly, toured the circus sideshow circuit as "the ugliest woman in the world" (born 1874)

Mary Ann Bevan was an English nurse, who, after developing acromegaly, toured the circus sideshow circuit as "the ugliest woman in the world".

1933

Anatoly Lunacharsky

Russian journalist and politician (born 1875)

Anatoly Vasilyevich Lunacharsky was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and the first Soviet People's Commissar (minister) of Education, as well as an active playwright, critic, essayist, and journalist throughout his…

1933

Henry Watson Fowler

English lexicographer and educator (born 1858)

Henry Watson Fowler was an English schoolmaster, lexicographer and commentator on the usage of the English language. He is notable for both A Dictionary of Modern English Usage and his work on the Concise Oxford…

1933

Jack Tresadern

English footballer and manager (born 1890)

John Tresadern was an English professional football player and manager. He played twice for the England national team.

1959

Tetsuro Watsuji

Japanese historian and philosopher (born 1889)

Tetsurō Watsuji was a Japanese historian and moral philosopher.

1960

Gorgeous George

American wrestler (born 1915)

George Raymond Wagner, known by his ring name Gorgeous George, was an American professional wrestler. In the United States, during the "First Golden Age" of professional wrestling (1940s–1950s), Gorgeous George was one…

1963

Ina Boudier-Bakker

Dutch author (born 1875)

Klaziena "Ina" Boudier-Bakker was a Dutch novelist. Her most famous work is De klop op de deur, written in 1930.

1966

Herbert Otto Gille

German general (born 1897)

Herbert Otto Gille was a high-ranking German SS general, and divisional & corps commander of the Waffen-SS. He commanded the SS Division Wiking during World War II. Gille was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the…

1966

Guillermo Stábile

Argentinian footballer and manager (born 1905)

Guillermo Stábile was an Argentine professional football player and manager who played as a centre forward. At club level, Stábile won two national championships with Huracán and played in Italy and France. He was the…

1966

Weegee

Ukrainian-American photographer and journalist (born 1898)

Ascher Fellig, known by his pseudonym Weegee, was a photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography in New York City.

1968

Lillian Board

South African-English runner (born 1948)

Lillian Barbara Board, was a British athlete. She won the silver medal in the 400 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and two gold medals at the 1969 European Championships in Athletics in Athens. Her…

1970

Harry S. Truman

American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States (born 1884)

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequently,…

1972

Harold B. Lee

American religious leader, 11th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (born 1899)

Harold Bingham Lee was an American religious leader and educator who served as the 11th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 1972 until his death in December 1973.

1973

Farid al-Atrash

Syrian-Egyptian singer-songwriter, oud player, and actor (born 1915)

Farid al-Atrash, also spelled Farid El-Atrache, was a Syrian-Egyptian singer, oudist, composer, and actor. Although born in Syria, he immigrated to Egypt at the age of nine with his mother and siblings, where he…

1974

Jack Benny

American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, and violinist (born 1894)

Jack Benny was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with a highly popular comedic career in…

1974

Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton

Scottish admiral (born 1890)

Sir Frederick Hew George Dalrymple-Hamilton, KCB was a British admiral who served in World War I and World War II. He was captain of HMS Rodney when it engaged the Bismarck on 27 May 1941.

1974

Howard Hawks

American director and screenwriter (born 1896)

Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. The critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." Roger…

1977

Tony Smith

American sculptor and educator (born 1912)

Anthony Peter Smith was an American sculptor, painter, architectural designer, and a noted art theorist. As a leading sculptor in the 1960s and 1970s, Smith is often associated with the minimalist art movement.

1980

Richard Chase

American cannibalistic serial killer and necrophile (born 1950)

Richard Trenton Chase was an American serial killer, cannibal and necrophile known as the Vampire of Sacramento, the Dracula Killer and the Vampire Killer, who killed six people between December 1977 and January 1978 in…

1980

Amber Reeves

New Zealand-English author and scholar (born 1887)

Amber Blanco White was a New Zealand–born British feminist writer and scholar.

1981

Suat Hayri Ürgüplü

Turkish politician, Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1903)

Ali Suat Hayri Ürgüplü was a Turkish politician who served a brief term as Prime Minister of Turkey in 1965. He was also the last Prime Minister to be born outside the territory of present-day Turkey, being born in…

1981

Savitri

Indian actress, playback singer, dancer, director and producer (born 1936)

Nissankara Savitri was an Indian actress and filmmaker who predominantly worked in Telugu and Tamil films. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she was popularly known by the…

1981

Hans Liska

Austrian-German artist (born 1907)

Hans Liska was an Austrian artist, painter, commercial artist and illustrator.

1983

Elsa Lanchester

English-American actress (born 1902)

Elsa Sullivan Lanchester was a British actress with a long career in theatre, film and television.

1986

Dorothy Bliss

American invertebrate zoologist, curator at the American Museum of Natural History (born 1916)

Dorothy Elizabeth Bliss was an American carcinologist and curator of invertebrates at the American Museum of Natural History, with which she was associated for over 30 years. She was known as a pioneer in the field of…

1987

Glenn McCarthy

American businessman, founded the Shamrock Hotel (born 1907)

Glenn Herbert McCarthy was an American oil tycoon. The media often referred to him as "Diamond Glenn" and "The King of the Wildcatters". McCarthy was an oil prospector and entrepreneur who owned many businesses in…

1988

Pablo Sorozábal

German-Spanish composer and conductor (born 1897)

Pablo Sorozábal Mariezcurrena was a Spanish composer of zarzuelas, operas, symphonic works, and the popular romanza, "No puede ser".

1988

Gene Callahan

American art director and production designer (born 1923)

Gene Callahan was an American art director as well as set and production designer who contributed to over fifty films and more than a thousand TV episodes. He received nominations for the British Academy Film Award and…

1990

Sylva Koscina

Italian actress (born 1933)

Sylva Koscina was a Yugoslav-born Italian actress, best known for her role as Iole, the bride of Hercules in Hercules (1958) and Hercules Unchained (1960). She also played Paul Newman's romantic interest in The Secret…

1994

Cahit Arf

Turkish mathematician and academic (born 1910)

Cahit Arf was a Turkish mathematician. He is known for the Arf invariant of a quadratic form in characteristic 2 in topology, the Hasse–Arf theorem in ramification theory, Arf semigroups and Arf rings.

1997

Cornelius Castoriadis

Greek economist and philosopher (born 1922)

Cornelius Castoriadis was a Greek-French philosopher, sociologist, social critic, economist, psychoanalyst, author of The Imaginary Institution of Society, and co-founder of the Socialisme ou Barbarie collective.

1997

Ram Swarup

Indian writer on Hindu philosophy and religion (born 1920)

Ram Swarup, born Ram Swarup Agarwal, was an Indian Hindutva author.

1998

Curtis Mayfield

American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1942)

Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the Gentle Genius, he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious African-American…

1999

Shankar Dayal Sharma

Indian academic and politician, 9th President of India (born 1918)

Shankar Dayal Sharma was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the president of India from 1992 to 1997 and vice president of India from 1987 to 1992.

1999

Jason Robards

American actor (born 1922)

Jason Nelson Robards Jr. was an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he gained a reputation as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robards received numerous accolades and is one…

2000

Nigel Hawthorne

English actor (born 1929)

Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne was an English actor. He is known for his stage acting and his portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the permanent secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its…

2001

Herb Ritts

American photographer and director (born 1952)

Herbert Ritts Jr. was an American fashion photographer and music video director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black…

2002

Armand Zildjian

American businessman, founded the Avedis Zildjian Company (born 1921)

Armand Zildjian was an American manufacturer of cymbals and the head of the Avedis Zildjian Company.

2002

Virginia Coffey

American civil rights activist (born 1904)

Virginia Coffey (1904–2003), was an American social reformer and civil rights activist who worked for improved race relations in and around Cincinnati, Ohio. She advised and directed several organisations during her…

2003

Jonathan Drummond-Webb

South African surgeon and academic (born 1959)

Jonathan Drummond-Webb was a South African pediatric heart surgeon.

2004

Angus Ogilvy

English businessman (born 1928)

Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy was a British businessman, courtier, and philanthropist. He is best known as the husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent. Ogilvy is also remembered for his role in a business scandal, known as…

2004

Reggie White

American football player and wrestler (born 1961)

Reginald Howard White was an American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. White played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning unanimous…

2004

Muriel Costa-Greenspon

American soprano (born 1937)

Muriel Salina Costa-Greenspon was an American mezzo-soprano who had a lengthy career at the New York City Opera from 1963 to 1993.

2005

Ted Ditchburn

English footballer and manager (born 1921)

Edwin George Ditchburn was an English professional football goalkeeper who played for Northfleet United, Tottenham Hotspur, Romford, Brentwood Town and represented England on six occasions at international level.

2005

Kerry Packer

Australian publisher and businessman (born 1937)

Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling interest in…

2005

Viacheslav Platonov

Russian volleyball player and coach (born 1939)

Viacheslav Platonov was a Russian volleyball player and coach. He led the Soviet men's national volleyball team to gold medals at the 1978 FIVB World Championship in Italy, 1982 FIVB World Championship in Argentina, and…

2005

Vincent Schiavelli

American actor (born 1948)

Vincent Andrew Schiavelli was an American character actor noted for his work on stage, screen, and television. Described as an "instantly recognizable sad-faced actor", he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome in childhood.

2005

Erich Topp

German commander (born 1914)

Erich Topp was a German U-boat commander of World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords of Nazi Germany. He sank 35 ships for a total of 197,460 gross register…

2005

Gerald Ford

American commander, lawyer, and politician, 38th President of the United States (born 1913)

Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He assumed the presidency after the resignation of Richard Nixon, under whom he served as the 40th vice president from 1973…

2006

Ivar Formo

Norwegian skier and engineer (born 1951)

Ivar Formo was a Norwegian cross-country skier and orienteer who competed during the 1970s.

2006

Munir Niazi

Pakistani poet (born 1923)

Munir Niazi, was a Pakistani poet. He mostly wrote in the Punjabi and Urdu languages and also wrote for newspapers, magazines and radio.

2006

Felix Wurman

American cellist and composer (born 1958)

Felix Wurman was an American cellist and composer.

2009

Salvador Jorge Blanco

48th President of the Dominican Republic (born 1926)

José Salvador Omar Jorge Blanco was a Dominican politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 48th president of the Dominican Republic from 1982 to 1986. He was a Senator running for the PRD party. He started his…

2010

Edward Bhengu

South African activist (born 1934)

Edward "Sonnyboy" Bhengu was a South African activist and founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania.

2010

Teena Marie

American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1956)

Mary Christine Brockert, known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the stage name Teena Marie and…

2010

Houston Antwine

American football player (born 1939)

Houston J. "Twine" Antwine was an American football defensive tackle who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons.

2011

Pedro Armendáriz

Jr., Mexican-American actor and producer (born 1940)

Pedro Armendáriz Bohr, better known by his stage name Pedro Armendáriz Jr., was a Mexican actor.

2011

Sarekoppa Bangarappa

Indian politician, 15th Chief Minister of Karnataka (born 1932)

Sarekoppa Bangarappa was an Indian politician who was the 6th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1990 to 1992.

2011

Joe Bodolai

American screenwriter and producer (born 1948)

Joe Bodolai was an American film and television producer and writer.

2011

James Rizzi

American painter and illustrator (born 1950)

James Rizzi was an American pop artist who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

2011

Gerry Anderson

English director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1929)

Gerald Alexander Anderson was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist, who is known for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s productions filmed with…

2012

Gerald McDermott

American author and illustrator (born 1941)

Gerald McDermott was an American film-maker, creator of children's picture books, and expert on mythology. His creative works typically combine bright colors and styles with ancient imagery. His picture books feature…

2012

Ibrahim Tannous

Lebanese general (born 1929)

Ibrahim Tannous was a former commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. General Tannous earned a reputation for honesty and was seen as “a general willing to get his uniform dirty to build a fighting Lebanese Army,” in the…

2012

Paul Blair

American baseball player and coach (born 1944)

Paul L. D. Blair was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1964 through 1980, most notably as the center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles dynasty…

2013

Marta Eggerth

Hungarian-American actress and singer (born 1912)

Marta Eggerth was a Hungary-born American actress and singer from "The Silver Age of Operetta". Many of the 20th century's most famous operetta composers, including Franz Lehár, Fritz Kreisler, Robert Stolz, Oscar…

2013

Stanisław Barańczak

Polish-American poet, critic, and scholar (born 1946)

Stanisław Barańczak was a Polish poet, literary critic, scholar, editor, translator and lecturer. He is perhaps most well known for his English-to-Polish translations of the dramas of William Shakespeare and of the…

2014

James B. Edwards

American dentist, soldier, and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Energy (born 1927)

James Burrows Edwards was an American politician and administrator from South Carolina. He was the first Republican to be elected governor of South Carolina since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era in the 1870s. He…

2014

Leo Tindemans

Belgian politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Belgium (born 1922)

Leonard Clemence "Leo" Tindemans was a Belgian politician. He served as the prime minister of Belgium from 25 April 1974 until he resigned as minister on 20 October 1978. He was a member of the Christian Democratic and…

2014

Sidney Mintz

American anthropologist and academic (born 1922)

Sidney Wilfred Mintz was an American anthropologist best known for his studies of the Caribbean, creolization, and the anthropology of food. Mintz received his PhD at Columbia University in 1951 and conducted his…

2015

Jim O'Toole

American baseball player (born 1937)

James Jerome O'Toole was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox during his 10-year career.

2015

Ricky Harris

American comedian, actor (born 1962)

Richard George Harris II, known professionally as Ricky Harris, was an American producer, actor, and comedian. He was best known for his role as Malvo in the UPN/The CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.

2016

George S. Irving

American actor, singer and dancer (born 1922)

George S. Irving was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television specials The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) and A Miser…

2016

Irv Weinstein

American broadcaster and television news anchor (born 1930)

Irwin B. "Irv" Weinstein was an American local television news anchor and occasional radio actor. He hosted WKBW-TV's Eyewitness News in Buffalo, New York, for 34 years, from 1964 to 1998, becoming an iconic broadcaster…

2017

Brodie Lee

American Professional Wrestler (born 1979)

Jonathan Huber, known professionally as Brodie Lee, was an American professional wrestler. Huber performed in WWE from 2012 to 2019 under the ring name Luke Harper and performed in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2020…

2020

Giacomo Capuzzi

Italian Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lodi (born 1929)

Giacomo Capuzzi was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate, who served as a bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lodi.

2021

Paul B. Kidd

Australian author, journalist, and radio show host (born 1945)

Paul Benjamin Kidd was an Australian author, journalist, and radio show host. From 2001 until 2020, Kidd was the co-host of the 2UE George and Paul weekend show with George Moore; from 2020 until his death, he co-hosted…

2021

Karolos Papoulias

Greek politician, President of Greece from 2005 to 2015 (born 1929)

Karolos Papoulias was a Greek politician who served as the president of Greece from 2005 to 2015.

2021

Desmond Tutu

South African Anglican bishop, theologian and anti-apartheid and human rights activist (born 1931)

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town…

2021

Nell Hall Williams

American quilter (born 1933)

Nell Hall Williams was an American artist associated with the Gee's Bend group of quilters. Her work is included in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

2021

Edward O. Wilson

American biologist (born 1929)

Edward Osborne Wilson was an American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and entomologist who developed the field of sociobiology.

2021

Lukas Enembe

Indonesian politician, Governor of Papua from 2013 to 2023 (born1967)

Lukas Enembe was an Indonesian politician from West Papua, who served as the 13th Governor of Papua Province from April 2013 to January 2023. He had previously served as Regent of Puncak Jaya Regency between 2007 and…

2023

Tom Smothers

American comedian, actor, and activist (born 1937)

Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was an American comedian, actor, composer, and musician, widely known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick. In the 1960s they were known…

2023

Richard Parsons

American business executive (born 1948)

Richard Dean Parsons was an American business executive, notably the chairman of Citigroup and the chairman and CEO of Time Warner. He had also been the interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball…

2024

Manmohan Singh

Indian economist and politician, 13th Prime Minister of India (born 1932)

Manmohan Singh was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician and statesman who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira…

2024

Pate Mustajärvi

Finnish rock singer (born 1956)

Pauli Antero "Pate" Mustajärvi was a Finnish rock singer. He was known as the vocalist, frontman and until his death in late 2025 the only original member of Popeda as well as a solo artist. In his birthplace of Tampere…

2025

Notable deaths

Who died on December 26?

Doug Harvey — Canadian ice hockey player and coach (1924–1989)

FeaturedDoug Harvey

Death year1989

Known forWidely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in National Hockey League (NHL) history, Harvey was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973 and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017

Deaths on this date119 (268 – 2025)

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2025

Israel recognises Somaliland as an independent state, becoming the first country to do so. Wikipedia →

2021

Three people are killed when a 14-year-old opens fire on civilians at a Texaco convenience store in Garland, Texas. Wikipedia →

2015

A violent EF-4 tornado hits Garland, Texas, killing nine and injuring almost 500 others. Wikipedia →

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1989 — Doug Harvey

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